June

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!

Busy week

I had planned on writing a bit every day but this past week flew by!  We had two more foals born (one stillborn) both sired by Miramax out of two half sisters.  Twila’s was a gorgeous blue roan filly – just perfect in every way, unfortunately stillborn.  The only good thing, her being a maiden she didn’t go into the awful mourning experienced mares do.  So my son buried her angel filly under our fig tree.  Next up a couple days later Valentina presented us with a perfect bay filly – all legs and very refined.  Being such a bundle of legs she quickly earned the name Spider! 

Other news, I’ll shortly be annoucing a new addition to our breeding program once the contract is signed – a rather unexpected purchase - but cant’ pass on those golden opportunities!  This new ‘guy’ will require a road trip to get him, but we’re excited as he’ll be a great addition here.

While this was going on, and being up all night on mare-stare, sick again with another cold (barely was over the last flu/cold), I received a call from a Korean TV station asking if they could come and film our minis.  It seemed like a great idea to get Miniature Horses out in another International market so agreed.  The lovely ladies showed up on Friday night to discuss the next days shoot and arrived bright and early on Saturday morning.  (I had 2 1/2 hours sleep thank you faker mares!)  We went and walked the property and they took lots of footage of the boys acting like the wild stallions of Winters; all the mares; and the new foals.  A friend that owns one of our girls and the sire of a few of my favorite mares was willing to come and ‘re-enact’ her purchase for the film crew (thank you Nicolette) so they could interview her and have something to show other than me in Korea!  I did ask them if they would like to go to the local schooling show in Vacaville, so we ran down there for a few hours and they had the opportunity to film halter, showmanship, liberty as well as interview a number of Area VII Club members about owning minis, etc.

When we returned the producer really wanted to focus some time on Spider as she was the newest mini, so we took photo of her being measured, getting a blanket change, we were going to show how to milk and feed from a bottle but uncooperative mom and thirsty baby kept her bag fairly empty while we were shooting.  The crew did fall in love with Spider though (hard not to she’s sooooo cute!), and finally had to leave to catch their flight back to L.A. after a very long day of filming.  It was lots of fun and we hope the DVD they’ll send us is useful and accurately portrays Minis as the wonderful horses they are!

That was about it – back on mare-stare as the mares love to tease me all night and are just waiting for fatigue to kick in so they can have their foals in peace. 

Oh well!

Tired in Winters : ) 

Gelding Party

We sold JC to a family in SoCal and part of the contract was for him to be gelded.  As I only had JC in mind to geld this month, I contacted a fellow breeder and asked if she wanted to bring a boy over too.  She did.  So, a quick call to UCDavis’ Field Service with the vital info and we were  scheduled for March 19th.  As that was a day a farrier appointment was already schedule I knew it would be a busy one.

Gelding a mini is relatively quick - my son video taped it before (on our website –  http://www.wescofarms.com/GeldingVideo.html), the full length video from being knocked out to finished was about 9 minutes.  The pre-surgery check, placing a catheter, etc. of course adds to that time, but all in all it normally is a fairly quick event. 

Then you get the guys that just don’t want to cooperate!  JC was his usual calm self – the model patient for everything.  His half brother, Prince, on the other hand decide this was not what he was ready for!  He was already wound up from the trailer ride here, and spending a night at the boarding ranch where Jenn keeps a few minis, so coming here and all the commotion – well can we say little kid all hyped up!  Prince wasn’t up for any part of this, and had to be sedated (IM) to attempt to get a catheter in.  That was a whole ‘nother problem as his veins were either collapsing, hiding or very small – but basically being impossible to get the catheter in.  Fortunately we had some very patient vets and senior vet studets, led by Stephanie Bell, DVM., that finally got the catheter in and then it was the usual fairly quick procedure!!!

My daughter the old pro, was right there in attendance, while Jenn and I chatted – Jenn’s a bit needle phobic, and inserting an oversized hypodermic into a testicle was a bit much for her -not to mention the blood and cutting too!

Thankfully all went well and we now have two more – soon to be – happy geldings!  JC will be headed to San Juan Capistrano in mid-April and Prince (who is for sale) hopefully will find a great home looking for a driving gelding – he has the ability! 

First 2008 foal

Missy has started our 2008 foaling season off right.  She was due on March 22and went two days early delivering a gorgeous tovero pinto filly on March 20th at a bit before 2 a.m.

Missy a sorrel (overo bred) American Eagle daughter (Eagle is in Australia – I have a sister and his dam) was a trade worked out with a good friend, Penny Radulovich  (www.radulovichfarms.com).  I had Dena, an appy and no appy stallions.  Penny had Missy, a pinto bred mare and she breeds appys!  I also LOVE American Eagle, his sire and dam and the whole darn line while Penny owns Dena’s grandsire, Luke and had Luke’s sire, Tiny Tim up until he passed in 2006.  So it seemed like a great trade for both of us! 

Right now though – I think I’m ahead with the bonus baby! 

Missy was bred to Skylar (FMG Sklyar Blue) and between the two of them a big Wow on color!!

Foaling was textbook perfect – we did the usual check and foaling treatment (nolvason stump, dry off, check placenta, check sex, Foal Response, deworm mom, blanket and watch for nursing and meconoium to pass). 

Missy was given a warm mash with a bit of banamine for cramps and the mother/daughter were left alone to bond.  So far the foal’s first four days have been uneventful and relaxing -  we’ve just been enjoying watching her mature. 

Now to think of a name!

Hello 2008!

Okay so we’re almost three months late – what is that expression about good intentions . . . 

Well, I’ve been meaning to start a blog on keeping minis to add to our website – just the daily or weekly stuff that goes on here.  So, I guess it’s better late than not at all! 

I actually had a blog running about two years ago, but have lost track of the host and with multiple computer failures last year – lost all contact/passwords too!!!  Why backing up data is soooo soooo very important!!!

So this year is starting off well with the Minis (yes Minis as I do want them to be a BREED versus a height registry for small equines!) – we’ve had a few of the boys sell and it looks like great homes, had our first foal, a gelding party, numerous farrier visits, half the herd vaccinated, and started rebuilding/repairing –  fences, pens, gates and the foaling stall.  I’ll add more on the more important things as individual posts.

I guess we now have a start!!