Well, I have been tending to Snookies wound for well over a week now. It is healing sooo slowly. After she ate her special old lady food, leg hosed and doctored, I started to groom her. Then I started to cry. It really hit me how bad she looks. She had taken this year very hard. She has lost alot of weight, and her 'pooper" is really sunk in. I laid my cheek on her forehead and cried for about 10min stroking her face and muzzle. I realized I will probably never ride her again....and that just makes me more mad about that damn car accident. She was still healthy and realtively fit for a senior, and due to my pain and depression, I wasn't able to keep her in a decent condition. And I never got to ride her again. I could just hit someone right now. She was such a lovely horse in her prime. Shiney like a new copper penny. Now just a dull orange. I am going to have to buy half the feed store suplements to see if it is even possible to get her back in good weight. The food she has been getting, isn't doing it. So I need more, probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes, vitamin/minerals, flax seed, rice bran, beet pulp, alfalfa pellets, and senior suplements. That will cost a small fortune! I think I need to find a way for my mom to be able to feed her mid day for me too. right now, all I can do, is an extra feeding when I get home after work. I toss a ton of hay in the am, her extra feed @ 6pm, then feed everyone around 10pm. to give her time to digest her treat. So, I will hit up the feed store tonight, and see how deep in the negative my check book can go!
Sad day,
Michelle
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Hey Michelle!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about this... just wanted to say that there is only so much that you can blame on yourself. Sadly, age is one of those things that happens... one of the difficult things about horses having shorter life-spans than ourselves, is that we have to watch them go through the aging process.
Kerrin
Parelli Central
Thanks Kerrin. it is breaking my heart to see her like this. she used to be so beautifull, and so full of spirit. she seems fine though. not in any pain or suffering at this point. she loves the 1/1 'her" time with me while she eats and i groom her. it feels like the old days, when I wuold spend an hour just brushing her tail. oh the days of only having one horse!
ReplyDeleteDear Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI feel so sad for you.
I lost my beloved old Lizzie this January. She was my first horse, sold to me as an 18 yr old from the riding school I learned to ride at. She was the horse that helped me find Parelli.
She had developed Osteoarthritis and had blown her stifles. We had an amazing four years together but she went down hill rapidly last November. Turns out she was more like 30 not 20 something and it was awful to see her go from healthy to ill in such a short time and then to have to let her go.
She cost me a fortune in feed and suppliments all the time I had her but I didn't begrudge her one bit of it.
My heart goes out to you and I am sending you virtual hugs. I hope you have lots more time together for grooming lol.
x
Thanks Cilla. I am sorry for your loss. I know how bad it hurts. I have lost 2 already in my 38yrs with horses. It sucks no matter how long or short a time you have with them. But it is definately harder to watch them just deteriorate right before your eyes. So far, she is in good health, joints are all good and so forth. But, just as she has always been, she bangs herself up pretty good from time to time. healing a wound right now the size of my palm. RBE extrodinaire! She would rather break a leg than be without her buddy for 2 seconds. Except to come out alone for her goodies. But if Rose doesn't follow the fence line with her she wont eat. sighs. I promised myself and her that I would not let her live a life of being a bag of bones. I spent a small fortune at the feed store tonight. bought every supplement on the shelf it seemed like. my credit card had flames on it when I swiped it! she would normally gain weight on what I have been feeding her, but she is just losing instead. so now with a new arsenal, i hope this does the trick.
ReplyDeleteIf not, i do not expect her to make it through the winter.
Thanks again, and sorry for your loss again too. at least she is running free with the wind in her mane forever and ever.