Horse Expo and stuff

So this past weekend was the Western States Horse Expo in Sacramento.  It seemed a tad subdued this year, but this could be from the economy or the worry over EHV-1 or both.

The weather was great fortunately, and it was nice to go check out all the new horse stuff, but I was thoroughly disappointed in the lack of Mini anything!

Sierra Ranch was there with a few of the NorCal members representing Miniature Horses, but other than that, NO MINI STUFF!!!

None of the vendors had Mini anything, other than a Mini poop rake.  It bugs me that none of the vendors  even carry a single Mini halter or harness. Anything?  I've been telling people that attend these events we really need to let the Expo know - we may have Minis, but we are darn serious about them as a breed!  We'd like them to share this with their vendors too!

So, I'm encouraging everyone that attended the Expo (or may in the future!) to write them and ask they pass the message along to their Vendors - Minis are horses and we do buy stuff!!!!


On a good note, I've sold a couple more horses (yeah), and met some great people that may or may not buy, but are good to know. I've met some really great people lately, some new to Minis, others that have had them for a number of years.  It's always fantastic to get to know positive, upbeat people!


Knock on wood all the horses are staying healthy!  Woody is holding his own, after being released from solitaire, by Hollywood.  I don't know why Hollywood (stallion) wanted in with Woody, but he broke the fence to get in there, maybe he doesn't like his mares (IDK!)

We finished up what passes for breeding season in 2011 today, and turned all our mares out.  They ran the hills, happy to get away from the boys - at least that's the impression they gave!  We'll see tomorrow when there's a fence between them and they start flirting again!

The foals are doing well, Bailey's new mom came by and visited her.  So, I whipped out the camera and tried to take photos - photos of foals on the side of a hill - not a good idea!  But I did get a few not totally crappy pics -

Wesco Farms TC Ascended Allure "Bailey" 

(I've been warned she is going to be renamed, but she's Bailey for now!)

Wesco Farms TC Defiantly Different "Cricket"

(She may be on the keep list, although she's listed for sale)

Wesco Farms TC Up All Night "Jitters"

Mini Buckboards

I've been playing email tag with this gentleman, but thought these were so awesome they needed to be shared with all the driving enthusiasts out there.

It's June and normally in Northern California we're experiencing mid 80's to well over 100 degree weather.  This 'continuation' of winter is unusual at best. Considering I'm an anti-sun type (run around with gloves and hat most of the time), I should be in a more jubulient mood, but I was ready for clip and photo time with the horses, which is now postponed.  Now I'm glad it's not 105, but this is so abnormal I'm wondering what the long term effects will be for all of us.  I'm imagining farmers are having a fit as this can't be good for their growing season.

I know when I was at the feed store, I was told they were behind on cutting (he said three cuttings?), but this is going to affect hay prices for sure.  Alfalfa right now is $15-18 a bale, and I was told the dairies are buying up all they can now, as many farmers put in wheat this year.  I love alfalfa and have fed it from day one, but if it climbs up much higher, we will be switching to one of the grass hays.

Fortunately this extended winter has extended the growing season here too, so our hills are still pretty grassy and the horses out on the hills are still well past the pleasingly plump stage!  I still have a 20 acre section closed off, that I was going to open up for them in a few weeks.  Right now they all could go on a 'trim down' feeding program!  That is except for the stallions in with mares.  OMG!  I can't keep weight on Hollywood or Dance - they look awful.  Ringo has started filling out slightly, but those two are thin and won't stop and eat for long.


As breeding season is winding down for me (Twila, Dresden, Remy and Leelee are still in with Dance), I'm wondering about cover rate this year.  All the stallions seemed fairly uninterested in the mares, so is the weather and lack of sun causing this? ACK!  I did pull a bunch of mares a week or so ago, as it just seemed like a good idea to limit breeding.  So, if all are open next year though, I'll be fine with that.  I'm excited to see foals from Dance and Hollywood, but I can wait to 2012 too!


Good note, Honeybun, Baroness, Bre, Gemini and Libbe should all be off to their new homes in the next few weeks.  I'm always pleased when horses are going somewhere they're truly wanted and will be cared for.  I'll miss Libbe the most of that group, and it will be hard to see her leave, but the retirement herd is growing, and I can't retire everyone here.  Well maybe if I'd play and win the lotto!


Buyers have been calling this weekend, another yeah and have a few appointments this week.  A couple sound like ideal homes, retired/older people that want to have Minis.  So, I'm crossing my fingers that will work.  I get worried about some calls that just want a Mini, and then proceed to tell you they can't afford much.  Well that purchase price is the cheapest part!  The long term daily, weekly and monthly expenses will exceed the price of a Mini in a few years.  Well maybe not if you're buying uber-Champion, but the average buyer, if you can't afford to purchase, how can you afford to support it?


The EHV-1 scare seems to have tapered off a bit, although I'd still have concerns taking horses to public venues.  Western States Horse Expo (the 10th-12th Sacramento Cal Expo) is apparently going on as planned. (see statement here).  A friend and I are going by on Saturday, but just to be cautious I'll be viewing horses from a distance and removing all clothing/showering before going near mine!

Happy Memorial Weekend.


So what about this weather?  The middle states are getting hit by wild tornadoes and before that flooding.  Out west we're still getting rain and snow and it's almost June!!!  Did the earth tip and no one mentioned it?  My big concern in NorCal is that we're going to hit a couple of triple digit days, the snow melts, the valley floods.  I hope it doesn't happen, but all those developers that built on the flood plain around Sacramento, what can I say - brilliant...not.

Which BTW if you'd like to donate to some of the Mini breeders in Oklahoma that got hit - Davie Kilman is helping to organize it.  Read more at LB.


Just read this on another blog about UC Davis Extension Courses. termed Feducation for Fun + Education.  Check it out.


We dragged Dazzle out of the pasture the other day and gave her a quick groom up.  She has her sire's long long mane and tail, and what a sweetie as far as personality.  I wish she had better conformation (my taste), but she's not horrible, just not 'it'.  (No she's not pregnant, just very fat, which I've discussed below).

Breeding here this year has been, what's the word, odd?  I've never had stallions have such a lack of interest in mares.  Is it the weather or what?  I don't know but I'm about ready to end it.  Across the board the stallion attitude seems to be 'meh' maybe I will, soon, someday, maybe.  So, I may have a very brief breeding season, which I'm totally fine with.  Yes I want to see Dance foals next year, but if I get one or two, I'm fine with that.


Did anyone else follow the online auction at Olympian Ranch that ended yesterday.  I was appalled, shocked and surprised at the truly low prices that showed online for those horses.  Olympian breeds nice quality Minis and I was dumbfounded in this market that more buyers weren't jumping at the opportunity to own horses of that calibre for a fraction of what I've seen them sell for.  Wish I had less to support a few mares and a couple of stallions I would have been bidding on!


Otherwise life is good, the horses are still too fat, and I'm trying to 'thin' them down without them getting sick from their perception that I'm starving them.  But ALL the mares except maybe three could drop 15-50 pounds (a few more than that!).  If I was raising cattle I'd be ecstatic!!  But butcher-fat Minis need to be a bit trimmer.  I'm not going for show ring ready, but OMG not are they all 8 months pregnant look either!


Wishing everyone a safe and happy Memorial again.

EHV-1 Virus f

Received this from Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center

Dear LBEMC clients,      Please see the following update from the California state veterinarian. Please contact us with your questions or to booster your horse’s vaccine status. We will post daily updates on our Facebook page.      A recent disease outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus has been traced to horses who attended the National Cutting Horse Associations’ Western National Championships in Odgen, Utah on April 30 – May 8, 2011.  California horses who participated in this event may have been exposed to this EHV-1 virus.      The California Department of Food and Agriculture encourages owners of horses who participated in the Odgen, Utah event to isolate and monitor their horses for clinical signs of disease.  A rectal temperature in excess of 102F commonly precedes other clinical signs.  Therefore, we are urging owners to take temperatures on each individual horse(s) twice a day.  If a temperature above 102F is detected contact your private practitioner immediately.  Laboratory submission of nasal swabs and blood samples collected from the exposed horse can be utilized for virus detection and isolation.

So what about this weather?

Here in Northern California its raining with highs of 50-60 during the day and expected tonight into the 40's.  Sorry that is WINTER weather here, not May!!!  Again, glad it's not 105, but What the ???

Fortunately it's not that cold nor raining that consistently, so the horses seem to be bearing it well.  I'm just very surprised at this unseasonable winter-like weather we're having.


On a bright note, some of the extra horse paraphernalia we've had around is selling - yea!  There's still alot left and I haven't even gone through blankets, magazines and a few other boxes in the garage of stuff.  The trickle of $$ is great as the transmission went out on the Mercedes over the weekend.  That's a chunk of change, but cheaper than new!  So, highly motivated right now to get things moving along.


We did start breeding last week, or should say put mares with stallions.  I'm not sure if it's the weather, inexperienced stallions (one his first time the other first time pasture breeding) bitchy mares or a combination, but not much happening out there!  Dance and Hollywood seem to 'prefer' the older cooperative mares, so we've seen them get covered but the younger mares seem to intimidate them a tad.  But we also have Demon in with two experienced broodmares (Dipper and Honeybun) and they're totally not interested in him.  Most of my mares are more of the 'bar fly' easy in general so I'm not sure what is up with all this attitude.  Then again, only a few foals next year is fine with me too!


I went to the feed store today to buy hay, and we're at $17.95 for a bale of alfalfa...bleah on that.  I of course was in such sticker shock forgot to pick up the 50lb salt blocks I meant to buy as well.  Oh well another trip this week.  I can see many trips in the next few weeks until the transmission is completed.

Week in Review

Busy week of a busy month!

We're done foaling - yeah.  Valentina finally popped day 349 from her last possible, I'll-cover-you-as-you-exit-the-pasture-date.  So we're not sure how long she actually carried him, but it's a first for me in eleven years of foaling.  I think 342 was the longest in the past!

Fortunately she had a beautiful bay colt.  I keep looking and kinda hope he'll grey out, as I've never had a grey foal before, but if he doesn't that will be good to, as we don't know yet how strong Topper's greying gene is, as the two fillies don't appear to have it.


He's very leggy, pretty Topper head and short back.

Definitely all boy from the screaming at one hour old, while running circles around his dam.  I've yet to figure out why colts (in general) are so much more active at birth than the fillies.  But I've had some that are just 'all that'!

So the third and final foal for 2011 foaling - Wesco Farms TC Up All Night OTG.  I'm thoroughly enjoying getting to sleep again too!



His two sisters, Wesco Farms TC Ascended Allure (Bailey) and Wesco Farms TC Defiantly Different (Cricket) are both doing well.  Bailey is already pending for sale, which is good.  The intent is to sell ALL foals this year and likely next too.


Bailey is shyer than Cricket, but they've finally reached the age where they're starting to play together.  Very cute to watch as they're so closely marked.

CMHR Online Horse Show

Reposted from Lil Beginnings - 


Chances Miniature Horse Rescue is excited to present our first online horse show EVER! 

This show is for every horse and pony no matter if you have a national champion contender or a backyard pet, all are welcome to participate. No registration papers required! No stall fee! No office fee! No judges fee! No gas to get there! AND!!! You also get to be the judge!

All you have to do is take pictures of your horses and ponies and enter the appropriate class. We have 20 classes and a great fun prize will be given to the winner of each class. We will be giving away your choice of DESIGNER HALTERS which we sell on our website for each winner.
A voting poll will be set up so you can also vote for who you want to win in each category.
The show will be held starting on June 6 and will go through June 20 right here on LB over
on the CMHR forum so be sure to tell your friends who are not members to come on over and register and log in. 

As a bonus attraction there will be a
ONLINE DOG SHOW, “MUTTS FOR MINIS” running simultaneously with the horse show, same place, same time. We will be giving away your choice of DESIGNER DOG COLLAR AND LEASH to each winner.

There is a $5.00 entry fee per class for each show. 

The Seven Stages of Aging on Horseback......

Stage I:  Fall off pony. Bounce. Laugh. Climb back on. Repeat.

Stage 2:  Fall off horse. Run after horse, cussing. Climb back on by shimmying up horse’s neck. Ride until sundown.


Stage 3:  Fall off horse. Use sleeve of shirt to stanch bleeding. Have friend help you get back on horse. Take two Advil and apply ice packs when you get home. Ride next day.

State 4:  Fall off horse. Refuse advice to call ambulance; drive self to urgent care clinic. Entertain nursing staff with tales of previous daredevil stunts on horseback. Back to riding before cast comes off.


Stage 5:  Fall off horse. Temporarily forget name of horse and name of husband. Flirt shamelessly with paramedics when they arrive. Spend week in hospital while titanium pins are screwed in place. Start riding again before doctor gives official okay.


Stage 6: Fall off horse. Fail to see any humor when hunky paramedic says, “You again?” Gain firsthand knowledge of advances in medical technology thanks to stint in ICU. Convince self that permanent limp isn't that noticeable. Promise husband you’ll give up riding. One week later purchase older, slower, shorter horse.

Stage 7:  Slip off horse. Relieved when artificial joints and implanted medical devices seem unaffected. Tell husband that scrapes and bruises are due to gardening accident. Pretend you don’t see husband roll his eyes and mutter as he walks away. Give apple to horse.


Stage 8: Switch to Minis!!! 


Changed this just a little......

Life has been busy the past few weeks, add to that sleep deprivation waiting on pregnant mares that seem to be crossing their legs... tired!!

Last week we had two boys gelded, Grosshills Littlemans Anticipation and Wesco Farms Shadowstep (McLuvin) with UC Davis out to do the deed.

UC Davis vets and students with Little

It was noted that Little at age 15 we definitely well endowed!  There was a student visiting from Norway that gelded McLuvin and he took a ton of photos - I hope good ones if he's going to share them back home!  Good group of students/teachers.

Little, talk about a handful!

Both are recovering well and Little doesn't seem to notice he's NOT a stallion yet.  Counting the days, weeks until he does!  We're hoping to see if he remembers how to drive, as he was trained years ago.  So, may have a driving gelding!


UCD also examined Callita's eye, and it's still inconclusive without biopsy and testing to determine if it is cancer and what type.  The recommended work up ran from remodeling her eyelid (very $$$) to eye removal ($800).  I told them the remodeling sounds good, but she's 23!  We're hoping the eye meds and topical cream may prove it isn't cancer (white face and no pigment around one eye), if so, then it's a management thing to keep her comfy.  Otherwise, Callita may lose the eye, just not to have the irritation and the constant drippy eye.  We should know in the next couple of weeks, what will be happening with that.


We also finally had Tomas out and are caught up on overdue trimming.  Between the weather and the flu, three missed appointments and some of the mares were getting long toes!  Everyone did well, except Woody who's trying to founder again.  I had UCD exam him when they were out, and they said it didn't appear to be Cushings (we had worried about that) as he was shedding well and everything else looked good and he's only 12.  Unfortunately our 38" gelding has horrible feet.  His heel grows at an angle (I believe a gift from his sire that I found out later had sired a few dwarves), and keeping him trimmed and comfortable is getting harder as he ages.


So Woody is confined again unhappily.  I have him babysitting the two weanlings and McLuvin - they all get along great.  Yes Bambam and Binks are officially weaned.  It's so weird to think they're technically yearlings when they're six and four months old and both think they're babies without their moms. They're such good buddies and sleep almost ontop of each other.  Cookie and Remy have finally given up guarding their boys through the fence which is good.  Both are scheduled to be bred next month and I'd like their minds on the next foal not these two.

The mares haven't foaled and are finally getting bags - yeah.  Valentina and Callita look the closest to go first, but Annie and Swan do not look far behind.  I'm just crossing fingers I have four easy foalings with no losses! Three are Topper babies (WCR Top Cop) and one is Demon's (Little King Dream Demon).

Wesco Farms AToy4Me Brazen Beauty

Kathi Donnell, Wards Creek Ranch, was down for a few days to pick up two mares she had to repossess, and sent another on to a new home in So Cal.  So while she was here she twisted my arm and made me actually be productive doing some much needed projects around here, so we decluttered, picked up junk and piles of 'stuff' and filled the garbage trailer and repaired a couple fences.  Look less junkie out front.  Now to get the trees planted and tame my weeds.  I ordered a new wheel trimmer mower, that should make the task easier. But not getting a full night's sleep on mare-stare the past few weeks, I'm a fairly useless zombie during the day.  So I'm trying to spend a couple hours outside cleaning/repairing/improving !


Other news, Dance (Buckeye WCF Dance All Night) arrived this morning with Wayne from Sharrway.  He apparently travels quite well and was babysitting a scared 2 year old filly.  Now that he's here, he's definitely in the mood for love and has been announcing to the mares (and the unhappy stallions) that he's here!  The little stinker promptly decided his quarantine pen was not to his desire and after an hour of fence testing stuck his head under and moved our portable pen about 4 feet.  So, he's screaming up a storm and had Ringo in a full sweat of annoyance.  For 30" Dance definitely thinks he's a big guy!  He definitely needs to be clipped, his Minnesota hair and he was sweaty today.  So Thursday we'll be doing some cleanup on him.


Other news, I had a delightful day up at the Bell's Miniature Horse Ranch with Jen Davis, from Imperial Acres.  We spent the day looking at all the gorgeous horses Val and Jim Bell have, and Jen finally selected a stallion.  It was down to two (one which I'm seriously considering talking Val out of - lol).  So, Jen's new herd sire is here on a visit too.  Bells Hollywood Heartbreaker, a son of Half Measures GM Mega Bucks by Bells Sienna Sunrise.  I really nice cross. Hollywood is a gorgeous bay and OMG can he move!

Jen's keeping it a secret that he's here, but I'm very thrilled with Hollywood, and have my own plans for him... ; )  and have been going through mares that should cross well with this boy.  Sorry Jen!

Bells Hollywood Heartbreaker, Imperial Acres

Jen and also came to an agreement, and we're trading mares.  She'll be taking Wesco Farms LM Rowdys Gemini (one of my double bred Rowdy mares) and I'll be getting Wesco Farms Unique Toy4Me back (half sister to Brazen Beauty above).  We're both pleased with the deal and both are likely being bred to Hollywood.  Unique is also half sister to ET and Dresden, but has a lot of color/personality from her sire.

Wesco Farms Unique Toy4Me

The plans for this week are clipping horses (so I see another storm is brewing - figures), and getting some more fencing projects completed.  The two new boys, two geldings (that aren't prepared to be geldings yet), two weanlings, two mares that are on a diet and pregnant mares I feel like musical pens here!  Lots of land but not enough holding areas/paddocks/pens. Another 10 or 15 would be perfect!!!

We did get our website up again, I'll still be tinkering with it in the coming months, but it's up!  I'm still adding info and individual horse pages.  I'm finding many of my mares, I don't have decent photos of at all, so add that to the to-do list.  So, the PLAN is to get everyone decent photos, I won't say good, but at least clipped cleaned up decent ones in the coming two-three months.

That and going through all my horse stuff, figuring what is a keep and what is time to sell it. Twelve years of collecting horse equipment, apparel, my daughter's show clothes and years of lots of magazines, books and videos - time to clean house!


I think a few days of sleeping and I'll be ready for that.