Split Rail Stables

It is with deeply heavy hearts that we unexpectedly had to say goodbye to one of our herd. We try not to have favorites, but sometimes you just can't help it. That's why this is so tough.

Sugar was our special needs little girl. She was born with a malformed jaw, probably from having to share Speckles' tiny womb with her huge sister, Sparkles (aka Butterball). Too many hoofs to the mouth eventually took their toll.

We knew something was amiss yesterday when Sugar wasn't leading the charge into the goat shack for dinner time. We found her out in the pasture. We're not sure what happened, but believe it may have been bloat even though she seemed fine that morning.

We will always remember her for her tenacity. With her misaligned jaw, she couldn't nurse or bottle feed very well. She started eating grain and hay at a very young age even tho her stomach wasn't suited for it. She looked terrible but continued to fight. Nobody was gonna keep her from eating her Sugie Snacks. However, after a few months her body matured and she began to flourish.

Since most of every bite she took would fall out of her mouth, she took a loooong time to eat. We put her bowl on top of the freezer so she could stay in as long as she needed and then jump out whenever she finished. Often she would let us know that she thought we didn't give her enough to eat. Sugar pretty much got whatever she wanted.

Some say she had a face only a mother could love. Not true. Everybody loved Sugar; she was a farm favorite. Of course her mother did love her as well. So did her sissy. Butterball and Butterface were inseparable. Speckles and Sparkles would often make a Sugar sandwich when they slept. They miss her already.

We love you and will miss you dearly. RIP sweet Sugie. Feeding time won't be the same without you

(Since we can't post videos and photos at the same time, we'll put her baby video down in the comments)