Good Bye Quest...

From Jim:  Quest was a big leapard Appalousa.  He was Donna's horse and a great old friend to both of us.  He had quite a story.  He had been a string horse and was attacked by a mountain lion.  The big cat ripped his withers open clear to the bone.  The wings of his vertabrae were exposed and the wound gaped open by many inches.  The folks that were running the dude string gave up on him and were going to shoot him.  He was rescued and, with a lot of care and attention, recovered.  Even the 4 or 5 inches of his mane that had been ripped out grew back in.  Quest had been born with a moon eye on his off side.  He never let that bother him.  He was a good mannered trail horse with a good fast walk.  The most remarkable thing about Quest was that he wanted a home, a person of his own, a chance to be someone's very own.  He sure got that with Donna.  As he grew older, he enjoyed being groomed and petted.  He would spend lots of time napping and hated to be awakened.  I woke him one time and for a week he would turn his back on me everytime he saw me.  He had a temper.  A while back, as he got into his late 20's, it was harder to keep his weight on.  We moved him to the front yard and feed him senior equine 3 times a day and still his weight would fall off.  Saturday morning he was standing in his stall, wouldn't eat or drink, but didn't show any signs of colic.  Maybe a bad tooth?  Maybe a choke?  A virus?  By Monday morning it was time to call the vet.  Dr. Darling thought is was bad, but there might be chance if it was a massive choke and could be pushed on through.  The tubing was really abnormal, like nothing we had ever seen.  We've tubed many many critters.  This was way different.  Then chunks of the tumor came back when the fluid returned.  Quest"s stomach was blocked off by a mass.  Probably had been growing for some time and finally, the blockage was complete.  There was nothing to do but let our old friend have peace and end the pain and suffering he was feeling.  We had Quester for 7 years.  He had the home and the person he wanted and he was a true pet and part of our family.  See you at the rainbow bridge old boy.  See you again.