Anyone who has ever had an equine, recalls their 'first' horse with fondness. It wouldn't matter if the first horse [or mule] you owned was mean, ornery, or had a propensity to make you into a dirt dart.
You will always recall that first one with fond memories.
Cheyanne, or Cheyenne [my personal plates spelled her name CHYANN] was my first horse, sort of.
I owned a horse named Red first and he was a good one...I sold him to my sister and kept this half arab/half quarter red mare...with attitude.
She was green, I was green.
What a wonderful combination. The kind of combination that you are told never never to do!
Of course, I didn't know that, but plunged in blindsided with love for this feisty prancing horse.
She made me a dirt dart.
She ended up in 4H in the Horseless Horse Program and went to the State competition once. She qualified with with other riders, and she was good with novice riders [in the arena].
She carried me on more than one Wagon Train.
She carried two molly mules to term. Two beautiful bright red mollies!
She has a huge lists of accomplishments that span her 27 [???] years of life. She and I have been together for nearly 23 years.
Cheyanne is tired.
Most of her teeth are gone.She cannot eat hay.
Senior Feed and alfalfa pellets make her sick.
She creaks when she walks.
This summer she was able to get enough grass in the meadow to keep going and look fairly healthy.
She now stands at the hay feeder and refuses to eat [well, is unable to].
I have made the only decision that a well informed horse owner can make. And that is to humanely put her down within the next couple of weeks.
This is not an easy decision to make. Should I wait until she is a walking rack of bones? That is not fair to her.
The vet's prognosis is that she will die of starvation if I don't do anything. I cannot be that cruel to a wonderful red prancing mare that has given me so much.
Yet.
A very big part of me does not want to ever let this horse go...she was my first after all.
She will always have a huge part of my heart.
I love you CHYANN...