Our horse died tonight

There are so many souls I need to see again.
I could not live with the thought of never- thank
you Buck, for the gift of memories that your passing
has brought to me. Please say hello to my friends for
me.

He has had an impact on many lives.

MollyD

I am so sorry you lost you buck But he did live a long happy life with you I am sure.
I just lost ny best mare to thit was a freak deal I'll tell you later if you feel like talking about it some time. Horse trots to you from heaven
Joyce of Sunseri Farms

Hi Joyce,

Thank you. I'm sorry about your mare. How did she die? Was age was she? They sure leave a big gap in your life when they go.

MollyD

Molly, My mare was only 21years old and yes they sure do leave a missing that never goes away. I still look for her when I go out and I often find myself telling people what knd of a horse she was.
She would look out for the grand baby and nudge him a long or head him off if he was headed for trouble. She came froma abused home and was so happy to be here. Her first home the owner commited suicide because of divorce. She went to auction house where this man got her and didn' t know the spirit of and arab. She was trained in dressage. This old counrty fart (I'm counrty to) tried to make her in to justan old plow horse put barb wire across her nose and everything. she had a scare from it.
Anyway we came across her and bought her from the fool. Got her home bonded right away. I could talk to her like she was really understandin gme some times she did. I had decided to have her breed since she was the last living daughter of Wisdom(Arab Champ.bloodline)
Took her to the vet for check up ultra sound everything was good to go.
Had the Stud Klint Black picked out form artif. semen. When her heat cycle came in the vet did his thing and as they were putting the tube in they went in to far a punctured her utur. wall. WE did not know this. 30 days later we took her back tosee if she was preg. They said no buut something was there. SO off to LSU vet school we go,
She was not preg.but a mass had formed from the puncture They said it was a ghance she could carry or not . So I thought for months and decide but my heart said no I didn't listen to my heart!
WE had her re breed and 30 days later she was preg. She carried it for 3 months before we found her dead in her stall. I cried and cried and even now as I right this I am crying. I miss that horse. Arab bond more closely than any other horse. I have AQHorses to. I cut off part of her tail and mane and have it by her photo.
The love we have for these animals is more than we know until we lose one.
I buried her in the back under and old oak tree and fern grows around her.
Some my heart goes out to you, as does my prayers.
Some times I think I can still hear her(weird I know)

Joyce I am so sorry. That was not something that anyone could have foreseen. Usually pregnancies are so routine that you don't expect them to lead to tragedy. I'm glad you were able to get her away from the man who didn't know a plow horse from any other kind! At least you were able to give her some good years with you.
A friend of ours lost his Arabian mare to an illness that made her loose weight no matter how much she ate. It took a whole year and a half to kill her and he could not bring himself to have her put down. He still has her son TJ who is not a youngster himself.
Just remind yourself they're over the Rainbow Bridge where the grass is sweeter and there are no fences.

MollyD

MollyD

Joyce - your story is so sad. She was lucky, though, that she had you as long as she did and that you still love her so. I really believe that she can still feel that.

And, as Molly says, she's happy now.

Molly I am so sorry for your loss. We have had a busy day and I just logged in .

We lost 2 dogs and 2 cats in past several months .When we put our 15 yr.old dog to sleep I thought I was having a heart attack .I never knew how bad it would be. Then an owl got my 18lb. 14 yr.old cat. The other 14yr,old dog died of cancer and the other cat who was only six got out at campground.

I said no more animals 'EVER'when our 8yr.old female dog dies,[the one sitting here with hole in her leg and on antibiotics].

Then we got the ducks and chics and you know the rest of the story.

I was thinking about them and crying yesterday. I don't think I could put one down again, I really don't.

DH and I both cried , DH especially when he had to bury him, he was a large dog about 120 lb.s when he was well.

It is so hard to lose one and I truly hope you come to the place where you can smile when you think of Buck. He was a pretty horse .

I think the animals who are owned by us here are very lucky to have had us to love them .

When that owl killed our cat and took off with it, never to be seen again, Dh said he'd shoot him. I told him the cat was never hungry and killed baby rabbits, squirrels and other little babies and the owl was hungry and killed for food . But if he comes back to kill our birds, he may get caged and turned over to someone. That was 'my' cat and he was the smartest cat I've ever owned.

whatsupdoc thank you. I'm sorry about your losses too. Is your dog any better now? I thought about him yesterday.
Death is a part of the cycle of life. We have to accept that and you are right the cat killed and was killed. The owl kills and someday may be killed. It's ugly but something that we have to accept and deal with. I think what got Joyce and me both was the unexpectedness of our animals death. Neither had been ill so we were not prepared just like you were not prepared for your cat suddenly being taken by the owl. At least when our animals are ill we have time to prepare for the possibility of their dying and knowing that at least their pain is now gone. Putting any animal down is a horrible duty an owner has to do. I've faced it twice now and it never gets easier.

MollyD

I am so sorry for the loss of your arab mare, Joyce.
Sometimes we make decisions for our animals we
end up learning from. That's the only way I can look
at it, and be able to deal with it. They were put in our
care from the start, and sometimes when we have to
let go, we somehow find the courage for their sake.
If someone does not do their duty for an animal to
their best, it is written down in the book, and you will
have to face that one day. I have had one of those
special friends, my cat Eli, that was the smartest I had
ever known- there will be no other like him-ever. I had
to do what I had to do, and have done for a number of
wonderful friends. Even though it was the most difficult
thing, it doesn't compare to the joy and priveledge I
received in knowing them.

Our dog is hanging in there, vet put her on antibotics and a cone sheild around her neck so she can't keep chewing on it.She hates that thing .

Soaking it in hot salt water helped to draw the puss so it could drain. But we are way to busy to keep it up, so now it's neosporin and antibiotics.

We looked for the body of my cat 'and still do' but never have found it, and it's been 3 months now .We hear that old owl at night, it is a huge owl. 6 yers ago it got our 7 yr.old koi and favorite goldfish from our pond, while we watched, It would sit on the clothesline only a few yards from us and look at us and then look at fish .
'
We put fishing line around the pond and he only dove into it once .Never lost another fish,and the fishing line is all but invisable so it didn't take away the beauty of the pond.So the cat wasn't the owls first victim .I want to let the ducks and chics free range as much as possible, so will call and see what we can do about it.

Maybe soon you and I and others here can think about our lost and just remember the joy they brought us and smile soon .My animals had a wonderful life ,they lived mostly free on our fenced 10 acreas.

Sigh. I hope there is somehting you can do about
the owl. Looks like she/he thinks your place is a
free buffet- all you can eat. Hope your dog improves
and mends well.

I still listen for Eli, he called me 'MaMa', I can still
hear it plain as day. I still dream about Baby Doll.

Thanks Truest.Time heals all, but I think the scar is always there .But so are the joyful memories.

I lost my beautiful gray Maine Coon, Willow, last summer to a coyote. I have a completely fenced yard and there's lots of dog scent around - I just underestimated the coyote.

I tried to get the cats in at night, but Willow and Honey just wouldn't come in. They were having so much fun. I went to be at about 2 a.m. and was woken up at about 5 a.m. by the dog barking his head off. There was a coyote in the front drive. When I realized that the cats were still out, I headed to the back yard and found a ring of beautiful gray hair - it was all that was left.

As much as I try to appreciate the circle of life and the fact that everybody needs to eat, right then I would have shot the coyote if I'd had a gun. My dog is part Borzoi and was ready to go after the coyote. If I hadn't been worried about him getting hit by a car, I might have let him go, too. I was so distraught over losing Willow.

So now everybody's in all the time and we don't get to garden together. And I still miss those who have gone before, but I'm so grateful for all they've taught me - not the least of which is how to love the others better and to appreciate the moments I have.

Anyway, thanks for letting me share. It's heartening to know that there are so many healthy people and animal relationships out there and so many cats, dogs and horses who have had the special ability to steal hearts . . .

Coyotes are one of my biggest worries with my goats here. I don't have a flock guardian and the dogs we do have are both so old and in such poor health that neither would be a match for a coyote.
I want to get some Pyrenees pups but they too won't be much use till they're at least a year old. I need at least two for the job. I also need to put up the electric fence soon.

MollyD

I'll bet they are a big worry for you. They are such intelligent and flexible creatures. I would love to get a donkey or a llama, but don't have any kind of a space for it . . . and I'm not sure that I'm capable of owning an pets that would live out of doors . . LOL

I've noticed Donkeys mentioned a few times in connection with protection. Does anyone know if that works well? I mean as an alternative to having flock guardians?

MollyD

They are suppose to work very well--they HATE dogs. So it might be difficult to have both. I am sure they can learn to live together--but apparently donkeys have a natural and powerful hatred of canines and will run them down and stomp them to death. Useful with coyotes--not so much with the faminly pet:0). Very nice link:

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/facts/donkey2.htm

my sweet little pom ran off with the nieghborhood pack one morning, and i didn't get there before he followed his new friend into the neighbors pasture. he was kicked five times. he survived with a pin in his leg and serious stomach problems for almost three years after that. yes, donkeys are great guards for many livestock...

Oh tf that's awful!

Catscan thanks for the link. I read that article and followed some links to other pages on the subject. One was a study comparing the effectiveness of dogs, llamas and donkey's as flock guardians. Interesting read! We immediately scratched the llama since they're afraid of bears and mountain lions. We looked at the donkey more seriously but we're a bit put off because everywhere the advice is to have only one or they will ignore the flock and stay together. We know we'll need two of what we get because the bucks will be housed away from the does and kids so they need their own guardian.

Guess we're still looking for two dogs :-) but as a result of that article we've now expanded from just the Great Pyrenees to Akbash and Maremas.

Thanks!
MollyD

Donkeys will accept the dogs in the family, but will still chase them from the pasture but not stomp them when they know they are suppose to be there.

First time I had a donkey I was a child, 3 were ordered out of Sears and Robuck Catalog.We went to train station in Atlanta to pick them up, they were babies.We had a 100 fenced in acres and they had the run of it with the dogs, none were fenced in .A donk can run very fast and they run quite .They eat very little and are hardy , too much grain can make them sick .We gave Rosie half cuop so she didn't think the horse was getting something she wasn't.But they don't need any grain.They do need hoof care just like a horse ,but most fariers don't know how to trim them [ they trim the like horses ], so we did that after a few bad trims.It is easy ,they hold leg up for you .

They love their master and will run to you if frieghtened .Our horse ran the other way when he got spooked.

Mama thought she was the humane society so every stray she saw on road was brought home and doctored,most for mange .We had about 8 cats and 10 dogs and one nanny goat and 1 white duck ,all rescued.

Not one of the dogs were ever hurt by the 3 donkeys.

I always wanted another donkey so 10 years ago I got one .She would chase the dogs if they came too close, but never really tried to catch them,[except once when she was a foal she stomped our dog, but didn't hurt her, but the dog stayed away after that ] , and she could've because they can run like the wind .We had her for 7 years and all our cats and dogs .This last one liked to play chase with her .[ Read my thread on donkeys in the equine forum ].

When DH was disabled we had to give our horse and donkey away, they are both truly missed.

They are brave and will die defending the herd .

Molly--I was looking for the site that described the government's experience with using LGD in CA--but found this one instead. Maybe you already read it? The general consensus is that Great Pyerees and Akbash are among the best. The dog at the top of the paper looks just like my Akbash. We think he was an escapee from the LGD protection program--they first experimented with them in the county he was found in (Yolo). He was just a puppy wandering through the countryside during the bad fire season two years ago. I think he was separated from his flock--when I first had him he would run up to the TV when he heard sheep baahing on the sheepdog trials and he was afraid of smoke. He is a dream dog, but they do take a long time to mature. He is just starting to take his yard guarding duties seriously. His mouth is softer than any Lab I have ever met--but his growl is terrifying. When we drive through the sheep country here we see alot LGD, almost all are GP or Akbash.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/companimals/guarddogs/guarddogs.htm



This message was edited May 23, 2008 2:31 PM

Around here we have panthers ,bobcats and coyotees.

A police cheif about 5 miles form here just lost 2 very large Geramn Sheppards to panthers, who literily tore them limb from limb .About a 1x2 mile from me my neighbor lost her goats, some large chickens from one.

A large standard donkey is best defence from these cats .2 are better because they stand ass to ass' pun intended' and protect each other .They can kick in flash, whole lot qicker than a horse can kick, a donkey will kick five times before a horse does once.They are very sure footed also.Hardy and don't eat much.

If I had goats,cows I would have 2 donks since we have large cats here.

don't forget the Burmese Mountain Dog! and keep checking pet finder.com

Thanks Catscan. That described a lot of what to do and expect.

whatsupdoc if you have two donkeys what I read was that they bond to each other and won't protect the flock at all.

MollyD

tf I did find a lot of them on petfinder but they were all through organizations that didn't want them used as flock guardians. I found one that would but they were asking as much money as the private breeders!

MollyD

Molly--I did find mine on petfinders. But he was held by Animal Control, not the rescue organizations. I think there is general concern that the dogs they get have bonded to people and may not be reliable as livestock guardians. Worried that someone might adopt one and then chuck it when it doesn't do what they want--or just leave it out with livestock with no care. Keep looking. There was once a woman in Tennesee that had a whole litter of GP/AS or GP/Akbash cross puppies (very young) that had been mistreated by an amateur breeder. You had to go get them--but I almost drove there, they were adorable.

There are probaby more out here in the West--but I have seen Anatolians in animal shelters on the East Coast too. Double check on the size though--there are alot of Australian Shepherd mix puppies being listed as Anatolian Shepherd mix. Local animal control didn't ask what I was going to do with Asgard--just checked that I was in compliance with my local animal control laws. It took me over a year to find him, but it was worth it!

Thanks Catscan. I'll keep looking. Even after I find them it takes nearly two years to train them so this is not a quick fix.

MollyD

Dear Molly,

It is so impressive that your friend lived for so long. Having had horses all my life except for the last ten years, I know that they are so much more than a creature to ride or help do work. They are wonderful , amazing animals, and easily become best friends. When my dad passed away, it was my buddy Marcus, who was the only one who could console me. It sounds like Buck had a wonderfu life with you. I am sure that he will be waiting for you when you cross over. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers for strength during this troubled time.

Btw, the wat, I am originally from Albany, and in one of my jobs traveled to your part of the state. I found it to be the most beautiful country ever.

Jrhopper333,

Thank you for your kind words about Buck and our area. He was one smart horse too. Every winter we always marveled that he came out of it looking younger than when it started. This year we could see something was different.
I miss seeing him run across the lawn. He always made me think of the pony express. He wasn't ridden often these last 5 years. Partly due to his age and partly our schedule but he kept us lots of company.
Did I mention the time I was using empty horse feed bags under mulch in the garden and didn't notice him casually sneaking up on me till suddenly there he was jumping up and down on the bags to see if he could get some feed out of them! Nothing to make your heart race like 1500 pounds of horse suddenly pouncing close to you when you're sitting on the ground!! LOL!!!

Thanks!
MollyD

Molly I have not had two donkeys in 50 years, so i don't remember, but I do know that my beautiful horse teamed up with the donkey and they chased anything that came into the pasture .

Yall will probably will be fine with dogs where you live, no large cats much left up there .

I know how bad losing animals can be and hope your grief is short . I use to love to see the horse run, absolutely poetry in motion .It took us a long time before we could look at barn without sadness.

oh my!

My goodness, what kind of bears, we have black bears here .Panthers and bobcats are though .

I don't think the bears are threats to chickens and goats, but then I don't know for sure.

Black bears. Bears are meat eaters so they can be a threat to livestock especially goats. Seems everyone wants to eat them, poor things.

MollyD

LOL, and you are saving those goats, only to eat their offspring!

LOL sssshhhhh don't tell them, the ducks or the geese! The chickens will find out soon enough ;-)

MollyD

i think i have their mailing address, maybe they would like a nice SYMPATHY card??? ^_^

Hmmm how about a good chicken and dumplings receipe LOL?

MollyD

evil!