Still no foalies!

All three mares looking very ripe and rapidly expanding udders but not looking anywhere near to foaling yet. I was sure we would have at least one on the ground by now – oh well keep waiting…..

Starting to get to a bit of a race as to who will pop first, me or the mares! lol  Just my luck it will all happen at the same time though at least that will keep my mum out of my hair as I will get her to do foal checks.

The rest of the crew are just cruising. Pops and Stella are still grazing together in the front paddocks but I have removed thier rugs as it was getting a bit hot. They are both looking good desite being shut in the same paddock for weeks! 

The rest of them are cruising around in the trees and all but Josh are still rugged.   I really must get them in so I can remove their rugs soon though it is nice and shady in the trees and there is also usually a bit of a breeze so they don’t have the problem of getting too hot.

Fricken calves are doing my head in! They have absolutely no respect for the fences (even the hot wires!) and they just wander all over the property.  Was very annoyed today to see one of them in my paddock that I have been saving for the mares once they have foaled.  Ana (little dexter cow) is off to visit a wagyu bull this weekend.  Rosalie did offer her dexter bull but this boy is just up the road from us so a bit easier for the moment.

Updates

Well I got the news this morning that Lynx went on the transporter yesterday down to his new home in the South Island. He should arrive Wednesday I am told.  I really hope his new owners like him and will send me the odd update every so often.

All 3 of my broodies have started bagging up!  Ebs is looking the biggest and most imminent but the other two are not far behind her.  Star is the only one that I have a service date from (due in about 2 wks)  as Asti came to me already in foal and had been running with a stallion, and the woman that had Eb last season didn’t seem to have any idea of when her stallion had served Eb!  Oh well just play the wait and see game I suppose.

A new addition!

Yes I know I am supposed to be downsizing BUT this girl was due ot be dog tuckered and I couldn’t resist a look at her.  Well she is gorgeous and goes by the name of Stella! 

Stella is a 3 yr tb/standy x that stands about 16hh and although only a plain bay she has a real presence about her. I think her bulk might have something to do with that of course!! lol She is solidly built and at the moment a little overweight.  (will get a photo today)

Poor girl got loaded up on the truck with (heaven forbid) a cow and calves and then had the long trip North from Cambridge.   On the way she had her tail chewed by the calves, who also walked under and behind her (whilst travelling along in the truck I might add) and then had the unfortunate incident of losing her footing when she slipped on cow poo as we come down Rosalies rather steep and bumpy driveway.  Anyway she ended up lying down with her front legs stretched out in from of her and poor me having minor heart attacks when I saw her but she wasn’t in the least worried or stressed.  In fact it took a bit to convince her that she couldn’t travel the rest of the way home like that and she really would have to get back up again! LOL  I must say I am very impressed with her sensible attitude.

Arrived home several hours later in the dark and she wasn’t quite so keen to get off the truck but once she had, she followed me calmly down to the yard and settled immediately in the round pen for the night with some hay and water.

Broodies

Moved my three broodies into a new paddock today after worming them on Sunday.  Star who is due to foal early November is looking really good but Ebony and Asti had both lost a bit of condition lately. Hopefully they will start to pick up now they have been wormed and moved onto the fresh grass.

The grass situation on the property is still not great. It is growing very slowly but not enough at the moment to really make a difference.  I am still having to feed out hay and throw hardfeed around. The main group have been put in the pine hill block and I am being mean and making them stay in there as long as possible.  There is grass but they have to look for it and at the moment they like to hang around the yard area in the hope that I will feed them.  I really need to get the river flat paddocks recovered, freshened and growing some decent grass before they are allowed anywhere near them again.

Had my two bigger cows knocked off the other day and they will go in the freezer.  That just leaves me with my little Dexter cow and a mixture of 3 calves for now.  Until the feed situation improves that is quite enough though I still plan to get another cow and some wiltshire sheep plus a piggy or two!

Chester and Lynx both to new homes

Chester has gone to a lovely new home just south of Dargaville where he will live on a Dairy Farm (yes I warned them NOT to let him eat the grass!!).  They have a mad keen daughter and 4 boys who will be sharing him and so he is very much a family horse.

His delivery was uneventful though the same can’t be said for the trip home where a series of mishaps with the float caused a bit of mayhem and stress! The final event being the float getting caught by a gust of wind and turning over! Not something I ever want to repeat I can assure you.

Lynx didn’t suit the Auckland people but has since been purchased by a family in the South Island. Mum is an experienced horse person and young daughter has been riding for years so it should be the perfect situation for him.  He is due to travel down later next week after he has had his first strangles vaccination.

People to see Chester

Well last week some people came to try Chester on behalf of some friends and he was an absolute angel.  Today the actually family that are looking to buy turned up (2 adults and 5 kids!) and again he didn’t put a foot wrong so looing very positive. Should hopefully have a definite answer from them eitehr tonight or tomorrow.

Took a piccie of him after a quick makeover

Lynx off to Auckland

Well tomorrow Lynx is off to Auckland to try out at his possible new home.  Will be quite sad to see him go as he has been with me the longest now.  I took some pictures last week of him all spruced up so will post one here too.

Update

Well Ellies leg is looking a bit better. She is still knuckling over on it at times but mostly is coping quite well. I have put her out in the paddock with several of the other mares now and she seems quite happy. Still bandaging her leg but it is often slipping down despite me taping the bandage to her leg hairs so I think I might make the decision to leave it off this weekend and see how it goes.

Later on I am thinking of finding somewhere for her to go out on the hills to just strengthen up and play the wait and see game. 

 

The woman who was supposed to take the fillies changed her mind but I spent a week with all three in teh yard and managed to get a new halter on Tessa and teach her the basics of leading and tying. Was able to lead both her and Amy over to the tree yards and put rugs on them both. Also drenched them again with an oral drench and will get them in again in a week or so to do them again with a tape drench also.

Unfortunatley Pebbles was not so co-operative and after several failed attempts to get her haltered we have left things alone. She got into such a panic and threw herself around ending up re-opening the cut on her leg.  I let her make her own way to the tree yards where she stayed in with the others for a week.  Trying to get some more nutrious food and minerals into them and then they went out in the paddock again.

Pebbles leg looks like it has got infected and the oral antibiotics have been ineffective. She is in such poor condition despite all the good food that finally the decison was made to call it quits with her.  Pebbles crossed the rainbow bridge today. RIP little girl.  It was a terribly hard decison and I have been feeling pretty cr@p about it.  Was made only slightly better when we saw the terrible damage that worms had done to her gut and the huge quantity that she was carrying.  I seriously doubt that she would ever have recovered to full health again.

Fortunately the other two fillies dont seem to be as bad. They have both responded well to the latest lot of handling and drench and are starting to gain that vital weight again. Fingers crossed.

General News

Well in case I haven’t mentioned it before – I am pregnant and already 6 1/2 months along so riding has pretty much been put on hold now til after the baby is born in Dec.  A bit of a bummer as the season is just starting now! lol

My missing filly Jade still hasn’t been found and the chances now aren’t that great though I keep hoping she might turn up eventually.

Sam was sold to a friend Anne who renamed him Benson and has since sold him on herself.  She emailed me through some lovely new pictures of him which I will load up later.  The extra attention he received with her really helped him come along heaps.

Young Josh is growing up! He will let me catch him in the paddock now and he has graduated to wearing a rug also.  He adores hardfeed and will hang around the yard in the hopes of getting some extra!

My broodmares returned home. They ran out of grass where they had been grazing and after the sad death of Rosalie’s old mare Gretel I wasn’t too unhappy to have them back home even though the feed is rather short here too!  Ebony and Star are looking great. Asti is not so good and I am a little doubtful as to whether she is even still in foal.  Will give her a bit more time and see how she is looking after the spring growth has come through before making any decisions about her future.

Our cow herd has expanded from 2 to 6! Our two highland x’s have been joined by a pb dexter and her heifer calf and two little weaners –  1 steered boy (dexter) and 1 heifer (mixed). Our black highland will probably go in the freezer this summer and the dexter boy will be a future freezer boy too!

Finally last but not least is that I sold my beloved Lyric!  He has gone to a super new home with Julie McD and she is having a great time with him and loves him to bits which is a fantastic conclusion for me.  I had realised a long time ago that I was limited with him and was becoming a bit frustrated. He is perfect for what Julie wants and he is really thriving on all the love, care and attention that he now receives.  As a result I have got on with Poppy more and am really enjoying her and feeling very positive about our future together, which is great. )

Ellie

I was devasted to go out two weeks ago and see Ellie missing from the herd only to end up finding her over in the neighbours with her back legs torn to pieces with wire cuts.  One is so bad that it has partially cut the extensor tendon at the front of her left hind leg. 

She has spent 2 weeks so far in the round pen (to keep her from moving too much and keep her out of the mud) with the vet initially visiting daily then every couple of days.  We had to sedate her for bandage changing the first few times and then I was able to do it with hubbys help until finally yesterday I was able to do it on my own.

At this stage I am changing it about every 3 days and applying activated manuka honey. Its looking ok and I think she will definitely be fine as a future broodmare though I am still hoping that it will heal well enough for her to be a rideable prospect and maybe even compete. Fingers crossed!