HGG Community Forums

Yes, my horse died yesterday.
We did dressage and jumping. We had just started 2'6" jumps and Training Level test C. We were planning on starting cross country training next week and working with a national dressage judge. He won breeding stallion of the year and jumper of the year, as well as multiple dressage awards for the dressage federation and the hanovarian and swedish warmblood clubs,
We were out of town 6 1/2 hours away and got the call that my horse was colicing and she had a vet out. Vet thought it was gas and drugged him.
The next morning we got a call that he was laying limp of the ground covered in sweat. They did everything possible to get him up and the last resort was whipping him. They hauled him to another vet and she said his heart rate was 4 times of that which was normal and he had a growth in his small intestine which caused a blockage. Likely cancer or and ulcer due to the fact that he was always slightly underweight despite being fed over 20 lbs of feed a day + hay. They had to put him down. They asked if I wanted to be there with him while he was put down, and if I wanted to be there for his burial. I told them no. I couldn't get home in time and he was too good a horse for that.
I got there at 6:30 last night to see his grave. I have never cried so much before. When I got home there was a package from a tack shop with a super padded dressage pad, yard cuter for braids, stirrups for our new jumping saddle, and black horse shampoo. That just made it worse. It hurts so much. All my friends are planning shows for the next couple months. I have the registration all filled out on my desk and some sharp clipper blades and my pulling comb set in the trunk of my car to get home tidied for show season after a summer off. Ouch...