Grants Pass Auction Minis - Katya - colt born June 22

[Eagle]

 

[Evelynk2000]

Yesterday was a beautiful day in the neighborhood, indeed. Katya was snoozing under the oak tree:



Previously, as most horses do, she would get up if I approached. She not only didn't get up, she cracked one eye as if to say "Don't EVEN" and went back to sleep:



Her milkbar appears to be filling a bit, just a smidge:



And I have to admit, I'm totally enamored of her. What's not to love, right? She's got SPOTS, she's got a baby, she definitely has an attitude at times, her eyes have the patience of Job in them . . .



Now that I'm more comfortable with the signs of eminent departure of her on-board visitor, I'm willing to bet she's still got some time left to cook. Oops, mixing metaphors!

Today, I'm moving my TB mare back to her old barn. It's closer to my home, and I can ride her daily if I want, now that I'm out of dr's care. Yay

 

[Eagle]

I agree she is adorable

 

[Evelynk2000]

Here we are again!

My niece sent me these pictures, after I stuck my hand under her to feel:



She's swelling at the base of her hooha!



And her milkbar is starting to fill.

Will be keeping a daily watch on her, since we have no information about her previous patterns of delivery. I am so unfortunate to be so far away from her!

I noticed the increase in her udders today when I visited! We'll keep y'all informed about her progress, of course!

 

[Evelynk2000]

Sorry about the upside-down picture:

 

[Evelynk2000]

Ho, Hum.

:whistling Apparently I have this "mare staring" business down pat, because now I can't stop! I've been dropping by every day for one reason or another and seriously not seeing any progress. I can't ignore her, since she's the cutest speckled lady and she comes straight to me for nose rubs and Eskimo kisses. We bathed minis the other day, which she didn't particularly like, but she'd rolled in a pile of poop and looked disgusting. She danced around the whole time, so I did a lick-and-a-promise bath so she wouldn't stress herself unduly. After, she walked over to some hay to roll and I almost fell apart laughing. You could tell Katya wanted badly to roll over, but she couldn't, because her back is so broad! She kept trying and trying, and ended up looking like a turtle. Poor baby.

I've been okeyed to ride

so I've been working with my TB mare Lea, reminding her of attention span and ground manners, which she has in abundance, but ignores when she thinks I'm not looking.

She's my special friend and I'm really torn about selling her to get a shorter, quieter horse. Bah!

 

[Gone_Riding]

Yeah! She's shopping! Let's hope she goes crazy shopping all of a sudden for you.

That's great that you are cleared for riding again. I know the dilemma of wanting a calmer horse, but being attached to the one ya got. I was in a car wreck last year and lost a lot of range of motion in my right arm along with having a lot of pain. I went without riding for a long time due to it, and now my Arab is quite wild. She can run away with me if I try using the right arm to stop her. I've had to relearn how to ride. I now ride left handed. It's finally starting to feel almost natural and I was able to control her well on the last ride. I'm still very nervous to ride though. I'm ready for a slow horse, but I've had mine for 10 yrs. We've been Top 10 in endurance together and were very successful in Competitive Mounted Orienteering. I'd love to get back to that level of riding, but I just don't know how...

Just take your time and do things slow. When you are both ready to ride, you'll know it. Just don't jump the gun and you'll do great!

 

[Evelynk2000]

I'm ready for the shopping! I live for the shopping.

:SoHappy

I've spent the last couple of days lunging Lea (TB mare) and getting her attention again. Today, she was totally full of it, racing around the arena like she had a fire behind her. She wouldn't stop for me, so I got the lunge whip and kept her going for a lloonngg time, and she didn't even break a sweat. Finally, she got the point and walked up to me, so I put her on the lunge line and kept her moving for another half hour. She finally started paying attention to me

I took her for a walk outside the arena, which is challenging for her because she's barn sour, and she was a lady the whole time. Slow works for me!

I'm having so much fun reading the other current topics and learning SO much from them. I'd have never known about normal foal poop!







From the front to back: Bridie, Smokey, Katya

She didn't enjoy the bath at all! Silly girl.

Bath photos courtesy of my niece.

 

Wonderful pictures! Yes, the threads are really good reading, because different things come up with the different mares, and it's so good to see each little new occurence and the suggestions people have.

So glad you're enjoying the reading!!

 

[Crystallos]

I just wanted to point out Bridie is only partially shaved because she is getting used to the clippers. Everything is still super scary for her. :/

 

You're doing just fine with her! The mares can look so funny this time of year with the weather changes -- and their partial clips! So, I didn't even notice it! Looking good!!

 

[Eagle]

I thought Bridie was making a fashion statement

i am glad you are back to health snd ready to get in the saddle, it sounds like Lea is a live wire though. You take care.

 

[Evelynk2000]

Bridie IS a fashion statement!

She's improved so much since Crystallos adopted her. She's sweet and curious and gives the best nuzzles. I was sitting on a camp chair in the middle of their mudlot, so Bridie came over to rest her head on my shoulder, snuggle my neck, and generally give me that "Awwwww" feeling. She makes you giggle and sigh.

I'm totally distracted by pictures of Katya. There are times when there's no doubt she's VERY pregnant, and others when baby is all up inside of her and she just looks normal. She's foundered in the past (the base of her mane has that feel, you know), so we really need to stay on top of her nutrition, especially since she hoovers the clover like there's no tomorrow and she's a total air fern. Crystallos is excellent at keeping her daily feed on the straight and narrow, and monitoring her progress.

 

[Evelynk2000]

So, another question: I sat on my camp chair and watched Katya's belly for at least 1/2 hr, and didn't see inside movement, aside from what might have been muscles on Katya. How active are most internal foals? I watched the video someone posted that looked like a fight inside, and I've *never* seen that kind of activity! I know her back is long, and she's wide, and I'd really wonder if I hadn't seen ribs on the ultrasound. I know, I know. Calm down and let her cook.

What's been the experience with many-time mothers who aren't petite? I have to admit I just read the phantom thread.

 

[Eagle]

Calm down now, foals aren't often visibly active until the last month of pregnancy. The best time to feel the baby is dinner time. When you bring her in for her grain just kneel down, put your hand in front of her udder and wait. Another time to catch baby moving is when mum drinks, again place your hand on her tummy (same position) and wait a minute.

 

[Evelynk2000]

Thank you

. I only have human experience to go by, and all my boys had soccer matches inside. I'll quit worrying, for now. I'm sure I'll find something else to worry about in a bit!

(gotta love this smiley!)

Hey, I just thought about what you said. I've been telling niece I think Katya still has about another month to go, judging by the lack of balloon-like stomach. Maybe I'm closer than I thought I was!

 

[Eagle]

That's what we are here for

(other than to have fun of course)

Her being a bigger girl makes it harder to see so your doubts are understandable.

 

[AnnaC]

Yes, as a mare gets closer to foaling, you will see less and less obvious baby movement as by now the baby has grown large enough to take up most of the available space. This is why a lot of folks also find that a mare can only eat smaller feeds.

I'm sure Katya is progressing perfectly. Do we have updated pictures of her - sorry forgot to look at the previous page before posting!

 

[Evelynk2000]

I do try to keep up with the pictures, but you can only post so many that show NO obvious change! The latest :





And Today:



No discernible change to hooha or milkbar.

And, for your viewing enjoyment, one of my other critters, a tiny furball who thinks she is one of my appendages. Name is Finch, longhair:

Sleeping upside down on my lap

Paw faces

Thank you Anna for the information about baby movement! As far as I know, she's not having any trouble finishing her food (air fern! hoover!), but niece might have more information about that.

 

[Eagle]

Judging by these two pics, either you are over feeding her or she has a bun in the oven

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