April 9, 2019 . Today I lost Dashing Big Red to a probable heart attack. I got a call when I was in Baytown by Lee Ann, the barn manager. She thought at first it was a colic. I called Doc and when he called back I was crying by then asking if he could please go to the ranch. He said 30 minutes. I had to get my neighbor to go get Barry - he wasn't answering his phone. I called back and neither she or Barry answered. I didn't have a good feeling about it.
When I got to the barn my horse was no where to be seen. I thought Doc had taken him to the vet clinic. Lee Ann broke it to me that he didn't make it. I just broke down and cried. She said he didn't suffer. She said he was fine at 3:00. Jamie came at 4 and told her he was down in the pasture sweating and rolling. She brought him up front and evidently was heaving/jerking funny. His head went down and he collapsed and had a seizure and died. Doc couldn't do anything for him.
He had been moved over by the equipment barn and covered up. I went and sat down by his head and kissed his face. He was sweaty and still warn under the tarp but his head was already cooling off. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was asleep. His little tiny hooves were trimmed last week today. Bless his heart...his feet were always so small.
My heart is broken. I loved this big red hunk. I rode him twice in late 2017 and as always he was a pleasure to ride. It is hard to take it in that he is gone. I thought I would have Red until he was old old old. He turned 18 last month on the 15th.
Tomorrow I will take a clipping of his tail and make bracelets for me and Margaret. I called her and she was crying at one point on the phone even though she was trying to comfort me.
Tomorrow they will bury Dashing Big Red at Plum Nearly Ranch where he came to live with me 10 years ago...left for 6 years and came back 2 years ago to stay. Even when he was gone, I kept in contact with his girls, bringing him home when it became time.
Run free my sweet darling boy. Thank you for all you did for me.
