In Memory of MyLight

A couple of weeks ago we had to say goodbye to MyLight, one of our long term residents. MyLight was a gorgeous thoroughbred mare and the matriarch of our mare group. She was lucky to be loved by her mom for 19 years.

MyLight and her mom

MyLight was bred and raised on a thoroughbred breeding farm in Ohio in 1991. She made her way to the track as a young horse and actually managed to win one race in her very brief racing career. Apparently MyLight made it clear that her single win was a one time only occurrence, and she soon found herself looking for a new career.

MyLight and her mom             

Not a lot is known about MyLight's time between the track and when she made her way to her mom. At one point she was was presented to the Swedish Warmblood society for approval into their mare book for breeding. Because she was such a lovely mare she was approved and accepted when she was presented. Unfortunately she was only bred one time, and she lost the pregnancy early on and never had a foal.

MyLight and Calimba

Traveller and MyLight

MyLight

The most pivotal year in MyLight's life was 1999, the year that she met her mom. MyLight's mom had been leasing a horse at the barn where she rode. The horse she was leasing began having some soundness issues and MyLight's mom found herself looking for another horse to lease. She had noticed MyLight many times at the barn where she rode as it appeared that no one ever came to visit or ride her. She convinced MyLight's owner to let her start riding MyLight and spending time with her. MyLight's loving demeanor and generous personality under saddle made her quickly fall head over heels in love with MyLight.

Charlotte and MyLight

MyLight and Calimba

MyLight and Dolly

At the time MyLight was not for sale, and MyLight's mom was not looking to buy a horse. But MyLight had quickly made a place for herself in her future mom's heart, and she decided that she had to own her.  She asked MyLight's former owner if she could buy her and was given a solid no for an answer. MyLight's mom then did something very out of character for her, she decided that she was going to convince MyLight's owner to sell MyLight to her. It took a few months and quite a lot of pleading and cajoling, but she eventually talked MyLight's owner into selling her. The year was 1999, and after many years of riding, taking lessons and leasing, MyLight's mom had just bought herself her first and only horse.

Calimba and MyLight

snow day

Calimba, MyLight and Cinnamon

MyLight and her mom went on to spend the next ten years having fun and learning from each other. MyLight and her mom pursued their love of dressage together. MyLight's mom never made showing a focus of their work, although they did do some successful shows. Instead, she and MyLight spent ten years learning, improving, and enjoying their time together. MyLight always traveled like a dream and had the same impeccable manners both at home and in new places. She said that MyLight was always a pleasure to ride, quiet yet responsive to the aids and naturally balanced.

MyLight never forgot that she was a thoroughbred, and she always enjoyed a good gallop around the pasture

MyLight and Dolly grooming

MyLight and Buffy

After ten years of devotion to each other, MyLight started to slow down. As with many aging sport horses, MyLight had some arthritis that was starting to make their work harder for her. Eventually MyLight's mom decided that she wanted to find a place for MyLight where she could be out all the time and not spend the majority of her time in a stall. After an exhaustive search and a lot of introspection, she made the hard decision not to retire MyLight near her in Ohio with their harsher winters, but instead to send her to us in Tennessee.

MyLight and Maisie

Cinnamon, MyLight and Dolly

MyLight, Cinnamon and Dawn

We had the pleasure of welcoming MyLight to the farm in May of 2009. I remember her mom telling me that MyLight tended to be on the submissive side with other horses. Thus I was quite surprised when, after a few weeks, MyLight emerged as the matriarch of her group. She continued in that role for the next nine years.

MyLight and Calimba

Cinnamon, MyLight and Calimba

MyLight

MyLight's name was the perfect description of her, and amazingly it was also her Jockey Club name. She was truly a light that brightened the day of anyone who came in contact with her. She had a beautiful face with a very kind, soft eye that made you instantly fall in love with her. Her sweet and loving personality were on display every day, I don't think she ever had bad days. On the rare occasion when their were newcomers to her group, MyLight was always happy to make a new friend. She was the same to both people and horses, always wanting to be a friend.

MyLight and Dawn grooming

MyLight and Maisie

MyLight napping with her friends

It was with heavy hearts and many tears that we made the decision with MyLight's mom to let her go a couple of weeks ago. She had more than one senior horse issue and they were starting to snowball. We decided to let her go before the inevitable crisis came.  MyLight and her mom had been a team for 19 years and she was coming up on 28 years old. MyLight passed peacefully on a beautiful summer afternoon. Her passing was the same as everything else she did in life, kind, quiet and graceful.

Cuffie, Traveller, Silky and MyLight

MyLight (right) and friends under a gorgeous sunrise

MyLight and Calimba

Rest in peace MyLight, I  miss your soft eyes and gentle leadership.