DreamCatchers<br/> Equine Rescue Inc.

It was a very sad day Sunday, here at DreamCatchers.  We lost one of our "old farts" and good friends.

Levi came to DreamCatchers in the summer of 2007 from the Lake George area.  He was painfully thin and we soon discovered it was due to the fact that he had little or no teeth left.  He was literally starving to death.  The vet who examined him also said he had a heart murmur and we should probably just put him down.  He was old, unrideable and what was the point.

Well, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I usually don't take that kind of advice if there is an alternative.  Levi, despite his heart murmur and low body weight, had a spirit that could not be dimmed.  He had worked hard in his lifetime to please his people.  This was very evident in the scars along his withers from a poorly fit saddle, and the shoe boil on his elbow (Lisa Jo called it his bunny tail) and the knock knees from injuries who knows how many years ago.  He deserved a peaceful retirement.

He quickly took to Misty, the love who was with him til the very end.  They became inseperable.  When Misty became ill in March of this year, Levi stopped eating.  It was like he was preparing himself to go with her.  Well, Misty got better after a treatment with Dexamethisone (which Levi got as well) so they were both on the road to at least 6 more months of happy retirement.

Everyone who knew Levi will tell you, he had a girly whinny.  He got very excited at feeding time and would nicker repeatedly and it was like hearing a laughing hiena cackle.   It was so endearing.

I found Levi, Sunday, laying in the pasture.  He was sweating profusely but when I got him on his feet, he quickly trotted off to  be with Misty and the rest of the herd.  I thought, at that point, that he had just lain in the sun too long and/or rolled in the wet grass.

A few minutes later, I saw that he was once again laying down and the herd had moved quite a distance away.  I became concerned at  this point.  I got him on his feet again and began to lead him towards the barn.  He walked a few hundred feet with me and then he went down again.  At this point, I called for help.  I needed a halter and some bodies to help me get him up and moving to the barn so we could get to work on fixing him.  My good friend and most loyal volunteer, Mr. Ed came running, as did the love of my life, Paul, as well as a dozen others.  We virtually lifted Levi to his feet and then a half dozen people surrounded him and helped him to walk the several hundred yards to the barn.

Once there, I gave him a shot of banamine for pain, assuming it was colic, and called the vet.  I left a message for our vet and got down to the business of keeping him moving and trying to cure his belly ache.  I want to thank Paul, Mr. Ed, Brother John and Teri, Jessica and all the wonderful people who were so supportive.

Unfortunately, we found out soon that it was not colic that had afflicted our Levi but something much more serious.  He suffered a seizure and then another.  Misty was by his side, nuzzling him and nickering to him after the  first seizure and he actually regained his composure and seemed to be all better for just a few minutes.  Then the second one hit and  he was gone.

I take comfort in the fact that I know Levi had a good life while he was with us here.  No matter what came before that, he enjoyed his retirement with the people and horses here at DreamCatchers.  That is truly what I mean when I say it is all about the horses...that these wonderful beings who give us so much have the opportunity to live their lives in happiness and peace til the very end. 

I will miss Levi so much, his whinny, his stoic behavior that says he is afraid of getting too close but just scratch my butt please.

I caught myself yesterday calling to him when I called the old farts in for Dinner.....Miss you Levi...you will be with us always.