This Was a Hard Day…
Anyone with animals knows both the joy and the heartbreak that comes with our beloved pets. And when you live on a farm with a hundred animals, the ups and downs are even more frequent.
My heart sank when I looked out in the pasture and I saw Waffles, our senior horse lying down on her side, instead of at the barn to receive her daily breakfast. We knew the time was coming, so I tried to prepare myself.
As I walked out to her, I saw that she had been down for several hours, making a circular path around her as she kicked and paddled to try to get up. My other horse, Ellie Mae, stood diligent watch over her the whole time, never leaving Waffles side.
I sat there with her that Saturday morning, petting her face and talking to her, while my neighbor called every after-hours vet in the area. Ellie Mae continued to stand watch, occasionally nudging me as if to say “help her up, mom.” Finally, the University of Tennessee Large Animal Vet (and students) agreed to come out to the farm to offer assistance. “Do we need to bring a hoist to try to get her up?” they asked. I told them no, that she had lived out her retirement years in luxury and it was time for her to pass on.
Of course, this stuff always happens when hubby is out of town for work! So, I’ve got Darrin on the phone, and it’s 11:00 pm in Japan his time. Not much he can do from across the globe, but he stays up with me during the process.
After the vet left, we had yet another decision to make. Where do we lay her to rest? After a few calls, I was able to locate an excavator guy to dig a plot, but then we decided that may not be a good idea as part of our fields have a high water table and floods this time of year. It would be a disaster if she floated back up! It was also suggested that our local waste management company may take deceased animals, but I just couldn’t stand the thought of going that route.
Turns out that UT has a cremation program and will also use the carcass for teaching their veterinarian students. There was one caveat: we had to take the horse to the UT center downtown. Well, two caveats: I don’t have a horse trailer. Waffles is a 1600 pound XL Belgian Draft horse and she is currently lying in the middle of the pasture.
It’s here that you find out who your good neighbors are. I cannot express how grateful I am to my two neighbors that dropped whatever Saturday plans they had and came over with a bobcat loader, tie downs, and a trailer that I could pull with our truck. Those guys got her moved from the pasture and loaded onto the trailer with the utmost care and consideration. It was an emotional and stressful 6 hours up to this point, and I wasn’t done yet.
The following day, I was able to trailer her to the UT vet, where they had to do some wrangling and creative maneuvering to get her into their cooler, as most horses that come to them are quite a bit smaller. Everyone at UT did an amazing job and was very kind and compassionate during the process. A few hours later, I drove home with a heavy heart and empty trailer.
I’m grateful that we were able to give this old horse a few good years. She had been worked to the bone as an Amish work horse, pulling buggies and tillers her whole life until she was no longer useful. Then she was sold at an auction, where someone bought her to save her from slaughter for the horse meat industry. Soon after, we brought her to Buckeye Barn TN farm, where she got loved on, pampered, groomed, and even learned to eat apples.
I like to think she knew that she was rescued. And I know she was happy these past few years, despite her swollen knees and arthritic joints. I know, I was lucky to have her in my life.
Rest easy, Waffles.
