Baby magic

Okay, so not the most flattering photo of me, but my friend took this one of her QH/TB mare's day old Gitano daughter, Conesa, and I taking a nap in the sun!    More proof that I love the horses who end up here as boarders or otherwise at my place just as much as my own.  This filly is a particular gem!

Has been an exciting week.   First time mom produced a wonderful Wanapum bay colt I named Realengo just in time for us to host Revision.   Dr. Arnau Garriga was here and a lovely and charming man that I got to spend a little time with.   Under the new rules, Ancce is now taking measurements of every spot and angle one can think of, from the length of lips to the width of forehead all the way to the hind end of the horse.  In addition, inspection includes movement in a walk, trot and canter in each direction.  The entire process was almost an hour for each horse.   I am pleased with the changes as the criteria will gradually get more and more stringent and the approval process have more meaning.

 I am happy that Niza is now revised, even though getting her lunging with her brand new baby was not as pretty as it was 2 years ago when we showed her in the pre classes and she behaved without trying to be such a good mom!  Thanks to those who brought their horses here to be approved so that there were enough horses that I was allowed to host.

The other news that I am most excited about is that my great friend, trainer Julie Van Zee in Michigan, took Wanapum to his first big dressage show.   As she had no way of predicting how Wan might respond to the more crowded venue than the pre classes at our IALHA national show, she signed up for 4 first level tests.   Lo and behold, Julie and Wan were the first level grand champions!   I am so thankful to Julie for wanting to work with Wan and so proud of him.   Hopefully, in June, he'll be at another show and at second level.

Pictured above, Lady had a special bay Gitano filly and now we await Conesa's foal for the last spring baby.   We are working at getting everyone back in foal and have 4 outside mares currently as guests to breed.   A hopping and happy time at Herradura.  That is alot of H's....

Gotta love April!

This lovely girl is Romantica, daughter of Gitano and out of Gentileza--the third of this cross and as special as the first two were!  Sold within 6 hours of birth, this photo taken at 4 days old.

Names this year starting with R and what more perfect than to name the first of the year that is a Remate granddaughter for Lesley's gorgeous painting of Remate entitled "The Romantic".   That she is such a sweetie makes the name fit too.

First time mom Niza is outdoing herself in kindness, attentiveness but not overly nervous with her bay Wanapum son, Realengo.  Realengo means "kingly" or "royalty" and he has an enormous personality packed in his few day old body.  I think his photo should appear whenever the term "animal magnitism" is used--he makes me laugh every time I enter the stall or get near him.   And first spring one for sale since Romeo and Romantica are sold!

Julie and Wanapum head to a dressage show this weekend in Michigan, will be hosting revision next week, have 4 visiting mares and one stallion here to breed, and family coming into town next week to visit.   So many fun things going on which balance out the fact I turn a year older in April!

Another big excitement for me is we have our black mare, Otamisia, confirmed in foal to our black, Kairo for our first baby coming spring, 2014.    No rationale person breeds a young stallion at age 2, but I simply couldn't wait and lo and behold, these two first time breeders paired like veterans and Ota got pregnant first try.   I hope will be the first of many blacks since so many people want them.  It took many years for me to finally find the dark bay I wanted in Gitano.  It has taken equally as many years to find the black stallion I wanted for my breeding stallion and Kairo is for sure the one.   Otamisia means "perfection" and she is stunning.   We have a number of other mares that may have black some day with Kairo and for sure, our black weanling filly will throw black with Kairo.   I now have all the color bases covered so this means I will never want another horse.  Right?   Well, except every single baby that is born...

Our boarder qh/tb mare will be next to foal and then Conesa so will keep anyone interested posted.  I hope your April is filled with beauty and enjoyment, like mine.    T