| A TRIBUTE
TO MAGIC As you
all know, Magic was a very special horse to me. I have owned him 13
years and 8 months. He was 24 1/2 years old.
He has been suffering from Cushing's and Insulin Resistance for over 3
1/2 years along with some back leg (stifle) problems. Along with the
muscle wasting, we retired him in Spring 2007 for both of our's
safety.
Let me take you back in time to our wonderful story.
In Fall 1995 I had gone to a boarding barn to visit my friend Patti
and see her horse Saga. While there, the barn owner asked if I was
interested in leasing a horse, a big black TN Walker named Magic. I
twisted Gary's arm and started on my first month of lease. Just as I
was totally infatuated, the owner informed me she needed to sell him.
A little extra arm twisting from Paul & I, and Gary bought Magic for
me. He was 11 going on 12 yrs old back then and his whole life had
been trail riding.
Fast forward a few years and at the age of 16, I introduced him to
showing. Through the years he did well at the gaited shows and we
excelled in trail obstacle class, his favorite. And at 19 yrs of age
he was still placing in halter classes.
Then fall of 2004 came & the problems began. By January we had our
diagnosis for the C's and IR. I joined a group called the Equine
Cushing's Yahoo group, under the guidance of Dr. Kellon, on the
internet which lead to a major education for me and probably saved his
life. Bad case of laminitis in April and we moved to Patti's barn, the
best thing we could have done for him. By summer we resumed a new life
together where I had a renewed appreciation for him for trail riding.
We had a new trail buddy, Diane, who also had a Cushing's mare and we
had some really awesome rides and made some wonderful memories. The
show years were great but this became our best years together.
Now to this summer. Magic had been having some off days and then a
colic, in addition to the fact that no matter how much we fed him (up
to 3% of his body weight), he could not gain weight (going on since
October last year). For the horse people reading this, he was a body
condition score of 2 (that is on a 1-10 scale). Very skinny. An 1100
lb horse had gone down to about 850 over the years. We suspected
ulcers since symptoms pointed this way and gave him 4 days of ulcer
medication, the expensive stuff. His appetite picked back up so the
vet called in a prescription for him. But before we could get it
started, he stopped eating his grain and cubes and would just eat hay
and it continued downhill from there. On Wed June 25th I was preparing
to be out of town for 10 days and gave Magic a talk stating that I
would be gone 10 days and for him to be good to Patti and start eating
again. I left town on Friday and on Saturday Patti called me that he
had gone totally off feed Thursday and wouldn't even eat his hay. That
sent some red flags. I'm down in Fredericksburg and the work fell on
Patti. She syringed his meds and tried to hand feed him but by Monday,
things were not good. He still was eating nothing although he was
perky and not depressed. A few more last ditch efforts like her
running to the store for more Ulcergard & probiotics while I talked to
my vet and he suggested Vit B-12 shots to stimulate his appetite. Gary
stepped in and drove way up north to the vet clinic Tuesday morning to
get them and deliver to Patti.
By Tuesday he was dropping weight by the minute. His body score went
down to a 1 and he was skin and bones, ghastly. He probably dropped
100 lbs during this 6 day ordeal. And by that afternoon the look in
his eyes changed. He no longer acknowledged Patti or anyone walking
into his stall. He had become disinterested in life. I made the
decision to put him down since he was giving us clear signs that it
was time and he was ready to give up. We just needed to help him to
get there.
Tuesday evening Patti talked to Magic and let him know we were helping
him end his pain & find peace and would take him in the next morning
for it to be done. She told him what a wonderful horse he had been and
how he had touched so many lives. His affect on my life and hers, as
well as our friendship between us, all the kids he had given safe
lessons for over the last couple years, Angie who worked on his aches
and pains and the 2 had a great love for each other. And many more!
Magic was featured in an article on C's and IR in The Gaited Horse
last year and no telling how many he continued to help through that.
He has been a learning and helping opportunity for me.
All we have gone through with these ailments have become a help to
many others on our EC group, especially fellow Texans on the group. It
was because of his problems that I was motivated to locate molasses
free beet pulp with the help of my friend Fran who I met on the group.
And more recently I was motivated to contact Triple Crown and Ontario
Dehy to get a specially formulated hay and mineral cube to Texas. For
years it was only available in the northern states. I collected a list
of people in Texas who were interested and presented to Triple Crown
their names and what town and feedstore they would get it from if we
could get it down here. And they came through for us with our push. So
once again because of this, Magic has helped many more.
So Wednesday morning July 2nd came and when Patti went to check on
him, his condition had worsened. He now had edema in his back legs,
his stifle was very locked up and sore and he had a swelling of his
thyroid gland. But his attitude had perked up and we believe it was
because he knew his suffering was ending and he was ready to go.
Fellow boarder and friend Gay came out to help Patti and be there for
her and me. That was so comforting for me to have 2 dear friends to be
there for him since I was a long way away down in San Antonio.
I had a last wish for Magic. For him to get to graze some fresh grass
and eat carrots; two things he was not allowed to have for the last 3
years. So Gay hand grazed him while Patti prepared the trailer. He
actually ate some grass and a couple carrots with much joy. And
although he could barely walk with the edema and stifle pain, when
Patti led him towards her trailer (a trailer he had never been in) he
seemed to perk up and know that it would lead him to the end of his
pain. It was a hard thing for him to do but he climbed right into that
trailer for her. He knew.
Patti & Gay took Magic to the vet who had treated him and been there
with me through all these years of C's and IR and Dr. Fazzino was so
appreciative & felt privileged to be the one. We had been through a
lot and a mutual respect had grown for me and my vet. He also said
that Magic and I had stretched him to learn more about this disease so
again maybe we will continue to help others with their horses through
our vet learning more because of us. I've given him permission to give
my contact info to any clients he gets with C's or IR, so I can help
them.
I don't know who it was harder on, Patti or me. I appreciate all she
did for him over the years and especially his last few days. Magic was
in good hands and I'm so thankful for that since I wasn't home to be
part of it.
I see God's hand in so much of this whole experience. From how I got
Magic to all the ways he has helped and will continue to help other
horses and horse owners out there.
We really thought Magic was going to have to be put down last spring
and again last fall. But he kept hanging in there by God's grace for
even more things to happen this spring and summer. I learned a lot
about ulcer symptoms and medications. Because he was still around, I
was motivated to do all I could to bring the special cube diet to
Texas to help out our horses here. And it took until this spring for
me to feel a real connection with my new horse Grayson. I give thanks
to God and Magic for the timing there so I would have my love for
Grayson to fall on after Magic was gone. That has been a great comfort
that wouldn't have been there last year since it does take awhile to
build that connection with a new horse.
I have some pictures I would like to share of Magic through the years.
These include our show days, his tolerance for me dressing him up for
costume classes and Halloween, and his last roll learning to pull a
cart. (just realized I can't attach that one from this tool so if
anyone wants the cart photo, I'll send it to you individually) He
definitely gave me some wonderful years and memories and he was surely
loved by many.
He even had fans in East TX from one of our early shows on to our last
one,
 Miranda and friends, who would root "Magic, Magic, Magic".
So this is my tribute to Magic.
And I want to thank everyone that had a role in our lives through this
whole experience. Too many to name and wouldn't want to leave anyone
out. So I thank you all!
Love,
Kathy
gksaucier@verizon.net
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/EquineCushings/ |
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