May 24th
Izabelle went into labour. I had just got the girls down to the river and around the corner to cross the bridge, when Izzy started to grunt. Why, why didn't she give a clue before we left home? I quickly called Peter to prepare the big stall for her. She decided to take off for home. The girls were rather fed up having to about turn. I dropped Izzy off and carried on down river. It was my late mum's birthday and was planning to use that as a good excuse to celebrate the new births and raise a glass to mum, when the phone rang and the day went horribly wrong. It was Pete. "Are you close, it's not Izzy, its Beau, he is breathing hard and trembling".
Beau and Hardy are our two horses. We brought them over from England hoping to start a trekking business, but it was not to be. They are 18 years old now and we have had them from babies. Beau is black and white and belongs to my daughter Felicity. He is very pretty and if he was a human he would have a Dublin accent and look like Brad Pitt, or Johnny Depp. Hardy, although he is Beau's half- brother, has no resemblance to him at all. 16.hh, prone to be overweight, bay in colour and if he were human he would have been a squadron leader in the air force, i.e. Tally ho, chocks away, point me to the mess.
I called the girls to cross the river to home. The symptoms were what every horse owner dreads; it's the 'c' word, colic. I left the girls in the field and ran into the stable. Beau was breathing hard, and his abdomen was as tight as a drum. "Call Julia and ask her to phone her vet". Our friends Julia and Andy had just returned from a 3 month 'once in a lifetime' adventure, visiting different countries. They had only been back a week and we hadn't contacted them. They needed time to settle back into life in Spain and spend time with their own horses. Peter handed the phone to me, "Julia its colic". "I'm on my way, hold on".
Meanwhile, Izzy had decided to give birth. Peter delivered two big boys, sorted out the other mums and goats while I was holding Beau. Julia had called the vet, and Andy waited at the top of the track to bring her down. When Julia arrived, she realised Beau was in big trouble. The funny thing was, between the two of us we have around 100 years experience with horses, yet we were talking to each other like amateurs. " So how many cases of colic have you seen Julia?". "Only a few. Had my horse die on me when I was 16 with colic". "Ahh, what do you think the vet will do when she arrives". "Oh possibly drench him, sedate him, let's just keep him on his feet". Ridiculous conversation, we both knew this was very, very bad, Julia trying to protect me, and I not wanting to let my daughter down by thinking negative. "Smell his breath Diane". I did and the words shouting in my head were "game over, game over". His gut had twisted, and all I wanted was the vet to come and put him down. I looked into his eyes and it was finished, his heart was giving out. Julia new it too and instructed me to stand back. "Move Diane, NOW!". I wanted to stay stroking his head but if his heart gave out, the reaction could be violent. The vet was close, Peter ran to open the gate so she would be able to drive into the field. At that moment, Beau went down. Marina jumped from her car and ran to him. She mouthed the words "no, no, no". I stood by his head, while Marina injected him with adrenaline. It was a last shot. Julia calmly said "lay on his neck Diane". The injection would have one of two reactions. He would revive, or die very quickly. I hoped for the latter. I laid on his neck, to stop him trying to get up, talking to him, 5 seconds later he was gone. My thoughts were not for Beau, but for my daughter, who I had to phone, and Hardy. I left quickly to phone Fliss, as I knew that if I waited for 15 minutes I wouldn't be able to talk. As it was, when she answered the phone, my throat constricted and not a word came out. "Mum, it's ok I know he has gone, do what you have to do and phone later". So much for the strong 'Clint Eastwood' when you need him. I went back to Beau, cuddled him and said my goodbye's. Marina, the vet, was amazing. She held me and said how sorry she was that she couldn't help him. There was no charge. Antonio had come down, and they covered Beau with a tarpaulin, but left his rump and legs exposed so Hardy could sniff him, and realise his friend, brother and life companion was dead.
When everyone had gone home Peter and I wept. We tried to sleep but I gave up after an hour. I got dressed and walked into the field. Hardy was standing by his friend coming to terms with what had happened. I sat by him and Beau and we were both lost in our own thoughts and emotions. I recalled the first year we came to Spain. Felicity had come to visit. She rode Beau in the field and as dusk came the hills turned to gold. She and Beau was bathed in this incredible light, it was breathtaking.
Dawn had come, it was time to milk the goats. I stroked Hardy. "Come and have some breakfast son". He watched me for a while, looked at Beau, then walked towards the river, still looking for his brother. It was then my heart broke.
Bea (left) and Hardy
