We lost our big guy Mikey today. He was 25. He lived a lot longer than expected, especially for being over 17.3 and having a long hard life on the show circuit. He came to our family at 15, semi-retired to teach my dad the ropes in the jumper ring. He was living out his days here, as Archie's best friend. We aren't sure what happened, but he somehow broke his fetlock in his stall sometime this morning. There were no signs of struggle. His shavings were still neatly laid. He has a tenancy to rest his foot at an extreme angle, and he may have just fallen asleep on it. He is a huge horse with weak joints from years of doing the big jumpers. He had to be euthanized shortly after my mom found him this morning. I was out of town. It breaks my heart that I wasn't here to say goodbye.
"Valentino" - Named after his heart marking.
I love Mikey so much, it was very hard to go into the barn tonight with him not there. He is the first and last face I see every night. I hugged Archie and I could see in his eyes that he was lost, worried. Mikey was Archies' whole world, I have never seen a horse love another horse so much. It breaks my heart that he lost his best friend. This is the sad reality of life. We can't all live perfect lives and live forever, although sometimes we wish we could. I will just look for peace knowing Mikey was one of the lucky ones, given a great home with lush pastures to retire in. Not all horses are so lucky.
I always love you, and miss you forever Mikey. You brought joy and smiles to everyone you met. You left people in awe of your substantial size, beauty, and gentle heart. Thank you for being a part of our lives.
