Pete came to us from Michigan in February of 2009 and we were privileged to get the time with this stoic, sweet animal that we did. Pete was trained the Amish way and was used extensively as a work horse, where he hauled timber and carcasses out of the woods for a living. He has a hard, Midwest, working-animal's life and, we think, got very little attention or love. He was not mistreated, but certainly not used to the attention and affection he got from us.

These pictures were taken on the day of his arrival. He was exhausted and dehydrated from riding in a horse trailer for 10 days but his sweet nature and gentleness were apparent right from the start. He was mangy, shedding profusely, and had worn all the hair off his hind flanks from the constant rubbing of work harness. We worked hard over the next few weeks/months to put some weight on him and get him healthy. In the meantime, we got to know him better. We found him to be quite shy, but very demanding of attention at the same time. He quickly became fond of treats and loved getting his ears scratched. He shed a winter's worth of hair and finally blossomed.

Finally, all the effort and expense we had put into Pete payed off. We got him and his wealth of driving experience to use as our primary carriage horse as well as to train our younger horses to drive as a team. The time was right in mid-March 2009 to finally put Pete to the test. We hitched him to our carriage (after some dry runs on the cart), dressed up in our finest, and selected a beautiful spring day to take publicity photos for our company. Sonya couldn't believe how well Pete performed - he was what you call a "fingertip driver". We had the most wonderful day and this very special and majestic horse took to his new role like a fish to water.

Pete in all his majesty. What a stunning animal.

Life is perplexing though and horses unpredictable. A few days after these photos were taken, Pete kicked an iron fence and came up lame. He was noticeably limping and had obviously sustained a fairly severe injury - one he never recovered from. For the next year-and-a-half, we doctored him up and tried pretty much everything to get him healthy again, but nothing worked. For a while, he was just gimpy, but in the last three months or so, we noticed a marked deterioration in his condition. He was losing weight, standing on only three legs most of the time, and in obvious discomfort. With heavy hearts and a unfulfilled longing to see our stoic friend get better, the decision was made to euthanize Pete.

Pete's final picture, taken this morning

We spent two wonderful years with this gentle giant. With the exception of the one day we spent on the carriage taking photos, we never used Pete for any type of event. His life for the last few years was highlighted by treatments, feedings, and a lot of time in a small paddock with limited maneuverability. We willed him to get better, sought the latest and greatest in equine medical care, and kept looking for any glimmer of improvement, but in the end, nothing helped and he deteriorated to the point where we knew he was suffering. Through his pain and suffering though, Pete never got sour or mean. He remained the somewhat aloof, but highly curious animal that seemed to be happy for any attention that was paid. He would sneak up behind Sonya or I while mucking the pasture and breathe down our neck. As soon as we turned to give him some love, he would turn his head away and pretend like he wasn't interested. It was obvious though, that he lived for the attention and thrived on being treated as more than just a farm implement. Everyone who came in contact with this benevolent soul immediately took a liking to him and his kind eyes.

For animal lovers like Sonya and I, euthanizing an animal is an agonizing decision. It is a balance between the loss we know we will feel for the missing family member and the desire to show compassion for the animal. In the end, it would be easy if we could only communicate with the animal, but obviously, that is impossible. We asked ourselves a thousand times if Pete was suffering - if he was looking better - if he was in pain. We wanted him to be with us, but not at the expense of his quality of life. Having a creature totally dependent on you is an awesome responsibility, and one that we do not take lightly. We miss Pete and will always wonder what could have been if he was not so unfairly and randomly injured. I will sum this up in Sonya's aching words..."The beautiful white horse in my profile picture is my buddy Pete. He's with his other best buddy Bartley now, and I have a feeling he's finally able to run strong again on all four legs at long last. No more suffering. I love you Petey." We both do. Farewell Friend...