The end of an era

It was a very sad day yesterday, as we had to make the difficult decision to have Ghost put down. He has had a marvellous summer and has been on great form so the consolation is that we have yet more wonderful memories to add to the 15 or more years worth since we first met him.He has had melanomas for a long time, like most old grey horses, but up until a few weeks ago they had never caused him any problems and he had always moved and behaved more like a 4 year old than a 25 year old. We had a suspicion recently - confirmed by the vet - that he might also have internal melanomas and so this wasn't entirely unexpected. Fortunately, we caught it before he became distressed and I don't think he was ever more than slightly uncomfortable - right up till Wednesday night, he was able to zoom across the field at an extended trot when a new horse arrived.

...showing Felix and Lady that he's still the quickest...

I owe Ghost an enormous debt, for lots of reasons, and not least because its due to him, and the fact that he was diagnosed with navicular syndrome all those years ago, that he and all our other horses are barefoot. He was our first rehab horse, though I didn't realise it at the time.

Ghost has always been a handful to ride, happiest at speed and intolerant of any horses in front of him, but he has also always been a perfect gentleman.

He has been endlessly patient with generations of puppies running between his legs and was always extremely careful not to tread on them. He has been found on several occasions in his box being groomed by children who'd escaped supervision - one memorable time a small boy dragged a box over and stood on it so as to reach Ghost more easily, and Ghost of course remained motionless till he'd finished.

He has been a patient nanny for new rehab horses, calmly showing them the ropes...
...and only occasionally escaping onto the bank behind the house to illicitly stuff Spring grass...
Last year, he was an absolute star on Ride Bare, and late in life found a new vocation as a long-distance horse - though he, like me, would have preferred better weather...
He was even invited to our friends, Anita and Yorkie's wedding as guest of honour a few years ago.
I'm glad that he never slowed down - it would never have been his style to grow old gracefully...

Ghost 1985-2010