Midnight's Story
She gave me four beautiful babies herself. Her first was a black filly that died at two days of age.
I learned that day that horses truly do grieve. I was only fourteen at the time and I was so sad,
but Midnight was crushed.
The baby had been laying on a pink bathroom rug while the vets worked on her. After the baby died,
Midnight would nuzzle the rug and carry it around her stall.
She would let out soft little nickers to the rug, as if she were calling her baby to come back.
Eventually the babies scent faded and Midnight was able to leave the rug.
When I was sixteen Midnight gave birth to Misty, after losing her first foal, I was quite anxious
this time. I camped out at the barn night after night until finally on April 11, 1979 Midnight gave birth to a very unusual
sight. Midnight had been bred to a black Morgan, named Black Panther, and Midnight's baby came out Palomino. Needless to say
I was shocked. I really expected a black foal. I now understand that Midnight and Panther were both Smoky Black and passed
on this dilute gene to Misty.
The next baby was born in April 1981, I was also expecting my first child. J.R. was a solid black
stud colt also sired by Black Panther. I kept J.R. for two years and then I sold him to a very nice woman named Wanda
Lambert. I got busy raising a family of my own and I lost track of J.R. and his new owner, and I have always wondered about
him.
I really had no intention of breeding Midnight again, but Midnight did. One afternoon in December
1983 while cleaning stalls I put a boarders Tennessee Walking horse out in the arena, well Midnight decided to bust down the
fence, and visit with Black Magic, and Majesty was born the folowing November.
I believe Midnight would have had as many foals as she could have. She was a great mother to hers
and to others as well. She would allow any babies to nurse on her.
Midnight taught all of my children how to ride and although they never had the passion for horses
that I did, they all loved and cherished Midnight.
Midnight has been with me through several boyfriends, two husbands and numerouse moves.
My one wish for Midnight was that she would just lay down one day and pass over the Rainbow Bridge
without any help, from me and that she would not be in any pain.
I did not get my wish. When I arrived at the barn on June 12th, 2007, MIdnight had not come up from
the pasture with the other horses, so everyone was out looking for her. She was found, but she was not well. She walked back
to the barn with me willingly, but very slowly. I called the vet, with her symptoms, and he arrived at about 9:30 pm. He diagnosed
her with Anterior Enteritis, and at her age I felt like I did not want to put her through the process of trying to get her
well only to prolong her life for my own selfish reasons.
So at Midnight, she took her last breaths at passed over the Rainbow Bridge.
MY youngest daughter Jill who is a freshman at Valdosta State University wrote the following poem
fro me and Midnight.
There is a line in the poem from a song that was popular in 1974 when I received Midnight. It was
called "I'm On Top Of The World" by "The Carpenters", this was the song that I always sang to Midnight. Kind of "Our Song"
I hear her comin
She's steady running
with
younger legs
and a faster tread
her hair is blowin
she's steady mowin
through green pastures in the sky
She's
got you with her
her love is tender
she's better after all
in a sky where she'll never fall
She says don't
worry mama
all your babies are okay
she says don't worry mama
all our babies are okay
she says, watch'em mama
my
babies need their hay
she says dont worry mama
I'm watchin your babies from far away
She's in the sun sunnin
but
she's not tired of runnin
a gallop the gods gave her
but mama, your’e the one who made her
She'll sing to you
at Midnight
You'll sing back sayin it's alright
She's on top of the world
lookin down on creation, mama
an
explanation she doesnt need to find
she's doin just fine
She says don't worry mama
all your babies are okay
she
says don't worry mama
all our babies are okay
she says, watch 'em mama
my babies need their hay
she says don’t
worry mama
I'm watchin your babies from far away.
Written by: Jillian Stubbs for her Mama and
Midnight
