WHIPPOORWILL PRAIRIE LARK
February 2 2022
Whippoorwill Prairie Lark came to BRER on January 1, 2020 with her soulmate, protector and lifelong sister Ulie. When she arrived, Lark was a bit aloof, allowing people to brush and pat her but basically not searching out attention. Lark and her herd-mates had been left in a field in central Maine to survive on their own and that they did that very well. No shelter, regular food or water, vet or farrier for 10+ years, Lark and her Morgan sisters needed a bit of help to find their paths into new lives. Lark and Ulie landed here and will stay here for the foreseeable future. After having 11 babies and spending her life free from any heavy hands, Lark is in amazing shape but at 24 she is slowing down a bit. She has had sarcoids since her arrival and it is an ongoing battle to keep them under control. One that was treated last summer is still open and unhealed but doesnt seem to be too painful. We are trying to get it under control before fly season swings back around. Lark has had problems with her right eye since mid summer. Again, partly due to a sarcoid, partly due to age, partly due to ???. Slightly weepy and squinty at times, we have the vet keeping an eye on it and we apply an ointment twice a day but the eyeball itself seems to be shrinking into the socket. the vet does not believe it is painful at this time but we will be watching closely. Lark spends her days hanging with Ulie and Tommy, munching on her hay pile and enjoying the sun when its out. Her walks down in the lower field are limited right now but we hope with the coming spring she will resume her walk- abouts and solo grass searching. Since she arrived, Lark has always been the one to adventure off, perhaps because she has never known fear with her happy broodmare life when she was younger and Ulie as her guard when she moved to her field in Maine. Lark is a carefree soul who needs little from her humans except her hay pile (which she guards ferociously from Willow and Chester) and her soft bed at night Lark insists on being one of the first in at night, only behind Tommy will she wait - the heirarchy of the herd can be seen very clearly at dinner time and if anyone even thinks about challenging the order, Lark will swiftly leave them quaking in their hooves and limping off with a double barrel tattoo on their butt. Lark earned her place in our field beside Ulie and Tommy and will stay here for as long as she wants.