This is Hobo the mare with her last foal. Hobo is a Shephards Snowy River mare and her foal is by B&T's Silver design. Hobo is owned by Whispering Oaks Farm of Ky and has given Whispering Oaks Farm of Ky. a number of great foals. This last one is a very special foal. You can see the tremendous stride in this picture that this filly possesses. We are expecting her to shed out to a Chocolate Roan. This picture was made when the foal was only a couple of days old.
Other foals are:
WOF SAGA OF SNOWY RIVER,
Mar 13 2010
2010043303 Chocolate See picture
WOF'S CHIEF'S CODE
Mar 09 2011
2012044419 Silver Black
I couldn't find a picture of him but he has been sold and resides in Michigan with a happy owner.
WOF'S ALYSSA'S GRACE
Mar 27 2012
2013044996 Black
Mar 27 2012
2013044996 Black
No picture but a solid black filly. She is a two year old and resides at Whispering Oaks Farm.
Mar 19, 2013
Black
Again no picture, but he has his mother's head which is awesome with a very good conformation.
Filly by B&T's Silver Design
May 1, 2014
Chocolate Roan
This young filly in the first picture is now an orphan. This is Hobo's tribute.
It all started Tuesday. Blane and I had just finished lunch and returned to the barn. Hobo had been seen laying down twice before and now she was laying down again. Blane went to get a lead rope and halter and we entered the field where she was. By this time Hobo had spotted us and was coming to meet us, along with her foal, in a manner that said to me, "I need your help."
I called my sister, Mary Lipginski and told her Hobo needed to be seen by our vet, Dr. Thompson. She called Melissa, Dr. Thompson's wife, and as soon as he could he would be here. His schedule was full for the day and he was in another county working. Because of the apparent urgency, another vet was called and his schedule was full and could not get to us. We were instructed to let her eat grass and walk her. That we did all afternoon. She was given a 1000 lb dose of Banamine that afternoon.
Her baby ran and played and pretty much put on a show for us. She would go back over to her playmates in her field and talk to them then when Hobo called she would come back to her mother. She would get some milk and go back to playing. Occasionally she stopped to pose for my sister, Mary Lipginski.
Hobo ate and ate like she had not eaten for a week. We walked her off and on. She was nervous and could hardly stand still. She was showing signs of pain as the afternoon wore on. I put her in a stall and gave her hay and water. She ate hay, drank water, and circled the stall. Then I took her back out to walk more and eat grass. Her condition was not improving.
Dr. Thompson arrived and began his examination. "It looks like colic." She was given more pain medicine. No help. More examination, stronger pain medicine. More examination. Her heart was racing, her gut sounds were in high speed. Then another stronger pain medicine, the strongest he had. Dr. Thompson walked her down hill and uphill. The baby was having a blast. She was like a little deer bouncing and playing in the tall grass. "Look at me mama, look what I can do."
Hobo was being so obedient to follow Dr. Thompson everywhere he led her, all the while her pain was intense. Hobo would call out to her foal to keep her close in spite of her pain. Dr. Thompson determined that the web net around her small intestine had been torn during pregnancy and that the small intestine had partially come out of that protective structure. The solution: well at best a very expensive surgery with no guarantees of success including shock to Hobo and her foal. Her pain was so intense she could not stand still except briefly in cross ties. She kept her mind on her baby calling often to keep her close.
The moment of decision came. She was in so much pain and the chance of success was so slim and far away that my sister could not stand to see her continue to suffer. She would have to be put down. Mary asked me if I agreed, which I did. I could already see Mary was heartbroken. Hobo was thinking about her baby. Our hearts were broken. Dr. Thompson was somber. He asked us what to do knowing our state of grief. He is a compassionate man, very professional, and has horses himself.
I led Hobo into a stall where her baby would be safe, the baby followed her right in and then I led Hobo out and the door was shut. The baby called out to her mother, Mom where are you going? Hobo was thinking about her baby. I led her away from the barn and she was calling for her baby. Her pain was great. But she wanted her baby by her side. Her baby was on her mind over the top of her agony.
Hobo left this world with her baby on her mind. What a great mare she was. Her heart for her babies was great. She gave lots of milk. She kept her babies on her mind. She passed on her superior genetics.
Is God good? Yes He is, All the Time. We both had been praying that she would be healed. God in His Wisdom decided to say no. God is Good. The Lord gives and He takes away. Who are we to question God?
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
(2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT)
We have had dear friends who have had similar experiences this year. We feel your pain. My wife, my sister and I hope you will see that God is indeed good ALL the time.
Hobo parted from us leaving us a drop dead georgeous foal. As of last night the foal was eating and drinking. Today she began to suck a bottle. We have JuniorGlo from ADM Alliance Nutrition for her now. She is getting milk replacer mixed with the JuniorGlo. We also are preparing a mare to be her nanny. She is going to make a beautiful mare and a show prospect. A chocolate roan filly. God is Good!!!
This is my tribute to the little Snowy River Mare with a big heart named WOF ONCE A HOBO.
