Its official I have entered the 10k Baker Hughes run in Aberdeen on 19th May! Holleigh is going to run with me for the same charity and we will accompany Vikky from Willows.

http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/SportAberdeen/events/10k/spr_10khomepage.asp

Friday the 13th of August 2012. At lunchtime we found Penny in the field looking like she had colic, after walking her for a few minutes I called the vet who was out quite quickly. We brought her into the stable along with Polly her best friend. Penny had painkillers and a sedative, our Vet Lorna tried to test her with the stomach tube but couldnt get Penny to swallow it. The vet went away but came back a little later. Penny did seem to settle slightly so we decided to see how she went overnight. Poor Penny who loved her food usually just wasnt wanting any or any water and we just couldnt tempt her.

We kept watch overnight but she couldnt settle and she got sweaty so she had a rug change to freshen her up in the small hours.

She was much the same next morning so we called the vet back, I had a niggle at the back of my mind. A different vet was on duty in the morning and after checking her heart rate and other things he mentioned grass sickness, that had been my niggle. I knew it was time to say goodbye even before he confirmed this.

Penny took her journey to rainbow bridge with her best friend just the other side of the fence, her pain easing. 24 hours earlier we had a healthy pony and now she had gone. I still shed a tear and miss her.

Penny was bought for my daughters, she taught them so much and was such a character, she liked to organise everyone and would lick her stable after her feed! She also like songs by Elvis. As mt daughters grew I rode her a little myself before giving her a happy retirement with her best friend Polly. Polly became very depressed when Penny went, she grieved for quite a few months and I still think she looks for her sometimes now.

This is a typical Equine Grass Sickness story, a few go on to survive but its a very long, hard road to recovery. I would give anything to have been able to vaccinate Penny. Fortunately there is now a trial for vaccination but funds are much needed, hence this page.