Vaya Con Dios AJ

My weekend started well.   I rode Sadie fairly early on Saturday and then I let AJ join the big group for some pasture play and grazing time.   He had a blast running around but was not too wild and the others were not being run around.    I filled 5 tractor buckets with composted manure from the corrals and did a rough dump spread in the pasture were we have a section that is barely nasty weeds and no grass. 

Sunday I rode Sadie again, got a later start, had thought of riding AJ too but it was getting late and I wanted to get some more manure moved because we are supposed to get snow tonight.  So I decided I would skip riding and just let the horses out again and work on moving more manure.  I decided I would let CJ have grass too.  

That was a rodeo with CJ hanging in AJs pen and the mares staying with him -- I had led AJ down almost to the gate but he was all angst about the mares back up with CJ so I just let him go.  Then when the horses finally dashed to pasture AJ was behind and went sprinting to catch up,  went to the corner and jumped the dividing fence rather than going around to the gate and never got up.  Its a low spot so I could not see him after he jumped.   I hurried down there wondering what kind of mangled limbs I would find and if I should grab dad/or at least some tools first.   Found AJ laying flat on his side and not breathing.   I may have seen his last eye blink.   

My first thought was he broke his neck, but I'm now inclining more to he had a stroke or cardiac arrest because he was not tangled in any fence wire, and he had not been somersaulted but was laying like he landed ok but then dropped to his left side.    I feel somewhat bad, because he might have been fine if I had not let CJ out and had led him out to the gate and the other horses had followed.  But OTOH even a good euthanasia could not have gone more quickly and quietly and he was having fun that weekend.  Maybe mom and he are jumping big hunter jumps just for giggles in heavenly meadows right now.     I don't have any recent pics,  but I do like this one I took in Dec 2007 for the holiday letter.