RockRiverTiff
Well-Known Member
First, I just want to thank everyone here that's offered insight, advice and support these last few days. Since I wasn't in the office this morning, they called Grandma at her house to tell her that Al went downhill last night. He didn't want to fight anymore, and the vet strongly suggested that it was time to let him go. As those of you that followed his thread know, we were planning on giving him more time to see if the swelling would go down enough to try alternative treatments, but above all else we didn't want him to suffer, and according to the vet on duty he was really suffering this morning. It kills me that I didn't get to say goodbye, but everyone at the clinic wanted us to know how sweet and willing he was with everyone on the staff, so I think he knew they were trying to help him. I told him he was a good boy every day, but it still doesn't seem like enough.
He was really special - to us anyway - so I'd just like to share a little about his life. We lost my grandfather, the heart of the farm, at the end of 1992. Al was born in 1993, the last foal bred by my grandpa, so of course he was named after him. Both of Al's parents lived out their lives here and died in their sleep in their 20s. I always thought some day in the far distant future Al would go peacefully as an old man in his pasture, too.
Al was shown pretty extensively as both a junior and senior stallion (HAME members that went to their AMHA shows in the 90s might have seen him), but he didn't earn many points because he was usually first in a class of one in the under 28" division. I remember when we took him to a club show with our full-sized horses once where we entered him in a huge pony class for kicks. The other exhibitors snickered when our little guy trotted in, but there were some sour grapes when he took first over all the Quarter ponies.
It was his big heart that made him irreplaceable though. He did anything and everything you asked of him, and despite the fact that he was a stallion his gentle nature made him our first choice whenever we dealt with the public. When we took him on school visits, he was such a gentlemen that he always held "it" until he was back in his trailer. He actually went on stage for a children's play once, and stood like a pro the whole time. Some of my other minis are pretty wily little creatures, but Al didn't have a mean bone in his body. When I had colts, Al was always their weaning buddy, and he was a real sweetheart with his mares. If I wanted him to go somewhere, all I had to do was put my hand on his neck and start walking.
I've been on this forum eight years now, and it's been such a blessing to me in so many ways. After Grandpa died, we did very little breeding, and when I moved to Las Vegas our mini program pretty much hibernated until I came home a few years ago. Al was totally unproven at 15, and I thought he was beautiful, but I was worried I was barn blind. I appealed to the LB members to ask if they thought he was a worthy stallion, and I received a lot of positive (but honest) advice. Because of your encouragement, Al's legacy lives on through his three daughters. I took two of them out to his paddock this afternoon to watch them run and to say thank you and goodbye to a horse that was so much more than a horse to me. He was family, and I hope people can go over the Rainbow Bridge, because I'd really like Grandpa to see what a special friend he gave us.
Here are a few pictures of Al over the years:
He was really special - to us anyway - so I'd just like to share a little about his life. We lost my grandfather, the heart of the farm, at the end of 1992. Al was born in 1993, the last foal bred by my grandpa, so of course he was named after him. Both of Al's parents lived out their lives here and died in their sleep in their 20s. I always thought some day in the far distant future Al would go peacefully as an old man in his pasture, too.
Al was shown pretty extensively as both a junior and senior stallion (HAME members that went to their AMHA shows in the 90s might have seen him), but he didn't earn many points because he was usually first in a class of one in the under 28" division. I remember when we took him to a club show with our full-sized horses once where we entered him in a huge pony class for kicks. The other exhibitors snickered when our little guy trotted in, but there were some sour grapes when he took first over all the Quarter ponies.
It was his big heart that made him irreplaceable though. He did anything and everything you asked of him, and despite the fact that he was a stallion his gentle nature made him our first choice whenever we dealt with the public. When we took him on school visits, he was such a gentlemen that he always held "it" until he was back in his trailer. He actually went on stage for a children's play once, and stood like a pro the whole time. Some of my other minis are pretty wily little creatures, but Al didn't have a mean bone in his body. When I had colts, Al was always their weaning buddy, and he was a real sweetheart with his mares. If I wanted him to go somewhere, all I had to do was put my hand on his neck and start walking.
I've been on this forum eight years now, and it's been such a blessing to me in so many ways. After Grandpa died, we did very little breeding, and when I moved to Las Vegas our mini program pretty much hibernated until I came home a few years ago. Al was totally unproven at 15, and I thought he was beautiful, but I was worried I was barn blind. I appealed to the LB members to ask if they thought he was a worthy stallion, and I received a lot of positive (but honest) advice. Because of your encouragement, Al's legacy lives on through his three daughters. I took two of them out to his paddock this afternoon to watch them run and to say thank you and goodbye to a horse that was so much more than a horse to me. He was family, and I hope people can go over the Rainbow Bridge, because I'd really like Grandpa to see what a special friend he gave us.
Here are a few pictures of Al over the years:
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