Good Bye Lady Jane

Lady Jane has left us. We let her go with dignity. It is the hardest choice to make for any horse. There is no turning back, no changing your mind once you euthanize them. All you have left are the memories and they make your heart feel empty for a long time. 

Sandy put bows on Lady Jane before we let her go to Heaven.

It was nearly a year ago that Lady Jane arrived. Everyone gathered around the trailer to see this majestic beauty. She was a big elegant Percheron mare. Beauty's Haven Equine Rescue (http://www.bhfer.org) in Florida asked if we could take her. She wasn't doing well in the humidity of a Florida summer. She seemed to have some breathing problems. She moved slowly and flared her nostrils. All of the volunteers loved her but Sandy Lehman was totally in love with Lady Jane. She wanted to adopt her but I wanted to make sure Lady Jane was healthy and didn't have any breathing problems like COPD. If she did, Sandy most likely would still adopt her but we would know exactly what she needed to keep her healthy.

Sandy riding Lady in the ring.

As the weather cooled, she started moving better and breathing fine. Sandy started to gently ride her and they both seemed happy to be best friends.

 Sandy started to buy her feed and Lady Jane was never without special treats. Everything seemed perfect.

It was early March when she started laying down. 

We didn't notice a limp for a few days. She was a trooper. The farrier came out to see her, then the vet came out to check out her foot. An abscess is painful but treatable with some work and patience. 

Looking for abscess

More farrier care, more soaking her foot, applying special medications that were sent to cure her. We had radiographs done, dug out infections, cleaned them out to have another place on her hoof start oozing with pus. 

Sandy soaking her foot

Then it would come out above her hoof, more radiographs, more medications, more soaking, more prayers, more hope. All the while we had Lady Jane on anti-inflammatory medication so she would stay comfortable. 

Regional limb perfusion

We did not want to give up. Dr Mary Pat Hill donated her time and expertise to do homeopathic remedies and acupuncture regularly. Sher Kerr volunteered to do Reiki treatments. Everyone sending good thoughts and prayers. We even considered seeing if we could get a prosthetic hoof made for her if we could figure out how to make it work comfortably. We has so many wonderful suggestions for horse lovers everywhere.

Beautiful Lady!

Now 4 months and $3000 later, we could not win this battle against the infection. Lady Jane was put to rest in the big pasture, covered with her new blanket and lovely roses placed at her head. 

Sandy is going to pay Lady Jane's medical bills. Though she never adopted Lady Jane on paper, she surely adopted her with her heart and soul. 

 We question every decision, every treatment. We so wanted a better ending and not now but years from now. Sandy was here every day, many days for hours. I sang to Lady Jane every evening. I would do my night time barn check and sing, 'Lady, when you're with me, I'm smiling'. Now I am crying. 

We will always miss Lady Jane. The emptiness will start to fade away but right now it hurts so much. It is heavy on our minds.

Then one of our little volunteers, Sydney, sent this picture. She says this is Lady Jane running after crossing the Rainbow Bridge and we smile.  

I am sure she is right! Run on Lady Jane! 

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