kirkcudbright | horses and death

Century Shower, a 26 year old ex-racing thoroughbred, died about 4:30 this morning, after a 16-hour colic.

When I met him, he was 9, had been gelded less than a year previously, and still acted like a stallion. He was the reason I bought a motorcycle jacket, years before I bought a motorcycle, because he was "mouthy" (he once reached around and bit my arm while I was preparing to mount). He also had the ability to buck all the way around the ring (I just kept him moving forward until he got that out of his system). He mellowed a bit as he aged, but he never stopped being a TB - very fast and very competitive on the trails; he ran like the wind.

He was a lesson horse for a while (yes, depite the bucking and such, he was usually pretty well-mannered in the ring). Then he was leased by an Irishman who made a quite good eventer out of him. For the last decade or so, he's had one rider who's kept him in light ring/trail work.

He wasn't "my" horse, and I hadn't ridden him in years, but he was the grand old man of the barn (was alpha horse of the herd until recently), and an old friend.

lyonesse and another boarder were there from afternoon until midnight. I was there from 10pm (I had a class last night) until 2:30am, at which point he was walking around and occasionally pooping. Kristy (his one true rider) was with him from afternoon until he died.

1. I am of the nature to grow old. I cannot escape growing old.
2. I am of the nature to have ill-health. I cannot escape sickness and injury.
3. I am of the nature to die. I cannot escape death.
4. Everyone and everything that I hold dear is of the nature to change. I cannot escape being separated from them.
5. My actions are my only true possessions. My actions are the ground on which I stand. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions.