David T. Music And Stuff

Here we go . . . This was the first story in dad’s compilation book. I hope you like it . . .

Lady Mare: No Ordinary Horse

In 42 years I wrote hundreds of obituaries for The Detroit News. But I never wrote one about a horse. This is the first.
The horse I’m writing about isn’t some ordinary nag. I’m writing about Lady Mare, a simple quarter horse with a simple name, who had the sweetest temperament and gave one of the smoothest rides of any horse I’ve known.
Lady Mare, a liver chestnut registered quarter horse, was 30 years old when she broke her leg the other day and was reluctantly put to sleep. She was owned by professional horse trainer and my daughter-in-law, Velvet. She lived the last few months of her life on a new ranch in Goodland Township, eight miles north of Imlay City. Before that her home was in Shelby, Addison, Bruce and Dryden townships, all in Michigan.
This simple mare belied her heritage. Her registered name was Cee Star Casey. She was the daughter of a World Champion quarter horse named Ole King Casey and a dam, Beula Belle, who produced several other champion horses.
Velvet owned Lady for nearly 29 years, training and raising her as if she was her own daughter and taking her on long trail rides.
Often used to train novice horseback riders, Velvet said Lady was especially fond of children. She was always on her best behavior when kids were around, Velvet said. Her eyes would let you know the kind soul she had.
Lady Mare gave birth and raised seven foals including a World Champion Western Pleasure Mare out of Impressive Tommy.
Four of her foals still reside with Velvet and her husband, Chris — Fooler and George, both winning cutting horses, Coyote and Millie, all of them gentle reminders of their momma.
But what is really impressive was Lady Mare’s ability to mother orphan foals which were unable to feed from their mares who rejected them or died giving birth.
Velvet said she discovered Lady Mare’s unique ability one day when a friend told her that her mare had died in childbirth jeopardizing the life of a jet black Tennessee Walker foal.
She asked Velvet for help. It was agreed that Velvet and other volunteers would bottle feed the foal and see if Lady Mare would care for it.
In the first days the foal was fed from a large baby bottle held underneath Lady. Even though she wasn’t pregnant Lady soon began lactating. It wasn’t long before the young one would suck from her as well as from the bottle.
In the field Lady protected her foster child as if it was her own placing herself between the babe and other horses or even other foals.
Over time, Lady Mare was a surrogate mother to five orphaned foals — a Paint, a Tennessee Walker, a Morgan, a quarter horse and an Appaloosa.
Lady Mare broke her leg on a sunny winter day apparently having slipped on an icy spot when she and two other feisty mares — Twister and George — played in the pasture. Velvet said she held her head gently knowing she was in great pain. Then a veterinarian gave her a shot that took her pain away.
She was buried near two large oak trees, behind the pasture where she enjoyed so many happy hours.
Present were some of her pasture friends and several human friends. A simple tombstone and floral arrangements from many people whose lives she touched mark her grave. Velvet received condolence cards from many of Lady Mare’s friends.
Velvet wondered if there were horses in heaven. I remembered what Father John Dunn, retired pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Cornelius churches, told a youngster whose dog had died.
“If heaven is what it’s cracked up to be,” Fr. Dunn said, “you’ll have your animal friends with you when you get there.”
Velvet said, “If there ever was a horse that deserved a heavenly reward, it’s Lady Mare.” After all, she was blessed with holy water on St. Francis Assisi’s feast day.