My horse Otto was put down on Jan. 2nd. He was in his late 20s with feet problems. I don’t know the exact terms, but the same thing happened to his leg that happened to Barbaro’s. Only Otto’s happened over time, so it didn’t break his leg. He was in a lot of pain and there was absolutely nothing we could do.
Otto this is everything you were and always will be to me::
“No heaven can heaven be, if my horse isn’t there to welcome me.”
Author Unknown
“When your horse follows you without being asked, when he rubs his head on yours, and when you look at him and feel a tingle down your spine…you know you are loved.”
John Lyons
“The way to heaven is on horseback.”
Author Unknown
“All horses deserve, at least once in their lives, to be loved by a little girl.”
Author Unknown
“All horses deserve, at least once in their lives, to be loved by a little girl.”
Author Unknown
“A true horseman does not look at the horse with his eyes, he looks at his horse with his heart.”
Author Unknown
“Horses change lives. They give our young people confidence and self-esteem. They provide peace and tranquility to troubled souls. They give us hope!”
Toni Robinson
“The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse’s ears.”
Arabian Proverb
“A good rider can hear his horse speak to him. A great rider can hear his horse whisper.”
Author Unknown
The love for a horse is just as complicated as the love for another human being…if you never love a horse, you will never understand.”
Author Unknown
“The horse. Here is nobility without conceit, friendship without envy, beauty without vanity. A willing servant, yet never a slave.”
Ronald Duncan
“We kept him until he died…and sat with him during the long last minutes when a horse comes closest to seeming human.”
C.J. Mullen
“Our hoofbeats were many, but our hearts beat as one.”
Author Unknown
“When a horse greets you with a nicker and regards you with a large and liquid eye, the question of where you want to be has been answered.”
Author Unknown
“At its finest, rider and horse are joined not by tack, but by trust. Each is totally reliant upon the other. Each is the selfless guardian of the other’s very well-being.”
Author Unknown
“Through the days of love and celebration and joy, and through the dark days of mourning – the faithful horse has been with us always.”
Elizabeth Cotton
“There is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse.”
R.S. Surtees
“You took me to adventure and to love. We two have shared great joy and great sorrow. And now I stand at the gate of the paddock watching you run in an ecstasy of freedom, knowing you will return to stand quietly, loyally, beside me.”
Pam Brown
“In their eyes shine stars of wisdom and courage to guide men to the heavens.”
Jodie Mitchell
“He knows when you’re happy. He knows when your’re comfortable. He knows when you’re confident. And he always knows when you have carrots.”
Author Unknown
“To see a horse is to see an angel on earth.”
Author Unknown
“Let a horse whisper in your ear and breathe on your heart. You will never regret it.”
Author Unknown
“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”
Sir Winston Churchill
“In the steady gaze of the horse shines a silent eloquence that speaks of love and loyalty, strength and courage. It is the window that reveals to us how willing is his spirit, how generous his heart.”
Author Unknown
Source: http://www.hoofbeats-in-heaven.com/quotes/
I first met Otto when my riding trainer told me she had a new horse for me to ride. He was different than any horse I’d ever seen: underweight, 18+hh, golden-brown eyes, and amazingly beautiful. He had been given to my trainer because his previous owners found him too hard to care for and keep weight on. His huge white blaze, four white socks, sorrel coat, and fuzzy legs made him look like a smaller version of a Clydesdale. I could not wait to ride and get to know him. As expected, riding my new partner was unlike anything I’d experienced before. His stride was huge, his trot bouncier than I would have thought possible, and his canter like a giant rocking horse. Even though Otto’s looks and appearance were new to me, they were nothing compared to the incredible bond he and I would develop over the years.
Otto and I shared many incredible moments over the five years I was with him, so many that I’m not quite sure how to retell them all. I have never officially owned a horse, but Otto was the closest I ever came. We showed in 4H fairs, open shows, and once even the Indiana State Fair. Even though we always gave it our best in the ring, Otto and I were what you could call show misfits. We stood out, exactly the opposite of what the judges wanted to see. Instead of a low headset, Otto held his head high. His steps were huge, he was tall and bony, and his showmanship square up was never quite perfect. But none of that mattered to me. I was having fun. I wasn’t concerned with taking home a blue ribbon, as long as it was him I rode in the ring. Often, show spectators would approach me and ask questions or make comments. “What breed is he?” “Wow, he’s big!” “How old?” “He’s so cute!” Along with the interested and polite queries, there were rude glares and whispered comments due to Otto’s weight problem. My trainer and I gave it our all to try to get him to gain, but Otto always seemed to stay right on the edge. He was so picky about weather and food types, and the smallest things would send the pounds down. I showed Otto for four years, until he began to develop ringbone and could be ridden no longer. However, just because I could no longer ride him does not mean our bond didn’t continue to grow.
Otto was the only horse I could ever fully trust with my safety. In the days when we rode, he would protect me. If he slipped and fell, he would purposely land as to not injure me. My love for him was great, and he loved me greatly in return. Even though he was old, for me he had no limits. At one time we were jumping 2″6′ fences, though he was never meant to be a jumper. My barn friends and I knew he only tried so hard for me. He would constantly rub his huge on me. Every time we stood still together I would receive a heavy rub in the arm or chest. (This was another thing that made us not so great at showmanship.) And the look in his beautiful eyes when he saw me. If I approached him out in the field, he would stop, head held high, and stare at me with those eyes. The golden-brown color would melt and his ears would prick. It was as if he were saying, “Hey you!” He gave me this same innocent and love-filled look when I fed him his favorite treat: carrots. Oh and did I ever spoil him. Homemade treats, tons of carrots, thorough groomings (which he absolutely loved), bucket after bucket of water, and tons of forehead scratches. As the years went on for my spoiled Otto and I, his health worsened.
Otto’s ringbone was becoming worse. Both of his front feet became incredibly swollen with hard lumps. At one point he lost his appetite, though he gained it back. However, though he ate and ate and ate through special grain, hay, and supplement his weight became even worse. He layed down a lot because of his poor sore feet, and then would have a hard time standing back up. I was aware of Otto’s problems, but did not know it was so close to the end until one of my barn friends emailed me. In his last week, I went to the barn and spent hours with Otto every day (I live about a half-hour away from the barn.). He always stood up when he saw me, and when he did lay down I sat with him. Once he even put his head in my lap. I knew the end was coming soon and hated to see him suffer.
I said goodbye to my best friend on January 2, 2009. He had a vet appointment at a clinic, and the veterinarian recommended we put him down. She explained there was nothing that could be done for his feet or pain. So I led Otto down the yard to where he would take his last breaths. I think he may have sensed what was coming because he was almost reluctant to go. I fed him almost an entire bag of carrots before the vet was ready. I was there to watch him fall, though it was almost too hard to watch. I’ll never forget my beloved Otto, and the barn will never be the same again without him there. For now I can only imagine him with wings, finally fattened up, galloping around in heaven.
Uncategorized
