I'm a bit numb with shock right now. Through a friend of a friend's business acquaintance & a short chain of other people, we got notice 2 days ago that someone 3 hours of here had 2 good horses to give away free fast.
Normally I'd be a bit hesitant, but we train horses, & timing, etc. seemed to fit in with getting some for a couple who are coming back from a mission next month and were wanting us to look for 1 or 2 horses for them.
I won't go into the details, but it appears the gelding that died was older and the stress of all the travel and changes got to him and he died of a heart attack.
I understand much of the causes behind his death, and that they are quite normal.
I know there is such a surplus of horses right now because horse slaughter has kept getting outlawed or extremely restricted for the last few years.
I know free horses are often old, lame, sick, or dangerous horses.
I know this horse might not have turned out to be a right horse for our clients.
Etc., etc.
I am just shocked to have a dead horse lying in our back driveway the day after we got him. I thought we could trust this time and it would be a good thing. I feel like maybe we were 'had' although the circumstances surrounding getting the horses seemed genuine. And I am sad for the horse (who we'd named Chip. He came without a name). I wish I'd given him more lovin' the last few minutes I saw him alive. I wish the horses in the pasture I'd last led him past had whinnied a 'Hello' to him instead of run off in fear when they heard the hoarse whinney he gave as he walked up the drive. Could they tell he was about to die and that scared them? I don't know.
But I am shocked, and I want to cry a little.
Bye.
Normally I'd be a bit hesitant, but we train horses, & timing, etc. seemed to fit in with getting some for a couple who are coming back from a mission next month and were wanting us to look for 1 or 2 horses for them.
I won't go into the details, but it appears the gelding that died was older and the stress of all the travel and changes got to him and he died of a heart attack.
I understand much of the causes behind his death, and that they are quite normal.
I know there is such a surplus of horses right now because horse slaughter has kept getting outlawed or extremely restricted for the last few years.
I know free horses are often old, lame, sick, or dangerous horses.
I know this horse might not have turned out to be a right horse for our clients.
Etc., etc.
I am just shocked to have a dead horse lying in our back driveway the day after we got him. I thought we could trust this time and it would be a good thing. I feel like maybe we were 'had' although the circumstances surrounding getting the horses seemed genuine. And I am sad for the horse (who we'd named Chip. He came without a name). I wish I'd given him more lovin' the last few minutes I saw him alive. I wish the horses in the pasture I'd last led him past had whinnied a 'Hello' to him instead of run off in fear when they heard the hoarse whinney he gave as he walked up the drive. Could they tell he was about to die and that scared them? I don't know.
But I am shocked, and I want to cry a little.
Bye.
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