Pretty Peggy-O

(Click on the youtube video below for atmospheric music while reading about our baby girl.)




This is Donnybrook's Peg O' My Heart (aka "Peggy"). She is an eight-and-a-half month-old Irish Sporthorse who arrived at Blue Star Equiculture on April 9.

Peggy comes from exceptional Irish Sporthorse bloodlines. She was homebred by Timothy Doyle of Donnybrook Farms in Woodbury, Connecticut. Tim owns an Irish Sporthorse stallion, Donnybrook's Ellis Island, and two Irish Sporthorse mares, Donnybrook's Molly Maguire (Peggy's mom) and Donnybrook's Irish Lullaby.

Tim loves his horses and was devastated when Peggy was born on July 22, 2008 with a severe and potentially deadly salmonella infection. She was nothing but "skin and bones" from day one, and her entry into the world was marred by IVs, antibiotics and being unable to stand. Tim and his vet were able to get Peggy up and nursing, and much money and several months of care, Peggy was out of the woods from the salmonella. She still was underweight and, due to needing more nutrition, she was weaned from Molly early.

No sooner had Peggy gotten back on her feet again, so to speak, when bad luck struck again. The very first time Peggy was turned out after beating back the salmonella, Tim went out to bring her in, only to discover Peggy's tail "in pieces" all over the paddock. At first, it seemed Peggy had gotten caught on something, but when the vet came to try and save her tail, examination revealed what appeared to be bite marks on her hocks. It seems Peggy was attacked by a coyote or dog, who chewed her tail off. Despite the best efforts of all involved, Peggy's tail was unable to be saved.

Peggy now has no tail save a few hairs at her dock. She was bred to be like her siblings who excel in jumping and eventing. Without her tail, she will be unable to balance when she jumps, and may have difficulty performing dressage moves.

Tim has other horses to feed, and despite being very attached to Peggy (he practically hand-raised her), he cannot afford to keep her. Unfortunately, because of her "handicap," finding a home for her was difficult. He tried to place her with several other rescues but was turned away. He was at the point of considering euthanasia when he learned of Blue Star Equiculture.

On Thursday, April 9th, Peggy arrived at Burgundy Brook Farm in Palmer, MA. She is a beautiful baby girl. She still needs physical therapy to overcome some of the lasting effects of the salmonella, and is on weight-builder to rebuild her muscle mass. Tim and Blue Star Equiculture hope that Peggy will thrive at Equiculture, and can be trained as a harness horse, as well as interacting with the public. (Having little or no tail never stopped a carriage horse!)

Peggy has her bonafide draft horse credentials: Both her grandsires are Irish Draught Horses. (Her granddams are thoroughbreds.)

We are hope Peggy's run of bad luck has ended and she has finally found her lucky star...and that that Star is Blue!

Due to her lack of a tail and the lingering after-effects of the salmonella, she has some difficulty cantering, though she doesn't know it! She loves running with Cupcake! At least, until she gets tired--Cupcake can be a bit like the Energizer Bunny. Then, Peggy likes to hang out with her adopted great uncles, Bud, Mike and Jesse--our retired carriage horses. Maybe they can whisper a thing or two about being a carriage horse to her!


(Cupcake and Peggy playing, April 9, 2009)

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About the music:

This is Simon & Garfunkel's version of "Pretty Peggy-O," a popular folksong about a member of the Irish Dragoons who falls in love with Peggy. Other versions exist by Bob Dylan and The Greatful Dead. I chose this version because of the lyrics:

As we marched down to faneri-o
As we marched down to faneri-o
Our captain fell in love with a lady like a dove
And they called her name, pretty Peggy-o

Come a runnin' down the stairs, pretty Peggy-o
Come a runnin' down the stairs, pretty Peggy-o
Come a runnin' down the stairs, combin' back your yellow hair
You're the prettiest little girl I've ever seen-o

In a carriage you will ride, pretty Peggy-o
In a carriage you will ride, pretty Peggy-o
In a carriage you will ride, with your true love by your side
As fair as any maiden in the ar-e-o

What will your mother say, pretry Peggy-o?
What will your mother say, pretty Peggy-o?
What will your mother say, when she finds you've gone away
To places far and strange to faneri-o?

If ever I return, pretty Peggy-o
If ever I return, pretty Peggy-o
If ever I return, all your cities I will burn
Destroying all the ladies in the ar-e-o
Destroying all the ladies in the ar-e-o

(Peggy getting the sniff-over by Dakota and Petey, and harrumphs from mares Madison and Mooch)

We hope Peggy gets used to the places far and strange here soon, and we look forward to the day in the future when in a carriage she will drive!