flinglebunt
9th May 2009, 07:28 PM
Horses are very different from any other animal or pet we own. Many of us have had a beloved dog or cat that has reached its time in this world, and how empty that world has seemed for us when we have had to say goodbye for the last time.
But, for me, when that goodbye is to a horse you have spent years of your life caring for, traveling the the stables often twice a day to muck out, turn out, groom, feed ... and the thousand other things we do for our horses ... that feeling of bereavement is so much stronger. Maybe it is the sheer size of the animal, so much bigger and stronger than us, or maybe it is the bond of trust that builds up between horse and rider over the years.
A friend of mine recently lost an old friend; the mare was thirty three years old and had been in her life since she was a little girl. She also had (still has) a six year old gelding and for the past few years had been totally inseparable and the youngster would always protest loudly if he could not see the old mare. Until just a couple of weeks earlier the old mare was still the field matriarch keeping things in order among the herd, but just recently her health had taken a downturn, not for the first time, and my friend made the tough decision to face the inevitable and end the misery that begets all living things in the twilight times.
On the morning of the appointed day my friend said her goodbyes and was taken home in tears by her sister, she was far too upset to be there at the end. The man that was to do the deed arrived at the appointed hour and parked his van in a pre-arranged place at the back of the barn. Another friend and I led both the horses around the back of the building and onto the grass that had been untouched over the winter. For a few minutes they both gorged on the thick grass until the man with the gun signaled he was ready.
The younger horse was led through the narrow opening in the fence with the old mare close behind. There was a loud crack, it was all over. The man did his job well.
But what happened next was something that the girl that owed the old mare should have been there to see for herself, i am sure it would have made her greif more bearable. The young gelding, so determined not to be separated from the old mare over the last few years turned and walked up to the now lifeless animal. He sniffed her and stood looking for a few moments then walked away. A few minutes later he was in the paddock happily grazing with the other horses.
Death does not have the same meaning to them as it does to us and he had accepted it almost as casually as he might take a carrot from our hands. Hers was a good death, quick and stress free. What more can we give our horses when they have had their day?
But, for me, when that goodbye is to a horse you have spent years of your life caring for, traveling the the stables often twice a day to muck out, turn out, groom, feed ... and the thousand other things we do for our horses ... that feeling of bereavement is so much stronger. Maybe it is the sheer size of the animal, so much bigger and stronger than us, or maybe it is the bond of trust that builds up between horse and rider over the years.
A friend of mine recently lost an old friend; the mare was thirty three years old and had been in her life since she was a little girl. She also had (still has) a six year old gelding and for the past few years had been totally inseparable and the youngster would always protest loudly if he could not see the old mare. Until just a couple of weeks earlier the old mare was still the field matriarch keeping things in order among the herd, but just recently her health had taken a downturn, not for the first time, and my friend made the tough decision to face the inevitable and end the misery that begets all living things in the twilight times.
On the morning of the appointed day my friend said her goodbyes and was taken home in tears by her sister, she was far too upset to be there at the end. The man that was to do the deed arrived at the appointed hour and parked his van in a pre-arranged place at the back of the barn. Another friend and I led both the horses around the back of the building and onto the grass that had been untouched over the winter. For a few minutes they both gorged on the thick grass until the man with the gun signaled he was ready.
The younger horse was led through the narrow opening in the fence with the old mare close behind. There was a loud crack, it was all over. The man did his job well.
But what happened next was something that the girl that owed the old mare should have been there to see for herself, i am sure it would have made her greif more bearable. The young gelding, so determined not to be separated from the old mare over the last few years turned and walked up to the now lifeless animal. He sniffed her and stood looking for a few moments then walked away. A few minutes later he was in the paddock happily grazing with the other horses.
Death does not have the same meaning to them as it does to us and he had accepted it almost as casually as he might take a carrot from our hands. Hers was a good death, quick and stress free. What more can we give our horses when they have had their day?