Animal Farm

Sad goodbyes

 

We lost a couple of old animal friends recently.

At the end of October 2024 Thomas, our Ginger tom born in Australia died at the very grand age of 20 and 8 months. Before he became a farm cat in his retirement, he was a golf course cat in Australia, then a suburban cat, terrace cat and market town cat in the UK. He had a life and, dare I say it was the cat about town until he met his match as he was getting older as a market town cat. He then stopped going out as much as we had a large and scary tabby in the neighbourhood and instead slept on windowsills in the sun and grew fat!

He did have a few scrapes in his life.  He was bitten by a Brown Snake in AU (very poisonous, it would kill a dog instantly and we follow shortly afterward!), but cats can tolerate it, and he survived. He also arrived back after 48 hours missing with his leg hanging off. He was caught somewhere, and it was down to the bone…. As a result, he did not appreciate the vet and we did have one embarrassing incident when he escaped in the surgery and knocked everything off the shelves… We were not popular.

 

When he arrived at Jordans Farm he was geting older nad thinner but the new enviroment and space gave him a new lease of life for a couple of years until he came home with a leg pointing in the wrong direction…. That leg came off and for 2 years he did very well on 3, until eventually old age took him.

The first weekend of January, 2025, and Tia, the beautiful mare I had on foster from the Essex Horse & Pony Protection Society for 2 years passed at the weekend. The photo above was her in the frost the day before. She came over for a stroke and showed off some very frosty whiskers. She looked so well.
But she was 30ish. She was standing at 9am and keeled over at some point between then and early afternoon. A good way to go. No sign that she was unwell at all.
She was the first horse I have properly ‘owned’ (though legally she belonged to EHPPS). Always wanted my own and at my grand old age I was lucky enough to take her on. I went through EHPPS because let’s be honest though I have ridden or helped at stables I did not feel I had the experience to go out there and buy without being frankly dupped.
When you foster if something goes wrong for whatever reason you can send the horse back, which for me was a good safety net. Indeed, we did have to do this as she came with a cob called George who was lovely but kicked out and bit, and would not let me near him so I was unable to look after him properly. It turned out that he had a medical issue which was making this behaviour worse. He was in pain. He did go back, and they have the staff and experience to be able to help him properly.
Tia and I bonded. She loved cuddles and ear scratches, and she had the kindest of eye. But believe you me she still had spirit! I could not ride her, age and a old injury, a companion only living out her days in the best way possible I hope. I will really miss her.
We will see if another horse crosses my path. I would love to ride or even learn how to drive but I must admit time is necessary to do all this and I have a big year ahead. It was just lovely to have her for the time we did.