Lost the Best

Today shortly after 4:00pm I received a call from Alicia Cooksey that Jenis' filly was in distress. Trying to get to the farm following what seemed like 50 SLOW moving cars was awful. Karin was called to have the truck and trailer hooked up, Jenis in the trailer and the AC on full blast in the cab. As soon as I pulled in it took 5 or 6 of us to load her, Alicia came with me to hold the filly. Dr. Hoerr was called to tell him we were bringing in a critical foal and they were waiting for us. The filly was brought into the operating room, placed on a table and her temperature taken, it was almost 107 degrees and this is after hosing her off and 40 minutes in air conditioning blowing right on her. Fluids were started, alcohol dumped on her, ice packs placed on top of her and between her legs in the desperate fight to bring down her temperature but the damage had already been done to her brain. She started having seizures and needed more and more sedative to stop them. We got her stabilized enough to trailer them both back to the farm where the office was set up for IV's and a bed for the filly. At 10:38 she took her last breath. Mike had just walked out of the office so he was called back to dig her grave. Karin, Rachel and Tara all showed up right after she died so they helped put her body in the wheelbarrow then Karin wheeled her out to the grave. Jenis has been left in the stall for tonight and will be put in with Ribbon in the morning, not in with Ylse and her filly. This was a hard loss, not just for Horsemeister but personally. This filly was everything we were breeding for. God is in control and He never gives us more than we can bear. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.