We Lost Ben

Biggs, KY(Zone 6a)

It is with great sadness I have to tell you all we lost our sweet Ben night before last. I had gone to the barn to feed and clean stalls and I found him broadside in his stall. He often layed down but always on his chest. When I coaxed him to get up he could make it to a sitting position but could not seem to use his back legs though he still had movement in them. We called the vet out. He took vitals and checked Ben's back legs. He had no feeling from a few inches above his knees. The vet suspected either EPM are some neurological disorder since I have known for quite a while things were not right in his hind quarters. I had hoped it was something as simple as bad conformation ( he was camped out ) and he would overcome it. He had seemed to be doing much better and was getting tighter in his hips. I pick stalls twice a week and turn both horses out to run and play in the hall while I work. He had been having a great time the last few months. The night before I found him, he was bucking and playing. I don't know what brought on the drastic change but the vet said there was not anything he could do. Even if we could have gotten him up he would still have had the problem to deal with and we could not put him through all that so we had to let him go. It was a very hard decision but the only one we could make because we loved him so much.

We have suffered so much heartache with our horses in the last two years. I just don't understand it. I cleaned Ben's stall for the last time tonight and folded his blanket. It was very hard to do. He was growing into an awesome horse. A sweet soul sent to brighten our lives for a short time. We were blessed and he will be sorely missed.

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