Monday 4 February 2013

Loss

It has taken me a while to get to a point where I can actually write about this subject. What started off as a good year has already turned sour. In short I am feeling somewhat morose.

Anyone who knows me will also know that I have grown up around horses, actually owning some for a good part of my life. The most we had at one point was five, in recent years this was taken down to two (this was mentioned in a previous post).
Poppy, my welsh cob whom I have owned for almost 11 years now and Thyme my white-born appaloosa whom as of this march I will of owned for 10 years.

Saturday 26th January, we had to get the vet out to Thyme as she has somehow received a nasty injury. Turns out it was only an infected blood blister and it was easily cured. Antibiotics and Bute. Thyme has a history of strange antics, she has a rather expensive hock injury from fighting with Poppy not long after we brought her. Went for X-rays and everything, thankfully nothing was wrong.
Then she foot her foot stuck in her haynet one night and somehow, to this day I have no idea how, kicked out the window and then went over the stable door. We thankfully got there in time to cut her lose. She was hanging upside down, hoof in haynet outside the stable door. Once again, got the vet down and no injuries what so ever.

For those that don't know a whiteborn horse is, its a horse that has a genetic mutation, which produces a pure white coat and unpigmented (pink skin) so the horse is not grey. Leopard spotted appaloosa like thyme are supposed to have leopard like spots all over the skin, however she did not.
so she should of been like this


but actually she was like this -


I don't think she had the lethal white foal gene.... but she may of had it. They usually die at an early age so it isn't likely.

Anyway... enough idol chatter I shall continue with the story.
Thyme's injury healed up nicely, Cai was even up helping me with her on Tuesday night. when we let her out she was running around the fields with Poppy happily.

Wednesday morning I received a phonecall... My little appaloosa has developed colic over night. Now, there had been no change in her diet or anything like that so it really was very unexpected an random. The vet gave me three options, Surgery (which would cost between £4000 and £10000 which we just didn't have), check on her and keep her health monitored or euthanasia. She had improved very quickly so we all agreed that to keep an eye on her was the best option.

I stayed with her until super late at night, she was perfectly fine by this point, happy, bright, alert and whinnying like normal. It really looked like she was better. Yet we kept her in the stable with some water and no food just to be safe.
On Wednesday morning, I got another phone call (I was already up and off to see her... it was 8:15am). Thyme had died. To say the least I was distraught, the vet had given her the all clear the night before....  she was my baby. I loved her to pieces. Poppy knows I think, she looks very depressed. No signs of any thrashing so she most likely wasn't in pain thankfully and she was still warm when they called so sadly it hadn't been long before.

It may seam sad or pathetic but I really miss her; its strange not hearing her high pitched whinny when I come on the yard to see them.
She inspired my unicorn act. This was because she was pure white and at times reminded me of a de-horned unicorn, some nights she would shine and you could see her across the fields. So to honour her memory I am saving up for a custom oil painting this is also coupled with me changing out one of my acts from a show this Saturday. I was supposed to perform my Succubus act but instead I decided to perform Unicornis, in memory of my beautiful little unicorn.  It was hard not to cry on stage.

At least she has Owen and Quest with her now. (They were two of my other horses. We found out on Friday that Quest had died last year... we had given him to a friend a few years before)

R.I.P Thyme - Poppy, Cai and I love you and miss you very much. there will never be another like you. You will always be in our hearts. <3