I first saw her in an advertisement in the yearly Appaloosa ‘Foal Showcase’. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I called her breeder and made arrangements to purchase her. She was only 3 mos. old when I went to Missouri to bring her home. She was so beautiful! She was my dream horse, she was my world. Her bloodlines started my breeding program, because of her, ‘Whitetail-Hollow Appaloosas’ was formed.
Bee was everything an Appaloosa should be. Her color, co-formation, temperament….she was perfect! She was trained mostly for Halter Class and was Year-end Hi Point of all the local Appaloosa clubs that we belonged to, every year that she showed, and also qualified for ‘The Worlds’ every year. Many people asked to buy her, once, a man gave me a blank check for her. I returned his check and told him, as I did everyone else, that she wasn’t for sale. Never for sale!! She was my friend. She was my soulmate. She was my life.
During her time here on earth, she had 4 foals. The first was a colt, he is now my stallion. Her 2nd was another colt, he belongs to a friend and excels at jumping. Her 3rd was a filly, she has had a beautiful foal of her own and belongs to my farrier. The 4th also was a filly, and she is owned by me and is one of my broodmares. She and my stallion are
Bee’s legacy.
The fall of Bee’s 12th year marked a terrible change in my life. One Sunday evening in September, when I went out to do chores, I noticed something odd in the way Bee was standing. She was spread legged, her head tilted to one side and hung low to the ground. She could not walk a straight line, all she could do was go in short tight circles. I brought her into a stall and the vet came the next morning. Bee was sent to Cornell Veterinary Hospital (in NY) where she was diagnosed with EPM. EPM is a disease that affects the brain and nerves running down the spinal column. Some get better, some don’t. Her’s was so acute- all in one day- that the Hospital didn’t give her much hope.
After 2 weeks of intense medications, and as her life quality grew worse, I had to have her put down. There wasn’t any hope of her recovering. I have her ashes in a memorial box with her personal tack as a tribute to my Bee. She is home to stay and in my Will, I have requested that she be buried with me when I pass.
To lose a pet is extremely painful and leaves a huge hole in your life. To lose a presence as large as a horse, having all of the ‘pet’ qualities plus just the nature of the animal its self……is unimaginable. It goes beyond ‘pet’ loss. Only another horse person can truly understand the greatness of this kind of loss.
Is it better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all???? In this case, the answer is an unquestionable ‘yes’! I would do it all over again, to have had the privilege to have been the care giver to such a wonderful animal, I thank the good God above. He truly gave me a gift that I’ll never forget.
“My dear Bee, it’s been a little over 7 years now; and I still grieve for you. Thank-you for your Love, for your son, Easter and your daughter, Whinnie. Thank-you for everything you taught me; for your patience and kindness. God, how I still miss you! You may not be here, but your presence is felt everywhere. I only wish I could have done more to save you. I’m sorry for the pain you went thru; I can only hope you are happy now, In a better place with your sister and all your friends. Please dear one, wait for me till my job here is thru, so that I may join you and stroke your soft nose, smell your sweet breath, and brush your beautiful coat; and we’ll then be together again. I love you, Bee; be happy girl, be free. Till I hear your sweet neigh, I’ll forever miss you.”
THE HORSE. HERE IS NOBILITY WITHOUT
CONCEIT, FRIENDSHIP WITHOUT ENVY,
BEAUTY WITHOUT VANITY. A WILLING
SERVANT, YET NO SLAVE.
God bless you , baby.
I'll love you forever...
| Shados Best Shot {Bee} |
| Sherriey Miller |