Filly is born to 19-year-old Roller mare

     Daisy Mae, a quarterhorse owned by Cody and Melissa Roller of Monticello, has turned out to be pretty special.

     The 19-year-old mare gave birth to a filly April 27, which the family named Sadie.

     “It’s not that unusual,” Cody said of a 19-year-old mare giving birth. “What’s unusual is that she’s only ever had one other baby. There are a lot of broodmares that are up there in age, but they’re also used to giving birth every year.”

     Sadie is turning out to be special, too.

     At first, Cody said, “she could barely stand up and walk correctly,” Cody said. “But an hour after she was born, she loped a circle to the left, on the left lead, around (Daisy Mae). I was like, ‘Wow!’

     “A few days later, she lopes off from a standstill. She just put her butt to the dirt, when they bend their hocks and stop. That’s what you’re looking for in the reining horse, cow horse world. It was really neat to see how athletic she is at such an early age.”

     Daisy Mae has been a good riding horse for the Roller family, which includes 6-year-old son Caleb, 4-year-old daughter Clara, and 1-year-old son Clay.

     “With her, we trail ride, we do cow horse events, team sorting, and team penning,” Cody said.

     Cody works as a farrier, shoeing horses in Iowa, Wisconsin and other states. Melissa is a second-grade teacher in the Cascade school district.