Damn Phone Call

I made the dreaded phone call this morning. I hate, hate, hate making these types of calls. It seems every year I'm stuck making this damn phone call. Why won't people be more responsible for their animals and the well-being of their animals? I know the answer. Because making that phone call and going through with it is so very, very hard. But it still makes me angry. Angry beyond words.

I've had Joe at Mom and Dad's since the middle of August. His back end has been bad from long before we brought him home. The pasture we had him in was too hard on him. Mom and Dad's pasture was much flatter so that's where he's been. He was beyond thin when we brought him home but he plumped up nicely between the different pastures (but always stayed on the thin side). But it appears that no amount of grain will put weight on him. He's been getting soaked mash, free choice grass, and hay but declines the hay for the most part.

Mom and Dad came down to work around the place this weekend and Mom mentioned that Joe's health is declining. I knew it was coming but wanted to ignore the situation as long as possible. Not having Joe here made it a little easier to ignore the true facts.

But the time has come.

I hate playing God.

I'm upset that the previous owner didn't have the damn sense to take care of the issue. Instead she pawned him off and made someone else make this terrible heart wrenching decision.

I'm tired of being the one to put these horses down. It seems I've lost at least one a year since 2007 and it's typically in the fall that I make the damn call. It's a cursed call. I hate it. Hate, hate, hate it.

But it's the right thing to do and I don't and won't let Joe suffer. My concern now will be Thor. He has been best friends with Joe since the MN rescue that pulled them from the auction. It's been at least two years together. Thor is a protector. I'm at odds on how to handle Thor as far as who he could possibly "protect" and which herd he should go into.

I think for a few more months there won't be any more horses coming in to Borderlands. Every time I'm forced to put a horse down, it opens old wounds that are still fragile from the previous death. I'm sure if you dig through other posts, you'll see the list of those that Borderlands has known and lost. But today I don't have the energy to list all of them.

I'm angry and heart broken. I need to go and take pictures so that everyone can see his weight progress. He gained weight so nicely (although he always stayed thin).

My one request to you all...go hug your horse. Someday they will be gone and you'll realize you didn't spend enough time with them.