It's a filly!

Born at 8:30 am this morning in the pasture!  I'll tell more of the story later, but needless to say, I missed it because I had to work.  As I was leaving I knew she was going into labor, but I had to go.  Luckily my mom was here with my daughter so I have a million pictures.  I was able to swing by home about 30 minutes after she was born.  I think she's black!  It's hard to say though since I know they change a lot from their foal coat.

Cody is officially waxing.

Within the next couple days!  Tonight her vulva is also lengthened and she has somewhat softened around the tailhead.

Soon!!!!!!

Catlow is not waxing yet, but she could any day.

I've been accused of being obsessed with horse boobs.  Well, yes, I am obsessed!  I look at them many times throughout the day!  And my daughter thinks it is perfectly naturally to go around feeling horse udders!

They waited for me

Well, the girls waited for me, and we are STILL waiting.  Catlow has had a bit more crusty clear stuff on the ends of her teats but not consistently.  Then tonight I think she is more softened around the tail head.  Cody looks like she is actually starting to soften too, but she has no secretions on her teats.  Getting closer but nothing that says it'll happen in the next couple days.

And still waiting...

I leave his afternoon and won't be back till Sunday evening.  The mares are not showing any signs of being any closer...which I'm glad for, but I know things can change fast.  I just hope they wait till I get back!  I really want to be here when they foal!

The husband, parents, and neighbors will all be keeping an eye on them for me.  But it will be so hard to be away this weekend!


I took Stormy out for a ride last weekend and ponied Ginger.  They were both really good.  Ginger is a bit reactive to things touching her, so we are working on that.  She's a bit too much horse for my daughter right now, but she has potential.  We are working on it.

Neither her nor Stormy are afraid of water at all...in fact I have trouble keeping them out of it!

Still waiting

The girls are still making me wait.  Cody is at about 343 days now and it is not entirely uncommon for horses to go to 365 days!  I hope not.  Also, colts on average gestate for 5 days longer than fillies.  And maiden mares gestate longer than seasoned mares.  So I'm still being very patient.  Catlow really looks closer than Cody, and has had crusting (not quite wax) on her teat ends the last couple of days.  Either of them could go ANYTIME!  I dream about horses foaling all night long lately, and everyonce in a while during the day, the random thought that my mares are actually going to have foals creeps into my head and I get a rush of excitement.  Most of the time, its just the same old waiting game and I'm not really expecting too much.

I rode Chico the other day.  I round penned him a bit first and he was full of himself (he often almost bucks at first, but this was the most I've seen him do), but he settled down and we had a really nice ride.  I did not notice any lameness from him and he was not lame afterward.  We'll see.  I'll keep riding him this summer and see what we get.  I've been giving him increased omega-3 fatty acids (flaxseed) in an attempt to decrease inflammation in his system.  Maybe it's working.

Pregnant ladies

The official baby watch begins this weekend for Cody. 

She is due end of April/beginning of May.  Both her and Catlow have had some udder enlargement the last couple weeks, but it is all edema so far.  Some days their udders are much smaller and some days they are much larger.  No waxing or anything yet.  Catlow does have some clear fluid that can be expressed from her udder, but the glands are not very developed yet.  Catlow isn't due until mid-end of May, but horses can be quite variable.  It's possible Catlow has her foal before Cody.  I guess we'll just have to watch their signs.  So far, I don't think either of them are that close.  Catlow has softer muscles around the tailhead and as of a couple days ago, her udder is larger than Cody's. 

 

Catlow

Cody

I guess we should start the official guess foaling dates?  Not sure what the prize will be, maybe just the satisfaction of being in tune with the horse?

I think Cody is a ways off...I think she'll go later than earlier, so I'm going to guess May 7th!  Right before I head out to vet an endurance ride...at least I hope she has her foal before then because I don't think I'll be able to stand being away if she's going to foal while I'm gone!

I think Catlow will go on the earlier end of her estimated due dates.  Catlow will foal May 13th!

I just hope that they foal without complications.  I know too much about what can go wrong.  I'm in general not a worrier though.  But it is there in the back of my mind.

Everyone is all out together with Ginger now.  Cody and Chico chase her the most.  Catlow only moves her out of her way.  Ginger loves Catlow and follows her everywhere.  Stormy started out chasing her quite a bit, but now she's in heat, so she's been following Ginger around like a love-sick puppy-dog.  Ginger doesn't know what to think of this strange switch from Stormy, so she still runs away from her.  You can just imagine Stormy following poor confused Ginger sho isn't sure if she's gonna get bit or not.  Stormy is always this way...she shows really strong heat, and expresses it toward the "new" horse in the herd.  If there is no "new" horse, Chico gets the lovesick puppy dog following him around.

New Pony

So, I bought a new pony last weekend.  Her name is Ginger.  She is adorable, looks like a little horse, not a pony.  She is 8 years old, can ride and drive, though needs a bit more work with the drive, I think.  She sat in a pasture the last 3 years and hasn't has anything done with her.  But she is sensitive, not pushy, and seems kind.  She likes kids.  She was a bit leery of me at first, but we are rapidly making friends.  Now hopefully she can make some horse friends too.  So far, everyone hates her.  Catlow is the only one that tolerates her, but still chases her to make sure she knows who the boss is.  Cody really hates her, but I think it's the hormones.  I haven't yet turned Chico out with her cuz I'm pretty sure he will chase her relentlessly for a while.  I want her to be comfortable here before I subject her to that.

 

 

First I turned Stormy out with her.  She was a bit freaked to be with the pony and not the herd.

 

But I got some fabulous pictures of her running!

 

Everyone got riled up and the fatty pregnant ladies ran too.  They look so awkward!  Cody is only 2 weeks out and I am so excited!!!!!!

Isn't she gorgeous?  A little horse!  She's not pushy like a lot of ponies I've met.  She's a bit more sensitive than she needs to be, but we'll work on it.  She has a lot of potential.  Oh, and she has never foundered from what I can tell of how her feet look.  

She even moves like a horse.  Big strides.

 

Catlow does chase her, but really not very aggressively.  Cody runs the poor pony in circles.  Which probably isn't good for a pregnant lady, so her and Chico are going to be in a different pasture for a while.

 I think Catlow is sick of being pregnant.  She often has this look on her face.  Only 5 more weeks for her!

Spring rides

 

We've been out with me leading my daughter on Stormy now that the weather has warmed up.  Stormy has been pretty good, though she did need a bit of a tuneup the 3rd day.  She wanted to keep quitting, and when I got after her, she kicked out at me!  This is with the daughter not on top of course.  I think Stormy has been spoiled lately with the new barn and she thinks she is a princess.  I rode her solo the other day and she was pretty good, but out of shape and did need some reminders too.  But all in all, we have has some nice rides this spring.  And Stormy's lameness from last fall seems much improved this spring.  Next I need to ride Chico and assess his lameness. 

 

The girls, Cody and Catlow, are busy being pregnant.  I have increased their feed (I give them alfalfa pellets, oats, Purina Enrich Plus, Equishine Free Choice mineral, rice bran, and beet pulp - about 5 lbs of feed total in the morning and lately now about 2 lbs at night).  It is amazing how much they can eat at this stage in their pregnancy.  They are in good condition, but they could be just a hair fatter going in to foaling and lactation.  I can still feel their ribs, but can't see them.  In contrast, Chico and Stormy are getting much less feed than they are (just to fulfill mineral/vitamin requirements) and they are blubbery...have a hard time feeling their ribs.  Cody is only 1.5 months out now!  2 months for Catlow.  I can't wait!!!!

I've been busy.  I haven't been posting much here, but I'm posting elsewhere trying to do more advertising for our veterinary practice.  If you are interested, check us out on our website and you can find us on facebook too!  "Tomah Large Animal Veterinary Service"


It has been a very cold February here.  It's been nice to use the new barn for feeding, but the fencing can't be finished until the ground thaws and dries out and the landscaping can be finished around the barn.  That means that when I want to supplement them, I have to open their gate and let them all file into the barn (which they learned to do without being haltered and led within a few days).  They also all know which stall is theirs now.  The pain comes when they are done.  I have to halter and lead them back to the pasture 2 horses at a time.  If I try to do all 4 and lead 2, invariably, the two loose horses wander into the yard to dig for grass under the snow.  If the weather was nicer, it wouldn't be such a pain, but it has been very very cold.  We are just patiently waiting for winter to end!

Catlow's baby

All along I knew I was going to have Catlow bred too.  I'm almost more excited about her baby.  I feel she has more positive attributes to pass along to a foal that I couldn't get out of quarter horse breeding.  She has stout bone, big feet, and a very nicely balanced body with a big stride, and to top it off, she has a beautiful head.  You can't find quarter horses with stout bone and big feet anymore.  I've looked.  I'm sure they are out there, but they are not the ones that are being advertised and siring dozens of foal.  Catlow is often mistaken for a quarter horse with her very balanced body and big hip...and I think it is a shame that her foal could not be registered as a quarter horse.  I think she could do a lot to improve the breed.  I fear quarter horses are going the way of thoroughbreds...such a limited gene pool.  It didn't start that way; quarter horses had a very diverse beginning, with mustangs figuring prominently into their foundation stock.  But now, after generations of selective breeding, many of them do not resemble their founders at all, not to mention being plagued with some genetic issues due to "line" breeding (another word for "inbreeding"). 

Years ago, when I was first toying with the ideas of breeding my special girls, I considered a gaited horse for Catlow.  She almost moves like a gaited horse sometimes, and she has a big overreach with her hind end.  I think she'd match well with a gaited horse.  But, I am a bit stuck in my ways and just like the way quarter horses look.  IF I ever decide to have another baby from her (unlikely, but I can't predict the future), I might go with a gaited horse.  I of course get a lot of insight into gaited horses from my "heritage" Tennessee Walker breeding neighbor.  I think I would look into a Rocky Mountain Horse first, and Tennessee Walker second....but that's beside the point....right now Catlow will be having a foal sired by Rawhides Slvr Bullet!

Not only is he a wonderfully built stallion with a solid reputation of having a good temperament, but he is also a well known reining stallion that was successfully shown...and grullo on top of that!

Of course I've played around with the color genetics (I was a geneticist in my former life you know...)

Offspring Color Probability (Catlow X Bullet)

25.0% - Red Dun
25.0% - Chestnut/Sorrel
12.5% - Black
12.5% - Bay Dun
12.5% - Bay
12.5% - Grullo

I'll be using the baby as an all around horse, and mostly a trail horse.  It's crazy to think that my special horses are almost in their teens.  Catlow is 11 this year and Cody is 12.  By the time their babies are ridable, they will be 15 and 16!!!  I think it is a good time to think about replacing them someday, not that they could ever be replaced, but the timing is right.  By the time the girls are slowing down, their young'uns will be developing into solid horses themselves. 

It's kinda funny spending time with the herd now.  The mares are definitely starting to "show" and are 7 months along (only 4 months left!!!).  They are slowing down.  I can sense the fatigue in them.  They just aren't peppy and almost act like sometimes it is too much work to get moving from a standstill.  Don't get me wrong - they are still plenty agile and I see them galloping in the field and cavorting still (saw Cody rearing up and picking on Chico the other day), but they are really taking resting seriously these days.

 Catlow

 

 

 

Cody

 

 

The weather has been above freezing the past couple of days and Stormy has needed a trim for a while, so I brought her into the new barn and got her done.  I just think she looks gorgeous tied to the wall that will be my tack room eventually!

And I might as well show more shots of our barn/garage/shelter.  It has it all and is PERFECT!  Aside from the fact that it is not finished yet.  But our builder does quality work and I will not rush him.

 

Front side - this building will double as a haul in clinic for horses and some small animals eventually.  The garage area will be heated for large animal exams, and there will be a small side room that is also heated with water that will serve as a small animal exam/surgery room.  There is clear panel instead of tin above the stalls to allow ambient light in so that the barn will not need to be lit at all during the day.  It works really well.

From the back.  The horses will have access to the shelter area at all times, and the stalls will be only for bad weather, and feeding supplements (mostly the stalls are for me.  My horses have never had them and never seemed to want them.  But I will have fun being able to still visit them when the weather is bad)

 

The stalls area.  Just got the first door on today.  It is all rough sawn oak.  The builder's father saws it from his own woods.  We got a great price on it.