The last of Illusion’s 2011 foal crop arrived on Saturday.  Tricia Willsher’s TB mare Optical foaled a beautiful little colt.  His head markings sure bear a resemblance to our “Harry”.  Mom and Babe are doing fine. 

I really need to get out with my camera to get current foal pictures of our bunch.

Just heard from Tamara Taylor.  Her mare is expecting an Illusion foal for next year.  We haven’t had a wonderful breeding season.  Our two transported semen stallion service didn’t work and it was getting late in the year.  Oh, well that’s breeding.  Wynona as usual is worth her weight in gold as a broodmare and is expecting.  Our lovely mare, Taylor, with the broken knee, turned up open again.  We tried again with live cover, but she can’t take the pressure of the mount on her leg and won’t stand still; this presents problems when using a breeding ditch.   We bred twice with AI.  We’re pretty much beginners, so it was good practise.  Fingers crossed.  The good news is that Illusion’s fertility count is back to normal after his flu bout and 2 antibiotic series in the spring.  With so many open mares, it gives us a chance to concentrate on sales, regroup and boost our breeding season to earlier in the year next year. 

Marsh Haven Farm is in the process of readying 9 horses for sale.  Keep checking back for pics, videos and info.

Here is a list of what we will be offering

Nora G.  currently on sales page.  Nora has been in training and proving to be a very uncomplicated amateur horse.  She has classic hunter style and could move onto any “A” circuit ring in North America.  Sire is Native of Seattle, a prolific sire of champion hunters.  She has tremendous scope and could easily do the 4′ hunters. 

Lacey Go.  6 years: 15:2 TB Chestnut mare with lots of chrome.  This is an incredible horse for a child or small amateur.  Straightforward, uncomplicated babysitter type horse.  Anybody can ride.  If she wasn’t so fancy, she’d be an ideal school horse.  She can do it all: hunters, jumpers and equitation

Paisley’s Finest Hour: 2 year TB ch colt, eligible APtHA solid registry.  Lots of chrome.  This boy was bred to jump and is turning into everything we thought he would be; an old fashioned TB with bone to burn and a mind that can’t be beat.  His grandsire is Snowbound, one of the top sires of TB, 1/4 horse and Paint Horse racehorses.  He will mature close to 17hh.  Churchill will be started with foundation groundwork and basic undersaddle work this fall.  Price will increase with training

Electra MH: Canadian Warmblood filly, Ch & Wh tobiano 2 years.  Carmen is by top U.S. dressage horse sire Versace B, out of a Sandstorm mare.  Versace B is Haarlem/Goodtimes/Komeet/2X Marco Polo.  Sandstorm is Voltaire x Samber.  This makes her 2x Voltaire.  Carmen has the looks and talent to go with her stellar pedigree.  She shows tons of scope at liberty and is very easy to work with.  She will mature around 16:2.  She will also go for foundation training and basic undersaddle training this fall.  Price will increase with training.

Curious George MH: 2008 ch 14:1 hh first premium North American Sport Pony gelding.  George is by part Caspian Khamian’s Curious Kiwi, out of a Widikund mare.  He is a mixture of TB, Caspian and New Zealand Station horse on the sire side with 3/4 Hannoverian and 1/4 Morgan on the dam side.  Currently in training Walk, Trot, Canter.  He is a miniature Hannoverian.  George has an incredible mind and personality.  He would make a dynamite first pony.

Amelia Bedelia MH: 14hh, 2008, Ch, First Premium North American Sport Pony filly.  Amelia is also currently in training at Walk, Trot, Canter.  She is by the same sire as George out of a Dutch/TB mare.  Her dam is pinto and the possibility exists for her to throw colored foals.  Amelia is more refined and sensitive than George and would make an excellent “move up” pony.  Very sensible and athletic.  George and Amelia make a perfect pair (sometimes you have to count white to tell them apart) and will be put in harness as a pair this fall.  They are best friends and have matching gaits.  It is rare to find such a well matched pair.  Will sell separately, but prefer to see them go as a pair.

Marsh Haven Just Joey: 2008, solid bay, registered Caspian gelding.  Joey is a TB in miniature, standing 12:1 hh.  He has a huge stride.  We used him as a stallion this spring before gelding him.  He will begin his training this fall, first in harness, then under saddle.  A very fancy short stirrup, small hunter pony.

Kristull Goldmine: 2006, chestnut going roan, registered Caspian gelding.  His name is Goldmine and he is.  

Goldmine.  currently on sales page.  This little guy has to go.  Price drastically reduced.  He is an awesome “grandchild” pony and worth his weight in gold.  Walk, trot, canter and drives.  Solid as they  come, despite just turning 5 in September.

Marsh Haven Shah-Zaam (pending) 2011 Caspian Stallion prospect.  His foal coat is grulla dun, but he is shedding to be some variant of silver buckskin.  He is quite perfect anyway you look at him.  He carries the very desired Fel-Fel line through his sire.  If you are interested in rare breeds, or using Caspian lines in your pony program; this one is a don’t miss.

As soon as we get video of liberty, chute jumping and still photos we will have them up on the site and links to YouTube, within the next three weeks  Watch for our ads in equestrian magazines.

That was supposed to be the name of Nancy Delong’s new filly by Illusion, but it just doesn’t fit; she is yet to be named.  She looks very much like our ‘Whisper” (Emma’s filly).  She is out of TB mare, Just Jazzy.  Jazzy is over 16 hands and this is big filly, so she won’t be a pony.  It will be interesting to see how she develops.  Now we’re just waiting on Tricia’s filly by Illuison to another TB mare.

It continues to be soggy here (and we thought the drainage was solved)  We have Lake O’Neil in the middle of the drive.  The good news is that the county will soon start on its “borrow pit” for redoing the road out front.  They’ve said they’ll scrape down the middle of our driveway a foot to allow all the water to drain to the road.  It will make it easier coming home in with the trailer in the spring too (no more 4by).

The borrow pit is giving us a dugout 100′ x 300′ x 30′ deep in our front fields.  I’ll lose most of one pasture, but the grass there is done.  It would have had to be turned up and reseeded anyway.  I’ll just have to manage what I have more carefully.  The dugout will help us with watering the riding ring, as well as provide a base for my dream of a “Kandahar Memorial Garden”.  Our son Greg is in Kandahar now, in charge of what I consider the largest military “garage sale” ever.

Our double garage barn renovation is finally proceding; almost have the horse side finished; with the utilities/lab portion drywalled.  I’ll give a virtual tour via my blog when done. 

The grey days are getting tiresome; we had so many this winter.  I’ve never seen a mosquito population like this, even in the Yukon, but I’m told by oldtimers that it is normal for non-drought and won’t peak until mid August.  Come on Dragonflies; we need you.  We found out we could get permits for smudges for livestock, so have 3 set now, giving the horses some relief.  Yesterday, I found mosquito netting jackets with hoods.  Although you sweat under them, it makes it quite bearable to work in the early evening hours.  Who would have ever thought.  Now that I have the permit, I’m wondering how long it will be before the county shuts my smudges down because of complaints from the subdivision.

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.