Goodbye to Naomi

Arrived November 2014

Passed away April 23, 2021

 


On April 23, 2021, sweet little Naomi passed away, after 7 years living her best life. She simply laid down in the field, distant from her usual hangout spots, and passed with no sign of struggle.

Little Naomi was a plain brown wrapper horse – nothing especially compelling in her looks or demeanor – at least to humans. But boy, she wore some kind of ‘horse attractant’ because the boys all liked her, she liked all of them and most of the mares. In short, she never met a horse she didn’t get along with.

She had a particular face and manner she showed to obstreperous dogs, but that was the only time she wasn’t calm and sweet.

Her first friend here was Summer, a same sized palomino mare.  And briefly, she friended Princesa.  Summer early on broke her leg in a freak fall.  And Princesa may have been befriended because Naomi saw she was vulnerable, and short of time, so she and her then consort Bear would comfort Princesa.

Naomi, Bear and Princesa

Almost every pic I have of her for the past three years is with Bear glued to her side. I have a few that include Jedi as well, as Jedi clung to her when he lost his bestie, Gio. At that time, I saw her as a friendly and kinda ‘motherly’ mare.

Naomi and Bear amble in for dinner together

 Naomi and Bear nap together

Naomi and Bear hang out together

 

Naomi and Bear scratch each other's backs - they're like a long married couple

But in the past several years, and this year worse than ever, she became the herd “cougar”

Here the little devil stands with Bear, but behind his back, sneaks a look at Laddie

Small and plain. Hairy as a Yeti during the winter. Sometimes bad tempered. She attracted all the male attention any cougar could want. They all felt she was adorable! She always had Bear – year round. He was faithful and true to the end, and I think largely she mothered him, and was his friend. She was always Jedi’s fallback when Kaz was mean to him, and he felt she was “his”. (Apparently Bear didn’t count.) Jedi checked in with her frequently. Recently, at different times, Ronan and Boo would follow her around, or eat breakfast with her. She calmly swanned around the paddock, with one or another in tow, just a little sassy and complacent with her pull.

Naomi guards her boys, Bear and Jedi

She WAS nice to people. She stood perfectly for the farrier – swaybacked or not, she had excellent legs and feet.

She was also good for the vet.

Little kids could pet her without worry (that’s that motherly thing I mentioned).

Plain little Naomi, with Flashy Jedi. Odd couple, but together in spirit.

She wasn’t flashy or “beautiful” the way some people demand, but she was really lovely to be around, so I’ll never understand someone who took her out to a wasteland and dumped her. And that HAD to happen. Because Naomi wasn't shy, she would have approached any ranch, just out of friendliness, if she’d ‘gotten loose’ from her home. And likely would never have left…. Assuming she was being fed, and had even a goat for a friend. She never held it against me that someone else had treated her badly – she was just that nice.

In her final weeks, she began to hang back at dinnertime (with Bear of course), when all the horses come back to the stall line for dinner. I think perhaps it was too many horses in a slightly confined area, and she didn’t want to deal with it. Since Jedi usually was fairly early in, he would begin screaming for her, unrelenting until everyone else was in and she and Bear would amble back.

Naomi and her boys, Bear and Jedi (in the foreground). With her herd.

But last night he knew – no screaming. Bear did cry for her a few times last night, I honestly am not sure he’s realized what happened. He went out this morning as usual, but turned around and came back to their stalls a little shaky-legged, and I’ve heard him call for her 2 or 3 times. I fear for him ….

Farewell, little girl.

Once she had a chance to make a choice or two on her own account, Naomi did. She chose her friends. She chose to be happy. And in the end, she chose her final time. I’m proud of TGC, and her faithful sponsor Niki, for giving her 7 terrific years, and I’m proud of her for being a friend to so many. I’m only sorry we couldn’t do it longer…