Bella

Early Monday morning, my big, old, gentle Clydesdale was killed. 

Bella came to me, over ten years ago, as a rescue who required life saving procedures to save her.  In spite of the painful treatments, Bella remained the most forgiving, sweet horse. 

As evidenced by her injuries, we're concluding that the pack of 12 feral pit bull mix dogs that have been harassing the neighbor's cattle are to blame.  And no, we didn't know of the feral dog problem until now... Neighbors around here keep to themselves, but the outpouring of kindness, casseroles, pizzas, loaned cameras has been overwhelming.

She was still warm when found at 9 AM.

The dogs must have chased her relentlessly,until she ran through the fence and collapsed on the other side.  
The remaining two horses are going to need therapy.  They were whinnying and carrying on.  I had to remove Bella promptly.

Losing a herdmate is taking its toll on them.  They are two basketcases.
I've moved Axel and Angus back in with Tommy and Daphne, inside my woven wire fence, by my house, for added security until the situation in their 12 acre field can be dealt with.
Monday, I moved our game cameras to the site where we found Bella. At 11 PM I tiptoed the 1 mile back into the woods and waited.  I depended on moonlight and didn't see the coyotes that were within 50 yards of me.  They're going to feel my wrath too.

Things that go bump in the night:

Jamie or Sasquatch?
I scrapped the grave site with the front end loader, but had to do most of the digging by hand.

Her spot is in on the edge of a big field that fills with wild lupine blooms in the Spring.  

To earn an animal's love and trust is the best gift you can ever receive.

I miss her profoundly.

Two days later, the commotion has died down and it's hitting me hard.  For her to have died such a violent death--- I don't want to think about it anymore, I can't fix what happened, but I can work at preventing this from ever happening again.

Bella-bug lives on in the hearts of all of us who knew her.