We still miss you Markiz.

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Markiz was my grandson Kendall’s favorite of my 3 horses. He had personality PLUS. He was an Arabian gelding of Polish bloodlines, bred in Switzerland, foaled in New York state. He came to live with me at age 8. When my husband and I separated a few years later, I could not afford board for my mare and Markiz both at our separation, and since my ex expressed a desire to keep Markiz, we took him to board at farm in Greenville county while he fixed up his property for Markiz’s return. My ex ended up abandoning Markiz there at that farm, the owner of which managed to track down my whereabouts a couple of years later to see if I wanted him back because she could no longer afford to care for him since my husband had long since stopped paying for his board and care. Wilma and I went to Greenville a few days later to pick him up and I was able to enjoy him for several more years. He became a wonderful trail horse, I taught a couple of children to ride on Markiz, and many friends enjoyed riding him too. He had the personality of a lap dog, always playful with everyone and always flirty with pretty mares.

There are 2 words that strike terror in the heart of every horse owner: founder and colic. Founder is a condition that effects a horse’s hooves; colic effects the digestive system. The causes for both are many and varied…many horses survive, many more don’t. Me, my friends and family, my vet, and my farrier all fought valiantly for 3 months to try to save our beloved friend Markiz when he was stricken with founder on Labor Day of 2003. During his illness, I went to the barn every morning before work to clean and doctor his feet; came home for lunch every day to clean and doctor them again, to walk him and to make sure he drank something before I went back to work; again every evening when I got home from work, and again before going to bed around 11pm. I remember many a cold night walking with him in the arena in the moonlight, talking to him and singing to him as we walked. He really seemed comforted by that. One night we saw a shooting star that was so bright, it lit up the entire barn area like daylight before fading away. My wish of course, was for him to get well, but I was denied that wish.

I was not able to let Markiz go as long as he had fight in him, but in the end he was not able to overcome the devastating effects of that condition. When HE had given up, he let me know he was ready to rest, and I didn’t have the heart to force him to go on any further. We ended his suffering and laid him to rest on a cold winter day, December 21, 2003, in the cattle pasture of my good friends Wilma and Jack. 6 years later, remembering him, remembering that horrible 3 month nightmare, still makes me cry like a baby.

After his burial, Kendall and I took some flowers and laid them on his grave out there in Jack’s cow pasture, and we said our last goodbyes to our friend. It was almost as if Markiz was with us out there, assuring us that he was home and happy…that he wanted us to know he had loved us as we had loved him…to say thank you for trying so hard to restore his health, but that it was time now to say goodbye…time for him to go run and frolic with the horses of heaven. I created the portrait you see at the beginning of this post, in the days that followed our loss.