Our Favorite Pet Stories

Whoa, Girl

Halfway through my first pregnancy, I was riding Ruby along a trail in the Pennsylvania countryside, about three miles from home. We waded into a pond so she could take a drink. On the way out, she slipped, and the two of us slid backward into the water. Ruby was on her side in the water, flailing and kicking. I tried to dismount but my left foot was stuck in the stirrup. One good thrash of Ruby's legs, I feared, would mean the end of my baby and serious injuries for me. I yelled, "Ruby, stop! I'm stuck, girl." Instantly she froze.

I managed to pry my foot free, got up and trudged out of the pond, soaked. Only when I was safely out of the way did Ruby kick and get all of her 1,200 pounds up and out of the water.

My daughter, Tessa, was born five months later. She's six now. Ruby, 25, is protective and careful when she's around.
-- Submitted by Lise Sentell, Zelienople, Pennsylvania
 

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