Our Dutch bred mare Emma (Beach Boy/Gentleman, 3x Lucky Boy) gave birth to a beautiful filly this morning.  The name hunt is now on.  This is the last of our 2011 crop.  We’ve been waiting for this one for a while.

We purchased Emma late in August 3 years ago and our inexperience in handling our own stallion failed to get her pregnant the next year. 

Emma herself has been a princess since the day she was born; something we’ve never moved to correct.  So, frankly we were worried about the birth and her nurturing abilities.  If we were going to have problems it was going to be with her.  We’ve been loading her with probiotics to assist with the cramping and discomfort and debated about bringing her in to foal under the watch of a camera and monitor, but felt she would fret too much if moved.  

Like all mares, she waited until we cleared the driveway for the day, as baby was up, dry, nursing and exploring her world when we got home. 

Emma is proving to be a good mom and a lot more relaxed than I’ve ever seen her.  She’s still a overprotective, but that will pass.

Color has yet to be determined, as like the two previous Illusion babies, she is a nondescript chestnut.  Fiona went from this to liver chestnut, to copper chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail as a yearling.  Harry is either liver chestnut, black, or chestnut going grey as his foal coat sheds. 

This filly is lot more refined and “horse like” than Wynona’s babies.  Names, my nemesis.  Any suggestions are welcome.

We’re teasing Wynona now, hoping she is in foal and crossing our fingers that Amelia is in foal.  Taylor is coming into heat, as is Sunny; so hopefully our breeding season won’t go far into July.  Sunny is going to be close because of the long weekend, we won’t be able to order semen until Monday for Tuesday.  The next few weeks are going to be busy, as we push Emma up a bit with hormone shots after her foal heat.  I guess I should start breeding in May to be done the end of June, but with my luck they’d all get done and I’d be dealing with April babies in a snowstorm.

Two more Illusion foals due from TB mares.  We bred really late (like Labour Day), so I’ll post those pictures when they arrive.

We don’t generally do much with our babies until they are weaned, but last night we did a little handling.  I just continue to be impressed with our little Lucy.  I think she’s the best we have ever had.  She is just stunning and has such a beautiful attitude; bold, sensitive and curious.  Her movement is so uphill and easy.  But this one could be the same in a smaller package

Harry and Lucy have started playing.  It’s hilarious.  Harry being a little older goes and initiates play.  Then they both tear around like crazy, but seem totally unaware that they can interact with each other.  They go back to their moms’ and it starts all over again.  Sunny is the best mare in the world.  She is often seen “babysitting” Harry, while Wynona goes off to graze on her own or stretches out completely.  When she’s had enough of the brat, she sends him home.  Sunny’s baby’s have to be a little older before she lets them stray far.  Texas is proving to be an awesome mom.  Shaazam is not her first foal, but her first foal with us.  Emma is off by herself today.  I can’t remember when we bred her, but I don’t think she is due until mid-July, but anything over 300 days is ball park.  She doesn’t let me near her udders, so I guess we’ll just have to watch her.

Harry has developed the thick neck and brick backhouse build that Fiona had, but as a yearling she is quite refined.  Must get a picture of her.  Lucy is stunning.  We’re thrilled with her.  Took Joey to the vet this morning for an “attitude adjustment”, after 3 Caspian colts, I think that if you are going to keep a stallion, he’s only good for breeding; you just can’t get and keep their attention.  But he will make a good gelding.

Sometime in the wee hours of the morning our Caspian mare Texas Lady had her foal.  This morning the pair got thoroughly soaked.  She has tried to steal the two other foals born before her and in keeping is being very protective.  Glen originally thought it may be a filly; Texas won’t let us get close, which is very typical of Caspians.  When I got home, we determined we have a little colt.  His daddy is Blaze, formerly owned by Allegra Steck.  We’ve been waiting 3 years for this colt, with our schedules and limitation imposed by CEM.  Last summer Brent Seufert purchased Blaze (I need to contact Allegra for his registered name); Texas was in Cremona waiting for him to arrive.  He appears to be a grulla buckskin complete with dorsal stripe, but we’ll have to see what happens after the foal fuzz.  He’s adorable.  You can see very clearly the vaulted forehead typical of Caspians because of the different skeletal structure of their skulls.

Now to come up with a name. 

After looking at this wee one and seeing Levi, Harry seemed huge, we hope he stays pony size.

Today while at Rocky Mountain Show Jumping to pick up horses I ran into Tanis Skinner.  She purchased our MH Chaucer as a weanling.  He is now a strapping 4 year old and was competing in his first outside show.  He was in the ribbons every class.  He is everything we thought he’d be and has personality plus which we now know is Wynona’s contribution. 

Levi’s show name is Lev It Up.

Well, she finally gave it up after 360 days.  M3 Soleil gave us a gorgiouefilly by P.S. I Love You.  We’ve been waiting almost the whole time as wel thought this one could be pretty special.  She was born just after midnight on June 11. 

I checked her just before midnight and was pretty sure foaling was imminent, but had to go to Calgary early.  She seemed relaxed and in charge, so I decided to let nature be the midwife.  In the morning we had a healthy, dry, active, nursing filly learning to find her legs under mom’s guidance.

We had a couple of names we were tossing around but they don’t fit, so any suggestions would be helpful