Greetings All. Happy New Year

It's been awhile.  My good intentions to blog weekly seem to slide into every month then six months!  ACK!!!

I've been tasked with starting to blog again, so I'm going start 2016 with better intention (and a reminder on the phone!).  Soooo, early Happy 2016! Hope it's an excellent one for everyone!

Year in review

Horses
I was hoping to be down to 30 Minis before 2016, and fell short there.  We're at 35 as of today (technically 37 as we have two here, one boarding/one hasn't returned home yet).  So, not quite as low as we wanted, but getting there.

We're happy with the herd in general, just would love a few less to care for on daily basis.

Two mares that we had sold years ago came back home, under different circumstances.  Bonnie was voluntarily give up to Angels For Minis.  I was lucky to be able to track down the people that had bought her from me, so got her paperwork straightened out.

Wesco Farms Rogers Easter Bonnet

Surprise was fortunately removed from awful situation (thanks Nola!), and we were allowed to bring her back home.  Nola gave her quite a bit of TLC, so she was in great condition when we got her.

Wesco Farms While U Were Sleeping FF

Ringo arguing with another stallion stuck his leg through a fence and came up lame.  He was 'rested' or as well as he can impersonate resting for a month and seems to be back to his normal self.  We were hoping to get him in training for driving in 2016, but that may be shelved for a few months more.  Now that we've sold all his foals, except Rocky, we're debating on breeding him in 2016.  I'd love another Blessings just A size.

Wesco Farms Buckerowdyroo "Ringo"

Woody our chronic founder boy is doing okay.  He's not getting worse and actually doing well most days.  The last time he was doing this good he broke into the chicken pen and pigged out on their feed to the point he pretty much lay down for two days.  Silly boy.  He's his own worst enemy.  Comet has been keeping him company, she seems to randomly have issues with our lush pastures (which is a total joke for those that have been here!!!  How they founder this past year on the scrubby crap growing is beyond me!).

Woody at six months back in 1999. Just starting to show his appy-ness.  I thought I'd bought a black colt.....

It does look like a few of the mares are rounding up for April foals.  Remy, Diva, Baybee and Annie look like 100% chance of being pregnant.  Swan, Sarah and Dani don't.  As we sold three mares bred to Oz (Fallen Ash Scouts Oscar), we figure that will be the three pinto fillies and we'll get three-four black colts!  At least that seems to be the general rule here.



Ranch
We've torn up a few runs and fencing projects are underway which will likely take a few months (help is coming in April to kick it in to gear!).  The goal is to have it easier to get around here when people are out and also for us at feeding time.

This involves more work than my aching bones enjoy, so it's slow going.  But coming together.  (We were suppose to be buying fencing today, but cold and looks like rain so blogging!).

One of our cats, Vicki, took his trip over the Rainbow Bridge in March. He had the best personality and was such a cool, fun cat.  We still miss him.

Vickie, Auggie and Odie were the three our Aussie, Sabrina, brought home that we bottle raised back in 2002.

Thirteen years later, Odie and Auggie are still here, along with Howie (black and white) cruising along at 16ish. We do have a new throw-away cat someone dumped living in the hay barn. Cut muted grey with white feet (but I don't need another cat!!!).  So we've feeding it iin the hay barn, hoping it will enjoy life there and keep mice under control.  He/she has been over here a few times, but I really don't need another lifer pet in the house!  We lost another of the llamas in the fall too, leaving us with Premierah and Blanca. We're also down to three chickens - Superpeep will outlive them all - and the three peacocks - Fabio with his wives Chloe and Zoey.

Speaking of peacocks, we found our Chloe and Zoey are both excellent moms!  One of them (we can't honestly tell them apart) had two clutches of babies.  One we let her keep for about a week.  We're thinking if either have peachicks this year, we're going to let them raise them.  I'm very very cool with them having ZERO.  If I want to breed peacocks I'd rather have some of the exotic



The humans are doing well, getting older and feeling it at times, but doing well! Scott's off working, so busy busy boy.  Anya was home from college at Christmas.  She's turning out to be quite the young lady.  Very very proud of her.

Although she doesn't miss life on the farm, well she missed it here, not the feeding, and cleaning and feeding and cleaning and feeding and ......  She totally missed the zen of manure!

As for me.  I'm still plugging along.  Some days the coffee seems to kick in and it's a whirlwind of activity.  Others not so much!


Goals for 2016

• Finally get the place set up so it's EASY to do things here.  
• Lighten the load - declutter, donate, sell, whatever - less is more is the goal!
• Handle all the horses regularly so they're ALL uber-friendly. (We have a few hold outs on that!)
• Geld at least one or two of the boys - Leo and Rocky are on the list
• Maybe find that homozygous bay pinto stallion I've been wanting for five or so years
• See how this years foals are and maybe add another mare
• Work on ground driving, obstacles, etc. for some 
• Continue on the path towards better health (life changes are good!).
• Blog and keep the website up at least bi-weekly
• Pick up a few more website clients - need to do more design work!

That's the short list.  So what are your hot plans for 2016?

Greetings and Happy Holidays 2013

Greetings all.


It's been a busy year - mostly real life things - so I haven't been keeping up on this blog at all and basically been slacking on the horses a bit too - not their care, but my activity in the Mini Community.

The horses are (knock on wood), all doing well and the herd has been stable at 28-30 Minis this year.  We did have one sale fall through, fortunately the mare never left here, so yeah for that! Still have a couple of "fun" buyers that I'm having to chase for money owed - surprise!

A few of our older ladies went off to a wonderful retirement home with Veneta at Galloping Angels Rescue/Sanctuary, where they're getting tons of TLC.  It was hard to see them go, but after Veneta's awesome job getting Woody's founder turned around last year, I have every faith she's giving them top quality care.

We really vacillated on breeding or not this year, but finally did.  We're at a comfortable number (I'd still like to get down around 20, but 30 is a huge improvement over the 55-80 we had for a number of years). So, we did end up breeding late, and gave Oz (Fallen Ash Scouts Oscar)  three weeks - make it or not - with the mares.  Once he got over his joy of having a whole bunch of mares all to himself, he seemed to settle into getting his job done.  So, we're crossing fingers we should have a great foal crop this coming Spring in mid to late May.

I was tickled to get Oz last fall, as I've been wanting to add the L&D Scout line to our herd, and had been looking at grand-daughters/grand-sons, so to get a son, was just wonderful.  Especially one with a National show record and his line already proving to be have what it takes in the show ring here as well as overseas.


We do know at least one mare was pregnant as Valentina (Wesco Farms AToy4Me Brazen Beauty) aborted last week at 4.5-5 months.  Of course a perfectly formed pinto filly....argh!!! Fortunately, Val is healthy and bounced back as expected.  Sad loss, but it goes with breeding.

On a happier note, we will be getting Boo (Wesco Farms Netherstorm) back from Redbud Mini Ranch in January. That should be exciting, as we've had a lack of "color" in the herd the past couple years, while I've been sorting out life.

Boo's baby pic

We do have a few for sale, but not really pushing them as the mares are one's I really don't want to sell, but do need to reduce the numbers down a few more. Decisions, decisions!  Post foaling, we'll definitely be making some decisions/corrections/adjustments to our breeding program as the goal is to have ALL the foals for sale, but I'm sure there will be one I'll want to keep!  So to keep the numbers under 30, if I keep one, somebody hits the sales list!

Other than that, I've been slowly (I mean slooooowwwly) going through all of our equine books, magazines and tack to put things up for sale.  The accumulation of "stuff" since 1999 definitely needs to be pared down!

I'm setting myself a goal of getting more involved with the Mini Community again and keeping the blog/website updated more frequently in 2014.  We may actually even show up at a show or two!!!!

Happy Holidays to everyone and best wishes for a totally fabulous, awesome 2014!

Around the ranch

While trying to take a few photos of the foals, I snapped a few ranch photos of the different critters here - 

Hard to see it in this one but all those black 'dots and things' are dragonflies.  

The air was thick with them, but not the most cooperative to photo!

Llamas on the hill

Fraiser, one of our Aussies

Auggie, one of the cats rescued by our dog Sabrina 

Our last chicken to survive foxes and coyotes, Peep.

Our Website

We're moving - the website that is!

Wescofarms.com has been hosted at Homestead.com for years, and I would highly recommend Homestead for anyone starting a website as it's super easy to use, zero downtime and just user friendly!

But, there comes a point that you outgrow some things, and that includes site hosts. So, we're moving to inmotionhosting.com over the next month or so. When the actual 'change' occurs our site will be down for approximately a week. I'm planning to put the sales list on our blog so it is accessible during the move (it will show up on Facebook too).

If I can get everything working the way I'm envisioning (lol!!!) we'll have a new look, trimmed down appearance and hopefully have the blog linked directly to the site.

Soooo, bear with us. It will be a positive change, even though alot of @#%#%$ language is likely to be used while I'm doing it!

Foal #3 for 2009 and a bit of a ramble

It's been a busy week so far and HOT - unseasonably hot in the 90's in April!!  The AC has been on, breaking my rule of never before May, but sweltering in the house was not an option.

The horses are doing well, I can't believe Java and Missy have not foaled - they're orca size, but I know horses can get bigger, its just halfway through foaling season and in zombie mode - I want to sleep!!!   

Anyway, on to #3 foal.   Calypso's foaling was textbook and unconventional at the same time.  I've been watching her since mid-March, and seriously since April 1st.  She's had a few foal losses, although non that I can attribute to her, more ID10T errors, but that is another long story!  With this one, she's been keeping her legs crossed and refusing to foal.  Apparently Sarah and Chiclet were not the buddies she wanted around her at foaling!

I had been out around 12:45 a.m. giving the preggies some alfalfa so I could check all of them. I decided for some reason to open the gate allowing the two groups back together - it gives them more space and bottom line I'm a bit unconventional with my mares - they're all use to being together and isolation is torture for them - at least they think so.  Besides Miss April has been getting in with them she's way to curious!

So, I opened the gate and was checking everyone - Calypso waddles through and starts neighing - her daughter Jamaica answers and comes running.   They look like two bookends, as wide as they are tall!

**Short digression - 

Jamaica is Wesco Farms Jamaica Me Crazy - sire is Little Kings Echo Diablo -and she's a maiden that we're crossing our fingers will be issue free her first foaling.  I will have five generations of this line, so that will be exciting in itself!  Jamaica's the smallest bred mare other than her dam and we waited until she was a full five years old to breed her.   When we thought the kids would show Jamaica was my daughter's favorite - this is their first show and our first clipping attempt - pretty pathetic I know! **

Back to the birth.  

Calypso is walking in a very determined fashion to the area where the pregnant mares are fed - this is about 400 feet past the gate, thru two other gates/smaller paddocks.  

I'm watching the mares (by flashlight) making sure no one is bothering Sarah and April.  She seems thrilled to be back with her buddies and they're all acting fine.  

Calypso reached her destination the dry dirt area by the water trough (glad she missed the overflow muddy area).   All of a sudden she lays down, rolls, stands rolls again and goes down - stiff legged.  I run over and her water broke.  

I'm thinking it figures you stinker!!  Here in the dirt with all the others around and now you want to foal!  I forcibly make her get up as the sac and a hoof are emerging!  I drag her by her mane into the runway next to the house.  No easy task, as this is half the way back we just came, but I'm pulling her with one had, flashlight in the other, screaming like a banshee for help - cell phone is in the house of course!  

 I get Calypso into the run, and she goes down again.  I look fortunately its two hooves and a nose coming out - the sac is still intact so I leave that and just keep traction.  My daughter comes running with the foaling kit as I bark orders to my fantastic assistant (thank you Anya), and she retrieves a few other things for me.

I'm keeping traction on the foal, but allowing Calypso to do the pushing.  Out comes foal and as soon as his (it's a he!) hips were cleared, I broke the sac and began cleaning off his head, and massaging him awake.  We're happy  - healthy, black and white pinto, cute and all the right parts in the right places!

Calypso apparently un-thrilled with this process, jumps up, breaking the cord and walks away!  Most of my mares are way to curious about their babies and would be all over them, but no she takes off walking around.  

So we dry the foal off (he's on a clean sheet), towel him fairly vigorously, do all the foal checks as normal.  By then she's passed the placenta - this is all in about 15 minutes from her water breaking.  I have my daughter halter her so we can introduce her to her son.  She's not interested at first, but we proceed with Calypso's post foaling work and start to milk off some colostrum for the foal.  He's laying there and finally she goes 'Oh! Is that mine?'  Now we have determined mom wanting to see her baby!

He's more active although unable to stand on his own yet, so we hold him up to give him some Foal Response and a bit of colostrum.  Then put him back on his towel and leave them alone for a few minutes.  My son came home - the uber-milker - and he milks out twice the amount of milk/colostrum that my daughter and I could get - so I gave some more to Zydeco and froze a bit of it.  We use Udderly EZ (no I don't get paid, but I do rave about this product!!) as it makes milking a mare soooo much easier!

We ended up milking Calypso on and off for about 24 hours as she has fairly flaccid nipples that aren't quite inverted, but are hard for foals to latch on to at first.  Zydeco was wearing so much milk on his face I wasn't sure he was actually getting any!  But everything is going fine now.  She's been doing great with this baby and if the rest of the foaling season goes like this we'll be very happy!

Introduction - Here is - 

Wesco Farms Zydeco

(Las Doradas Bonus Bucks x Las Doradas Calypso Queen)

 

His name is in keeping with the whole Cajun/Creole flavor that began with his grand-dam Mardi Gras!

It's a beautiful day . . .

Warm, sunny, a few whispy clouds and no wind.  

No wind is a big plus here at certain times of the year - when we first

 moved here not recognizing the unique weather pattern we had I watched a metal shed (9x12ish size) roll over a fence, take out a pipe from our well - can we say fire hydrant water shooting 35+ feet, continue rolling, jump another fence and land on another building!  We've learned to secure things since then!

So to feed the horses without eating hay or wearing it is a wonderful and exciting.  My feeding outfit is ugly to the extreme - low ride muckboots, old pants, 2 knit shirts (mock high necks), a long sleeve sweater, floppy hat, sunglasses and gloves - I wear this gawd-awful outfit as it keeps the majority of the hay from contacting  me - and I wear it year-round rain or shine!  You see, I have a bit of a contact allergy to grass hay and alfalfa, plus I hate having my hair full of hay, plus I hate having my hands look to much like they belong to a ditch digger (a slight vanity I know!), plus I'm part vampire and hate being in the sun - so I dress in my peculiar yet practical way, not for pretty!

Photos!  

I took the camera out and took many horrid photos of the horses - why can they looks so breath-takingly awesome yet I can capture the exact moment they open their mouth, turn their head or do something else not cute . . . bleah!

NFC Rowdys Lil Chiclet (our Rowdy daughter)

+++++++++++++++++

Las Doradas Orions Miss Java Jive

She's looking very rotund (from the side - dropped/bagged) and I'm going to laugh if she beats Chiclet and Calypso.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Retired mare Tanglewood Farms Maria (yes missing an eye), 

with her two daughters

 Wesco Farms So Chic (Holly) in the middle, and 

Wesco Farms Demons Checkered Past (Patsy) with the lovely gaping mouth.

Four photos to get this - and this is the best so just imagine the rest.

++++++++++++++++++

Las Doradas Cajun Courtesan - 

the sneaky mare has been hiding she's pregnant!!!

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Sarah (Cajun's half sister) with daughter, Miss April at 17 days old

I have a few of the boys but they still need to be edited and reduced in size - my camera takes them sized about 24x30 something, but the quality is good.  Now to just get a good photographer behind he lens!

 

Rain, hay and horses

It's raining - yeah!  

It's cooler than normal, or so it seems - we've had the weirdest weather this year.  But it's raining!!!!!  

We need the rain, so I'm glad for that.  Not for the mud though.  We have that adobe thick, stick-to-you, type mud that turns into hardscape, unwalkable, cracked yuck the minute it dries.  It would be fantastic if I wanted to build a mud house, but otherwise . . . pass!  Fortunately the ground is absorbing the rain nicely and the mud isn't getting deep.

Hay

Fortunately, our hay order was delivered and stored during a break in the weather yesterday, so it didn't get soaked.  Hay price was lower  (another yeah) down to $13.50 a bale alfalfa.  So hoping the price will drop more once we than can start harvesting.  I know we'll never see the other side of $10 again, but wouldn't that be sweet!                                                          

Cameras

We worked for an hour on the cameras t0 watch the mares at night and I can't get the dang cameras to work outside.  How do you forget something in a year?  They'll work in the house, but move to the deck and nope!  I think I have an antenna somewhere - maybe that's the problem.  I'll have to go through the box again . . .  Being sleep deprived, is not making me a happy camper right now.

Horses

Otherwise the horses are doing well.  Everyone looks good with only a few tubby, non-pregnant ones.  I can't keep Ray trimmed down, he has the old style build like his Dad (Houdini) and always is round.  Add to that an enormous love to eat and he's a chunky monkey.

Funny Sonnet, finally has someone to bully - she was chasing poor Savvy around.  Savvy is so docile and sweet, to be chased by Sonnet (who's glad not to be the lowest horse in the pecking order anymore!), was borderline comical.  I always think Savvy is getting pushed off her hay, but her figure tells another story - I can't get her trimmed down either.

Looking at Java today, I'm wondering if she might beat Chiclet to the punch with the next foal.  Calypso is bagged too, so ???   I'd love 2 busy days of lots of mares foaling and be done with it - if they're all born alive and healthy that is.  This is sleep deprivation speaking right now!!!

Well I best go be productive.  Maybe track down the antenna that might be the missing link with the cameras.  argh

No more babies yet

Feeding this a.m. noticed we're down to a few bales of alfalfa (lots of grass hay), so called Higbys to get a delivery.  Scott said tomorrow.  Yes!!

Went down to feed the boys and noticed they'd knocked over both water buckets and they're 'drinking spot was a lovely 5" deep mud hole.  The brats.  So waded into the well over ankle deep mud to move the hose and reset up buckets.  Now they won't play with horse toys but give them something they need such as a water bucket they're all over it!

Opening the gate to get in Demon, Miramax and Bonus Bucks raced to meet me.  The gate to get to the house and closer to mares.  Poor boys - they have another year to wait.

It rained today, so hoped it would encourage one of the hold outs to foal, but so far no dice!  

We were gone for a few hours for important stuff (hair cut/color and family visit), so came home to wonderful rainy wet hills - yeah!  Doing a mental raindance for = rain, dryout, rain, dryout for another month or so!

Had to grab Miss April that had somehow in the hour between my son getting home and my arrival managed to pull the velcro off her blanket (likely Sarah did that), and flip the blanket under her belly to drag through the wet mud.  She's such a goof.  Tiny, cute and goofy fun!

Long day, I'm tired and much today before Easter weekend.

Over the weekend

As I was still recovering from this cold/flu - nothing exceptional happened here.  The pregnant mares are still faking the 2 a.m. foaling and not!  So, I'm sleep deprived with still only one foal on the ground!

I did work on our website quite a bit - WescoFarms.com - but its so darn bloated at this point its going to be work to trim it down!!!  But I will, I just need to keep plowing through it!

On other notes :

- Kathi Donnell will be coming by on a trip down south sometime the next week or so.  That will be fun to have her for a visit.  We haven't seen her since last Fall.

- Easter we're having company all weekend (so probably a foal will be born to keep things fun!), so cleanup this week (I'm in the midst of painting rooms too - so this should be interesting.)

-  I've heard from a few different people that are expecting foals so I'm waiting for foal photos! As some are mares that I bred, it will be doubly exciting!  So, keeping fingers crossed for healthy and live!

-  Pam Brown sent a photo of her little stallion that won Reserve GC Junior Stallion at the recent NorCal Show - what a cutie he is!  All 25" of him.  Gratz Pam.

- I actually started looking at the online sales.  It's not quite as dismal as I'd believed, but definitely not OMG great either!!  I'm working on our sales list and thinking about ads . . .

- Looked through all my outstanding paperwork - ugh!  That is the only word for it.  Last year I really let things go  . . . this year is clean up and get back on track!!!!  I'm feeling poorer already when I look at all the DNA/PQ tests, Permanent registration and four outstanding transfers still.  It's so much easier to swallow paperwork costs in bite size chunks!

Other than that it looks like rain tonight or tomorrow.  I hope so, as I still want the hills to stay green for a few more months and hate the dreaded word 'drought'.  

Anyway, if it rains that should bring on foaling and the moon is getting full too -  both good signs - lol!!!

Just another Saturday . . .

Still sick. No new babies. Gorgeous weather.  Horses are all fine.  The rain is going around us again!

So today as I still feel like crap and other than visiting Sarah and April for a bit, I worked on our website.  It's been literally decaying away the past year as I've been unsure what I wanted to do with it or how to change improve it.  

Well, as I'm still on the fence as to what do to with it, and I've been working on learning better html and css to incorporate that, but that's a whole 'nother story!!!

As, I've had a fondness for adding green for some reason  - the color of Spring or I don't know what - but I've been adding it in!  I'll probably hate it and think it's garish in a couple of months but at least it looks different!!

I've updated some pages, but so much needs to be completely reworked and much needs to just be deleted.  I've decided horses that I no longer own and/or are not directly in my horses pedigrees - well lots of those pages are going to go.

I've also been working on a better table to display pedigrees as I know most people (or so it seems) aren't interested in a full pedigree, just the first few generations.  Heck, if it's not DNA/PQ tested anyone there is no guarantee what is listed is correct anyway!!!

Farrier Visit

I love it when the horses are cooperative and we can get through trimming day easily!  Ringo, all the retired mares and pregnant ones are now done.  

Sarah (with her embarassingly long feet did not get trimmed as she took one look at Tomas and was having nothing to do with him near her new baby!  So, she'll have to wait to the next trim date in two weeks.

We scheduled trimming days out through the end of May - and it will take that long to get caught up after missing two appointments earlier this year.

I wormed them all, and Anna (lucky girl!) had the joy of bag washing.  

The mares are not very interested in having anyone near their privates until the warm water works its magic and gets rid of all the built up crud - then they'll practically spread their legs for it - lol!

Only a few of the mares have bags (Chiclet, Calypso and Java), the rest are almost no-existant.  So, I'm wondering if they'll be going in May instead of mid-April.

Everyone is shedding so badly its flying hair everywhere.  I'm ambitious this year to get everyone bathed, cleaned up and photo'd before June.  It sounds good in theory, but life seems to get in the way of plans - lol!!!

It's suppose to rain this weekend - so Calypso will probably foal.  

Two years later . . .

Apparently I completely forgot about this blog!  Two years and two weeks later - I'm back!!!

As to the state of things at Wesco Farms -

We all know the economy sucks!  I've not been marketing or trying to market the horses because of this.  Right now the herd is 62 (I think - need to count) strong. Seventeen intact males and the balance mares/geldings of assorted ages from yearlings to 25ish retired senior mares.  

STALLIONS

Eleven of the guys are on my list to geld - unfortunately with these uncertain economic times I've not wanted to allocate funds there.   Last year's $15-17 a bale for hay in our semi-drought, wiped out my 'horse funds', and although I know my DH will cover the cost of geldings, I'm seesawing as I'm concerned we'll have a repeat and I'll be wiped out on the feed bil.

We did aquire two new stallions last year, Topper (WCR Top Cop) and Flash (Vegas Views SS Jumpin Jack Flash).  Both are pintos and really nice.  Flash was an exchange and Roger Rabbit left her for Las Vegas - I'll have to write up that trip - un!@#$@#%believable - but we made it home in one piece - eventually.  Other than that we had one of our most heavy foal crops that were colts.  Toki, Raider, McLuvin, Shaman, Sunny and Rocket - so they added to the number in the bachelor herd.  Right now they're running around lik monkeys and playing with the big boys.

  

MARES

The girls - Callita joined Tina, Maria, and Lady in retirement this year.  She's getting too thin after every foal and she's 21, so I felt it's time.  Tina the old hussy at 26 struts her stuff still and teases the heck out of Ringo (he that jumps all fences - the brat).  Lady is still keeping up with Tina (also 26) and moving well.  I'm sure she needs her teeth worked on, but the extra funds aren't there unfortunatel.  Maria, I can't separate her from her daughter, Patsy, or she has hysterics.  The fact that Patsy is four doesn't matter to Maria - ITS HER BABY!!

I do have a few other mares that are retired, although it was a personal decision not a age related issue.  ET, Sissy are two - the original ladies that along with Woody are the W, E and S of Wesco Farms name.  I never sell ET's foals or havn't yet - lol - and Sis well she's my special girl so I don't want anything to happen to her.  We have her daughter, Dazzle, and son McLuvin, here as well - so she's retired . . . for now!

The rest of the ladies are fat - hairy, tangled manes and did I mention fat?  I'm glad though they alll came through winter in good flesh.  I hate to think of them losing weight and cold so tend to pile it on in the winter.

Avril, the mother of ET (another retiree) we got back last fall is doing well.  She lost her excess weight, her hooves are back in good order (reminds me time to call Tomas we need to get back on trimming schedule), and her founder is gone.  She seems happy to be back and will likely die here with her family around her.  

FOALING

We're expecting seven foals.  Twila, Val, Jamaica, Sarah, Chiclet, Missy and Java for sure. Dresden looks possible and Cajun I think is a no-go again.

THE STAFF

Me - I've been AWOL from all things mini-related the past six months - okay closer to a year.  Life does take unexpected turns at times, doesn't it?  A busy teen, disgust with the political machinations on both registries and overall apathy on my part - so I gave myself a timeout!

I'm trying to get back interested and involved, but honestly looking at time and schedule it's likely to be another couple years before my daughter can drive (the taxi service end - yea!), I've been toying with going back to school - I'm an education junkie - so that is also a possibility too.  

Hubby - working like a dog to support all of this.  He's a blessing that's for sure.

The kids - both still help out but we've discovered this past year - the horses truly are my passion, not theirs.  So, they help with all things but will never have the joy I do with horses.

Anyway, back to the horses! 

Fortunately they're all doing well.  Grass is growing, it's 77 degrees (in March!) so they're running around enjoying life.  Now to make it through foaling season without mishap will be the goal.  Hopefully get those boys gelded.  Work on my website (ugh what a mess that is!).  Bring all my outstanding paperwork current - my 'timeout' left lots of stuff undone!!!!!

Hopefully the posts will be a bit more regular from now on.