Bella, Swedish Warmblood Princess

Monday, 14 June 2010, while I was returning from working the booth at the Western States Horse Expo in Sacramento, I got a 5am (Pacific time) call from Dr. Tom Newton, Little Hawk Farm, Crozier, VA. (I had sent Erika to him for foaling...to use a famous quote "I don' no nuthin' bout birthin' babies".) I was up and packing for an early flight when Tom called with the news that Erika, who was not due until 20 June, had presented us with a very strong baby girl and that mother and daughter were doing fine. I was delighted beyond belief...even tho I was hoping for a colt. Tom described described the newborn filly to me as having equal hind socks midway up the canon bones and shorter stocks on both fore feet, a big star tapering into a blaze and snip...lots of chrome! He wasn't joking!!!

By the time my flight had reached the Ft. Worth/Dallas airport, he had emailed photos to me. That's when I discovered that I had put my chargers in the checked bag and had no battery left in my laptop. I had a 3 hr layover, so I roamed the airport for one of their free internet stations. I finally found one that worked and found there were several photos in my email, but since the files were large, I could only look at one. That was enough to see the filly was beautiful!

I brought Erika and her baby home on Friday. After much consideration and name testing, the filly turned and looked at me when I called her Bella...it was clear she liked that from among the many names everyone had suggested.

Bella watching became the neighborhood entertainment until it got really hot in July. We put a table and chairs under the crepe myrtle trees, sipped cool drinks and enjoyed watching Bella cavort, run full out and explore her surroundings.

Watching Bella learn to kick, buck and finally trot was simply magnetic. We couldn't tear ourselves away until she would plop down for a nap. A good friend, Martha Alliegro, from Gloucester, is documenting Bella with her camera and has snapped many great photos. I have put many of them on my FaceBook page as has Martha. We noted that she watched her mother enjoy a shower bath and then have a good roll...so Bella tried it and loved it!

Practicing piaffe?

Here is Bella, 8 days old, at full gallop with Erika looking in amazement at her daughter.

Erika: Does Bella never stop running?

November's notes

It's been a pretty nice Fall as far as the weather is concerned. The colorful leaves came down quickly in the last rainstorm.

The horses are getting furry. I was worried about Bo, who seems to grow no winter coat, but he is finally getting some hair. he hates wearing blankets or sheets, so I hold off as long as I can. They are all looking very gleamy in their shiny new hair. Pavi still grows an arctic-worthy coat, so I will shave part of it off when I return from my upcoming trip. It's hard to ride him since he gets hot and sweaty just standing around. Then his coat stays wet underneath and it gets chilly at night.

The weather channel is always a favorite...especially as the season changes. Will it rain? How cold will it be? Do they need a sheet or blanket? Do they need to stay in if a storm is coming? If I keep them in, it won't rain or storm....Murphy's Law.

Vicki Kirsch (owned by Pepper) and I will be going to Equine Affaire in Springfield, MA, to work in the Ansür Saddle Booth. We always have fun and since Vicki used to live in Boston, she has friends who will stop by to chat. Having gone to the MA Equine Affaire for several years, I see people I remember from the area who have stopped to check out the saddles and bought saddles in years past. I'm sort of glad that we are usually pretty busy since I don't have any shopping money this year. It's a huge equine trade show with several buildings of things to see, demos to watch, breeds of every type horse, and well-known horse people from all disciplines teaching, talking or riding. It's like going to the circus!...without the elephants.

During these nice Fall days, I have hired some workers to paint the wood trim on the barn and outbuildings. It's amazing how a little paint can spruce things up. That inspired me to repair the run-in shed before they get around to painting it. Maybe all the newly painted wood parts will last a few more years.

So the latest excitement has been the skunk in the hay room. I spent a ton of money and filled up on hay for the winter and Peppy Le Pew moved right in! He has very attractive marking, but stinks without doing anything.  So far I haven't been sprayed, but I have opened the door and he was standing right under the hay cart looking at me. My husband repaired the lower part of the door, so that if get him out, maybe he can't get back in.

I've used up all the flour I had, pouring it out in front of the hay room door. I left it open since they are nocturnal. So I have to go out at 1 or 2 am to see if there are tracks going out of the hay room, then I shut the door. I think he is finally out now! I was panicking at the thought that something or someone would trigger him to spray on $2k worth of hay!!!

I did encounter him when I went back through the gate on the way to the house that night. We gave each other a wide berth, but I think I made him mad. There were lots of tracks in front of the hay room door the next morning. Peppy wafted his perfume (just the regular body odor, no spray) through my bedroom window all night for the next two nights. Our cats, Joey and Zoe were hiding under the bed...probably with their paws over their noses. We finally shut the windows!

I blink and it's October!

Wow, I forgot about posting here, there has been something else that needed attention every time I sat down. Here's the latest "poop".

Farm updates:

Bo (Rochambeau) is now officially 16 hands at age 2 years 5 months. He's all legs and gorgeous head and neck with a lovely short back. He gaining strength and his trot is becoming more lofty as is his heritage from the Rohdiamant-Rubenstein x Amiral lines.

Erika, Bo's older sister out of the same Mom, is now about 5 months pregnant by the Oldenburg stallion, Routinier (Rohdiamant-Rubenstein).

You got it...Bo's little brother (if Erika has a boy) on his sire's side is also his nephew! Don't worry, Erika's sire was by Donnerhall. We are eagerly awaiting the new arrival in June 2010. We get to find out the sex of her baby at the December vet checkup.

In September we had a Tack Swap in the indoor. Lots of people came and set up their used tack to sell, but there was a street event in New Town (Williamsburg) that attracted all the buyers and lookers. Those that came found many bargains and great deals.

My latest activity has been finding good hay that is affordable. Some farmers have gotten crazy with $9/bale for grass hay! I'm having to load my flatbed trailer and haul it myself...no easy task in my old age. If anybody reading this knows of timothy or orchard grass of horse quality under $6/bale, please let me know asap! That's assuming anyone ever will read it.

I just ordered a new saddle from Ansür in a smaller size. I started dieting last December and have shed over 50 lbs. That enabled me to get back into my old boots since at my age it made no sense to order new custom (size 11 foot) boots at over $1,000. It also enabled me to go back through the sizes (like a trip backwards in time) of clothes and breeches I just couldn't get rid of as I outgrew them. So, I'm getting a smaller saddle for my old age, a petite (17") Ansür Excel.

July 15, 2009

Here is a farm update:

Luke is sidelined with a strained suspensory on his right hind leg...recovering nicely and should start back under saddle soon.

Pavarotti has been going barefoot but I think he needs his shoes back on.

Erika, now 4 years old, is being rested for 6 months and has been bred to the Oldenburg stallion Routinier/Rohdiamant line...let's hope she's pregnant...her checkup ultrasound is on 24 July.

Bo (Rochambeau) is growing (15.3h) and just being a 2 year old...galloping and bucking and playing...just being a baby horse and having fun annoying his herdmates.

The multiple nests of barn swallows are on their 4th general sitting/hatching of baby swallows...a record amount of babies this year. I love it when the nestlings learns to fly...all awkward and squawking. They do keep the flies away! ...and they return next year as parents.