MortalityReality

By Beth Collins

In my twenties, I was flattered by the notion that most of my equine buddies
wanted their babies to come live on my farm in the event of their early demise.
Some of them often joked they hoped they came back as one of my animals so
they could live the “good life”. Back then the reality of it didn’t seem near enough
at hand to cause any worry. Our youthful energy knew no bounds. Of course we
could take on one more responsibility.

We have all promised friends that in the event of a catastrophe, our furry loved
ones would be cared for. We rely on friends for this promise as most of our
relatives think we are crazy for owning the animals that we do in the numbers that
we do. It’s a promise made with out giving it much thought. We animal people
have to stick together after all to ensure that our horses, cats, dogs, birds and
others are absorbed into the homes of like minded individuals.

Flash forward a decade or so later. We are finding limits to our energy, our
resources and yes even to our animal companions. That youthful promise is
looked on nostalgically as each of us realize we are in the downsize portion of our
lives. To be prepared in midlife is a lesson learned. We set aside funds for
ourselves in old age. Some of us are lucky enough to do the same for our
beloved critters. We put little thought to the idea that we will not out live them. In
fact, we expect to out live them by many more years.

But what happens when life takes one of its little unexpected turns? I was
surprised by the enormity of one of life’s little turns recently. A dear friend, and
long time client, informed me she had cancer. Advanced, inoperable, life ending
cancer. We were both devastated. She, 16 years my senior and single, detailed
her wishes as to the future care of her two horses. I held her hand and assured
her they would be cared for. After she left my house, I dissolved into tears. I was
sad and angry.

Nearing forty, I was beginning to feel the urgency that life eventually comes to an
end. I had prioritized, reorganized and prepared for the next phase of life that
would presumably last many more years. Now in one moment, my personal horse
herd had doubled in size. I was about to lose one of the dearest people I knew
and the things I had worked to prioritize seemed valueless. I decided the best
thing for all of us was to focus on the present and let what ever happened in the
future take care of itself. Tragically, within two weeks of our conversation my
sweet friend passed away. “Later” had arrived with all its startling urgency and
big financial issues had to be faced.

Complicating all of this was the fact that while my friend had verbalized her
wishes, I had no idea if she had had the time to legalize them. Like many horse
folks she had her horse friends, her non- horse friends and her family. Rarely do
these groups meet. I knew of her non- horse friends and sister through stories
and anecdotes, but had never met them. It was one of these kind, non-horse
people who called me with the bad news. She said some one would contact me at
a later date. Practically speaking , I wasn’t sure I could afford two more horses
without help.

I went to the barn and hugged both of her horses. Her 19 year old, semi retired,
quarter horse reminded me of my old horse Zee. I had made the tough decision
three years ago to retire my beloved Zee back to the east coast and 50 beautiful
acres. A trusted friend had offered to take him as a companion for her walking
horse. I had sent him off with his new winter blanket, his bridle and fly gear. He
had no trust fund. I never even thought of him becoming a burden.

I looked around at the four now in my care. Three of them where young and
healthy. One was older with issues. If something happened to me tomorrow what
would become of them? The most important thing to prepare for is who will be
making the decision for the lifetime care of your horses. Whoever this is should
have their personal information entered into a legal document like a living trust or
a will. The amount of any trust fund to care for your horses should be included in
this document as well. Your loved ones and trusted horse friends should know
the contents of this document. That way in the fog of grief, your precious animals
are not accidentally neglected.

The lucky among us, have friends with their own farms or ranches that will absorb
our herds into their own. For those not as lucky there are options. The most
obvious is that the animals can be sold to new homes. For older horses with
physical issues, or younger horses with no training, this may be challenging. A
reputable horse retirement home is a viable option for all horses whether young
or old infirmed or healthy. These farms can be found via the internet, horse
publications or word of mouth. Some are even breed specific. Your breed
registry should be able to help you if you want your registered horse to retire with
his own kind.

Donate your horse to science. This is not what it sounds like. Some well known
vet schools need horses to donate small amounts of blood or tissue for testing. In
exchange for a cushy pasture life, the horse donates a bit of itself once a month
under the supervision and care of a vet. None of what is removed is life
threatening, think Coggins test. Now, your beloved animal will be furthering the
research to help members of its own species fight such things as West Nile, EPM
and other life threatening diseases.

These are not happy thoughts. They are however a necessity. It is a far worse
tragedy to not prepare. For your animals sake make arrangements now. The
piece of mind will be priceless for you and those close to you.

Copyright 2006 Beth Collins