A Horse Moment

Today we said goodbye to a very good friend. A four-legged friend. Our neighbor lost their horse to colic. We had known her for 12 years or so. She had always been a member of our "herd."

I knew she was very close to death late last night. I did not think she would make it till this morning. The vet was actually scheduled to come out this morning to put her down. She didn't make it.

When I went out to feed this morning, Freckles, our rescue horse, was pacing and acting like I had never seen before. I didn't put it together at first. I fed, then went to check on the neighbor's horse. She was down, and did not appear to be breathing. Then I knew. Freckles knew, too. His friend was gone.

Before long, the wagon arrived to cart off the horse. Sissy whinnied,  saying how sorry she felt. Sissy never whinnies.

When the wagon passed our gate, Tuffy whinnied his goodbye, and I lost it. It was absolutely heart breaking. I know horses  feel the loss of a member of their herd, and I have seen this first hand before.

Freckles stood at the gate, watching the wagon disappear. And he stayed there for a long time. He missed his companion, too.

A sad day in our corral today. She will be sadly missed.