Mary O'Connor

Mar 29, 2024 | chronofhorse.com | Jamie Sindell |Anneliese Kannow |Mary O'Connor |Melissa Wright

Nero died on a Tuesday. In the dirt, fallen heavily on his side, in a row between two barrack-like stalls where he had been quarantined. The vet punctured his thick skin and injected the orange liquid from a large syringe. Nero fell to the ground as his heart stopped. My horse was out of pain, I told myself, but death is not a gentle fight. Hours earlier I fed him apples, nuzzled his sweet face, kissed his cheeks. Two days earlier, on Feb. 20, 2022, we rode in our first show together.