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Appaloosa mare
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Died December 27,
2005 |
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Approximately 26 years
old
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From the first day I laid eyes on her, skinny, bones sticking out, matted
tail and mane, rescued from a back yard where her stablemate and her were
barely hanging on, and brought to the barn where my daughter had her horse
and we were taking lessons, I knew she was destined to be my new riding partner.
I spent a lot of time with her, grooming, hand-walking her so she could graze
on the grass around the barn, untangling her beautiful tail and mane and
just generally getting to know her.
She was actually my first horse. As she grew stronger, she was going to be
put into the lesson barn. Wasn't going to happen, I told myself. Well, I
was the first to get on her and the last...before the lesson was over, she
was mine.
We had 14 wonderful years together showing in the local shows and trail riding.
She was always there for me, we were a team. A couple of years ago, she started
showing some lameness...turned out to be ringbone. Showing was over, I spent
a lot of time just making her comfortable and pampered. Then she blew a tendon
playing in her paddock...that was a year ago...I brought her out of that.
We did a little trail riding, but she started to hurt again and I just
basically retired her. But that was going to prove to be her downfall...no
riding, no exercise, she started to lose all muscle tone and strength to
get herself up and down. For 2 months we would help her up when she couldn't
do it.
Then the night after Christmas, as I was walking her in the barn, I had a
feeling that this was going to be our last night together. Sure enough, the
next morning brought that fateful call...she was down in her stall. The vet
came and we tried and tried, so did she, but she was exhausted and it finally
sunk in, I had to make the most difficult decision for her. I have the biggest
hole in my heart, but I am hoping she will help lead me to another horsie
soul to love.
Kathy a.k.a. Dusty's
Mom
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Dusty 
