It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of our dear 6.5‑month-old filly, Paloma. After seven weeks of veterinary care, bodywork, and being surrounded by love and every healing intention, her body told us it was time to let her go. This has been an immeasurable loss for our SAFE community, and we have taken some time to privately grieve this devastating loss before making this news public.
In late October, at the Arlington foster home where Paloma and Frida spent their days in a large grassy field, her caretakers noticed that the filly seemed off in her left hind leg. Immediately, Dr. White from Mount Vernon Equine was called to examine her and take x‑rays, but they revealed nothing of significance. Paloma was rested, but after two weeks with no improvement, we brought her and her dam, Frida, back home to Redmond. Dr. Lewis took additional x‑rays, and hauled the pair up to Rainland Farm Equine Clinic to take larger images of her hips, which were sent to radiologists. Again, nothing of significance was noted. Both Dr. Lewis and Dr. Renner performed pelvic ultrasounds on her as well. She was thoroughly examined from top to bottom, yet no abnormalities were found. Dr. Lewis consulted with colleagues locally, at WSU, and even as far away as Kentucky. Despite every effort, we had no answers and little to go on, and although we all hoped to see signs of improvement…her lameness was not getting better.
What we do know: if it had been something fixable, we would have seen improvement in seven weeks. Pain medications did nothing. If she had been a full-sized horse, she would likely have foundered on her other hind limb, but her small size (400 lbs) spared her from that. In her final week, she struggled to get up, relying mostly on her front end to hoist herself up. By her last days, she was non-weight-bearing, and on the final morning, her heart rate and breathing were elevated, showing visible pain.
There are no words to make this hurt any less. All of our hopes and dreams for the life she could have had are lying at our feet in a pool of tears. What is clear is that whatever happened, whether physical, genetic, or an accident in the field, it was catastrophic, and there was nothing we could have done to save her.
We take some solace in knowing that because Frida was rescued from her neglect situation last February, the entire saga of Paloma’s life played out under our watchful eyes. Had Frida not been rescued, and had she survived giving birth in that horrible place, her filly might have suffered a harder, painful death.
Not all horses have happy endings, and it is our responsibility as their advocates to be present for the hard work, the days that aren’t perfect Instagram moments, but real life. The responsibility of making difficult decisions for the ones we love is never easy, but it is our job.
Rather than trying to capture everything in words, we’ve shared a short video message from Bonnie and Terry, explaining the changes we began seeing, most notably Paloma’s declining ability to bear weight. There is no pressure to watch if it feels too difficult.
Paloma passed peacefully, without pain, and surrounded by love. She was gentle and sweet to the very end, just as she was throughout her short life.
Frida has been closely and carefully supported during this time, and we will share a separate update on her ongoing care soon.
Paloma was always treated with the utmost respect. Her loss hits deep into our hearts and she will always be a cherished and unforgettable member of the SAFE herd. Thank you for holding Paloma in your hearts with us.
“What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes part of us.” Helen Keller
