Equine World UK

#1 24th October 2009

Very sad morning, we got called to the yard about 7:30 this morning explaining how Misty was down and cast. We were there (me and my mum) within 10 minutes and she didnt look good. Misty has been retired for 4 years now due to bad arthritis that has been very well managed by my mum, she was always a very happy bright horse and I have always said to my mum youll know when her time has come, as she wasnt ready before now.

Anyway we set about getting her up on her feet. We had the great advantage of the two yard owners who are actually female farmers with hearts of gold but unbelievable strength in bad situations. They know many old fashioned techniques used on cows such as massaging in certain areas to help her breathing as she was starting to struggle due to the position she was in, it dosent help that she was an extremely hefty percheron. With the help of friends from the yard. we rolled her over and propped her up with hay bales to stop her flopping over agin. At this point I knew she wasnt good and there was more to this than met the eye. After no luck getting her up (she had no desire to) we rang the vet who said she seemed perfectly healthy otherwise but didnt like the lack of enthusiasm to get up. I help her head and she was just limp, I expected her to just give out right there and then, we were all so confused.

The vet went back to the nearby veterinary practice to collect some kind of harness to get her to her feet. In the meantime while I was crouched infront of her she had a seizure and I knew the time had come. I said instantly I would be upset if mum went on with hoisting to her feet when she was obviously dying already.

The vet returned and I explained the seizure which he said would explain why she was down in the first place, he said it is very likely she had a tumour in her head. So the obvious had to be done and my mum was distraught, she absolutely adored her and I was more upset for my mum than for Misty as I knew Misty was dying anyway, regardless of the euthanasia.

Its terrible that it has happened so unexpectedly, only yesterday she was trying to frollick around her field. What makes it worse is that before she bacame recumbent before the seizure, she was eating a carrot whilst still on the floor

RIP Misty 1989 - 2009 Misty is the grey on the left