Goodbye, my little friend. How things have changed in the stable since my last post. December brought a big reminder that horses bring such elated highs and crushing lows, and the trick is to stay strong and not to get swept up by the swings.
My darling Andy, my first horse and the equine love of my life, is coming out from the other side of a bout with crippling laminitis, and a Cushing's disease diagnosis. He has started his medication and the prognosis is good, but his management will change for the rest of his life. He so desperately wants to be with the rest of the herd, but he can't have access to their feed, and his discomfort weighs on me.
We said a sad goodbye to our young Gingersnaps, not even 4 years old but growing into a major defect that meant she could never work, and the hardest of decisions had to be made when she developed a complex dental abcess that needed special surgery. It's an outcome of heavy disappointment, grief, and coming to terms with unfulfilled dreams.
My horse's vulnerabilities remind me of my own weaknesses.
But there's a new light in the stable: Ehren CSF is already part of the family, a half-brother to Ludi and a horse I've been keeping tabs on over the years. Fateful timing and the enabling of my wonderful husband brought him to us just before Christmas. Ehren will be 6 this year and it is time for him to really get going under saddle and to see the world. His bright, eager face each morning reminds me of my own motivation and represents another opportunity to become a better trainer.
My darling Andy, my first horse and the equine love of my life, is coming out from the other side of a bout with crippling laminitis, and a Cushing's disease diagnosis. He has started his medication and the prognosis is good, but his management will change for the rest of his life. He so desperately wants to be with the rest of the herd, but he can't have access to their feed, and his discomfort weighs on me.
We said a sad goodbye to our young Gingersnaps, not even 4 years old but growing into a major defect that meant she could never work, and the hardest of decisions had to be made when she developed a complex dental abcess that needed special surgery. It's an outcome of heavy disappointment, grief, and coming to terms with unfulfilled dreams.
My horse's vulnerabilities remind me of my own weaknesses.
But there's a new light in the stable: Ehren CSF is already part of the family, a half-brother to Ludi and a horse I've been keeping tabs on over the years. Fateful timing and the enabling of my wonderful husband brought him to us just before Christmas. Ehren will be 6 this year and it is time for him to really get going under saddle and to see the world. His bright, eager face each morning reminds me of my own motivation and represents another opportunity to become a better trainer.
Welcome, Ehren CSF! I can't think of anything other than time and a new horse to help get over the loss of another. Ehren has clarified my vision for this coming year.
And here we are, starting 2015. Year of the Sheep, this time, to bring us inspiration and harmony. Cheers to that!
And here we are, starting 2015. Year of the Sheep, this time, to bring us inspiration and harmony. Cheers to that!
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