Mesa's mama

Just a quick photo stolen from FB of Coulee and the good life she is leading.

One more update...

Since we are on the subject....

here is Coulee:

She is learning to be a barrel horse and delights her owner with her quirky personality. She says she is fearless!

Coulee

Yesterday Coulee's new owner came to pick her up.

She definitely has a future as a brood mare, as her owner has a young stallion, with Gallo De Cielo and Peppy San Badger bloodlines, but she will also have some performance training- perhaps in barrel racing, or working cowhorse.

I can't say that I am sad to see her go, as she didn't fit my needs, but I do have to say that I am thankful I owned her because she gave me the beautiful sweet Mesa, who I hope will be everything her mama wasn't.

A couple of happy things

Saturday morning, I couldn't stand watching the colt walk on his tiptoe any more so I googled oils for tight tendons and found a blend I could make. 10 drops peppermint, 5 drops marjoram, 6 drops rosemary, 5 drops Aroma Seiz, and 2 drops lemongrass in 2 to 3 ounces of coconut oil. (I use Young Living oils) So I mixed it up, and applied it to his leg from knee to hoof, twice that day. 

This is a before photo:

You can see how he was knuckled over on that right front.

The next morning, I was not sure what I would see, I was hoping for at least some slight improvement. This is what I saw:

Happy dance! I oiled him up again before I let them out of the stall. He was pretty zoomy once that foot worked properly!

The horse chiro was out that morning to work on Belle, he spent about a half hour or more on her and he also did a little work on the colt, in his left stifle where he had been compensating for the tightness in his right front. 

 Now the little guy is just full of himself! He sure is leggy. I am haltering him every day just to get him used to it, he is pretty strong already and I don't want to wait any longer to get him leading. Once he does I'll hand graze him with Belle, who really wants to get out of that foaling pen.

One hind sock, a star and a snip on his nose.

The gal came out to try out Coulee on Saturday, and it went really well. She longed her first and then rode- Coulee hasn't been ridden since last November- and she got to see what Coulee does when she doesn't think she has to work, so I got to see how good a horsewoman she was as she worked Coulee through that. Then she got on, and Coulee tried again, so I had her step off and work her through it on the ground and then when she got back on Coulee was good.

The lady is a good hand, she worked her quietly but was no nonsense, she did everything right and she has good hands and a quiet way about her. I was impressed with her, and she decided to buy Coulee. Once I get a down payment later this week I will consider it a done deal. She will get to take her home around the end of August.
I'm not at all worried about weaning Mesa a little bit early, she is eating good and spends more time with Rosalee than with her mama, and once Coulee is gone I'll turn Belle and her foal in with them.

Day 24 This morning I worked with both foals, with the assistance of NG ; they got haltered and brushed and Mesa got her front feet picked up and cleaned.
Then NG got to have a bareback ride on Rosalee, her first time getting on a horse bareback. She's a good kid, listens well and isn't too timid. She came in boots today 😃.

Day 23 Coulee and a rope

It's confirmed that someone will be here on Saturday to look at Coulee. Not sure what she intends to use her for, but she is a feedlot rider, so Coulee may have to do some pen work or rope work. I have no doubt she will be good at pushing cows around and sorting them out of the pen- she is rather bossy!- but wasn't sure how she would do with a rope. Turns out she was pretty good.

She didn't mind me whirling the rope around her head and tossing it out front, and as you can see in the video was not bad at dragging it too.

Sure hope this gal likes her, Coulee really needs a job.

Day 22 Coulee and Rosalee

Hey everybody, update your Belle's foal poll guess! Only 3 of you still in the running!

Coulee was much better today, got a little ramped up when I asked for a lope but overall settled much quicker and I got some nice circles at the lope.

This picture makes me laugh, she looks like a fat floating balloon!

 In fact she was so good that I put the neighbour girl (NG) up on her and led her around, even did a few circles around me.

After we put her away, I brought out Rosalee and did the same program with her, and I put NG up on her for a longer ride. Rosalee was so relaxed. NG wanted to trot, so I showed her how to ask the mare to speed up by clicking to her and bumping with her legs, and to stop bumping when she trotted.

By the time we were done it was already too hot (8:30AM) so that was enough for one day.

I have confirmed Rosalee in foal, it has been 31 days since the last day she was bred and there is no sign of her coming in to heat. Due date is May 12, 2018!

Day 21- Coulee

I have someone expressing interest in Coulee, and hopefully will be coming this weekend to see her; so it was time to put Coulee back to work, I did ground work with her today, and I must say she wasn't overly impressed to be yanked out of the pasture and put to work.

Coulee was bad at first, didn't want to do anything I asked, just backed up with hard eyes. Finally get her circling and she wanted to hump up and quit and back up. So she got told- literally. I find that talking to her in a no nonsense voice helps her to smarten up.Getting after her with the flag or rope just makes her shut down. But once I got her thinking forward, she was good. She is better to the right than the left. I worked her at a working trot both directions for around 20 minutes, then did some changes of direction with hind end yields and sweeping her front end across, then back on the longe at a walk to finish up good.

Meanwhile Mesa was calling to her, but gave up after about 10 minutes. She had Rosalee for company.
 I did all this on the flat spot near the mare pen so baby would only be about 20 ft. away. I'll be doing this every morning while it's still cool out. It is supposed to get even hotter over the next week- up to 38 C- that's about 100.4 F. Way too hot to be working horses, so early mornings it is.

If all works well I will be have time to ride Rosalee too, I want to do the tires and maze in the saddle.

The neighbour's little girl wants to learn about horses so I showed her some stuff this morning and she got to lead Belle up to her grass pen. I promised her a ride on Beamer in a couple of days.

Poor Belle! She has to be very close, so anyone whose guess is outdated, please update it in the comments!

Mesa at 3 weeks

I am quite happy with my beautiful filly! She is quite elegant and she is nice to be around.

 She is athletic, and really uses her hind end and for a first foal she is developing well.

I love her even socks, and her plain brown wrapper is fine with me.

And I really love that she has Beamer's eyes!

Yesterday Rosalee spent quite a bit of time in with them, and it went well. Rosalee did try herding Mesa around.....

but little miss had something to say about it!

Coulee reminded her a few times to stay away from HER baby, and I have to show the next two photos because it was quite funny and humbling for Rosalee: Mesa went for a gallop and Rosalee though she should join in and did one of her little leap/twists- and wiped out! I didn't get the fall but I got the aftermath:

She's not rolling in those photos, she skidded on her back in the soft wet ground. Oh Rosalee! She was well behaved after that!

Walkabout

Necessity dictates that I halter break my foals at an early age. I always seem to be living where I have to lead my horses out to their turn out pasture, so the little ones have to learn to be haltered and follow mama.
Mesa is doing really well. She just kind of adapts to everything. I had her out with her mama today, and ended up leading them all over the place; even up to the house, and over to the neighbours so their little daughters could pet her nose.

As you watch the beginning of this video you will see why it is never wise to leave a halter on an unattended young horse. I don't even leave them on adult horses. 

Meanwhile.... Coyote Belle is getting so big! She always gets as big as a house and I am really curious to see if she foals in June or July. She hasn't started bagging up yet. I'm kind of hoping for a June foal because that would be the dun horse that she was AI'd to and the vet said it didn't take- but they've been wrong before. Guaranteed a black based dun- maybe even a grulla and with her carrying the dilute gene, maybe even a smoky grulla.  Can't wait!

She is still in love with Coulee's baby, and if Rosalee gets too close to it when I have them out grazing near their fence line, she runs my poor yellow mare off. It will be interesting to see how things play out once Belle has her foal. It will change the herd dynamics once again. I may even have to keep all 3 mares separate for a while until the mamas chill out. Actually, Coulee has calmed down considerably thank God! She was pretty nasty at first but now it's just the stink eye and flattened ears when the other mares get too close.

Mesa's first time out

Today was kind of fun. Coulee has been pining for some grazing time, so I haltered her and baby and took them out into the bigger mare pen at first.

Since little miss was behaving herself I led them out of the pen into an area where there is some nicer grass for about 10 minutes of hand grazing.

Mama doesn't have a very big milk bag, so I think I will get her a mare supplement. Baby is 4 days old today and I'd like to see her gaining a bit more. Coulee is also in day 1 of her foal heat so I am expecting Mesa to get scours soon.

Coulee has finally chilled out a bit and isn't so worried about her foal. She was pretty anxious for the last 3 days but is finally realising that she can let baby romp around and not get all panicky. Maiden mares! (insert eyeroll!)

I am quite smitten with miss Mesa. She is quite smart, has taken to the halter training quite easily, and she is just so darn pretty!

Messin' with Mesa

I made the halters, and fitted them last night.  I like to start them in halter when they are only a couple of days old; let them just walk around on the lead without putting pressure on, just following mama. I had to give Mesa a shot today of Vitamin E /Selenium to help with her legs so I got Ted and Dave to help and give her the first walkabout in halter.

I could spend all day watching her, she is so cute! I had to laugh at her when she was trying to get at an itchy spot on her back leg.

When I put Coulee's hay out, she immediately climbs on the pile... and pees in it.

Little rascal!!!

Who, me?

She is discovering the joy of getting scratches and pets, but with Coulee being so edgy I have to tie mama up or get someone to hold her to get quality time with baby. But Coulee is allowing Mesa a little more freedom of movement now.

She zips around quite a bit and is growing stronger every day.

 I gave Beamer some turnout time in the big grazing paddock today. He had to check out all the smells where the mares had been, and was more interested in grazing than ripping around. 

Once I actually get a fencer attached to the white tape, I can leave either him or the mares out there for a few hours a day. 

While he was out, I pulled up a chair and enjoyed the view. 💞

I'm hoping to be able to turn Coulee out in the main part of the mare pen as soon as baby's legs get a bit more sturdy- Coulee is craving green grass. But until then, if I can get Ted to help, I can lead baby out with mama for some hand grazing. 

Lookout!

Sahara, please email Sarah at clearcreekpaints@gmail.com to claim your prize! I told her to expect an email from you.

Between mama and baby being cooped up and having time out in the pen, I have been busy going back and forth to the barn. I had been letting them out while Belle and Rosalee were in the adjacent pen, but then this happened:



In the interest of keeping Mesa from getting run over, I now turn out the other mares so they aren't across the fence while Coulee is out with Mesa.  Both the other mares are okay to be on grass full time now, but I still don't have my fencers installed even though the white tape is up and they don't touch it- I don't want to go anywhere and leave them out. Meanwhile, Coulee is reeeeealy wanting to get out and graze, but to do that I have to halter break the foal, so today I am building a teeny little halter for her. Tomorrow I'll take them out and hand graze for a few minutes- if I can get baby leading!
She's a feisty little thing. She zips around and sometimes gets those long wobbly legs all tangled up. It has been a long time since I have had a foal from a maiden mare so I have to remind myself not to worry, she will come around!
Meanwhile, when she does get those legs working she can zoom pretty good!

Wordless Wednesday

Any day now....

No foal yet....

Coulee was super itchy today and let me scratch her all over. She just about twisted herself inside out when I rubbed all the flakes out from the middle of her udder, wish I had videoed it - so funny! She was even clacking her mouth!

One neat thing about Coulee is that she has Birdcatcher spots- google it if you don't know what I mean.  She keeps getting more all the time.

One on her shoulder and one on her neck....

One by her left eye...

One on her right jaw...

Two on her left leg. There are a few more developing too. Kind of cool! As you can see in the video above, she has a lot of white flecking throughout her coat, but does not have the white hairs around her tail to make her a rabicano. The interesting thing is, Beamer's mama was a black rabicano so I am really hoping for a rabicano foal.
Meanwhile... I'm pretty sure she is tired of being pregnant!

She is at 341 days today.
 If you haven't put a guess in yet, or if your guess has passed, please leave a comment on your guess as to colt or filly, colour, time of birth and date of birth. We have a great prize, a $25 gift certificate to my friend Sarah's business- Cowgirl Tack (Plunder jewellery) or Frosted Butterfly (homemade scented candles). Sahara, Janice, Texasnascarcowgirl, Sherry, C-ingspots, Wanderingpaws,- you can all put in another guess!

Guess again....

Coulee is still hanging in there. She is at 338 days today, and she is not fully bagged up yet. I always figure the average pregnancy at 343 days, so I'm not calling her overdue yet. But you never know with maiden mares!

Baby is still fairly active. I've been sleeping in the travel trailer near the foaling pen for the last couple of nights even though it's early as I want Coulee to get used to me checking on her with a flashlight. I am letting her choose to foal either in the new shelter or out in the pen. We have the front of the shelter set up now so that we can close it completely up if we need to.
I have been setting up electric fence for grazing turn out, but I need to buy a solar fencer or at least a solar panel and 12 volt battery to hook it up.

Meanwhile, no sign of bagging up for Belle yet, so maybe July foal is correct. But I check her every day.
The cowbirds hitch a ride on her a lot. This little female didn't want to leave.

Several of you are eligible to put in a new guess on the Coulee Foaling Contest- Sherry, C-ingspots, Rebecca, Leslie, and TL Merrybard. Feel free to leave a comment with your new guess!

Edited:
May 5: Texasnascarcowgirl and Betsy, put in another guess!

Spring cleaning and silly mares.

There is still time to enter the foaling contest!
CLICK HERE TO ENTER
If your guess has passed the date and no foal, you can guess again, just please review the guesses on the list on the side bar to make sure you aren't the same as someone else.

Haven't had any riding time in the last week, been cold, windy and rainy and I wussed out. But we did get the horse pens cleaned and harrowed, and I picked up a lot of loose rocks.
I have been taking the horses out one by one to hand graze, they are loving that! It's funny, the mares will all go to the very end of the lead rope to graze, but Beamer grazes as close to me as possible.

Ole Loretta is in heat, and she did NOT want to be caught to go out and graze (silly mare!) so she started ripping around and got all the mares going.

Of course, I had to keep the camera on Rosalee, she is so fast and athletic! Just after I stopped filming she galloped right up to me and came to a sliding stop 2 ft from me, and stood there as if to say, "Did you get that? I did good!"
She is such a character. Case in point- you gotta keep an eye on your tools around her!

Tonight Coulee is 11 months pregnant, so I start my foal watch. I am on a Facebook group called Mare Match Up and a lot of people are posting about mares going way late, some up to 12 months or more, and some maiden mares going really early- it's a crap shoot! Also of concern to me is the number of foals dying and mares dying- seems to be more than usual, or maybe it's just that due to social media we hear more about it. At any rate, I will be sticking close to Coulee from now on. I always start praying for safe delivery once they start foaling!