Farewell dear old friend, run free in the meadows across the rainbow bridge.

I had to put Grey Moun down on Friday.   More accurately I had the vet out and he euthanized him.  Grey had a colic Thursday morning,  I gave him just 1/2 a dose of banimine and then called the vet, expecting that his schedule is busy this time of year and he'd maybe be able to come by last thing in his afternoon.   He actually came by noon so having Grey medicated was not the best for diagnosing. Grey was eating with relish by then and based on heartbeat and gut sounds Dr Mike figured it was likely a spasmodic colic and I figured that was so since that was what Grey had at at Meeker 17 months ago.   So Dr Mike gave him vi IV the rest of a banimine dose + something I can't even pronounce in my head no let alone spell that was specifically good as an anti-spasmodic drug and I went to work thinking whew,  my old buddy just gave me a scare.

But Thursday night when I got home Grey was back to feeling poorly and not wanting to eat.  I gave him another 1/2 dose of oral banimine,  checked him in the middle of the night and he was not happy and eating but not distressed and ready to move off if I brought out a syringe again so I left it.  He was worse in the morning so I called vet emergency #,  Dr Mike came first thing.   Grey on Friday showed clear symptoms that his small intestine was blocked close to the stomach, Dr Mike's description was  even with a young breeding stallion or 30K burning a hole in your pocket surgery would be a "do you want to put the horse through this when even if they survive they'll never feel really good again?"  I would not have put my 28 year old guy through surgery at all, even if a rectal had showed a colon/large intestine twist that surgery can sometimes fix and the horse is healthy after some months of rehab, but it was kind of comforting to know that euthanizing him was the only choice, and not something to wonder whether I should have tried more intervention rather than opting out only because of Grey's age.

I may do a series of fond memory posts.  I can't begin to do justice to 25 years of having him in my life in one blog post, especially as the tears are still near to overflowing.      Here is an ear cam shot from when I took DL and Rose to Garden of the Gods in Sept. 2015 and rode Grey myself since J didn't come and I was wondering if Tanza needed rest after his skipping trot at Beaver Meadows ride a week or 2 prior to the GoG trip had made me think Tanza might have a micro lameness that would become a 6 months off injury and Sadie was still on paddock rest from her summer issues.

And a shot of Grey at the trailer,   enjoying the prospect of strutting his stuff a bit.  He had enjoyed being retired from endurance but getting out and going "I've still got it" on day trip rides with good stretches off between them.  Grey is on the right (front of trailer)