So far its been an interesting month with both ups and downs.
Where do you start the ups or the downs?
Breeding is over – yea! We ended up exposing 10 mares to two different stallions. Wesco Farms Frangelico Flashback was pasture bred (we don’t know that he did much as he was pretty terrified of the mares!) to Twila, Missy, Val, Dresden and Java. While Bonus Bucks was bred to two outside mares and Cajun, Sarah, Jamaica, Calypso and Candy. Calypso is out on a lease so will be leaving this month, and I don’t think Jamaica was in with him through a complete cycle, so not expecting anything there!!! Ringo is completely put out as I had planned on breeding him to two mares but decided against it based on the current market. Not a great time for test breeding!
We lost one mare – Shakira to colic which was the real low point of the month. She was the first one we’ve lost to colic, although we were very aggressive with treatment – short of surgery. She’s buried next to Tangerine, one of our favorites that broke her leg a few years ago – we don’t know if that was a gopher hole, rock or ?
The good things that have happened – the foals are all doing well. Boo finally has gotten over her on again/off again poopy butt! She use to taste test everything in her pasture (we saw her numerous times) and had the resulting effect on her digestive tract! The rest of the babies are all together so having fun. It’s really surprising to see the difference in sexes this year – the colts are really much more rowdy and independent while the fillies tend to hang with their dams or each other more.
We also have a new stallion coming at the end of the month. We’ve finalized a great trade and Samis Roger Rabbit will be heading to Las Vegas and his ‘replacement’ Vegas Views SS Jumpn Jack Flash aka Flash will be coming in.
Other news – its hot and dry with absolutely nothing decent in the pastures so we’re pretty much 100% feeding the horses. We moved the old ladies – Tina, Lady and Chiclet in with the mares/foals as there is less competition at feeding time, and they get free choice grass hay 2x a day ontop of the alfalfa feedings.
We’re planning on switching this group with the stallions in the bachelor pasture – more room for the foals to get around and what little pasture we have left is in there! the eight guys haven’t really made much of a dent on 20 acres – LOL!!
We’re still doing the ranch upgrades/repairs. Two more gates to go and refencing the backyard. It’s really never ending living in the country. Love it but sure wish we’d have a month or so with nothing to go wrong! Next year we need to refabric some of the exterior fence. Minis are almost as bad as goats on fences. Right now it’s starting to look pretty rugged in two places (the two main feeding spots) between the jury-rigged rewiring, baling twine and cattle panel bandaids!
As soon as the outside mares go we’re back to they pysillium treatments. It’s so rocky/dirty/dusty I’m sure they’re all picking up sand. We also want to give everyone a good bath and try for some decent photos. Pretty bad when you have 4-5 year olds and only have bad registration photos or weanling ones!
Lastly – we’re updating our website finally! Editing all 300+ pages. It’s a major job and I’m sure as soon as I get done I’ll decide to change something else anyway!
Hope everyone stays cool and for those in the midwest with the horrific storms stay dry!
