Death of a pet

The death of a pet can be so traumatic and something that non-pet owners don't understand how much that pet is a part of your life.

 My Shilo, how I loved this horse for 19 years. He thought my grand-kids how to ride. He was my friend.  I bought him when I was older in life and he was 5 and had never been trained. He had lived his life in a corral. They used to go set on him and ride him around the pasture.

When I got him he did not know how to get in a trailer and I loaded him by picking up each foot and putting it in the trailer.  We had an immediate connection when I went to look at him as a possible purchase.

He loved to be ridden and go on trail rides but he was afraid of everything. My luck was that he had total faith in me and would not run off with me.  The first time his shod foot hit the pavement the sound like of scared him to death. He almost squatted until his belly was on the ground. His shadow on the pavement also scared him.

He was a beautiful horse who thought he belonged with me every second of the day. If you left the door open when he was in the fenced back yard he would try to come in the house.  He was a city horse so traffic did not bother him. Llama's lived next to his pasture so he did not mind them but heavens he was terrified of other horses, he did not know what they were. Dogs could run all over under and through his legs and he was fine. He was so excited to see a horse and then the horse kicked him in the side with both legs and knocked him down. The next horse bit him every chance he got so he was terrified of horses.

He hated it when I left and would not come get him.  If he saw me get in the pickup and trailer he would run to his gate ready to go.  If we were out riding instead of walking faster when we headed to the trailer he would walk slower and when it came into sight he would stop and when we got to the trailer he would try to go past it. If you started the pickup and tried to leave then he would want to go to the trailer cause he thought he was going some where else.

He loved it when I took the dog for a walk but if we did not take him then he would run up and down the fence line and just scream at me. We would come back and put his halter on and then he would arch that beautiful neck of his and walk so proud with me and the dog down the road.  My cat also loved to go for the walk so here I was walking down a main highway in Oregon with a dog, a cat and my horse, people would look at us so weird.

And then we got Rose, who did not bite him, kick him. He was in love completely and never wanted to leave her side.  Our relationship changed somewhat after Rose. He still loved to go riding and loved to go for walks but only if Rose came too.  He still ran from the back 40 to me when he heard my voice. He learned to get along better with other horses but still came when he saw me when they all were in the pasture but he always brought Rose with him.  I think if he could not have drove her to come too he would not have came as he loved that little redhead...

He got a viral infection (airborne) and the vet thinks it also moved into his digestive system and caused colic. Either way he got colic and was down for we don't know how long, he was all skinned up and had been rolling. When my friend said he was down with his legs stuck straight up in the air I knew he had torn the membrane that holds his guts up and had a twisted gut but I still hoped. We tried everything but it was of no use and after 19 years I lost one of my best friends.

When I was stressed I always went and talked to him, brushed him and my stress level went down. One time I was so upset I went up to my friends house who keeps him and she came out to say "hi", I looked at her and said "you don't even want to talk to me right now, I have to spend sometime with my horse". I spent 1/2 hour with him and then was able to tell her what was wrong.

A big part of my heart left with him Tuesday and this is the first time I could even write that he was gone. I can't write his name without crying. My buddy, my friend, the love of my life is no longer here but he is no longer in pain.

He was in so much pain he could hardly stay on his feet and once he went down right when we were leading him and would not get back up for vet and assistant. I went over and got him and he struggled like mad and got to his feet.  He would try to walk and his feet so shaking he could hardly straighten  them out so I am so glad he is no longer in pain.I loved that horse with a passion and maybe some day I can tell you some real funny stories about our years together but today I can't take anymore cause I can hardly see for the tears rolling down my cheeks.

Goodbye old friend, I will always remember and love you and I thank you for the relationship I got to share with a horse.