Brigitte

Brigitte
December 30, 2020, our long-eared warrior has passed away.

Soon to be 34 years old, she will have kept her zest for life to the very last second….

Endowed with a strong, rather very strong character, Brigitte chose the people by whom she agreed to be brushed or groomed. Make her? At your own risk.

As the months and years went by, she managed to find her place, and always did as she pleased. First, she chose her life pony, Tawana, and followed her like a pilot fish, and it was clear that no one could take Tawana away from her, so Tawana’s few activities were put on hold. Then she chose a biped, and Dörte had the privilege of being chosen. So much so that she heard her car, and went over the fences to gain a few seconds to join her.
Healthy as a horse, Brigitte had an incredible tolerance for pain. In 2017, she broke the tip of her elbow, but because of her temperament, we decided to have her operated on at Zurich’s Tierspital. The plate was fitted, and Brigitte returned to the Refuge as good as new.

But in June, she developed an oesophageal obstruction. Despite wet rations, as Brigitte’s teeth would soon be gone, a piece of badly grated carrot slipped through. A vet and a probe were needed to get the plug out. Even sedated, Brigitte shows her “legendary” gentleness… fortunately her small size allows us to “manage” her. The stopper will pass, but the irritation of the tube will complicate her feeding…honey cures will help and will be appreciated, given her enthusiasm for taking syringes in her mouth.

Since this episode, Brigitte seems to have lost her mind; she has strange reactions, which we can compare to senility. We have to be more vigilant, and hold her when we put her in the paddock, as she sometimes goes in the opposite direction without understanding why… At times, she bumps into the stall dividers, as if she’s lost her sight…

For the past 10 days, we’ve been concerned by a pain in her hindquarters. With no clear diagnosis, we put her on an oral anti-inflammatory, but no better. We tried an intra-muscular anti-inflammatory, but nothing worked, and unfortunately the situation continued to worsen. Brigitte relieves herself from one limb to the other, is prostrate, spends long periods lying down, puts herself in a corner of the stall…doesn’t move anymore. Her oesophagus regularly clogs up, and her food comes out of her nose at times…
We realize that her quality of life has clearly diminished in 6 months, that despite her warrior temperament, Brigitte has been suffering seriously for 10 days, that nothing can be done about it, and that we’re not safe from an accident given her uncontrolled reactions. So what are we waiting for?

Well, nothing. We plucked up the courage to dial the vet’s number, and all of us, humans and horses, were there to accompany him….

There’s a special atmosphere at the Refuge at this moment….without words, without tears, the vet confirms our choice…he’ll do it in 3 injections…the first to calm her, the second to put her down, and the 3rd to stop her heart. And it’s only at this point, when the vet confirms “it’s over” that tears roll down everyone’s cheeks…a great silence followed by many anecdotes will confirm that Brigitte was a warrior, and that she will leave a terrible void in the Refuge’s daily life….

Petite Bardot, bon voyage, and now it’s your turn to look after the biped you’ve chosen as your earthly friend.