Tonight was a long nite!!

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Some of you may already know that I am an equine massage therapist and horse trainer. I als board horses here on my ranch. Tonight during evening chores, one of my boarders horses was acting strangely. I suspected colic, but she seemed to have tremors in her hind quarters. I called our vet, and asked if I should go ahead and give this mare a dose of banamine. She said to go ahead and keep her moving until I could reach the owner and find out what he wanted to do. This mare had a bad bout with colic back in 2002 when her owners had her in a pasture adjacent to my east pasture. I contacted the owner then and he called his vet, and I helped the vet tube her and we got her through it that time. And her owner asked me to move her and her pasture partner up to my barns. So the've been living here since then. Well she made it another 6 years. Tonight her owner decided to have her put down. I led her back to "her" pasture, where my vet met us, and put her down. She was born in 1980, her name was Snickers. She sort of ruled the pen. It was her, and Cowboy (who is also in his 20's) in that pen. Snickers went fast tonight. I've seen several horses put down, some due to illness, some to injuries, and I have never seen one go that quickly. It only took one syringe of potassium chloride. Usually it takes 2 1/2 to 3. I think it was her time. The vet said she was obviously ready considering how quickly she went. It was acutally very peacefull. She had been having alot of pain the last few winters. In a way, I'm glad she is pain free, but it will be strange to go out there and not see her there. Anyway, it's been a long night.