6 years ago I inherited a team of mares from my grandfather. It was a mother daughter team of Lady Bug and Rose. Lady Bug was bred again and again over the years. As a 5 year old she got kicked on the knee and it never fully recovered. We gave her cortisone shots and bute to help her along. As she aged the knee became more and more arthritic and she began to limp on it. Over time the good knee became equally bad and we knew time was creeping up on her. This spring she gave me likely her best foal yet. A little colt. I knew that this was her last foal. Over the summer her knees got worse and Saturday she told us that it was time. Duke was weaned and was only using his mom as a companion. We weaned him early to try and keep weight on Bug. Over her 14 years Bug gave us 4 fillies and 5 colts. I have 3 of those fillies now all bred for spring foals. She was a great work mare but a fabulous broody.
Bug had the distinct black blotch on the end of her nose. I have attached pictures of her as a foal, with her first and last foals, and her at 12. RIP Bug you were one in a lifetime.