*Editor’s Note: Dee
Dee Sale,
Masquerading’s
owner, gave The
Scoop permission to
print this letter.
Dear Friend,
Words
cannot express our
gratitude of your
kind words, prayers,
and gestures of
sympathy following
our loss of
Masquerading on July
5.
He was a great horse
in every way,
especially to those
who knew him
personally. Above
all, he was an
exceptional
competitor and loved
the excitement of
the show ring as
much or more than we
all do. Many times,
he would overcome my
mistakes and make us
both look good in
the end.
I’d like
to express unfailing
gratitude to Ricky
and Lynn Womack,
Marguerite Sims, the
Glen Oaks staff, Dr.
John Bennett, Drs.
Plummer and Pierce,
and the entire staff
at the UT Vet
Clinic, and Bobby
Jones of Equus
Insurance. Everyone
was so kind and
wonderful to us
during
Masquerading’s last
hours.
For
those who didn’t get
the full story,
Masquerading was
found cast in his
stall on Wednesday
afternoon by Lynn
and Marguerite, and
they immediately
called Womack. Dr.
Bennett was alerted
and rushed to Glen
Oaks Farm to care
for him.
Upon
examination, it was
decided that
Masquerading was
suffering an
inguinal hernia and
would need surgery.
Two and half hours
later, we were
pulling in to the UT
Vet Clinic where a
surgical staff had
been assembled to
perform the
procedure. The staff
there was incredibly
efficient and
professional and
Masquerading was
quickly readied for
his surgery.
Masquerading entered
the OR at 11 p.m.
and was taken to the
recovery room at
3:30 a.m. yesterday
morning. The
surgical team seemed
pleased that
everything had gone
well and were
especially
complimentary of Dr.
Bennett’s and Rick
Womack’s quick and
decisive actions,
which resulted, they
felt, in the success
of the surgery. They
cautioned that we
were not out of the
woods yet, but
everything went as
it should.
I left
the clinic as soon
as Masquerading had
been settled into a
recovery room to
check into a hotel.
The vets assured me
that he would be
down for a while,
and the longer the
better. They would
call me as soon as
he came to.
At 6:07
a.m. yesterday
morning, Dr. Plummer
called. She began by
telling me that the
surgery had gone as
well as expected,
BUT….I knew we were
in trouble then. She
told me after
Masquerading had
regained
consciousness and
tried to stand he
had suffered a
fracture to his
right femur. This is
an injury that is
not repairable. We
had no other option
than to euthanize
him.
She did,
however, let me see
him for a brief
goodbye, and I am
forever grateful
that I was able to
kiss his big white
face one last time.
Due to
many variables, we
have decided to
cremate
Masquerading. This
will give us time to
make a better
decision on his
final resting place.
Several options are
being explored, and
we will let his
friends know the
where and when as
soon as a decision
has been made.
Masquerading was my
perfect horse, the
one I felt that God
had made just for
me. He was
everything I would
have asked for and
more. Masquerading
was my every whish
in my field of
dreams. These
dreams, I hope, will
live on though his
colts and fillies. I
hope also, for those
of you who have one,
that your
Masquerading will
bring you as much
joy as this sire did
to me.
Again,
thank you for your
sympathy and
prayers, I couldn’t
get through this
without you.
With Love,
Dee Dee
