But yes, being there when your human needs you. That seems to happen to me frequently, so I think I'm quite good at it. Ohio mom got me just a few months after she lost her first horse. She was quite overwhelmed with it still, but the opportunity came for me to be hers and she took it. Not only had she lost her mare, Libby, she had Libby's young foal, Riot, to raise too. Between myself and Riot, we had a lot of tears shed in our manes. We also were there for her to keep her mind busy, between teaching a young colt the basics, to teaching an 8 year old mare the basics! By springtime, she was ready to ride again and I was ready to be backed. I went easy on her and just went with the flow. It was fun and she was happy. During this time, Michigan mom and her mom and a few other people came to see me be backed the first time! It was exciting. We had Riot's first birthday party and then it was time to work with me! I had a lot of fun that day. That was also the day that Michigan mom and her mother told Ohio mom that if she ever needed a place for me, to let them know...they LOVED me :D
Michigan mom, Myself, Ohio mom
A couple of years later, Ohio mom took them up on their offer. Michigan mom and her mother had just lost their older Thoroughbred mare, and I was ready to go up there and help comfort not only them, but Michigan moms older Paint mare. We had several grand months up there! Much fun was had and life was good. And then it happened. Michigan mom made the tough decision to euthanize her Paint mare, Gypsy. I was there for her as much as I could be, much like how I was there for Ohio mom when she had lost her mare.
Things come up in life sometimes and Michigan mom needed to move me back down to Ohio mom's place. I met up with Riot, who was now towering over me, and the "other" Gypsy that I knew for a year or so before I moved up to Michigan. I arrived in November, and sadly, by December...Riot just wasn't well. Ohio mom was pretty tore up about it. Vet could find no reason for him to keep getting belly aches. He was a trooper though. The last day he was here was a tough one for Ohio mom. It was raining and cold and miserable outside, and she stayed out there with him the entire day. She let us say goodbye to him too...he really wasn't well at all. She made that tough choice to let him go. We didn't see Ohio mom for several days after that. Her mom would come out and feed us. But we were waiting for her when she was ready. She told us that he had tumors in his abdomen and that he wasn't in pain anymore. But she was. More tears in the mane, for many weeks. Gypsy also grieved and stopped eating. Which made Ohio mom fret even more. I was always standing near Gypsy and grooming her and just resting my head on her back to let her know I was here. Ohio mom found this sweet and told me so. Gypsy and I usually bite at each other and play rough, or challenge each other for lead horse position out in our little field (she usually wins by the way!). She is not a passive horse by any means, but she had to grieve in her own way too.
The 17th marked the one year anniversary of Riot's death. Ohio mom was pretty down in the dumps and she didn't really hang out with us much. We did get some hugs though and she told us how much she appreciated us. It's a long, hard road to being able to accept the death of a loved one. The most you can do is just be there for your human and fellow critters and not let anyone be alone in this time. Even if all you do is just stand there and let them cry into your mane.
http://www.themanestreet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13138
Liberty(1995-2003) and Patriot(2003-2008)
I didn't know you had that picture of Gypsy, Sadie, Mom and I. That was a great day. :)
ReplyDeleteGood post, btw, made me cry to realize how much Sadie has been for both you and I, and Mom, a sweet, red furry kleenex. She is a great one, isn't she?