Saying Goodbye to Crystal

This week we lost one of our long time residents, an ancient mare named Crystal. She arrived in 2008, and for many years lived with a group of gentle, older horses behind the main barn. Her eyes had been an ongoing problem for years, so much so that by last fall she was nearly blind. Crystal was obviously feeling insecure in her larger pasture so we moved her into the barn, and began to turn her out with the blind horses and senior Beyond, who’d recently lost his dear friend Casey. This proved to be a wonderful time for Crystal who bonded strongly with Beyond, and was truly the belle of the ball, perhaps for the first time in her life.

Crystal was a mellow but determined horse, happy to do what you asked…until she wasn’t. Anyone who held her for the farrier can tell you about being bounced around by an elderly, ever-so-round pony. And many of us were here the day the rickety old girl leaped into the pond and swam across to get to her friend Henny, who had been moved to a neighboring field.

When we opened the large window between her stall and Beyond’s, it was obvious that they took great comfort in each other’s company. Today, Beyond’s grief is as palpable as our own.