Today we sadly said good-bye to Lizzie, a dear soul, who came to us rather lost and lonely but who left surrounded by friends and with lots of love around her.
Lizzie was rather stoic and somewhat withdrawn. She came here in 2019 and in the four years we shared with her, we saw that shell start to crack a bit. When she came here she was depressed, had severe stomach ulcers, and (as we found out in short order) she had untreated Cushing’s Disease as well. We had to start addressing these issues one at a time. At first, Lizzie seemed like a fairly grumpy mare. But most of that was because she just didn’t feel good. As the medications began to make her feel better, and she realized she was being helped, Lizzie began to soften.
Although she was not a fan of being turned out with other horses, she did appreciate her equine family and settled in as part of the herd. She had very serious ligament and joint problems in her lower hind legs that sadly necessitated that she could only go out on flat land. For those of you familiar with Spring Farm CARES, everything here is on a hill. She also could not go out on grass due to her Cushing’s Disease and the threat of foundering. So we built Lizzie her own little paddock behind the barn where she could see all of her friends and still stand or roll out in the sun and fresh air.
Like all of the animals here, Lizzie found her way into people’s hearts and we watched her work magic every so often when she found a heart that needed mending. One day we watched as a young girl came to visit on a tour. Lizzie usually was not interested in participating in tours and letting people pet her. She generally preferred to stand back in her stall and observe. So it was striking on this day when the young girl approached Lizzie’s stall and Lizzie immediately walked over, stuck her head out, and began nuzzling the young girl’s shoulder. This gentle communion between these two hearts and souls lasted about 15 minutes. Those of us who knew Lizzie stood in wonder as we watched how gentle she was with this girl. And we could see that the girl was totally wrapped up in Lizzie’s energy as well. Two hearts melding in a very special moment. Later, we learned that the girl had just suffered a tragic loss in her family and her heart was hurting. Lizzie understood that pain and reached out to let her know she was not alone.
Lizzie was 28 years old. Recently, we discovered that she had a mass in her sinus area which was inoperable. None of us were prepared for how quickly it spread to her lungs. Today, she very rapidly progressed to having respiratory distress and we knew it was time to let her go. We know that Lizzie left us feeling loved and appreciated for who she was. We know she touched many hearts in her time here with us. And we know that Lizzie has now found the peace and rest she so deserves.
Thank you Lizzie for letting us in through the crack in the wall. We felt your heart expand and breathe and you will always be a part of this farm forever. Fly free.