Goldie has a New Home

Goldie was a 1995 red dun foal out of Deck of Stars by a Page Boy First mare.

Goldie was one of my first foals born at our place.  She actually was born during the afternoon, as the kids were getting off the school bus.  They didn't actually see her born, but they saw here within minutes of being born.

Over the last 10 years, we had downsized our mares, and only had 2 or 3 mares left. In the past, we had bred 5-7 mares. With the economy changing, we were only breeding every 2-3 years. Something had to change. The end of almost 20 years of breeding has come. We sold her last weekend at a sale. She went to a breeder who actually lives only about 10 miles north of us. We will get to see her next year when she has her next baby!

Goldie is a good mother. She is an easy breeder, and kind to her babies.  This is weaning day last year, and she was listening for her foal.

Goldie just walks the outdoor arena.

Last year's foal, Fawn, is listening for her mother.

She has her buddy, Dove, to keep her company.

Goldie had nice babies.  Some were bay and some were bucksin dun, just like Fawn.


I'm glad she is with someone who will appreciate her as a broodmare.  She will have some more great babies!

Fall Horse Pics

The mares are weaned 3 weeks ago.

Starlet

 Goldie

Dove is saying, where did my mom go?

 Dove and Fawn

Chick and the other mares.

Dixie

The 4 mares got along very well together. They have been pasture mates before. No one fights, and they just exist together.  I think it helped the most when Dixie and Chick were put together last winter, to get to eat a little more grain.  They really bonded together. But Chick would rather be with Starlet and Goldie.

The trees were this pretty for almost 2 weeks. But that was about 3 weeks ago when I was weaning. They have since lost their leaves and are now barren.

Chick and Dixie have since gone back into the lot with the weanlings, so the 2 harder keepers are able to eat more over the winter. Starlet and Goldie are now in the larger lot of 8 horses. Dixie may join them, as she is starting to be a little bully with the babies. And she is fat enough! But I'll probably wait until Spring to move horses around.

Everyone is being good and not fighting, so I don't want to upset the apple cart. It's good for those babies to get pushed around a little and to know their place in life. They aren't getting hurt, so it's probably a good thing to just leave Dixie in there to teach those 2 babies about respect!

October Photos

October 1st, Hubby and I went to the Arbor Day Farm with Micah, Jacob, Amber, Caden and Tyler. The 1st was also Sara's birthday!

 There were lots of hands on activities for Caden, while Tyler got pushed around in his stroller.

October 2nd, the mares and babies were in the lot beside this tree area.  The babies got used to traveling between trees and brush, getting ready to be trail horses.

 Lots of areas to zig zag around and logs to cross.

The babies had a good time playing in their, loping all over the place!

I finished decorating the main bathroom.

I just love my horse towels!

The spare bedroom is ready for the grandkids to sleep over, and their horses are waiting on them!

Meanwhile, the toddler bed is just as cozy!

The leaves are beginning to turn colors by the end of the first week of October,

Tyler is  6 months old! He is really beginning to laugh and coo!

The 2nd weekend in October, I had a Centered Riding Clinic in Kansas. I changed so much about my riding, and have been practicing in a new "used" dressage saddle. I'm working hard on trying to certify from Level 1 to Level 2 Centered Riding Instructor.

We took Caden to the Pumpkin Patch.

Which pumpkin to pick?

We found a pumpkin for Grandma, Caden and Tyler!

 Pop and Caden loved the cut-outs!

Showing off the pumpkins with Pop.

Caden loved the bounce house!

 Then talking with the lonely rabbit!

Caden spent the night, then we took him home. He missed his baby brother!

Pop and Tyler

 Tyler is really starting to slobber! Those teeth must be coming!

The leaves have really changed colors by the end of the month,

We did need to say goodbye to one of Micah's beagles, AJ, this month. I think we gave her a really nice final resting place.  We left her collar on her. She needed to have something of Micah with her.

Micah had a birthday this month too.

I had a CTR at Whispering Pines, Missouri,

It was a lovely area,

Savannah is turning into a great CTR horse, but I'm looking for that Arab,

We weaned the foals,

and the mares are in the lot where I can see them from the living room window. I just love this look.

  Pop relaxes with Tyler any chance that he can get, on the recliner!

Halloween ends the month. The boys are super-kids.

I wished I had pictures of Makenzie too. She was a princess and Sara made her a lovely dress. I'm sure I'll be taking photos of her in her dress when we see her at Thanksgiving!

And that was my October, and why I wasn't blogging much. Winter is coming, so there will probably be too many blogs soon!

Weaning Time

Weaning was Saturday!

 

Dove is 5 months old and Fawn is 4 1/2 months old.  Fawn is a little younger than I would have liked to wean.  But they were born a little later than I would have liked also. 

They are drinking water well, and eating hay and grain, so it's time.

They  have Bob, an older gelding as a pasture mate to distract them. And right across their fence line is another group of 6 horses.

I really want them separated for a few weeks, before the mares need to come back to the lot beside the foals.  I want to get this done before I'm breaking ice in the water tanks, since where the mares are now, I don't usualy put a water heater.

This morning, waters had a fine layer of ice, so I better get those water heaters into the other horse water tanks. I just hope I don't have to break ice for the mares too many mornings.

 The mares are doing fine. Starlet could care less where her baby is.

Goldie has been walking the fence line for the first 4 days.

Then a baby whinnies,

 and Goldie is listening!

Most of the time, they have been content eating hay from the round bale and getting to know their old friends again.  I figured Chick and Dixie would keep the 2 mares from whinnying for the group of horses.

Isn't this pretty?  This is my view from my living room picture window. I can look out and see my mares and make sure everyone is ok.