Thursday 24 November 2011

In Loving Memory: Two Years

I am a day late with this but I'd rather write this when I'm not as upset about this.  This little girl was Sisco.  She was my sister's foal and Cas' half-sister.  We had three foals born that year and it was a horrible, horrible year.  I came out and I was the one who found Sisco.  It was a cold night that first night and I went out so many times to check on her and rub her over with our giant pink towel. 

She was the sweetest little thing right from the start.  I went down in the field and saw her, and then I came running up to tell my dad.  She tried to follow me, much to her mother's dismay.   She often left her mother to try and follow people and would have been quite happy if she had been able to live in the house with us.  She was the nicest foal in the world, until you tried to tell her what to do. 

She did not like authority and trying to train her to lead was nearly impossible.  She'd dig in her heels and refuse to move, no matter what.  The second the halter was off though, she'd follow behind you like a little puppy.  She was the smallest foal, even smaller than Cas but she was adorable. 

We only knew her for 37 days.  She came down with pneumonia and our usual vet was out of the province.  The only vet we could get a hold of wouldn't come out because as he said, "She was as good as dead" so there wasn't any point.  I'll never, ever forget that day, November 23rd because it was honestly the hardest day I've ever been through.  We covered her with blankets and tried to keep her warm.  We milked both her mother and Socks for milk and then force fed Sisco through a tube.  We tried all day in the cold to keep her alive but we couldn't.  Even now I have a hard time when I think about it.  Just to try so hard to keep something alive and then fail, it's not something I ever want to deal with again.  I try hard to be positive and remember how great she was, but it's still really hard to remember that day.  Sadie knew something was wrong.  She stopped letting Sisco nurse but then when Sisco went down, she wouldn't leave her side.  After Sisco was gone she searched for her for weeks.  When Socks came up with Cas from the back pasture and saw sickly Sisco my usually calm horse panicked.  It wasn't even her foal but Socks was freaking out.  She was running in circles and neighing what I could only describe as a truly worried niegh.  She stayed at the fence next to Sadie through it all. 

She was an amazing little girl even though we didn't have much time with her.  We'll never forget her.

3 comments:

Megan said...

=(

Such a sad story.
My mum bred 2 foals from her best mare when she was around my age. The first was a little colt who only lived to four months old.

He had a heart attack (I think?) at 4 months and died. Her mare was so upest that mum and my pop had to lock her in a cattle yard so that she wouldn't injure herself.

I can't believe the vet wouldn't come out. Geez - they get paid for it and how could you actually say no to helping an animal that was going to die without your help? I help just about any animal that needs it - birds, sheep, horses, dogs, you name it, I've probably tried to save it.

I'm so sorry about Sisco. She was a very cute foal.

Ruth said...

awww.... R.I.P Sisco.

Courtney said...

I can see how this still haunts you. I'm so sorry Kirst. RIP Sisco