Peggy Taylor

Peggy, age 25, crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Monday, November 11, 2024, with her herd and family by her side. 

Peggy came to her family when the kids were very young, sharing 14 years with them.  Wyatt and Adeline both learned to ride on her.  At the time, Ellie was not interested in horses at all, but she was always drawn to Peggy, probably due to her small size. Ellie learned so much from Peggy, even as she got older and was too big to ride her.  Her family will be forever grateful to Peggy for sparking a love of horses in Ellie.  Peggy was calm and patient with the kids and if I couldn’t catch her, one of the kids always could. 

Peggy was a sucker for treats and as long as you had a treat for her, she’d follow you anywhere!  She could be a spitfire, her go-to move when the vet or farrier was at the farm to see her, or you got the fly spray near her was a big ol’ rear!  Knowing how little she was, it was comical, and they always got smaller and smaller until she barely lifted a foot off the ground and gave in to whatever you were going to do.  With the exception of fly spray, she’s always won that battle.

Peggster, Peggers, or Pegs as her family often called her, was the bottom of the herd pecking order, but she and Holly had a special bond.   When Holly was with the other big horses, Peggy was hanging out with the sheep, goats, and pig.  Although the donkey, Cookie, didn’t seem to be fond of her in everyday life, he knew she needed someone to be with her and he stayed by her side until the end. 

 Peggy saw many kids through mini 4H.  One year, she even took two kids through the mini 4H show.  It was incredibly hot that year, but she just kept right on going like it was nothing!  She always had the most luscious fetlock that we enjoyed “styling” over the years.  One of her best features was her tiny little muzzle that had so many freckles on it.  Her soulful eyes, long flowing mane, and speckles when she was wet made her unique on our farm. 

Once the kids were too big to ride her, we could have moved her on to another family that could ride her, but we just loved her too much to see her go so she enjoyed a life of leisure.  Like Holly, she lost and wore down most of her teeth due to age and had to be fed a diet of mash which she thoroughly enjoyed.  She would holler at anyone she saw outside, certain that every minute of the day should be feeding time!  Her family worked hard to make sure the last two years were the best they could be for her. Peggy gave them so much in the 14 years she spent with them that giving her the best life was the least they could do for her.  It is never any easy decision to have a beloved pet put down, but she was ready, it would have been cruel to make her go through a winter that her little body was not prepared for. 

Peggy’s herd and family will miss her dearly.  She is survived by horses, Clyde, Whiskey, Blossom; donkey, Cookie; pig, Hampton; goats, Willie and William; sheep, Ewa and Novie; farm dogs, Wilbur, Monroe, and Lincoln; human family, Dave, Sarah, Wyatt, Adeline, & Ellie.

A horse's worth is not measured by their ability to win rosettes but by how much they soothe our soul.

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