In the first picture is LS Mt Wind Socks and her 2012 foal, a filly, we named WOF Code's Mt Wind. It perfectly combines the name of her Sire, SC Code of Honor and her Dam LS Mt Wind Socks. But her name also comes from the news of the day. The second picture is of WOF Alyssa's Grace.and her dam WOF Once a Hobo.
Think back with me to March 2, 2012 and if you remember that day and many of you will, tornadoes ripped through Kentucky towns like West Liberty and Indiana towns like Henryville. The tornadoes almost completely destroyed those and other towns across the area.
The next morning on March 3 we found Wind Socks with her new foals in the stall with her. It was the little filly you see in the top picture. In deciding on a name for the filly, I thought of the previous day and decided on the name of WOF Code's Mt Wind. OK it might be a stretch but there it is.
From the very first day there was something very special about this filly. Most new foals find their way behind Momma when a human or an animal approaches. Not this filly. When anyone walked up to her stall, she was there to greet them. Wind Socks didn't seem to mind. She has had several foals and over the years has come to trust the humans that invade her space from time to time. She is completely comfortable with us in the stall with her and her babies.
Every day we went to the barn the little filly ran to the front of the stall to meet and greet us. She would put her little nose through the front of the stall to smell our hands or to allow us to pet her. She loved us putting our hands on her. She had no "Don't touch me there" spots.
She was about a week old when David called me to the barn. She had somehow gotten under the gate that separated two stalls. She was stuck solid and we didn't know how long she had been there. But she looked terrible. Her one eye we could see was glazed over. We gently lifted the gate off of her and I called the vet to come put her down. Or so I thought. It wasn't long before she got to her feet. She looked terrible and I was still worried that Dr Thompson would be coming and telling me that he thought it best to put her down but I had a glimmer of hope. Although she was having a hard time,still she had still found her way to Wind Socks and started nursing. She could only nurse from one side because her eye was so sore from where she had struggled to free herself. But she was nursing and Wind Socks looked content.
Dr Thompson soon arrived. He examined her and gave us the good news that her eye was not damaged and it would heal and be ok. But he found she had a couple of broken ribs. He gave her some shots and left us some medicine for her. One was a ulcer medicine. We gave her doses of that for a couple of days to keep her from getting an ulcer. He told us because of her age she could easily develop one from the stress of her ordeal.
You may think that this baby was finished with humans. You may think her experience would sour her on life and make her fearful. But none of that happened. Every time we walked to the field where she was pastured with the mares and foals she immediately came up to us for lots of loves and petting. She is fine with her ears being rubbed. She likes to have a massage anywhere you please. She will willingly pick up her feet. You can rub her on the face and close to her eyes. In short she is an amazing filly.
Where the gate was on her, there is a little white spot that tells there is scarring there. But other than that, who would know of her ordeal.
It is a mystery to me what this particular filly is so loving and sweet. Oh they are all sweet and cute to boot. But she goes out of her way to make friends with humans. She will let us walk up to her in the field. Most often she seeks us out and wants to be close to us whenever we are in the field with her. Walk away and she follows. This is a true testament to the kind of horses mountain horses are. She just has some extra qualities that set her apart.
Animals have always been a mystery to man. We have always sought to make friends with them. Someone made friends with a dog once upon a time and found them to be good companions. Someone had to figure out about miking cows and how to get that milk and still be in one piece. I have to wonder about that. I have milked cows that would have gladly removed my head had they the opportunity.
I have had some experiences with animals that seem unique to me but maybe they aren't so unique after all.
It was fall. We were milking a herd of Holstein cows. Bill was always in a bad mood when we were harvesting the crops. It was always the first and last thing on his mind. . I know his stress came from the worry about getting the silage into the silo or corn picked before the rain came or before he was called to work. Of course there always seemed to be the equipment breakdown that plagued us when we had field work and depended on things running smoothly.
Stress permeated the whole family in the fall. The days were getting shorter with less time to work in the fields. We had milking to be done twice a day and the barn to keep clean for the always unexpected visit from the milk inspector.
Mike, Steve and I had milked this particular morning and for some reason we had some angry words. I really don't know what it was about but when they went to the field to help their Dad I was feeling pretty down about it. It seemed nothing was going right for me right then. Bill was in a bad mood, the boys were mad at me and I had the barn to clean by myself.
I walked out into the loafing shed after I ran the silage unloader to put out feed for the cows. They were all lined up along the bunk feeder eating the good smelling silage and acting very content. Far from what I was feeling at the moment. I sat down on the edge of the bunk feeder and watched the cows eat for awhile. I was in tears and leaned my head against the railing. Suddenly I felt a hot breath on my neck. I was startled and looked up quickly. There standing close to me and offering me comfort was a young cow that we had just put into the milking string. She was just standing there like she was saying "It will be OK" or as a friend of mine always said, "This too shall pass". It is still fresh in my mind to this day. I sitting on the edge of the bunk feeder and she standing close to me to give me comfort.
A recent experience I had involved Erica. She is my five year old Labrador Retriever. Erica sleeps by my bed most nights. I go to bed and she comes in my room and lays down. This particular night I had a nightmare. I was screaming and hollering in my sleep. I was awakened by a rough paw on my arm gently shaking me like a human loved one would shake one out of a bad dream. It was such a sweet moment. I petted her and thanked her and she went back to her rug beside the bed to sleep and keep watch over me.
Isn't God wonderful to provide us with companionship in dogs such as Erica or in a milk cow. Or a special horse. I have seen people come to the farm who have terrible stress in their lives that have buried their heads in the horses mane and let the tears flow and then the release would come and joy and comfort would replace the stress and agony of moments earlier.
The Lord tell us He is with us to give us comfort and security. He tells us in Psalms through the words of King David, "The Lord is my strength and my salvation. Whom shall I fear, of whom shall I be afraid." I believe sometimes He gives us that strength through the friendship of animals who minster to us.
May God bless and keep you in His loving care.
Regards
Mary
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