It was such a long time ago
back to when I was in eighth grade
we bred my little mare, Queenie
with the neighbour's stud, Jessie.

After the normal gestation of a horse pregnancy
my dad came into the house late one May night
and asked me
"Did you put your horse in the barn?"

It was really funny,
'cause for a while I was putting her in
every night for a month
except for that one night.

Dad said you better go and put her in
so I got up and grabbed a flashlight
went down to the barn
and called out her name
into the dark black night.

I called and called
and all I heard
was my own voice
and the crickets singing their song
then in the distance I heard the neigh
of the horses down at the bottom of the field.

I remembered it being super dark out that night
guessing my way with only a faint light as my guide
hoping to God I don't walk into something
or worse yet
spook one of the horses
and get an awful kick.

Then I heard her
... in my gut I got a funny feeling
something is just not right.

I saw a silhouette of her and gently went to her
trying not to scare her with my flashlight.
That night was the first time ever
I had to practically pull her to the barn
but finally I got the little mare
safely into the big red barn.

I put her into the corner bull pen
and my grandfather seeing the barn lights on so late
came in to see what was up.
I told him how Queenie was acting strange
he went into the pen and said
"your little mare, is gonna be a mommy tonight."

Oh God, I looked at him
took off running to tell the world
on Green Ridge Farm
that Queenie is having her baby.

There we sat late into the night
Grandma, grandpa, dad and me
for the arrival of this new life.

Close to midnight
a little long legged filly was born
what a beautiful site it was
on Friday night May 27, 1977.

The whole weekend
I dedicated my life
to my little mare and unnamed filly.

So happy and thrilled I took them
near the gate so the other two horses
Chief and Trigger could meet a new little friend
stunned I was to see the jealousy
... the craziness of the two geldings.

In my gut
I knew I could never
let them be together
'cause I knew they would harm this little one.

Sunday came and my dad said
"you should put Queenie and the filly
out with the other horses"
and I said, "no way, they will hurt the baby".
Dad was so certain they wouldn't
but let me have my way.

That whole weekend
it was just them and me
lazing around on the back lawn
I petted and hugged that little filly
for such a long time.

It was hard Monday morning
leaving them for a whole day
as I had to go to school ...

I remember running down to the barn
to say my goodbye, and stopping to tell dad
don't put them with the other horses.

So excited I was to tell all my friends
and just like that
a name came to mind for my little filly,
I'm gonna call her Misty.

At 3:00 that day
I was told by my teacher
to not go home on the bus
but to go to my mother's shop.

I was so excited to get home to Misty
that I almost took the bus
in spite of what I had been told
but I listened and went to my mother's shop.

I couldn't wait to tell my mom of this new name
"guess what mom?"
and she answered, "what"
"I'm gonna call her Misty that little filly of mine".

And if I really was paying attention to my mom's expression
and not so wrapped up in my feeling of excitement
to call Misty by her name for the first time
I would have known.

So quiet was my mom the whole time
as I went on and on about my little filly
then we pulled into the farmyard
and she hesitantly said,
"Donna, I have some bad news."

I don't know how I knew before she said the words
but I knew something tragic happened to Misty
and I was right
"Donna, your little filly died today".

I don't remember if I said anything to my mom or not
all I can remember is jumping out of the car
and running as fast as my legs could run
wanting this to be just all one big lie
that she will be there waiting for me
just as I left her that morning.

I came to a dead stop
with my heart crying so hard
oh God, it's true
there she laid ... dead.

They left her lifeless body all alone in the pen
with bales of hay surrounding her
so I can say my goodbye.

It truly tore my heart out to see
Queenie in the next pen
mourning the death of her little filly.

I went slowly into the pen
blinded by tears pouring from my eyes
knelt down and place her little head gently into my lap
and cried and cried.

I remember looking up to see
my grandma standing there
with her own tears in her eyes
and I asked her
"why... why did this happen?"

Then I knew
my dad, put them with the other horses
as she told me the story ...

"Your dad put them out in the field with the other horses
and watched them for a while to make sure
everything was okay.

Then he went off to the house
and your grandfather heard a commotion and saw
a nightmare before his eyes.

Your little filly was getting kicked and trampled
by your big horse
the other horse was biting
at Queenie keeping her away
helpless was she to save her little filly.

Your grandfather called your dad
who ran out to the field
taking his boots off and throwing them at the big horse.

While your grandfather drove the truck out
to rescue the badly beaten horse
who's heartbeat was just so faint.

The vet was called to the farm
she lived for just a while
with all the time your dad saying
"what will I ever tell Donna".

As grandma told me the story
I got my first experience of heartbreak
as my tears fell upon this little filly
stroking such softness of her two day old body.

I whispered so softly with tears falling
I love you Misty!
... first time she ever heard her new name.