This is a heartfelt story told by one of our followers, Daniel Dauphin of Dauphin Horsemanship. We thought it was worth a share.
It’s a sad truth, but we tend to outlive our horses. Many of us will have to make that hard decision at some point, and some of us will make it many times. As my herd has had a couple in their 30s and now still has several in their 20s, this is simply an unfortunate reality.
Yesterday, that hard decision was made for the oldest horse in the pasture. Mac was in his 30s, owned by a close friend, and spent his last years getting to just be a horse, with no demands on his time or efforts. His condition hasn’t been great for the last couple of those years and each winter I have thought would probably be his last.
This fall, when the heat subsided, he didn’t manage to put on any extra weight as he had in the past. He looked pretty rough, I’m not going to lie. I am thankful that some well-meaning passerby on the highway hasn’t called animal control to come out. Sometimes folks, they don’t look so hot toward the end. My 96 year old grandma doesn’t look or move around like she did in her 40s or even her 70s. Mac still had that twinkle in his eye though. He’d still jog up with the herd sometimes and not just walk. He still seemed to have a reasonable quality of life, in my opinion, at least.
Yesterday, Mac laid down in the sunshine, in a nice patch of green grass and soaked in some warmth. He couldn’t get back up. I knew it was time. I called his owners and shared my thoughts and they agreed.
Anyway, I just wanted to share this and also to note that if/when you are in the same position, if it’s possible, leave the horse in the pasture with the herd for a while. Let them come up and check out what’s happened. They’ll understand and it does seem to help the transition go a bit smoother. Mac didn’t have a buddy that he was really partnered with, but if you do have a horse that has a buddy, it will be especially helpful to let that buddy have a little time with them after they’ve passed. I’ve definitely seen some strongly bonded horses stop eating, pace non-stop, and show other signs of stress and anxiety after losing their mate. It honestly is helpful to them to attend the “wake”. This was Mac’s wake. Mac’s blurred out of respect.
As an aside, this is a touchy subject and I see both sides of it. I have seen horses in pretty terrible conditions and seriously neglected. It sickens me. I have also seen some older horses like Mac that are cared for and simply are quite old and look like it. On the animal control side of things, keep that in mind. If you see 5 horses in a dry lot with no hay or grass and they are all sacks of bones, then I’d say it’s appropriate to contact the authorities for intervention. But, just because you see a skinny horse somewhere doesn’t mean that abuse/neglect is the cause.
If you see a skinny horse and 15 healthy ones, then you’re probably seeing one that’s got some health challenges, but still has that twinkle in their eye. The owners, who are managing to keep all the other horses in good condition, probably have the best interests of that horse in mind, just like you do. They know that old guy is looking rough. They also know that there’s still a twinkle in the eye and a smile behind it too. They see that old guy trot up to eat his soaked feed every day. Try to see past what may be distasteful to the casual observer and see the whole picture. Not every skinny horse needs saving. Some of them are living a saved life already. See you on the other side Mac.
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