News
5.20.13 - Sidney had a lovely bay colt by Freestyle this afternoon. Way more white than I expected - a star, snip and three white socks. Pictures coming.
Priceless' calcium has spiked to 1000 and her pH is 6.4. As of late this evening, she has wax. She's going to go earlier than I thought!
5.19.13 - Sidney's pH has been below 7.0 and her calcium has been over 400 for three weeks now. As of Friday, she has good wax. I thought for sure she would have her foal last night, but no luck yet. Hopefully tonight/early tomorrow morning.
Priceless is at day 341 and doesn't appear ready yet. Maybe next week?
5.5.13 - I added two new chicks to my flock. Another Buff Orpington and what appears to be some sort of Australorp cross. That will bring the total flock up to six.
Priceless is at 327 days today. She seems to be right on track to foal around her "due" date. Sidney is at 324 days, and looks much closer. Her pH has been steadily dropping, so I think she'll go early.
4.13.13 - Both mares are past the 300 day mark in their pregnancies. Over the last few days we've gotten over a foot of snow. It's my reminder why I don't have babies before May.
4.7.13 - Sidney and Priceless are almost at the 300 day mark. 2 inches of snow yesterday makes me feel like we're a long way from spring.
3.26.13 - The mares got their final Rhino shots today in addition to seeing the farrier. They'll get their 30 day shots a bit early in case Sidney DOES go early. Pricless is at 287 days and Sidney is at 284 days, so we're getting there.
The money has been sent, so no changing my mind now! Priceless will be bred to Stibby Me. I have been casually looking at German Riding Ponies for a year or so now and I want one!
3.19.13 - The mares are at 9 months. They get their final Rhino shots next week. Sidney is looking quite huge, so my guess is she will go early. Priceless seems to be right where she should be.
In true to "me" fashion, I continue to waffle on breeding choices. If Sidney has a filly, she may go back to work instead of being rebred. I finalized my decision on Priceless, but I'll keep it under wraps until the contract is signed.
2.7.13 - I continue to waffle on the breeding front. However, preparations for the 2013 foalings are in full swing. I ordered an IgG kit so I can do them myself this year. I haven't tried before so I may end up regretting it and paying my vet to do it anyway.
I have started getting Irwin back into shape to go to the trainers. He's going to spend three months there getting more finished. Hopefully it will coincide with when the mares are due, so I'm not completely sleep deprived and trying to fit up a horse for show season.
I've had some interest in Adrian, so she has started learning how to lunge. She is fearless just like her dam, and a very quick study. She may end up being my next dressage prospect if she doesn't sell soon.
2.4.13 - Both mares got their 7 month Rhino shots last week. They are starting to get quite round!
1.9.13 - A prominent warmblood breeder in California has had 4 horses seized. Please consider supporting the Leg-Up Equestrian Assistance Program Auction which was set up for "...financially assisting Marin Humane Society and those individuals with animals involved, in it's legal seizure, care, custody and legal costs associated with animals that have recently been legally seized by them in their county."
11.28.12 - Both mares got their Rhino shots last week. I can't believe they are both at 5 months already!
11.16.12 - I "accidentally" bought some Goodtimes semen. I had sort of talked myself out of breeding next year, but I think he'll cross wonderfully with Sidney. That only leaves Priceless still up in the air.
9.24.12 - The end of a long year of travel is finally over. Sidney attended the KWPN-NA inspection at Wyngate Equestrian Center on Sunday. She was branded and placed into the studbook.
I also got to meet some great people, and fell in love with Dalanta (who achieved her keur status at this inspection), imported by Majestic Gaits.
9.9.12 - One of the pullets surprised me with an egg this morning. Hopefully the rest of the girls will start laying soon.
Lily came home last Saturday - the lease ended unexpectedly. If you know of someone looking for a lovely, child-safe horse to lease, contact us.
8.14.12 - The GOV inspection with Priceless was a success! She squeeked into the Main Mare Book. I got positive feedback on my breeding choice for her as well, so it was a great day all in all. (There was a lovely Sir Donnerhall mare I would have stolen if I thought they weren't watching her.)
8.4.12 - Lily left today. She is being leased by a family nearby as a step up horse for their daughter. No more semi-retirement for her.
7.20.12 - Unfortunately, due to timing conflicts, Sidney will only be going to the KWPN-NA inspection this year. We'll have to wait until next year to get the other approvals. Priceless will still go the Oldenburg inspection mid-August as planned.
Like all horse breeders, I've already started contemplating next year's breedings. I'm leaning towards a lovely, underutilized AHS stallion for Sidney. I'm up in the air on Priceless. I want to see her Shakespeare baby before making a firm decision.
7.14.12 - Road Less Travelled, aka Gertie, has been sold. Congratulations to her new owner.
7.7.12 - Sidney's hanging onto her single embryo. Now the long wait begins.
7.2.12 - Finally some good news. Sidney was pregnant with twins. My vet was successfully able to pinch one, so we'll recheck on Thursday to make sure she's hanging onto the remaining one. Priceless also has one glorious, healthy black Shakespeare dot! Woo hoo!
6.25.12 - The show was a success. I knew Irwin wouldn't quite be able to compete with the really broke AQHA horses, but we got ribbons in almost all of our classes.
I was helping out with the office, so the weekend was sort of a blur, but the highlight of the show was 5th in a very tough rookie horsemanship pattern.
6.15.12 - These latest breeding attempts have been...interesting to say the least. Priceless had a 42 mm follicle when we checked her on Monday. On Tuesday, she was at a 52 when the semen arrived. Apparently she was acting very stallion-like. The Shakespeare semen was at 95% motility when she was bred. Amazing.
Sidney was not as cooperative. She was only at a 28 mm follicle when we checked her on Monday. We ordered semen to be collected on Wednesday, delivered Thursday am. Of course, there were HUGE thunderstorms along the FedEx route that delayed the planes. I drove around for an hour and a half at lunch time to pick up the semen and get it to the clinic. My vet thought she was very, very close to ovulation when she inseminated her, so fingers crossed!
I picked up both girls this evening, during the worst rush hour traffic I've dealt with in this area as all the runners are here for Grandma's Marathon. What should have been a 45 minute drive turned into almost two hours! Never a dull moment, I suppose.
Pregnancy checks in two weeks!
6.11.12 - Both mares are back at the clinic for second attempts at breeding.
6.7.12 - Priceless is not pregnant either. She does have what is believed to be a cyst, so we'll check her again early next week just to be certain. If it still appears to be a cyst, we'll rebreed.
5.31.12 - Sidney is not pregnant and has already ovulated. I'm bummed, but we'll short cycle and try again.
5.22.12 - I had some suspicions, but I'm feeling more certain that my Black Australorps aren't...Black Australorps. I think they might be Black Sex Links. That's what I get for being a chicken noob.
5.19.12 - Sidney has been bred to Freestyle. Her pregnancy check is on the 31st. Priceless was bred to Shakespeare this week. Fingers crossed for successful first time attempts on both mares.
4.21.12 - The menagerie at RRF continues to grow. This morning I picked up two Black Australorps, two Buff Orpingtons, and an Easter Egger chick. They get to live in the broodmare stall for now - I pick up their brand new coop tomorrow.
4.14.12 - Sidney will be attending the KWPN-NA (at Wyngate Equestrian Center), AHS (at Leatherdale Farms) and Oldenburg inspections this year. Priceless will join Sidney at the Oldenburg inspection.
3.18.12 - The Lake Superior Quarter Horse Association has finalized its show dates and everything is approved with AQHA. The introductory show will be held on June 23-24th in Iron River, WI. I plan on attending with Irwin.
3.17.12 - Our breeding plans for 2012 have been finalized. Priceless will be bred to Shakespeare RSF and Sidney will be bred to Freestyle.