My dear friend and companion, Dublin, was humanely euthanized this morning. It hurts a lot, mostly because I loved him. He helped me through my awkward years as a teenager, as the one soul who would listen to me rant and rave about my day, scream, or cry, and all he wanted in return was a carrot. This horse was the smartest horse I've ever seen. He could open gates in a second, push you over logs, step on your feet mid-walk, and learn tricks! This horse knew how to kiss, bow, nod "yes", and could stretch in any direction you could possibly think of.
Riding Dublin was a roller coaster. If he felt like it, you would have the best ride of your entire life. I got a 19% on a dressage test once. 19%! Unheard of. He and I cleaned up at training level and first level, and performed Pas De Deux's with Kim DeLisi (now in vet school!) and Revelation. He was absolutely unbeatable as a dressage horse. Of course, I got a bit overzealous and decided to start eventing him, which is when I really learned how to pick up the pieces and move on. He didn't want to jump. He wasn't an eventer, he wasn't going to jump some stupid log in a field, and that was that. I fell off THREE times in one jump lesson in the indoor arena at Frying Pan Park one time. Mike Mendell tells me I have an 'electric butt' now, and I completely blame that on Mr. Dubs :) He taught me to ride aggressive, whether it got me anywhere or not!
Mom took him foxhunting one time, and that was a disaster. All I remember, was him grabbing mouth fulls of corn stalks from the side of the path. I took him on Junior day twice, and he seemed to enjoy being with a Whip more than with the field. He did everything!
He had this one thing, where he would walk to the end of the lead rope and then would just walk off with you. It was really frustrating, but became absolutely hilarious. He did it one time with me at Phillip Dutton's up north. I remember it because I was pretty much the laughing stock of the barn that day. Mom drops Dublin off, he's this super fat and shaggy little horse which everyone made fun of to start with. I go to tack him up, and when I turn him around in the wash stall he bolts with me, smashing me in to doors to where I HAD to let go. He goes galloping in to the indoor arena, where OF COURSE all the horses in the entire barn that should not have been in there during this were! Connaught, Cambalda, one of Boyd's recovery horses, and a horse being handwalked by Shannon. Thanks, Dublin! They will never let me live that one down :) He also did it with my mom when she took him back. She was at Piedmont Equine, and he walked off with her, so Joe looked at her and said, "I'm a bit stronger than you, let me take him", went to turn him in and off they went! He never went far, and if there was a puddle anywhere nearby he REALLY didn't go far. Just a cocky little devil :)
He also had this awkward parrot nose and a big goofy bump on his forehead. He had a habit of reaching out and grabbing whatever was in the aisle if his door was open (arms, blankets, fly spray, dogs, etc) and once he grabbed the back end of Elliott as I was turning him around. Elliott kicked him so hard in the head there was blood running out his nose. He stood there and looked at me like, "oh, shit."
In 2010 we had his pasterns x-ray'd and everything was fine, which gave us the okay to start him back to light work again. Exactly a year later, the cartilage between his pasterns had completely disintegrated, leaving the bone rubbing against bone. He was in a lot of pain, and we retired him from working and turned him out in a field. Joe helped us with trying to figure out any solutions for managing his pain, and things went okay for a bit, but then started to progressively worsen. He would limp as a 5 trotting around, but would canter and flip his head and looked generally happy, so we managed him as best we could and didn't want to think about euthanizing him. The other day he must have rolled and took down a fence board, and was all sorts of wiggly in his back end. I think he must have fractured a hip or a leg or something. He was a great horse and an even better friend, and I'll be counting on seeing him again someday.
"The love of horses knows not its own depth til the hour of separation."
RIP Irish Crossing "Dublin"
April 1990 - May 2011
UPDATE 5/26 - I wanted to thank everyone for the condolences. Our family is doing well knowing we did what was best for him, and having everyone's support through this tough time has been incredibly helpful for the healing process. Dublin was a great horse and although he will surely be missed by everyone who knew him, I'm positive he is much happier where he is now in horsey heaven. I just hope I get to join him there someday :)
