This isn’t a post I ever thought I’d have to write but it seems necessary since it’s a big part of my life and one of the projects I had going on. Sadly, Carrie and Donkey passed away in May and making that decision was one of the hardest things to do.
Anybody who’s experienced with horses knows about Laminitis. It’s a horrible disease but there isn’t too much clarity on why it happens. We just know that too much insulin is the determining factor. They’ve lived for nearly a decade in the same paddock together, and we’ve done our best to maintain it. What I hadn’t realised is the rate of the growing grass this year. The rain had caused perfect conditions for it to grow rapidly and because they were out all day and night, the grass to me always looked short.
I was always under the impression that laminitis comes about from the sugar found in long grass. Therefore, as long as the grass wasn’t too long, it wasn’t too rich and laminitis wouldn’t be an issue. Well, sadly, one day it was. It came as a shock to us all (our farrier included) and it was a week of waiting to get the x-rays. Once we had those, we could see the extent of the damage and the prognosis wasn’t as good as I’d hoped. What was for sure though is that there would be a lot of suffering for both Carrie and Donkey for the foreseeable future with no guarantee about recovery.
There have been many articles in the last year from vets in the equestrian community explaining when it was the right time to decide to put them to sleep. Naturally, our horses become a part of our family and we want to exhaust every possible option to help them get better but sometimes that isn’t the best thing to do.
Carrie and Donkey were free for their entire lives to run through fields and to graze with each other. They were inseparable for thirteen years. We had never set out to get a donkey but he bonded with Carrie when she was sent away to get backed. When she came home, so did he. It’s just been the two of them since then and what I wasn’t aware of at the time is that Donkey’s can die from heartbreak which meant that if Carrie was no longer there, it would likely be a matter of time until he couldn’t cope. They starve themselves and get depressed. Thankfully I have never experienced it first hand but I have heard enough stories and see how they react in herds to know that it wouldn’t have been fair on him to be left.
What I have learned over the years and through this experience is that you should have two things before you get a horse: all the facilities and support from people. It’s impossible to do everything alone and have a job. Equally, if you’re renting a field, you aren’t free to do what you like with it. Where we were, looked perfect to everybody but actually, it was so restrictive. The shelter was great but as a stable, there wasn’t enough ventilation. As it wasn’t our field, we weren’t allowed to install any other outbuildings (even mobile ones). No local yards were willing to take Donkey. To buy your own land is easier said than done. Not only do you need a substantial amount of money, you are relying on the hope that there is a plot for sale somewhere safe and close to you.
Sadly, this is the end of that chapter of my life. Horses will forever be my number one love and Carrie and Donkey will always be with me. They are a part of my heart and soul; nothing changes that. I am grateful for the privilege of having them in my life and for the memories captured that I can look back on whenever. We had a rocky start, but there was an unbreakable bond by the end.
If you want to watch any of their videos, they will still be here: https://www.youtube.com/@neenscarrie