Veterinarian and amateur rider Liz Arbittier joined the COTH’s bloggers in January 2014, when she bought a former Amish driving horse as a project. You can read about the start of her journey with Ephriam in “Embarking On An Amish Adventure“ and about their progress in all of her later blogs. Liz and “Eph” became quick favorites of COTH readers and we wish her the best after this update…

It is hard to write this, but I’m hoping with it comes peace. You were along for my journey with Eph, so it feels right to pen this for closure.

A little while ago, Eph broke his leg in the field.

He was in a big pasture where he was turned out with one quiet horse he adored. The same pasture he had been in every day for a year. It was the kind of tragic accident I see frequently in my job as an ambulatory equine veterinarian.

It was about six days post-blizzard here in Pennsylvania. The circumstances surrounding my discovery of his injury are weird. I had a lull in my workday, so I went to visit him. I walked down to the field and found him trotting in circles around his friend, Colonel, who tried to bite him every time he got too close. It was a game both enjoyed. Colonel isn’t very old, but he is an endearing curmudgeon and everybody’s first choice as an easy pasture buddy. Eph was never a quiet turnout; he would run while everybody else would graze, so I liked having Colonel’s calm influence nearby.

I called his name as I always did, in a high, squeaky voice. “Hey EPH!” As always, he whinnied and trotted over to me to stuff his face with treats. Colonel also enjoyed this tradition.

I stayed for a while then went on my way to see my next patient. While driving, I realized I had forgotten to leave my board check, so I stopped by the barn on my way back to New Bolton Center. Normally I would have dropped off the check and left, but I decided to go back down to the field, which wasn’t within eyesight. I turned the corner and saw Colonel looking stressed and wide-eyed.

I knew immediately something was wrong and my eyes found Eph, standing awkwardly, unable to bear weight on his right hind leg. I ran to him and palpation confirmed that he had terribly fractured his femur. There’s nothing that can fix that injury; no surgery that can be done, even by the hands of my idols at New Bolton. I am certain it had just happened. He was just beginning to sweat; the hematoma was visibly growing, and everything about both of their appearances suggested it had just happened. That gives me some peace.

At that point I wasn’t as grateful as I was upon later reflection that I was in my vet truck. I was able to euthanize my friend so his suffering was as short as I could make it, though I could barely see through my tears and function with my shaking hands. If I’d had to return to the hospital for the drugs, he would have endured terrible shock and pain waiting for me.

For the past 1 1/2 years, Eph has just been my buddy. “Just” is an inadequate qualifier. I couldn’t afford to keep him in professional training, and he wasn’t really safe for me to ride… I had mastered 127 ways to fall off of him.

I had accepted that he was simply my pet, like any of my dogs. While he didn’t enjoy me riding him, he loved me in every other way. Given the option to hang with me, he’d happily walk away from grain, hay, grass, pretty much anything. People would say, “He needs a job,” and I grew comfortable saying, “Why?”

He was so happy! Gorgeous pasture, huge stall with straw up to his knees and hocks, and as much hay as he could eat. He was fat, shiny, and completely content. Knowing how happy he was helps me a lot today.

Shortly after his loss, I made a donation to the Omega Horse Rescue whose volunteers spend countless hours at the New Holland horse auction, rescuing horses exactly like Eph. That helped me too, knowing I contributed to another Eph being pulled from the kill pen.

Hug your ponies tonight and every night knowing that accidents happen where nobody is at fault. Accepting his fate hasn’t been easy but I have many great memories and photographs that I will treasure. Nothing can replace the soft weight of his enormous head that he would butt into my chest. I’ll never forget him and I know that someday I will be able to help another like him, in his honor.  

Rest peacefully, Eph.

Liz Arbittier, VMD, CVA, is an equine field service veterinarian at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. She also enjoys rescuing elderly shelter dogs and just added Byron, an elderly blind poodle, to her household. Byron joins Virgil, Cybil, Gladys, and Maude (and Liz) in Coatesville, Pa. She grew up riding hunters and breaking babies, rode IHSA in college, and got her start in show jumping before vet school when she took a job riding with and managing Kevin Babington’s team. She is currently riding with four-star event rider, Kate Hicks in Cochranville, Pa.

You can read all of Liz’s blogs about Ephraim here.