I have up and down days also. Over the years I've made big changes
to
the point of moving to another state to try to deal with the horse
problems. [my 13 year old mare broke her leg at 4 from a kick when I
asked the farm owner to not put her out with the geldings and had a
life threatening hock injury from a kick when I asked the new farm
owner to not put her out with the devil mare last fall and can't be
out with other horses besides my old one, the boarding situation I
was
in was hopeless and my old horse never got the right feed or
supplements so I got fed up and moved 400 miles away to have them at
home, had to uproot everyone and get a new job, I could go on but
I'll
save it for another time] I'm glad I did what I did, whatever happens
it will be me and my horses dealing with it.
We each can only do what we can, my friend has a 48 year old pony
being treated 7 years now for cushings. He has colicked many times,
is blind and has chronic laminitis. sometimes I want to shake her
and
ask her what is she thinking but other times when I'd visit her I'd
see "dapples" on a good day out and about, occasionally gallopping
like a youngster. I've spent huge amounts of money on my 13 year old
that has been basically unrideable beyond walking for years, I
recently put her through some misery to cure her hock infection but
ya
know, I got on her today and we putzed around the pasture and she and
my old horse have a gallop a few times a day and they love each
other,
she has been able to tolerate stall rest, surgery, painful treatment,
living alone and takes it in stride. My old horse is one in a
million
but would rather be dead than spend one minute in a stall, or living
alone or on a dry lot instead of pasture. to her, the horse I love
more than any other, I promised her I would not make her do that.
When it comes time that she can't live her life on her terms, I will
end it for her, the part of her I love most will be the reason I put
her down. My young horse I think differently about, she will endure
quite a bit. both horses have kind of told me what they want from
me,
the young one will endure and the old one will ask for release. I
think we might all have to ask our horses what they want and try our
best to figure it out for them. I feel my heart breaking sometimes
thinking about it, I hope I can do what my horses ask of me.
Linda