Time wasters.....

If you even take a moment to watch the babies playing outside...all of a sudden an hour has gone by.

Lucky and Dragon went out with Standard and Kirby for a few hours this morning so the rest of the broodmare herd were in their night paddock waiting to be turned out in the jump field.

After Viki and I brought in Dragon....we turned out the other girls. Ya..that's when the next hour just went by so quickly watching them all play....

We picked Lucie's JC name for this exact reason....she teases the other foals into running with her, then gallops off and leaves them as if saying "see ya!" So we registered her as "Vea Ya' which is "see ya" in Spanish! (See ya was already taken).

Piper is just a meanie...she is so stuck up its hard to believe she has such an attitude. Pins her pretty little ears and chases away any attempts at play. Gonna be a lonely life for that little girl if she doesn't make friends.

Anyway...now that I wasted an hour watching them...I now have to go clean stalls!

That good kind of tired.

Ok...so lack of sleep ISNT importnant when you have a baby as beautiful as Dragon running around in his stall.

His Igg came in at over 3400 so I am thrilled. Lucky is such a good Mama. I love watching a mare have her instict kick in.

She had such grace during labor...but I felt so needed by her. She just wanted me to hold her head and stroke her neck, telling her it was going to be ok. I am such a beleiver that if a maiden mare has a good experience with people helping them during thier birth...they are FOREVER a good broodmare.

She had such a large foal for her first baby. He is 125 pounds...and she is a body score of 2 1/2...so it wasnt a pretty picture...for her anyway...he looks great!

Little Lucie always manages to put a huge smile on my face....and now we have Kirby...who I am afraid...will most likely end up a part of the family. He is little but he is full of life and love...just like his half brother Caden. It's almost like Caden told him all about us...and Kirby was just happy to be a part of what we were doing from the moment he hit the ground.

Had to have a discusion with Piper about her manners. lets just say that Sean, Viki and Andi....are all WELL SCHOOLED foal wranglers!

OH! Pro Andi tied up the placenta again without coaching this time...and she did such a good job...it dropped out 10 minutes later! LOL! JKJK....it was a very nice knot.

Finishing up dinner for the two legged ones...then running out to do night check and kiss all the horses on the nose.

How lucky a person am I that I live my life taking care of those creatures.

Spanish Dragon!

Clearly Lucky welcomed her first colt at 10:53 pm...his name is Dragon....named after the dragon fly that lost its life on Kathy and Andi's windshield in the race to try and see him born!

A beautiful HEALTHY bay colt carried 379 days! BIG blaze and NO SOCKS!

Pics tomorrow........

BTW Lucky is a natural mom.....accepted labor with grace....and pushed that huge colt out in less then 5 minutes with little help form Viki or I. GOOD MAMA!

Maiden mares are as fun as breaking in new field boots!............. NOT!

So I am taking a bit of a break from the barn....Lucky has been dripping milk for two hours and then laid down and went to sleep. (Don't worry....Viki is watching over her at this very moment)

Life isn't ALWAYS about the barn, but in my world...being with the horses...means I am away from the reality of the rest of the world. I think God messed up my egg and sperm...I was supposed to be a horse :)

Oh Sigh....I love my two legged kids so very much...and I get so angry at them at times. I forget that being a kid...means screwing up and being a bit selfish. I am so hurt by their words sometimes...or their lack of ambition to accomplish even small tasks. I just don't understand the difficulty in filling the water buckets to the top! I don't understand why it takes 50 minutes to put up three fence boards while I have a baby in the barn that got into something itchy and needs a bath....and at the same moment...I just see beautiful children who have grown up with compassion and knowledge of life that many other kids do not have. Life...living...then death....they get it. Maybe on an animal level, but they understand that life is a circle. Now maybe I just need to "get it"!

Going back to the barn to sit with Viki and stare at milk dripping LOL!

Full moon!

and ...... no baby! ERRR......

So maiden mare Lucky is trying to figure out this whole give birth thing. She's such a sweet girl...but Viki and I are oh so tired.

Somethings in the air at the farm...people are grumpy and getting colds. We actually go through the day not speaking unless it's about the horses. Think everyone is just REALLY tired.

Viki and I are so strapped for time...I was looking at the foals this morning realizing that Piper...the hardest of all the foals this year, has not been handled in a week other then bringing her in and out to eat. She is now pushing her mother around with pinned ears and a little buck if her Mama moves and she doesn't want her to....needs a good spanking!

Two more mares went to the breeding shed yesterday. 6 down 8 to go? I have lost track...thank God for an excel spread sheet and a partner who writes everything down.

Off to feed the second shift of horses. REALLY need to handle the babies today...so I am sure tonight I will be reporting as to how black and blue my feet are! LOL those tiny hooves sure do leave good bruises!

We are going to be really busy this time next year!

Headaches better today...just in time to run 2 more mares to the breeding shed tomorrow AM...

Randi and Marqy go to meet Two Step Salsa and Imperialism.

This time next year....God willing...all the mares have due dates within two weeks of eachother.

Mares will be bred to Graeme Hall, Double Honor, Imperialism, Western Pride, Two Step Salsa, Shakespear and Chapel Royal. SO HONORED to have this group of stallions for our girls!

RAIN! RAIN! Love the rain....just not the stormy parts :)

Beautiful day till about 2. Was just driving back from the breeding shed with Gal....and all hell broke loose.

Winds so strong they broke the wipers on my truck. i watched a tree...about the size of my truck get lifted into the air about 15 feet and blow across the road.

Wind blew so hard against the trailer it popped a window out.

Poor mare...maybe its a sign from above the the foal she may be having will run like the wind!...or be a stormy brat:)

Got home to find the kids had survived and were running around in the front yard tackling each other in the mud...how fun.

Lucky...one of the forgotten ones...is at 375 days today. VERY overdue, but at least she is looking like she is trying to get ready to have the foal.

My headaches are not going away....but I did try sinus meds today and it brought it to a level I could function with.

Standard and Kirby went out today for the first time. Starlite tried to kill Standard and being the mom she is, put herself between Starlites lightning kicks and her baby. Poor standard to a good one to the flank and little Kirby rolled into the fence unhurt. OHHHHHH I was so angry at Starlite. She knew it too....cause as I slammed the truck in park and started running to the fence, she stopped kicking and quickly ran to the other side of the pasture watching me from the corner of her eye.

Poor Kirby....he scooted up to me and nickered...just wanting some comfort. Held him for a moment...checked him over and went and gave Standard a huge pat for being a good mom.

Oh...life at the farm............

errr...I hate headaches!

Woke up this morning and I could feel it coming on....pushed it off till about 3:30 this afternoon. My head was hurting so bad that just blinking sent tears running down my face. HAD to take the migraine meds and it wiped me out for hours.

Did manage to get Katy to the breeding shed. Remember sitting in the stallion shed thanking God that Imperialism wasn't a screamer because my head would have exploded.

Got home and our wonderful vet was there already culturing and flushing mares. Randi was not being good when I was holding her and I was so disorientated I don't even remember Tyler taking her from me.

Had to go to the house to lay down.

Billy got most of the mares and babies trimmed...the forgotten ones are now walking on good feet.

Viki and Sean did the barn....

More tomorrow I promise.

Morning update.....

Little "Kirby" aka Pops....is doing great this morning. Still having a bit of trouble getting up on his own, but he is doing it....more the mats in his stall then him.

Will have Viki take pics as soon as she awakens from her slumber....she was up all night making sure he was ok.

WELCOME Spanish Pop!

The eldest forgotten one had her foal tonight. Scary at first...red bag delivery...which we were expecting but had hoped it would be normal.

Got him out in just over 4 minutes. He was breathing on his own...great sign.

Standard was the perfect mom. Never once questioned me helping her. Just kept looking back to be sure I had it all under control.

Her labor was an easy one. At least she made it seem that way. Munched hay then laid down and said "time for baby".

He is solid bay...not a spot of white. A bit tiny and VERY thin at first....but after his first gulps of milk got very round and heavy!

Dilon wants to call him Kirby...and Kathy wants to call him "Pops"...short for Port o Potty.....because his Mama is named after a toilet. I know for sure we want to register him as Spanish Pops. We will all laugh every time we hear his name knowing what it is short for! LOL....

Headed to the shower now...still all wet and sticky...but wanted to let you all know he arrived into the world safely. THANK GOD!

Pics tomorrow

Need about 4 more hours in a day

No matter how early I get up....or how late I go to bed....I never get done what I need to get done.

Trying to get all the mares cultured, flushed and bred, while still waiting for two mares to foal, taking care of an old stallion who is very frustrated that all these mares in heat are not for him, three stud colts, one of which is very into the fact that there are so many mares in heat and making sure the foals get handled enough that they wont be wild before we know it! Oh...on top of feeding, fixing fences, taking kids to and from school, and some where fitting in actually feeding my two legged children.

Sat down for a few minutes to look at the sale today at OBS....of course poor Shippie had a seizure in the midst of it. Feel so bad for my bestest friend. Sometimes I know when one is coming, but wasn't ready for to days. Came out of no where. I would give almost anything for my little friend not to have those.

Lucie very angry she had to spend the most part of the day in a stall. Vet had to check Mama to see when she would be ready to breed...and there was no sense in putting them back out side for an hour only to come back in to eat. Every chance she got to run through the stall door...she took. Little princess....she doesn't understand yet that she doesn't ALWAYS get her way.

Standard looking like she is trying to get ready to have her foal. Of course we have to watch her closely because of her increased chance of a red bag delivery.

Lucky...well...she actually has a bag now....so I hope that means she is trying too!

Have to run back out side and see who is done eating.

Wish Sean and Viki would stop the little spat they are in.

All Bridled Up

Happy Birthday Max! Your a year old today.

Happy Sweet 16 Tyler!

Hard to believe all these years are flying by. My little boy is 16. uggg..... I am so old!

One of the forgotten mares isn't doing so well. She is almost at a year and this morning when we walked her out of her stall a bunch of yellow puss plopped out of her back end. She has been acting a bit depressed for the past couple of days. no fever and still eating good. Called the vet out and held my breath when she palpated her.

No movement in the foal. She kept pinching and pinching and the foal didn't move. My heart stopped.

My calm and experienced vet, pulled out her ultra sound machine and stuck her hand in one more time.

YIKS! A big kick! Thank God....I was so nervous for poor Standard. Just a sleepy baby. Phew!

Ultra sound did show that her placenta was separating in places...and she needed to be placed on antibiotics and banamine to relieve the pain.

Keeping fingers crossed that she settles in to have that baby soon.

Sat and watched Lucie playing for a long time today. She and Cassie hardly stay with their moms unless they are nursing. Rex Hannah was way at the top of the pasture by the gate munching hay...and Lucie was running around bucking....hoping over the poles on the ground in the jump field...and tearing around like a silly clown. Cassie joined in and the two ran around chasing each other for about ten minutes....

Bailey and little Piper....just stood by their mama's watching. Seemed like fun....but far to "free" for them to feel safe. not to mention Starlite is a bit of a freak if Piper leaves her side.

Sean sat on the 08' Spanish Steps colt today. At first he reared and jumped forward. then after a few minutes of trying quietly....he accepted it all. What a smart boy!

Viki and Andi rode the ponies today....think they just wanted to have a bit if fun. Went on a trail ride....I had to call Viki to remind her how much work was left to do at the barn.

Another long day tomorrow. Three more mares to start flushing to rid their uterus of pus.

YUK!

One step forward...three steps back....need to keep climbing!

As with all rescue horses....there are good days and bad. After loosing little Caden, then finding out the reason why and the possible causes, I am now scared for the other to mares, Lucky and Standard.

Standard is strong and had many foals...however, Lucky is a maiden mare and I hate that her first experience is such a hard one. Praying that they both have an angel sitting with them as they prepare for the arrival of their foals.

La Turka is struggling to keep her filly full of milk. Even though we are dumping grain and Amplify to her, she is still bordering on dropping weight. Vet wants us to up her another feeding and increase the volume. Said if she eats it...great...will just help with milk production.

Kathy and I are stressing as to being able to tackle this project correctly. Getting 16 FAT mares is far different that 16 starving ones. Normal, healthy broodmares, like Rex hannah and Starlite, only get a slight increase in their feed once they foal...they were fat in the first place, so we just boost them a bit to help with milk production....but these other poor mares...scoops and scoops of feed....

La Turka alone is getting 12 scoops (2 quart scoops) per day split into 4 feedings plus 4 pounds of Amplify. Not to mention all the hay they can clean up. Open mares are not quite so bad, but still 2 1/2 scoops times 10 mares twice a day....ya that's a lot of feed!

Grass is up...and with 50 acres for them to munch on...it will help.

Good note for the day....this morning Viki was sitting on the fence and little Cassie...one for the forgotten mare's foals, came up and actually wanted Viki to pet her. She has come a long way in two weeks! Of course then Princess Lucie jumped in pushing the giant Cassie out of the way...seeking all of our attention.

Lucie better watch out....Piper has discovered people mean good scratches and face rubs!

OH! And Navigo got to go out for the first time today since all the stitches in his foot! Want to talk about a happy horse!!!!!!!

Bitter sweet....

Caden's results came back and he died from congenital hydrocephalus. They said it was most likely a result from improper care in the mares pregnancy. Somehow....I just don't feel better.

They told me they don't know how Caden lived as long as he did. All I know is we loved that colt and he loved us.

Maybe we will meet again.

Best seat in the house!

Moved all the broodmares and foals to the pasture besides the house. Now I can see them all the time....

Little Piper had her first day out in the sunshine.....she is a playful little girl!

The princess Lucie of course wanted to check her out right away....but mama Starlite said "please keep your distance"....Lucie respected her wishes, but still followed from a distance.

Lucie is the greeter of the pasture. Anyone and everyone that walks in MUST pet her. She is all Thoroughbred, yet looks like a well bred welsh pony. Tiny little head, and itty bitty ears....with HUGE brown doe eyes. I never know if I should be insulted when people ask me if she is a welsh....or truly happy that I have such a pretty Thoroughbred.

Need to find a real farm for the chickens. Was all fun and games when they were the size of a twinkie.....now they are the size of a small dog! And they poop everywhere and on anything. Still banned to the horse trailer....not really a good life for them.

Have to go get one of the "forgotten ones" out of the pasture today. Her name is Katy. She is covered in rain rot....and is a chestnut....so it is REALLY bad. They so hate when I have to scrub them. So painful even though we have been soaking it for days in meds.

After Katy....12 more left to treat.

5/31/01-4/13/07 Ricky Martin

I knew today I felt a sudden emptiness.....Today marks the 3rd anniversary since Ricky died.

I take great joy in knowing that little Caden is galloping around with Ricky and all the other animals we have lost, some where over Rainbow bridge.

RIP my great friends:)

On the heels of pain....comes pure Joy

Starlite presented us with a perfect filly last night at 10:19 PM. Her name is Piper and she is bay with chrome.

I am always amazed as to the grace and knowledge these seasoned mares show. Each one labors different. Each one has their own system. Starlite needed patience and that is what she did. Filly was very large for a 15.2 hand mare.

She was getting up and down for about an hour before her water broke. On the final time she lay down, she sat quietly, positioning her hips back and forth to allow this large filly to slide through properly. Once her water broke, we waited a moment hoping to see the first foot.

Nothing.......

I went into the stall after about 7 minutes of nothing.....and reached in to feel a very large foot slowly making it's way out. Another graceful push and I could see the hoof.

She would lay out flat...that sit up....lay out flat, then sit up. The whole time never loosing her focus on getting this big filly out. After about 20 minutes....we had two feet and a head. THEN Starlite got down to business.

Forceful pushing...hard work....and out slid Piper. As soon as her chest cavity cleared the birth canal....she was thrashing her legs around trying to break the sac. Wacked me in the head before she even took her first breath! GREAT SIGNS!

Mama lay there resting while filly was scooting around the stall...demanding her stilts work so she could nurse. Piper was sucking on anything that touched her tiny nose. Mama was nickering softly to her....trying to recover. With perfect timing Starlite stood up. Umbilical cord snapped....no bleeding.

Piper was up and standing on her own within 20 minutes. She was very frustrated with mama who had laid back down to finish passing the placenta. Of course...the placenta took another hour to come out with Starlite going up and down. Piper getting more and more agitated she cant find milk. FINALLY....filly got Mama in the corner and she struck gold! Suckling until her belly was round and full.

What joy to feel after such heartache the night before. One precious foal lost....and another comes bouncing into the world. Amazing how God works.....amazing how he heals our hearts.

Time to go do barn chores....late this morning, but I think the horses understand :)

Quiet Day....

Took tiny Caden to the Agriculture department for a necropsy. We want to know what was wrong with the little guy.

Spent time with the "forgotten ones"....bathing them and trying to get the crud off their bodies. So much rain rot. They start with feet trims tomorrow and teeth Friday.

Starlite didn't want to come in from her paddock tonight at feeding. I am hoping it's a sign she is wanting to foal. She is as big as a house, though I would never say that in ear shot of her....hoping when she foals she wont look so over weight. She gives "hunter fat" a new meaning.

Lemon amazingly adjusted to loosing her foal. So much better then all of us. We still all had tears today cleaning up all his bandages and striping his stall.

Going outside to finish chores then going to try to fit in a nap before all the kids want to go to bed.

Looking to Heaven

As with anything in people's lives...it takes one heartbeat to change everything.

Tiny Caden passed away a half hour ago. He died in Tyler's arms.....sleeping.

One moment he was fighting for his life...and the next he crossed over rainbow bridge to run with the other animals in our lives we lost that we loved so much.

I will never change what I do. I accepted a long time ago that God places each of these creatures in our lives to teach us something. Caden taught all of us to never give up...try your hardest, and turn lemons into lemon aid.

The poor "forgotten one"....dear Lemon....such a brave Mama. We let Caden stay in her stall for a bit so she could understand he was gone. She came over...sniffed and licked him....and stood over him like a proud Mama. When we carried him out of her stall...she called a few times. And then the whole farm was silent...except a lone Owl calling in the evening distance.

God Speed brave little one. You are what Caden Bloodstock is all about!

To my friend and partner Kathy......we both knew that Caden was the perfect name....Little Caden will remind us everyday why we started this whole adventure!

One Eye Open......

Raising horses is full of peaks and valley's as well as moments of pure joy and heartache. Then there are the moments you hold your breath, just praying that your horses has enough fight in them and a strong desire to live.

One of the "forgotten ones"..... Lemon....had her foal last night. Her labor lasted longer then it should have...and being a horse that had been mis-handled....didn't trust us at first to help her. Her foal was large...and presented upside down. Took 15 minutes to reposition him before he slid into this world.

I knew something was not right with him the moment I grabbed a hold of his hoof in the birth canal. Pasterns felt strangely stiff and long. Forgetting all of what I felt, as soon as that colt slide into this world...my only thought was to get him breathing. He had so much fluid in his airway. We picked him up and let the fluid drain from his nose. Dried him off a bit...all the while trying to keep the mare on the ground long enough to let the umbilical cord break properly.

She fought and fought so we let her jump to her feet....not realizing that she was clueless as to where her feet were...and without our intervention would have stepped all over this struggling colt. Quickly through a halter and lead rope on her and we started to assess the foals situation.

Back legs were fine. Strong and correct. Beautiful Head and neck, deep girth, and wonderful markings. Front legs....we had an issue.

Called my vet...asked her opinion on what to do. She said to let him rest then help him stand. then try to treat him like any other foal. Well....that wasn't going to work....after 5 hours of attempting to get him in a normal position to nurse when his front end was 6 inches lower then the rest of him.....we ended up bottle feeding him after the first hour of trying.

By 3 AM....I was really not happy with the way this was going....foal would breath normally when at rest, but once standing....it was like he was running the race of his life. He would fight and fight to walk on those awful flippers he was born with....and exhaust himself trying to find his way around.

Vet was there by 3:30....we splinted his front legs, and tried the nursing thing again. Now at this point, he thought I was mama, so I had to stay away. Nothing was working....very hungry colt, could not lift his head high enough to nurse.

Sedated him...gave him fluids and calories as well as DMSO. She told us to let him rest another hour....and start all over again with the nursing thing. By 8:30 AM....nearly 12 hours after his birth, he was finally slurping his mommy's plentiful milk.

To quick to breath a sigh of relief quite yet....he started getting gas colic. YIPS...here we go again.
1 cc of banamine, gastro guard and baby anti-gas drops. Twenty more minutes of "Please God let him live"..... and that little fighter jumped to his feet searching for something to eat.

Touch and go all day....everyone is tired, everyone cranky. In steps the hero Tyler. With the heart of an angel, he took over all by himself....teaching the mare to stand with her butt at the back wall....letting the baby walk endless circles around her until he found his milky delight. Of course....like all racehorse....he only knew how to go left! So around and around he went to the left....but we didn't care...he was nursing.

Here was are , it's 7:00 pm and this little fighter with his flippers flopping....is able to stand on his own, walk half way gracefully around his stall and lay down when he is tired. Oh...and Tyler taught him to go right too!

We are not out of the woods yet. But God gave this little "forgotten one" to us...because he knew we would fight as hard as he is to make it all okay.

Off to the barn for yet another night....Starlite should be next!

PS. Our little fighters name....is Caden....which means "fighter"

Geeze...I think I ate a bad mushroom!

So being sleep deprived is causing strange dreams! Poor Starlite spit out a litter of baby foals...one right after another...I think she ended up with 4. I was half sleeping half looking at Starlite and by the time I actually woke up.....I was dazed and confused as to the odd dreams.

Of course....no foals. I think the mares are enjoying the fact that I am sleeping in the barn with them. They run out of hay...bang on the door...I jump up and give them a flake. Service on demand. LOL....they will never foal!

Long day ahead. All the "forgotten ones" need baths to treat their rainrot. Have to treat thrush on most of them too....and at one point we have got to tackle those knots in their manes and tails. I don't have the heart to just cut them out. Would be a rough summer with no fly swatters!

Off to go do morning shores. Keep your fingers crossed for some babies at some point!

YIKS! Ineed more hours in the day...

Okay...so no power nap today.

We went and loaded (and unloaded) two and a half tons of hay for the "forgotten ones".... good, sweet timothy....so the weight should be packing on the really good now.

Rushing to make dinner for the kids and get back to the mares.

Hope you all have a good night and I look forward to telling you tomorrow about what the mystery of the night will bring us.

Long Night.....

Ugg.....so much in one night with NOTHING actually happening.

Sean and Viki took a 2 hour shift between 7 and 9 so I could power nap in my own bed. However that was cut short with Sean getting a phone call saying a very close friend of his was in a terrible car accident and was just life flighted to Gainseville with head and body trauma. Sean's life seems to be surrounded with terrible accidents to his family and friends. His pain was so hard to see...especially when you care so much about a kid and just cant do or say anything to make it go away. Thank God for Andi and Viki....seemed to settle him a bit. Praying that that sweet child is saved and healed completely. Her dad is one of our vets. She is just 16.

About midnight Lemon started to act as if she wanted to get down to business....pacing...sweating....peeing....however my hopes were dashed when I realized she was just nervous because Rex-Hannah and one of the "forgotten ones" had let themselves and their two fillies out of their pen and were running around in the front of the barn teasing poor Gumbo to death. Of course I could hear NONE of this over the torrential rain that was pounding on the tin roof of the barn.

Got everyone back where they belonged and she settled down to a quiet nap. Starlite of course...cribbing and eating hay with no intention at all of foaling anytime soon. The other "forgotten ones" all asleep in their stalls enjoying full bellies and the fact they were not getting rained on.

Sun came up and another day started.

Libbi and Bailey....the first of the "forgotten ones" to foal here....were turned out for the first time today. Little Bailey loves to run. Just makes circles and more circles around her Mama. All the while Lucie and Cassie are trying to figure out who this new kid is.

Think I'll try to get a shower in before I finish the stalls. Twice the work with straw and saw dust....but you know what....it's worth every second we are putting in.

Close to the day?

Not really......heck...the night shift has just started. Started feeding at 3:30 and it's what? 6:42 right now.... Still waiting on the last of the "forgotten ones" to finish their meal ..... some are just so thin that they have to eat lone so they can take their time and have extra.

Max and Lillie are so funny....born and raised by us....they have the run of the farm. Was cute when they were tiny weanlings....but now they are more like small horses....they know they are not allowed in the hay room, so they wait for me to be "busy" and sneak around the corner and grab some mouthfuls of sweet alfalfa. As soon as they hear my footsteps coming back down the barn isle.....they go tearing around the back of the barn hoping I don't notice the mess they left. Wait until they discover it is EASIER to get into the feed room .....lol....then I will have an issue!

Vet came today to worm all the "forgotten ones"..... I'm hoping that it will take the dullness out of their coats. Was nice to see that the vet is starting to notice a difference in them. We can actually catch them all now....even the wild two year old that they said we would never get a halter on, never mind get her into the trailer.....funny thing about these equine friends of ours....they know when they are headed out with good people and follow rather then run away.

As I'm writing this I am shoving something to eat down my throat so I can get back to the barn for another night on foal watch. Sometimes it feels like the mares are watching me...not I watching them. Good 'ole girls they are.

Have a good night all and I hope to report in the morning that SOMEONE has had their foal.

Starlite and the outsiders

It's amazing how the mares come from 2 different worlds and yet end up on the same farm. Starlite is having a hard time accepting the fact that she has to share her green field with the "hood" horses....little does she know...those outsiders....are bred as well as her...if not better. Just came from a bad situation.

When we turn them out in the morning....Starlite goes in with her neck arched, snorting and blowing at the "lesser" horses...making sure they move from her space. Once we let the lead rope go, she prances around the herd and scatters them demanding they leave her space.

I feel so bad for the "horses from the hood"....as they are just wanting to eat the good food that has been placed in front of them....and could really care less that the Queen has entered the pasture.

And another day starts on the farm.....

La Turka dropped her foal in the field with no warning. A healthy large filly we are calling Bailey. I guess we all stood there in shock watching this filly come up to the gate with her mama in the early morning fog. How the hell did that happen? I was so angry...we were supposed to be protecting these forgotten mares and I let her foal alone in a field??????

Have to be more cautious now...three forgotten mares left to foal...and without enough food during their pregnancy's....some are not developing a bag or any other signs of foaling. Hard to see a mare's hind end relaxing when it is sinking inbetween hip bones.

I feel so much emotion watching these mares walk around in the pastures, so content because their bellies are full....so grateful that we now are the protectors of these special mares who have produced so many winners on the track for so many people. In just weeks their rain-rot ridden coats will be shiny, and their ribs wont be so easy to see.

Time to go check the chickens....West Winds hotel is so full, even the chickens got kicked out of their home to provide space for the "forgotten ones"..... will blog later to let you know how Starlite and Lemon are doing....they are really close to foaling.