What a Difference a Few Hours Makes

I woke up yesterday hearing my neighbor banging on my door at 7:30am, she came to tell me that my horses had broken out of their pen and were over at her house roughly a block over. I got dressed and drove over there they had already moved on but she said they had been there since around 6:30am. I drove around and couldn't find them! Kelly had spent the night down at my son & daughter-in-laws house so I had no one to help me look, I was starting to panic. I called another neighbor who has horses and asked if they were at her house, she said no but would help me look for them. I was driving home now to call the police and let them know when I saw Chance Kelly's horse come running down the road towards me. I got out of the car and got a rope on him, he was all upset neighing and pacing which really worried me because my two horse are NEVER alone they are always together. I called the gal who was helping me to meet up with me to hold Chance so I could continue to look for my horse Roper (picture above). Chance just kept neighing so loudly I knew he was really worried about Roper, I turned to leave them two after the gal got there and we saw Roper galloping down the road towads us. I as never so happy to see him until he got closer and saw he was covered head to toe with what I think was sweat and had no halter on. He looked terrible, I mean really bad! It had only been about 2 hours tops that they had been loose and most of that time they were eating grass over at my neighbors, so I was concered on why he would be in such rough shape. We walked both horses back to my house, as soon as Roper got into the pen he started to go down and roll - colic! We got him up and I gave him the tube of paste stuff that I have for when the horses get colic. The gal walked him easy since he looked so worn out I didn't think he had any energy left in him. I fixed the fence best I could and got my car then she had to leave for an appointment. Roper wasn't trying to go down any more so I was happy about that, I took some towels and started to dry him off. Then all HELL broke loose, he started coughing with his tongue sticking out and urinating. He was wobbling and I knew this was it, He was dying! Chance and I watched as my beloved horse hit the ground and took his last breath! I just stood there and bawled my eyes out, I couldn't belive it just two hours earlier he was alive and happy and here he was dead on the ground. I won't go into details on what in necesary to bury a horse, lets just say it involves a backhoe... I just couldn't stop crying all day. I just couldn't belive it had happened. To tell you the truth I keep looking out there and thinking it was all just a bad dream and he will be out there muching on some hay. Chance is taking it even harder than I am, he keeps neighing for him! It is the saddest thing all last night and this morning he cries for him, Kelly & I go out to him and try and calm him down but he just doesn't understand where he is... Okay before I start bawling again I will leave you for now.
Until Next Time - God Bles!!