Junebug's Job

This is the first time in four years that Junebug, our fluffy little Shetland pony, isn't holding vigil over an ancient dying friend. She seems relieved. Instead she gets to spend her days with Bianca and Solomon who are reasonably healthy, whole, and hearty and are able to support her on bad days.

In 2010 she attended Cassie who was 30+ years old and died of congestive heart failure. Until that time they were constant companions. In 2009 she was with Willie who loved her madly. We watched once as she brought him back from the dead. We found him in his stall with no pulse, no breath. We brought Junebug in and he woke up! Ten people saw this happen. Though we made him as comfortable as we could, as humans, in the end Junebug and Cassie were his greatest comfort in his last days.

One day we found him down in his stall again. We didn't let him get up this time. Surrounded by all his friends, we handed him over to his angel who waited there. Dear, ancient old man - our Willie.

In 2008, 36-year old Nessa died on the first full moon after the spring equinox. Junebug's stall was directly across from Nessa's. Nessa was a beautiful, broken, sad old quarter horse mare who was so comforted to have Junebug standing guard, always. After three months of illness she faded away.

In 2007 it was Snowdrop. Snowdrop was very private. Junebug's was the only friendship that she desired. They would stand together and groom each other. Snowdrop had terrible, unmanageable laminitis. We eventually lost the battle. On a warm,, Spring rainy day, in the presence of both Junebug and Solomon, we turned her, too, over to her angel.

Junebug was given the opportunity to say goodbye to all of them. She touched their dead bodies with her nose and turned away. It was as if she knew that her job was done. She never outwardly grieved for any of them. She knew how ill they all were, but now it was over for them. They would never hurt again. It was okay to leave them now.

Junebug is a fussy, grumpy little thing and often looks like she has been sucking lemons, but as I whispered to her, "What do you think, girl? Is it nice that you don't have to worry about anyone this year?" She turned around in her stall with her ears up and all the lights on in her eyes. She came to me and was just full of love, as I pushed her forelock back and massaged her little face. Even a pony needs a rest from her burdens.

Many have tried to adopt Junebug, but she has a valuable job to do here at the rescue. Though she has health issues of her own, she always seems to know which tottery, frail being needs her help. Though she is only ten hands tall, she has a powerful spirit that keeps them on their feet when all else fails. The size of the body has nothing to do with the size of the spirit.

So our little pony who is 17 years old will, hopefully, have a good summer with no responsibilities. She is a favorite of all the little girls who work here and will thrive on her spa treatments during her time off, until she has to step up, yet again, to hold vigil over the next one who needs her.