MY GOLDEN PALOMINO
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WINNER'S NEW DAWN, MY GOLDEN PALOMINO
By Wanda Lambert, Griffin, Georgia

I will try to make a story of eighteen years as short as possible. I
brought my filly - Winner's New Dawn - home when she was weaned from her mother. So many very good times sitting out at the barn, talking to her and just being with her. We showed at halter and showmanship for two years. At the horse shows she never gave me any problems. She seemed to have a good time, but didn't want to be with other horses. She was happiest with just me and my husband.

Then at three years old, Dawn foundered. We had to watch her weight as closely as we could. We had more good days than bad. She was my pet, so not being able to ride her didn't matter to me. She was forever looking at the back door, to see if she could see me. No matter where I was, she would find me. She always said hello, every time she saw me in the pasture or stall. She always greeted me. She let me know when she wanted out, and she would go to the gate and tell me when she wanted back in her stall.

One time she was in the pasture, and so was I. A strange dog came in, and I guess she thought he would hurt me. She came running from the far side of the pasture, right beside me, to chase that dog out. Dawn seemed to know what I was thinking. If I was brushing the other horses, I would say to her, "Well, what do you think?" And she would
look up as if to say, "Good job, Mom."

I watched Dawn so closely, paying attention to her weight, feet, and her diet. In 2000, she starting showing signs of getting worse. I called the vets to come out. They x-rayed her hooves as they had done so many times. They said she had two options: cut the deep fexlor tenions or be put down. We cut her tenions. For a year. she was doing so well. Then one morning, I went out to feed her. and Dawn was shaking while laying down. I called the vet, then my husband, my daughter, and best friend. They all came over to be with me.I had earlier in the month cut a piece of my hair an tied it to Dawn's mane,this way,we would always be as one.

My husband rented a back hoe to dig our angel her resting place, because he said that Dawn was too much a lady to be thrown in the ground. My vet waited until we got through with her grave, then she came out. My husband told my friend to take me home with her. He didn't want me to see her when the vet put her down. He knew it would be the end for me as well.

My vet gave Dawn a shot in her legs so she could stand up an walk. My
daughter said that when my husband had to put the halter on Dawn to walk her out of the barn to her final resting place, he fell to pieces. They walked Dawn toward her grave, letting her eat, and doing whatever she wanted. She walked right into her grave. My daughter said, "Dawn looked at my husband as if to say, "You can say good-bye now." It looked to my daughter as if there was a ray of sunshine in Dawn's face.

When the vet gave Dawn that last shot, my husband and her helped our golden Palomino lie down. The vet told my husband that Dawn was asleep now. When my husband got everything done at her grave, he told me later, that he saw Dawn while walking back to the barn. She was in the pasture, eating the Bermada grass. I know Dawn let him see her just to tell him that he did the right thing. All of my vets said that Dawn was not my horse; she was my child. They knew of no other horse who had lived with this disease, which was chronic founder, as long as she survived. They said my care and the love we had for each other, kept Dawn alive for so long. Dawn had more good days than bad and she told the both of us when it was time to say good-bye.

I can say, back then, I had it all. This kind of companionship comes around once in your life. I am almost fifty-eight years old and I will
probably never have another like her. She was truly one of a kind. As
for me, my heart will never stop breaking. I will love and miss Dawn until I die. So I say, one more time, as I did every night, "Nite-nite, Dawn Dawn. See you in the morning.

I made a Website to honor Dawn.
It is http://members.tripod.com/palomino46/index.html,this is her main
site- http://community.webtv.net/dawnslove/myMYGODENPALOMINO/ It was
made from my heart, and so very many nice people have put Dawn on their
sites and made pages for her. I also sent Dawn's picture to a contest to
win an oil painting. My entry was chosen by Mrs. Shelia Nye, who lives
in the U.K., as the winner of an oil painting she did of Dawn. I have
received the painting, and now Dawn's portrait hangs in my living room.