Ridecamp: Re: [RC] need help with daugher re:horse

Kathie, I agree with everything Angie said in regards to your daughter taking 
the higher road in deciding to let her horse go.  Although I'm still six 
months away from my DVM, I've euthanized enough horses, and seen enough horses 
die (not necessarily the same thing) during clinical rotations to tell you 
that there's a big difference between "killing" a horse and letting it go with 
love.  There are owners that refuse to acknowledge an animal's suffering, are 
thinking only of their own feelings and wants and won't accept that a painless 
and immediate death is a kindness.  Those owners are "killers" in withholding 
the gift of dignity amd escape for an old friend.

What your daughter did was generously and lovingly let her horse slip away 
when she asked and needed to go.  That's not killing, that's giving her horse 
the last gift she could, and the only one that Raspberry needed and was 
relying on her for at that time.

Although my beliefs differ from many others, I believe that animals do have a 
soul and that their love and caring for their person remains after the body is 
gone.  I lost a very beloved old dog this past summer and I still believe that 
he is still with me in some ways, even though the body is gone.  If only in 
memories, then Raspberry is still with your daughter, loving her, watching 
over her as she always did and telling her 'thank you'.

Give your daughter a hug from me and tell her it's from all the vets and vet 
students that know the difference between loving a hurt horse and 'killing' a 
horse, and hope she realizes it, too.

Susan G

> 
> Hi there me again.  I posted a note in October regarding our beloved horse 
> Raspberry who died at that time.  She was my daughter Laurie's horse.   
> 
> I would really appreciate some help from some fellow horse parents in regards to 
> this.
> 
> My daughter has of course been grieving.  Me too as I get attached to everything 
> horsey and most animals in general.  However, I've noticed some changes in my 
> daughter that concerned me and she wrote me a note today.  Its  sad and it seems 
> she's blaming herself and saying that because she decided to euthanize Ras she 
> now feels she killed her.  I was so upset when I read this.  It will be three 
> months tomorrow as she wrote in her note to me and she also said she's wondering 
> if she should give up riding.  She's 14 1'2 and a freshman in HS.
> 
> I know it is proper to allow her to grieve.  But blaming herself for doing 
> something kind, loving and humane when there was absolutely NO other humane 
> option other than that- (the mare suffering even more and longer) is of great 
> concern.   
> 
> She is a compassionate loving kid, who LOVES AND BREATHES horses.  If she quits 
> I'm afraid I'll lose her emotionally.  She is so deeply hurt.
> 
> I'm at a loss as how to help her thru this. We can't afford to replace the 
> quality of horse she had at this time either.  And, unfortunately, I think that 
> would help her heal.  I don't know what to do...She does have another horse but 
> was told she is too small for what she does now (Laurie is almost 5'8" and Dolly 
> is 13'3).  That was another disappointment for her.  Her other horse Sassy is 
> 24, has arthritis, was her 1st horse given to her, and is retired.  Dolly was 
> given to her by my older daughter when she went to college.  So Raspberry was 
> special-her very own young-grow together companion.  She still takes excellent 
> care of these two but she's not the same anymore.  She's slowly fading.
> 
> Any of you parents or perople  that as kids maybe went thru this have some 
> suggestions, comments ideas??   I love my daughter and it greives me more that 
> she feels this way.
> She misses her Raspberry who had a very special personality. You know, they were 
> a match!
> 
> Thanks for listening!
> 
> kathieGet more from the Web.  FREE MSN Explorer download : 
> http://explorer.msn.com
> 

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