She's Gone........

[Rameyw]

On Wednesday I had to make the awful decsion to put my beautiful mare Maria to sleep. She somehow broke her leg in her stall Sunday night/Monday morning. It was such a bad break that even an orthopedic surgeon said that only ther were on 2 choices, let Mother Nature try to heal it or humanley destroy her (which was her reccomendation) we decided to see if she could heal but on Wed. things took a turn for the worse. At 3:45 pm wednesday she was released from her pain.

I KNOW that I did the right thing but it feels as if my heart and soul has been ripped from me. I've lost others before as I've had horses for 36 years but she was the "Special" one that i had a connection with.

I still look in the pasture and want to yell out, "Where's the most beautiful horse in the world" and expect her to look up at me and whinny, "It's MEEEEEEEE MARIA!!!!" I can't look at her stall when I feed the other horses or look out at the area where she was laid to rest.

I'll be "ok" for a while and then BAM! It hits me like a ton of bricks. I wonder why I only got to have her for only 8 short years. I shared life with her since her birth (I delivered her) and always thought she and I would grow old together and now that hope is gone.

I have sooooo many wonderful mememories of her. EVERY single horseshow we went to she came home as the GRAND CHAMPION. She was smart, loving, opinionated, and very protective of me.

I have to say that my vet was the most compassionate man in this matter. I asked for the truth and no false hope. He told me what I didn't want to hear (but knew I would hear) and made an awful decsion an easier (if that's possible) to make.

Has anyone else dealt with the loss of their beloved horse out there?

My heart is broken..........

anyone can email me at allredhorses@aol.com

[MartyT]

My dear friend,

Please accept our hearfelt sympathy at the loss of your beloved Maria, and know that you are being held in gentle thought and prayer.

I want to point you to a site entitled Hoofbeats in Heaven, a wonderful online source of support specifically designed for lovers of these magnificent animals, in hopes that you will find some comfort there. The site is described as follows:

Welcome to Hoofbeats in Heaven, a gateway to horse loss resources created to provide the information, solace and support you may be seeking. Here you will find you are not alone in your grief over the loss of your horse.

While society is coming to increasingly accept that a dog or cat is a member of the family, a horse is still largely considered nothing more then livestock. Here we know that we can love our horse as much as any family member and we mourn their death just as deeply. Visitors to this site understand and respect the unique and deep bonds that we form with our equine companions. We know that painful emotional void left from their physical absence. And so our ultimate goal is to help you embrace the precious memories and to find peace in knowing that your horse lives on as long as you carry him in your heart.

Hoofbeats in Heaven is all about offering support. Here you can...

...Have a tribute to your horse created complete with photo.

...Join our e-mail support group. You will join over 200 group members who know that you did not lose "just a horse". You lost a beloved friend, and we are here to help you cope with your grief.

...Begin to find healing in the poems, quotes and prayers written in praise of the horse.

...Light an eternal candle in honor of your horse.

...Join our equine memorial webring if you have a web memorial.

...Read others' tributes to their horses which lets you know that what you are feeling is normal and expected.

...Be taken to additional horse loss support information to provide you with as much assistance as possible. . . .

You can't love and bond with a horse and not know what spiritual beings they are. No matter what our individual idea of heaven may be, we know that our horse's spirit never dies. We hope that this new site will in some small way help you cope with the pain of losing your horse so that you can feel his spirit live within you once again. You can begin now just by listening to your heart...there it is...that sound that keeps your horse close and can bring peace to your spirit...

...that glorious sound of hoofbeats in heaven.

I pray that you will find the comfort and support you need in this warm and caring place, my friend, and when you feel ready to do so, I hope you will come back to us and let us know how you are doing.

Wishing you peace and healing,

Marty T

[lovedoxies]

I am so sorry for your loss of Maria. I hope you find peace either at this site or the one that Marty mentioned. I'm a small animal person, but have worked with people who have horses. It seems to me that no matter the size of the animal, it's the emotional nature of the human-animal bond that ties us to our pets. I hope this makes some sense. Again, I'm so sorry for your loss, But then again, I believe that your Maria is over the Rainbow Bridge, happy & healthy.

[Rameyw]

Thank you so much........I have joined Hoofbeats In Heaven and have a great group of people there. I am doing okay, I know that I have released her from a life of pain. Her body may be gone but her spirit lives on in all my memories......I will love her always.

Thank you both,

hugs,

Kelly