Amy is my daughter. She just graduated from nursing school at Mercer, and we are so happy for her and for her future, but this week is not as happy. Her beloved horse, Oz, has an inoperable tumor, and he needs to be put down. She asked me to come to the farm where she boards him so that I could capture a series of images before she has to say goodbye. I made the trek to Athens on Sunday which you may remember was a cold, damp, and dreary day.
Our photo session included close ups that we will probably make into a panel at a time when Amy can look at these images without it being so hard.
Some of the happiest memories in her life include this beloved animal that she taught how to bow and numerous other tricks. He loves Amy so much. You can see how he nuzzles up to her. He has been known to unzip a pocket on her jacket just to get a carrot!
Oz has an unusual name. Amy rescued him from a slaughter sale in Arizona (AZ sounds sort of like Oz) almost ten years ago.
In a former life he had been a thoroughbred racehorse that was thought to be retired due to an illness which included a high fever. If Amy had not bought him at that time, he would have, most likely, been sold to a meat packing plant.
Ellie, another rescue that Amy found on the side of the road as a six-week old pup, looks on. She has practically grown up on this farm as well, and she felt very much at home in the pasture.
If you have ever had to lose an animal that had a part of your heart, you can understand her agony. The procedure will take place later this week. Hopefully, it will be uneventful. It is just never easy to say good-bye.
