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Tom M King
05-21-2016, 11:09 AM
I had to bury a horse. It's not a pleasant job any kind of way, but what made this one worse that it came up so fast yesterday. The Vet had given her 50/50 chance a few weeks back, and she looked like she was going to make it, but went downhill quickly.

My Wife called me at lunch. We made a mad dash to get the jobsite shut down for the weekend. Closest mini-excavator I could find was 25 miles from home in the opposite direction than the 35 miles to where we were working from home.

Had to unload 80 1x8x8 Cypress off the trailer. One lug broke in the plug on the truck plugging in the trailer. Heavy rain predicted last night. No choice but go get the 8,000 lb. mini-excavator with no brakes and no lights on the trailer, but new brakes in the truck.

Tractor with loader slightly disassembled in the shop. No choice but to go dig the hole a few hundred yards from the house and barn, and walk the excavator back to carry the Mare with another slow trip back to the hole. Got hole filled. It takes a big hole for a horse. Loaded excavator. Getting dark.

Got the machine back. Keys in drop box. Back home without being stopped about 9:30 to quarter to 10. Walking back to the house from the shed with the truck pulled in it, with trailer sticking out still hooked up, it started to rain. Would not have been able to do it in heavy rain.

She was a great horse for us. One of two Arab mares accepted in the German Oldenburg Verband at her inspection. We still have two of her offspring here, and we feel really lucky to have them. She was not allowed to suffer any more than what we thought necessary to make sure.

george wilson
05-21-2016, 11:35 AM
I am in full sympathy for you,Tom. Burying any pet of any size is never pleasant. Especially with the difficulties you had.

John K Jordan
05-21-2016, 12:07 PM
I had to bury a horse....

I feel your grief. A few months ago I had to bury my American Saddlebred mare - we had so many good hours together over the years. She had a bad hip then developed a problem in the other leg and could no longer get up. We pulled her up several times and she seemed OK for the next couple of weeks but that didn't last. She went down for the last time in a rainstorm.

Fortunately I have a backhoe for my Kubota which was barely sufficient. Even with everything at hand the job is no fun, no fun at all. It sounds like the only good thing about your day was it is now over. I'm glad you have the young ones.

JKJ

Mike Cutler
05-21-2016, 12:27 PM
Tom

My sincere condolences to your entire family. It does sound as if it was one very trying and tiring day.
The horse was lucky to have an owner like you, that put her first. Well done.

Seeing that empty stall will be tough, but know that you did the right thing.

Wayne Lomman
05-22-2016, 6:05 AM
Tom, you have my sympathy. We have lost 2 horses over the years to unexpected catastrophe and it is heartbreaking. Its good the weather held off for you.

Frederick Skelly
05-22-2016, 7:05 AM
I'm sorry Tom.
Fred