The weaning has begun

The foals started the weaning process at the first of September. That's where we separate them from their mothers so they stop nursing. They're growing up so fast!

It's not a quiet process mind you - the mares and babies scream back and forth across the fields and just in case we aren't hearin them, the gelding herd gets in on the action too :)

Friendly and Sandy have been elected to babysit the baby herd since they are the only maiden mares around. Horses use babysitters just like people do.

Those babies are getting big!

The boys and their sister are getting big! They've gone from all legs and wobble to running fast as the wind, sliding stops and crazy spins. This crew has reining in their blood.

Cheyenne, the girl with the medicine hat is going to be BIG. She's only a couple months old and is almost as tall as our yearlings from last year.

We got some great colour this year and a beautiful black colt from Pepsi - everyone loves Black Beauty :)

These guys have amazing personalities and now that they've figured out that people know how to scratch where it itches, they have developed an abiding love for things on two legs with fingernails.

If you want a colt to start, give us a call.

June 16, 2008 The last wait begins

The last wait begins. Conny, Chris' Quarter Horse mare is the last one due. She always goes over - most time by around a month. Her foals are well baked :)

She was bred to a Palomino stallion this year, so we have some hope for an interesting colour. Of course we do - we specialize in Paint Horses!

We'll keep you posted!

Conny's baby is the last one!

Chris' Quarter Horse mare, Conny (Docs Continental Gin), will be our last mother of the season. We're expecting her baby in about two weeks. Her baby from last year, Corona, was not the most attractive fella as a young foal. I called him Donk (short for Donkey) for quite a while. ;)

He's getting better as he gets older.

We're holding onto the slim chance that she may have a Palomino this year. She was bred to a Palomino stallion who has thrown some interesting colours.

Foal number 4!

Pepsi had her foal this morning. I went down to the barn to feed everyone and the mares were standing behind Pepsi calling to me and she wouldn't let them come to the barn. This is not that unusual for Pepsi, she's lead mare and is a bit of a control freak. ;)

Then I saw what the hold up was!! She had a very new foal beside her who wasn't co-operating with the whole idea of following his mom around. It was pouring rain and there was the little guy prancing around in the mud trying to figure out where a guy could get a warm meal.

Luckily, our mares are very tolerant about having people around when they have new babies. I was able to help Pepsi herd him into the barn and get everyone else settled with their breakfast. Pepsi is black and always has either a black foal or a black and white tobiano. We're going with the Black Beauty look this year :) I can't decide whether to stick with the idea of starting the foal name with the mom's first initial and call him Pedro, or go for something different and call him Zorro. Suggestions welcome!

May 17th - still no foal from Pepsi!

We're waiting and waiting - an really, is Pepsi's bag gets any bigger, we'll have to borrow a milking machine if this baby doesn't come soon! :)

Every evening, we check her bag for signs of waxing and her ligaments for signs of softening. There was a bit of wax but it doesn't show in this photo and her ligaments are quite soft today - see the photo with my hand in it :)

Ah well, maybe we'll have a little surprise on Sunday morning :)

May 16 - the wait continues

I love it when they start groaning their way around as they walk. It's almost like a horse song - and they're not great singers :) We've seen some waxing on Pepsi's teats, but nothing truly spectacular yet. Talk tomorrow!

May 15 - Still no foal from Pepsi

Well, the weather is warm and sunny today, so she'll probably wait for rain and mud to have her baby. I'll try to post some photos of the ever-enlarging bag and maybe a short video showing how her ligaments are getting soft.

Cold Dreary May

Somehow it feels more like April than May! High of 13 today. Hope the sun isn't too long coming out.

DeeDee's new foal was supposed to get out in the fields with the other foals and their dams today, but he's not following his mommy around well enough yet. They get another day of seclusion in a warm dry run-in.

His name needs to start with a 'D'

We have a bunch of mares and every year, they have a bunch of foals. Sooo, to help us remember which foal goes with which mother, we try to give the babies a name that starts with the first letter of the mom's name (or the first sound). For example, Dee Dee's foal from last year was called Dakota. Now, we're on the hunt for a cool D name. We're toying with Dillon and Dallas, but I'm not really keen on people names... Suggestions welcome!

It's very funny in the first couple of hours when they're trying to figure out how the milk store works - is it at the front? at the back? How far do I have to bend down to make this work??

He's He-eerrrre!

Dee Dee had her foal today! A big boy (colt). He's a minimal white overo - just gorgeous!

Dee Dee is going to pop soon!

Our Paint Horse mare, Sonny Dee Made looks like she's going to explode! According to the calendar, she could have had this foal last week, but she's hanging in there - groaning and uncomfortable.

Her baby from last year was a minimal white sorrel colt (for the unitiated, it's mostly brown with enough white to be in the colour registry :)

When a horse is going to foal, their bag gets VERY extended and their teats exude this waxy stuff (the term is waxing up). Check and check. Dee Dee has done that.

So, we'll see what tomorrow brings - maybe a new picture for the foal watch!

Til later!