DONNIE

Name: Forever Lady Dominique aka Donnie.
Height: 15.3hh
1980 - 1997
Colour: Chestnut
Breed : 3/4 Thouroughbred, 1'4 Andalusian
Sex: Mare

My dad bought Donnie in April 1990, We had received a phone call to say there was this mare that sounded like what my dad was after, so off we went to look at her. What we saw when we got there just broke our hearts there was this poor horse just standing all hunched up just a bag of bones (obviously this is not what my dad was after). But all I saw was those deep dark eyes staring, asking for a chance. That was it there was no way we were going anywhere without Nonnie (her name then).

Well off my dad went to sign the check, just means we had to wait for it to clear, well we decided to have her vetted. The day she was being vetted we got a phonecall from our vet; Nonnie had been stabbed with a pitchfork straight in her back cannon bone resulting in a fracture. Well we had every chance to pull out of the purchase , but no those eyes were in my mind I could not give up on her as easy as that. Well we wanted Donnie (renamed) at home with us a.s.a.p. after all we still did not know who had stabbed her, so 2 days later Donnie arrived home to be with Scotty.

Well due to her injury she had to be stable kept and treated for 6 months, in that 6 months I gave her as much tender loving care as I could, turning a nasty beast (as she was called) into a beautiful although very tempremental loving mare.

It was straight back to basics and I nearly gave up hope many times, but in the end all, my hard work payed off as Donnie either won or was placed in the top three in every competition she was entered in, we even qualified to jump at Hickstead, but unfortunately my glory was short lived as Donnie, being the very high spirited mare that she was, blew her tendons after a mad half hour in her field. So all I had worked towards ended there, the vet told us to have her put down as she could no longer do her job, but she was too special to me, so I decided to breed from her.

After many months searching for a stallion I found the perfect one; "Ivor's Lad, " his father was "Sir Ivor" , and he had the Eclipse bloodline. He was a perfect match for Donnie. Eleven long months later Storm was born. Donnie was the perfect mother, but due to unforseen circumstances that was to be her first and last ever foal.

Well a year later after tragedy struck with Storm, Donnie was allowed to be brought slowly back into work, although she was never to showjump again Donnie did love to be worked.

Well then I fell pregnant, and did not have the time on my hands to do her any justice and seeing as Donnie strived for attention, the only fair thing for both of us, would be for me to give her to someone who had the time to give her the attention she much loved and needed. Well after many weeks of looking, a new home was finally found. The people were very loving and they seemed perfect for her and her for them.

So Donnie moved to her new home, she settled in very well and they were very pleased with her, but tragically, a few weeks later, Donnie got kicked in the field by another horse, which resulted in her breaking her leg. So sadly Donnie was put to sleep, which broke my heart.