As evening drew near we prepared ourselves for the worst. Bailey was bound to die with the light of day. Restless, she pawed at the ground, fighting fiercely for life. The mare was dying and there was nothing we could do.

Quiet sobs escaped my daughters trembling mouth as she witnessed the death of her only friend. I wanted to run to her. Let her touch our baby one more time. But it was too late. Holding her would only make things worse.

Unaware of my presence, my daughter opened the creaky stable door, sneaking in to comfort her friend. I tried to shout for her but the sound was muted by my painful cries. I couldn’t find it in my heart to stop her. My daughter’s presence appeared to give Bailey strength and so I left them in piece with a slither of hope that as the sun rose, so would our horse.