I woke up in the morning, and after Barbara kissed me Good Morning and wished me Happy Birthday, I went out to start feeding the horses and the ponies.  I first checked on our beautiful little Shetland, Goshen, because he had just returned from the veterinary hospital and I wanted to see if he was okay.  He was down but as soon as I opened the gate to his stall he struggled to his feet and I led him out into the pasture.  I rushed inside to get Barbara and Bridget, and when we went over to see Goshen we realized that he was fading fast and that this was to be his last day with us.  We spent the whole day with him because when he did pass on, we didn’t want him to be alone.  He went down twice during the day, but each time, after a great struggle, he managed to stand again.  When he went down for the third time, we didn’t believe he would be able to rise again, for he was moaning in pain.  But he was a proud and noble pony, strong and willful, and determined and brave.  And he didn’t want to die on his belly, but on his feet.  So he mustered all his strength and somehow rose to his feet again and stayed up for the rest of the day.  He walked with us, one last time, around the field and meadow in which he lived his whole life, and stopped in his favorite place under a spreading shade tree.  And there he stood and nuzzled us with his soft face, while we caressed him and hugged him and kissed him and brushed him and told him how much we loved him and cherished him and how his presence with us enriched our lives.

And it was here, later in the day, that the vet put him to sleep, ending his pain and his suffering, and the beautiful sixteen-year life he shared with us.

And it was in this spot, under a bright full moon, that he was laid to rest.

— Jed from May’s Landing, NJ