We always said Jack could be a field ornament as long as we could keep him happy and sound with minimal intervention. He's been one for several years now, with on-off Danilon to keep him sound and breathing supplements/dust free/soaked hay or haylage to stop his COPD flaring up. We joked that he'd go on forever he was so happy and healthy with his lifestyle.
But all of a sudden he's gone downhill, his breathing has become more laboured over the last few days and this morning YO said he could barely walk out of the stable which isn't normal for him. She gave him a couple of painkillers and he came round but she talked a bit of sense into me and made me realise that we should say goodbye while he is still happy in himself.
I gave him a pamper session today and his breathing is really bad and he was coughing. He's also started to get oedema around his sheath so I'm guessing his big heart is failing. He's still happy and falls on his food like he's been starved forever.
He's in his late 20s and a big boy, but I hadnt realised until I looked at my photos just how much weight he has lost - not skinny by any means but he always used to be rather too well covered.
Good old Jack. Because he hates vets to the point of trying to kill the odd one he will shot first thing tomorrow. I feel sick at the thought but I'm assured it will be the quickest and least stressful way for him. I won't be there though, so I've said goodbye tonight. Hard to believe it's the last time I'll ever see him, we've had him 11 years and I was really hoping he'd have at least some summer on the grass again.
Here he is today - the really odd thing is that normally when I go into his paddock his two field mates shoo him away and won't let me fuss him, but today they left him alone.
But all of a sudden he's gone downhill, his breathing has become more laboured over the last few days and this morning YO said he could barely walk out of the stable which isn't normal for him. She gave him a couple of painkillers and he came round but she talked a bit of sense into me and made me realise that we should say goodbye while he is still happy in himself.
I gave him a pamper session today and his breathing is really bad and he was coughing. He's also started to get oedema around his sheath so I'm guessing his big heart is failing. He's still happy and falls on his food like he's been starved forever.
He's in his late 20s and a big boy, but I hadnt realised until I looked at my photos just how much weight he has lost - not skinny by any means but he always used to be rather too well covered.
Good old Jack. Because he hates vets to the point of trying to kill the odd one he will shot first thing tomorrow. I feel sick at the thought but I'm assured it will be the quickest and least stressful way for him. I won't be there though, so I've said goodbye tonight. Hard to believe it's the last time I'll ever see him, we've had him 11 years and I was really hoping he'd have at least some summer on the grass again.
Here he is today - the really odd thing is that normally when I go into his paddock his two field mates shoo him away and won't let me fuss him, but today they left him alone.
