Good bye Ash! You will be missed!

Lots of love to one of our adopted family tonight, as we were informed of the loss of a very special horse, Ash from Teddy Roosevelt National Park, son of the late Cocoa and Stormy.

 

Seven years ago we were able to purchase then 5-month-old Ash from the park for $1 due to an injury he had suffered to his left stifle. With your support, we were able to take him all the way to Oklahoma for arthroscopic surgery to remove some bone fragments from a fracture at the top of his left tibia causing the cruciate ligament to be unable to repair itself. The surgery and resulting six months of stall rest brought him back to full soundness, and a few months later Stacy took him home.

Ash grew into a beautiful blue roan and a kind, mellow, solid trail horse. Stacy even took him back to Teddy Roosevelt National Park for weekend of riding in his home land!

 

Earlier this year Ash came up lame, and it turns out he had developed a tibial cyst on the right stifle - the opposite from surgery. Injections didn't help, and just two days ago we discussed bringing him back to the rescue to pursue surgery, though the prognosis for a return to riding soundness was grim. Unfortunately, something happened last night that caused Ash to immediately go three-legged lame, unable to bear weight, and in massive pain. He laid down and refused to get back up, making it obvious to his heart broken owner that there was only one option, and that was to let him go and release him from pain.

 

This little man had more love than many horses, from the day he was born and watched in the park to being given a second chance on life with his surgery and then finding his forever person. He will be missed.