17.2.11

This video is of a little riding school pony called Lottie, who was put to sleep on Tuesday.  She was a favourite of my daughter many years ago, long before we ever had ponies of our own. She also was a companion to my Highland, Jock, when I used to bring him home during the winter - Lottie became an honorary member of our family and we loved her.  Ironically, it was my daughter, now a vet, who put her to sleep and it was one of the hardest things she has had to do.  The two of us led her to a quiet field by ourselves.  I wish I could say it was a quick, easy death, but the brave little soul determined to cling to life.

This little poem is dedicated to Lottie and to the thousands of other hard-working riding school ponies, who will never know what it is to feel the love of being owned by a special person.

We might have known you would not go easy,
small ginger pony, stubborn to the end
we watched the feisty breakdance as you lay
twitching and writhing to some inaudible rhythm
only you could hear.  You made it clear
you did not choose to leave. 
Then, even when quiet
your heart still kept the beat while bravely
you clung to life as we looked on
like part of some macabre peep show
we had not paid to see. 
Dear Lottie -
  forgive us what we did
  we did it for the best
  sometimes playing God sucks.

6 comments:

  1. I am so very sorry for your loss. It is so hard to do the right thing sometimes, your poem captures that feeling.

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  2. I have always cried for my animals when there time has come. It seems odd that when humans go, we find excuses to be stoic.
    Bridgit, was her name, and I fully understand how losing a horse can be so upsetting.

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  3. I'm very sorry. What a sad story. Liked the poem and the video. She was very sweet.

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  4. So tearfully I write...so sorry for those last efforts to run on the earth, that lottie displayed, while moving towards the much greener pastures of the heavenly sort. Rough. And your daughter is brave!
    Bye sweet mare Lottie girl~
    Wa mare and her girl KK

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  5. oh I cannot read that, i'm sorry :-( the wee soul........we had to let our beautiful border collie go last April and i can feel tears now thinking of the pony and our Hana......... we know it is best for the animal/s they now no longer suffer..............but oh bless them all.

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  6. Oh how awful. We lost one today, thankfully I wasn't there to witness it, but one day it'll be my turn.

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