Saturday, February 26, 2011

tragic farewell


A winter tragedy struck our farm yesterday. Annie, our sweet nearly 20 year old Morgan mare, took a bad fall on the ice in her paddock. I found her struggling to get up when I got out of bed, and helped her get to her feet and back down to the barn. But while I communicated back and forth with the Veterinarian, she laid down in her stall and passed away. As we later found out, the trauma of the fall had caused a great deal of damage to her lung and vast internal bleeding -- there was nothing anybody could have done for her.

The Map Man rounded up a couple of other hearty men today to give him a hand dealing with having to remove something that large from the barn. I won't go into details, it wasn't pretty (as anyone who has ever had to deal with this situation can attest to), and I very much appreciate them having given the time (not to mention the effort and inner fortitude) to help us in our time of need.

I find it horribly ironic that we had recently come to the decision to find a new home for Annie, and had just found what I thought was the right place for her a few days earlier. They were in the process of making transportation arrangements when the accident happened. The day before she died, I told a friend that I really wished they would have come to get her that day, as the weather was being cooperative (it started raining in torents that night) and I just had a gut feeling that she needed to leave right then. Twelve hours later it was too late.

It's just one of those things, a complete accident, a mistep of her foot on the perpetually icy surface, made extra slick by the rian. But I of course feel miserable about it. It's awful to see a beautiful life cut short by a small twist of fate.

6 comments:

Karen said...

(((hugs))) I'm so sorry.

Chuck said...

So sorry for your loss. She was a sweet horse (Ariel was sad when I told her she had passed away) and will be missed. Take comfort in the fact that she was very lucky to have the love of your family and such great care over the years.

Anonymous said...

How awful - I'm very sorry.

Nicole Milman said...

So sorry :(

Stacey said...

Oh, how tragic. Sending warm thoughts.

The Studio said...

Sorry for your loss. It is heart breaking to hear.