A Brave Shetland Mare.Buttons a sorrel Shetland mare was a good Mother. She watched over her colt Laddie as he played and stood protectively over him as he sprawled on the grass in sleep. Buttons showed the bravery of a Mother’s love one day. My daughter had been in the paddock with Buttons and Laddie and then went through an adjoining gate to check on Blue Moon a Welsh stallion. When she returned through the gate she latched it and left. She didn’t realize that she had left the chain loose enough a curious fifty-pound colt could slip through the gate into the pen with the stallion. Laddie did just that. Fortunately my husband Don heard Button’s shrill neighs and went to check. He saw Blue Moon ears flat back chasing little Laddie around his pen, trying to bit him. Laddie was desperately running for his life while Buttons, in her pen neighed and charged the gate that separated them. Don jumped the fence and tried to catch the terrified colt that dodged him, afraid of another attacker. Don next tried to slow Blue down, but the stallion would have none of it, he was determined to get the offspring of another stallion. Don then ran to the gate and unlatched it. Buttons galloped through headed straight towards Blue Moon. She attacked with flaying front hooves and teeth. Don took that opportunity to herd little Laddie back to his paddock and then shut the gate. Buttons seeing her colt safe stopped her attack and trotted to the gate clearly asking Don to reopen it so she could be with her colt. Don allowed her through and then securely latched the gate. A trembling Laddie raced to his Mother’s side. She nuzzled and licked him, once again the quiet, gentle Shetland mare we all knew.
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