Algiers will be going on his final journey tomorrow [View all]

He made it clear this past weekend that it was time. I had hoped he'd hold out until next week, when I have a week off, but that is too much to ask of him. His body is failing, and his spirit is ready to leave now. He is separating from us, although when he lets me hold him, he stands with his head pressed to my stomach while I scritch his neck at his favorite spot. When foals press their heads to their mother's sides, the pressure points release endorphins. Love and feel good chemicals.

In the past when I imagined this time, I thought I would bury him in the hillside by the road near the drive-through gate. So it was weird, the last several nights, to come home from working 2nd shift and find Dahli waiting for me, and him alone, in the dark, standing by the far gate staring toward the road.

I realized this week that site wasn't good. So yesterday I took an excavator up to my arena-pasture in the far back. One end of the perimeter gets full sun all day, so even after last night's cold there is no frost.

This morning, for the first time since grazing last fall, he slowly made his way up to that far back pasture. He stood on his grave site staring into the woods for a while. And then turned and moved next to the grave site, aligned with the boulder I used as a mental marker for where to have him waiting for burial. He stood there for an hour or so staring up at the house.

A short time ago, I had a second excavator, Duane, come, and Algiers moved to the middle of the pasture. Duane suggested moving the site about 50 feet over into the corner. That was fine. I just came home from walking the dogs and found Algiers standing by his new grave site, staring across it into the woods.