THE FOALS OF THE WINTERY SPRING OF 2003 ARE HERE!!

Given that last year, I felt we had more than our fair share of BS colts, I was looking forward to the odds leaning in my favor this year in terms of color and fillies. It's springtime in Alberta - where we're needing moisture in the worst way. And nature obliges with a day of rain, followed by 6 inches of wet heavy snow in mid month, right in the middle of my foaling season. We live in what the agriculturists describe as "grey wooded soil" which is a fancy term for boot sucking liquid clay when it is wet and cement when dry.

Planning ahead, I got the barn ready for the broodmares to come in and foal, discovered that the foaling camera refused to work. Diane Magdalin told me about a super little unit at London Drugs, wireless and only 5 minutes to install. 

So at 1.30 pm on April 6th, a lovely, sunny, Sunday afternoon I left home on a quest for the camera, was gone less than an hour and a half - drove into the yard to discover that Teddys Sparkle had foaled. She must of laid down the minute I turned out of the driveway, because her filly, Olivia was up, dry, had nursed, pooped and was investigating her new digs. She is a tall, elegant baby with very sharp hooves as I discovered trying to get her to follow mom UP THE HILL to the barn. But, I won, Sparkle and Olivia were tucked away to bond together in the foaling stall.

Turned the camera onto The Wild Child who was waxing fairly heavily, watched her thru the night - she watched me back, I swear - stood in the same spot and did nothing. Turned her out at 8 am to enjoy actual nice spring weather - started cleaning barn when Bruce hollered that she was down outside and had started foaling. We did manage to get her to the barn for the actual event. She has a chunky sorrel BS colt by Chuckie named Carson. Very user friendly like his dad.

Mares two - camera none!! 

Next up in the time share foaling stall is Bar S Miss Dee due April 10th with her first foal for us. Turn the camera back to the foaling stall, go to bed to discover the darn monitor/receiver has died. So, checked her the old fashioned way, set the alarm, get up, struggle over to the barn - come back to bed. Get another camera the next day. Missy was very considerate, lets me enjoy using the camera for 3 nights before foaling at 9.30 pm on April 14th which was so nice of her. Her new filly, Izzabella has a bald face, a blue eye with eyeliner, stockings right up into her flanks and lots of ticking on her body. Her dad is Chuckie.

After Missy vacates the time share, Angie, our special old girl, moves in as she has big globs of wax, very loose behind on April 22nd. The Mr Conclusion daughter is also in the barn as the next lady in waiting. On the morning of the 23rd, Angie is sweaty, water breaks but hardly any comes out, she has a few contractions, then seems to quit. So I call the vets for a heads up at 8.30 am. I take her outside thinking she needs to move around to get motivated again - doesn't work. Vet calls, decides he needs to be here asap because she doesn't sound good. After palpating her, he discovers foal is in position but upside down, short version of the next bit - mare has quit helping, won't lay down - we put pulling chains on - not enough - put the breeching on her for maximum pull, she turns around, sees all this "stuff" on her, pitches a fit, vet exits stage left, hollering at me to get her stopped. I'm on the end of a whirling dervish, complete with chains, pipes, breeching etc, I'm screaming at her, trying to get her stopped without getting killed. Thinking back, I'm sure we could have won the $10,000.00 World's Funniest videos. Finally, get her stopped, we drug her, replace all the metal on her rear end and get ready to get the foal out. Vet is sure it is dead by now. But we persevere, and out he comes on his head, just like a giraffe, alive and kicking much to our amazement and delight. Vet leaves immediately for another emergency. There I am, with a mare who is in la-la land, she had no idea she has just had a foal - said foal is up, looking for love and food from mom. Another push, pull and drag trip UP THE HILL to the barn adding more color to my lower legs from sharp little feet. Get them in the barn, give Angie some oxytocin and make sure she lets Briggs (named for the vet of course) eat. I celebrate with a coke and quick bath. 5 shots later, she still hasn't cleaned although she has woke up and realizes that she has a baby. Progress and finally cleans at 4.30 pm.

Taking up residence in the foaling stall is Miss Solis Te, who has been waxing for a day or two. She actually enjoys it for a couple of nights with me watching her on the camera. On the evening of the 24th, coming back from the barn at 10 pm I check the other horses and can't find, Lady, our Triples Titan daughter. So go looking for her - discover her in the shelter, sweaty and dripping milk - she had no signs at supper time - with Lily keeping her company. So, UP HILL to the barn at warp ten, kick "Sally" out of the foaling stall, install Lady in there, give her hay and head back to the house. Grab a coke, sit down to watch tv and the barn camera. Get in two mouthfuls before she goes down and starts foaling. By 10.35 pm she is done, her minimal overo filly is up, looking for food. By midnight, I've named the filly, Martha Stewart or as Katherine, my friend in Georgia spells it, Marfa Stu Heart. She has attitude to burn and looks to match. 

The love of my horse life, Beverly, takes up residence in the foaling stall on the night of April 28th. Drips milk all the next day before foaling at 10 pm - and finally have my long awaited colored filly. Not a lot of color, just a funky extended white marking on her face. Leaving the barn, the Northern Lights are out in full force, dancing across the sky so the filly gets named Aurora as I figure the lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are celebrating her arrival. Even get to bed at a reasonable hour. Hurray!! 

Turn the camera to keep an eye on "Sally" who is still the lady in waiting, waxed and movin along. Tuesday, May 1st, she is streaming milk when I feed in the morning. Go out to the big field to feed where the rest of the broodmares are and discover that Desirable had her baby sometime in the wee hours of the morning. He's up, almost dry, mom's cleaned and keeping him away from the others. Fairly easy to spot from a distance, he's 95% white, brown hat tipped over his eyes, one of which is blue, plus a few small spots on his body, but he is a mover. Nice day so after a hug and once over I leave them outside in the warm sun.

Back to the barn, Sally wants to foal so bad, but after years of being on a PMU line, has to foal outside she says. So out in the mud we go, me thinking, I'll keep an eye on her, and when she goes down, hustle her to the barn for the actual event. I keep watching her, she's restless but doing nothing serious, so I wash the kitchen floor. Back to window to see her down, feet out - too late. Out comes a big, full bodied filly with just enough color. So, now have to wait until she can get up before we trek UP HILL to the barn. Mom is very protective making the journey out of the pen difficult but does add color of a different kind to the filly. But we do battle and in the barn they go, I dry off the filly and leave them alone. Off to the house for the coke and the required bath as I too am covered in mud, manure and smell of afterbirth. Lovely way to start the day.

Today, May 4th as I write this, we've had another dump of snow, the bitter cold wind is back and the latest 3 foals are still locked up in the barn. Went out to bring Dee and her boy in the barn Friday night - no way was she being caught. Tried again just before dark as the wind was ugly, off she goes into the trees where Roger The Dodger gets caught in a bush. Bingo, I jump into the bush, grab him so Dee has to come back, get a lead shank on her and they're safely caught. Another UPHILL trip to the barn. Roger is so pleased to be in where it is warm and dry, he tries to kick me. Missed but has since got me once more out of three tries. He sure didn't like having tail hairs pulled for his DNA test.

Not to be outdone by the other mares, Mickey too managed to foal outside on May 8th, another one of those not very spring like days. Left her outside while we ran to town - she wasn't showing any signs of impending foaling. Came home from the doctor's appt at 7 pm and started chores. And there was Mickey, laying down, Philip beside her, muddy, already pooping liquid brown. So get him up, wade thru the mud UP THE HILL to the barn hollering for Bruce the whole time. Poor Phil, his introduction to people consisted of penicillin and a giant dose of kaopectate to plug him up. Mom didn't clean until almost midnight so she too had her share of oxytocin. Think I used more of that this year than I have in the past 20 years. Morning found the two of them happier, dry and ready to go outside. - Not happening, in fact Philip lived inside for the first 5 days of his life, thanks to a little infection he developed and the nasty, cold weather that refused to quit.

Well one of the last things we did before leaving for the World Show was to take Miss Sizzle Chick over to friends just in case she foaled while we were gone. She was due July 6th and we left on the 25th. Sharon said it would good for her mare who was 30 days over to have company so they were happy to babysit her.

We didn't get an hour down the road when Sharon phoned to say that Chickie had foaled that morning - big, well marked, handsome stud colt. I was so tempted to turn around and go back just to see him but they said they would email pictures to us enroute. It was a long two weeks until we got to see Simon Says in person and the wait was worth it. 

Our matriarch, Miss Sizzle Chick is due the end of June and surely it won't be snowing then. Please visit our foal page for pictures and details on our new arrivals. We're really pleased with the quality this year and our color of course.

	aka "OLIVIA" Born April 6/03 - Sorrel Filly, possibly minimal overo Sire; The Grand Illusion, APHA Champion, Superior Halter Dam: Teddys Sparkle, Superior Western Pleasure, 3rd at World Show in WP Olivia is certainly destined to be a leader. Has yet to follow her mom anywhere in a timely fashion. Like her full siblings, she is tall and elegant with enough body to halter. I'm thinking her face white will qualify her for full papers as a yearling, it is so close at the moment. She is friendly, inquisitive and figures she rules the world. But loves her daily scratches and hugs even if she is the Queen.
	Born April 7/03  Chestnut BS colt  Sire: Bodyguard Dam: Heavenly Image, better known as The Wild Child Like his full brother, Duncan that we lost to colic last year, Carson was born, round, firm, full packed and ready to go. He's inherited his sire's wonderful disposition and intelligence. Good thing, because his mom is forever leaving him behind while she eats, drinks or goes off with the other mares. He's very self reliant, loves his hugs and scratches every day. Will be a super 4H gelding or great family horse for some lucky person. Carson and Olivia are best buds and almost inseparable.
	Sorrel Overo Filly Born: May 1st/03 Sire: The Grand Illusion Dam: Miss Solis Te (Mr. Conclusion x daughter of Te N Te) Of course she is beautiful, she had a mud bath to enhance her complexion as soon as she was born thanks to her mom's insistence on foaling outside and me being stupid enough to oblige her. Well we dried her off and she is a light sorrel with a flaxen tail, tall hind stockings, and a strip of white somewhere - I remember seeing it while she was being born. This filly is GOOD. Everything fits together perfectly. Jennifer Kunz who bought Cyd last year and lost her to an unfortunate accident has laid claim to her for months so she has first dibs on Gracie before we offer her for sale.
	Sire: Bodyguard Dam: Moolah Mickey Bars Philip was much anticipated as previous breedings of his dam to Dirty Teddy (same bloodlines as Chuckie) were a huge success with 3 foals going on to achieve good show records and one is now a producing mare as well. He didn't disappoint us with his arrival - he's big, correct, just enough face white to qualify and lots of presence. And now he's outside, he's a good mover to boot. Should make someone a great show gelding. Laid back personality like his dad will make him fun to have around as a bonus.
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