A princess has left us
Bisou has gone over the rainbow bridge
Even though we know that death is part of life, it is always as if a piece of you goes with it when death comes to take a beloved one or an animal loved above everything else.
On Monday, January 9, Bisou, the Princess on the Pea, as I used to call her, left us. Let me tell you her story:
Bisou was a so-called endurance horse. In this sport, she covered distances between 130 and 160 km without batting an eye. In her best time, she had a value of a family house. She was strong - in character and physically - she gave everything.
Endurance horses have a lively, balanced temperament. Running is fun and you certainly never had to carry Bisou to run. She came to terms with the riders, with what was demanded of her and held her nerves up.
At some point, the riders noticed that Bisou was getting worse, and her performance was declining. She no longer interested the sports people, and was left in the stable. Great animal lovers learned about her and wanted to get her out of her vale of tears. So she was taken at Gut Aiderbichl in Henndorf in the fall of 2019.
The animal keepers had the impression that Bisou was sad and did not trust anyone. The health check revealed that urgent dental work needed to be done. She was taken to the clinic where four teeth had to be removed. There, doctors noticed that Bisou was mentally distressed too.
Back at home in the stable, she was given the best horse muesli, but she didn't really want to eat. Eva, our head animal keeper, dealt with Bisou on a daily basis until she gradually realized that she had now found someone she could trust. Slowly but surely, Bisou began to like the mueslis. She loved when Eva was with her, stroking her and just having time for her.
It was imperative to continue building the trust. Bisou had a strong character and was a fighter, but we also noticed that she was still somehow down. One of the good solutions was to take her for a walk on the lead rope: out of the yard. Bisou became more and more confident and walked upright again, enjoying the time taken for her.
Now massive problems with the teeth came again and Bisou fought, she wanted to be strong. Just like she used to be in sports. However, we noticed that her strength was waning. She enjoyed the remaining time with her caregivers and we all did not really want to believe that the door to the Rainbow Bridge was open.
Elegant and upright she walked, with her 32 years, laid her head on the straw and decided for her last way. Slowly, without struggle. Surrounded by her human friends.
"You see the sun slowly setting, and yet you are startled when it is suddenly dark."
Franz Kafka
Dear Bisou,
Thank you for allowing yourself to have a wonderful time at Gut Aiderbichl. Thank you for accepting and appreciating all the efforts, and especially the love of your caregivers.
Thank you for standing upright in your last hour and enjoying our closeness until your eyes closed forever.
All the people who got to know "The Princess and the Pea" cry a sea of tears for the wonderful Bisou. She was a real lady. Take care, Bisou.
News
Gut Aiderbichl Magazine
You can find out everything you want to know about the animals at Gut Aiderbichl at a glance.
We inform you about current topics and summarise the most important information in our magazine for you to read.
