Special "Needs" Perin
01/01/1978 - 11/20/2008
November 20, 2008 @ 1:00 p.m.: Little old Special is gone now. She went down the same way she lived her life, with grace, dignity, and a mouth full of food (Apple Wafers, her favorite!). Rest in peace "Giggles." You so totally had a great run! Thank you so much to everyone who has stopped by to visit her and wish her well on her journey.
This cutie pie lived up to her name every day and we are so thankful she was in our lives. A former police horse for the Lowell PD and later a school horse, she was given to us just as we were headed north from Mass to Maine from the barn where we boarded Maggie, with the hopes that she would enjoy her much-deserved retirement. Special was a thoroughbred who was born in 1978 and her registered name is Special Edition.
Special "Needs" Perin winter of 2003 and then again in 2007--look at that
LIP!
One of my favorite pictures--Luc and Special sharing some
quiet time.
Special still going strong in summer of 2005.
Special enjoying a beautiful day (10/15/2006) Thanks Chrissy for
her "undies!"
Special makes it another year! Taken August 19, 2007
June
2008 - At age 30 this year, Little old Special, as suspected, has
Cushing's
syndrome. Our vet has prescribed Special a medicine called
"Pergolide." It's a white powder in a clear capsule. I hide it
in a handful of her mush and she has to get one pill every day for the rest
of her life. Hopefully this will help her regain some muscle mass,
help her shed that wooly-bear coat, and aid in her ability to store fat--an
especially handy thing to have with our winters. Other than looking
like hell, she is doing great and cuter than ever! The pictures show
her with her ultra-thick coat that she wasn't able to shed this year,
typical of Cushing's syndrome, and me doing a really crappy job of clipping
her (If ya couldn't tell, I've never body clipped a horse before).
Bless her little heart, she just stood there completely relaxed the whole
time. I don't think she cared how funny she looked...I think she was
thankful to get rid of that blanket of fur in the 75+ degree temperatures!
HUGE thanks to Alice Bigelow for lending me those mondo clippers!
September 13, 2008 - Caught this cute snapshot of Luc and Special.
Everyone had "free range" of the entire property this summer to help mow
down the grass without pulling out the gas mower. 'Bout time these
guys earned their keep!
November 13, 2008 - Christine and Michele Allen, my friends from waaay back when we practially were in diapers, came all the way up from my home town of Middleon, MA, to say goodbye to Special. They brought apples, carrots, lots of hugs and kisses, and they spent time cuddling her and brushing her up and making her feel like a princess. Thank you so much you guys for coming all this way--it meant a lot to her and me.
