Sophie

 We sure picked the right day, weather wise, to go get Sophie. The roads were bare all the way; a bit of black ice but the sand trucks were out doing their job. We left at 6 am and got home at 6 pm.

We hit sunrise right around Fernie, and the sun on the snow covered mountains was spectacular.

The day before this, we had heavy rains and it  washed away most of the snow that had been causing slippery roads. Once in Alberta the roads were all bare and dry and no wind to speak of- a paltry 30 km. hr. which is a gentle breeze there!

We stopped to visit Ted's daughter and son in law; and found out that the twins she is carrying are both girls, due in February, so that was a special visit for Ted, as he doesn't get to visit with them very often. I'm glad he came with me.

When we got to the ranch to pick Sophie up, I looked her over- oh my what a build on this mare! She did have something they didn't tell me about (buyer beware) which was a swelling on the front of her ankle at the bottom of her canon bone. They acted all surprised to see it, but I could tell that it wasn't just something that happened on the 13 hour trailer trip they took. There is an old scab under the hair and a small bony deposit . However, I had come all that way, and the mare is of good enough quality both physically and on paper that I decided to load her up and bring her home. If it is just a blemish similar to a splint I will ride her, and if it is something that will eventually cause lameness she will go into the broodmare band. 

Then there was loading her....

He led her in, tied her and stepped away just as she pulled back- and she is one powerful mare. She banged her nose on the divider, which was pinned shut against the wall so she could have the whole trailer, and managed to cut her nose just below the noseband on the halter. 

By this time I was not too impressed with the people who sold me this mare; (oh she has never done that before!) But once again, I kept my mouth shut. We turned her loose in the trailer for the haul home. She hauled like a dream facing backwards as most horses prefer to do when they are given a choice. 

What? Another long trailer ride? 

I'm giving this horse the benefit of the doubt. 

The drive home was uneventful. Southern Alberta, which is known for its wind, has several wind farms along the hiway. Sometimes it looks like the turbine blades overhang the hiway- very unsettling.

Once home, I separated Beamer from Jayne and put him back in his stud pen. Sophie went into the foaling pen, across the fence from Jayne. She was very quiet, no calling to the other horses. Once she settles in I will turn her in with Jayne. 

Next morning, as I approached the barnyard, I could see Sophie staring at Beamer... and squatting and peeing....

Yes, she is in heat. Now I have had other mares come into full standing heat when they are pregnant, but I am betting that Sophie is open. Which is rather a relief to me as I didn't really want a pregnant mare. In the above photo you can see the bump on her front right leg.

The short tail is from being in a pen with yearlings who were tail chewers.

That hip!

So for now it will be all about getting to know her, getting her settled in and happy, then after that I will assess her suitability as a riding horse.