The morning with Amos and his friend Boy had been normal, both welcoming some attention, their breakfast, and a chat with their canine friend Bruce. But by the evening, Amos had become very seriously ill.
I managed to get him on his feet and corralled into the stable area so he would be easy for the vet to assess. I stayed with him, talking and reminding him how very loved he was. Thankfully the on-call vet, it was evening by this time, arrived quickly. And as quickly, diagnosed organ failure. This big handsome, friendly but utterly daft horse was beyond treatment.
It was such a shock and quite unbelievable, he had always been so well, and was relatively young still, in his late teens. To think that he would not be there to trash the buckets or to 'help' put out the feed, or to lean against and chat to was unthinkable.
I am so very thankful that I painted this picture of him, and I having one of our talks. It is something to cherish and to remind me of sunny days. That can be the magic of art - it helps us recall events, places, people, and even emotions. We are transported into different times and even different states of being.
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