Zac Brown Memorial

 
'Zac Brown'

As many of you already know, my beloved, talented, athletic, handsome, personality plus horse, Zac Brown, was put down today due to a severe athletic injury. He had sustained a severe injury (tear or lesion) to his DDFT (deep digital flexor tendon) in his RF foot last summer. I believe it happened while running Cross Country at a competition last July. I have had the best ultrasound doctors in the country look at his images, along with the wonderful doctors I work for at my clinic, and everyone said this is a very bad injury, severe. I was told last fall that these lesions/tears almost never heal. I was told he will never be sound. We wanted to give him a chance. He has been on stall rest for the past 6 months, with 45 minutes of hand walking daily. Recently, when he was not improving at all and clinically getting a bit worse, we decided to re-ultrasound his leg. We found the tear/lesion was worse, it was larger, traveling further up the leg. The lesion was scarred in. It was bad. Zach was miserable living in a stall. He was not healing. We gave him a fair shot. The doctors were all correct. The decision was not easy, but pretty clear. I love my horse, I love my partnar so much. He was my best friend. I always knew after this injury I would never event with or show him again, but I was hoping he would still improve enough to move to be someone else's pride and joy. I guess not. I bought Zach 3 years ago on Valentine's day. The breeder and my trainer knew how special he was. I saw a short video of him and knew he was mine and he was exactly what I had wanted. He was a forever horse. He was a big part of our family. His life was cut way too short. My wonderful husband told me the other night..."There must be a great rider up in heaven who is looking for an awesome horse to ride and Zac Brown is that horse". Heaven was looking for a champion and Zac Brown answered. Zac Brown brought Chad and I together for the proposal at Otter Creek. He was a part of our family at our wedding.

Zach will always have a huge part in all of our hearts. 

Zac Brown ~ Chad and I had a toast to you tonight while listening to "Chicken Fried". You will never be forgotten, may let only the good memories be instilled in our mind, heart and souls. 

Zac Brown ~ you will no longer have to be kept in a stall. May you jump higher, kick up your heels and run faster that you ever have before, pain free. 
 

 God looked at his little angel standing by his side.

He smiled as he whispered, "You need a horse to ride"

 
So he searched the whole world over for the one he trusted dear

But to our utmost sorrow the one he chose was here

Where God took his precious one

There are pastures free to roam and on the wings of angels

He took his great horse home & now on her back sits proudly

A little angel strong and true ~

As they race the winds of Heaven just watching over you"


By Jenn McGowan, Nov 2011

Love you buddy!!! 

You will be forever missed, 
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

I stood beside your bed last night, I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying; you found it hard to sleep.

I whinnied to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
"It's me, I haven't left you. I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."

I was with you at my grave today; you tend it with such care.
I want to reassure you, that I'm not lying there.

I walked with you toward the house, as you fumbled for your key.
I put my head against you, nickered and said, "It's me."

You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know that I was standing there.

It's possible for me to be so near you every day.
To say to you with certainty, "I never went away."

You sat there very quietly, then smiled; I think you knew.
In the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.

And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
I'll gallop across to greet you, and we'll stand there side by side.

I have so many things to show you, there's so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey out... then come home to be with me.

It was so very hard but I just said goodbye........"and he looked deep into my eyes and I said, 'YOU' have always been the center of my universe, I have loved 'YOU' always. I pressed my head into his and assured him that I was here as I had always been here. He looked deep into my heart and he asked me, "How much do you love me?" And I stroked his face smoothing closed his eyes and I replied,"With all my heart" and then, he looked deep into my soul. And he asked me ~ "Do you love me enough to let me go?"
And I held him close and replied softly ~ YES." 
  
Goodbye my beloved Zac Brown ~ on to heavenly pastures of gold.

 

'Thoughts of the Spirit'

By, Di' La Chapelle