Hi, my name is Janet and Jasper is the dark bay horse that lived next to my horse at Hossmoor. Jasper was a wonderful 27-year-old gelding with a big personality and enough vitality for three horses. Sadly older horses are terribly fragile, and Jaspers' time came quite suddenly. He coliced painfully, sending his caretaker, Sabrina, into a mad scramble to help him, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, he was trailered to U.C. Davis, and the awful truth became apparent. There was nothing anyone could do, and Sabrina had to say goodbye to her friend of 26 years.
We grieve with Sabrina and miss Jasper. It is hard enough to face large vet bills trying to save a horse but harder still when the horse is gone. I am reaching out to those who would like to help. The proceeds with go to pay the U.C. Davis and the emergency vet invoices.
Thank you for your help.Read more
We grieve with Sabrina and miss Jasper. It is hard enough to face large vet bills trying to save a horse but harder still when the horse is gone. I am reaching out to those who would like to help. The proceeds with go to pay the U.C. Davis and the emergency vet invoices.
Thank you for your help.Read more
If I may add a few words to Janet's thoughtfulness... I, Burt, along with Mindy are guardians for Snowy, who lives a couple stalls up from where Jasper lived . We loved Jasper (Sabrina) . He was the center of our little barn family at Hossmoor along with Maz (Janet), snowy and a few others. Everyday was a treat for me (as well as Jasper and others) who eagerly awaited their single 'stabul' treat when I came by. It was a big deal to them and for me to see them all so happy. But it wasnt just about treats. There was a real chemistry among our senior horses-and humans, too. Other horses would come and go from the barn but ours were the mainstays with big boy Jasper no doubt the ringleader to whom Maz, Snowy and others looked up , both figuratively and literally.
I liked Jasper the minute I met him some two -plus years ago. He exuded charisma and was very playful and unpredictable, especially for a horse his age, 26. He liked me and Snowy and we liked him and became best buddies. JASPER was also a funny guy. I loved how he'd surprise everyone when he came bounding down the isle right to his stall after Sabrina let him off his bridal(?).(Excuse my ignorance as I'm the horse neophyte of the barn, though I must say I've learned a lot , thanks to Jasper and Sabrina as well as others.)
My first big horse thrill came when Sabrina let Snowy join Jasper in the arena one night. There i really saw how Jasper took charge as well as showing his goofball side running wild. Snowy didn't know what to think at first but I believe Jasper's playfullness rubbed off on the more introverted Snowy, who began to display some of those same Jasper characteristics , including bucking and snorting.
More recently, Sabrina and Janet entrusted me to take Snowy in to the pasture turnout to graze with Jasper and Maz. It was fun for me to be the 'fourth horse,' if you will, watching us all interact like the buddies we are.
In recent months I watched Jasper, now beset with nagging medical issues, still the leader of pack. But, I could sometmes see in his eyes that age that he wasn't feeling his bes Perhaps time was finally catching up with this would-be teenager. He still wanted to be the same young buck Sabrina first knew 26 years ago - and even more recently - but now Jasper's body was betraying him.
On one hand I wish I was there on that fateful day when Jasper suffered what no horse or being should have to go through. On the other hand i was spared from seeing what Jasper had to go through and my barn friends had to witness. I feel terrible for all who were part of it, especially Jasper. Sadly, the life of a horse is not always an easy one. But. instead, Let us turn our thoughts to mostly wonderful 26 years of days shared by Jasper and Sabrina that preceeded that last ugly one. Unfortunately, we can't always control our final days and moments. Its so hard. It wasn't even my horse, but my daily sad thoughts of Jasper I will try to channel as happy ones, especially on my daily visits to the barn. Perhaps in the next chapter of this story Sabrina will grace us with some of her fabulous times and tales with Jasper. LONG LIVE JASPER, THE GENTLE GIANT, IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS
Though Sabrina resisted Janet's initial attempt for the attached Go Fund Me page she later relented. As Janet notes, nobody deserves to be consumed with overwhelming vet bills especially when losing her horse. Won't you consider a donation to a worthy cause while paying tribute to our friends Jasper and Sabrina
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