One day, Shannon and Kayli came home from school and ran out through the barn to the corral to be with their two horses, Max, a quarter horse gelding, and Lady, a shetland pony mare. Shannon and Kayli's mother Lea came with them. As Lea came out of the barn, she saw a neighbor's dog just outside the corral, its head down and growling at her two girls. She ran over to them.

Suddenly, the dog darted under the fence and ran at the two girls, barking loudly. Max and Lady immediately started after the dog and chased it, as Shannon and Kayli and their mother stood together, frightened. Max chased it around and around the corral, but it wouldn't leave. It kept charging at the girls and their mother. Lady returned to them, keeping between them and where the dog was. She was guarding them, and every time the dog came near, she kicked at it.


Max kept on chasing the dog, and finally the dog gave up and ran back under the fence. But Max did not stop! He jumped over the corral fence and kept chasing the dog. He chased it all the way to the road, and only when it was gone from sight did he came back to the fence to be let back in. And all this time, Lady stayed on guard by the two girls and their mother, ready to kick the dog if it came back.

Max was very protective, and would always keep the girls away from the fence between their farm and the neighbor's horses, three Belgians and an Arab, even though they weren't dangerous horses. Even those horses gave chase when the dog entered their paddock. Needless to say, the dog learned his lesson; he got loose a few more times but stayed clear of Max and Lady's farm and even passed Shannon and Kayli by without looking at them at all.

Max is gone now, but the family still has Lady, their pony hero.

In loving memory - 'Steppin on Stage' Max