Regarding the Horses in our lives...

[paintedChix]

Zoomie -

We currently have 20 registered Shetlands (1- 2015 colt needs to be registered. 2 mares have probs w/ their papers

). Of those, I have 3 that are double registered AMHR minis (Bs), but 2 have overgrown their heights. The 2 1/2 Shetlands are not registered - though they both could be...

Have 2 Shetland mares (1/2 sisters, very different dams - both born in 2012) and that first mare born in 1997 that could be hardshipped AMHR - B, but for me, it's not worth it right now... I have too many other things that I can spend that $$ on.

I would have sworn that Cupid would stay under the height limit, but he's just hit 40" at the withers (WOOT! NEVER expected him to get so "BIG", ROFLOL!). His full brother, born in 2013, seems so tiny right now, but looking back at pics and measurements - they are about the same at the same ages - Rio is a little more refined than Cupid. Think these two will make an awesome pair - eventually. They are 3 years apart in age.

And here are our oldest daughter's (Skye) two daughters - I might make little horsewomen out of them yet, though right now they don't show the interest that their mom and two aunts did... Gracie is still very much afraid (very UNLIKE her mom).

Gracie with Rio the day he was born, -




Gwen (14 months old) the day that Rio was born -




Gwen w/ Rio in 2014 - she's 2 1/2, he's 1 1/2...



and both of them grooming Rio the summer of 2015





****** Meant to add - if you want to take a vacation and come this direction - our new place isn't fancy, but we do have a spare room with a twin bed. I'd love to share some driving time!! ******

 

[Zoomie]

@paintedChix LOVE love love all these ponies. And that is so sweet of you to invite me! How kind!

My sister lives in NC but I think they are moving to GA. It's hard for me to get away for long because I raise dairy goats and have to milk. But you never know!

Yes, my "big" mini is R and is 39". She still barely qualifies as a VSE but I doubt she would measure in at a show. I never took her permanent due to that. And it is funny how that will happen some times. I had a friend who had a nice herd of AMHA minis, with most under 30". Her 28" stallion and 29" mare had a colt who just didn't realize what was going on there... he just grew and grew and grew and grew... He finally stopped at 42"!!!!! She named him "Holy Smoke", very appropriate!

Glad to see you are influencing a new generation. I think it's kind of sad that kids don't grow up with horses; a lot don't seem to understand animals and I think that is a true loss.

I did get to drive an actual team. My cousin used to live on a cattle ranch and they used a team of Clydes to feed every day during the winter when the ground was covered in snow. There wasn't much for me to do; those boys knew their job, where to go and where to turn. I was basically there to keep the lines from falling on the ground...

I also was attending a Muffy Seaton clinic and she was teaching someone or other how to hitch and drive their new (to them) pair of Welsh ponies. (Ponies! Squee!) Naturally I volunteered to stand in front of them and keep them quiet while they were hitched! Those were some very well behaved ponies. They knew really well how to get through the gates and obstacles out on the course. I didn't get to go along, alas, but wow, it was awesome to watch them work.

 

[perchie.girl]

My baby girl..

Bath time...


Cawatts?


Stirrin up dust


Harness


the other side


tack shed


Yup every bit of tack and harness Hickory cart and wire shelves and two english saddles fit in a 7'6" by 10' Rubbermaid storage shed. It had double doors on one end and a single door on the other.

deb

 

[paintedChix]

We have a new Christmas Edition! Didn't know exactly when this mare was due to foal. She suddenly got busy, her shape changed, her udder filled and I told our family last night that we'd have a baby between Xmas & New Years.

Little did I know she'd foal after I did my initial check this morning and before I made it out to feed officially... This little girl arrived between 0630 & 0900.







and her 3 month old 1/2 brother wants to play!



and here is her sire in natural dress -



when he was being shown in 2013 as a 2 yr old -




and when he was being shown in 2012 as a yearling -




This is Wizard's 3rd foal and 2nd filly. Since he is homozygous for both bay and tobiano all of his foals will either be bay tobianos (if black based) or chestnut tobianos w/ a bay gene to pass on. Silver, cream or roan can modify that to silver bay, buckskin/palomino or (like this filly will be) a roan (bay or chestnut). All 3 of these foals have had some shade of blue eyes, though the first filly that suddenly passed from a freak accident had the bluest and this little girl the darkest (& they may darken to black) ...

We are also expecting at least 3 known foals between Jan-March of next year. There may be a couple of "extra" surprises - while we were in process of moving/setting up fences - he got out with the mares not once but several times. Both happy and sad about that! Happy because I'd wanted to breed a few mares to him last spring and we didn't (on purpose, since we knew we MIGHT have a couple of surprises) and SAD because I hate that our "poor management" allowed this to happen at a time when we really needed a break... Ah well, everything will work out.

 

[perchie.girl]

adorbs

 

[Zoomie]

What a lovely filly! She is beautiful!

Dad is gorgeous too and looks like a great mover. Still, I can sympathize - I too would be upset if that happened on my place, I can understand.

Best of luck with the new filly! At the same time, I give you a wish of not TOO many "surprises"! (The dam and sire are probably not as surprised as you!)

 

[paintedChix]

Zoomie -

As long as I have been around horses (& other livestock/dogs/rabbits etc), I've never encountered the problem with fencing and maintaining it that we did when moving and putting new fencing up! It's been a right royal PITA... Problems w/ our dogs, too, as they seem to not like our 21 acres! Fencing "holds" them in - but then they dig under it... Can put them out on 7 acre pastures - they go right to the furthest corner (from our house - closest to main rd/highway), dig under and they are out and running freeeeeee. Only 3 of the 6 have mircrochips - that's becoming a problem, too.

That said, hopefully we have things properly in hand now and we should be good to go. Have some ponies that we definitely need to sell at this point though. Won't be fostering any more dogs for a while, no matter what anyone says... Wouldn't be so terrible except that our work hours have changed and it DOES seem like I spend all my time doing nothing but caring for/feeding critters. Not getting them groomed or trained/schooled like I was - making them easier to market/sell in this "climate". This past 3 months, even w/ some time off, due to a chest cold that won't heal up and go away, I've had issues too! AAARRRGGG!

Of course they weren't surprised,

!

 

[Bunnylady]

Oh, gee,

now. Note to self - get a waterproof cover for my keyboard before looking at any more foal pictures.

Even "in the rough," that Wizard is a handsome guy! I know it's a little early to tell, but I'm thinking that filly has quite a bit of class about her, too . . . if your gonna have "surprises," may they all be like that, eh?

I joke that my rabbits put their heads together when I'm not there and ask themselves, "how can we drive her crazy today?!" - I think that may apply to more than just rabbits. Definitely goes for horses; if I'm not

over them at least once per week, they start feeling like slackers and look for ways to make up for it. No stallions here, though - thank the Lord!

 

[perchie.girl]

Four in Hand... Notice one of the wheelers is bitless.

 

[perchie.girl]

In a past life I was a mechanical engineer. Burned out nervous breakdown... Long story and way over.

Photo below is from
http://www.frontierequestrian.com/getProductDetails.cfm?ID=431


When I moved to the desert my goal was to design and build the above types of vehicles. Tubular construction Wire mesh for lightness and very very robust under-carriage. They would NOT be for showing only for pleasure and training.

My idea was to build a modular base expandable chassis (lynch pin adjustment up to two feet). All the same then add in modular differences.

One base built as a cut-under could be made into:

Marathon style
Wagonnete
Flat bed
Roof seat
'Trail or Off Road

since the same humans wiould be driving no matter the size of the equine the width would not be adjustable. But by changing the wheel diameter and the length you could cover from 14 hand to 22 hand equines.

Once I get the design dialed in I can work on the smaller equine versions.

Seat would not be adjustable except for the comfort of the driver. Since its a four wheeled vehicle Balance would not be an issue.

The trail or Off Road version would have wider tires and even electric assist. For long grades or horses in need of conditioning.

deb