Dottie (Double Dutch Dottie)

"Appys" are a love 'em or leave 'em kind of breed. People have very strong opinions about them. At Horses of Tir Na Nog, we are definitely in the "love 'em" group.

Dottie was no exception to this rule. She came to us in April 2005. She was a foundation Appaloosa with a lineage that went back to the Nez Perce Indians. Her striking red leopard coat made her truly eye-catching at the ranch.

As a foundation Appaloosa, she was highly valued as a brood mare. Unfortunately, a history of twinning resulted in several dead foals and serious health risks for Dottie. Once at Hoses of Tir Na Nog, she no longer faced those risks. However, as happens with many appys, her feet continued to be a problem. Our farriers did a great job over the years returning her to barefooted soundness.

While Dottie loved attention from people, she was not crazy about other horses. Her response towards other horses typically appeared to be extremely aggressive, however, chances are that she felt threatened by them. Her one exception to this was Streaking Blue Angel. Angel was Dottie’s security blanket. With her, Dottie was playful and affectionate. Dottie and Angel loved spending turnout time together. Not only did the two girls love to run, but Dottie loved to jump. Given even the smallest opportunity, Dottie would launch herself into the air. The images were breathtaking. Sadly, in February 2013, Dottie lost her friend Angel to a stroke.

In addition to Angel, Dottie had a very special connection with a talented natural horsemanship trainer. While we had hoped to someday reunite them, we were never able to. On October 9, 2013 our veterinarians were called to the ranch and Dottie was diagnosed with a broken leg. Dottie was so stoic, that we were shocked by the diagnosis. Sadly, in horses, breaks such as the one she suffered can not be treated, so humane euthanasia became our only option The sudden loss of a beautiful, healthy animal was terribly painful for all who knew her. However, the knowledge that she and Angel are once again running with the wind, and Dottie is flying through the air with her magnificent leaps, offers us peace.Although Dottie lacks the height of our other appy, Candy, she holds her own when it comes to spots. She also matches Candy when it comes to a sweet disposition. Dottie loves people. She thrives on attention. However, Dottie doesn’t seem to have many equine friends. She tends to become stressed when around other horses. So, we continue to help her become more comfortable being around the other horses in our herd.

Foot care with Dottie is an on-going challenge as she has a chronically poor hoof condition. But her feet don’t slow her down when it comes to turnout time. She loves to run and perform gravity-defying leaps through the air.