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Dec. 17th, 2008 06:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dragonfareI've decided to use this icon because Kee's full name was "Kee in Flight".
For those of you who don't - didn't - know her, Kee was a 15-hand Quarter Horse mare, dark brown all over. She had a white star on her forehead, and one white sock. She was compact and muscular, with a trot that seemed to float, sometimes even to spurn the ground. She is the only horse I've ever ridden where I felt the joy of perfect union between me and the horse, even if only for a short time. She was a lady - she never bit, kicked, or crashed through a fence. She could be a bit ditzy at times, and tended to run through gates and stall doors. She foundered four times, which is a terribly painful thing (think of swelling under your fingernails - then think of walking on them), but she came through each time. She was tough - even with both forefeet foundered, she tried to run.
I got her when she was 3 years old, and she was 26 when she died today.
She got colic, which is common when the weather changes abruptly, especially when it changes from warm to very cold. Colic is an obstruction in the gut, and it is dangerous for horses because they can't burp or throw up, so if the obstruction is bad, or if the gut twists (which we think is what happened to her), it can kill them. We've had horses colic before, but usually a shot of Banamine, which acts as a painkiller and muscle relaxant, along with some walking and some TLC, will take care of it.
I kept thinking that Kee would recover. The vet thought so. She seemed better this morning, perkier. But she still hadn't passed the obstruction, so I watched her, going down to the barn every half hour. Around noon she seemed to get worse, very suddenly. She went down heavily in her stall and refused to get up. The vet told me to check her level of dehydration and check the color of her gums. Both were bad. I told him to come put her down, and Randi and I went to be with her. Kee had moved but was still down, and obviously dying. She died within about 10 minutes after we got there, while I stood watching, talking to her.
God. I never want to have that happen again. It's not the dying that's bad, only that she was in such pain. My only consolation is that the truly intense pain did not last long.
There was one other consolation, actually. Once she was gone, we had to dispose of the body. Larry, who runs the garage here in town where we get our vehicles serviced, had brought his backhoe and buried the old mare next door, a week or so ago. I think, in fact, that Sugar's passing had a lot to do with Kee leaving us, if you believe that kind of thing, because the two were very close. Anyway, we called Larry, and he came in a very short time, took care of everything, was very kind and sweet about it, and refused to charge us a dime. (I took him three pecan pies - his favorites - as a small token.)
So... she's gone. My Kee is gone. Randi has given me Rose, so I still have a horse to love. Not that I haven't loved all her horses all along, as she does mine. She is grieving for Kee as much as I am.
Kee, my sweet girl, take flight now. Go join Sugar across the Rainbow Bridge, with no fences between you, and run free.
For those of you who don't - didn't - know her, Kee was a 15-hand Quarter Horse mare, dark brown all over. She had a white star on her forehead, and one white sock. She was compact and muscular, with a trot that seemed to float, sometimes even to spurn the ground. She is the only horse I've ever ridden where I felt the joy of perfect union between me and the horse, even if only for a short time. She was a lady - she never bit, kicked, or crashed through a fence. She could be a bit ditzy at times, and tended to run through gates and stall doors. She foundered four times, which is a terribly painful thing (think of swelling under your fingernails - then think of walking on them), but she came through each time. She was tough - even with both forefeet foundered, she tried to run.
I got her when she was 3 years old, and she was 26 when she died today.
She got colic, which is common when the weather changes abruptly, especially when it changes from warm to very cold. Colic is an obstruction in the gut, and it is dangerous for horses because they can't burp or throw up, so if the obstruction is bad, or if the gut twists (which we think is what happened to her), it can kill them. We've had horses colic before, but usually a shot of Banamine, which acts as a painkiller and muscle relaxant, along with some walking and some TLC, will take care of it.
I kept thinking that Kee would recover. The vet thought so. She seemed better this morning, perkier. But she still hadn't passed the obstruction, so I watched her, going down to the barn every half hour. Around noon she seemed to get worse, very suddenly. She went down heavily in her stall and refused to get up. The vet told me to check her level of dehydration and check the color of her gums. Both were bad. I told him to come put her down, and Randi and I went to be with her. Kee had moved but was still down, and obviously dying. She died within about 10 minutes after we got there, while I stood watching, talking to her.
God. I never want to have that happen again. It's not the dying that's bad, only that she was in such pain. My only consolation is that the truly intense pain did not last long.
There was one other consolation, actually. Once she was gone, we had to dispose of the body. Larry, who runs the garage here in town where we get our vehicles serviced, had brought his backhoe and buried the old mare next door, a week or so ago. I think, in fact, that Sugar's passing had a lot to do with Kee leaving us, if you believe that kind of thing, because the two were very close. Anyway, we called Larry, and he came in a very short time, took care of everything, was very kind and sweet about it, and refused to charge us a dime. (I took him three pecan pies - his favorites - as a small token.)
So... she's gone. My Kee is gone. Randi has given me Rose, so I still have a horse to love. Not that I haven't loved all her horses all along, as she does mine. She is grieving for Kee as much as I am.
Kee, my sweet girl, take flight now. Go join Sugar across the Rainbow Bridge, with no fences between you, and run free.
no subject
Date: Dec. 18th, 2008 02:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Dec. 18th, 2008 03:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Dec. 18th, 2008 05:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Dec. 18th, 2008 06:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Dec. 18th, 2008 09:08 am (UTC)There is nothing to say....
I am so sorry.......
no subject
Date: Dec. 18th, 2008 11:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Dec. 18th, 2008 01:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Dec. 18th, 2008 03:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Dec. 18th, 2008 08:00 pm (UTC)I'm glad that you were with her at the end. Poor girl...
I'm keeping you in my thoughts, sweetheart.
no subject
Date: Dec. 21st, 2008 03:13 pm (UTC)I remember sweet Kee, goofy and beautiful. I can't believe something like this could happen so fast, so cruel.
I'm glad you were with her, talking to her as she crossed that dark Bridge. She knew you were there, loving her, giving her that last gift of yourself, to be there at that huge transition time for her.
I hope Sugar was there on the other side to greet her, and that they're galloping over that meadow now where the flowers never fade and tummies are always full and comfortable.
Sending lots of love and trying to swallow the hugest lump in my throat. She will always be part of you. Souls don't die.
Love and hugs and love.