Just posted the first part of my new blog series.  The trials and trip ups of a trainer with the best intentions.

http://www.greathorsestories.ca/site/blog

 

 

We first met Joy last December after she was taken in by the incredible people at Quest Equine Welfare in Australia.

Joy had been found at one day old, lying in…

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So, little Havoc got to go out in the field today.  Perhaps we were a bit naive, thinking he would be fine out there.  I wasn't too sure, but, I'm one of *those* owners, so, I was letting the experienced folks make the call.

 

One 10 month old baby.... 4 geldings.... one field....  They ran around a couple times, Havoc leading, he can out run them.  Then it looked good, he was by himself, they were up in the one corner, no one was freaking out, big field....  Until one of the…

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It's foaling season at Sweetwater Ranch.  One of my clients bought a lovely dressage mare by Olympic Ferro already bred to Grannius II - and I covered two of my own mares with Louie.  So, this year I will get to see what he produces, and we already have one foal on the ground.   He has been named Sweetwater's Alliance - barn name Lance - and he is lovely with good straight legs, up on his pasterns and nice feet all around.  And BIG.  In fact, Dr Marteney said he is the biggest foal he has…

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I just have to post a couple pictures of my little man when we put a saddle pad on him. He's 2 1/2 months old and a 'whole world of trouble'. He's by Popeye out of a Cheops Z x Tango Selune mare. I love…

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Loretta has been sold to a really nice family in Orangeville. She will be bred to Carbadino for 2011 foal. Brando is going to the same family-Courtney is going to be working with Brando preparing him for the show ring.

Very excited for both.

Well, my little Havoc is adorable and home. He's scraped a bunch of hair off of his face, lord only knows how. He's happily ensconced in his paddock with his momma, and he goes out in the field with momma and Auntie Cass. He now gets just the tiniest bit of pellets because he can't share his Mom's food, and thinks he's hot stuff with his very own bucket of goodies. And he munches hay with Mom, looking very serious about the whole thing.

He's such a saucy thing. He does NOT…

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After another weekend of Havoc... And I mean literally.

So, the dam of my little Havoc, her name is Snip, had her shoes pulled on Thursday. Now she had a bad case of laminitis two years ago and has 23.5 degrees of rotation in her right fore. So, the front of her foot doesn't exactly grow all that well. Which is why we'd pull her shoes and see if she could go barefoot and quit cracking up what little foot she has. Apparently not. P3 is pretty close to the sole, she must have…

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Well, our mare delivered unto us a very adorable little boy on July 6. True to the adage that mares are cagey, at 9:30 pm the milk didn't test like she was imminent, she didn't look quite right, 11pm I get the call that the colt is on the ground. After a very tiring 2 hour drive down, I was pretty awake when I saw the little guy.

Momma was a maiden, delivery was easy, but she wasn't sure what she was supposed…

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I just can not help myself with this one. It is how I feel today.



You are the right person, this is the right time, you've paid your dues, you're thinking the right thoughts, you're doing the right things, and this very moment, you are exactly where you're supposed to be... poised for the happiest time of your life.…



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A 2 month foal is having difficulty leading, her owner writes:

“She foaled out at a breeding stable where… Continue

I want to share with you my way of getting a foal comfortable with humans. I don't believe in imprint training (meaning handling the foal right after birth) for several reasons; one of them being that it's not the most effective. Studies, both official and my own, has shown that the best way to get a foal confident with people is to kiss up to mommy and let the her show the foal that people are great. Being willing to wait just a little bit is a fantastic shortcut!



If you have a foal… Continue

Well Ive just had the wonderful news that my friends pony, Grace, has given birth to a lovely little colt.

We had our suspicions that she was pregnant when she came back last week, from being on loan for a year as a companion. The vet was called and he was pretty certain she was in foal but we decided not to get her tested in case the stress of treatment so soon after the stress of travel caused any problems.

We decided to treat her like a mare in foal and see what happened!

The… Continue

Sleep, saddles and social behaviour are just three of the things I'm going to be looking at in today's equine science weekly round up:



Researchers in South Africa have discovered that friendship with unrelated mares, can increase a wild mare's reproductive success. The scientists from the University of Pretoria in conjunction with colleagues from New Zealand studied the social relationships of feral horses in the North Island of New Zealand and found that mares who formed… Continue

Let me introduce you all to Bruvin. He is a 4 year old native Norwegian breed called Døla hest. He is 165 cm and 700 kg (50 kg of summer vacation belly).



I’ve known Bruvin since the day he was born. I was out in the field trying to find the horses and after 90 minutes I found them underneath some big old trees. Bruvins mom had two feet sticking out. Needless to say she was giving birth, and I helped her.

I was the first… Continue

After a couple of false starts and mother not being able to head to Aprilfest in May Endurance Ride on Sunday, Spring (Shades of Spring+) finally decided to let the baby out.



Good strong, correct filly by Section B Welsh stallion, Rocko's Gold. Unknown colour at this time - black, black bay, smokey black, black buckskin???? 3 white feet and a reversed question mark on her face.



Name is giving us some trouble as well - Where's The Gold, What Gold, ..... along those lines… Continue

Appasianata DS or Apple arrived tonight around 10pm. Black bay filly with what appears to be no white (will have to check more closely as mom tends to hide white on her babies until after the application papers have been sent in requiring photos and money for changes.



Sire: *Rhoson Pasiant - imported Section B Welsh bay stallion

Dam: Clovercroft Lucky Jenny - Hackney Horse black mare



Many thanks to stallion owner Darlene Morton, Morton Welsh & Sport Ponies for the… Continue