R.I.P. Emmy (MBK Silver Lining)

"Emmy"

 

Emmy keeping an eye on everything.

 

Last month we lost another one of the older citizens on the farm. Emmy was the chestnut Arabian mare, who has been here since we bought the farm over 12 years old. She was my second purchase after I got my first purchase of sheep. She was a granddaughter of Bask. I got her from Marian Gee.

 

She was the offical greeter!

 

She was a good, solid trial horse. Never spooked and believed that a trail ride should not go out of a walk. A canter was sufficient for about 50 feet, then back to a walk. She would trot for about 1/2 miles then call it good. Nothing fazed her on the trail, Hollow bridges, ducks taking off from her her feet, dogs running under her nor loud semis blasting their horns. Life was a slow pace for her and she was not your typical hot-blooded Arab that people that stereotyped. . One person even questioned that she was an Arab and I had to pull her papers to prove it. She didn't have the dished face or the snort/blow attitude. She looked like a smaller QH. However, in the field, she did act like the sporty Arab and would run and toss her tail over her back and snort loudly. That is until she got ten feet from you, then suddenly transformed into a slow, gentle horse.

 

Anyone could ride her and should you fall down and land between her  front feet, and use her legs to pull yourself up (Like one person did who shall remain nameless), she would stand like a rock. Start to lean to one side and she would stop. She loved to be brushed and would turn her behind towards you so you could scratch the top of her hind quarters.

 

Dale was battling brain cancer and came out to the farm to work dogs and visit Emmy. Emmy followed him the entire time and refused to leave his side.

 

I would ride her and work the sheep with the dogs. If the sheep and the dog would go underneath her, she would stand like a rock. I would also put hay on the ground and she would eat while the dog would take the sheep  off her hay pile. She taught the dogs that horses where not to be afraid should they appear at a trial. Her best friend was Kodi and sometimes they would play chase on the field. A few times, Rigby the cat would perch on her back and she stood like a rock. She treated everyone on the farm as her special charge to protect. Once this code enforcement lady came out and Emmy, would not go near her but ran away. I later found out she was *released* since she was supposed a problem (never got the full story). Emmy adored my mom and when she would show up, Emmy would run the fence line, all but screaming for her. My mom feed her treats and  loved petting her. Everyone was her friend.

 

She was great with the sheep. When a ewe would lamb in the field, she would stand over the lamb and protect it from the eagles above. She would give the eagles the "stink-eye". The ewes would run to her if there was danger, and she would run around them and protect them. Once she heard her lambs shrieking and she saw a coyotes was after them. I was running down from the house with the gun to shoot the coyote. She ran after the coyote who let go of the lamb and he ran for his life. Mind you, this is a mare who hated going out in a trot, but she was the cutting machine out there. The coyote would cut to the left and she would follow and then he took a run for it. She grabbed him by the tail and flipped him in the air. Half of his tail was in her mouth. He managed to cut and then bolted under the gate. I saw him for years and he never came in the field or bothered the sheep again. If she saw a coyote, her tail would flip, head out go up and she would snort. They slunk off and skirted the pasture in search of easier prey. I would put her in my far pasture which was 1/3 mile form the house and she would protect the sheep.

 

Over four years ago, I was riding her and she spun and reared when she saw a coyote. Normally when I ride her and she sees a coyote, her head would go up and she would snort. I saw her start to rear and turned my head and her head hit my  face. I rode her back to the house and she was careful all the way back. I had no idea what gotten into her as soon as her head hit me, she calmed down and didn't move so I was able to stay on. Jeff rushed me to ER and I had a concussion,  fractures and so forth. A few days later, I went to my primary Doctor since my chest hurt and got x-ray. She saw that my ribs were cracked but she also saw my heart was enlarged. She called a heart specialist who got me in the next week and two week later I was getting my Open Heart Surgery. Had the accident not happened, I would have died from a stroke.  I honestly think she did that so I could get the medical attention. She never acted up again, even when she saw coyotes when I was riding her. So, I credit her for saving my life. We were grateful and treated her and thanked her for saving me. She knew something was wrong and did what was necessary.

 

Begging for food.

 

Life went on and she got older. She began to loose her teeth and weight. She was getting old, approaching 30 and  was retired. She enjoyed being the pet and getting spoiled. She still protected the sheep and ran around like a young filly. Over the last two years, it was apparent that she could not keep weight on and began to go downhill. I had her teeth checked, special feed and checked by several vets.  I sent her to eastern Washington over the summer to get the rich grass and special feed to see if the weight would get back  on her. My friend Ron, did everything he could to get her weight up but as fall came to a close, it was apparent, that she was ready to go. She now in buried at a cattle ranch where she spent the summer running about and enjoying the warm rays of the sun.

 

Emmy and Kodi

 

Good-Bye my sweet dear Emmy. You saved my life. I love you for you honest ways and being not only the farm protector but my protector. Now, your in heaven with Kodiak. I hope both of you are chasing clouds now.