Last night the boy and I were eating potroast and thre was a knock on the door. The police said your horses are out and one has been hit.
I threw my shoes on and ran out side to see my barrel horse with her back leg broken at the hock. Her mouth was covered in blood. I called the vet to come out and put her down.
While we waited Skip did her best to not show me how much she hurt. As usual she clocked me upside the head with hers, she stood on the boys foot, she was pissed off at not being able to go back to the pasture with the other horses. She was in shock and wasn’t feeling the pain. I said goodbye to my girl, and many of my dreams last night.
I know I will get a new horse somewhere down the road. Right now I can’t afford one, and I can use the boys horse if I want. But it means a temprary end to the boy and my rides together, and it means a big hold on my rodeo career.
Goodbye Skip, you were one of the best, I will see you on the other side of the bridge.
Skippen Beaux’s Pants
1998-2005
I’m genuinely sorry to hear about your loss. I don’t personally get very attached to animals, so I won’t pretend I comprehend what it must be like for you - but I don’t underestimate your sorrow - I am sorry nonetheless.
By strange coincidence, while I was out walking yesterday, I came across a shetland pony running loose on the road; it was a bitterly cold day and it would have been ever so easy to just shrug it off as somebody else’s problem and keep walking. I knocked on the nearest farmhouse door (which turned out to be the owner’s house) and helped them get it back in the field. I’m more glad now than ever that I took the trouble.
I’m very sorry for your loss, as are any of us with animals; we all know how important they are to us. Your post actually made me cry and give my cat a hug.
I love my cat with all my heart, and I try to tell myself-he wont be here forever, so love him all you can while he is. It sounds like you did that with Skip, and I bet he loved you very much for it.
Please allow me to add my deepest condolences. It is so hard to say good-bye to a well-loved pet of any kind. Horses touch something especially deep in our soul.
I wish I could offer words to make it better, but only time can do that. Take comfort in knowng you gave her a good life and love , and that she returned that love. (((hugs)))
I’m very sorry to hear that this happened. I used to ride horses so I have some idea of how one can become bonded to a special horse. It sounds like Skip was a big part of your life.
I am trying to muddle thru the insurance stuff now. It sounds like in Wisconsin it is the drivers responsibility to not hit livestock in the road. I am finding out now that there was a guy who saw the horses in the road and stopped, put his hazard lights on and called the police he also got out of the vehicle to try and get the horses away from the road. He says that the gut who hit my mare did not slow down at all when he was coming up to his vehicle and cruised past doing about 55. The guy that hit her says he did see the hazards. So it sounds like he will be found more liable than myself. I am not sure if this means that I can go after him to recoup some of my losses or not. Not that money will fill the hole, but it would help set me on pace to getting a new horse to start for barrels.
Also Mangetout Thank you. I appreciate you going out of your way for the pony.
That’s horrible that the guy just kept racing through there even though he saw the disabled vehicle. When you see hazard lights, it makes sense to slow down at the very least in case someone from the car is out walking around that you don’t see.
I hope the legal/monetary situation can be worked out. Keep us updated on how things progress. I definitely hope you can get back into barrel-racing soon.
I’m very sorry to hear that. On a completely different note, if you’re ever barrel racing around these parts (and there’s a lot of barrel racing around these parts), make sure you let us know so we can take you out and wine and dine you.
