BTP Miss Khemo
Affectionately known as Bunny, BunBun, Bunny Girl, and Pretty Girl.
10/01/91 - 4/24/16 Age 24 yrs.
Introducing my favorite horse that I've had the pleasure to call my own, BTP Miss Khemo, a.k.a. Bunny. Bunny is a purebred, registered Arabian mare, dark bay, with white markings, whose grandsire is the famous Khemosabi++++//. She looks so similar to him, which is one reason she caught my eye. Here are some pics of Bunny that her former owner sent to me from Aug. 2000, before she came to me in the fall of the same year. S
Bunny gazing at something across her field, in Kentucky.
Bunny has settled down to the finer things in a horse's life -- EATING!
Ahhh, dinner's over, now it's time for a good back rub!
Miss Khemo earned her nickname of "Bunny" as a foal. Her former owner told me that she used to hop, like a bunny, all over the place and the nickname just stuck.
Here is Bunny's pedigree:
Click on underlined names to see a picture of that horse. Use your Back button to return here.
(Color code: C=chestnut, B=bay, G=gray, K=black)
(If anyone knows where I can obtain any pictures of the other horses listed in the
above pedigree, please contact me at my email address below. Thank you.)
To view a more detailed pedigree, click the link below: BTP Miss Khemo
It is with a very sad and heavy heart that I must announce that my dear, sweet BunnBunn passed away. The morning of April 24, 2016, a beautiful Spring day, Bunny enjoyed her last breakfast. All seemed well. Later that morning, just prior to noon, I heard a loud noise. Like a bang, such as you'd hear if something heavy fell over. Bob went out to look in the barn and found Bunny cast against a stall wall. She apparently had been struggling for a little while. We were able to finally get her slid far enough from the wall that she could get up. She seemed alright, although there was a small scrape on her lower lip, a couple tiny rub marks by her right eye, the side on which she had lain. She gingerly walked out of the barn, across the barnyard, turned and trotted back. She trotted all the way into her stall, where Bob was, turned, walked back out into the aisle and laid down again, only this time on her left side. I was surprised, and thought she was just tired from her earlier struggle. However, she seemed in some discomfort, I realized. But not really sure if it was serious or not. Bunny just seemed mostly tired. Bob and I had to slide her a little bit again so she could get up, and this time when she went outside, we closed the gate to keep her outside with Rodeo. This way, she could not get cast again, and I had to leave for Mom's (my brother Sal and his fiance were on their way to Mom's to visit us all). We set out some hay and a bucket of water, and I left. Bob kept monitoring Bunny throughout the afternoon. I had a couple texts from him:
Sun 3:31pm: Bunny is moving around the barnyard, but keeps laying down.
4:19pm: She keeps getting up, moving, laying down and rolling. She's grunting after she rolls.
(I replied that I'd call the vet tomorrow.)
4:21pm: Hope she lasts that long. Colic, up above [he meant in the big barn on the hill], was pretty quick.
I tried calling our vet then, but had to leave a msg. If it was an emergency, he'd return the call.
4:49pm: She's not looking good. Laying on her side with her hind legs seperated [sic].
I replied that I had left a msg with the vet.
5:08pm: She's not feeling good at all. Up and down, rolling and groaning.
I called the vet right back and this time he picked up. He was 2.5 hrs away, but he agreed she should be seen right away. He recommended another vet in the area, one I had used a few times for Bunny many years ago. I called and their service picked up. I explained my regular said I should call and my mare was colicking. She said she'd get the vet on the line. A few minutes laters, the vet herself called me. She could meet me at the barn in 15 min. I told her Bob was there and I would meet her there as I was at my mom's. I then called Bob and told him the vet was on her way.
The vet, Dr. Wassel, from Cross River Veterinary Services, was already there when I arrived. She had given Bunny some pain meds and Bob was trying to walk her, but poor Bunny didn't want to walk and was rather wobbly on her feet. Then they stopped and the vet gave her another injection. She said Bunny kept blowing through her pain meds very quickly, so they weren't really helping her. She gave her about 3 such injections and she couldn't really hear any gut sounds.
She palpated Bunny then to see if she could feel any displacement of the colon. She said something definitely didn't feel quite right, like there was a partial twist. She tubed Bunny and lavaged her stomach to see if there were any contents and how much. She pumped about a bucket and half of water into her and then tried to siphon it back out. She finally got about a bucketful back out, but it was only green-stained water. She pulled the tube. If I remember right, I think she gave Bunny another shot then. She said I could let Bunny lay down if she wanted, but hopefully she wouldn't roll. Bunny laid down almost immediately. She looked like she was just resting. Then she rolled, and got up. I took her lead off and she walked towards the back fence and stopped. Then she laid down again, and rolled a bit.
During this time, the vet was telling me that there really wasn't anything else she could do for her. Surgery was an expense I couldn't afford, unfortunately, and I had the impression that due to Bunny's age, she wasn't really a good candidate anyway. There was only one thing to do. A hard thing to do, but one which I knew had to be done. I had to let Bunny go, as difficult as it was... my sweet, beloved mare. Bunny was laying down in front of the gate which led up the hill, toward the woods, the path Bob took to empty the spreader.
The vet brought the medication which would ease Bunny over the Rainbow Bridge, to be restored to full health and graze in God's beautiful meadows in Heaven. She gave the first dose, as Bob and I were bent over Bunny, petting her. I couldn't hold my emotions any more at that point and cried, which startled Bunny and she rose up, but she calmed and laid back down, already feeling the effects of the meds. I got hold of myself, and Bunny remained relaxed and the vet gave the 2nd dose. I continued to stroke Bunny beautiful face and Bob petted her back and shoulder. She was laying on her left side with her head just touching the gate. The vet kept checking Bunny's heart rate, which was slowing. I could see that life had already left Bunny's eyes. Shortly after, her heart stopped. I didn't look at the time, but it was probably between 6 and 6:30pm. The vet asked us if we had plans for burial. I said I had hoped our landlord would let us bury Bunny on the farm, near the woods at the end of the property. I then called him, but sadly he said he didn't think it was legal and didn't want to allow it. He expressed his condolences. The vet knew someone who could come and take the body, so she placed the call for me. She said the woman could come right away and be there in about 20 min.
While we waited, Bob fed Lacy and brought Angie's half-Arab mare, Athena, in. Shortly after, Athena hung her head out her window and neighed. She never does that. Then she neighed one more time. Was she saying goodbye to Bunny? I like to think so. Lacy came up to the corner of her paddock and looked towards us standing near Bunny before Bob went to feed her. I'm not sure if she knew or not. I let Rodeo out and he followed me right over to Bunny. He'd been watching through the gate on and off anyway, and he may have known. He sniffed Bunny and after a few moments began eating hay that was left over from breakfast, staying near Bunny. Bob and I went to pay the vet who was waiting by her truck. The vet said again the woman should be here shortly to pick Bunny up. She left shortly after, giving us her sympathies.
The truck pulled in not long after. I had stayed with Bunny and Rodeo. Then Bob and I put Rodeo back in his barn, so we could open the gate for the truck. Dawn Till Dusk was the company and she was a very nice, friendly woman near to my age. She handed me 6 long-stemmed purplish-pink roses. How nice! She had lost a horse and didn't like how the knacker had handled the removal of her horse. So that prompted her to enter the field of "animal recovery." Her husband helped build her truck using her designs. She had iron leg cuffs that were linked together and she gently placed them around Bunny's rear legs above the hooves. She attached the winch cable and with a remote, slowly winched Bunny up onto the previously inclined truck bed. She lifted Bunny's head so it wouldn't scrape over the sill of the gate. Once Bunny was on, she leveled the truck bed, then moved the cuffs to the front legs to position Bunny better in the truck and be able to close the tail gate, easing Bunny's head over as well, by hand. She was very nice in how she handled Bunny's body. I couldn't have asked for anything more.
She then closed up the truck and pulled out of the barnyard. We talked about cremation which she also offers. I decided to go for that as I really didn't like the thought of Bunny being dumped into a communal grave which is basically a landfill, according to what the vet told me. Dawn Till Dusk took a deposit, and the rest could be done in installments. Again, how nice! She said she would take Bunny to the crematorium that same night. It had just turned dark by that point, so using the light from her truck cab, I wrote her a check and told her I'd get in touch with her about the payments. She said she would hold Bunny until the final payment and then deliver her to me. She hugged me goodbye and shook Bob's hand and left. I would recommend her for anyone losing a horse.
Rest in peace, my dear, sweet Bunny Girl. I will miss you so much. May the good Lord keep you, watch over and protect you, and let perpetual light shine upon you. God bless you, BunBun. XOXOXOXO
Khemosabi is the one horse that I've had a love affair with my whole life, just about. I saw a picture of him when I was maybe 7 yrs old. Khemosabi was about 2 yrs old then. I fell head over heels for that horse. To me, he embodied what the Arabian horse should look like.
He gives double who gives unasked.
~ Arabian proverb ~
A Tribute to the awesome Khemosabi
I learned that back in January '01, Khemosabi earned the AHSA Sire Of The Year award. This prestigious award is open to all breeds and the winner is chosen on the number of show points earned by the get (offspring). What a great accomplishment for an almost 34 year old stallion whose last offspring was foaled in 1998.
On April 18, 2001 I discovered the very sad news of Khemosabi's death. Following is the announcement that was posted on the internet by Khemosabi's owners:
Khemosabi
5/14/67 – 3/1/01
March 1, 2001
Khemosabi++++//
Today about 9:30 a.m., Khemosabi quietly passed away.
The veterinarian said he felt he had a bowel obstruction and was not a candidate for surgery. He was beginning to experience pain, and we all agreed he should not suffer.
Laura, Bert, and I, along with the veterinarian were with him.
How he will be missed. What joy he has brought to our lives.
According to the Syndicate’s prior decision, he will be cremated.
-Ruth Husband-
My sympathies go out to the Husband's and each and every person who was involved with this wonderful stallion. May Khemosabi rest in peace. He will be greatly missed.
The YouTube video below is a tribute to the great Khemosabi.
Now ... wasn't he the most beautiful horse you ever saw??? : D
A big heartfelt Thank You to Mrs. Bonnie Brown for the opportunity of owning such a sweet-natured horse as Bunny. For that I will be eternally grateful. I am thrilled to be able to share my life with this beautiful little mare. Thanks Bonnie!
Also, many Thanks to Mr. Brad Sheaffer of WolfDen Stables for doing such a wonderful job of hauling Bunny from her former home in Kentucky to her home with me. I am truly grateful for the wonderful care he took of Bunny, his gentle handling of her, and delivering her in such great condition. Thank you Brad.
