The day of reckoning finally arrived.  I drove the 20 miles from my house in Madison to the vet clinic off the Gluckstadt exit.  Silent tears streaked my face.  Even with the vision that lingered in the back of my brain, I wasn’t sure what it meant.  Did that picture perfect red barn with white fences and my beloved Gideon mean that I had something to hope in, or was it a desperate grasp at the impossible?

Neither of my parents were horse people.  It’s very much my thing, and when both parents had to work I assured them I could meet Dr. Vice by myself.  It was only right.  He’s my horse, not theirs.  My mom made sure I had a bag of store brand Frosted Flakes – Gid’s favorite.  As I made the left turn into the Dixie Equine parking lot I saw a familiar pearl F-350.  It was Patti, the owner of the barn where Gideon lived.  I made my way through the 2 doors that led inside the clinic – the barn was full of equine patients and the heavy smell of medicine and manure.  To the left is the office, medicine/xray room, and surgery stall.  To the right is stalls, and then the driveway that led to more barns full of less critical patients.

Patti stepped out of the xray room and declared, “I couldn’t let you hear the news alone.  Dr. Vice still isn’t here yet.”  I stared at her completely blank.  “Let’s go see your horse,” and she led me to Gideon’s stall.  He looked nearly normal besides having his back legs wrapped and being in a hospital stall instead of his home at Winterview.  His eyes begged me for answers – why the pain, the strange place?  Frosted Flakes quickly distracted him.  He devoured handful after handful until I eventually decided it was time to stop.  The last thing I needed was to make my horse colic from too many Frosted Flakes.  He gently pushed me begging for more – a gesture no horse should be allowed to do but I love knowing my horse wants something from me so I rub his forehead instead.  Patti said, “Just give them to him.  They won’t hurt.”  I think she figured he was nearly dead anyway, but we emptied the rest of the bag into his feed bucket.

We heard footsteps coming towards us and looked up to see Dr. Vice in his trademark light blue Dickies jump suit.  Here it goes…