Horses

Rest in Peace Vinnie

The last few days have been really hard and sad for me. This past Friday, coincidentally the same day I asked for advice on options to treat Vinnie’s tumor, I had to let Vinnie go. He battled the cancer for a long time and over the past few months it had began growing quite aggressively. The tumors around his private areas got really large and then one near his head showed up as well. Last week, I could tell Vinnie wasn’t feeling the best because he was laying down more then he ever has and just wasn’t as spunky as he normally is. Well Friday when I came home, he was in the pasture away from the other horses which was not like him at all. While I was inside changing clothes I peaked out the window and saw him laying down. I changed clothes quickly and then ran outside worried he was colicing. When I got to him he got up and acted fine. He then walked with me up to the barn. I left him with the other horses and went into the barn and cleaned stalls. While cleaning stalls he laid down again. As soon as I was done I brought everyone in. He settled into this stall like normal and even ate a little bit of food. So I wasn’t thinking he was colicing. Then it happened again. He laid back down and this time he didn’t just lay down, this time he laid flat out in the stall. His breathing was different, his eyes showed pain and I just knew it was time. With tears streaming down my face, I called the vet and asked her to come out. I told her what was going on with Vinnie and came.

She looked him over and after giving consideration to everything, she said the best thing I could do for him was to put him down. I laid with him, hugged him, kissed him, cried on him and told him over and over how sorry I was I couldn’t do more and that I loved him so much. We walked him to the top of the hill in the pasture and that is where he now rests. I plan to plant a sugar maple tree next to where he is buried. We both loved the cool fall weather and this type of tree just seems to fit him. He had such a bold personality and this type of tree has bold colors in the fall.

Letting Vinnie go is one of the toughest things I’ve had to do this year. I did not expect his time to be up so quickly. I miss him soooo much and it’s so hard to walk into the barn and not hear his whinney. He was the one to whinney first as I walked to the barn and was always the first to greet me in the pasture. I know time will heal my pain but right now it’s just hard to imagine it will ever go away.

I hope and pray that one day there will be a cure for horse cancer. I hope scientists will come up with someway to prevent or treat melanomas. What is helping me get through these days is remembering all the great memories I have of my sweet boy and knowing that one day I will see him again. One day we both will be in heaven hugging and loving on each other again.

I miss you Vinni and I love you so much! Rest in Peace my sweet boy.

 

 

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6 Comments

  • Reply
    Weekend Cowgirl
    October 23, 2014 at 3:16 pm

    I am so very sorry. It is the hardest thing to lose a loved and valued farm animal. My heart goes out to you…
    Weekend Cowgirl recently posted..London EyeMy Profile

  • Reply
    Raquel
    November 3, 2014 at 5:32 pm

    This post made me teary eyed and sad, I can only imagine how tough this must have been for you. RIP Vinnie : (
    Raquel recently posted..Leather Wrap Bracelet Review + GiveawayMy Profile

  • Reply
    Sharon Patton
    November 23, 2014 at 7:52 am

    Hi Ashley,
    I wrote to you recently to inquire about Gracie since I too have a mare with stifle issues, and I appreciate your response. Along the same time I was getting interested in Julie Goodnight who I “discovered” while looking into different Myler bits to try to improve her collection, and somewhere along the way I realized that you were in one of her episodes with, I believe, Vinnie! It seemed like a lot of coincidences but really fun to watch. The next time I checked your blog I read about Vinnie’s tumors and was trying to think of a response but really don’t know much, except that once I read that ALL grey horses get them sooner or later. I have 2 grey horses, both have them but so far they seem stable.

    Today I read about your loss of Vinnie and it made me very sad. I hope you are comforted by the knowledge that you gave your beautiful boy love, a happy home, and a great life.

  • Reply
    Why This Mare is Good for My Soul
    March 11, 2015 at 8:32 am

    […] past few months. Not only was her arrival perfect timing in order to help keep my mind occupied after losing Vinnie, but the fact that her personality is so much like his, keeps me smiling and laughing. Being around […]

  • Reply
    Custom Horse Hair Bracelet by SC Equine
    October 11, 2015 at 2:11 pm

    […] Vinnie. After trying everything I could to stop the Melanomas from growing, I couldn’t and Vinnie lost his long battle to cancer. This coming Saturday October 17th will be one year to the day and not a day has gone by that I […]

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    A Black and White Dream Come True
    November 12, 2016 at 10:17 am

    […] and protector and Gracie – my magnificent and yet moody bay. Of course I can’t forget about Vinnie, who sleeps peacefully under the tree resting above him in the pasture, who was my dapple grey dream […]

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