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It's now almost two years since Samantha, our most beloved pony friend, passed away in her sleep. She had been at the sanctuary for many years and had reached the grand age of 53. We believed her to be the oldest pony in the country. Samantha was 'old' when she came to us - around 25 we thought. But she was as keen as mustard, a fast, active little dun pony around 12 hands high.
And one of the most unusual equines we have ever come across with a mind of her own and superior intelligence, Sam wasn't interested in any other pony or horse. She was fussy about her human friends too; not a hint of malice in her but if she didn't care for you, it was cool indifference and a refusal to be caught.
That wasn't the case with us though, she came trotting up whenever she saw us and followed us arund like a big, soft dog. Before she came to us, Samantha had spent her life inside a stable or on a roadside tether, so it was freedom and open spaces for her.
She hated to be shut in so we gave her the run of the farm and let her do what she wanted and go where she liked. We didn't have a great deal of choice, Sam could open just about any door or gate with her teeth.
In her later years she unexpectedly made friends with a donkey called Teddy who came to live with us. It was lovely to see this old-stager romance. They became inseparable. Neither could go very fast so they were perfect for each other, although Sam managed a little trot right up to the end.
They had a routine together, breakfast in bed, sharing a feed tin and then a saunter to the menage to potter around in the sand. We thought that Ted must have been a sea-side donkey at some stage - he liked sand so much!
After lunch it was another nap and then a potter up the fields to nibble at grass. Neither could go out with the other horses, not even the shetlands - they couldn't turn quickly enough or get out of the way when the hooves were flying.
While Teddy held his weight quite well, Samantha became quite slim as she aged. She had lost most of her teeth so feeding her was a work of art! Soft and moist senior food with breadcrumbs, chopped hay, grated apples and carrots and lots of supplements kept her going.
We made sure she had an extra deep bed and this was pretty special as well. A thick layer of shavings, then straw, then shredded paper, then more straw. It was so she kept warm and wouldn't hurt herself when she got up and down. In winter I sewed her into a fleece and then she had a horse blanket on top. Very cosy. When she was a bit stiff getting up, we had to give her a push onto her feet!
Samantha was such an exceptional pony - intuitive, spirted and brave and quirky and intelligent. No words were necessary, we communicated just fine. She used to come and walk by me when I went up the fields, no headcollar necessary. And if I stood to watch a sunset, Sam would too. This was a pony with an appreciation of beauty and stillness and companionship.
When Teddy passed away, Sam was inconsolable. It was the first time I'd ever seen her fretful. She whinnied and called out and searched for him. It was even worse when she gave up and the spark went out of her eyes. It was so sad to see her wandering around on her own.
We tried to get Sam to make friends with an elderly, gentle Shetland but she would have none of it. It was her human pals or Teddy or no one.
On a fine, clear, blue sky morning with the dew on the grass and the promise of a perfect day, I got up to take her the usual first feed.
But her stable was empty. I thought nothing of it at first, except that Sam was up before me. When I couldn't find her, I began to worry. She wasn't in any of the fields, or the yard - had someone opened a gate and let her out? But I knew in my heart that Sam wouldn't have wandered off. The gates could be open all day and she wouldn't leave us.
No. Sam was lying down in the menage just where she had spent so many happy hours with Teddy. I hadn't noticed her because her golden colouring was perfectly camouflaged in the sand.
She looked peaceful, just as though she was asleep. I knew at once that she had left us. And left a gap in our hearts that is still impossible to fill. She was a part of our lives for so many years, a friend and companion whose worth was impossible to value.
Dear Samantha - a 'one in a million' pony - we were so glad to have known you. Sadly missed but living in our hearts forever.
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