Finally Foal Pictures

I promised to post the baby pictures of Queenie's foal right after she had him, but haven't gotten to it before today. These are his "day after" pictures. I haven't emptied the phone yet for the still-wet newborn pictures. Also not sure how fair it is to Queenie to show her while she was still delivering after birth. Personally I felt very honored that she didn't freak out about having me come in to visit so soon after her delivery.

So Blaze (not sure if that is really his name, but it is what I call him) was born the evening on the 19th of April. She didn't manage to hold onto him long enough to give DH another birthday present, which is probably a good thing since he's a colt so we can't keep him. Although he is so adorable  and friendly that I am very tempted...

Queenie's tail was braided to keep it from getting all messy but her legs still show signs of the birthing fluids.

His funny expression is happiness from the good scratch DH was giving him. Isn't the pink on his nose just irresistable?

Baby horses need lots of sleep...

As of today, Queenie and Blaze are still in the box. Our weather has conitnued to be cold and nasty, so we just aren't quite ready to make the little fellow brave the elements. He has tried wearing a halter and learning slowly to be led and tied, but it is off again now to keep it from wearing too much on his nose. Plus he is growing so fast that we'd have to keep adjusting it all the time.

Most likely we will move them out to the pasture this weekend, weather permitting. Queenie really isn't happy being in the box and hasn't been eating or drinking as well as we like. Today I gave her access to the large-horse part of the shed (with the horses shut out and a gate to keep her and Blaze IN the shed), so that should help. She was happy rolling in some of the dust when I left them and the large horses were standing there looking in the door at them.

The New Foal (Teddy Bear?)

Our one shetland mare, Tanja, gave birth to a colt on 18 February. We'd moved her into the box in the horse shed the Sunday before he was born, so she would have a warm dry place to foal.

Although these two were taken several hours after we think he was born, he was still wet. He was so curly! But DH didn't think Curly was a good name for him.

We're calling him Teddy Bear for now, but it isn't definite that that's his name yet.

The rest of the pictures were taken today.

Tanja is a very good mother and quite content to have us in the box with them. She was already encouraging him to talk to us the first day.

I Touched Hopi!

We're having a cracked barley cooked in water porridge for dinner. We call it "water porridge" (literal translation). We usually either put apples in or eat apple sauce in it. Today we are doing the pieces of fresh apple.

So I took the peels and cores out to the ponies in the dishpan. I gave a little to the stallion, dropped a little pile for Tanja, and headed over to Queenie and Hopi. Hopi was shy and stayed pretty far away until Queenie was almost done eating. Then she came close enough to sniff my hand but didn't take the bit of peel (Queenie was quick to get it).

After the peels were gone, I stayed and scratched some of Queenie's good itchy spots. After a while, the foal came really close and let me touch her nose. Then Queenie walked away a little so I grabbed Tanja's halter and got her to help me to my feet. Then I walked over to Queenie again and Hopi stayed right next to her. I scratched Queenie on her back and sides and over on the other side of her where Hopi was.

Then I casually scratched Hopi's neck a little. It took her a moment to register it was me and then she was startled, but still, this is great progress.

Just had to share!

A Few Pics from Yesterday

This is what DH's cake ended up looking like.



Here is the foal:



This can give you an idea of how big it is:


Queenie is obviously the one with the foal. The background horse on the left is the new mare Tanja. Mann, the stallion, is to the right in the back. Both Mann and Tanja are much larger than Queenie.

DH says this foal is more like the size they are at 2 weeks than one on its first day.

DH's Birthday Present from Queenie

Well, I was right. She was waiting for his birthday. He woke up this morning to see a large and beautiful Shetland foal running around the pony pasture with her mother. We're more than 75% certain it is a filly. Queenie is a very protective mother, so it isn't like we've been able to go up and examine it. It is red, of course, and has a small white star on its forehead. It's legs seem pretty white at this point, so maybe a sock? No time to get pictures now. I will try later.


In other good news, the package from my mother arrived yesterday. So DH got his bday presents on time. We were up well past midnight alst night, so he opened the two from me then. A book on horse hoof care and an IOU for the remaining needed tools. Also a specially made paperweight with a picture of him getting ride to ride Daisy. It is one of his favorite pictures.

I got some great things from my mother too. Some leather tools that I've already started using, a neat book on stitching and lacing, a warm shawl she knitted for me herself and some of the yarn has a history to make it a little more special, and a book filled with bread recipes.

DH opened his presents from the package this morning. He is so happy because he got two jars of Skippy peanut butter. HE also got a bag of minimarshmallows (he started on those last night and has Shawnee now as addicted to marshmallows as he and Molly are). Then there is another leather tool.

We are off in a few to DH's work for a short visit and his parents for the noon meal and afternoon coffee. All I did was assemble the cake, which is very colorful. OOPS! I need to remember the whipped cream and optionally whip it here too.

I cut DH's hair already this morning and he took a shower. Shawnee wanted into the bathroom with him while he showered. Molly doesn't usually want to because she is afraid she will end up in a bath, but in honor of the day, she also eagerly joined him in the bathroom.