Anna's Girls - Updated news.

[AnnaC]

 

OH MY! I'm so jealous! Sending all my love, and so happy you're back! We missed you terribly~!

 

[Eagle]

Can I call you too Diane?

 

Of course! You know it!!

 

[AnnaC]

Got a bit 'twitchy' yesterday evening about Chapella - remember that this mare in all her foaling years gives none of the normal signs, she just foals! Udder is always soft and jiggly, no vulva elongation etc etc! But we are getting so close to her actual due dates that I was starting to get nervous, so Cathy set up her camp bed in the narrow corridor outside the 'see through' stable doors and kept watch with her alarm every half hour ........................... nothing!!

Today the weather has been awful - rain and strong winds, but still had them all outside because they are more used to living out in all weathers anyway, but also beause I think exercise is so important, plus the freedom to roll if necessary. Kept up our hourly checks though, just in case. Late afternoon and Chapela was spotted having lots of excited trotting expeditions round the field?? Wondered if she could be having those 'energy bursts' that often come pre foaling? Or maybe she's just trying to stir us up. LOL!! Well we shall see, but I bet she wont do anything for another week or so just to be annoying! But we are a bit better organised for tonight (and how ever long it takes) as we now have the tea and coffee making equipment out in the barn as well as the camp bed and table and chairs for use with the laptop plus a lead connection from the house internet 'hub' -- soooooooooooooooooo Chapella we are ready when you are!!

 

[Eagle]

Happy camping Anna

I hope she doesn't make you and Cathy wait too long.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Sounds exciting Anna , can we see a couple of pics of the mothers to be ?

 

Can't wait!! Have a cuppa for me!

 

[little lady]

News?

 

[AnnaC]

No news yet - all seems to have gone quiet again. The strong winds here have died down and the rain has reverted to showers with sunny spells so will try to get some updated pics later today.

 

[AnnaC]

Today's pics of the girls.









More general pics next post.

 

[AnnaC]

Due to all the building work going on here I have lost my previous foaling barn, which is why the girls have gone over to Cathy's farm to foal out over the last few years. But due to Cathy's buildings still being full of lambing sheep at the moment, and only having the two girls to foal, we decided to improvise in our small stone barn and nailed in some uprights, boarded the fronts to a corridor and divided the stalls with boarded gates. This has given us a 16x11 stall right across one end of the barn (occupied by my special boy Mootie who always has a huge space for himself!!), space for hay and straw, then two stalls for the girls at 12x10 each (smaller than I have ever had before but they seem to be happy and have enough space), then across the other end old Heidi has a space of 8x11 (which she is coping with (she's 29") but has to put up with at the moment as she insists on being in and part of the 'action'!) then next to her is the area for the feed bins and our tea making stuff/table for computer etc while mare watching. The corridor that runs the length down to Mootie's stall is occupied by Cathy's bed at night. Pics below show some of what I'm waffling about (LOL!!) plus the narrow entrance door that MC has now learnt to enter happily. Plus pic of Chapella's and MC's daily companions - old Heidi, Wizz and Prue. Then there is also a couple of pics of our dell and the bluebells that smother the ground under the trees at this time every year - some 3 acres of wooded dell, with little paths cut through by the minis! Incidently I'm waffling because it is now nearly 1am and I have been on mare watch duty since 5 0'clock and at 1 I can wake Cathy who has now had 7 hours sleep and send her out to the barn and either the laptop or her bed - I'm then off to bed!! So this has helped me stay awake. Thanks for reading the waffle!

 

Oh, the pictures are fabulous!! And look at those SPOTS coming!!

They look fabulous Anna, and your hotel arrangements for them are just perfect!

LOVE those flower pictures. Just makes me miss home so much, with the hilly pastures and natural wildflowers!

 

[AnnaC]

Have to report that Cathy received a text in the middle of the night from our friend who is foaling her mares for us (see explanattion earlier on this thread if you need to - she knew Cathy was up watching Chapella) to say that Fleur had just foaled a filly for us.. Well done Fleur - good girl, many thanks!

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Beautiful Pictures as always Anna, you live in such a lovely part of world. The Girls look Gr8 , Cant wait to see what they have been Hiding. Best of luck Always

 

[Silver City Heritage Farmstead]

Anna, I meant to ask your permission to use your photos to illustrate a poem they inspired me to write.

Then I saw the post about Fleur...maybe we've found a way to ENCOURAGE mares to foal:

Translate mare's name to an object (Fleur=flower)

Post a lovely, inspiring photo of that object in mare's foal watch thread.

Cosmos miraculously aligns, mare immediately (for a mare) foals a lovely, healthy baby!

Somebody want to help prove this theory??

Enjoy your cuppa in the barn tonight Anna, thank you so much for sharing your lovely girls and home.

Julie in NC

 

Can't wait to see the new baby picture!

 

[JAX]

Congrats Fleur on a job well done!

 

[AnnaC]

Well it is now 10.20pm here in the uk and I'm on the laptop in the barn watching a very twitchy Chapella, so I'm hoping that she might get round to some action before the night is over. I think that having the lights on in the barnis disturbing the swallows who are at present nesting more or less above my head - they keep chattering and shifting around on the beam, well at least Daddy Swallow is moving around, Mummy Swallow is egg sitting, or maybe it is her who is telling him to shut up, keep still and let her get some rest. LOL!!

This is the last time we will be able to use this barn as a temporary foaling unit as later this year it is going to be converted into my own little Grannie living space - cant wait as it is such a nice little old barn and has a very peaceful atmosphere, plus when you open the back doors you have a wonderful view across the fields. Hoping to have a veranda out the back where I can sit in my rocking chair, maybe the odd glass of wine in my hand and just admire the scenery - bliss!! Of course we shall have to build a new barn for the horses, although we dont intend to have any more foals for a few years, taking a rest from breeding for now.

OK off to feed the dogs now and to mix the late night feeds for the horses. Dont foal in the next 20 minutes please Chapella!!

 

Sounds like TOTAL BLISS! Hang on there Chapella -- then GET TO WORK!!!!