I emailed out updates of my horse exploits and other news to family and friends on a regular basis, sometimes including photos. In the late winter of 2002, after seeing one of these updates, I got an unexpected reply from an email friend.
He lived in California and had been really impressed by the latest pictures, which had shown me turning Bunny loose in her pasture, and then she proceeded to follow me around with no halter or lead rope, she just walked right beside me, head low, content look on her face, etc and Gordon had caught several pictures of her doing this with me. It was one of those very special memories that I have of my Bunny.
I had been friends with this man since 1997, so he was very familiar with my experience with horses, my history with Bunny and all that I had gone through with Bunny, Mayo, and Baron. I had sold Mayo in April 2001, so he knew I was down to just 2 horses, due to being out of work, but now I was engaged to Gordon, so things were a bit different. We had found a house with land, that we had bought in December 2001, to become our farm, planning our wedding, etc.
This friend told me about his mare, Big City Miss, who was boarded at a farm in Kentucky. The farm was going out of business and she would have to find another place to be boarded. The problem was her fertility was not the best. She had not had a foal in a few years and the vets in Kentucky were at a loss as to what was causing her not to ovulate properly. He knew it was a longshot that she'd ever get pregnant again, but he also wanted her to have a nice home and be safe. So, he offered her to me.
I looked up her pedigree and produce report and was in shock that I was being offered such a nice mare. She was by Kris S. and was a full sister to several stakes winners. She had also already produced one stakes winner, herself, and several of her full and half sisters were also stakes producers. If she had been fertile, she was easily worth over $100,000, I would imagine, but her fertility issues put her into the situation of needing a safe place, in case she truly was no longer fertile. He felt I was that safe place. He told me I was welcome to try to breed her, if my vet thought there was a chance.
Gordon and I discussed this opportunity and though we knew it was a long shot, we just couldn't pass up the opportunity. So, I made arrangements for her to come from Kentucky to the boarding stable that I was still having to use.
A month or so after the first email from my friend, Big City Miss arrived and this gorgeous big chestnut mare, with a small white star, stepped off the trailer. She was at least 16 hands and was so sweet and gentle. We toyed with two names for her, Angel and April. The barn owner thought I should call her April, but Gordon and I just kept thinking of her as Angel. Everyone told me that horses nicknamed Angel, were usually not very nice, but I knew different, so we settled on Angel.
After letting Angel settle in for a few days, I introduced her to Bunny and they instantly became friends.
A few months later I sent her to a breeding farm to try breeding her to Secret Hello. But, it was just not meant to be. Her ovaries were small and hard and she was not producing viable follicles. The vet that saw her, a reproduction specialist, was at a loss. She was tried on several drugs, one finally sent her into heat, but she ovulated a follicle at about half the size it should have been. They tried breeding her, but she did not get pregnant, so I had her brought home and told her she was retired from breeding and was safe.
In August 2002, when the farm was ready, Bunny and Angel were brought to Perfect Peace Farm, where they were introduced to Leia and met back up with Baron. Since Baron didn't seem to care for Leia, for some odd reason, we separated the 4 horse herd and kept Leia and Bunny together, as they both were pregnant, and then Angel had to buddy up with Baron, who looked just like her, both bright red chestnuts with stars, Angel was just a little bit bigger than Baron.
Angel and Baron became friends and though Angel was the alpha, they could sometimes be found standing next to each other. They'd share a hay pile, with no problem or a big round bale. They got along great.
That fall, I got Admiral, a large Mini colt and he was put out with Angel and Baron. The three of them really enjoyed playing.
As winter came, it soon became apparent that Angel suffered from arthritis in her front legs. I tried supplements, pain relievers, and the like, but every morning she was so stiff, I felt so bad for her, as that winter was so cold. She started to drop weight, so I added a high fat supplement to her diet, but she just maintained weight, wouldn't gain. I kept hay infront of her constantly. Nothing really seemed to work in putting wieght on her or to help relieve her arthritis pain and stiffness.
As spring turned to summer, I came to the hard decision that I didn't think it was fair for Angel to go through another Virginia winter. I talked to her previous owner about the situation and he said it was okay for me to try and find her another safe home, further south.
I had contacts with some horse rescues and started talking to them. In July, a home was found for her in Texas. So, we made arrangements for her to head to her new home. She left on August 3rd and arrived very late on August 4th. The transport company had known about her arthritis and took excellent care of her. They gave her breaks, had an air ride trailer, etc.
I knew it had been after 10 PM when she had arrived, so the next day, August 5th, my Birthday, I awaited for word on how she was settling in at her new home. It seemed like forever, but finally around 2 PM I got the phone call.
I could tell there was something wrong by the tone of the lady's voice. She started to tell me about how Angel had arrived. She said she was put in the paddock that was basically her backyard, so she could keep a watch on Angel. She checked on her at midnight, at she was fine, but when she went to check on her around 2:30 AM, she found Angel down. She thought that maybe her arthritis was bothering her, so she turned to go to the house to get some pain reliever. She heard Angel get up behind her, so she turned to watch, and Angel struggled to get to her, almost made it and then Angel collapsed on the ground.
Angel died quickly, we are not sure if it was a heart attack or some kind of annurism. She had been completely and thoroughly checked out by my vet before she had left. i'd even asked specifically, "Do you think she can make the trip to Texas, safely?" My vet listened to her heart, checked pulses, checked gum color, and more, she got a very thorough exam, and he really thought it would be okay.
When I talked to the hauling company, the report from the drivers was that she travelled fine, was fine at the rest barns, never showed any sign of distress, etc. The owner of the company called me a bit later to express his condolences. They felt really bad, too, as they knew it had been a rescue type situation, knowing I was trying to get her to a warmer climate with less harsh winters.
If I had known this was going to happen, I would have just kept her here. Some have told me, over the years, that Angel wanted it this way. That she had bonded so much with me that she did not want to die infront of me. She knew she was leaving and held on to make it to her new home, where she knew she'd die with dignity and be buried properly.
The lady she went to buried her and planted a bunch of wild flowers over the grave.
Angel will always be remembered here at Perfect Peace Farm. She had a place she loved to stand and dig in the mud. She dug a hole so deep that it was past her knees. Through time, it has started to fill in a bit, but there is still a low spot there, by the 2nd fence post to the right of the barn.
Continue to Rest In Peace sweet Angel.
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