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Several years ago, after Echo's sire had moved out, they got a new stallion at the barn (Mack). Mack's owner brought in a bunch of other horses, pregnant mares, young stock who had been running loose since being foaled.
One of the youngstock was a yearling filly. Light bay with a strip and uneven socks. When Dede saw her move in the indoor, she was really impressed. This young horse was mostly feral but was still sweet to work around. With various issues around Mack's owner (not paying his bills), he eventually moved out leaving a large bill (i.e. hadn't paid board in awhile) and the deal was that any horses that the farm could sell would profit the farm and any that didn't get sold would revert to Mack's owner. Dede had fallen in love with this sweet mare and so we bought her and moved her off premises as sold and Mom started calling her Skye. We sold her back promptly but always considered her partially ours. Dede said that she would be left to us in her will if anything happened to Dede because we loved Mollie and she loved us.
Molly was registered under the name Sign the Card (which is a dressage judge's job) but was always called Molly (though I don't know if Dede spelled it Molly or Mollie). Years passed and we would visit with Molly every time we were at the barn. She loved when we had food but she also wanted us to come over and just hang out with her and scritch her on the withers. She knew Mom's step and knew that it almost always had a peppermint or other treat attached.
Several years ago, she did something in the pasture and really messed up a front leg. There is a saying that horses are looking for a way to hurt themselves and it does have a certain ring of truth. It is possible that being in the pasture with the other horses as a youngster affected her in unknown ways. She did a major tear to her suspensory and that is a really critical bit of structure for a horse. The suspensory is part of what holds them up and you can't give it full rest because a horse has to be on its feet most of the time. She was treated, bandaged (to provide some extra support) and so forth. It started to heal and she was allowed to leave the stall to be hand walked a short distance, then longer. Then turned out in a tiny paddock with a tranq to keep her from getting too silly. She grew stronger and had a more normal turnout then she started playing and the leg to re-injured.
I know that on Wednesday she was out with Bella as her babysitter. She was bright eyed and happy to see me that night (even without a treat). When I talked to Dede yesterday everything was fine. I called this morning to check on weather and was told not to come up at all, they put Molly down last night. I don't know the details but I suspect that she reinjured the leg and from what Peter said, there wasn't anything else they could do.
In many ways she was Dede's heart horse. Her sweet attitude, gentle expressions of requests for attention (very quiet nicker, lots of cute looks), and friendly demeaner will be missed. As the first stall in the barn everyone knew her and would speak to her. Having her gone will leave a huge hole in my heart, a larger hole in Mom's heart and a chasm in Dede and Peter's hearts.
I hope that if there is an afterlife she is out with Dancer, running free and playing without pain or risk of injury.
Run free Molly, you were loved and will be missed.
One of the youngstock was a yearling filly. Light bay with a strip and uneven socks. When Dede saw her move in the indoor, she was really impressed. This young horse was mostly feral but was still sweet to work around. With various issues around Mack's owner (not paying his bills), he eventually moved out leaving a large bill (i.e. hadn't paid board in awhile) and the deal was that any horses that the farm could sell would profit the farm and any that didn't get sold would revert to Mack's owner. Dede had fallen in love with this sweet mare and so we bought her and moved her off premises as sold and Mom started calling her Skye. We sold her back promptly but always considered her partially ours. Dede said that she would be left to us in her will if anything happened to Dede because we loved Mollie and she loved us.
Molly was registered under the name Sign the Card (which is a dressage judge's job) but was always called Molly (though I don't know if Dede spelled it Molly or Mollie). Years passed and we would visit with Molly every time we were at the barn. She loved when we had food but she also wanted us to come over and just hang out with her and scritch her on the withers. She knew Mom's step and knew that it almost always had a peppermint or other treat attached.
Several years ago, she did something in the pasture and really messed up a front leg. There is a saying that horses are looking for a way to hurt themselves and it does have a certain ring of truth. It is possible that being in the pasture with the other horses as a youngster affected her in unknown ways. She did a major tear to her suspensory and that is a really critical bit of structure for a horse. The suspensory is part of what holds them up and you can't give it full rest because a horse has to be on its feet most of the time. She was treated, bandaged (to provide some extra support) and so forth. It started to heal and she was allowed to leave the stall to be hand walked a short distance, then longer. Then turned out in a tiny paddock with a tranq to keep her from getting too silly. She grew stronger and had a more normal turnout then she started playing and the leg to re-injured.
I know that on Wednesday she was out with Bella as her babysitter. She was bright eyed and happy to see me that night (even without a treat). When I talked to Dede yesterday everything was fine. I called this morning to check on weather and was told not to come up at all, they put Molly down last night. I don't know the details but I suspect that she reinjured the leg and from what Peter said, there wasn't anything else they could do.
In many ways she was Dede's heart horse. Her sweet attitude, gentle expressions of requests for attention (very quiet nicker, lots of cute looks), and friendly demeaner will be missed. As the first stall in the barn everyone knew her and would speak to her. Having her gone will leave a huge hole in my heart, a larger hole in Mom's heart and a chasm in Dede and Peter's hearts.
I hope that if there is an afterlife she is out with Dancer, running free and playing without pain or risk of injury.
Run free Molly, you were loved and will be missed.