Saying Goodbye to Amari AKA #1361

I wish I could tell you that I had a wonderful, stress free Labor Day weekend, but I can't do that. If you've listened to the show in the last few weeks, then you know my mother and I rescued a horse from the Kaufman Kill Pen in Texas. What we thought was an 8-year-old Arabian mare entered our lives and left us forever changed.

I know a lot of people thought we were crazy to buy a horse without even seeing it in person, just to save it from slaughter in Mexico because it reminded you of a horse you held dear in your youth, but we did just that. Amari came into our life as #1361 and she died this weekend knowing at least a few weeks as a beloved family pet.

Just the other day, I was telling my mom how blessed we were. Amari could have come off that trailer wild! Instead, she was sweet, docile and loving. Despite having three different vet practices working on her over the past several weeks floating her teeth, giving her vaccinations, worming her and the like, she put her trust in us and continued to follow us around the farm like a dog.

I'm so sorry to say that we lost Amari Saturday night due to colic. Mom noticed her laying down in the field mid morning and immediately brought her in and called the vet. She was tubed and oiled and we hoped for the best.

By the time 5pm rolled around, she was down in her stall and sweating profusely. We called the vet for another farm call and gave her some serious pain killers. Unfortunately, because of her many years of neglect, she wouldn't have been able to survive surgery.

As of 6pm, things were looking up and she was much more comfortable. By 7pm, it was a different story. I'll spare you the details other than we gave her another pain injection and called the vet. After Dr. Matt's final examination, he confirmed our worst fears, her colon was displaced and there was no saving her. We couldn't watch her suffer any more. We made the decision to put her down.

In our minds, we thought Amari would live the fairy tale. She was the sweet princess saved from a horrible fate. We thought she'd live long and prosper and get fat and happy along with our other ponies. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, that wasn't in the cards. I'm just glad she knew love and affection in her final days. I'm glad that she trusted us and learned that the majority of owners aren't neglectful. Despite knowing this, I'm heartsick. Heartsick that any of God's living creatures can end up in such a state. I'm just so glad she died with a name and not as hip #1361.

I can't thank our friends and family enough for your support this weekend. You know who you are. We love you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.