Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

Re: [RC] [RC] Old Horses and weighing decisions......... - Ranelle Rubin

Linda,

Let me tell you the story of an incredible horse, and how his owner finally had to "make the choice".

Check out the ride history of El Karbaj. AERC records don't go back far enough to really tell the story..but I can tell you I had the priveledge of leading that horse around the fairground in Auburn for a showcase of Tevis greats. He finished I think 12 times. Look it up, and wonder..

"Garb" as he was known had a very tough winter. Hal and Ann had to bring him home from the grassy pastures at her dad's ranch just to keep him inside and watch him. Spring and summer he was slow, but ok. When fall came, Hal just decided it was time to let him go, not to put him through another winter of confinement just to keep him on his feet. He is buried on the top of Robie point where every year on the "riding moon", he greets the finishers as they go by....a fitting place of rest for a great horse...The vet who guided him on through had been the vet who OK'd him to continue many times in his career.

Maybe creating a place that will always be special for your special girl will help? If you can create a way for her to always live on in some way?



Ranelle Rubin, Business Consultant
http://www.rrubinconsulting.com
Independent Dynamite Distributor
raneller@xxxxxxx

916-663-4140 home office
916-718-2427 cellular
916-848-3662 fax






From: "Linda Marins" <coldeye22@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "L gin" <ladurgin@xxxxxxx>,<Ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [RC]   Old Horses and weighing  decisions.........
Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2007 14:14:41 -0400


----- Original Message -----
From: "L gin" <ladurgin@xxxxxxx>


> Watching old Champ, ...
>
> He is mid twenties, retired...
>
> He is on full turnout with MSN daily...
>
> He has been "off and on" lame for 3/4 years since retirement.
> ...
> His front is always a bit off cause of the bad knee...
> It looks to me that this new added lameness, it is in his back end--up
> --hip or back....Like he is walking a tightrope with his back feet...
>
> I haven't given him the set of neuro ground tests yet. He wouldn't be
> able to do all of them, but not sure it is for neuro reasons. He pivots
> funny in front sometimes taking a hop...
> He is prone to thrush some so I try to watch that...
>
> ...and I just wonder when to make tough decisions.
>
> Is this how it goes, they just start going
> downhill and more things keep happening and ,yes they still eat and get
> around, but not very well, and you start to wonder how far to let it
> go...

I've got this problem now.  A 32-year old Morgan broodmare, with
the body, personality, and kinetic gift that exceeds even what you'd
expect from her breeding (UC Electra:  UC Marquis x UC Rhapsody).
A marvelous old gal ("Big Fat Mama") that I love dearly, and regret
bitterly that I didn't have the priviledge to own her until she was
already 24 years old.   I bought her out of the University of Connecticut
spring auction; her owner had donated her back to the University at
age 23 and they'd decided to cash her out through the sales ring.
Price:  $800:   just enough to outbid the killers.

She's always been my Cast Iron Girl, beautiful, spirited, smart, with
that floaty, oily--gliding--POWER trot that just makes you shake your
head in wonder.  All the old Standardbred guys at my barn would watch
her moving around her paddock and say, "Who *IS* that old mare?!!"
With her uncut, unset tail sticking straight up, flagging the air in the
classic *natural* "gay tail" pose.  Nothing ever wrong with her.
Firm, but gentle alpha mare of her herd, and not at all afraid to take
on a 2-ton Hereford bull over a pile of hay and make him turn tail
and run for his life!

But it is over now.  Since last winter, no amount of grain or hay or
even spring grass keeps the weight on; she's moving slowly and painfully;
her head almost never rises anymore, and the gay tail is a sweet memory
of the past.  Panacur purges, Adequan, oil, special feeds...nothing is
helping.

It is time. No. It is past time.

How does anyone ever bring themselves to do this?

Linda Marins






=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
 Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=




=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=