# Anna's Girls - Updated news.



## AnnaC

Ok so I suppose it is now my turn to join the foaling stakes! I have possibly 7 to foal and they are due throughout July. No cams I'm afraid, so you will just have to make do with my pictures/updates and loads of my 'woffle' LOL!! It's actually a bit complicated as all but one of them are related in some way, but I'll try to keep it simple for you as I introduce them.






First the girls -- at the start of it all is my wonderful 'mature girl' Nutty (22) who has been with me since she was a 3 year old. She's a dark bay and around 35" (all UK measurements), in foal to Dragon (Darmonds Boogerman's Bravado).

Next is Nokomis (commonly known as Narcotics or Cotics) (17) Nutty daughter, snowflake, approx 36", in foal to Ancaster Masterpiece (Spotbum). (lost a foal to him last year, foaling 5 weeks early and foal in the bag)

Next is Lady (8), another Nutty daughter, black and white pinto by mini British Shetland Romany Kajun (Buzz) approx 35", in foal to Dragon for her second foal.

Next is Neyla (6) another Nutty daughter, black and white pinto by my Falabella stallion Ansel, approx 34", in foal to Dragon for her second foal.

Next is Nell (8) Narcotic's daughter, black and white pinto with white mottling (sabino?) by Buzz, approx 35", in foal to Spotbum for her second foal.

Then comes Prue (no relation to Nutty LOL!!) (10) black and white pinto by Buzz, approx 36", in foal to Dragon for her 4th foal.

And lastly comes little Vee (no relation to anyone!!) (11) solid bay, approx 30" in foal to Dragon for her 4th foal - 3 fillies so far!!

They all moved over to Cathy's farm around 3 weeks ago and we have had problems with the change in grass between here and there. Here they are out at grass all year round and I never have 'digestive' problems, but although the grass is short at Cathy's (cows and sheep have grazed the field down for my girls) it is 'cow' grass, and proved a bit rich for them - loose droppings and the weight piled on, poor Prue suddenly became a bit feely footed so hastily got her into the big barn and treated her as per laminitic and after 5 days of just an hour outside on the grass she is fine, but lesson learnt and she's now allowed out for 2 hours in the afternoon. Cathy's partner bought 30 cows down into the field for us to munch it again, reducing it to a lot less than the girls normally have here (it s only just over an acre field), but had to move the cows of again in two days as they were hungry! So Cathy is running in and out fetching the girls in to the barn at various times depending upon what we think they should be eating, but hopefully they will all settle soon.

Still not too sure whether they are all in foal or not - upon arrival 3 of them saw Ansel in the barn (he's in during the day and out at night) and wiggled their way down the barn, tails up, saying "Hello darling and how are you today, oooooo you are such a handsome man" Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr well we shall see. LOL!!

That's it for now. Lots more idle chat will be coming while we WAIT, but I can tell you that Narcotics (covered Aug 19 to 24th) suddenly developed quite a bag overnight last night and she is meant to be the second LAST to foal, still after her catching us unawares so early last year, Cathy is keeping a close watch on her.

Pics will follow soon!!


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## Wings

:ThumbUp Looking forward to pics Anna!


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## cassie

YAY Anna, has her own thread



can't wait to see what your lovely girls produce this year Anna!


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## Bonny

Sweet! Looking forward to piccies!


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## a mini dream come true

Yea Anna, sounds like you have your hands ful with all these babies due. And you also sound very organized



Looking forward to following your girls with their foalings.

Like Diane, I would also love to see a pic of Anselmo.


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## AnnaC

Will try for you Diane but he is just so unphotogenic LOL!!

Bit of a problem here this morning. Heard what I though was a couple of my cats having a scuffle outside around 1am last night. Mrs Nest (my JR terrier) shot off the bed and rushed out the cat flap to sort them out, suddenly there was a real screaming match going on. Shot out of bed and leaned out the window shouting madly - thought Mrs Nest had got hold of a cat! The screaming stopped and I grabbed my dressing down to go down stairs to check. Mrs Nest came into the bedroom looking very dejected and 'grubby' and I told her off for chasing the cats. On my way down stairs I passed all the cats looking very worried, one was missing. Called out the back door and he appeared looking nervous but unhurt. Mrs Nest followed me back down stairs still looking worried, shaken and very nervous. Suddenly realised that SHE had been attacked by whatever was outside in the garden. Poor Nest - and I had shouted at her, which obviously didn't help her as she was now very worried about ME!!

She seems to be 'unhurt' - one or two tiny blood spots here and there but was obviously very distressed and shaken. Having made sure there was no actual damage I gave her a small warm drink and sat with her stroking her gently and talking to her. Eventually we all made our way back to bed, she moving very slowly. She got more and more stiff as time went past and I sat up on my bed with her until 5am this morning, when I dosed off. She's still laying in the same position now, covered with a warm blanket, sleeping calmly, but from what I can gather, something must have picked her up and given her a good shake (not easy with a sporty JR who kills rats quicker than you can snap your fingers!) and she is now so stiff she doesn't want to move!

Now wondering how I can get her off the bed and downstairs - not sure she's going to want to move herself as all her muscles must be 'strained', but I do need her down on the flat, so she can get outside when she needs, she certainly cant tackle the stairs herself! Once I do manage to get her down, do you think I could give her half a dispersible aspirin (I have to take one a day and they are a very mild dosage - 75 wotsits, not the ususal 300), would it help a little with her seized muscles?? Any other suggestions?? She is 7 by the way so not a youngster in doggy years as I know aspirin are not good for children.

See I told you that you will get involved in life here - not just with the horses!!


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## cassie

wow Anna, you poor thing! what sort of animals do you have out there that could do that to your gorgeous dog?

yes you should be right to give her a 1/4 aspirin, wait how much does she weigh? I would start off with 1/4 and then if that doesn't help give her another 1/4... poor sweety... does she have any bad cuts ? does she favour one leg? or is she just sore all over?? Im sure you have checked her all over your such a good mum



but I just hate seeing dog or any fight wounds on animals...



get better soon Mrs Nest!!!


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## Eagle

oh poor Nest, I am so sorry Anna. I would slid something under her like a tray or something and then carry her downstairs, if she isn't up by this afternoon to drink and pee you might have to take her to the vets for an xray.

Hugs Renee


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## AnnaC

Thank you my friends - glad to say that she is going to be ok eventually.





Cathy came over around 10am (she is actually Cathy's dog) and after about an hour of us sitting with her Mrs Nest very carefully got herself up and wobbled across the bed into Cathy's arms - who had quickly moved round to catch her. We waited a bit longer with her standing leaning against Cathy's chest and then very carefully Cathy tried lifting her. All ok, and we carried her out into the garden, got her on the grass and supported her as she moved off. You are quite right Diane, she needed to move to release some of those strained muscles. She wobbled away, gaining strength, but with a wonky back leg - hock is a bit swollen - and had a pee, actually two pees, and a few moments later a poo - no blood in either thank goodness. Any way she is not right yet, still very stiff, but willing to move around when she needs too. We will be keeping a good eye on how she progresses, particularly on her swollen hock, but she is one tough little customer and a brilliant 'self healer' so I think time will be the right answer for her.

Mrs Nest sends you all her thanks for the good wishes and would give you kisses if she reach you all!!

Pics of the mares will be here this evening.


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## Equuisize

Oh, poor punkin' - Hope your pup feels better with some exercise and a lot of TLC. I do give aspirin for minor ouches to my dog, too,

as per my old vet.

Sometimes TLC helps a lot, they are very brave little dogs and her feelings may be hurt that something got the jump on her.

July is coming on quickly.....and we'll be able to cheer on your girls with you.


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## AnnaC

Thanks Nancy - yes she does seemed 'bothered' that she got caught unawares! We think it might have been a polecat which turned on her instead of running and they probably had a 'roll about/entangled' fight before my shouting out the window stopped the fight. We do have Badgers, but they are normally across the fields not right outside the back porch door and a fox would have shot off hearing her coming. Of course there is also the Brechfa Beast that is said to roam our forest - but that's just myth???????????????

She is walking better - well rolling/pacing really - and using that back leg ok, plus she's had three small meals all with a little chicken added and several small drinks of warm tea - just a splash of milk - and insisted on being with me while I did teatime horses, but she is also sleeping a lot which i feel is good for the recovery process.

Mrs Nest - on our way from our top barn at teatime and outside the back porch right next to the old, now weedy, veg enclosure where the fight took place. Piffle, just realised I need the *more reply options *to post pics. So next post folks and I will follow with mare pics.


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## AnnaC

First post Mrs Nest.


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## Eagle

I am sending lots of hugs snd kisses to Mrs Nest.


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## AnnaC

Now the girls! I will probably put just two pics on each post asit is less muddling for me (new to this way of posting pictures.

I will get them all posted so if you would rather wait to see them all following on, then please wait to post your comments until I get to the end of the posts. Thank you.

First Cathy's barn when viewed from the field and Neyla with cow 'friends' up the field.


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## AnnaC

Next Nutty, - covered from aug. 10th onwards - she was one that reacted to Ansel, so in foal or empty?


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## AnnaC

Ooooooo forgot to say please excuse all the dried mucky mess round the front of the barn - they had just finished mucking out from the sheep so that Cathy can build the horse pens, and hadn't finished clearing up!

Next Narcotics - covered from Aug 19th owards - she has milk bag, will get pics for you when I'm next over there.


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## AnnaC

Next Lady - covered Aug 6th onwards - this is only her second foal, her first is now 4 years old.

As I only have one pic of Lady I'm including Neyla too, covered Aug 16th on for 2nd foal.


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## AnnaC

Next Prue - covered Aug 7th onwards and Nell - covered Aug 12 on for 2nd foal.


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## AnnaC

And finally, little Vee (3/4 Falabella Diane and spotted sire!!) Vee IS in foal as she is normally such a sweet little poppet and is now a right crabby wotsit - no chance of even peering at her boobies this time round so it must be a colt, which would be good as we have three fillies from her already. LOL!! Covered Aug 20th onwards.

Thats all folks - how many do you think might be in foal??

Thanks for looking.


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## Equuisize

Oh what a good girl to go with you to feed the teatime meal. She probably wanted to be sure she was there to protect you from 'the monster'.

The chicken and tea probably didn't hurt her feelings either and moving about as we know, for ourselves, is really the best remedy.

Love the farm photos .... it's a dreamscape.

The girls are all looking so good -- next few weeks will be the telling tale.


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## Wings

Hug for Mrs Nest






Your girls are looking great but we need more farm photos 

Foal bellies look promising as well!


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## a mini dream come true

All beautiful and look in foal to me. Love the farm pics. I'll be watching the progress of your lovely girls and hugs to Mrs. Nest


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## AnnaC

Mrs Nest is a lot better this morning - nowhere near right, but improved. She got upstairs by herself last night, naughty girl, and I made her a big comfy bed on the floor beside me (over a hot water pipe) so she wouldn't try to get on the bed in the night. I also shut the bedroom door to stop her disappearing without me knowing, much to the disgust of the cats who kept waking me with their indignant scratching to get in LOL!! But this morning I was able to pick her up to get her back downstairs without her objecting and once down she hopped out via the cat flap before I could get the door open, so I think I will just follow the plan of letting her do her own thing and trust that she wont do anything stupid!

Diane, Vee is a great favourite with us, such a nice, easy to deal with little girl, dont you just love the easy ones!



Which is why we are laughing now instead of being cross with her when she aims a determind kick at anyone trying to even take a peek at her privates. LOL!! We got her as a scrawny yearling and no, she is no relation to Ansel and has had 3 fillies by Ansel, Mootie and Dragon - this foal is another Dragon one, so a colt would be welcome. (after covering all the other HUGE mares last year, Dragon breathed a sigh of relief at the sight (size) of Vee, announced "stand aside, I can do this one on my own", and hopped up quickly to do the deed, when he dismounted he paused with a big sigh as if to say, phew, that was more like it.!!


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## cassie

HAHA Anna, you tell such great stories! poor Dragon! so can we see a pic of her last foal with Dragon? please to see what we could get this time??

I think they all look GORGEOUS and all in foal! well I hope they are anyway


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## bannerminis

Your ladies are all looking super Anna. Cant wait to see your babies arrive. It is of course getting to the time in the pregnancy where time seems to stand still. Well thats how I feel anyway LOL You wait and you wait and you wait and then when they foal time seems to go by so quickly and before you know it the foals you waited so long for are 6 mths old LOL.

You will have to keep us posted with LOTS of photos over the coming wks.


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## AnnaC

So very true Karina, which is why I'm hoping to make this topic a general chatty/picture one to help while away the time!!

Couple of pics for you to smile at folks. Mrs Nest helping Hamish during a family evening playing cards. And how she likes to spend her nights - note my labradoodle M asleep on her pillow - I of course am supposed to squeeze inbeteen the pair of them. LOL!!


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## Equuisize

Oh what sweet photos.

I especially like the one with her loving Hamish....what a sweet expression.

Gosh, I hope that a BIG bed....doesn't look like there is much room for you to squeeze in and get a good night's sleep.

I suppose if you moved to the guest room to sleep they'd just follow along to whatever bed you choose?


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## MeganH

Awww Bless Mrs. Nest!

Love all your photos and can't wait to see all the babies!


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## AnnaC

Diane, you may well be wrong, sorry. Message from Cathy this evening - it seems that Nutty may well be in season again. Will have to check her dates to see if our suspicions from the last time she did this, fall in line with this 'session'. She only did it for about 20 minutes and then forgot about it and went to annoy Cathy instead!! Cathy was busy constructing the new foaling pens and Nutty wanted to help. Poor Cathy had Nutty knocking over the hurdles, walking between them and getting stuck - she doesn't have a reverse gear - poking her nose everywhere it wasn't wanted and generally being a pest. Cathy said that every time she turned round she walked into Nutty and several times when turning with a hurdle in her hands she actually collided with her! Not that Nutty cared LOL!! Nutty is actually blind in her left eye so collisions between her and silly unthinking humans are a daily part of her life - she never collides with normal stationary objects! In the end Cathy took a pause to look at her handywork and to plan her next move and Nutty moved over to stand pressed up against her, so Cathy was forced to put her arm over Nutty's neck and they stood there for a good few minutes quietly, until Nutty obviously decided that the fun work was over and wandered off out of the barn to go and annoy the others in the field!! Bless her!!

Cathy is hoping to get 3 16x12 foot and 3 14x12 foot pens down one side of the barn space allocated to her plus one 12x12 for little Vee. Then she has the 30 foot width of the centre 'corridor' where she will park the horse box for night watching. The other side of her 'area' of corridor has 4 30foot cattle pens down it and it three of these that she is using at the moment for Prue and the 'fatties' for their 'in' times away from the grass. The end 30 foot has its outer door open so those out in the field can take shelter when they want or just wander in to be nosy!!

Cassie I do have a pic somewhere of Vee's Dragon foal, but I cant seem to find it!! Will keep looking.


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## cassie

oh I sooo hope Nutty is pregnant Anna!!! I guess time will tell. She sure looks preggers LOL

naww I can so imagine her doing that, Suzie is exactly the same, her and Smartie are in the BIG 15 acre paddock at the moment and I was out letting Kingston out and Suzie stopped eating that gorgeous grass and came and stood right by me, while I gave her little scratches all over



I just love the snuggly ones!! lol

Mrs Nest is looking really good HAHA I can so imagine you trying to sneak into bed with your two sleeping dogs legs sprawled out making it a tight squeeze for you LOL,

thats fine, would love to see the pics but if you can't find them thats ok



have a nice evening


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## Wings

Nutty sounds like such a character. She'd fit in around here


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## AnnaC

Just got back from visiting Cathy and the girls. Spent some time doing the ring test on the girls, first I used my wedding ring and then a nail - absolutely nothing, ziltch, not even a small swing in any direction LOL!! It has always worked for me before, so does this mean that the three I'm sure are in foal are having false pregnancies and the other four are not in foal anyway - one of those produced large kick movements in front of two onlookers yesterday evening!! And I was so hoping to get an idea of colt or filly!!

Anyway here are today's pictures of Narcotics - she will be 300 days on 23rd June (taken from the middle of her covering dates) so exactly two weeks now from her to be over the 'hump' for a healthy baby, but I cant see her going to 'term' can you?


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## AnnaC

One of Nutty and Narcotics sharing Momma and daughter scratches. And a baby moo born last night!


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## Eagle

Great pics Anna, your place is breath taking! I am so glad that Mre Nest is feeling better





Britt flirted and peed at Eagle a month before she foaled, like Diane said it is probably her hormones



they look very preggo to me


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## Wings

Beauty flirts all the time



Makes it really annoying to know if she is in foal or not!

Last year Rivain got really hormonal near the end of her pregnancy but the foal bellie was enough to convince me she was still in foal. These girls just love to mess with us


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## cassie

hmmm, she is very interesting, but she may do like the others this year and start to bag up real early then pause everything until she is ready... Odette certainly did that LOL

oh your baby moo is just gorgeous! what breed is he/ she? I can't wait till calving season starts again for us here, especially as I won't be having a little foal baby



good luck with the rest of the calving and I hope you little miss mumma's are good girls and hold on for the full amount of time...


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## Wings

Sometimes I miss hand rearing calves.. they are so cute! Then I remember how insane my two made me


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## Eagle

I hope everyone has a great Sunday


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## AnnaC

Ditto to you Renee and to everyone.





Busy here today as it's Cathy's 'day' here, so lots of jobs to get squashed into the day - things that I need a hand with. Later this week Hamish will be back from Sussex for some sort of concert locally, not sure how long he will be home - depends upon the work down in Sussex - but if I can tear him away from his girlfriend I shall be putting him to work. LOL!! On the other hand I have just realised that the peace and quiet that I enjoy so much, will be shattered from the moment he opens the door and whirls through the house trailing all his belongings behind him - why do men never 'pick up'?? LOL!! Not to mention the fact that he will also want to eat and as he is well over 6' he EATS!! Guess a trip to the great metropolis of Carmarthen for supplies will be on the cards Monday or Tuesday! UGH!!


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## Eagle

lol you always make me giggle


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## a mini dream come true

Castle Rock Miniatures said:


> Your comment about him eating just has me laughing!!! My daughter, Katy, is the shortest in my family of children, and she's about 6'1". So, that said, you know my boys are definitely over that! I remember as teenagers, each of my boys drank at LEAST 1 gallon of milk and ate a long loaf of bread and a whole box of cereral at breakfast every day. And they were STILL thin kids! People used to laugh at me at the grocery pulling 2 full carts to the cash register. I had the biggest refrigerator I could buy just to TRY to keep my kids "in food" !!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Have a good day ladies....and don't work too hard today, Anna!!


oh how funny Diane, I can remember those days and I just had girls.

Ditto on the great day everyone and the not working too hard, Anna.


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## cassie

Wings said:


> Sometimes I miss hand rearing calves.. they are so cute! Then I remember how insane my two made me


haha I'm the same Bree



but just having the little ones around is good enough for me



especially now that my hand raised girl Kia is at calving age and is producing really nice babies



makes it exciting to see what she produces each year





hope you got lots of jobs done anna, and that hamish doesn't eat you out of house and home, with three younger brothers I know how that goes, when mum n dad were away the boys were drinking a 4 litre bottle of milk a day



lol and of course half a can of milo with that





hey Diane, are you going to set up your own thread soon? did you just have 2 foaling this year?


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## AnnaC

Well we are making progress! Cathy has been building her new pens for the girls down one side of the barn - 3 at 16x12 foot, 3 at 14x12 foot and one at 12x12 for little Vee - this wll be alongside Narcotics pen and out into the centre corridor, making an L shape, so that the two friends can be next to each other, although as the 'walls' of the pens are being made out of gates and sheep hurdles, they will all be able to see each other down the line. She is now working on boarding the bottom of the 'walls' to keep the foals safe from any gaps in the gates/hurdles. And today she got the men to use their 'chopping' machine to chop up one of those huge straw bales (10x4x4 foot) and to shoot it out of the other end of the machine straight into the first three pens - this will form the 'base' to the deep litter system that we use and will save her hours on manually shaking up straw!! Once the mares are in the pens she will be putting daily fresh straw down on this base, having picked up all their droppings.

Pics are of the first pens a couple of days ago with some of the boarding ready for inclusion - oh and one of naughty Nutty (of course) watching the goings on from the cow pens on the other side of the centre corridor - this is the one that has the outside door open so that they can free use it direct from the field - our version of a run in pen!

AND Cathy reports that tonight Narcotics udder has doubled in size after the day OUTSIDE!! Too soon, too soon. Actually Cathy has her at 300 days this coming weekend, taking it from the first day of covering, whereas I say the following weekend, taking it from the end of her covering. Where do you all count your days from??

Sorry folks - pics on the next post!! Keep forgetting to post using the 'more reply option' LOL!!


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## AnnaC

Pics..........................................


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## Wings

Sounds busy! I love the 'lead up to foaling' activity





I count my days from the first covering, just helps keep track of the earliest possible due dates.

Looking forward to pics!

I also forget to hit more reply options, but after you have typed out your reply you can hit more reply options and it will copy all the text over and you can still add pics.


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## cassie

naw!!! YAY for new babies for Anna soon!! I'm so excited to see what your gorgeous girls give you this year Anna!!!! 

Thats fine Diane, well I hope your old girl, is cooking something real special in there for you



 how many are you Hoping to put in the for next year??


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## Wings

My fingers are crossed Diane.. you know if you don't have room for Spotty you can just giftwrap him and send him over



:whistling


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## AnnaC

LOL!! Bree - or he could come here, not so far to travel!! (thanks for the tip about posting too - great!!)

Great plans Diane - I really hope it all works out for you.





Cassie, how is the progress coming along with your 'skin' problems? You haven't mentioned it lately and I was hoping that things are improving for you??


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## MeganH

I am excited to see Anna's foals for this year!



Yay!

Diane- I sent you a PM about color



I hope everything works out for you! How is Volt looking these days? I see him in the magazines on the breeders advertisement and point him out to hubby every time lol

I need to send in that photo of Ricky to the get them to publish it


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## raine

Just had a look at your girls Anna all very nice and very round... looking forward to seeing what they have


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## AnnaC

Thanks Raine - you are so polite!! Everyone here knows that my girls are FAT. LOL!! They certainly 'blew up' some more since being over at daughter's farm for foaling, the 'cow' grass there doesn't really agree with them. Unlike here, where we have 'old' pasture that is full of herbs etc. Mind you i must say that, where two weeks ago I was madly moving the herd from field to field trying to offer them a bite of 'new' grass, in the last couple of days the grass has arrived and now I have too much!! So I have already had to shut off one field and the herd are using another plus the 25 ares of the dell fields in the hope they will keep the grass down - they are happy little bunnies! LOL!!

Apart fom Narcotics - who's udder continues to increase - the other girls at Cathys ALL seem to be doing something in that direction. They all have milk glands - but that could be coz they are fat! - but have also started to get what I call 'hard' lines in the actual udders, so we are keeping our fingers crossed. Whether Nutty is in foal or not I'm still not sure, but she loves having Cathy check her udder, lifting her back leg so far up to help that she almost falls over - must try to get a picture when I go visiting tomorrow!

There has been some really bad flooding in North Wales due to all the sudden recent rain, and there are now flood warnings out for the South with the next lot of bad weather expected from tomorrow. We are quite safe here as we are so high up, but Hamish and girl friend Jazz are off tomorrow down to the South coast to a 4 day festival, armed with a tent and supplies - must remind them to take their Wellie boots. LOL!! Rather them than me!!

More news tomorrow after my visit.


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## Wings

Since most of my girls 'put up with' udder checks I HAVE to see a picture of Nutty helping out!



:rofl


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## cassie

Anna that we HAVE to see!! lol hilarious.

Diane I am SO sorry that you had a bad year with your little babies





Thank you Anna, my hands are improving. Last day at the vets week after next. sorta up in the air with everything at the moment but I'll get it sorted. Thanks for asking





oh and I know what you mean about the rain!!! my paddocks are absoloute mud! ponies are mud! my clothes are mud! (after I'm out with the horses lol)



hope the weather clears up for you over there!


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## raine

_ Not everyone would agree with you LOL I like a mare with a good booty on her.. _



_ please send me some rain.._


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## raine

Im ready and waiting .. but i wont want it when it comes!! too muddy all the dust turns to slush..



lol


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## AnnaC

And a very handsome little colt he is too Diane!! MANY CONGRATULATIONS to you, his new Momma, Daddy and little big sister!!




:ThumbUp



:ThumbUp



:ThumbUp



:FirstPrize


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## Bonny

awwwe! precious of the human kind


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## Wings

Congrats Diane! We all know you like your colts


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## a mini dream come true

Wings said:


> Congrats Diane! We all know you like your colts


Oh how wonderful! Congradulations to one and all. Big sister looks like she will be a big help with little brother.


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## Equuisize

Wow Diane.....you get the bestest colts!!!

Juliette is quite the lovely filly, too, and I am sure the whole family is delighted with addition to the herd.


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## raine

congratulations hes lovely




very cute


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## AnnaC

Hows the new little colt doing Diane - any more pics for us?

Sorry, things got a bit hectic here over the last few days so did not get over to see my girls until yesterday. Hoping to post pics this evening, but am just needing to read through the threads here and do a catch up first.

Back later!


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## Eagle

Wow Diane your new colt is gorgeous! No spots on him though



Congratulations to all your family, that grandma passed on some good genes


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## MeganH

Aww ALL your herd is beautiful



Congratulations again on your new grandson and your return on your daughter. Such great news!


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## AnnaC

What a handsome pair Diane - young Tommy looks very proud of his certificate, bless him!


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## AnnaC

OK my friends, here come the pics taken yesterday (Sunday) First Narcotics, since she is the one we are watching closely.


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## AnnaC

Just a reminder that Narcotics' first day of covering was August 19th, so we WERE looking at her foaling round mid July!! Here she is again giving her poor baby some exercise, plus sorting out an itch on her udder!


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## AnnaC

The others are all about level in progress. They all have big 'milk veins', but that could be because they are fat! Prue is starting a bag but then she is supposed to be the first to foal, and the others all seem to have narrow 'hardish' lines coming in their actual udders, so we are hoping. Still not sure about Nutty so will not post her pic this time - maybe if I leave it until the end of the week, we might see a change from the earlier ones I posted??

So here is Prue, then next to her Nell, then below them Lady and Neyla.


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## AnnaC

Prue has had 3 foals whereas the other three have only had 1 each, so there would be a difference in their tummies - Lady actually has much more of a little 'pod' than it looks like in the picture.

Here is little Vee, in foal for her 4th baby. And guess who is amongst the sheep sharing the field?? Some of you might remember Annie Bucket???


----------



## AnnaC

ps. just noticed that the first pics of Narcotics got posted on the previous page - so to see her boobies, scroll back!


----------



## Eagle

Anna they look great and thank you so much for including Annie Bucket



Marcotics has a good "V" coming so maybe she will go early. As for Vee I just want to cuddle her


----------



## Wings

Yeah I reckon narcotics has something in that belly





The other girls look promising as well,


----------



## cassie

wow all your girls are looking great Anna!!!  just love them all! yeah Narcotics is looking to go early to me too... how many days would she be now Anna?

naw Annie Bucket is so grown up and gorgeous!! very speical lady there you have Anna!

Diane congrats on your newest lovely bundle of joy! what a handsome young colt you have and his sister sure is a beauty!! congrats again!

I wonder if I can hijack Anna's thread for a few seconds... hehe I wanted to see what you all think of how my miss Suzie mumma is looking? she is on show feed now and I think she is looking really good



besides being fluffy LOL would love to know what you think



sorry Anna, thank you!!  you know I love ALL your girls!


in her pj's






in the BIG cow paddock hehe


muddy as but still gorgeous




oh and we went on a weekend of luxury last weekend for Russell's 21st bday which is tomorrow, we stayed in the richest most exclusive motel in the Sydeny harbour here are a few pics for you, there was 7 of us all together





hope you dont mind me posting them hehe

our view of the Opera house Sunday morning 


Cheers




Russell and me out the front of the Park Hyatt (see the height difference LOL)








out at The wildfire Restaurant








playing games on our lovely king size bed hehe




The opera House (Chandelier was from the recent light show in Sydney )




Sunrise from our window




The Harbour Bridge






Russell cutting his cake




Sorry for the pic overload hehe thanks for letting me share


----------



## AnnaC

Cassie, please feel free to use my thread any time you want too - pics of your babies will always be welcome!!





Susie is looking great and I think that once you get her clipped you will find that she is hiding a very nice shape under all that hair!!

WOW!! What a fabulous way to celebrate a 21st birthday - congatulations to Russell - it certainly looks as though you all shared a birthday to remember!





Diane, Annie B is now a year old and no, she didn't produce any babies this year. By rights she should be joining the non-breeders and heading to market, BUT small boys have ways of getting round their farmer Daddys LOL!! She spent the whole of the lambing season in the shed, being loved and fed treats, and has now joined the last set of sheep and lambs and is on her way out to the fields for another year!!


----------



## cassie

Thank you Anna



yeah can't wait to see how she looks in the spring, with mini ponies you aren't allowed to clip them if you want to show them which is why suzieis in rugs





How are your girls this morning?? Hope your getting some sun Ive heard it's been pretty misery over there t the moment


----------



## LittleRibbie

Diane...you just couldnt help yourself could ya..........any foal of yours....if it doesnt have spots you just have to make them up yourself...you just have to have spots!!!....even if its only the pillow case!!! you are such a nut case...what are we going to do with you!!! He is such a cutie....hes going to play ball when hes older...his little hand already looks like he'll be able to catch!!!

anna, your girls all look terrific. you and Cathy have set up a really nice little foaling barn...well not so little but its beautiful.

Cassie, how much fun is that!! love the pictures and what a fun getaway!!


----------



## bannerminis

Diane your grandchild is just gorgeous and I too love his "spots"





Anna your ladies are looking super. Cant wait till they all start to pop - they will be like a tube of pringles - once they pop the just wont stop


----------



## AnnaC

Diane, he looks well fed and very contented!! Make the most of any time with him now and in August because before you know it he will be crawling around, then running about and then off to school - you know how fast the time goes!


----------



## Wings

Cant wait to see Susie out in the ring







bannerminis said:


> Diane your grandchild is just gorgeous and I too love his "spots"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Anna your ladies are looking super. Cant wait till they all start to pop - they will be like a tube of pringles - once they pop the just wont stop






:rofl


----------



## cassie

Wings said:


> Cant wait to see Susie out in the ring
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> :rofl


Thanks Bree I'm so excited!!! my friend is coming to hopefully officially measure her tomorrow and then we can get her reigstered





haha Karina you are hilarious!!! lol now I want Pringles!!


----------



## a mini dream come true

Diane, he is absolutely gorgeous. Grandchildren are such joys to have.

I bought pringles this evening for the show next month. Now if they only last before be popped.






Any updates on the girls Anna?


----------



## AnnaC

Have just got the news from Cathy - Narcotics foaled 2am this morning - covering date 19th August - bred to Spotbum - produced a tiny very healthy, lively BAY FILLY - not a white hair in sight!! Baby drinking madly, shooting it's first poo out with no problem and kicking Momma when she bites her little botty as the suckling is going on!!

Sorry, but I'm a bit excited and a bit shaky as I'm so relieved, so will post all the details later! Baby is a bit down on back fetlocks and up on fronts, but this will soon get sorted once she is outside having a run about. Apart from being grumpy for the last 24 hours, Narcotics showed NO extra signs, no change in bag, no red inside vulva, vulva not elongated or puffy, and this baby is 3 days earlier than the one Narcotics lost last year??????????

Cathy is going to e-mail pics, but I will go over later this morning so that we can let her out for an hour or two in the sunshine - and to keep Narcotics happy - so will get pics then.

PHEW what a relief!!


----------



## cassie

Wow!!! I knew she was close!! Yippe for a lovely safe filly!! Wow she sure got down to business's quick!! Crazy girl!!

Can't wait for piccies! Yay Anna!!


----------



## Wings

Congrats Anna!!!!

Can't wait to see pics


----------



## AnnaC

Pics from Cathy via e-mail, will get some more later. 4 hours old.

Dont panic Diane - Narcotcs was born a bright bay - didn't produce any spots until she was two, so there is hope yet! LOL!!

Oh and the bowl of grass Nacotics is munching was only in with her while Cathy was watching - grass and a wet mushy feed is what we offer the girls after foaling.


----------



## bannerminis

Oh what a cutie pie and love her colour too. Well done to Narcotics and she has joined my ladies on the naughty step by foaling without warning LOL

Congrats Anna and Cathy on the safe arrival of your first gorgeous 2012 foal

So Narcotics opened the tube of pringles so let the popping begin


----------



## cassie

YAY!!! so cute!! yippeee she is lovely! hope she gets her spots very soon!


----------



## Eagle

Yippeeeeeee 















can you tell I am sooooooooo happy for you and cathy.


----------



## Wings

She's adorable



:wub


----------



## MeganH

Aww! Congrats!! She is adorable!


----------



## LittleRibbie

Oh Anna she's lovely...she looks so comfy! !Was Cathy right there? or was she an extra sneeky little girl and decided to wait till everyone was gone? I know her color will change but now shes looking like same color as Cam.

O.K. One Down!!!!! Congratulations


----------



## Eagle

Anna you better put a bell on that little beauty or Narcotics will lose her in that stable



well it's not really a stable it's a barn



Good lord your girls are spoilt


----------



## AnnaC

Thanks my friends - she really is a cute little poppet! And I'm not ashamed to admit that, after a long phone converstaion with Cathy yesterday evening, I told her not to panic as it didn't sound as though Narcotics was likely to foal for a little while yet!! LOL!! Luckily Cathy still feels that it was her fault that Cotics' last year's foal didn't get out of the bag when born early in the field, so she kept up her close inspections. During the day she and Euros got our horse box into the middle of the barn and hooked up the electric so Cathy could use her computer while mare watching through the long nghts. And she then decided to actually shut Narcotics into her stable for the night where, up to now, she has had her door open so she can wander in for her hay or stand out in the middle corridor having a chat to Prue, Neyla and Lady (who are using the big cow pens on the opposite side of the corridor). Narcotics was not happy about having her door shut, so Cathy had to have words with her and told her in no uncertain terms that she was not going 'wandering'. She then shut up!!

After checking her over several times during the evening, looking for a puffy vulva with red colouring, Cathy phoned me again at 11pm and said 'no changes'! However she proceeded to get herself comfy in the horse box looking out over Narcotics stable instead of returning to her bed in the house. She dozed as she was not really expecting anything exciting to happen, but an hour later she woke and felt guilty about dozing instead of watching - Narcotics quietly munching her hay. So she fiddled about organising her 'bedding' along the seating in readiness for her normal 'sit up and watch out the window' position, plus getting her laptop in position. She glanced up an there was Narcotics lying down with a little foal gliding out of her rear end! LOL!!

Noted the 'last minute signs' in readiness for any future Narotics foalings - grumpy mare for 24 hours, tail a bit loose but no 'sinking' of tail head, tiny puffed area either side under tail where tail skin meets the skin at the top of the leg (either side of her anus, not her vulva), and that was it!!

Ok couple more pics from when I visited today while we had them out for an hour. Not good ones as using my phone as usual, but the sun was bright and I couldn't see what I was taking properly, also had to aim for distant shots because as soon as we got close, Narcotics had to come over to talk to us!! Hopefull Cathy will have a few better ones she can send me as she has a zoom camera! Oh andshe has already named the filly Ancaster Cocaine!!! Think I may have to object. LOL!! (but she could be called Coco?)


----------



## bannerminis

She is a gorgeous filly Anna and nice she got a bit of sunshine for her first day out.

You know Shimmer gave no signs at all. Her butt was firm with no softening, no puffy vagina, only 1/2 an udder and only for testing the milk I would have said she still had a couple of wks to go.

Slaney had zilch either and that is most unlike her. She just about emails me when she is ready LOL and I got no messages this yr LOL


----------



## Eagle

Coco is gorgeous ROFL not sure about the name Cocaine though lol you will have the cops after us all if we chat about Narcotics and cocaine.


----------



## AnnaC

Karina, perhaps a trend is being set for no foaling signs in this 'locality' this year, being that most of the USA seems to be suffering from the 'waiting and waiting' syndrome!! LOL!!

Oh and I meant to thank you for hanging on to that filly fairy for a few days before releasing her to pop across the Irish Sea to Wales!


----------



## bannerminis

No problem Anna - glad to be of assistance





Oh and have you met the Filly Fairy. I think you would like her as she is a Pintaloosa. Actually Diane she is right up your alley too





I got a few sneaky pics of her so thought I would share





Introducing Alerta the Filly Fairy


----------



## AnnaC

Oh she is gorgeous - and perfect colouring for painting her filly foals.. Are those her green wings? They are HUGE - no wonder she manages to flit from place to place so quickly!!


----------



## bannerminis

LOL The girls love these and they were mad to get my one but I told them NO this was *MY* Filly Fairy



:rofl

I can get them in Toymaster and Smyths toy store. We have still to get the Unicorn but I might buy a few more and see if we get lucky


----------



## AnnaC

Karina, your earlier remarks about Pringles might just have started something LOL!! Prue is now looking decidedly 'odd' according to Cathy this evening. She might just be getting baby into the final position or she might............................................????

She's a 'funny' mare to foal, well not funny, but we always feel that she could 'complicate' things - first foal was a red bag which we lost as we were too slow, never having seen a red bag before (lesson learnt!), then she had two normal births, but her last foal was born in the middle of the day in the field unexpectedly, had a leg back which Cathy managed to correct. Poor Cathy was hoping to get some sleep tonight, but now she's not taking her eyes off Prue!

So everyone, keep your fingers crossed and say a few prayers for Cathy - and Prue - please.


----------



## Bonny

oh Goodness!! Cute!! Congrats!


----------



## Wings

The filly fairy




:rofl If that vanishes I'm sure it will have nothing to do with Diane!

Love the name Anna





Keeping my fingers crossed for Prue and Cathy.


----------



## a mini dream come true

Anna, what an adorable filly Congrats! She is just too cute.

I want a filly fairy. Those are so cute.

Sending love and hugs to Cathy and Prue. Hope their evening goes good. Would send some coffee if I could to help Cathy with another long night.


----------



## eagles ring farm

Congratulations Anna she is a real little beauty


----------



## chandab

I'm very slow to join this thread, just started today, so haven't read it all, but did catch up on the last few pages.

congrats on an adorable new filly.


----------



## cassie

Omg!!!! I have to share with you guys, just got home from work and found our piano (it's ancient poor ting) out in th middle of the driveway!!! I ring mum and ask her what's happening and she says go inside and have a look so I go inside and sitting there is my aunties lovely baby grand piano!!!!!! (she has Parkinson's disease and can't play anymore)

So she has very kindly given it to us



so excited it is soo beautiful to play!!  had to share with you guys





Anna how is coco doing?


----------



## HGFarm

Your Narcotic filly is adorable! Does she have white sclera or any Appy characteristics? Congrats on all going well- yikes, she wanted that baby to be born already!


----------



## Eagle

Anna I pray all went well last night for Cathy and Prue





I want a filly fairy


----------



## AnnaC

No foal last night - or shall I say no news from Cathy yet! Will catch up with her later.

Cassie, how absolutely thrilling - dont just look at it, get playing and enjoy!!





Regarding little Coco, she has absolutely no appy characteristics. But those of you who have a few minutes to spare (LOL!!) can pop on to my website (sorry but I dont know how to 'highlight' it for you so you can go direct from here - can someone tell me how!) and click on the "On the farm" button and then on the "Sussex" option, scroll down a little way and you will find "the story of a boy and a horse" showing Narctics as a foal with Hamish, then as a 2 year old - spots just appearing - then 5 years later, looking like she does today. It shows why we will wait patiently for little Coco to show us what she might be hiding!!


----------



## cassie

Thanks anna, my brother and are so excited n believe me we have been playing it



n I just found out that my flutes being rebuilt so that's going to be practically new as well



time to find some new sheet music!!!!

Will definitely have a look at narcotics when she was a wee one



how is pru looking this morning??


----------



## LittleRibbie

Cocaine!! Good Lord what are you girls on anyway?? LOL The filly fairy is the best thing I've ever seen...I love it!!


----------



## Equuisize

Figured I better get in here and give my congratulations on the new baby girl before I get behind with the rest of your girls following suit.

Love the photos of her outside playing already. She's lovely.

Odd year - glad I had no one in the wings waiting this year - enough to make a nervous wreck of a person.


----------



## JAX

Narcotics...hmmmm Mary Jane maybe?... but I think Coco is a much cuter name honestly... I have had two Cocos now. A chocolate lab and a full sized Appy mare.


----------



## AnnaC

A call from Cathy this morning to say that Prue had foaled - 7.30am, another filly and coloured, coloured how she didn't say as she was actually phoning the news while sitting behind Prue, giving the new baby a quick rub down while waiting for the final blood to flow through the cord!!

Will get more news later when Prue and daughter are sorted and the other horse work is finished. We were so worried about Prue as she reacted badly to the 'cow' grass at Cathy's farm and seemed to get a touch of laminitis within a couple of days of being there. We soon got her sorted, but not having experienced anything like this before, we were concerned it might have compromised the foal in some way. But the foaling was fast, as usual, and so far all seems ok.

Will post some pics when Cathy gets to her laptop and sends them through, and will be over to visit myself later.


----------



## Eagle

CONGRATULATIONS ON YET ANOTHER HEALTHY BABY, I can't wait for pics and details.


----------



## AnnaC

OK here are the first pics. Interestingly Prue's colour inside her vulva did NOT change from salmon pink!.

Filly is already galloping round the stable and has had lots of little drinks - Prue's teats haven't filled either, but baby is doing plenty of swallowing! This is a Dragon baby.


----------



## bannerminis

And another gorgeous girl arrives - Pop Pop Pop





My filly fairy must have flown over and paid you another visit





She is gorgeous by the way and love her colour, markings and lovely long legs.


----------



## eagles ring farm

congrats again Anna what a pretty little girl


----------



## chandab

Congrats!


----------



## Bonny

Awwe shes cute!! Congrats!


----------



## LittleRibbie

Well it looks like someone popped open the box of Pringles!! and here they come!! Shes beautiful Anna,I love her coloring!! I hope you have already made your trip to town for your monthly groceries because it looks like you are about to become a very busy lady!! how many more do you have....20.... 50? LOL

Congratulations!!!


----------



## AnnaC

LOL!! Heidi, no, we only have 1 certain, 2 probables and 2 'anyone's guess'!! And it also looks as though the rest of them will go correctly to their expected dates in July, so at least Cathy will get a chance to get plenty of sleep before the next possibility - she is the carer for Euros' elderly Mother during the daytime, so finds sitting up all night as well a bit of a strain!

I popped over to view the new filly today and was very pleased with her, nice slim correct little body and long straight legs. Prue was exactly on 320 days from the first day of her covering, so within normal foaling times I suppose, although she has always gone a good 300+ days with all her past foals. She is very proud of her baby and being a good Mum - as long as it realises that is is not allowed to suckle while she's actually eating her food. LOL!! Normal for Prue and her babies soon learn and have their own bowls as soon as they are ready.

Little Coco now has a new name - not Coco any longer (doesn't seem to suit her!), she is now officially Wizz as she never stops wizzing around. LOL!! Narcotics, for some reason, has never been that keen on her filly foals. Oh she will feed them beautifully and protect them from all commers, but she just seems to be more loving to her colts. Cant blame her with Wizz, who is flying round her stable, bucking and kicking all the time so poor Narcotics has to keep moving to avoid those little flying hooves. LOL!! Wizz does have a good long sleep after her sessions outside, and Narcotics gets tucked into her hay while the going is good!! Wizz is also very friendly and not frightened of anything (remind you of Merlin Renee??) Poor Cathy gets attacked and climbed on everytime she's in the stable cleaning up!

Note for Diane - there are quite a few white hairs scattered through Wizz' coat, only to be seen when you part the hair, but they are there!!


----------



## targetsmom

Congrats on the filly - she is gorgeous!!! So happy for you.

Mary


----------



## LittleRibbie

Love "The Wizz" Poor Narcotics....soon she'll be out running away from her in those big fields of yours.

If your going to get attacked let it be by a foal or filly......sorry cathy LOL


----------



## Eagle

Wizz




I just love it



and yes Anna she sounds just like my pest Merlin.



The first few days he would run away from Izzy but now Izzy run's from him





Congrats again Anna, she is beautifully marked.


----------



## raine

My internet has been down..I come back and theres babys



congratulations beautiful girl


----------



## Eagle

How are the girls doing Anna? Did you get to spend much time at Cathy's today?


----------



## AnnaC

Not been over there today Renee - getting outside jobs done here with Hamish' help. But I might just as well have been there as Cathy has been on the phone 5 times during the day, either asking questions or giving me a minute by minute report of each foal's movement. LOL!!

Last night she settled in the lorry for a full night's sleep, only to get woken two hours later by Euros who wanted her to come back indoors to listen out for his Mother (in case she got out of bed) as he and his brother needed to go and get the 3 young cows back from the house field and into the barn as one looked as though it was going to calve. So in come the cows and the men calve the cow who was indeed about to produce. They go back to the house and Cathy came back out to find all the mares in a high state of excitment at having their night disrupted by new cows in the shed! Prue in particular is what I would call a nervy mare - anything makes her jump, snort etc, but just for a moment, then she's back to calm again. Her poor foal is always leaping to its feet everytime Prue has a 'turn' thinking that something is wrong with its Momma, or finding the teats snatched out of its mouth as Prue snorts while it's drinking. But by this evening the little filly has decided to use its heels to give Momma a good kick if the milk bar moves when it is not supposed to!! LOL!! Cathy eventually snatched another couple of hours sleep from around 4am.

Later today one of the other young cows calved as well so more excitement in the shed!! This afternoon the rest of the mares had a mad stint for some reason, flying round and round the field and zooming in and out of the run in area in the shed. More excitement for poor Prue - she really hasn't had a very restful day!! Anyway this morning was rain free so the two mares and foal got a few hours outside. First time for Prue and baby so Cathy stood with them for a while with Prue on a lead as she has been known to go racing off even after only one day inside. But all was well and she grazed happily, so was let go, but Cathy did leave a headcollar on her just this once as Prue can be very protective and Cathy was worried about not being able to catch her after a short while outside if the rain suddenly came down. But it wasn't needed, as when it was time to come back in Prue brought herself and her baby down when cathy called.

Couple of pic from today. (please note the perfect V that Narcotics now has LOL!!)


----------



## AnnaC

OK my friends, Cathy has sent me this picture and suggested you vote on who is pregnant and who isn't!

They should have between 3 and 5 weeks to go before they foal if they reach their correct dates. I know that it is a bit of a 'hopeless' picture so you will have to just make guesses. Just a bit of fun!

Picture shows from left to right...............

Lady. Vee. Nell. Nutty. Neyla. (Vee doesn't count as we know she's pregnant!) But all the others have 'milk veins' (but they are fat) and all have a very small possible udder, but then they have all foaled before!

So have a guess - yes or no and in what order (just to make it more fun!)


----------



## Equuisize

Pru's baby girl is surely beautiful.....I'd be protective of her, too, if I was her mommy.

Congratulations on her.

But I know what you mean as our Zoe has a tendency to be a bit jumpy....she was what

we call an untouched by human hands girl at 3 when we got here. She's calmed down

a lot over many things. Luckily she didn't pass that temperament on to her babies.

Hmm, interesting belly on Narcotics



Does she think she liked this baby so much she'd

just give you another..LOL...she sure looks to be in foal NOW! Better late than never giving

signs I guess.

My guesses on the other girls.......Bay in the very front, yes. First pinto, no. 2nd pinto, yes.

2nd bay, maybe not. Last pinto, ?yes?


----------



## chandab

Equuisize said:


> My guesses on the other girls.......Bay in the very front, yes.	First pinto, no. 2nd pinto, yes.
> 
> 2nd bay, maybe not. Last pinto, ?yes?


Those are my guesses too.


----------



## Wings

I'm with the above guesses too.

And congrats on another lovely filly!!


----------



## LittleRibbie

Such pretty horses and pictures Anna

Boy, i cant believe my guesses would have been the name as the rest of you.....Im learning!!

Text book V on Narcotic for sure!!

P.S. Anna, on the first photo....are those just big thick plant hedges or is that some sort of maybe corn stalks growing....the last picture looks more like a tall corn field perhaps to the right but no matter what it is .....your countryside is to die for...just breath taking!!


----------



## Eagle

Thanks for the great pics Anna, I am so glad the weather held so they could go out for some fresh air and grass.



How is the weather there today? it said on the news this morning that the North has lots of rain, I hope your weather is o.k. Stay safe!

I will join in the fun but I am useless at guessing dates





Lady yes

Nell yes

Nutty no

Neyla yes

with Nell being the first to go.


----------



## AnnaC

LOL!! Ladies, thank you for your thoughts/guesses. A bit unfair of me really.





So far we are sure Vee (first bay) IS in foal. The rest we are not sure about. Lady (first pinto) actually seems to have started a bag yesterday and has lost a bit of weight over the past week so??? Nell (second pinto) is the one we are pretty sure is NOT in foal (sorry Renee!) Nutty is a no, unless she is hiding a miracle, and we would love a miracle! Last pinto (Neyla) is a 'your guess is as good as mine' - every day we change out minds. LOL!! It really is a 'time will tell' situation.





Heidi, they are just huge wide hedges. The Welsh farmers cut all their field hedges every year to about 5 feet in height, so that over time they 'expand' to around 3 or 4 feet wide, so they form great wind breaks. Here on our place we let things grow up because although we like wind breaks we also love having the tree branches grow up to overhang into the fields to give us nice shelter 'tunnels' down the sides of the fields.

Am hoping that the warm dry weather forecast for today and tomorrow actually arrives so that Cathy can let the two mares and their babies out for the morning, then pop them back inside for the afternoon as she needs to come over here so we can do a stint of foot trimming!


----------



## cassie

wow congrats Anna on a GORGEOUS PERFECT filly, I can't get over those face markings! never seen a blaze so perfect and cemetrical!! guess I missed to foalings on the weekend



last day at the vets went well but was sad.

I agree with Renee lol but they are all lovely would be nice if they were all preggers!

good luck with the rest of the foaling Anna, hoping you get several more gorgeous new babies when the time is right!


----------



## cassie

Hi Anna,

how are your gorgeous girls going? and how are your two beautiful foals doing?

would love to see some more piccies when you at Cathy's next please?





xo


----------



## AnnaC

Hi Cassie, sorry for the lack of pictures but I haven't been over to Cathy's for a few days - been busy doing outside jobs here while the weather allows! Will be going over in the next couple of days as Cathy says she needs me to 'view' the remaiing girls to see if I can see any of the 'changes' she is convinced that she is seeing. LOL!! So will take some pics then, but am also hoping Cathy will send me some of her updated ones today, so I can post them.

Over the past few days Cathy has been slowly letting the remaining preggers girls out with Narcotics and Prue and the babies and after a few ears being flattened and a threat or two to 'chomp you if you come near my baby' from the two Mommas, everybody has now settled down. Naughty Wizz is still wizzing about all over the place - miles away from her Momma - and zooms in and out of the other mares, who then get worried in case Narotics thinks that they are stealing her baby. LOL!! Luckily Narcotics is not at all bothered, in fact she is quite pleased that Wizz is 'off elsewhere' instead of bothering her!! Wizz did try to get up close and personal with her Grandma, Nutty, but Nutty was having none of it and backed into her, bumping her three times to send her away, which once she got the message,Wizz wizzed off to stop a short distance away and look back at Nutty with 'interest', obviously 'digesting' the message - Cathy said it was so funny to watch!

Prue's baby is not so adventurous, is much more obedient, and remains reasonably close to her Momma, so the two babies have yet to 'meet and greet', but it wont be long now. So far the other girls are at or around their 320 day mark. Little Vee has plenty of tummy but virtually no udder yet. Lady and now Neyla seem to have started a drop to their tummies and possibly small bags (large milk glands), so maybe we can hope they might be pregnant. No hope for Nell it seems, but you never know. Nutty however, according to Cathy, HAS changed shape and seems to have 'filled' her lower tummy, and it cant be the grass, as, with the help of the few cows and sheep (now moved on) the field is now pretty bare of the green stuff, plus she only gets her cup of balancer daily and hay in the 'run in' for the night time, just as she has done for the past 4 weeks, soooooooooooo just maybe.................................she has a baby hidden in there for us!





Anyway will post some more pics of everyone very soon.


----------



## cassie

thanks for the update Anna



I can so imagine your funny little filly running around all over the place, or I should say whizzing around hehe cutee thing! oooh I hope Nutty is pregnant! would be so very exciting for you if she was!!

hope the weather stays nice for you



how hot are your summers normally?


----------



## Eagle

How are you today Anna? Any updates on the girls?

Sending hugs from afar


----------



## AnnaC

Morning girls! Well I did make a rushed visit to Cathy's yesterday and got a few up to date pics which I will post later. But first one to make you smile (or gasp depending upon your thinking LOL!!) Here is Dragon (dirty and scruffy!) out in his daytime grass field over at Cathy's. I think perhaps i should post this picture elsewhere to give the 'horrors' to those who insist that minis NEED to be kept on dry lots! LOL!! You cant actually see, but he is nicely covered (trim), no belly and if clipped would be show ring ready. He also gets three feeds a day of total around 4lbs stud cubes plus balancer and ad lib hay from his own huge round bale at nights when he is stabled!! (actually he is about to get the friendly group of cows transferred to join him to graze off some of that grass - he will no be pleased as cows make him nervous, he's happier with sheep!)

Second picture is one that Cathy grabbed of Nell - look closely, I think she might just be forming a bag?? So maybe there is a foal in there after all??


----------



## AnnaC

Sorry, wish I could get photobucket to work - those pics done via the brouse here have not come out large or clear enough. grrrrrrrrrrrr!! In Nell's pic a small bag was visible!

Just time to give you Prue having a small problem with her new daughter (LOL!) then I must go do the chores. More pics of 'bellies' later.


----------



## Eagle

Lol poor Dragon looks like "Billy No Mates" all alone in that huge field



eagle would love to keep him company. Lol

The pic of Nell doing her dead horse impression is great.


----------



## AnnaC

Great News!! I'm so excited!! We are now 95% sure that Nutty IS IN FOAL!!





I'm over the moon, because she is so special to me and I really did want to retire her after this baby - she has done so much for us over the past 19 years that I wanted her to just enjoy her later years as a pasture pet with loads of special care and attention through the winter months. She deserves the very best from now on and I did not want to be tempted into trying her again for another foal - this will be her first with Dragon and we wanted to see what the cross would throw. Of course it may well be a colt, but never mind, as long as she is ok that's all I'm interested in.

Cathy was just on the phone to say that she had just seen a massive jerk and what looked lick a kicking foot around the top of Nutty's flank (she too was so excited!), but over the last few days we have both thought that Nutty's tummy has changed shape and become much fuller low down (she has had so many foals it is difficult to tell, but it had CHANGED!) So Cathy went to do an udder check and it seems it has grown and one side has filled quite a bit.

Here are the pics of her that I took yesterday - didn't try for an udder pic as there wasn't an udder to show yesterday!! Sorry the pics are a bit dark - very dull day - and she moved so she looks really one sided in her tummy, more than it actually is, but we still think there are changes.??


----------



## AnnaC

Nutty getting together with her daughter Narcotics and g/daughter Wizz.

She decides Wizz needs putting in her place and 'bumps' her with her hind quarters!!

The third picture could have a caption reading "I think this little squirt needs a lesson in manners" Wizz looks suitably concerned about what they are planning for her! LOL!!


----------



## Wings

Fantastic news Anna!!!



:ThumbUp

Can't wait to see what Nutty and Dragon are cooking up for you!


----------



## cassie

oh Anna that is brilliant!!! so exciting for you! what a special special baby that will be!!

definitley looks like there is a baby in that tummy for sure!

come on Nutty


----------



## AnnaC

Thank you my friends. I dont expect this foal to be anything spectacular, in fact it may well have a few problems. Diane will remember the pics I have posted in the past of a filly with very crooked legs at birth. That was Nutty's last foal (now a 2 y o). She has never had a 'dodgy' foal before so not sure of the reason. Was it a 'one off' or could it be something to do with Nutty's age (she was only 20 when the filly was born)? The filly soon straightened up and is now perfectly normal with good conformation, except that she has a slightly undershot jaw, so will only ever be a pasture pet to me. She is a full sister to Neyla - we wanted to 'create' another Neyla, who is absolutely perfect in everyway, is a total delight to have around, plus she has enough brains to beat the top Mensa people!! (Neyla, of course is a black and white pinto, whereas the filly is a full chestnut with no white markings, so we never did get our 'replica' LOL!!)

In the past weeks since being at Cathy's, Nutty has been having her full amount of balancer plus they all have paddock 'licks' available even though we didn't think she was in foal. Cathy wants to up the amount she is giving her, but I said I thought it was a waste of time and a bit late anyway? And let's face it, Nutty isn't what you would call in need of extra food stuff/weight! What will be will be! But casting my mind back for possible reasons for the previous filly, I have remembered that at covering time and for several weeks after, both back then and for last year's covering, Nutty was over at Cathy's place for a couple of months - eating Euros' fertilized cow grass, as against here eating our old pasture with all it's herbs (weeds LOL!!). Possible cause during those first weeks of pregnancy??? No idea, but the only thing that I can think of that was 'different' from all her other many coverings!

So we will wait and see - but what ever happens we will do our very best for 'it' when 'it' arrives.


----------



## chandab

Anna, I was looking at your current title "2 down, 5 (?) to go"; that's more or less where I am. Except, I guess I'm actually 3 down, 3 (?) to go; cause I keep forgetting about my angel filly; I'm just not sure if the other 3 mares all took, pretty sure on 2, not so sure on the third. So, after all that, I just wanted to say good luck with the rest of your season, and yeah that it sounds like Nutty is pregnant.


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## Eagle

Anna I am so happy for you and Nutty



i am sending prayers for a safe and healthy baby


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## AnnaC

OK my friends, a few more pictures from when I was over at Cathy's the other day.

First some of Wizz - talking to Cathy (Wizz is actually quite small, her back is on a level with Cathy's knee when Cathy is upright!), discussing a large pond with another small person and loving her Momma.


----------



## AnnaC

Next a couple of baby Prue - called Foxy for the moment. Foxy is much taller than Wizz and so much more 'delicate', I cant wait for her to get some weight on her bones!! Interestingly she is just cutting some teeth (born around 320 days) but Wizz who was born two days earlier has none - but then Wizz was an 'early' baby, not due for another approx 14 days at the earliest.

Anyway here's the Foxy lady.


----------



## AnnaC

Lastly the four remaiing 'tummies' - Nutty having had her own personal post (of course LOL!) on the previous page!

So - Nell - Lady - Neyla - Vee.


----------



## cassie

Anna, thank you so much for the updated pics! they are both sooo gorgeous! you must be so pleased with your first two babies of the season!

Nell, Lady, Neyla and Vee... we hope you are cooking some extra gorgeous babies in those tummies! and of course the very special Nutty! well I hope you have something that will blow us all away!  +

good luck with the rest of foaling Anna! and Cathy!



thanks for sharing


----------



## AnnaC

Oh yes, I remember that picture Diane, and I always loved it! As you know I'm totally against foals being "imprinted I think they call it" virtually as soon as they are born or in the next couple of days, especially by children, and prefer to follow the premise that baby belongs to its Momma, not to me. I like to wait until foals are happy to approach me or other family members in their own good time - luckily it rarely takes long as they have no reason to fear the human beings that their Mommas are so happy come up to when we visit their field.

Little Wizz soon spotted Kyrian and went off to investigate - luckily Cathy had her camera! But we do have to be careful with Kryian as he has the attention span of a goldfish (or worse!), also he is a 'farm' boy and is used to 'driving' cattle and sheep with his Daddy, following behind them waving his arms and shouting shoo shoo!! Can you imagine what the foals would think of that 'treatment'!! Time and again Cathy has explained that with the horses, we call them and they follow us, no shouting and arm waving allowed, but he forgets within minutes, so is only allowed in the field under supervision - at least until the foals are several months old and well used to his noisy ways, as indeed their Mommas are.





I have some great pics of him from last year leading his 'almost' yearling friend round the farm, must look them out later and post a few for you (just discovered that my photobucket a/c has decided to work, so I can now post them!).


----------



## mrsj

Congrats on your lovely foals


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## bannerminis

Your babies are gorgeous and the rest of the Mommies to be are looks fantastic - wont be long now before Cathy is back to sleeping in the lorry LOL


----------



## AnnaC

LOL!! She's already doing that Karina - has been for the last couple of weeks!!


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## Wings

Foxy is looking like my kind of baby


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## targetsmom

Wow - congrats on your VERY nice foals so far. Love them!!


----------



## Eagle

Hi Anna,




how are you and the girls today?


----------



## AnnaC

Morning Renee. I'm fine thank you - would be even better if this pesky rain would give us a break! The girls are all fine, but Cathy is having problems with the weather as she wont turn the two mares and their foals out in the 'misty drizzle' unless she is free to rush out to collect them if the rain does a down pour, not easy as she is the indoor 'carer' and unless someone else comes in to take over, she cant just pop out! I may well pop over today to visit so will give some updates later on the udders and tummies of the remaining girls.





Here are some pics for Diane. This was May 2011 when Kyrian was just 3 and he was teaching his filly (almost a yearling) how to go 'walkies' round the farm. You know how useless we are about bothering to teach any of our foals to be haltered and lead until they are usually well over weaning age when we find they accept everything with no trouble, well this filly had first worn a headcollar just three days earlier and had been lead without problems from her stall in the barn, down the barn and directly out into the field (same barn set up that Cathy is using this year) This filly was Kyrian's special friend and he had spent several months playing with her in the field (I did post pics of the pair of them ages ago out in the field together, if anyone remembers),.and she did have an exceptional temperament otherwise we would never have let him take her for her first 'walk about', plus Cathy was there, albeit busy taking the pictures! Anyway here they are on the filly's first time out of her comfort zone and doing proper walkies on a lead.
















More next post!


----------



## AnnaC

*A visit to the river!*
















*Home again for refreshment!*


----------



## AnnaC

ps. You probably noticed that he dropped the lead rope when it suited him - by the river and in the last picture - but she still didn't leave his side, bless her!!


----------



## Eagle

Oh Anna I love seeing pics of these 2 little angels, thanks for sharing, they have really cheered me up


----------



## bannerminis

OMG those pics are just the cutest. Kyrian looks so cute with his filly


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## AnnaC

LOL!! Diane - there is no fooling you is there! She is actually a pintaloosa - Dragon x Spotted Mummy mare. We sold her last Autumn together with another of Dragon's yearling fillies to a wonderful fun family, small farm, two kiddies and they run a film company - do kiddies programmes on channel S4C here in Wales, and they used/use the two minis in their programmes.

Here's a few general pics from my visit to Cathy's today. Thought I could see some small changes in the possibly pregnant girls, but simply cannot understand why they all have 'milk veins' but no bags? Never had a year like it - our girls ALL normally do the 'bagging up from approx 4 weeks' programme. Even little Vee, who's tummy is huge, still has no udder???

Anyway here are the pics. General view down the barn showing Cathy's bottom half with her foaling boxes down the right hand wall and the big cow pens down the left - the far end one is open from the field for the girls run in. Then one taken from what will be Vee's foaling stable - jutts out to almost meet the front of the lorry. Then snoozing babies and last one of the other girls in the run in. (hopefully I can get them all in one post!)


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## Wings

Beautiful pictures Anna





Wish I had a river! We've just got dams. Although given the rain we've been having my hay paddock is now a lake


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## LittleRibbie

Anna, what great pictures and I love your stream.....it just feels so "cool"

Kyrian just seems to be such a natural horseman....cool as a cucumber....and I think the young horses can just "feel" it too. What a nice filly!

Now your barns!! Holy Moly Anna.....beautiful and huge and look at all that fluffy straw!! I love how some can go in and out when ever they choose....and I love how you can rearrange the furniture when ever you need to. O.K. you now have the 5 Star Accomadation Seal....big time!!! Thanks for the pictures.


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## Eagle

*WOW *



5 star from the Queen herself


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## MeganH

Love all the photos!! The scenery is beautiful, Anna! And the chips and babies are lovely


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## LittleRibbie

Renee, I miss you....your such a lunatic!!!


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## Eagle

Me ??????? Shall we vote on who is the nutter here?????



:rofl



( I have a few boxes of Italian chocs here for my FRIENDS sshsssssssssss)


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## Wings

Clearly it's not Renee! Who has ever heard of a nutter with Italian chocolate?


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## AnnaC

Chocolates? Did someone mention chocolates? Who? What? Where???????????????????????

As far as I remember there is only one lunatic on here - a certain person who had us watching and waiting for quite a while last year for her pretty little mare to foal (another Nut in her own way!), a person who then wizzed off somewhere and ignored us all throughout the winter and spring on the pretence of work, only to bounce in here again a short while ago, but is now using computer problems as an excuse when she feels like taking a break!!!!

So I nominate HER as the Maternity Unit Nutcase!!


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## Eagle

Anna your chocolates are in the post. Lol


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## AnnaC

Perhaps it is Heidi who should have them for keeping us so well entertained (when she's around LOL!!).


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## Eagle

I can't send chocolates to Florida cos they would melt



see, there are advantages to living somewhere so cold


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## AnnaC

LOL!! Never thought of that - glad that you are on the ball my friend!!


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## AnnaC

Thought it about time I did an update! We are still undecided as to whether we will see more than just one more foal. Little Vee is certainly going to produce - in her own good time of course! She is grumpy, demanding and not beyond the odd tantrum or two if things dont happen exactly as she expects. Foal movements have been seen without difficulty BUT she still has very little or no bag! We are ignoring the milk glands on all the mares - they are just fat! But Vee does have two 'hard/firm' lines running through her udder, just as Narcotics had, so hopefully she will produce milk as she foals. She is under close watch at the moment as Cathy is concerned that she is getting close and with no normal udder to 'calculate' by, she doesn't want to take any chances. We are pretty sure this foal will be a colt (we sort of hope so as Vee had 3 daughters so far, one from each of our boys). This is a Dragon baby.

As for the other girls, well Cathy spends one day saying "they might be" and the next "I dont think any of them are"!!





Neyla has become gently bad tempered - she is normally such a sweet mare, so maybe she is hiding something in her over fat body? Lady is another one who seems to have filled her lower tummy and lost a bit of weight over her back - not that you would notice if you didn't know her as she still looks fat! Again, so signs of udder filling on either one of them. This leaves Nell and Nutty. Nell is just grossly fat and is still being restricted on the grass front, spending the nights and the mornings in her big 'cow' pen, and going out in the field in the afternoons - but no sign of her reducing in weight, so, yes she could be hiding something in there, but I doubt it! After all our excitement over Nutty, Cathy has seen no more movements since that last big one. This evening Cathy was on the phone to me, sitting perched on one of the field gates right next to the water tank as Nutty came for a drink. The phone went silent as Cathy leaned over to watch for foal signs as Nutty drank the cold water....................................................small 'jiggle' in the flank, but then of course the evening flies/midges are around!! According to Cathy, Nutty MIGHT look a little bigger in the tummy, but is it the grass and the extra food??? And of course she has no bag, well from the side she has no bag and there is nothing much to feel except the folds of a mare who has had a lot of foals, but from the back when she walks away from you, it does look as though there is some filling there??????????????

Out of interest, we have been trying with the ring test for the past several weeks. Very strange results?? Nothing happens, but the string and the ring "shiver" - on all the mares it shivers, then stops, then shivers again and will keep doing this until we stop trying??? No matter what we did - changed from the ring to several types/weights of nails and changed to different string - it still shivered. Never did anything else on either Narcotics or Prue, but Cathy has now changed tactics (LOL!!). With Vee, Neyla and Lady she tried holding the string over them and then causing it to circle, moving it herself. This time the nail got 'cross' and on Vee it corrected itself to swinging back and forth (colt), the same on Neyla, but on Lady it swung quickly into large circles (filly). Anyone else had a "shivering" string?? And do we now believe what it has decided to say?? Cathy will now have to try her new method on Nell and Nutty!!

I wont be going over there for the next couple of days as DD and Kym are coming up from Dorset on Wednesday for a couple of days (bringing with them my lovely Charlie and the pesky Tids - Mrs Nest's husband and their daughter for those that dont know) As Cathy is reluctant to leave Vee and the others at the moment, I expect we shall all go over there one evening - take fish and chips and a bottle (or two) and set up the card table in the barn for the evening, so we can enjoy an evening of cards, good company and mare watch all at the same time - perfect!! LOL!!

That's all for now folks!! I will try to get a few pics when we go over but not sure how good they will be, even with the big overhead lights in the barn.


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## Wings

Thanks for the update Anna, can't be easy waiting on unknowns and it sounds like the girls aren't being helpful at all!

On the ring test front I'll keep my mouth shut, I don't believe it and have a scientific reason for it but I don't want to bang on about that when I know so many people love it.

Fish & chips plus a bottle sounds like an awesome plan! I might just jump on a plane and join you all


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## cassie

thanks for the update Anna, and the pics they are SOOO cute!

I hope all your girls are preggers! you sure deserve it!!

Hey Heidi, isn't your gorgeous boy Cameron 1 yr soon? he was born early september wasn't he? we demand new pics for his birthday I think! I bet he is sooo handsome now!! 

hmmm fish n chips sound real good to me! I think I'll come to





I dnt really know what I feel about the ring test LOL but I know that next time I try it I'm going to use the mare's hair rather then string... just another little something I heard helps LOL still its a bit of fun





good luck with the rest of your foaling Anna!!!!


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## bannerminis

Fingers crossed your ladies are just hiding their bundles from you - they are pretty good at that LOL


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## AnnaC

Just got back from our evening at Cathy's. No fish and chips as Cathy cooked a meal in the house for everyone, but we did get the table out of the horse box and had an evening of playing cards in the barn - helped by Nutty and Lady who decided to join us! Vee decided that she wouldn't foal while we were there (shame!) but I dont think she will go much longer. Anyway took lots of pic, but will do the sorting of them sometime tomorrow as it is now nearly 12.30am here and I'm needing my bed!


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## cassie

glad you had a great time Anna



its a pity Vee, didn't foal for you



sounds like it won't be long though... fingers crossed for safe foaling, I personally can't wait to see what she has! going to be one gorgeous little baby!


----------



## AnnaC

Here are the pics of our evening in the barn. Probably take several posts LOL!! Sorry some of them are a bit dark - my mobile phone prefers bright sunlight! We parked our table beside Vee's stall, with Neyla in the next one. Both Narcotics and Prue have been moved down to the far end two stables, leaving Vee and Neyla to use their original ones as these are right opposite the windows of the horse box, so easy for Cathy to view during the long hours of the night! Nutty and Lady were 'let out' of their night time run in to join us for the evening, plus there is one small human boy running around generally causing havoc!! (Cathy says I'm to tell you that she is very cross that I kept catching her with a cigarette in her mouth! She is always grabbing a cigarette, but not lighting it, then putting it down to pop off to do something, then picking it up again but not getting round to lighting it, etc etc LOL!!)

Anyway here are the pics, hope some of them bring a smile to your faces!

























Cont............


----------



## AnnaC

Cont............................































Cont.....................


----------



## AnnaC

Cont............................
















Is there anyone in there?






And Vee and Neyla.


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## Tiz Minis Fan

It looks like a baby will be on its way sooner than later!.....Hope for health and textbook delivery!

ummmmmmmm....is that a motorhome "...IN..." the barn?........

(if it is, you just inspired me to change my barn plans!......)


----------



## AnnaC

We are hoping for a baby from Vee anytime or at least in the next week, which is why we were all in the barn on our visit to Cathy - she refuses to leave the place to visit us when mares might foal! And yes, you could call our horse box a motor home! Originally we thought of having a caravan plus a trailer so that we could 'stay away' at shows or simply to have home comforts at any time. Then we decided to 'combine' the two in one horse box, so we found a company who purchased us a lorry, 'pulled' it out longer for us, so we now have full living (caravan!!) of 12 foot plus enough space in the rear for 5 minis, each in their 4x3.3 foot pens and a grooms area. The horse box comes into the barn for foaling times so that Cathy can sit on the seating and watch the mares through the living space windows, while fiddling on her laptop or making herself coffee to keep herself awake LOL!!

We are still not sure about the other mares being in foal, just keeping our fingers crossed for the next few weeks.


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## Equuisize

Anna there could be no more perfect photos than those.

They show your dedication to your mommies.

Could there possibly be a more comfy way to mare stare than with your

home away from home, right there!

Love little boys....he stole the the spotlight in those photos.


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## Wings

I always love your photos, you guys look like you're having a lot of fun!


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## AnnaC

OK my friends, here is a selection of pics taken by Cathy yesterday of Nutty. She is now 3 days over her foaling dates, still with no real udder to speak of, so in spite of her size we are really thinking that she is NOT in foal? G/daughter DD looked at her last week and immediately said that she couldn't be in foal as she normally got HUGE, which is true, but then neither Narcotics or Prue became their usual huge this year! So we will just wait and watch and let time give us the answer! More on the next post.


----------



## AnnaC

So any thoughts?


----------



## Wings

Yup looks in foal






:rofl

I'll hazard a guess and say perhaps that belly could sink a bit more?


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## cassie

she looks to me like she is in foal Anna though I'm certainly no expert... she has that lopsided look to her, and certainly looks like her tummy is 'hard' like there is something in there other then stomach stuff lol.

by the way, her tail is gorgeous! how do you keep it clean and free of stuff? I have to plait suzie's tail when we get rain now as its touching the ground



or it gets very muddy


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## Equuisize

You know that missing 4th of July watermelon??!!

Yep I think she ate it


----------



## Wings

:rofl


----------



## chandab

How did Shamoo end up in your foaling stall?


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## cassie

you girls are funny!! yep she has either definitley eaten something or something is growing in that tummy!!!


----------



## AnnaC

LOL!! Oh dear you lot always manage to make me laugh!! I texted Cathy telling her to check that there were no chickens/baby piglets/small boys reported missing - no, all present and correct!!

With the pics of her laying down, Cathy happened to be watching and saw her give a couple of minor 'jerks' so she rushed out of the lorrry - just in case! - but Nutty was just dreaming. So Cathy grabbed the camera for the pics, yes she may look huge but you can just see that there isn't any bag. By this time in ALL her past pregnancies Nutty always has a huge bag and that plus her normal huge size makes her seem to 'hobble' walk during the last week, even causing her to occasionally catch/lock her left stifle as she turns to the right. No sign of either a bag nor any stifle problems so far this year???

Cassie, regarding tails most of the folk here will be horrified to learn that we do NOTHING!! All our horses live as near a totally natural life as possible - they are scruffy, dirty, greasy in general and their manes and tails are usually a tangled mess. The only ones that receive 'attention' are any that might be going to show and those mares who 'come in' on that month before foaling and the month or so afterwards. I do go round twice a year and chop off the ends of tails to a couple of inches above ground level. This year it has been the turn of the 7 mares over with Cathy and she has been hand picking out their manes and tails for them. They dont get groomed as we dont want to upset the balance of natural grease etc in their coats as they will soon go back to living the 'natural' life again, but as you can see from Nutty's coat, they do 'gleam' with natural health during the summer months. Cathy does do the odd scratch with a hairbrush along their backs/spines if she catches them having difficulty in 'reaching' an itchy spot - big tummies do get in the way of a good scratch sometimes! LOL!!

Nutty has an allergy to a special midge/fly/bug during August every year if allowed to live near a pond. She will rub her mane and the top of her tail like mad, no matter what we try to put on her, anti midge stuff wise. But by the end of August she has stopped and it all grows back again ready for the next August and none of her children have inherited the problem - thank goodness!!

None of the other mares seem to be developing any udder, so it looks that, unless they are all going to go well over time, little Vee is the only one who is going to produce a baby for us. She is the 'last' on our list to foal and is actually due (on her dates) next weekend, which is causing us a little concern, not from the foaling side of things, but from the 'companionship' side. We were so hoping that there would be a second foal to keep Vee's company for a while. The other two are now a month old and well ahead in their development, plus the fact that Vee can be a bit of 'protective' Momma and she and Narcotics have a love/hate relationship. I can see Vee's foal wandering too near to Narcotics when it is a couple of weeks old and Vee racing in to challenge Narcotics!! Or Wizz or Foxy will want to meet up with the new baby only to find that they are met with a small bay whirlwind of aggression for their trouble!! It will all take a bit of careful watching and management to get them all settled down again. Blessed are the brood mares! LOL!!

Have a great day my friends.


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## Eagle

I had the same problem with Merlin and Arthur cos Merlin is way too friendly and Odette is way too protective, after she kicked Merlin for trying to investigate the new boy on the block I had to separate them, they didn't go back together until Arthur was 2 weeks old.

Judging by those pics Anna if you don't get a foal soon I think a certain lady will need to attend a few Weight Watchers classes. ROFL

Your girls make mine look trim ROFL


----------



## AnnaC

I have a question for you ladies - dont know why I forgot this, but so much going on round here right now, it had slipped my memory!

It concerns Nutty (of course LOL!!). About a week ago Cathy was doing her usual 'feel the bag' sessions and was also cleaning Nutty's udder between the two halves (which Nutty loves!). Cathy moved down to feel one of the teats for any possible filling and as she slid her fingers down the teat a jet of pure white milk shot out. Cathy stopped straight away as we dont normally test for milk or even try to milk any as we follow the old fashioned belief that one shouldn't 'break' the teats natural seal.

So my question is - can a mare that last produced a foal in May 2010 still produce milk/white milk? As of today Nutty still has no sign of a developing udder?????

Or do we now hold out the hope that there might be a foal hidden in there?


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## Equuisize

At the risk of being redundant .....

Zoe, only, with her #4 foal produced a bag prior to foaling. That was a foal the vet disagreed with me on it's month of foaling.

I said August, he said June and she was waaaaaay overweight by August and Zoolii came out with rolls of fat on her.

Nothing in foals 1 thru 3 nor with foals 5 & 6.

She milks like a cow but even during nursing never has a the big bag like some others speak of.

I do not, with her, consider using the bag as a sign of impending birth.


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## a mini dream come true

Oh my goodness Anna! What a wonderful way to await for the foals



. Looks like you are all having a wonderful time



. I have missed do much. Vernica didn't have much of a bag before she foaled, but she filled after. Wish I could help more. I say hold out hope that Nutty will foal.BWDIK.

I loves all the pics. All your girls are beautiful and it so warms my heart to see another little human boy loving his chips too. Times like that is what I call really living and loving life.


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## cassie

oh I'm so hoping she is in foal for you Anna!

remember when we thought Penny was in foal... I could express milk from her but it was never WHITE..and she hasn't had a baby since 2008... I'm so so hoping she has a baby cooking in there!!!


----------



## Eagle

Anna I am not really sure as all mares are so different. You remember Odette fooling me last year cos she looked soooo preggo and she had milk that went down on the strips as she got closer, she was easy to express and it was white. This year I found it hard to get more than a drop until after she foaled. she is the only older mare that I have so I don't know if she is the "norm"

I am crossing my fingers and toes for a Nutty Baby


----------



## MeganH

I am joining the club of hoping there is a baby in there


----------



## AnnaC

Earlier this morning I was just getting in to reponding to your coments here when emergency call from Cathy. Young Kyrian had a raging temperature and a rash had come up all over his legs, so she needed to pop him down to the doctors. I therefore had to rush to cathy's to keep an eye on Vee who was causing some concern with her behaviour.

Well it all turned out ok - Kyrian just has a virus of some sort. Doc's orders were to simply keep him cool, get him out in the fresh air as much as possible (no difficulty there!!) and he will be fine, no medicine needed! I love the way the Welsh doctors push the kiddies outside in the air for the cures to most of their problems!!

Vee was also fine while I was there for the morning. She is not feeling very comfortable and from the middle of last night had been having some very watery droppings - and I mean watery as against loose! She was still eating and grazing happily, but after a couple of hours out on the grass, she stood for quite a while snoozing, no rolling or anything and the report from Cathy this evenng is that her droppings have more or less retrned to normal. Of course we kept getting in a panic, thinking that maybe she has an infection and/or the foal has died, but no, the little fella/lass produced a couple of kicks to prove that it is still with us!! But I wouldn't be suprised if she foals tonight - I really hope so because poor Cathy is really exhausted right now, with her mare caring, plus her elderly in law parent caring plus loads of 'official' paper work that she has on her plate at the moment, so she could do with some sleep!

Thank you all for your comments on the possibility of a not in foal mare having milk. I did know that it was possible, but was more interested in the colour being pure white, as I had no idea what colour it would/could be in a non pregnant mare. Cathy and I spent a while just standing behind Nutty in the field once Cathy returned from the Doctors, watching her tummy!! All I can say is that the lower 'bulge' sways happily/sort of rolls from side to side as she moves - but that just goes to show how 'fat' her tummy area is LOL!! So nothing conclusive to report!!

Thank you Diane, once again, for your knowledgable info, I really appreciate it.



In the past I have had an elderly little fella with both cushings and laminitis, back in the days before the modern drugs were around to help, but he happliy lived on for another 15 years (the last 6 spent loose on the farm, terrorising the stallions, trampling my lawn, sampling some of my plants and sneaking off down the drive to visit the next door neighbour's orchard!!) and was put down aged 35 when the silly bu**er slipped and fell on a patch of concrete chasing too fast round a corner - he cracked his shoulder. I'm pretty sure Nutty doesn't have cushings (yet!) as she's far too active, always in the middle of the regular racing and chasing that goes on, she also has no difficulty with her coat (losing it after the winter) plus she is a person of considerable mental capacity - no fudging going on in her brain I can tell you!! LOL!!

So my friends, keep your fingers crossed for little Vee and as for Nutty - well, time will tell.





Cathy on the phone - VEE PUSHING!!



ray



ray


----------



## AnnaC

Vee has had her colt as expected and all is well so far!



:ThumbUp

Very fast, straightforward foaling - he is only about twice the size of Mrs Nest (JR) and "very ugly" - Cathy's words LOL!! ALL WHITE (!!) small bit of brown round one eye and across his forehead and tips of ears, one stifle and a brown end to his tail, maybe a blue eye - all this came over the phone while waiting for the cord to break. Will get more info and maybe a pic for you a bit later when Cathy rings back after 'attending' to Vee and her new son.


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## Wings

WOOGOO!!! GO VEE!


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## AnnaC

Quick pictures - will get more tomorrow when I visit.


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## chandab

Aw! Congrats, looks to be a fine little colt. Can't wait to see him unfolded.


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## cassie

oh my, he is gorgeous! and from what I can see not at all ugly!!

congrats guys! YAY Vee!! wow was so not expecting that colour LOL

hope Cathy's little boy gets better soon, poor little man!


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## a mini dream come true

WOW! Congrats to all! Not at all what I expected in coloring. Handsome little man.


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## Equuisize

Waaaay to go, Vee!

That's a lovely colt!

Congratulations!


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## Wings

Nice colour suprise!! Is that chestnut as a base colour?


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## AnnaC

I presume so Bree. Dragon, the foal's sire is obviously chestnut (sorrel) and white. Vee's sire is an appy (black based I think), not sure about her dam, but presume she could either be bay or chestnut to produce Vee (??) who is a 'complete' strong bay with not a peep of white.

Thanks for all the congrats my friends - the colour was a bit of a shock to Cathy too!! So far Vee has produced a solid bay to my 'liver chestnut' Falabella, a 'grey/mushroom' dun to my red dun Mootie and her last foal (full sister to this one) is chestnut/minimal pinto, with a narrow white blaze and a small white spot under one flank. So all that white is certainly Dragon's doing. LOL!!


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## Eagle

Wow anna what a cutie pie, i can't wait to see him dry. Are you going up to see him today?

Congratulations :0)


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## AnnaC

I did manage a very quick visit today (madly busy!) and have to say he really is a cute fella - so over friendly that I couldn't manage to get any pics except some bad ones of his head LOL!! Will try for some better ones if I go tomorrow.

Vee had a little problem in the early hours of this morning. Cathy eventually allowed herself a doze at around 2 am (Vee had foaled around 10.30 pm) when all seemed ok. She checked Vee again at 4.30am, all well, but by 5.30 Vee was showing signs of colic, so Cathy gave our lovely vets a call - never take chances with colic especially soon after a mare has foaled. The lovely Philippa shot into the yard about just over 10 minutes later - no idea where she came from as she is based half an hour away, dread to think how fast she drove if she came from home!! Vee had a comprehensive exam, all seemed ok, plus temp and pulse/heart all normal, so it was just a simple tummy ache after foaling, but just seemed strange as usually mare's 'react' more or less as soon as they foal if they are going to be suffering from 'after pain'?

Anyway Vee had her pain killer jab and Phil left us a tube of painkiller stuff (same as your banamine) just in case. She then made Cathy turn Vee out into the field for a couple of hours - "best thing for her, not so good for the foal quite so soon, but he will manage and the mare needs the grass" Luckily the sun was already up and warm so no harm done. Vee came back in for a late breakfast (baby crashed out on the straw) while the other girls went for their time out and later in the afternoon Cathy repeated the proceedure, getting them all in to give Vee and baby the field to themselves for another couple of hours. Vee was fine after her painkiller jab ran out and still ok by late this evening so guess it was just one of those things. Phil phoned again at lunchtime to check on Vee's progress and said that she had been telling everyone at the Equine hospital that she and Lisa run, all about the cute little foal she had been visiting during the early hours! LOL!!


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## AnnaC

OK I have decided that you can see a few of my 'bad' pictures from today! Please note his ears LOL!! Think he must have had his head a bit squished inside Vee as his ears are sort of flat so that they now bend forwards or bend sideways depending upon whether he pricks them up or not!! Also as Vee is also known as Weasel (Veesel = Weasel) his name is now Ferret!!

The 4th pic is the perfect example of me being too slow in clicking the 'take' button. LOL!!


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## Wings

He is adorable






What are the pinto genetics in mum and dad?


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## MeganH

OMG! Cute!! I love his name too! Congrats!


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## targetsmom

Congrats! He is adorable and I love the name! I used to work with weasels and ferrets.


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## lexischase

Anna he is absolutely adorable, love the name! What a sweet little face! Congrats on a great looking colt


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## Eagle

ROFL you two are crazy lol Ferret is adorable and I see he has pink skin, so what colour is he? Diane?


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## palsminihorses

What a handsome boy! Love his little face! Congratulations!


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## Equuisize

Those top two photos came out great. He looks like a whirling dervish in the bottom one LOL

He's very very cute - and looks spunky just like a little boy should be.


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## AnnaC

Few more pics from Cathy today. He's looking more unfolded - but those ears! LOL!! They are made worse (or more attractive, depending upon your point of view!) by the fact that they are brown on the inside and white on the outer, so viewed from the front there is a white 'rim' round the edge of the brown 'inner' - trust him to be different! LOL!!


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## Wings

I think I need my sunnies to look at those pics, he is so bright!


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## chandab

He's still so very cute. but, you are right the two-tone coloring on the ears makes them look a little different. Cute none-the-less.


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## Eagle

Wings said:


> I think I need my sunnies to look at those pics, he is so bright!


Give him a few hours outside and he will soon be green/brown


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## AnnaC

LOL!! Bree - the other mares did a double take when they first saw him!! When little Heidi had Billy two years ago he was the last born of 13 foals that year and no-one took much notice of him amongst all the other 'multi' colours, but I think Vee really caught everyone out this year!


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## Equuisize

I love him - think he's just great.

Maybe the other kids thought he was the white flag of surrender LOL


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## cassie

oh Anna, he is so cute! his markings are darling! and what a lovely little face he has! and nice long legs! hehe Ferret! you are the cutest Ferret I have ever seen!! HEHEHE


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## lucky lodge

hes so cute congrats anna XXXXX


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## a mini dream come true

Oh Anna, he is simply stunning!! Love the marking and the name. Congrats on a such a handsome little man


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## Eagle

Hi Anna, how are Vee and Ferret doing?


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## AnnaC

They are progressing well thanks Renee - I've not been over there for a few days, but according to Cathy, the Ferret is a little terror and very independant now that he has found his feet. LOL!! Luckily Vee is very laid back about all his antics, she did have a brief 'dust up' with Narcotics earlier on when Cotics got a bit nosey about Ferret, but it was very short lived - they respect each other too much!! Did take a couple of quick pics when I was last there on Friday (when he was still sticking closely to his Momma!) and Foxy got in on the act - what a difference in size!!

Also took a couple of snaps of a little 'pond' that Hamish and I created outside the back door earlier this year - just for a bit of fun!!


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## Wings

What a darling





Love your pond! I keep trying to have one built but they can be a bit attractive to snakes so I can't get anyone to agree.


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## Eagle

Ahhhh what a cutie, he is just so tiny he makes you want to hug him :0)

I love your pond with all the plants around it, do you have any fish or frogs?


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## LittleRibbie

Boy, look at that for size difference!! Hes such a little squirt. Do I see medicine hat?....sure looks like i have to go back and read a few threads!! guess thats what I get for cutting class and skipping the auntie school as much as I have been lately. now i have to go back and check the assignments again!!

Anna, how the heck do you find the time!!! your little wadding pond is wonderful....Hammish did a great job.His and Hers little pools!! But what ...no diving board!! Do you grow any fresh herbs in your little pots....then go right out the back door to pick fresh ones!!! In my case I would want a chocolate chip plant but i dont think they have those sorts of things!! Turtles, frogs and fish would be wonderful!!


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## cassie

haha Heidi




so good to have you back around lol a choc chip plant



definitley in on that one





Anna that pond looks so fantastic well done to you and Hamish!

Ferret and Foxy look so gorgeous



I love the size difference hehe soo cute!

how are your other girls looking Anna? any changes?


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## AnnaC

Coccy chip LOL!! Now that's a plant that I would like to grow too Heidi!!





Cassie, we have more or less given up on the other girls being in foal - just dont think it is possible that they will suddenly progress to producing a bag and a foal, but they are still under scrutiny for the next couple of weeks anyway.

Glad you all liked our little pond. It was a sudden thought on my part and Hamish and I had to spend many hours trying to find a lump of plastic for the liner (without holes!), in fact we had already placed and filled the chosen piece only to find that we had missed some tiny pinprick holes as the water level slowly fell and we had to pull it out and start all over again!! In fact there is still a small hole somewhere as it still loses water in one half of it, but remains half full - not a problem during all the wet weather we have had since we built it - the rain kept it well filled up! But in this last week of hot sunshine we are back down to half on one side! No frogs or fish Renee as it is only about 5-6 inches deep - the frogs are all over in our big proper pond by the buildings.

Gardening is my 'sanity' but not had much time for it over the past 5 years. When we moved here it took several horse box journeys to get all my 'pot's' moved from Sussex to Wales (250 different pots - including trees!!) and I have managed to keep most of them going since being here. Right now I'm slowly working my way through them getting them, at last, sorted and re-potted. Once we get the stone barns here converted into dwellings and I decide where I'm actually going to live (a barn or the house) in the future, then I may well create a new garden and get most of them planted out!





Yesterday morning I had a little change round of the pots under one of the house's front windows - moved the 'winter' pots and replaced them with some summer ones - they will all look better/more colourful once they get to full flowering mode, but here are a few pics - including one of Mrs Nest (saying "do I HAVE to sit here for a silly picture") LOL!!


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## Eagle

What beautiful colours Anna, they contrast so well against the old stone house.



Mrs Nest


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## raine

_oh he is NICE _


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## Wings

I think I need to kidnap you Anna and get you to help my mother save my gardens



:whistling My idea of gardening is turning the horses out on it


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## AnnaC

LOL!! Bree. My family say I should do the same thing about our front lawn - years ago the owners here planted the whole lawn with daffodils, which look absolutely FAB when they are flowering. BUT you then have to leave them for at least 6 weeks to let them die down naturally, which means that by that time our lawn has become a hay field!! It takes many 'groaning' family members to hack it down and reduce it to a normal mown lawn again, but I dont like to let the chips out on to it as I dont think that daffodil leaves are good for horses??

Will have to find you some pics, because this year we have only cut down half of it - I call the remainder my 'wild' garden! LOL!!


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## LittleRibbie

Anna, I just love your house...I love old stone houses...so charming and full of personality. Renee, you have a stone or brick house too dont you? Florida has alot of ugly, no personality, stucco homes and I hate them!! Ours is small but it is wood(cypress) so its not as bad IMO. Not too many wood homes in Fl. b/c of termites. I love the way you garden in pots, its lovely. I have no talent in that department. Cant wait to see your daffodils from your neighbors.....I love daffodils.

Well Im sorry your other girls may have fooled us.....sure would have been fun to see some more foals but you never know...surprises are fun!!

On another note Popcorn may not have taken last month either.......last night at dinner she seemed alittle too interrested in Nick...no winking and blinking...but that ..."hey big guy...what are you doing later on this week" sort of look. Will keep checking her this week and if she does come back in I will have time to try again but it will actually be better b/c then I will get her cultured first which is what I wanted to do anyway but wasnt able too. Cross fingers!!

Good morning Diane!!!!


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## cassie

thanks for the lovely pics Anna



your house and garden is lovely



my mum is a very keen gardener but doesn't have much time to get into the garden, her beautiful Magnolia tree has just come out in flower though I'll have to take some pics for you all so you can see it



its the best its ever been and we love it





sorry to hear that the rest of your girls may not be in foal



can we see some new piccies of your babies pretty please? 

Opening ceremony of the olympics today! WOOHOO!! lol


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## Wings

AnnaC said:


> LOL!! Bree. My family say I should do the same thing about our front lawn - years ago the owners here planted the whole lawn with daffodils, which look absolutely FAB when they are flowering. BUT you then have to leave them for at least 6 weeks to let them die down naturally, which means that by that time our lawn has become a hay field!! It takes many 'groaning' family members to hack it down and reduce it to a normal mown lawn again, but I dont like to let the chips out on to it as I dont think that daffodil leaves are good for horses??
> 
> Will have to find you some pics, because this year we have only cut down half of it - I call the remainder my 'wild' garden! LOL!!


That does sound lovely but yes too much work!!



Would love more garden pics and of the lawn. Might get inspired... inspired to get other people to do the work!





We had a lot of lawn here, I'm turning one whole stretch of it into an orchard because I hate mowing it, even with the ride on!

I think it's the bulbs of daffodil that might not be good? Either way I'm like you and don't want to risk it. One of our gardens has oleander in it and when said garden gets rescued this spring it'll be ripped out. I don't care how pretty it is I really don't like having it on a horse property.


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## AnnaC

Well I think we have given up on the idea that there will be more foals for us this year, so guess I will keep this thread going a little longer for pics and general chat, if that is ok?

Cassie I would love to see your Mum's special Magnolia tree if you can post a pic of it please!

Bree here's some pics of the lawn for you - daffs, then half mown as it is right now, plus one after a little Welsh winter snow!! LOL!!

More pics on next post!


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## LittleRibbie

I would love to send my horses out to play in your snow!! I can see Cam out there making snow angels!!

great daffodils too!


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## AnnaC

As I said, all my garden plants are in pots - some have been moving homes with me for some 15 years, most of them still in the same pots! LOL!!

First the bigger ones, plus some of the smaller pots now waiting to be repotted!

Got to go feed the dogs, so a small break before the next post, which will be animals!!


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## Eagle

Move over Anna, we are all moving in! How much is the rent


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## AnnaC

Ok, animals now! Callie, the cat who always insists on helping me when I'm trying to do the garden! Her nose is almost inside any pots I'm using for repotting and she is usually to be found rolling in and playing with any long grass or weeds that I'm trying to pull up - good job I dont use shears!! Here she is just sitting in a pot just watching formy next move!

Then there is one of Mrs Nest looking very pleased that she has stolen M's special old sock 'toy', and M not looking that pleased about it!!

Plus there are a couple of pics of the other two tykes that belong to the family (the two that live with DD and Kym and came up for a visit a couple of weeks back) These were taken on a visit at the end of last summer - after which M and I travelled back to Somerset to spend a few days with them. So we have Mrs Nest, Charlie and their daughterTids, (and no, they never 'bothered' the ducks!! LOL!!).


----------



## AnnaC

Now as you have all been so good looking patiently at all my pics, here is your reward!! Sorry cant give you a pic of Wizz - she's so un-photogenic at the moment, and naughty Foxy wont stay far enough away for you to get anything in a pic except for her nose (but I will try harder early next week when I go over next!). So you will just have to put up with a pic of Hamish and Ferret - well two of them actually, almost the same, but couldn't decide which one I liked the best!! (you can get an idea of how small Ferret is, by looking at the length of Hamish's arm almost fitting under Ferret's neck).


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## AnnaC

LOL!! Renee. Visitors are always welcome if they are willing to work for their keep!!


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## Wings

I'm moving in. Or moving your garden here. Hmmmm , which is easiest


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## chandab

Wings said:


> My idea of gardening is turning the horses out on it


A girl after my own heart, that's the extent of my gardening skills/desires, too.


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## Eagle

chandab said:


> A girl after my own heart, that's the extent of my gardening skills/desires, too.


Yeah who needs garden gnomes, we have minis.






Anna those pisc of Hamish and Ferret are adorable. I think we should all move in with Anna, we could all work hard and we could send Bree off to do the shows with Cassie as assistant, Karina and Megan could share cooking



,Anna could be boss



(of course) Diane in charge of the pony porn, Heidi supplying the booze and I could clean the poop


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## LittleRibbie

sounds like a wonderful plan!!


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## AnnaC

And we could have MAD PARTIES - lots of them!!



:ThumbUp

Once we get the stone barns converted we should have 10 bedrooms in all (including the house) - is that enough for everyone??


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## Wings

Best plan ever! Although I think we might scare a lot of people... after all they did have to make a whole subforum to help the other forum users feel safe



:rofl


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## Eagle

ROFL I hadn't thought of it like that ;0)


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## a mini dream come true

Does that mean I just get to play with the foals?


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## LittleRibbie

SUBFORUM!!! thats hysterical...love you way of looking at things LOL


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## AnnaC

You lot are such a scream - how boring life would be without you my friends!!


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## Wings

I've really enjoyed getting to know the regular nutbags around her



plus learning from all the threads, both newbie and experienced, really helps me learn a lot more then I would on my own with a pile of books!

Nothing beats real experience, then fun along the way just makes it extra worth it


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## cassie

I'm definitley in on that party! and Hazel you can most definitley play with the foals!  hehe.

ok I'll try get some pics of mum's magnolia tree for you



we have had a bit of wind so the flowers aren't looking as great as before but I'll see how the pics turn out





have any of you guys been watching the olympics? saw the cross country last night! wow it was amazing! what an incredible track they have, what beautiful horses! loved it!

foxy is so cute, and (can I add... Hamish isn't too bad looking either hehe






)


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## chandab

Wings said:


> View attachment 10432


This looks really good.


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## Wings

chandab said:


> This looks really good.


I know, everytme I see it I want to go make cupcakes.. but of course I haven't fixed the oven so it only has two temp settings.... On and Off



:rofl


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## LittleRibbie

You guys have no idea how much I would love to just run my finger right thru the frosting on that cupcake....yummy. how come mine never look like that!!


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## Wings

Mine don't 'cause half the frosting gets eaten before it reaches the cake





Although there's a bakery I go to when I visit my mother and they make red velvet cupcakes that come out that pretty. Needless to say many are purchased and they don't last long



I have a total weakness for cupcakes!


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## AnnaC

All I can say is Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!


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## AnnaC

Just want to wish our fabulous friend Diane all the best for her annual holiday!!

Have a great time Diane, relax and have fun with the family - we shall expect loads of pictures of course!!


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## AnnaC

WOW!! That place looks fantastic Diane!!





Enjoy your cuddles with that very special and cute little poppet.


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## Wings

Enjoy Diane!


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## Eagle

Diane have a great time with lots of laughs and cuddles. How excited you must be



that place looks wonderful.


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## cassie

Have a fantastic time Diane!! You deserve it



wow I can't believe how big your beautiful little grand baby is



look at that smile lol gorgeous little girl! No wonder you are so eager to go


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## AnnaC

Things have been a bit busy round here lately - future projects so lots of discussions! Also just had one of our boys returned here from Cathy's. He has been living out with Spotbum, but SB may well be covering a couple of mares over the next few weeks and we are not happy about leaving them together once there are mares around. They are both 5 years old and have been together all their lives - except for short times apart when SB has been used for covering - so poor Handbag is a little confused right now and missing his friend. Considering he has done very little in his short life he is such a good boy and so easy to manage bless him! He is now living in a stable next to his Daddy (my little Mootie - Colonel Mustard), who is not too sure about having his son as a companion!! They are both out during the day - separate paddocks of course, as Mootie is not a stallion who would share with someone else, no matter what time of year! I do have the 5 other colts with me at the moment, all living out, and as they were originally friends with Handbag I'm hoping that eventually, with careful handling, he may be able to join them, but we shall see as I dont want to mess up their sometimes rather fragile relationship!! (they are aged between 1 and 4 years of age)

Anyway, enough of my chattering LOL!! I popped over to Cathy's today and of course I grabbed a couple of quick snaps of the foals for you, just to keep you all happy!!

Hi Diane, great to have you back my friend!




I hope you had a fabulous week with the family - dont forget we want pictures!!


----------



## AnnaC

Apologies for all the docks in the field - once Euros finishes with the silage and haymaking, he may have time to top the field!!


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## Wings

They are looking great Anna! Love your first pinto


----------



## cassie

WOW Anna your babies are looking GREAT!! what a lovely crop of foals you have this year! and I agree with Bree, your little pinto is stunning!!


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## Eagle

Hi girls



and welcome back Diane, I hope you had a wonderful time and got spoilt rotten


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## cassie

Diane I'm so glad you were able to spend that extra time with Katy! what a wonderful time you must be having



we don't mind you being a sporadic poster today lol or yesterday LOL hope you have been having a fantastic time with her!! =D


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## cassie

oh thats sad that you won't be able to see them again till next year, I'm sure the kids will have grown SOO much between now and then!

how exciting that you will be able to babysit your little grand kiddies!  lots of fun I'm sure!


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## AnnaC

Give Katy and family our love Diane and a big welcome to Juliette and little Jase - 2 months already!! Where did the time go??


----------



## AnnaC

Here are some moo pics for you that Cathy sent me today - but there seems to be an interloper in their midst???


























More next post...........................


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## AnnaC

Another few from the day before - he just adores his special lady friends!! Excuse his plaited forelock - he had a bit of a runny eye and Cathy needed to keep his forelock away from his face.


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## Wings

That is seriously adorable!!


----------



## cassie

NAW NAW NAW NAW NAW!!! lol

I love that soooo cute



at first I didn't get what you were saying then I was like wait thats not a cow!! lol  so very cute!!

Thanks for those pics Anna they were the best!


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## AnnaC

Thought you might like to see a couple of pics of my golden oldies. September 1st and they are already well into their winter woollies - plus lots of dirt. LOL!! They are happy scruffy retirees, stuffing themselves on all my long grass fields while the rest of the herd suffer the starvation acres!! So we have tiny Heidi (29" British measured) who is 24, Then old Petal (40" unregistered but British Shetland and my laminitic mare - on all that grass, I here you shout!! Dont ask, Petal has strange needs, best known only to herself!!) She's a mere 23. Lastly there is Bess (37" British Shetland registered as Black Bess of Croust - but is a flea bitten grey!) She's 28 this year.(one of the pics of Bess has a set of legs hiding behind her - no, she doesn't have a foal at foot! They belong to 2 year old Hazel who for some reason insists on living with her Aunties instead of with the rest of the herd - and who am I to argue?)

Sometime in the next week Cathy will be bringing back here the 4 girls who didn't produce foals this year - my precious Nutty is coming home! Yey!! And she will be taking away the group of colts that i have had here for the summer. Yey again!! LOL!! Nutty will join her golden oldie friends and the other younger mares will go back with the herd. We are not breeding this year. Over the next month the Oldies get their pre-winter tidy up, quick brush over, manes detangled and picked out, and tails trimmed and washed. Believe or not they object to this clean up process - keeps them away from scoffing the grass for an hour. LOL!! But I love them just the same.






(better just add that here is only one picture of Petal (pic 3) and 2 each of the others - they do look a bit the same!)


----------



## cassie

gorgeous girls Anna! love them all! thanks for sharing



can we get some new pics of the babies? pretty please?


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## lexischase

Oh my the little man with all the cows is adorable! Best photos ever! Anna your girls are so pretty! Love them


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## chandab

Lovely girls. Thank you for sharing them with us.


----------



## AnnaC

Thank you my friends - my oldies are so very precious to me! Cassie, I haven't been over to Cathy's for a while (she's been coming over here as we have been working on 'business' things. Will try to get over for some foal pics for you very soon. In a few weeks they will also be returning here so lots of updated pics then - but will see if Cathy has anything on her computer when she comes over today.)


----------



## AnnaC

Thank you Diane! She really is a poppet most of the time, but can get a bit self willed and opinionated when she feels like it - over the years we have had many good laughs at the unsuspecting person trying to lead her somewhere that she has no intention of going. LOL!!

I have had her since the Spring of her 4th year and she has given us many highly coloured foals! Actually, although she was white when I got her, I found to my amazement that she was actually coloured - after a fall of rain in the summer months when she has her full summer coat, she is actually pale 'pink' roan either 'end' and white in the middle!! Can still see the colour now even after all these years so nothing is 'fading' as she ages and must be her original colouring - I would have thought that the pale roan colour would have faded out as she aged, but then I no nothing about colours anyway!


----------



## cassie

thats so fantastic Anna





can we see some pics of her past babies? she is a gorgeous girl!!


----------



## AnnaC

Cassie her foals were some time ago and therefore no pics on my current laptop. However if you go to my website www.ancasterstud.co.uk and click on foals then choose "Past" the past page will give you, amongst others, one of old Bess', one of old Nutty's and 3 of Petals. Also go to "on the farm" then "Wales" and scroll madly down to the snow pics, the last snow pic is of Petal's last foal - loads of colour in them all!!

I'm most excited today as, hopefully if no change of plan, my precious Nutty will be returning home - together with 2 of her daughters and 1 g/daughter. They never did produce babies this year and we have decided not to breed for next year - hopefully to have more time to do some showing. Cathy will then take back the 6 young boys with her to free up a couple of my fields again - so life here will get back to normal with just me, all my girls and my special boy Mootie - who will be busy keeping his eyes hopefully on some 35 females. LOL!! (Incidently if you do visit the "Past Foals" you will also find a just weaned Mootie - Colonel Mustard - on there, never would have guessed that such an odd furry bundle could have turned into my handsome little man!)


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## chandab

My guess would be that Petal is a maximum white sabino, since you say she is "pink" roan at either end. Nice colorful foals.


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## countrymini

Your Oldies are beautiful Anna


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## cassie

NAW thanks for that Anna! loved looking at your site, so beautiful!





Petal's babies were gorgeous! loved them all


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## AnnaC

Well all the girls are now homewith their foals. As I said Nutty and the other three not in foalers returned last week. Those three went back downour dell fields to join the herd and Nutty went in with the oldies (lots of grass to keepher happy and well built up for the coming winter. Yesterday I moved these 'oldies' into another field - lots more grass (!!) to put them alongside our driveway field ready for mares and foals to return - into the driveway field in the hope that once they all meet up again across a safe fence, we can perhaps join them up a) to give the oldies access to a barn and b) to give a set of "Aunties" for when weaning comes after Christmas.

Well got a call from Cathy mid morning to say she was on her way with three girls and three babies - and I thought they were coming tomorrow!! All arrived safely and unloaded into their field - lots of racing around and some quick chats to the neighbours across the fence. I then went back with Cathy to fetch Narcotics and Prue as these two are know for their "I dont really need to get into that vehicle" attitude if they feel like it. LOL!! However a bowl of food proved just too much to ignore and they both bounded up the ramp, I held them while Cathy bundled the two foals inside. The two mares promply fell asleep and the foals kept diving for the milk bars, very pleased to have a 'captive' Momma!!

Got a few pics, but then it started to rain, so let them to it - will take a few more in the coming days now they are back.











Ferret 'foal greeting' Hazel.






more next post.............................


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## AnnaC

My goodness - what IS that!!











Nutty, of course!! (not sure what has happened but last two pics dont seem to have posted - will try on the next post to ge them up!!


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## AnnaC

It was photobucket that suddenly decided not to post the pics - trying again with one of my gorgeous Nutty and one of the group wandering off across the fields to investigate their new surroundings.


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## Wings

Lovely shots as always Anna! It must be great having them all home





LOVE those cat shots, it's always so funny watching them meet the cats!


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## Jade10

awww sooo pretty!!


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## countrymini

Love your photos!


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## chandab

Lovely herd.


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## cassie

I can't see them



i bet all your mini's are looking fantastic Anna



you take such lovely care of them.


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## AnnaC

OK my friends, just thought I would update you on what has been happening here on the farm for the last month or so. We have just start the work to convert our two old stone barns into residential dwellings - hoping to move into them and sell of our house and a few acres to ease the 'finances'. Busy busy and very stressful, but rather exciting too!! Trouble is that I have slowly lost all my stabling as I used to house my boys in one of the barns plus a lean-to, and we had other stables in the old tin barns that have now been pulled down, so all the boys are now over with Cathy and I just have my special Mootie still here with me using part of an old barn

as his night time stable.

This will take a while to post all the pictures, so suggest you just be patient until I finish LOL!! "Patient" - just like you are when waiting for a mare to foal!!

First a short fun video taken some 5 years ago when we first used an old tin barn to foal down in.


----------



## AnnaC

Sorry guys - more pics tomorrow - it's way past my bedtime and I have spent ages searching for a second video amongst my pics, cant find it and have now run out of time - must get some sleep!


----------



## Wings

You tease


----------



## AnnaC

Sorry for that - you lot should be awake/asleep at the same time as I am, then we wouldn't have any trouble!!

Found the other video in the end this morning, but it will take ages to load to photobucket, so will do it later. It is now 6am here, so I should manage to get more pics posted before most of you wake up - Hi to you Aussielanders, guess you are still awake?

OK here is what has happened to that barn.





Remember that this will be my back garden!! LOL!! Oh and little Mootie is now stabled under the remaining barn at the far end of these pics - the dome bit has still to go and he is under the lean-to the far side, which is actually in our present back garden, bless him!





Next post....................


----------



## AnnaC

Pic of the back of my 'new' home, once it is all finished (WHEN it is all finished LOL!!) and I have a nice veranda at the back overlooking my garden, we will cut the overgrown hedge/trees down a bit and I will have a lovely view over some of our fields.





What has been dug out, and little Moots in his 'home' with his homemade blocked up wall to keep the wind off him now he no longer has the shelter of the removed barn.





Next post...........................


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## AnnaC

OK this is what has happened to the other 'lean-to' alongside the second double height stone barn where I used to house the boys.









All gone - now we just have to get the concrete plinth up to allow for the big barn's drains to be dug. Oh and well done to Hamish who has done all this work, with help from Euros's machine - which yesterday decided to break down so Hamish will be getting a few days off, but I'm sure I will find him some thing to do!!




Will try to get some up to date pics of the minis today just to keep things interesting - if it stops raining! Will also keep adding pics of the work on the barns as things progress.


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## Wings

You'll have to keep us updated on your barn conversion, I love that sort of stuff!


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## countrymini

So reminds me of those barn conversion shows on tv. Love the stone work!


----------



## AnnaC

Just another quick post - it is again past my bedtime, but after a lot more searching I have found that second video, plus it has taken almost 2 hours to get it loaded to photobucket!!

Again it is of our old tin barn with our homemade stables and is taken around mid April the same year as the previous video on the last page (that one was taken a couple of weeks earlier). This one shows some other mares and a few foals. For those interested the first coloured mare is Chapella a fully registered mini Shetland, the second mare is our spotty girl Shetland x American (Orion breeding). Then comes two little chestnut mares - again fully registered mini shetlands, but you will notice that they are lacking weight on their backbones. We bought them as a pair the year before (they are best friends and are always stabled next to each other or opposite so they can see each other) and we struggled like mad to keep weight on them. Found out that this weight problem occured in a lot of lines (pedigrees) in the stud that bred them - interesting? In spite of this, both of them have had 3 foals each for us since the video was taken, and by each of our stallions, without exception all the foals have been brilliant in conformation and temperament and have no problems in keeping a well covered backbone! Must also add that those two little girls are now as fat as any of my other mares and have managed fo produce all their other babies without losing any weight - the good Welsh grass has done the trick! LOL!

The final black mare is a full sized shetland, a daughter of old Bess crossed with a mini black and white shetland boy, BB has a week old filly with her by Falabella Anselmo, and BB herself looks much more like the condition I want my mares in when they foal. (will be putting this filly to Dragon next year for her first foal - she will be 5!) In the last stable - well the less said the better!!

Hope the video doesn't keep 'sticking' for you - it did for me. Oh and have your sound on, so you can hear Cathy's comments (both videos should have sound?)


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## Jade10

Your mares are all soo pretty, and their manes are soo thick and long


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## Wings

Looooove those shettie manes!


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## countrymini

good commentry lol


----------



## AnnaC

LOL!! Diane - I thought he might suit you!! Not many new borns that get to spend the nights of the first two months of their lives tucked up inside a padded coat, helping to foal down mini mares - he was born right at th wrong time - mid March!! Good job the children's welfare folk didnt get to find out what was going on.


----------



## AnnaC

Ok my firends, another update on the building works. Oh my has it been manic!! There are so many things going on at once. Aside from all the digging/ground clearance and plant and heavy machinery lumbering around the place (the silence at the end of the day when they stop work is BLISS!!) we have also been working in the house making space for our friend Pat and her adult daughter Gemma to move in. Pat will be buying the large barn and some 7 acres from us (it was always planned that we would get together and amalgamate (sp?) our mini herds/programmes). Pat has sold her place and has to be out of there this coming weekend. We already have 4 of her mares running here with ours and the next 4 arrive on Friday - we have had them all here before at grass so when they arrive they will just be added to our herd and left to sort themselves out/get re-aquainted - her two other mares and their foals are at Cathy's place at the moment and will move later. Pat's 4 boys will move Monday morning. In the meantime we have been shunting furniture/clearing out rooms in the house here to accommodate Pat and Gemma and a lot of their furniture (plus their 4 dogs!) - the rest of Pat's stuff and our, now chucked out, furniture is being put into the smaller stone barn, which wont be converted until the big barn is finished. Yesterday in the pouring rain we unloaded two horse trailer loads of Pat's stuff into the house, another load due today - hopefully in slightly better weather! There have also been loads of horse stuff arriving, plus masses of stall mats and useful wood panels as Pat dismantles her internal stables to re-erect everything in the barn here on her 7 acres.

Everything here is turning to mud as the machines continue with their work and with all the 'ins and outs' as workers come and go to make continuous 'cuppa's, the inside of our house is starting to look as muddy as the outside - doggy footprints dont help either!!

Euros and his brother have been doing most of the ground work with their huge farm machinery - they have dug a huge area out round Pat's field barn, which in the future will be hardcored, but has made an awful mess! We, together with Gemma, have removed all the internal walls of this barn and Euro has now mucked it out completely so they can organise their own internals in there - our muck heap is getting BIGGER!!

The entrance to poor Mootie's barn has been dug out (well half way into his barn actually) to level the ground alongside the big barn as this will eventually be part of Pat's 'garden', so Moots had a bit of a shock when the machines eventually went quiet last night and I fetched him in from the field in the dark, and he found he had to use a little ledge to squeeze along to reach his stable!

So our main concern at the moment is to get Pat safely moved over the next 4 days - plus they still have to build and bed up their stables to at least house their boys and Gemma's onne big horse, then once they are all here it will be trying to work out our squashed living together routine plus getting Pat's horses settled safely into their new accommodation, while dodging round all the external work going on. CHAOS!! LOL!!

As I have now waffled on too much I think I will have to post the recent pics in another post! So scroll on my friends.


----------



## AnnaC

Here are the recent pics - will get more today. For those of you reading all this for the first time, you might need to go back a couple of pages to get the start of this now on-going farm story!


----------



## AnnaC

Narcotics was at the gate of her field, keeping an eye on the growing heap of muck and soil that's piling up, and the three babies come to check on things too.

Will get some more pics of other areas today.


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## countrymini

Your babies are so lovely. See them longly looking at all the mud to roll in lol.

Keep up the good reno work, talk about a busy life!


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## AnnaC

Just taken a chill pill (LOL!!) after a rather scarey day - lost one of the cats!! Like the others, she is always around, always in my face or interferring with what is going on. She usually sleeps at night either in the airing cupboard on the 'kitty bed' or on the bathroom floor over one of the hot pipes. A visit to the loo in the middle of the night and no cat. Morning and no cat anywhere. Starting to panic, trying to remember when I last saw her. Did she get into a workers van the teatime before or even into the trailer bringing Gemma's stuff over?? Did she get run over by the big machinery or even (heaven forbid) buried under a load of soil and rubbish as they tipped out the huge loads of muck and rubbish down by the muck heap - they wouldn't have seen her if she dashed passed at the wrong moment? I searched everywhere, I even walked the field hedgerows and trees in case something had frightened her and she was now stuck high up a tree. We worked out that she was last actually seen by someone around teatime the evening before, but just couldn't think of anywhere she could be unless she was dead. Mid afternoon today I was in the loo and M (dog) followed me into the bathroom, I was speaking to her telling her to get out when I heard a mew! Immediately called Callie (cat) and got an answering mew - from above my head!! She was in the house loft!!! Of course, the one thing we had forgotten was the fact that we had the step ladders up to the loft while putting some boxes up there out of the way and they were left there with the loft trap open for at least an hour afterwards until we remembered them and took them down. But being the fact that they were short ladders and the flat top was at least 3 foot below the loft hatchway, she must have done a very big leap to actually get up there.

But who cares!! At least we found her - looking a bit grubby and rather hungrey. LOL!! Where is she now? Curled up asleep in the bathroom on her hot pipe!!


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## Wings

It's a cats job to randomly terrify us utterly!



Keeps us on our toes!

Looks like you'll have a lot on your plate for awhile, have fun and enjoy the ride


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## Jade10

AnnaC said:


> Narcotics was at the gate of her field, keeping an eye on the growing heap of muck and soil that's piling up, and the three babies come to check on things too.
> 
> Will get some more pics of other areas today.


Im in love with your very loud little one in the middle, he/she is adorable


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## AnnaC

LOL!! That's the Ferret and he's a little g*t - typical little man syndrome!! We haven't bred any mares for next year so that we can concentrate on some showing and we hope that he will be one of the team. Not had the time to really judge him yet, but from the look of his 'activities' in the field, things look promising - he certainly has the 'attitude'!!


----------



## AnnaC

Next update! Pat's last 4 girls arrived safely and joined the mare herd with no problems - just caused a load of racing around the herd's 28 acres and the mares and foals to race around their ajoining 3 acre paddock. I tried to get pictures but ended up with a load of blurrrrrrrs until they all calmed down LOL!!

We continued moving Pat and Gemma's stuff all week and yesterday (Sunday) in the pouring rain (of course!) the final trailer load of Pat's big furniture arrived. She is having our big lounge (inglenook fireplace with wood burner) divided as a bedroom and living room, our large kitchen/dining room will be shared space, doors have been 'sealed'/kept closed so that my upstairs space will be a safe haven for the cats away from Pat's 4 dogs. Cats can use the catflap in the rear porch door and run straight up stairs or come in through my bedroom window via a ladder and the roof of this porch (which they aready use!) Their food is up in my room not in the kitchen any more.

Pat moved in and Gemma returned back to their old home to keep the dogs company for one last night - they will all arrive today. Our flat bed trailer is still over at Pat's old place ready for the final move today of outside bits and pieces and Cathy will be going over with the cattle trailer to collect Pat's last 4 mini boys - will will chuck them out in one of what will be Pat's fields here until Gemma can get their stalls built in their barn (tomorrow's job!) Gemma's big horse, Panic - what a name!! - is actually grazing a small field belonging to a neighbour of Pat's and will be arriving here on Tuesday. Poor boy is not too happy about being left out in a field for the past few days, inspite of being well wrapped up in his rugs, but his stable has been dismantled to be moved into the barn here so he had no choice!

So still another couple of busy days to go, but at least the rain has cleared and the weather looks clear, although cold, for the next few days.

OK, waffled too much again, - pics in the next couple of posts!


----------



## AnnaC

Ok, mixed pics showing the new driveway under construction to the house (ready for the eventual sale), Pat's barn, other general pics and some of the herd once they stopped rushing around!





Pat's 'gutted' barn and one of the entrances to her fields showing the mess made during the work!





Hamish's mobile stood here in the way of where the new drive will go on its way round to the front of the house, so it got pulled down next to the barn attached to the house - it was not easy to move!!

Ooops run out of time - gotta go do the Mootie and check the girls - more after breakfast time!


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## Wings

I feel like I should be humming the theme to Grand Designs when reading your posts these days!


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## AnnaC

LOL!! Bree well I dont have any foalng mares to chat about!!

OK, allowing for the fact that you must all be fed up with wrecked buildings and muddy pictures, I think I'll change to a few of the girls.................................. if they will stand still long enough!!

No such luck LOL!!








You see my difficulty!! Next post for some STILL pics.


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## AnnaC

Ok a few sensible pictures. The first big lump is Narcotic's 4 year old daughter and NO she is not in foal!

Then Narcotics and her daughter - look at that beard (how unladylike!!) Think half sister Wizz is also in the first pic.

Then a pic of some of the others either side of the field division, and some of the herd mares that ended their mad chase around by gathering near the gate into our back garden.

As you can see from the pics, the mares and foals have grass in their field - the fat lumps have no grass left on their huge acreage - so why are they so FAT?????

Thanks for looking guys.


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## countrymini

What a cute bunch of little fatties! I'm not so worried about Sweety foundering now if yours are so chubby and completely fine lol.


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## Wings

Castle Rock Miniatures said:


> It's really too bad you don't feed your horses Anna. They just look like they're starving!!!!!






:rofl


----------



## AnnaC

Few more pics of the work here. First, the spur drive off the main drive to give us another entrance to our house - remember we had to tug Hamish's mobile home down out of the way?

At the start.





Nearly done and then finished, apart from tidying the earth bank on the right and errecting a new fence for the field.





Next post with news about our new main drive.


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## AnnaC

First, bottom of old drive, plus pic showing why we have a protective crash barrier on our lane - saves us from sliding straight on in the snow or icy weather. LOL!!





Next, going up old drive from the bottom, plus pic from the top of the slope showing where the new drive will join in from the right.





Then old drive blocked off (got to be tidied up yet) and new drive carved out of the mountain side.





Next post - couple of cute pics!


----------



## AnnaC

Forgot to add that because our old drive exited so near to a corner of our narrow lane, officialdom demanded that we moved the drive entrance further up the road before they would allow us the permission to convert the old stone barns to residential dwellings. Once all the work on the barns is finished, we will be completely re-surfacing the whole of our long drive - not doing it yet just to have it all chewed up by large lorries delivering building supplies!

Anyway cute pics of lazy dog fast alseep on my bed - she cant use her own bed coz one of the naughty cats now insists that it is hers!! LOL!!





That's all for now folks!


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## countrymini

naughty kitty!

Still busy busy, but getting there!


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## cassie

wow it all looks fantastic Anna




what great work you have been doing



it must be so exciting for you all! 

love the pics of lazy dog and the naughty kitties hehe. sounds so typical of a cat and dog relationship hehe.


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## MeganH

Everything looks great, Anna



It looks like SO much work! Great job with everything!


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## countrymini

How's the building going over there Anna?


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## Lindi-loo

Great pictures Anna..you have been busy!!..will be all worth it when its how you want it.. but im sure the mud is driving you crazy after all the rain we'v had!!..i guess the new drive looks like a river after a days rain lol


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## AnnaC

Sorry for the lack of updates folks. Building works stopped here for the long Xmas and New Year holiday (all builders in the UK seem to take two or three weeks off at this time!) At least it has given us a break from the noise and mayhem. LOL!!

Right now we are trying to work out how to wean last year's foals when we have no buildings available - at least none of the girls are pregnant for this year so it wont hurt them to keep their babies for a bit longer, and the foal's are all pretty independant now, spending lots of time playing together and not bothering about their Mommas. They have long since been back with the mare herd so are surrounded by cousins, aunties, full and half sisters - a great mixed bunch who are busy teaching them all some respect and good 'horsey' mannerss! LOL!!.


----------



## AnnaC

OK folks, while we are waiting for the latest mares to progress with their pregnancies (and sweet little Nana to kid), I thought you might like to view a collection of general pics from my Welsh mountain! This will take several posts so please be patient - I'll tell you when I finish!!

First some general pics of the 25 acres that my girls love to have the run of. If you peer closely at the last pic, you might see a small pale dot amongst the trees, centre distance - our nearest neighbour!


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## atotton

Wow beautiful place!!


----------



## AnnaC

Part of this 25 acres is a steep tree lined bank area leading down from the fields above to a sheltered dell below. The minis form paths up and down and also along sideways - they never seem to slip inspite of often playing games and galloping the paths!! In the spring most of the 'dell', and all of the bracken area and the steep banks under the trees are smothered with bluebells - certainly a gorgeous sight!


----------



## AnnaC

OK enough of boring scenery and on to the minis. LOL!! First they got moved from those dell fields into the first 9 acres of their 'winter fields', but when I went to take pics, I had to just spy on them from a distance as a lot of them were asleep!

Then came the snow, so 2 big round bales were put out in the neighbouring field and the mares and foals (not yet weaned) plus a few of the older ones, were let through for 'first pickings'! Sorry, the sun made a couple of the pics a bit dark, plus everyone was soaking wet!! But, as I have said before, our minis liv nder 'natural' conditions!


----------



## AnnaC

After 24 hours the rest of the herd were let through - 54 little mouths eating, trampling and sleeping on the hay bales. LOL!!


----------



## AnnaC

Yesterday half the herd (the real fatties!) were returned to their winter fields before they could munch their lazy way to being even fatter (the snow has started to melt so they can busy themselves searching for the appearing grass!!) So to today and some up to date pics - most of them snoozing in the warm sun in front of the new bales put out yesterday. You may spot little Ferret sleeping with his Momma (bay) and his Auntie Jelly, also one of Whizz and Shiv passing the time of day!









THAT's ALL FOLKS!!


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## Jade10

Thanks for the pictures, i love seeing all your little minis



i especially love i think his name was ferret?


----------



## countrymini

They all look so cuddly!!! Love your property, looks like a lovely place to live


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## AnnaC

As a ps I decided to add just one more - the two senior girls, little Heidi at 25 this year and old Bess at 29. They are the only two I have the space to house now the building work has taken away all my precious stables. They have their own 2 acre paddock and go out all day normally, but with the snow just a morning or afternoon now to stretch their legs. It was such a lovely day today I snapped a couple of pics of the scruffy pair!!





I have only had Heidi for around 8 or 9 years, but Bess came to us at 15.

Blessed are the special golden oldies!


----------



## chandab

Aw, love all the pics, and bless little Heidi and Bess, such a cute pair.


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## lexischase

LOVE the photos! Everyone looks just super! I have a real soft spot for the 2 oldies, I just want to hug them


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## eagles ring farm

Beautiful place Anna I didn't realize you had such a big herd of pretty ladies. Thank you for sharing the pictures with us


----------



## a mini dream come true

I always love to see you pics of the horses and your fantastic farm. OOOHHH to have that much room. Just Beautiful.


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## Lindi-loo

Gorgeous pictures of the Welsh countryside and your cutie ponies Anna..stay safe n warm


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## cassie

Love all of the pictures Anna! they all look so beautiful and FLUFFY!!! lol so much fun to snuggle!

so glad everything is going well for you!

have you got any babies due this year?


----------



## AnnaC

Thanks for the Valentine greeting Diane - also a special day for me as my precious Doodle dog M is a Valentine baby so celebrated her 9th Birthday as well.





Hi Cassie - welcome back! Cant wait for you to post all your updated news, plus I want to see loads of pics of your fabulous furkids!

After what proved to be the wettest year on record in the Uk last year, the rain has continued to pour down on us for most of this winter too - so much flooding everywhere, and although we are 'safe' here up our mountain, we do have quite a few 'boggy' areas, especially where we have been putting out big round bales of hay to supplement our grass - which seems to have disappeared/been eaten off since it has stopped growing for the winter!

We are also in the middle of weaning foals (mares foaled late last year) and it is proving quite difficult since we have 'lost' our buildings to the ongoing conversions. We are having to wean by using different fields - lots of calling between Mommas and babies - actually our foals/mares are all taking it in their stride, but this year we have several mares and foals belonging to other people and these are the ones causing the problems! But things are beginning to settle down so we have been able to get a few nights full sleep recently - we were rushing out several times in the small hours to check when there was lots of calling going on, just to make sure everyone was safe and there were no 'escapees'!!

We didn't breed for this year Cassie as we knew we were going to be busy with the barn conversions, plus we need to get some of our youngsters re-homed before we increase in numbers again in the future.

Will try to get some more pics of everyone in the next few days, if the weather clears as is forecast.


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## Eagle

M I hope you had a great day and that mummy gave you a big slice of





Anna what a nightmare all this rain, it must make things difficult with the building work. How is life at the moment? are you taking it all in your stride or is it stressing? Just remember

" What doesn't kill me today will make me stronger tomorrow"

This what I have been repeating since last year and I guess I am still here


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## Never2Mini

Very pretty place and so many cute fuzzy ponies !



Ah and can't forget M Happy Birthday !


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## countrymini

Nice little man, happy birthday!


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## AnnaC

M says to thank you all for your good wishes, but would like to make a very important statement .......... the HE should have an S in front of it and wishes you all to know that her adoring Momma thinks that SHE is far too pretty to be a male version of the canine species!! LOL!!


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## Eagle

Rofl I have done that too Diane


----------



## AnnaC

LOL!! At the moment of birth (checked too!) I reported a liver chestnut colt which turned out to be a very pale chestnut filly!! Cathy now checks all my checks - if you see what I mean.


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## eagles ring farm

very handsome guy M is happy b'day to M


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## Eagle

Anna are you o.k I haven't seen you here today?


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## AnnaC

Sorry Renee! I have been here reading posts and also watching cams when I can, just not posting much. Things just seem to be taking up a lot of my time lately and, as always, I get more and more tired as the winter passes - it's an age thing I guess, oh how I wish I could subtract 15 - 20 years off my age. LOL!!

The building work (conversions) still hasn't restarted - since Xmas we seem to have gone from pouring rain, through snow, back to pouring rain and now to everything being frozen solid with a wind chill that is making time outside feel pretty unbearable!! Not really suitable weather for builders to be doing outside work to a pair of barns!

We have managed to wean most of the foals without having any buildings to use and today we are weaning the last two. These are the pinto Shiv and our little Ferret, both are extremely attached to their dams (as are the dams to them). We bought a new big round bale of hay into the field, plus we fetched 3 other mares from the 'fatties' field and added them to the field with the hay just to 'confuse' things a bit. We then caught Vee and snuck her out of the field while a second person kept Ferret 'occupied' round the far side of the big hay bale. Once she was safely out of sight in the garden, we went back for Prue and then took the pair of them away over to the small field we have been using for the weaned mares. We added a load of hay for them plus two of their friends from the fatties field, hopefully to help them settle. Very soon Ferret realised Momma wasn't there anymore and set off into the 3 neighbouring fields to search for her. He was joined by Shiv and they raced around for a bit shouting their heads off, but soon returned to the hay bale and the company of the mares and other foals. Since then there have been a few neighing sessions and a few answering ones from the two mares, but this is to be expected, just as long as no-one thinks about trying to climb the fences - always a danger when weaning this way - I shall be happy. Keeping my fingers crossed that they will all be in the correct fields in the morning, then I will breathe a sigh of relief!!

But thank you for thinking of me Renee, I'm fine, just taking things as carefully as I can to get through the last two months of winter weather!


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## Eagle

Thank you for letting me know you are o.k



I am glad the weaning has gone smoothly and I will be thinking of them all tonight. I hope the weather brightens up for you soon, I am considering moving back there so no more stories of rain please



Feel free to go quiet on us whenever you want but just a quick wave will stop me panicking











Hang in there my friend cos spring will be here soon.

hugs from snowy Italy


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## AnnaC




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## Eagle




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## AnnaC

Hi Renee! Glad to report that the last two weanings went very easily, thank goodness! So all quiet once again on the Welsh front - for a while LOL!! No sign of our builders yet as we are still freezing our butts off in this sub zero weather - how is it with you now?

Oh and good luck with the new job - anything exciting?


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## Eagle

I hope you don't mind me making myself at home Anna, I wanted to share this wonderful video.


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## AnnaC

Awww how absolutely fabulous Renee - so very emotional too. Thank you so much for posting it.





XXXX


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## 

Bump!!


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## cassie

Cooeeee Anna?


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## countrymini

That is amazing! Love it! Thanks for sharing.


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## Eagle

I can't wait to see your girls Anna


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## AnnaC

LOL!! Morning my friends. I see that you have dug out my old thread! Just re-viewed that wonderful video on the previous page Renee - it is really heartwarming isn't it. Yes I have loads of pics taken over the past few months, both of the girls and some general ones. Will get round to posting some of them over the next couple of days - maybe to provide some entertainment while we are waiting for the next mares to foal here on LB.

Just want to send my sincere prayers to those of you who are suffering from that devastating Tornado - the pictures on our news programmes are just horrendous. Please stay safe if you can and perhaps you can post on your threads to let us know that you are ok.


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## AnnaC

Here's a little 'taster' to keep you happy while i get myself organised regarding the rest!


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## 

Can't wait!!!


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## MountainWoman

Love all your babies! So love to see cherished dogs.


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## Eagle

Ahhhh look at Mrs Nest all snug as a bug

/monthly_05_2013/post-6307-0-39185800-1369125269_thumb.jpg

The babies look great Anna, maybe work on the photo manners



She is taking me, no move over she wants to snap me, tough I am here first so the photo is of me!


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## Eagle

Ladies I need your advice, Bicki was sick right in the middle of my bed



this wench is totally house trained and KNOWS right from wrong so I have obviously upset her feelings today. The question is do I take her to the dog kennels or is it sufficient to remove her pink bling collar and replace it with some trampy bailing twine as punishment





Look at her sitting under my desk, butter wouldn't melt!!!


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## 

Ohhhhhh, poor baby! No punishment -- just extra cuddles to make sure she's feeling better. Poor little thing, I know with the house-trained dogs, they feel so bad when they can't get out and have to make a bit of a mess.

But who could look at that face and think of a punishment. Not me! Give her a big "soft" squeeze from Auntie Diane, who's praying her little tummy upset goes away very quickly!


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## Never2Mini

Such pretty ponies and puppies



Love the snuggle puppy. Makes me want to take a nap..

Poor Bicki..Hope her tummy feels better soon..No punishment she is to cute for that mom.


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## AnnaC

You, of course, are joking Renee! Lots of cuddles and kisses are needed when little accidents occur. Hope her poor tummy feels better very soon bless her. Sending her gentle squeezy ((((HUGS)))).


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## Eagle

Yes, the only punishment she got was a trip to the vets. I was worried about her cos she is such a clean girl and she knows where to do her stuff. She has a doggy flap Diane so she can go out at all times. I had noticed her eating grass and being sick a couple of times last week and I think her doing it on the bed was just her making sure that I knew. She has a new lump so I am keeping a close eye on her. The vet has organised for her to have smear test next Thursday so please please keep her in your prayers. I can NOT go there. I will NOT even think about it, she WILL be fine.


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## 

Prayers for our special ittle girl









and hugs for you {{{{{HUGS}}}}}


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## AnnaC

Prayers and ((((HUGS)))) for both of you Renee.





Sorry about the lack of the rest of my pics - will try to get round to sorting them later this evening.


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## LittleRibbie

I love Renee's take on the baby pictures and who is going to be the star LOL. They are so darn cute and so fuzzy. Renee you give that little girl extra luvs or I'll hang you with the bailing twine!!! your such a brat but we know you love your fur kids! hope she's feeling better for you soon and I hope you changed your sheets!!


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## AnnaC

OK her we go! So many back pics to catch up on so there will be several posts and I'll tell you when I come to the end!

First the mini pics. These pics are taken on their winter fields - we let some fields grow up from last year to give a supply of 'old' dry grass to provide bulk feeding from February until the new grass starts to grow - which is around now here in te UK.

Ferret and Boo (2yo), Ferret and Shiv, Ferret's full sister Kayza (!!), Ferret, Shiv and Kayza (showing Kayza's little white circle (LWO?) and, of course, Ferret - he's just so tiny and so cute. LOL!!


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## AnnaC

Next Chappella and some of her daughters.

Chapella herself - she's 19 now and will possibly be covered again by Dragon this year for one last foal, then it is into retirment for her, she's done more than we could have hoped for with all her fillies - a colt in 2014 would be nice! Then there is Boo, followed by Karis and Minx with Chapella in the background (Minx is a full sister to Boo!!) then Carouselle.


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## AnnaC

This is how we move our herd of girls round our fields - open the gate, shout, clap our hands and hope they hear from several fields away!! This is the last post for now my friends - time to go do morning duties!

Thanks for looking!


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## Eagle

Thanks Anna, they look just fab and are so cute all fluffy and warm. Your girls are so lucky to be there with you


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## 

Talk about looking at a wonderful picture of content horses enjoying life!!! Just wonderful Anna!


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## LittleRibbie

Beautiful Anna..what a great life for your ponies. If I ever have to give up my ponies Im going to open the gate, scream and shout and give them directions to your fields...they'd love it!!


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## lexischase

Anna I always look forward to new photos from you! I could sit in those fields all day with those beautiful fluff balls. Just love them!


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## AnnaC

Thank you all for your kind words! Now a few scenic pics. As many of you know our big 25 acre area is made up of several different 'fields' with flat spaces, hilly bits, tree lines dividing up the spaces to give shelter against the wind and weather. Also included is some 4 or 5 acres of steep wooded hill side which drops down to a sheltered grassy 'basin' at the bottom - we call this the 'dell' and the minis make their own paths criss crossing the slopes to let them make their way to the bottom. At this time of year there are some special natural changes that take place amongst the trees on the slope .....................






Next post for the changes!


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## AnnaC

The pics all taken with my phone dont really do them justice!


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## Eagle

Oh wow, what a wonderful transformation




Is that Mrs Nest I spy with all 4 paws off the ground? Lol


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## AnnaC

LOL!! Yes Renee - she was chasing after M who had just passed out of the picture - my phone doesn't work too well with moving subjects!!


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## 

Simply gorgeous! Flowers and those hills make my mouth water!! I so miss the rolling hills and mountains in my home state of New York. Florida is so darn FLAT!

You given me good food for beautiful dreams tonight!


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## countrymini

Gorgeous photos Anna. If I was a horse I think I'd want to be in your herd, they look so content!


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## Jade10

I love the little Ferret he is just adorable!!! I'm also quite partial to this little guy/girl? 


Feel free to send them both to me



hehe I just love your herd Anna they are all gorgeous


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## LittleRibbie

You have so many beautiful spots to have little picnics w/the ponies on your property...I so miss the change of seasons living here...always just flat and sort of boring!! Love the violet colors


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## Evelynk2000

Anna, your babies are GORGEOUS! Do you clip, or do they shed naturally? I'm not familiar with the weather patterns in Wales, but I can see that they outfit themselves appropriately for inclement weather. Thank you so much for posting your pictures.

What kind of flowers covered the hills? They're beautiful.


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## cassie

awww love ALL the pics Anna! thanks for sharing, I just love seeing your herd and your beautiful fields!

they look amazing!

Renee I hope your precious Bicky is ok I see your thread is up on the front page so I'll go check that out for an update





thanks again for sharing Anna! hope you are well


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## AnnaC

Thank you again for your kind comments. Evelyn, yes they do all shed out (when the warm weather eventually arrives LOL!!) although I do pull gently at some and have the odd comb through with the dog's special coat 'scraper' to help others, plus I usually get to work with the scissors on the weanlings/yearlings to help them out of their 'first' winter coats - we dont do clipping here except on anthing heading for a show.

Yes, I think my girls are happy with their lives, they do enjoy living as a large herd and having the space to race around if they feel like it, and they often do, much to our delight, when they are not stuffing their faces LOL!! They are funny, cheeky and loving, they also have their arguements and their pecking order just as a natural herd would do, but they do have a large variety of terrain avaliable to them, which not only helps to keep the fit and healthy, but also gives them the space to get away from each other if they wish. It has been interesting to note that the older mares are often found to be 'surrounded' by their daughters and grand daughters, and if we do separate these 'families' for any reason, then once put back together again there is lots of meetings and greetings as they 'find' each other again bless them.

But all that said, life is not actually that easy for them. They are expected to live out in all weathers - yes they have loads of natural shelter, plus we do give hay during the snow or after several days of freezing rain with strong winds (just to give them a warm up), but they are not groomed, bathed, or lovingly cared for as so many of your lucky horses are. They are wormed and foot trimmed out in their fields - mostly without having to bother with headcollars, and I do trim the bottom of over-long tails, in fact the only ones who get a 'tidy up' are any of the mares when they come in at night before foaling (apart from those going to a show or the babies who get a few weeks of 'fiddling' sometime after weaning time)

So basically all the animals living here are scruffy, dirty, hairy, and often moth eaten looking ............................ until the summer actually comes, when they change to sleek, shiney and sassy looking! LOL!!


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## Wings

Always love seeing photos of your place and your little mob! Fantastic as always


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## MountainWoman

Anna, I LOVE your horses and your fields. They are lucky horses indeed.


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## 

Just lovely as always! Any odd picture of Anselmo or Spot Bum? You know how I love the boys!


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## Eagle

oh yeah, how is little spot bum? We haven't seen M yet either


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## chandab

Love the pics. Beautiful landscape and beautiful ponies.


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## AnnaC

As I am having a "being awake in the middle of the night" stint, I decided to post some updated pics. Having said goodbye to all the bluebells in our woodland areas, we are now in buttercup season. Our fields are covered in them, but luckly there is also enough grass growing so the ponies leave them alone! Took the usual walk across our far fields to check on the herd - not a soul in sight!!





Ah ha - I spot some bodies!!





A couple more making their way up out of the woods at my calls, and eventually a stream of them appear.





More next post!


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## AnnaC

A few of Whizz - Cathy snapped a few pics as I was 'clipping' her out of her scruffy yearling coat. Diane, I thought you might like to see the spotty colouring that she's been hiding! Her little face is getting lighter - I wonder what she will look like colour wise in a few years. So, apart from being spotted, what colour would you call her, base coat wise??









Spotbum pics on the next post!


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## AnnaC

Spotbum has been a busy boy over the past 10 days, covering three ladies for us - one a grey spotted mare (on loan to us) for her second foal, then our Nell (pintaloosa) for her second foal and Muffin's Child (chestnut spotted) for her first foal (these two are pictured here a page back). If they haven't taken we will try one more covering stint but then leave it as we dont want foals being born next year after the end of June. We have also covered Chapella with one of a friend's stallions for her last foal before she retires, so fingers crossed!

A few pics of the important man (or so he thinks!!) in his field.








And one from last year taken at Cathy's - plus his friend! (those are his eyelashes, not the whites of his eyes in terror. LOL!!)




And guess who looked like this as a baby??


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## countrymini

Always love seeing photos of your 'little' herd Anna. They just look so happy and how its supposed to be. Good job Spottybum! Cant to see his spotty babies!


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## AnnaC

Just realised that I made a small mistake - the pics of Nell and Muffin's Child are not on this thread! I posted them elsewhere when we were having a discussion on colours - was it on Heidi's thread, sorry cant remember. So here is Muffin's Child and Nell - actually half sisters (Narcotic's daughters) - both around 36" so we had to find some useful slopes and banks for little Spotbum (barely 30" British) with lots of laughs, oooooopsies and try again's involved!! LOL!!


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## 

THERE IS THE HANDSOME BOY!!!! GO GET'UM SPOTBUM!!!!!

I can't wait for next year!!!!

Could Whizz have inherited a cream gene from someone? She almost reminds me of a sooty buckskin color. But good girl Whizz -- keep those spots coming!!!!!

Anna, I just love those flowered meadows. I can just picture walking in them with you -- ahhhhhh......


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## AnnaC

Oh Diane it would be wonderful if you could walk the fields with me - at the moment it is utter peace, just the bird song and the bees humming happily amongst the buttercups and other growing herbs.

About Whizz's possible colour - having thought back over the generations of her breeding there seems to be no possibilty of a buckskin gene. BUT I have no idea about the background colours in Falabella Anselmo - Spotbum's sire - and I must admit that when SB was born we thought he was a blanket spotted bay dun as he did have quite a strong eel stripe which had disappeared by the time he was weaned as he had turned 'grey' spotted by then???? Maybe Ansel could have it in his background, but I thought that to have a dun or buckskin, one parent had to be that colour and Ansel has never thrown a buckskin for us in the 10 years that we have had him.


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## Eagle

Hi Ladies, I am back




Anna those pics are breath taking



If you see a tent up in your pasture one day don't panic





I am still going to guess that Whizz is a chocolate varnish but you know about me and colours


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## 

For a dun, yes, one parent must be a dun, and for a buckskin, one parent has to have the cream gene -- thus being a dilute of some color. I didn't know who she was from, so it was a guess. She is fabulous though, I think she's going to look like Anselmo -- but with spots! Heck, who cares -- she's beautiful!!! Color is the problem with some of these imports -- they give names, etc., but sometimes don't share the colors on the pedigrees. POOH! I looked in my database (I have over 2750 pure Falabella pedigrees) but I don't have the colors for Nicanor or Diableja. I have their pedigree information, but no color information on either. Sorry.


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## lexischase

Love the photos Anna!! Keep on sharing


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## AnnaC

Renee, I would just love to find a tent (plus its occupier) parked in one of the fields!! Trouble is that you might prefer the house right now as we have our yearly plague of horse flies here right now!

OK so yesterday I grabbed a couple of quick pics of old Nutty (Whizz's g/dam) - she is simply a dark bay, but you can just see her 'lighter' muzzle/lower face, tummy area and the pale colour down her rear botty (sorry about her tail getting in the way - dammed horse flies!).

So I think Whizz will be bay with lighter areas/spots/roaning?????????? Bit of a mixed bag you might say! LOL!!


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## 

Nutty is just a stunning mare! Beautiful!!


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## AnnaC

Thank you my friend! As you well know she is my special baby and was the start of our mini breeding when I got her as a three year old (although she is a British Shetland and 35"!). Last year she was supposed to be in foal for her last foal, but she was empty, so no more, she has done enough for us and is now in official retirement! We have many of her daughters, several g/daughters and a 2 year old g/g/daughter. If Nell and Muffin's Child do manage to provide us with babies next year, Nutty will have another two g/g/children to add to her tally!!

I cant believe that next month she and I will be celebrating 20 years together. I'm praying for a long and happy retirement for her.


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## little lady

I so enjoy the pictures of your countryside and your horses always look so happy!


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## Wings

AnnaC said:


> Thank you my friend! As you well know she is my special baby and was the start of our mini breeding when I got her as a three year old (although she is a British Shetland and 35"!). Last year she was supposed to be in foal for her last foal, but she was empty, so no more, she has done enough for us and is now in official retirement! We have many of her daughters, several g/daughters and a 2 year old g/g/daughter. If Nell and Muffin's Child do manage to provide us with babies next year, Nutty will have another two g/g/children to add to her tally!!
> 
> *I cant believe that next month she and I will be celebrating 20 years together. I'm praying for a long and happy retirement for her.*


That's the way we want it to be, how lucky you are to have had her for so long!


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## AnnaC

Been a bit busy here over the past 4 - 5 weeks or so, lots been happening so thought I would do a little catch up for everyone! Firstly we thought we might bring all the colts back here from Cathy's place as she was looking to take last year's foals back to her farm to give them a little education. Big mistake! The 'colts' are aged between 2 and 5 and have always lived toether as a boy band, but they soon sensed that there were girls in the area and it cased a rift in the ranks! This resulted in a couple of more serious fights, as against the usual play fighting, and little Handbag (real name Hermes!) got himself a bit beaten up and had a nasty kick to his back leg. Apart from several 'scuff' marks, his hock joint blew up like a balloon from a cut on the inside and he couldn't stand on his leg poor boy. Bathed and administered to his bumps and bruises,but decided to give the vet a call regarding a long term anti-biotic injection as a precaution. Vet arrived and poked and prodded and said there might be a possibility that he had cracked a bone in his hock or higher up in the leg and before we knew what was happening, out came the portable x-ray machine and loads of pics were taken in the search for this cracked bone of which there was no sign. I didn't think there would be as I was sure the little fella was just very sore from the kicks he had received to the hock area and also to his gaskin and buttocks - muscle pain/damage was preventing him using his leg in my opinion? The vet that came was not one of our two usual ones (who jointly own the equine clinic) but a younger one in their employ. While we have met her before and she is a good vet, she does get carried away covering ALL possible options (except the obvious!) and by the time she left we were beginning to feel as if we were 'bad' owners as we turned down all her suggestions for treatment - having stated that he really shouldn't be subjected to transportation to the clinic, she then wanted to sedate him and to draw out fluid from his hock in case the swelling was blood pooling there, this suggestion was then followed by one about getting him to the clinic the following day and putting him out, to do surgery on the hock to see if there were any broken small bones/bits of bone that could then be removed! We must have told her a hundred times that we could not afford any treatment of that sort and that we would just be giving him time to see what improvements he made natually and would then re-evaluate things. But she still continued to tell us what we should be doing for him and we had to get really firm to stop her sedating him and doing the hock 'fluid' exploration there and then. Eventually we got the anti-biotic that we asked for, with the strict orders to keep him stabled for at least 4 days (which then turned into many months should we choose to have the hock operated on!), - had she listened to nothing that we had been saying? The little fella was quite happy hopping around on his three legs, guzzling the clover on our lawn while we were all deciding his future! But I'm sure the vet left thinking that we were the worst of bad owners!! (Got the bill several days later - a very expensive anti-biotic injection at £300 which of course included all those x-rays that she insisted on taking before we could call a halt!!) Of course the next day, feeling a lot more comfortable, little Handbag was using his leg happily to walk around on and by the next day - we turned him out for a couple of hours to let him gently exercise those seized/bruised muscles - he was fine, just a little lame when he started trotting around. Lameness all gone by the third day and hock swell gone down. As I said, all I wanted was an anti-b as a precaution!! Phew!!

The following day the rest of the boys were carted back to Cathy's where there are no girls in situ and normal behaviour resumed immediately!!

The cute Spotbum has been busy covering his three girls, two have held (Fleur and Muffin's Child) but Nell returned (as we expected as she is not easy to get in foal). As there was so much difference in height we couldn't let them run together so this time covering her we tried to 'replicate' free choice breeding - covering her in hand and then Cathy would wander around, Spotbum on his lead, with them grazing together (I would make coffee and keep her supplied), until SB felt like covering again. I would then return and move Nell to the place in the field where it was easy for SB to reach her. We did this twice a day, morning and late afternoon, and in between Cathy would walk him alongside the mare's field fence to keep a check on any 'reactions' from Fleur and Muffin's Child, also from Chapella and Poppy who have been covered by our friend Pat's stallion. But none of them have been interested so it looks as though we will have 4 to foal out next year, 5 if Nell holds this time. (we will not be covering Nell again if she hasn't taken as we dont want a late foal) We last covered Nell last Saturday so a few days later SB and Handbag (now completely recovered) have also returned home to Cathy's.

Anyway, when the naughty colts came back here for their unsuccessful visit, Cathy took last year's babies back to hers for a little 'education' - Ferret, Wizz, Shiv, and Chloe (Fleur's daughter from last year), plus she also took little Boo (Chapella's daughter from the year before). We have actually sold Boo and Shiv together to a wonderful home - the new owner, Francis, is one who would fit in extremely well here (need I say more??) - and they are going to be loved and spoiled for the rest of their lives as part of her menagerie, and we shall be keeping in touch and making visits etc. In our usual relaxed fashion (LOL!!) none of these youngsters had been haltered, including Boo, but to be fair we have just slung a headcollar on her to trim her feet, totally pointless as she just wont leave you alone and is one of those annoying minis who has to roll on you anytime you want to do anything with her!!

Having given them all a day to settle into their 'new' home over at Cathy's, she (in her usual fashion) just popped a headcollar on one of the 'babies' and walked out of the barn with it - the others all following loose - across the driveway, into the first field and across it until they reached the field they were going to be using. Following her lead they all just plodded along, no trouble. In the evening she haltered another one and led them all back to the barn. The second day she did the same thing with the other two girls and in the evening phoned me to say that they were all halter 'broke'. LOL!! Over the next couple of days she moved each one to and fro as individuals, so they did the trip without their companions, rotating the order so a different one got left alone in the barn or in the field and they soon settled to this as well, bless them.

Having got the girls all happily organised she turned her hand to Ferret, who was obviously being kept separate from the girls and had been allowed to simply walk loose out of the barn into the 'barn field', no need to lead him anywhere. Ferret of course proved a different prospect to the well behaved girls LOL!! No problem with popping the headcollar on, but as for being led, well this was not on his agenda and he had a huge hissy fit!! Luckily he was in the middle of the barn, plenty of space and a lovely dirty, soft floor to fall over on when he stood up and lost his balance! This of course made him stop and think as Cathy was still just standing there holding the end of his rope, totally unconcerned at his antics. G/daughter DD was up for a couple of days so she went to catch Ansel and bought him forward to provide a lead horse. Oooo said Ferret, I could just go jump on him!! But Ansel was already walking out of the barn and into the field so before he knew what he was doing, Ferret was walking after him. Ansel was allowed to stop, once on the grass, for a quick 'hello' and then told to eat the grass. Ferret thought he would go have a second sniff, but Ansel laid his ears back and gave his tail a swish and Ferret jumped back!! Ansel is such a good boy with the 'babies'. So Ferret started grazing too and after a little while, dutifully lead back into the barn following Ansel. This was repeated later in the day and again the next morning, but in the afternoon Ferret lead happily out of the barn by himself, had a short graze in hand, then Cathy took the headcollar off and let him loose. At tea time she called him up, re-headcollared him in the field and led him back to his stall in the barn. The following day, when the girls were in, he was led the same journey as the girls, across the drive, up the first field and into the second with no problem except Cathy says that he walks like a steam train (a good trait I feel!). Ansel was then turned out into the first field, so Ferret could have the company of his new friend next door.

So all the babies now haltered and led LOL!! A week later when Cathy took the naughty boys back to her place, she loaded up the 4 girls and bought them back here. They have been back a week and have been brilliantly easy to catch, lead and move around as we have done some field juggling with the mares, and they are now out in their own little group of 4 on the 9 acres of grass that the mares had just moved from. This evening I was walking the dogs in the other fields hoping to spy on the 4, just for a quick check (I like to watch animals when they are doing their own thing - much easier to spot any behaviour problems as against walking amongst them and have them come running to see you!) But they spotted me as I tried to creep past!!

Shiv, Boo, Wizz, Chloe.




All for now folks - more news and lots of pics to come, but will never post this if I dont do it now!


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## ratzo155

Adorable pic of them.


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## chandab

Love the picture and the update.


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## 

Wonderful update and picture!! But not long enough to finish my cuppa!! I love hearing about all the babies and how they just "fall" into haltering and leading! Such an easy routine for them.

Sorry about little Handbag -- but so glad he is on the mend. I think I'd let your regular vets know not to send that crazy woman back again -- unless she's the only one there! Goodness! Some vets just seems to be so "over-board" -- thinking of every possible thing they read about in school, and thinking that people are just made of money. I would have done the same thing. Give things time, and "nature" has a way of going just naturally. I am SO AGAINST invasive treatment, unless there is absolutely no other option. To many bad things can happen with open bodies when they are just "looking" around. Not very good in my opinion. Surgery should be a LAST RESORT -- not a "let's see what we can find" !

Too much drama with some of these people. You would certainly know in a few days if things were not going right -- I think you did beautifully!!

It's so nice to see people back here again. I've missed everyone, and am enjoying the "catch-up" !!


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## AnnaC

Cathy just sent me an interesting picture of three of the 'boys'. Billy is the 'white', Handbag is the dun and you can just see Mamoote's hind end ...................... why is this interesting I hear you ask?

Billy is my little Heidi's last foal - Handbag was the second foal she produced for us.

Handbag and Mamoote are both by my red dun special boy Mootie (Colonel Mustard).

Just a shame I cant find a connection between Billy and Mamoote to complete the circle - except that they are both 2 years old! LOL!!

I love trying to find family connections.


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## MountainWoman

Just catching up after taking a break from the boards and I just love your photos. Such beautiful minis all of them and I love seeing the photos of your boys together. Makes my heart glad to see horses living life as it should be lived. Loved reading your updates.


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## 

Ah!! Look at the SPOTS on Mamoote's fanny!! Love it!


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## AnnaC

Ah ha Diane - I thought that might get a comment from you! His dam is of course our special spotted Mummy mini, so he is Spotbum's half bro'.




Oh and I think he might be Wizz' ................... ahem - Uncle???? LOL!! We have so many siblings, half siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, daughters and sons, not to forget the grand and great grand offspring amongst our tribe here, I get completely muddled most of the time! But what I love is wandering the fields and seeing the similar characteristics connecting them all - maybe their conformation, temperament, behaviour or even just that 'look'.


----------



## AnnaC

Ok a couple more pics to get you thinking - well not really thinking, just updating on a couple and as i'm having another sleepless night (it's 4.30am here) I thought I'd post a few pics!

For those of you who haven't read the previous page here are two of my girls. Do you think they could be pregnant and when might I be able to expect them to foal - no cheating by referring back until after you have guessed!!

The 'spotty' chestnut, Muffin's Child, is a 6 year old maiden mare, and the black and white pinto, Chapella, is a 21 year old dam of many daughters and one son (this will be Chapella's last foal before she joins my retirement group, but we used an outside stallion in the hope of getting yet another filly to cross match with our boys). So what do you think??









LOL!! That's clever - I managed to get M C's head included in Chapella's picture!!

Think I will go back to bed now and try for a couple of hours of shut eye before the 'day' begins - dawn is creeping over the horizon!


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## countrymini

I can't even remember what you wrote so I'm guessing Muffins Child, or should I say Muffin Top, is just a massive pudding, not pregnant and Chapella is preggas and due in 4 mths time.


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## 

If I didn't know you and your "fat and sassy girls", I'd guess that this pretty girl is getting very close. But I believe you said she was being bred for a 2014 foal somewhere. I watch these spots closely (and she is GORGEOUS!), but I'm thinking you said it would be a "next year" baby. WOW! She is sure a wide-load, and any one else's horse I'd say a baby was in there laying sideways!!





/monthly_08_2013/post-6307-0-11260600-1377748780_thumb.jpg


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## Eagle

O.K girls, so what have I missed? Loads of fun I am sure but how many babies?


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## 

Got several little beauties born in the last month. And a VERY new baby in Austalia -- yes, Sweety FINALLY had her little one! We are very excited about each and every one -- all beautiful and all highly prized by their mommies and us Aunties!!

Watch out for Bree -- she's been very bad again -- but I'm quite happy with her new SPOTTED announcement!!

Welcome back!!


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## AnnaC

Hey, welcome back Renee! Hope all is well with you?

As Diane says, do check out Bree's latest addition, Sara too, has two new gorgeous youngsters and just as Hayley was hours away from entering a Bree like zombie state, Sweety finally foaled a beautiful little filly!

Again, great to have you back - we missed you.


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## Eagle

Oh Wonderful, I am off to see Sweety's little baby


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## MountainWoman

Wow, Muffin's Child looks preggers to me and I love her spots. Renee, missed you!!!


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## Never2Mini

Pretty Girls ! They both look very preggers and ready to go soon.



Would love to see some side shots of the pretty black and white girl. Love me black and white ponies.


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## AnnaC

As requested a couple of pics of Chapella for you taken in 2010 with her last foal Boo (just sold as a 2yo). Plus one of Chapella's other daughters Karis being introduced to her new sister (we kept Karis with a headcollar on just in case there was trouble, but there was no need!) Chapella is a brood mare wonder, she has produced only fillies for us (she did have one colt but he was born with a badly twisted cord, was oxygen deprived and sadly passed away within hours), she always takes to the stallion whenever we have bred her. She is in great condition and will be 22 years old next year when her next expected baby is born. This will be her last foal before she enters a well deserved retirement, but we were offered a breeding for her to an outside stallion, so just had to go for it!

By the way in my previous pics, both Chapella and Muffin's Child are only 2 months into their pregnancies (we hope!!).

Oh Chapella is the mare with the black head and hind end, Karis has the white shoulder patch - just in case you couldnt decide who was who!


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## 

Love those pictures! I just love seeing your scenery in the background. Just relaxes me no end!

I THOUGHT those girls were in early pregnancy! Can't imagine how big they will actually get!!


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## AnnaC

You know my horses too well Diane - they always look like beached whales, pregnant or not!! LOL!!


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## Never2Mini

Beautiful black an white mother, daughter paints ! Love how they are marked..Little boo is pretty to would not run her off either.





You have fuller figure gals.


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## AnnaC

You are so very polite - everyone here knows that my girls are just down right FAT!! LOL!!


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## AnnaC

OK enough of my chit chat - time for more pics I think?

These are for Diane (as I could not work out how to send them via pm!!) Dug these pics out of Ansel (Falabella Anselmo) at a show in 2009 for you Diane. He and g/daughter DD made quite a name for themselves in the jumping classes at shows that year. Please excuse DD, she's the only one in our family capable of jumping and at our shows you can either go round the jumps or take them on yourself - DD likes to jump! Sorry the first two are taken at such a distance.









More general mini pis to follow in next post.


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## AnnaC

A couple of weeks ago it was time to move the herd to pastures new. To get them to where we want them this time they have to follow a track, cross our now building site, turn a corner, enter a field, enter a second field, cross that and through a gate into the new field where we want them. Cathy calls them up and assembles them at the gate, I stand a good way down the track ready to call them. Cathy lets them go and I turn and run!! Now I dont usually run very much but with 33 small bodies approaching at racing pace - I run!! Just managed to keep in front of them to block an entrance to a barn and to send them on into the safety of the first field. They are then on their own as we follow and shut gates behind them. But they know where to go and wheel round through another gate into the second field - then it is heads down on the new grass! But we need them to go further, so in front I go again calling and clapping my hands. One or two start moving then the rest twig that they still have further to travel and the race begins again. This time I stay put as the mass of little bodies stream past me and into the final field. We love moving everyone this way, it is such fun and the minis adore it - it causes mad lunatic racings once they get where they are going and has us laughing our heads off at their antics. Sorry that there are no pics of them in full flight - it's a sight to be seen - but grabbed a few when I could with my mobile phone!










Homebred Narcotics now 18.

More pics next post.


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## AnnaC

Then they get busy exercising themselves. LOL!!


----------



## chandab

That is so cool how you move yours from field to field. The closest I come is going through the cattle working pens and alley, across the first calving pen, through another pen and out to a little tiny corner pasture (they go out on their own in the morning); and then in the afternoon I tell them its time to go in and they head to their dry lot (sometimes at a mosey and sometimes at a run) and I follow to close the gate behind them.


----------



## AnnaC

And just for good luck a couple of pics of old Heidi (26) bringing herself in from her morning graze for her lunch. She lives in at night but has to come to and fro during the day so that I can get enough feed into her. Although her front teeth are ok for her to bite grass with, the back ones are worn flat so she cannot 'chew' properly. I feed her Spillers High Fibre pellets (which are pre-digested and disolve instantly on contact with saliva/water, and are 20% fibre) plus her full quoter of Gro and Win balancer - she gets through the recommended amount of the Spillers for a 12.2hh pony per day and is the 'cause' of my having to do another feed at midnight, bless her! She has her grazing and her hay eating (soft leafy stuff left for her all night) down to a fine art - she bites it, then chews/gums it around gettng the juices out, then spits it out before taking another bite! Never chokes, clever girl!!





Then to finsh with a couple of my special boy Mootie - I dont know what the 'anti grass for minis' folks would think about my grass, Moots grazes on some 10 acres of the stuff for 4-5 hours a day!!





That's all for now folks!


----------



## 

WONDERFUL PICTURES ANNA!!!

Thank you for finding those of Anselmo. I'm very excited, and will be working on the showing page for Falabellas in the Show Ring, and with your permission will be adding Ansel to the FIPA website.

One of my FIPA members has been showing her Falabellas quite successfully in AMHR shows. In one show she won 26 ribbons and a trophy with many awards -- and showed 4 pure Falabellas that day. A historical moment and a record winner in AMHR for Falabellas. And we're very proud of her!


----------



## AnnaC

Of course you are welcome to use any of the pics Diane - but hang fire as I think Cathy has a closer one of the distant jump, will check with her today. Also there are a couple of Ansel on my website if they are any use to you?


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## countrymini

Beautiful photos Anna.


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## Wings

Love catching up on your thread Anna, although I do end up suffering paddock envy!


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## lexischase

Magical photos Anna! Love the way those special horses get to live


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## Eagle

Anna your post are always so fun and the thought of you running ahead of the girls made me giggle, what a wonderful day you and Cathy must have had





And this is just one of the best shots I have seen in ages

/monthly_09_2013/post-6307-0-68282100-1378782668.jpg

*FANTASTIC!*


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## AnnaC

Hi all! Cant believe how long since I did an update on here re the pregnant girls and other news! For those of you new to my rambling thread, you might like to read back over the past 2 or 3 pages to get some idea of the whacky life the minis, daughter and I lead up here in our forest hideaway in Wales, UK.

But first to the preggy girls - as my pics are always snapped with my mobile phone, no horse is ever 'posed' plus I can rarely get close enough to them for a suitable shot without them turning and coming to me, so 'angles' are also difficult - all pics are therefore pot luck!! Pics are all taken in the past week and as we have had nothing but rain and more rain this winter, all horses are soaking wet! Foals expected between mid May - mid June.

First is Nell - pretty sure she is NOT in foal - certain in fact but would love to be proved wrong.




Then comes Chapella (22 years this year IN FOAL to a friend's stallion for her last foal)




Now Muffin's Child (7 year old maiden mare IN FOAL to Spotbum)








Then two mares belonging to another friend on loan for breeding Fleur and Poppy (Fleur IN FOAL to Spotbum and Poppy IN FOAL to same stallion as Chapella - both had foals before)





More general pics next post!


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## AnnaC

All the girls (39 of them) have been living out on their 25acres of winter pasture for the past two months - loads of grass out there when they were first moved, less now but still plenty left. Lots of shelter belts between the field areas plus a heavily wooded dell of some 4 acres so plenty of places to get out of the rain and wind that we have been having non stop since last December (so much of the UK is badly flooded at the moment due to the rains, trains not running, houses and farms under water and evacuated, the 'water table' under the earth is now so high, water is bubbling up through the road surfaces as it has nowhere else to go, it is a national disaster! Luckily, being high up we dont flood and the ground water does soak away very quickly, but the storm force winds have not been funny I can tell you - I hate the wind!!

Tramping around those 25 acres on a daily basis can prove interesting as the minis are very good at hiding themselves - the entrance gate from another field is central so do you walk to the right or to the left to go search them out!! I could of course call, shout and/or clap my hands, which would bring them all running and save me the walk, but I like to spy on them, to watch them without them seeing me, simply to check on what they are doing, grazing, resting, laying down etc, chiefly to spot any unusual behaviour, before I go and actually visit them individually. Anyway walking is good for body and soul (especially in the pouring rain) LOL!!

Last week we actually had one sunny day and I grabbed a few pics as I searched.













More next post!


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## AnnaC

They were well spread out across the fields so mostly distant shots!

















Ooooop's where did she come from??? LOL!!

Boy pics next thread.


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## AnnaC

The boys came back here from Cathy's farm a couple of months ago, which meant that she could be here everyday to give me a hand through the winter months. They have their own fields well away from the girls!

Mixed batch of Spotbum, Handbag, Mamoote, Billy and Ferret sharing their hay down in their bracken shelter area, they have approx 3 acres of grazing further up the field.





The three bigger boys are in another field (8 acres) Michael, Goliath and Nancy (dont ask!!) And one of Billy and Ferret up in a corner of an old barn waiting for a foot trim - please excuse dirty bedding, we dont use this space normally and they were only in for half an hour - since been mucked out in case needed again!!





And finally one of my precious Nutty (24 this year) who again has been forced to spend the winter living out (things will change next year Nuts, I promise!) but has survived and is looking great.

Then the two golden oldies little Heidi (26) and old Bess (30) making their way up to their barn stables via a field and the house garden. Never bother to lead them, they spend several hours each day (unless rain is very bad) out on the fields with the herd, but are always waiting for me, ready to come back in around 4pm each day. They both get two feeds before they go out and then a tea and late night feed once stabled. If in all day they get a 5th feed in the middle of the others - they cost me a fortune - Heidi is only 29" and Bess 36" but they eat the equivilant of a 12.2" and a 13.2" pony in feed per day, plus grass and hay!! Still they both deserve it, bless them.









That's all folks!


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## 

They all look so wonderful Anna! And your little pillow warmer looks quite comfortable, too! I just love all your pictures!! And can't wait to see what Spotbum has given "us" this year!!


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## MountainWoman

Oh, Anna, I LOVE your photos of your minis. Makes my heart glad to see them have so much space. You and I house our minis in the same way so I feel a special connection to your horses. Just beautiful and thanks so much for sharing!!! P.S. - you have green and we have snow so I'm very envious!!!


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## chandab

Anna, I just love your pictures and hearing all about your horses and acreage.

I'm guessing the boy named Nancy got his name much like my husband's gelding got his name... Peach. Peach is a 16+H red dun gelding of mixed decent that was purchased at an auction (I wasn't there, but Shayne said a short, squatty gal rode him through the sale), I'm sure there is some draft horses back there somewhere; he looks more like a Moose than a Peach.


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## FirstTimeMiniMom

Theyre lovely, and obviously loved. Its wonderful that the Seniors are so pampered, youre right, they deserve it .


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## Ryan Johnson

Anna I love the pictures, your children are just beautiful. Very well loved and as they should be


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## AnnaC

OK folks - time for a quick upate, and some scruffy pics!! In order - Poppy (covered from 30th June) - Fleur (covered from 18th June) - Muffin's Child (covered from 26th June) - Chapella (covered from 25th June)

















All looking good I think - Chapella often goes a month early but no movement in her udder yet to show she might do something end of April thank goodness!

More fun pics next post.


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## AnnaC

Have run out of grass on the girls 25 acres of winter pasture - too many little mouths chomping away! So decided I would have to move them - on my own! Trouble was that I needed them to come to a little used gateway into their new field and not to try to use the normal exit gate. First I had to find them!! Luckily they were all together, but in a far field. Clapped my hands shouted "Moving now" and set off for my chosen gate. They slowly caught on and started to appear, one ot two turned left towards the normal gate but soon fell in line.





The first ones reached me - others slowly coming.





Took the chance that they would all arrive in the end and opened the gate - away they went!




Two late arrivals - oooop's moving a bit fast for my mobile phone!!




Forgot to count them through (33??) so had a ciggy and waited - good job too as the final two arrived!




Couple more next post.


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## AnnaC

Freya being made use of while we took a break from foot trimming last week! (foot trimming gear is on her bottom!)




And one of old Bess popping out of her hiding place in case it was time to come in for yet another feed!!




That's all folks!


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## 

The girls look GREAT!! Right on schedule for how they should look at this point. I'm very excited to see what they will show us!

LOVE the 'traveling' pictures! Each one a story! And lovely old Bess!


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## Ryan Johnson

I love the pictures of all your ponies Anna & the scenery is amazing


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## MountainWoman

Loving your photos Anna!


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## FirstTimeMiniMom

Love , love, love these photos and your captions!

Your farm is so wonderful.

Looks like plenty of room for me and my two to visit. Ha ha.


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## JAX

Wow I loved those pictures!!



:


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## AnnaC

Thanks guys - we love it here too!


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## AnnaC

As April seems to be speeding past i thought it time for another update. Things have changed somewhat in that the friend who owned Poppy and Fleur has been lucky enough to have a change in her circumstances and desperately wanted her girls back again. So she came down to collect them and will foal them out for us, returning the foals to us at weaning. Must admit that I'm really thankful as I hate taking the responsibility of foaling other folks mares - too much stress!! I will report here as soon as they foal (end May/beg June).

OK so now I have just the two to foal. Muffin's Child and Chapella. Here is MC - think we can safely say that she as a baby in there?? Maiden mare due end of May.





Then we have Chapella. Very experienced mare - now 22 years old - last foaled in 2010 and only being asked to carry this one more foal as we had the chance of an outside stallion. Would really like a colt - Chapella has had many daughters and only one colt! I'm watching her really closely as with her last two babies she foaled early and caught us out, she is well known for foaling with a good udder, but 'jelly like' not firm and fully filled until she actually foals. Whereas MC is still living out, albeit in a field next to the house with a couple of special friends plus the oldies and Chapella, I have had Chapella stabled at nights for the past month just to give her the extra feeds, not because she was losing weight but more so she wont lose condition after foaling at her age. She is due the last week in May, but has foaled a month early before, not sure if she is starting an udder already or if it is wishful thinking! LOL!! Just giving you a side on pic of her as to take a rear one is pointless - with her black rear end and flanks you cant see baby's position via a camera, but I will say she is carrying quite low.




Oh and a couple of pics of little Wizz now a 2 yo - still got a few spots Diane!!


----------



## 

I was about to send you an email asking you to update us on your lovely ladies!

MC looks fabulous!! She's doing great for a maiden and that baby is poking out everywhere!

Chapella is looking great, too!! You'd never know she's an older lady by her looks. (Something I wish happened to us, too -- LOL)





And you KNOW I love to see those SPOTS!!!!





Glad you're not having to foal out the other ladies. So much easier, and definitely LESS stress!! That's just great news! I hope everything goes well with their foaling, and they don't need your incredible expertise! Make sure to have her call you with anything that seems abnormal. We want those babies healthy and safely on the ground!


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## Ryan Johnson

They are lovely Anna , I love seeing new pics of your girls


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## eagles ring farm

Lovely ladies Anna

anxious o see those spots on Wizz too


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## MountainWoman

They are all so very pretty and all look very pregnant. Can't wait to see the babies!


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## AnnaC

Progress report! I was correct with Chapella and two little bubbles of an udder were appearing - so not wishful thinking! There has been a small amount of progress and this morning she went out with a nice small 'jiggling' udder visible from the rear. At least she is over the 'hump' and now within a good time scale should she decide to foal early (due last week in May). Am watching her but not yet doing all-nighters, maybe in another week just to be safe!

The suprise was MC - thought I would look at her udder around a week ago (maiden due last week in May) and woops she had two tulip bulb sized little bubbles in her udder! Not much change since then except that she now has small 'flaps' of empty udder hanging around her tulip bulbs! So looks as though she is on track for foaling at the end of May - good girl!!

Looked out this morning over this particular field with the 7 in it and realised that of the 7 my old Nutty has 3 g/children and one daughter out there - therefore Narcotic's (a Nutty daughter) has 3 daughters out there - goodness we just cant get away from the Nutty influence!! When MC foals we shall have yet another Nutty g/child on the place!!

Another bit of chat for those of you who are interested in pedigrees/breeding lines etc. You may want some paper here to write this down to begin to sort it out as it is not easy to post - will keep you occupied while waiting for more gorgeous babies to be born! LOL!!

This is how MC is 'made up'.

MC is out of Narcotics whose sire was Spotty Patch

MC is by Muffin whose g/sire was Spotty Patch

Muffin was out of our Spotty Mummy and by Harry whose sire was Spotty Patch

MC is in foal to Spotbum who is out of Spotty Mummy but by the Falabella Ansel (no Spotty Patch here LOL!!)

a) Might we get spots do you think - probably get a straight Chestnut with not a spot in sight LOL!! Ah well .............)

b) So this coming foal has Spotty Patch as a g/g/sire and a g/g/g/sire??? And it's maternal grandma is also it's paternal mother-in-law??? Have I got that right?? LOL!! Am so hoping that this poor little foal has at least some of the good points from it's mixed up background and not too many of the bad ones!! LOL!!


----------



## 

All sounds very exciting and that things are progressing just perfectly!

And certainly, with Spotty Patch in the mix, those genes could show themselves without even being expected!!


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## blueberryburlap

What gorgeous girls! I can't wait to see what they produce





Happy(safe) foaling to you when the time comes!!


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## AnnaC

We are now a couple of weeks away from foaling and both girls are progressing perfectly. Chapella is obviously not going to foal early this time (good girl!), she has plenty of udder but it is still softish and jiggling nicely as she walks. Baby looks as though it could be lined up but she is a 'compact' mare so there is a lack of space to actually see if baby is forward of centre compared with the way she normally carries.

Muffin's Child is also progressing well. Her udder is growing flat and wide (just like her Mommas does - interesting the way families follow the same trend!) and she has started to elongate in her vulva. We now have her in at nights, not something she is too pleased about as she hasn't been stabled since she was born (7 year ago) and we are having a little difficulty in persuading her to enter the narrow doorway to the passage to her stall in the old barn that we are using this year. She is a mix between 'can be stubborn and also nervous' so we are are being understanding but quietly firm plus using Chapella for her to follow and things are getting easier each day! Once in her stable she is relaxed and happy so it is just the doorway that is causing the problem - she'll soon get it sorted!

We will be doing all night sittings after the weekend and from then on until they foal so lack of sleep time coming up for us! Will try to get some udder pics for you but I dont have a camera and it is a bit dark 'under there' for my phone, plus Chapella has a black udder between her black legs so all my phone shows is black!!


----------



## 

LOVE the way you described that! Black udder between black legs! Yup, there wouldn't be much to see, one of those girls who you must "feel" or actually be there to "see" up close.

All sounds like it's about to get very exciting! Can't wait!


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## Eagle

Hello my dear friend, How are you? I see you have some girls close



I will send prayers for safe and easy births. Hi Diane, I have missed you all lots. xxx


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## AnnaC

Hi Renee - wonderful to have you back again! Have been thinking about you lots over the past few months, we must do a newsy catch up sometime soon.





Missed you so much too! xx


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## Eagle

Can I ring you in the mornings? Is that a good time for you say around 11.30 your time?


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## AnnaC

Hey Renee, it would be great to hear from you - does this mean that you are in the UK at the moment? 10.30 ish am would be better, either mobile or main line, I'm usually taking a break then for my tea and custard creams (!!), by 11.30 I would be outside again so mobile only. Any day of the week/weekend will be fine. Cant wait!!


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## Eagle

Not in UK but I would love to chat, I will call you from work so it will have to be a quicky but just to say hi



I will call at 10.30 the first day that the office is quiet.


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## AnnaC




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## 

OH MY! I'm so jealous! Sending all my love, and so happy you're back! We missed you terribly~!


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## Eagle

Can I call you too Diane?


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## 

Of course! You know it!!


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## AnnaC

Got a bit 'twitchy' yesterday evening about Chapella - remember that this mare in all her foaling years gives none of the normal signs, she just foals! Udder is always soft and jiggly, no vulva elongation etc etc! But we are getting so close to her actual due dates that I was starting to get nervous, so Cathy set up her camp bed in the narrow corridor outside the 'see through' stable doors and kept watch with her alarm every half hour ........................... nothing!!

Today the weather has been awful - rain and strong winds, but still had them all outside because they are more used to living out in all weathers anyway, but also beause I think exercise is so important, plus the freedom to roll if necessary. Kept up our hourly checks though, just in case. Late afternoon and Chapela was spotted having lots of excited trotting expeditions round the field?? Wondered if she could be having those 'energy bursts' that often come pre foaling? Or maybe she's just trying to stir us up. LOL!! Well we shall see, but I bet she wont do anything for another week or so just to be annoying! But we are a bit better organised for tonight (and how ever long it takes) as we now have the tea and coffee making equipment out in the barn as well as the camp bed and table and chairs for use with the laptop plus a lead connection from the house internet 'hub' -- soooooooooooooooooo Chapella we are ready when you are!!


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## Eagle

Happy camping Anna



I hope she doesn't make you and Cathy wait too long.


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## Ryan Johnson

Sounds exciting Anna , can we see a couple of pics of the mothers to be ?


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## 

Can't wait!! Have a cuppa for me!


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## little lady

News?


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## AnnaC

No news yet - all seems to have gone quiet again. The strong winds here have died down and the rain has reverted to showers with sunny spells so will try to get some updated pics later today.


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## AnnaC

Today's pics of the girls.

















More general pics next post.


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## AnnaC

Due to all the building work going on here I have lost my previous foaling barn, which is why the girls have gone over to Cathy's farm to foal out over the last few years. But due to Cathy's buildings still being full of lambing sheep at the moment, and only having the two girls to foal, we decided to improvise in our small stone barn and nailed in some uprights, boarded the fronts to a corridor and divided the stalls with boarded gates. This has given us a 16x11 stall right across one end of the barn (occupied by my special boy Mootie who always has a huge space for himself!!), space for hay and straw, then two stalls for the girls at 12x10 each (smaller than I have ever had before but they seem to be happy and have enough space), then across the other end old Heidi has a space of 8x11 (which she is coping with (she's 29") but has to put up with at the moment as she insists on being in and part of the 'action'!) then next to her is the area for the feed bins and our tea making stuff/table for computer etc while mare watching. The corridor that runs the length down to Mootie's stall is occupied by Cathy's bed at night. Pics below show some of what I'm waffling about (LOL!!) plus the narrow entrance door that MC has now learnt to enter happily. Plus pic of Chapella's and MC's daily companions - old Heidi, Wizz and Prue. Then there is also a couple of pics of our dell and the bluebells that smother the ground under the trees at this time every year - some 3 acres of wooded dell, with little paths cut through by the minis! Incidently I'm waffling because it is now nearly 1am and I have been on mare watch duty since 5 0'clock and at 1 I can wake Cathy who has now had 7 hours sleep and send her out to the barn and either the laptop or her bed - I'm then off to bed!! So this has helped me stay awake. Thanks for reading the waffle!


----------



## 

Oh, the pictures are fabulous!! And look at those SPOTS coming!!

They look fabulous Anna, and your hotel arrangements for them are just perfect!

LOVE those flower pictures. Just makes me miss home so much, with the hilly pastures and natural wildflowers!


----------



## AnnaC

Have to report that Cathy received a text in the middle of the night from our friend who is foaling her mares for us (see explanattion earlier on this thread if you need to - she knew Cathy was up watching Chapella) to say that Fleur had just foaled a filly for us.. Well done Fleur - good girl, many thanks!


----------



## Ryan Johnson

Beautiful Pictures as always Anna, you live in such a lovely part of world. The Girls look Gr8 , Cant wait to see what they have been Hiding. Best of luck Always


----------



## Silver City Heritage Farmstead

Anna, I meant to ask your permission to use your photos to illustrate a poem they inspired me to write.

Then I saw the post about Fleur...maybe we've found a way to ENCOURAGE mares to foal:

Translate mare's name to an object (Fleur=flower)

Post a lovely, inspiring photo of that object in mare's foal watch thread.

Cosmos miraculously aligns, mare immediately (for a mare) foals a lovely, healthy baby!

Somebody want to help prove this theory??

Enjoy your cuppa in the barn tonight Anna, thank you so much for sharing your lovely girls and home.

Julie in NC


----------



## 

Can't wait to see the new baby picture!


----------



## JAX

Congrats Fleur on a job well done!


----------



## AnnaC

Well it is now 10.20pm here in the uk and I'm on the laptop in the barn watching a very twitchy Chapella, so I'm hoping that she might get round to some action before the night is over. I think that having the lights on in the barnis disturbing the swallows who are at present nesting more or less above my head - they keep chattering and shifting around on the beam, well at least Daddy Swallow is moving around, Mummy Swallow is egg sitting, or maybe it is her who is telling him to shut up, keep still and let her get some rest. LOL!!

This is the last time we will be able to use this barn as a temporary foaling unit as later this year it is going to be converted into my own little Grannie living space - cant wait as it is such a nice little old barn and has a very peaceful atmosphere, plus when you open the back doors you have a wonderful view across the fields. Hoping to have a veranda out the back where I can sit in my rocking chair, maybe the odd glass of wine in my hand and just admire the scenery - bliss!! Of course we shall have to build a new barn for the horses, although we dont intend to have any more foals for a few years, taking a rest from breeding for now.

OK off to feed the dogs now and to mix the late night feeds for the horses. Dont foal in the next 20 minutes please Chapella!!


----------



## 

Sounds like TOTAL BLISS! Hang on there Chapella -- then GET TO WORK!!!!


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## AnnaC

Well she hung on and hasn't so far heard the cry of GET TO WORK!! Been laying flat out, puffing and dreaming, then back up to eat more hay. I'd better top up her hay corner I think as she's now munching again! After that I'm waking Cathy up and digging her out of her warm bed here in the corridor coz it is my turn to get warm, cosy and asleep! (it's 3.15am and I'm getting a bit boggle eyed staring at this screen, plus I have had too many cups of tea and now need a loo visit!) Chapella has just done a large wee (which has made me feel more desperate LOL!) and a large pile of normal droppings so I think we may be out of luck for a foaling tonight - unless things change quickly.

So goodnight all - back tomorrow.


----------



## Ryan Johnson

Sleep well Anna


----------



## 

Hope you got some sleep while Cathy watched. Keep us posted as you know we're very excited to see what your girls are hiding!


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## Ryan Johnson

Any news Anna ?


----------



## misty'smom

Just checking in........Anna I really enjoyed your pictures, you sure have some beautiful surroundings!!!! And your little stone barn looks so nice and cozy too!!!! How are the girls doing, looking any closer to showing those babies???????


----------



## AnnaC

Sorry for the lack of news folks - but of course there is no news!! At least we dont have to worry about Chapella foaling early this year as both girls are actually due next weekend. I still think that she will foal in the next day or two as she is really uncomfortable and twitchy. Off now to give them their late night feeds as it is now 11.40pm here and little Heidi will be stomping her foot with impatience at the lack of food appearing! (Heidi at 26 has a severe lack of molars left, so rarely nibbles at the soft leafy hay always available to her. During the day while out in the field she can bite the grass but then rolls in around in her mouth and squeezes all the juice out of it, after which she spits it out!! The field is covered with little 'balls' about 2" round of Heidi's grazing methods!! LOL!! Due to this she is 'fully' fed throughout 24 hours with 5 feeds of High Fibre cubes plus balancer, of course all carefully warm water damped down to a crumbly texture. Although only 28" she happily puts away a similar amount of food that would be given to a 10 hand pony under the same circumstances - greedy little wotsit!!)

Maybe I'll be able to report the arrival of a foal tomorrow - but then maybe not! LOL!!


----------



## 

We'll be looking forward to an announcement, if it comes. If not, we're happy to wait more!

I had an old, old stallion who did the 2" round balls he spit out after "sucking the juice out" !! When he came here he had almost no teeth left, but he managed to gum as much food down as everyone else. He just left a "mess" behind! LOL


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## AnnaC

Just flying in to report that this morning Chapella had wax on one of her teats! Never done that before! So we have been field watching all day and ar really hoping that tonight WILL BE the NIGHT!! Wish us luck please!!

Hope everyone else is ok - will try to get back this evening to read all the posts and do a catch up.


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## AnnaC

11pm and no foal as yet - but we are hoping!!


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## 

Crossing my fingers for you, and praying for a safe delivery......TONIGHT!


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## AnnaC

2.10pm and still no baby, just a very twitchy restless mare! I really think that she would like to relieve herself of this baby tonight - as an experienced mare she knows the drill and when the restless uncomfortable twitches are over, she seems so relieved to have a little clam time to munch on her hay!

Will be waking Cathy in an hour or so for her to take over active watching. Clever Cathy has somehow connected our two laptops so hers is sitting on a table in the barn with its internal camera focused on Chapella's stable, while mine is indoors with me able to watch Chapella via Cathy's laptop. Cathy is still sleeping alongside Chapella's stable on her camp bed, but at least she is able to sleep and a phone call from me as soon as anything looks 'interesting' will wake her right there on the spot, while I'm still gathering my elderly body from my chair and forcing it into action, donning my outside gear and stumbling to the barn trying not to trip up on my way - by the time I get myself there baby could well be virtually arriving, hopefully into Cathy's waiting hands!!

Oh by the way, had another text about an hour ago from our friend - Poppy has foaled and all's well. Not sure yet whether it is a colt or a filly, but have been told that Poppy always has colts and the text said it is huge! Will try to get her to send some pics of it and Fleur's filly asap so I can post them here.

Come on Chapella - you are getting left behind, plus making a mockery of my telling everyone that you usually foal early!! Should have kept my mouth shut I think!


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## Ryan Johnson

Best of luck Anna


----------



## 

Can't wait to hear, and you know how these girls can make mockeries of us! Besides, she knows that we are all waiting anxiously for her little one to arrive....so as usual, she will take her time!

Can't wait to see the pictures of the new little ones though! Maybe Chapella will get envious as we ooooohhh and awwwww over the other new ones, and want her little one to get the same attention!


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## AnnaC

Just a very quick update - not foal last night!! But now (7.30pm) we have had dripping milk, now full wax on both teats and I'm sure we are on the way!!

ps Phone call from friend received to say that Poppy had a filly last night!! Well done Poppy - she's only had colts before!

Off to get back to Chapella.


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## MissysMum

Good luck!


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## Brody

Good luck, hope your 'waiting' goes smoother and faster than mine has


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## Ryan Johnson

Good Luck Anna


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## AnnaC

It's a filly, a big bouncing black and white pinto girl! Mom and baby just fine. Very quick birth once she got down to bothering about it LOL!! Chapella totally laid back and baby up and bouncing within 5 minutes.

Pics and details will follow later this morning after morning chores. Thank you for all the prayers and good wishes folks.


----------



## Flame

Congrats! Can't wait to see pics of her


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## 

CONGRATUATIONS my dear friend! Can't wait to see these pictures! In fact, ALL the babies!!


----------



## AnnaC

Chapella was in a grump with us all day yesterday - in a grump because around 10.30am we spotted her making her way to a group of trees down in the far corner of the field, a corner where she fooled us in 2010 and gave birth (at 10.30am!). As we were watching her that day every 15 minutes we were able to spot her and rushed down just as baby was arriving. So this year as soon as I saw her heading off in the same direction, she was captured and brought in to the barn - one very cross lady!! She kept us guessing all day - yes here she goes, no false alarm, I might just lay here all day, I might pick at my food, I need more food/more hay, I need a companion to keep me company (supplied!) etc etc!! Nearly drove us mad! Eventually at around 5.30am today she couldn't control herself any longer and being satisfied that she had caused enough disruption, she gave in, went into labour for around 4 minutes and allowed us to assist her daughter into the world!

Unfortunately the pics that I took immediately on my phone were too dark - no flash - Cathy got a couple with her decent phone and I will pinch them from her this evening. So I had to wait until Chapella and baby went out into their own private paddock for a couple of hours of outside time. Baby has dried from jet black to possibly showing silver??? Sire carries silver. So here are a few quick pics from this morning. Not only are we extremely thrilled by this filly, but I'm also so pleased with the way Chapella at 22 years old has kept her condition and not dropped any weight (just kept her 'dropped' tummy, but after giving us 8 fillies and 1 colt she

is entitled to her matronly shape.


----------



## Flame

Congratulations Anna! She's such a cutie


----------



## eagles ring farm

Congrats Anna...beautiful little girl


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## atotton

Congrats on the cute filly.


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## Ryan Johnson

A BIG Congratulations to you Anna & Cathy and Chapella


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## cassie

Congratulations Anna on your beautiful little filly! YAY Chapella! what a lovely little baby!


----------



## chandab

Congrats! Woo Hoo.


----------



## little lady

Congrats! What a beautiful filly!!


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## Brody

Congrats! I hope my little mare produces one just like yours


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## crystalsowner

OMG sooo beautiful. Congrats.


----------



## 

She looks just lovely!! And some of us are very accustomed to that "matronly" shape!! Looks great to me!

What a pretty little girl -- a wonderful heritage for you -- just like momma!!


----------



## AnnaC

Thanks for all the congrats folks - we are really thrilled with this little girl. By the way the sire is RNR Cowboys Silver Legacy.

MC is looking very close to foaling, but she is not due until next weekend plus she's a maiden too. Of course I know that maidens can go before their due time but had hoped that she would allow us to have a couple of full night's sleep, after our stint with Capella, before we started the all nighters again! We did actually snatch a full night last night (naughty us!) but I dont think we will be able to chance it again tonight - wide full udder, separate filled teats plus plenty of elongation of her vulva. Also judging on her reaction (horror!) when she saw Chapella's baby, I'm not too sure what the reaction to her own will be like - she's a bit of a dimlow - Cathy calls her Dilly Dolly Daydream and wants to call the foal Dolly Mixture!!


----------



## 

HA!!!!


----------



## misty'smom

Congratulations on your beautiful litlle filly!!!! Pintos are my favorite!! She has some pretty markings for sure!! Keep the pictures coming as she grows!!!!!!!!


----------



## AnnaC

MC unexpectedly produced a colt out in the field this morning at around 11.30am. We just happened to be watching her so were able to assist. Chestnut colt, white star - no spots as yet Diane, sorry! - Cathy is offering Spotbum for sale for 50p (sterling) at the moment LOL!!

Pics and all details later this evening, but both Mom and son are doing fine.


----------



## 

AWESOME!!!! Congratulations!! And we know that many times appies develop spots if they are not born with them~! LOL


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## atotton

Congrats, can't wait to see the little fellow.


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## AnnaC

Well today was a day we wont forget in a hurry! I will also say that God was looking kindly in the right direction too. Such a series of lucky 'moves' got us in the right place at the right time! This morning we put MC out in a different paddock with some friends (next to Chapella in her private paddock). I returned from the local shop to say that we had better move MC into a different paddock as she had had a couple of hours on some pretty long grass and I didn't want her to get 'overfull' or an upset tummy this close to foaling, so we moved her across one into a small paddock I sometimes use as an emergency outside space for my man Mootie, so she still had her friends next to her but not actually in with her.

Cathy and I went off to tidy up the stables and to make a cuppa. Approx half an hour later we decided to take our cuppas and have a discussion and take measurements of where we hope to site our new barn when it gets built - this was a sudden decision as Cathy had been going to do some clearance work with the JCB that we have borrowed from her partner and I was going to walk across the fields to check on the main herd - thank God we decided on the cuppas near the barn site.

We sat down on the grass chatting away and just happened to glance across to the small paddock housing MC. She was lying down "resting after her extra grass eating"??? Cathy, whose eyesight is that bit better than mine, said that she was not resting but having contractions!! Panic!! Tea mugs went flying as we shot to the field gate, the slowed our pace so as not to frighten her, talking to her so we could get close. Yes she was in labour but nothing was happening. She looked really perplexed as to what was happening to her - told you she is a bit of a dimlow and we always wondered if she even realised that she was pregnant! But we also had the feeling that she could turn a bit 'nasty' towards any interference by us, especially once the foal arrived, supposing of course that she even accepted the foal anyway. However she seemed pleased to see us and very soon the little white bubble appeared (first hurdle over - not a red bag!) Then we culd ee one foot - hopefully a front one? Then a second foot and yes both are fronts! All this was of course vey quick but she seemed to be getting a bit stressed and in a panic so we just kept talkig quietly to her while Cathy had a feel for a nose - yes nose is coming so we are all good to go. Nose half way out and up she got, luckily only moving a few paces before throwing herself down again. we crawled after her on our hands and knees and took our positions again. She was getting frantic again with her contractions and we had quite a job to ease the head through, praying that she wouldn't get up again and perhaps move off across the paddock away from us. But no, the head suddenly released and the rest of him followed very smoothly. (his ittle eyes are a bit red tonight as that was quite a squeeze but they will clear in a day or two) We moved him a little so she could reach his nose - she sniffed and squeaked and tossed her head, but had another sniff and gave him a lick. He snorted at her and made her jump! She stayed down so I left Cathy watching them and rushed back to the stables for scissors (should they be necessary) and hibbiscrub for the cord - of course we had nothing with us! But he got up and the cord broke, so I just got back in time to swab it before he was up on is feet followed by her. She started to sniff and lick him and we made the decision to take ourselves away and to leave her to it, hoping that nature would click in and she would be ok. She didn't need us to interfere if she was going to bond successfully with this little alien being and him with her. I made another cuppa and fetched some biscuits and we watched them from outside the field for the next two hours. The weather was perfect for the new little one, warm sun, gentle breeze and the odd cloud passing over to stop things getting too warm. He pooped (a massive amount!), she dropped the afterbirth, and he got the feeding lark going inspite of his momma squeaking and biting his bottom! In the end we left them out all the afternoon as MC has never been interested in actual grain food and as far as I was concerned she was therefore better grazing the grass to get her system moving properly again (mushy feeds would not have been eaten) so leaving her out to graze seemed like the safest thing.

By the time we went to get her, Chapella and old Heidi in for the night, MC seemed totally in love with her new baby thankfully, and apart from being a little upright on his hind feet he seems happy and healthy. What more could we ask, but I'm still giving thanks that we happened to change our plans and were right where we were needed at the right time!

Couple of quick pics - more tomorrow - sorry they are a bit dark!


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## chandab

Congrats! can't wait to see the pictures in better light tomorrow, what I can see he looks cute.


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## Ryan Johnson

Anna ,Cathy, MC Congratulations on the arrival of a ripper little Colt.

Sleep Well Both of you


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## crisco41

congrads. LOve your stories. I feel like I am right there with you. In fact I wish i were..I would love to see a foal born..as I still wait..:>)

cutie babies..congrads to all


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## eagles ring farm

congrats again Anna


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## 

Another perfect little one! So glad you were there for her, helping to get him through that tight squeeze!

Handsome boy for sure!!


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## Luna_tic

Your babies are stunning! You're very blessed!


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## little lady

Congrats on your so far spotless colt...crossing my fingers for you that when he sheds out you will see spots.


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## AnnaC

Thanks - actually we have been able to find a few white hairs hidden in the chestnut plus he has heavily striped little hooves. Trying so hard to get more pics of them both but they are either zooming around too fast or rushing up to jump on the camera! Think Cathy might have managed to get one or two yesterday which I will try to pinch from her to post here today or tomorrow.


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## Bonny

Oh Congrats Anna!!!! Super cute!


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## targetsmom

Congratulations on your two adorable foals, and lovely having them so close together!! Sorry that I was busy with horse shows that I wasn't around to "watch". So glad you were where you needed to be for the colt! Of course the pinto filly is my favorite.


----------



## 

We know that. We've missed you Mary, and so glad you're back with us for a little while!


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## AnnaC

OK managed to pinch some of Cathy's pics of the pair of them. First the little man with pics taken two days ago just before he reached his two week birthday. Apologies for the fact that MC is wearing a headcollar, but we must have done our 'Momma/son bonding' too well in the first place as she is extremely protective and happily comes to call, but on reaching us she sniffs our hand then wheels round to rush off, guiding him away! (Totally different from her previous 'in you face/cuddle me' attitude!) Headcollar is fitted high and also has a piece of cotton as a breakaway fastening - thought that cotton rather than string or ribbon would break more easily for a foal and MC doesn't pull back once she feels our fingers on the headcollar. Sure hope she loses this attitude very soon!












Filly pics on next post.


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## AnnaC

Ooooops not sure what happened there - last pic repeated itself??

Still on to the filly - just two weeks now and extremely naughty, over friendly, fearless and exactly the same temperament of Chapella's first foal for us all those years ago!








Hello what's that? Lets all rush up and down the fence!





Because ............................... they are doing it next door!




More pics next post!


----------



## AnnaC

As you know we dont 'imprint/handle' our foals, firmly believing that the babies belong to their Mommas and should bond with them and not be 'play things' for us until later when they are happy to start approaching us in their own time. However at 6 days of age this filly decided that I needed a lesson on how to behave when 'playtime' was required!!













That's all folks!


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## 

MOST AWESOME Anna~!! I'm especially fond of that beautiful filly -- her markings are beautiful, and so nice she's kept that wonderful attitude of Chapella's other foals! Beautiful, and of course, the scenery is stunning!!


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## Ryan Johnson

Anna love the pics, what beautiful photos of your horses and landscapes. I especially love the photos of all the kids in the neighbourhood at the fence checking out the new kid on the block.

Your little filly sure is playful & seems she has decided that your more than welcome to hang out when its "playtime".

All the best


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## misty'smom

Congratulations Anna what a beautiful filly!!!! Love her markings, I am especially fond of black/white pintos and she is a pretty little girl for sure!!! Also love that she is so playful and wants to be with you, so sweet!!!


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## AnnaC

misty'smom said:


> Congratulations Anna what a beautiful filly!!!! Love her markings, I am especially fond of black/white pintos and she is a pretty little girl for sure!!! Also love that she is so playful and wants to be with you, so sweet!!!


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## AnnaC

Sorry no internet until possibly Thursday. Borrowed phone to post. Xx


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## crystalsowner

Congrats. She is such a pretty girl, and sweet too.


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## Bonny

I love the pictures! What a little doll she is!


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## 

Hope your internet comes up quickly Anna. I miss you!


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## AnnaC

Just doing an update - not about the minis (they are all doing great) but about what is happening on the farm/in my life right now plus explaining why I might not be around for the next week or so.

Some may remember that approx 2 years ago we were trying to 'reduce' the farm here mainly to ease our financial obligations - me wanting to retire/family all moving away to their own lives etc. Well it has taken all this long time (and loads of stress and frustration!) to get things sorted! Friend Pat and her daughter Gemma have now purchased our big stone barn and are having it converted for residential, plus 7 acres of land. And at last we have found just the right folks to purchase the main farm house plus 5 acres - Martin and Dawn keep Alpacas, chickens and honey bees, Dawn makes her own honey so am looking forward to some of it coming in my direction soon!

After taking so long to organise of course it has all come to a head very fast and Martin and Dawn will be moving in this coming Friday which means that for the past two weeks we have all been flat out trying to get all our belongings, stuff (and rubbish) out of the house and buildings, plus moving some 200-250 plants in pots from the garden over to our 'side' of the farm. I will be left with the smaller stone barn (which we will eventually convert to living) and the rest of the land (although Martin and Dawn may buy a further 9 acres in the future). Until we convert our barn I will be once again living in my big towing caravan (last spent 4 years in her before we moved up here nearly 8 years ago) and am having a little man coming tomorrow morning to check over her electrics, gas etc to make sure she is still safe. Tonight is the last night I will sleep in my room here as tomorrow night I will be in the caravan - reducing the amount of clothes and stuff that I can house in the van has been a bit of a nightmare, essentials only!! All our otherfurniture etc is now being stored in two huge mobile homes on our 'part' of the farm until needed once the small barn has been converted, so I'm sure I shall be rummaging in thosefor things I realise I need and have forgotten to keep with me, plus chuching out things I have taken but find I can really do without!

Have also got to errect some sort of 'garden' fenced area around the van to keep the dogs close at hand when not out with me during the day or they will be back visiting the main house on a regular basis and Mrs Nest (JR) will be poppng back through the cat flap at will by mistake! My other main problem is the cats - 4 of them - as they too have got to transfer themselves to the caravan from the house, not easy as it is all the same property to them, but with the lack of food in the house and plenty of food stations over our 'side' plus in the van i'm hopig it wont take them long to adjust.

Our side of the place is just a mass of chaos as we have simply moved everything over in a great hurry and dumped it to sort later, we have a huge bonefire going for the rubbish, piles of stuff to go to the rubbish tip, huge tree trunks waiting to be logged for next winter, plus groups of dumped plants wherever there is a free corner. There is still one more building that we have to dismantle and re-errect to give us some winter housing for the minis, trouble is that the 'site' for this is presently the bonefire (!!) so not sure where we will dump it nor when it will then get errected! So much to do and everything is such a muddle LOL!! And of course w still have the stables that were quickly errected in the barn for the two foaling mares, little old Heidi and my boy Mootie, so no coverting the barn until we can errect the other building for them!

But one thing I do know is that because we have been working from dawn to dusk for the past three weeks, from Friday onwards for the next week or so, once the official sale goes through, we are taking a break and doing nothing except drawing breath and just existing and chilling out!! Which finally brings me to one of the reasons for posting this - I am not sure I will be able to get here from Friday onwards due to the lack of a phone line/internet connection until we can get a new line put in to our barn (and therefore extnded to my caravan) - got it arranged for the 7th July. Am so hoping that Lily and Indy have their babies in the next two days, but bet they will wait until I'm 'offline'!

Also as I'm not likely to be here on Friday may I wish all my friends in the USA a VERY HAPPY 4th JULY!!






Thanks for reading all this folks - please excuse any typing errors/missing words, the old laptop doesn't always do what I ask these days!


----------



## 

Well, I know you've been through a lot, and sounds like taking a breather is a good idea. Praying for these 2 little ones to make their arrival while you're still able to see them!

Love you, my dear friend, and praying all goes well, and will miss you when you're "off-line".

~~Diane


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## Ryan Johnson

Wishing you the very best Anna . When you finally get to take a breather and some relaxing time - "Enjoy"

Take care , Ryan


----------



## cassie

Goodness, after all this time of planning its finally all working for you, I'm so happy for you Anna, I really hope this eases your burden and that once the last few muddled bits fall into place that you will be settled happy and comfy real soon.
Praying all goes well for you and that you have a very lovely and well deserved break.

best of luck!

much love to you, Suzie and Finn give you a big smooch and cuddle.


----------



## countrymini

Can't believe I missed your babies arriving Anna





Last few months have been crazy here, (hence the snobbery and lack of dropping in here) but I promise to stick around for a bit now.

That filly is just ridiculously cute. And so pretty. Liquorice needs a play mate you know (hint, hint)


----------



## AnnaC

Very quick update - moved ok by Friday night, now in my caravan surrounded by essentials that I thought I needed but had forgotten how little space I had, so need to do another 'chuck out' before very long! Of course I cant find anything - cant remember where I put it!! Cats have made the transfer from house to barn and caravan brilliantly, bless them, dogs are perfectly happy anyway as long as they have us.

Losing phone line and internet tonight so will not be here until after the 10th when hopefully our new line will be installed. So take care everyone until we meet again!!

No worries Hayley - I know how life can get sometimes. Just good to hear from when you can make it!


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## MeganH

Wow you have been busy, Anna! Wish you the best and thank you for updating! Hope your internet and phone get sorted out so you are back soon


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## 

I'll be missing you, my dear friend. I look forward to you reappearing !


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## Ryan Johnson

Me too , hurry back soon Its like a big part of the LB family missing


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## cassie

Ryan Johnson said:


> Me too , hurry back soon Its like a big part of the LB family missing


how very true Ryan! Anna and Diane are such a major part of our LB family...





glad to hear all your furry members have handled the move ok. hoping you get your internet and phone back on quick and easy so you can join us again. miss you my friend.


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## cassie

I'm guessing due to the fact that we haven't seen Anna on here that she doesn't have internet yet?



hurry up internet people! we miss our favourite Anna


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## Ryan Johnson

Yes giddy up Internet people , miss hearing Annas stories. I wonder if I jump up and down if they will connect faster


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## Wings

Congrats on the move Anna! And on the bubs  Looking forward to your return!


----------



## 

Me too!!! I miss you so much Anna!


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## Eagle

I hope all is well Anna. Let me know when I can call so we can chat and I can check on you. hehehe.


----------



## AnnaC

Hi all!! I'm not back yet - just popped into a neighbour to use their internet to do a catch up - desperately missing you all!! Managed to get a phone line connected a couple of days ago, but guess what - the internet won't connect grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!! Engineer coming out (yet again!!



) on Tiuesday to sort it - hopefully!!

So should be back 'properly' on Wednesday.





Renee, good to hear from you - I now have a new phone line, but cant remember the number - will e-mail you with it when I find out.


----------



## Eagle

Thanks for dropping in Anna, we were worried. I hope all is going smoothly and I look forward to chatting soon.


----------



## cassie

hoping your internet gets up and running smoothly on tuesday Anna, I don't know how much longer Suzie will wait, I'm glad you haven't missed her foaling yet and I hope you don't miss the foaling



love to you! hope you have settled in well and everyone is coping fine.

much love to you. xo


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## 

Lordy, I miss you!!! So glad you dropped in to let us know everything was going alright -- even if the internet isn't. SOOOOOOO much better knowing you are fine. Can't wait until you are here every day again!


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## Eagle

Praying your internet gets up soon Anna, please give me a number so I can call. Miss you loads


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## AnnaC

I'M BACK!! Wow what a hooha to get this thing up and running! Would you believe that after three different engineers visited and numerous calls to our phone service, no-one could find the reason why we had no internet ................................... until some bright spark suggested checking our phone line that should bring the net to us, and guess what, they found that we were not even filtered in to the connection! So one flick of a switch and BINGO the net was up and running - late yesterday evening at last!! But it does make me just a wee bit cross after all this time that the answer was as simple as that. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!

Will be in and out here instead of being here most of the day/evening, as here in my cozy caravan I have to disconnect everything and put the laptop away everytime I want it and then get it out again and reset up - no room/space for a continuously set up/connected laptop. But will get here as often as I can of course!

Lots of news and catching up from me about life here, but more of that another day. Glad you are all ok my friends - golly I have missed you all.


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## 

We have done nothing BUT miss you!!! I hope you've gone to check out those awesome little BABY EARS of Lily's !!!!! He's such a cutie!!!


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## Eagle

Welcome back my friend, as Diane mentioned Lily couldn't wait for you but Suzie has been good


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## Ryan Johnson

Welcome back Anna we have all missed you terribly.

Glad your back and cant wait to hear whats been happening when you have time to tell us.


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## cassie

so typical of electrical ppl... haha I'm so glad you're back online Anna, we have missed you terribly.. was so worried Suzie would foal without you being here :/ so glad your'e back!


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## AnnaC

Hi all - back with another update. It's now just over 4 weeks since the 'move' across the farm and at last I feel I'm settling down to life in a caravan once again - a bit like being on an extended holiday! Well we haven't had that 'restful break' we hoped for as too much going on. We are still surrounded by piles and heaps of rubbish to be burnt, stacks of blocks which will be needed for future building works, mounds of timber from dismantled buildings that will prove useful again in the future and piles of tree trunks that we hope to convert into fencing posts later on. And in amongst all this, anywhere there is a spare space, there are my poor pots of plants - we have also been saving trees where they have had to be moved due to new boundaries going in and other work - hopefully they will all survive until we can decide where we want to replant them!

The last two weeks have seen the whole of the long driveway dug up at the side to allow new water supplies to come in from the road, and more trenches dug along side one of the fields to lay the new electric supply to our barn/buildings - up til now we have all been sharing the supplies to the original farm house, but as from yesterday we are now fully connected to our own supplies. Trouble is that over the past week we have been suffering from the remnants of Hurricaine Bertha so it has been pretty wet and windy and now we have MUD everywhere from all the trench work - bring back the glorious weather we all enjoyed during July please!

We still have one old mobile home and a small towing caravan to break up and get rid of which will free up a little more space, but will tackle this job in another week or so. Anyhow here are some general pics - first one is the old JCB that Cathy has been using to do most of the heavy work, it's been an absolute godsend I can tell you. Also pics of my old caravan in the yard getting a brush up and a check over, plus the newly prepared area for her final position and then her in situ, and my old 4x4 now defunct, being used as a prop for a load of gates. Plus a general 'mess' pic. More next post.


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## AnnaC

Few more pics of ongoing work, stacked plants and general 'mess'!
















Next post is specially for Diane!!


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## AnnaC

Ooooops - not sure why the pics on my first post didn't print, never mind they were just general pics and not that important! At least you got the newsy chat!

Now just for Diane (and anyone else who might be interested -- remember this Diane?




Well here she is 2 years on pictured a couple of days ago just about to climb on the quad - perhaps to try out her driving skills? LOL!!




Some close ups of her colouring - interested to see that her legs are also spotting - most of my 'spotties' have normal dark legs?


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## 

Yes, I remember!! How beautiful she is!!! She's going to be one to keep watching as her spotting continues!!!!

And, WOW! What a lot of work you've all done. Hang in there my dear friend! Hopefully, the mud will pass soon.


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## Ryan Johnson

Hows everything going Anna ? Love reading your updates, so when you have time (hint hint) and if you want to include lots of Pics I wont complain.

Ryan


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## AnnaC

LOL Ryan! OK will get my brain together and do you an update in a day or two.





Thanks for your pm a few weeks back, it was greatly appreciated.


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## AnnaC

Hello my friends! Firstly let me apologise for my lack of posts recently - I have been popping in early in the morning each day to read through the threads though. After all the gales and driving rain we experienced here in January, we suddenly got snow - not much but enough to cause trouble for a couple of days. But worse it suddenly decided to do a big freeze. This did cause a problem as, due to all the building work and sale of part of the farm last year, I only have the one water pipe running to our side of the farm, proividing the water for me in my caravan and travelling on to fill the automatic tanks across the horses fields. This pipe runs above ground and therefore froze! Most days with the sun it thawed itself around 5pm for an hour or so before it froze again. Have spent the last two weeks madly filling containers to provide water to last myself each 24 hours and then walking the fields to check that the tanks have also filled. Also ran a hose to the field close to the buildings to fill an old bath and as many bins as we could find as an emergency supply for the minis should the pipe not thaw on a daily basis.

The mare herd are running their winter 23 acres and during the awful rain we did run them out some hay just to warm them up. Once the freeze came we had the big round bales of hay run out to them - they are munching their way through their third bale at the moment and will get another in the next couple of days. We did have a couple of days when the water supply did not thaw out so had to open up the gates for the girls and let them wander through the fields to come up to the buildings to use the 'emergency' supplies - certainly kept them fit coming all the way across for their water and then making their way all the way back to get to their hay!!

On top of all this we had two emergencies. Firstly Mrs Nest (JR terrier) poisoned herself with something. Neither we or our new neighbours use poison of any sort, but I think that she may have picked up and eaten some of the raisins that were mixed in with a batch of bird food that I had put out on the bird table - they could have got flicked off on to the floor by the birds. its the only thing I can think of and raisins are poisonous to dogs. She was very poorly for a couple of days and pretty weak for several more, but she's a tough little customer and thankfully made a full recovery.

Then we had another emergency and this time sadly itwas not a successful outcome. I'm sorry to tell you that we have lost our little Ferret (for 'newcomers here Ferret was a mini colt not a Ferret!). Over the course of week he showed mild colic symptoms and not showing any real improvement by the second day he went off to our wonderful vets at their fab hospital. As thispost is getting rather long I will post another one a bit later on today (got to go do the horses now) as his symptoms and up's and down's are very interesting and educational, but for now, suffice to say that after another 4 days his condition suddenly worsened and they put him down. The vets and their nurses were so upset at not being able to find exactly what was wrong with him they kindly offered to do a PM for us free of charge. He was suffering from a rare Caecal Intussusception - look that up folks!! Even if they could possibly have known this on the first day, it is highly unlikely that operating would have been successful, and with recovery costs could well have cost us around £7000, which I'm afraid we simply couldn't have afforded. As I said, I will post more details in anoher post.

RIP little Ferret - you touched many hearts in your short life. (2012-2015)


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## 

I've missed you much my dear friend. Sounds like you've had your work cut out for you, though. Sounds like the first job in the spring is to bury the water line!! LOL

So sorry about little Ferret. He was such a beauty!! Run. Free little one!


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## Kim P

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Hope everything is back on track soon enough. So sorry about your little one. He was oh so cute.


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## lkblazin

I'm so sorry to hear about your little ferret. I hope there is nicer warmer weather headed in your direction. Water problems are not fun


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## chandab

So sorry to hear about little Ferret.


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## Ryan Johnson

Sorry to hear about Ferret RIP little guy.

Sending you sun and warmth Anna





Thanks for the update (which I always love reading)

Take Care


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