Redman - I will miss you

At 4:50am, Ellie woke me up barking.  I got up to see if she just needed to go potty and she bolted out the back door and charged to the left of the little walk through gate for the barn.  I heard a horse whinnying so I wanted to shine the flashlight.  I shined the light and saw lots of horse eyes and I thought I best check a little better.  So I called Ellie inside, got dressed and went outside.  I saw all of my horses and the neighbors 2 horses.  But there was still a horse whinnying.  So I checked better.  It was Redman that was whinnying.  I watched him for a few seconds and I saw that he was kinda staggering.  I knew instantly it wasn't good.  I called the vet at 4:55am and she was here at 5:59am.  She called about 2 minutes before she arrived to let me know she was close and I told her that Redman was already laying on the ground.  When she got here she took out a stethoscope and a vial to draw blood.  We walked over to him and he was already gone.  I am so thankful that he didn't suffer.

The vet gave me a phone number to a man that buries horses and I called him and he was here at 7:37am.  He was very nice and showed concern and empathy.  He buried Redman in the corner where he liked to stand.  I have a piece of mane and a piece of tail.

The vet took blood and she said that it sounds like encephalitis (west nile).  I have to get the other horses vaccinated now.  I should have already vaccinated them but they sometimes still get the virus.  It's just something that happens.  So...that is my first three and a half hours of the day.

 

There is no doubt that I will miss you my big handsome boy with molasses on your nose and happy as can be.  I will always remember how you would run to and hug a new roll of hay!