Memorial

We got her when she was 5 years old and in foal with Indy (sold pg.) She was NOT trusting of people and was fairly wild. I spent every meal with her from Fall all through Winter. Before Spring came, she was "mine"! From that time until we lost her 8 years later, she was always MY mare. We had a very special bond. She was the one horse I trusted totally. And I was the only one that she trusted. I was the only one who could trim her feet. Yes, others could *force* her roughly, but that didn't happen! I always did her feet with love and she let me.

Each year, I spent many hours with her when she was up for foal watch. I would give her many massages, brush her, talk to her, or lay at her feet.

For 10 years I had a dream of some day having the perfect little stallion. I had a vision of what he would be. The conformation, the size, color, disposition, and pedigree. Little did I know that very dream was born the same year my search began! He was 10 years old when I found him. It was love at first sight, and I HAD to have him! I started writing to his owner Christy D'Armond. I poured my heart out to her, and she decided that Spuds and I belonged together. She bent over backwards to help make my dream come true! Christy, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! You are truely a wonderful lady!

We did a lease purchase on him and bred most of our mares to him. At the end of Dec. 2003, I paid him off and the day came I'd waited so long for! I sent off his papers to be transfered in my name! Spuds was mine at last! Little did I know that we would lose him before those papers came back. He was normal one day, and very sick the next. We had the vet out right away, and took him in to the vet the next day. Everything possible was done to make him better, but he ended up at the Equine Hospital. Nothing could save him. We don't know exactly what took Spuds from us so suddenly, but the vet told us it was nothing we did wrong. He passed away before he could even be diagnosed.

There are no words to tell you how extremely DEVASTATED we are that we lost our beloved boy. He was one of a kind, and NO horse will EVER replace him in our hearts.

I wanted to tell you, Spuds was the sweetest stallion I've ever met! He was so gentle and kind. So patient and such a gentleman! You should have seen him when we brought him a mare! Oh boy! That neck would arch and how he would prance! Then he would buck! Then he would settle back down to his sweet self to get the job done.

His tiny hooves were the size of a yearlings, so dainty! And he had tiny little teeth. He was a perfect tiny horse!

Now I pray for a son to be born, and some daughters so he will live on here, like he lives on in our hearts. We loved you Spuds! I know you are with Girly now. Some day we will be together again, and it won't be as brief as our Earthly time. You left many beautiful foals to carry on your beauty. Sleep well sweet boy.

"Branner" was a beautiful Line back dun son of Sligo Little Stormy, and was actually a half Uncle to Spuds above. He has sired many great horses, including National Top Tens. Bran was a horse I saw many times in the pedigrees of horses I admired. One Fall, I was at a sale and I saw "him" in person! I was so excited, all I could do was stare at him! The people put him back in his stall and he screamed and reared without stopping. Wow, what a fire cracker at age 19! All those mares at the sale had him all excited. Little did I know I would be the proud owner when the sale was over. I was thrilled!

At home, all he did was pace. He was gentle to people but didn't seem to care about being loved on. He was a well mannered breeding stallion. But anyone that knows me, knows that my horses are my kids and WILL get loved on whether they like it or not. He put up with me just fine. There was nothing you couldn't do to him or with him. Bran was one of a kind! I wish now we had given him more mares during the 5 .5 years we had him.

He became affectionate after being with us a while. It was as if he knew that he was HOME and that he was truely loved for himself. He was a sweet love and a real gentleman. Towards the end of '03 he slowed way down and we feared we may lose him. But Bonnie Fogg brought him through that rough patch. I promised him that if he stayed with us into 2004 that I would give him two mares. He must have heard me because he was full of vim and rearing to go come Spring! I gave him 3 mares in '04. He was a happy boy all through '04. And as the year closed, he slowed down. He died with me at his side. Of his 3 mares, 2 gave us beautiful sons.

We did not "own" Bran, we were just lucky enough to be his mom and dad for a while. Bran, you brought great joy to us and we'll always love you. Thank you for blessing us sweet boy.

Girly NEVER had a second heat in her life! For previous owners, she was first bred as a two year old. She was 13 when she died, and she was in foal with her 12th foal. She would foal, get bred right back. She was a dream of a mare! When we lost Girly, I lost a huge hunk of my heart. Not because she was an exceptional brood mare, but because she was a part of our family. Our souls were entwined, hers and mine.

From seeming fine, to gone took only 17 hours. The vet couldn't save her. It was too sudden. We, nor the vet are not sure exactly what caused her death. It was a real shock. She died in her daddy's arms.

It was an honor to have had her for 8 years. We will always love her and she'll be in our hearts forever.

Prin was a 35.5" Foundation Palomino with golden eyes. AMHA 07936 AMHR 103832B 10-10-78 Prin has had many, many foals-only 4 of which have been colts. She was the light of my heart. I never thought I would love a horse in that special way ever again after I lost my first horse when I was a kid. If you've ever had one of those horses that you can read each others thoughts and were in total sync with, then you know how I felt about my Prin. She was really a Queen and we were her slaves. She is the dam, granddam and great granddam of some of our horses. She brought joy to us in the 9 years we had her. I'm going to miss her for the rest of my life. I can't put into words how much I loved her, so I won't try.