A fun brush with greatness?

How fabulous that a friend, Alice, gave some favorite names to her professor/friend who was writing a book. Michael F. Smith, the author, wrote a yet unpublished "The Sons of Thunder" It is a story about a man, his unnamed dog and his horse, HABANA. How fun that he chose the name of my wonder mare who also happens to be the mother of Alice's lovely 3 year old mare! I will have to buy the book as soon as it is available.

I took one of my rare away-from-home trips to Orange County, California to attend my niece's college graduation. Just gone 2 nights and was anxious to get home even after that short a time. But I didn't mind the gorgeous weather out there--outdoor graduation and I had to borrow a sweater to wear. If only that were the case here in already 100 degree Texas.

Cynthia reports that Maestro was calm and settled in immediately upon his arrival to his forever home in Michigan last Saturday. Likewise, Nacar had a safe journey and bonded easily with her new mini-companion, Elijah (great name!) in Maine. Nastia apparently got off the trailer in California and immediately rolled. I continue to be thankful for all the uneventful transports of my former horses to their new homes.

Corona will also be heading to California soon to Deb and Patti who have already had a small herd of horses from or bred here. How grateful I am for repeat customers.

Confirmed Flama back in foal to Gitano and still working on the last couple before the heat declares breeding season to be over. Perhaps when breeding is over, Valente can actually get on a horse around here!

Seven for Seven!

Another successful foaling season comes to an end. Can you believe it? Seven fillies in a row, the last 6 being by Gitano. Last night, Bielsa had a lovely and predictably sweet bay filly --no markings. Bielsa's always seem to be the best natured of the group and I think this one will be no exception. If anyone has a great idea for an "O" name, please let me know. I don't usually pick human names but am thinking maybe Olivia--she is such a feminine thing. Still wobbly on those legs so photos will be coming later.

We continue to do well with our getting mares bred back. Of our recent visitors, it seems everyone is being drawn to Wanapum so using him a little more this year, now that he is a big 4, soon to be 5 year old. So far Habana, Conesa, Dehesa and Fantasia are in foal to him.

Had a fascinating visitor here last week who chose Nacar so all the N's are sold and soon to be leaving. Nacar will be going to Booth Bay, Maine to a dream home in a gorgeous New England setting and will have the best of care and love.

Now that some states are requiring negative pyroplasmosis tests, the shipping documents to get babies ready to leave are a little more complicated and keeping us busy. Nicodemo leaves this Friday, Nastia next weekend and Nacar and Maestro the following weekend.

I know largely due to the fact that the last two foaling seasons had me mean as a snake, being in a cast, but with all these lovely fillies, I can't remember enjoying a group of babies any more than I have this lovely spring. Lucky, lucky, lucky.

I may have already used this photo but I still love it---and love that many people can't tell which one is Chulo and which one is Gitano!

Could this be a 100% filly spring?

This photo is Oceanica, 9 days old today (Karina x Gitano). What a mover! I almost hate to see this one go to someone for a broodmare as she will be such a fun ride--all 3 gaits just lovely to watch and I bet she'll be a dream to ride. Tall and I'm guessing will end up black/bay like Gitano.

Last night, for the first time in my horse career that I can remember, I was hoping for a colt, but Destinada had another filly. Thankfully, Desti and Obriza are healthy and like full brother and sister, Macanuo and Nydia, I think Obriza is going to be fabulous. But I'd agreed to sell a grey colt to the nicest people who have been diligent about payments and were hoping for their colt last fall. When that didn't happen, they agreed to wait until spring. So now, 6 fillies in a row and the only mare left to foal is Bielsa who can't have a grey so waiting to hear what these nice folks want to do.

Will get photos of the newest filly in a day or two when she's out and about and bombard anyone reading with more photos.

Busy mostly with closing down the office and final move this Wednesday, so these late nights foaling are taking tolls but I should have a couple of weeks until Bielsa delivers so sleep on the way for me. Hope everyone is enjoying the spring weather as much as I am.

Girls, Girls, Girls!

Two fillies in one day arrived on April 13th!

Flama has once again outdone herself and had her third filly in a row by Gitano. The first, Mireia, was an extraordinary mover and grey and headed to Mexico. The second, a bay turning much darker this spring as she turned one is Niza, the first baby I've kept in several years which shows how wild about her I am. Well, big hoofprints to fill and the newest addition, Otamisia, is going to have no trouble doing that!

Otamisia translates to "perfect" and Valente and I both are smitten. The photo here is at a day old (sorry--no sun!) Impossible to even guess her color at this point and being the least patient human on earth, I already sent off hair samples for dna.

That Ota is a granddaughter of Incauta who I miss so much since she sold, of Hereje and Dadivoso's great granddaughter doesn't exactly make her less appealing to me.

Sigh.....another filly NOT going on the sale list. At least yet. You'd never know I need money far more than I need another filly.

Congratulations to Marilyn and Doug, my boarders and friends, on the arrival of Valeria. Some of you may remember when I had the stunning chestnut stallion, Urucum, here for a while. Well, he went to Michigan and his first breeding was to our current boarder, thoroughbred/draft cross, Maizie. Maizie is huge and grey and about as docile a mare as you'd want to meet and she delivered a big boned and tall, angel sweet filly that her owners dubbed Valeria. What an honor to get to experience Uri's first foal and to get to know Valeria.

Also congratulations to Alice and Randy whose chestnut mare, Foxy, gave birth to a leggy, quite tall black filly by Chulo. Chulo seems to be continuing with his history of throwing very tall offspring. We are tickled that Nicole is back in foal to Chulo and hoping that the baby next spring will be a carbon copy of Madonna who was so very special.

Karina should be next to foal--she is so huge that the mind boggles at the thought that this baby could be even bigger than last year's gigantic Nicodemo, soon to be heading to South Carolina.

Ibiza back in foal to Gitano, Gentileza in foal to Gitano and Conesa to Wanapum for the spring, 2011 bunch. A few more to check soon as we've been breeding away.

Beautiful weather, beautiful babies---life is pretty darn good! Hope the same for you....

Interesting statistics

Well, at least interesting to me! I keep records of all kinds of things like number of days a mare foals each years and what sex offspring the stallions throw. As of this morning, here is what I have for ones born here or that I bred and heard the outcome of the pregnancy:

Pinturero: 13 fillies, 4 colts so 76.5% fillies
Remate: 30 fillies, 22 colts so 57.70% fillies
Gitano: 35 fillies, 29 colts so 54.69% fillies
Galisteo: 100% colts for the 3 babies here
Hereje: 21 fillies, 25 colts for 54.35% colts
Chulo and Wanapum: 50/50 colts and fillies

Has Spring Sprung?

We keep being teased that spring is here and then a random day of snow as last Saturday or this morning, way cooler than yesterday. But we are close! And the mares seem to know it.

Reported last entry that Fantasia had a long legged filly. Well, Nia as we have shortened her name, is one of the real lovebugs ever--so calm and it is a beautiful thing to watch how kind, gentle and patient Fantasia is as a mom.

The day after St. Pat's, Hada (Pinturero x Sweet Life Beliza who I sold last year) had a feisty and athletic colt. Literally came out and up with perfect balance, able to rear and buck within minutes of birth and cute as can be. His owner is naming him Centenario and they will be here until we get Hada bred again. Congratulations Carlos!

Last night, Fantasia's and Destinada's full sister, Galaxia who belongs to Donna Deyoung, had a giant and big boned Gitano colt here. Donna spent the night and Galaxia, a first time mom, is doing great and the colt has the loveliest profile and like his full cousin, Nia, is a sweetheart. The personalities that Gitano throws are just something to behold.

Congrats to Terrye who bought Gema and her Gitano colt last year. This year Gema had a Gitano filly. And a shout out to Karen in Oklahoma who bought Enebrina who had an Hereje colt--the last I heard the little speedster may be named Apollo after our US speed skater.

Other fun is that Lexie brought Luna H and Jiga H back to breed. It is more than wonderful to get to see our babies years later and growing up. Jiga is her mom over (Incauta) in personality and conformation with daddy (Hereje)'s head and will be bred to Wanapum. Luna is built more like momma (Enebrina) but really wow movement like dad (Remate) and will be bred to Gitano. Lexie's Esplendida (a full sister to Chulo) had a black filly this spring so Lexie is well on her way to becoming a babymaking and baby having machine!

Other great news is that Ibiza is confirmed back in foal to Gitano. Her Gitano colt this year is just what you hope to produce--size, hair, personality, color--the whole package and everyone who sees him, wants him though I sold him at just a few days of age. So having another one from this aging mare is such a gift.

Also bred Dehesa to Wanapum, Gentileza to Gitano, Nicole to Chulo, Conesa back to Wanapum for hopefully a carbon copy of Nacar and Isabelina back for 3rd year in a row to Hereje. Her first two, Mariska and Nastia are so different from one another but each wonderful so will keep making those although temptation is to try Gitano one year as Isa can throw color. It is so hard not to fall into the color trap even though all I care about is making the best baby possible and love the greys as much or more than the bay or black ones.

Mariska leaves for Oregon next week to her home and it sounds like Nydia will be heading to California soon. Nicodemo will go to South Carolina the end of April. Great for these N babies to go to their permanent homes as we've weaned the fall babies and need room for the new arrivals.

Next to foal, I predict, will be Flama, but boarder Maizie may sneak in. The first time moms are sometimes a little harder to predict--Maizie's will be the first half iberian here in a while and great fun to see as by Urucum, the stunningly wonderful chestnut lusitano that was here for a while before he found his permanent home in Michigan. With each one coming, there is some reason that he or she is the most special one ever!

No sleep so kind of punchy but happy, as always, in my favorite time of year. When the clouds part and rain stops, I'll get photos to make these blog entries a little more interesting.

I love St. Patrick's Day!

This is at least the 3rd or maybe 4th St. Patrick's Day where we have had a new life join us. Fantasia had a cutie pie of a filly this afternoon out in the pasture. I could express milk this morning but felt like she'd deliver tonight, so we put Fancy outside on a glorious day and shortly after lunch, she decided to deliver a tall and especially sweet filly. I started looking at Irish names (i.e. Maghnus, a St. Patty Day baby two years ago), but am instead drawn to another mythologic name: Ourania--probably shortened to Nia around here--a goddess/muse and the name meaning "heavenly".

Other good news is I have had two baby inquiry calls today alone so hoping spring will bring a flood of much needed buyers after a quiet winter.

We have weaned 5 of the fall babies and they are doing well with the coming yearling bunch, a couple of which will be heading to their permanent homes in the next month or two. Nemo and Nicodemo were gelded last week and doing well. I love geldings!

And yes, the rumors are true--I am putting my paradise/home for sale in the next month or so when I can get the yard and everything as ship-shape as I can. I laugh when people are emailing me asking if I am selling all the horses. If you know me, could I possibly sell all the horses? I cannot imagine life without them and so no, no, no--I am NOT getting out of the horse business but looking toward downsizing both the overhead and work of this big place and big house for something more manageable. I simply can't afford this place and know I'll find somewhere where the horses will be serene and happy that will be a huge relief from stress for me.

I won't start looking for a new place until this one sells as one can never predict how long or quickly that might happen. For sure, we'll stay as close by as possible as I love the Denton area and need to stay reasonably close for Valente's wife's work and lots of other reasons.

So as the green (mostly weeds) pops out, babies born, a real sense of new beginnings on many levels. Today, I am especially grateful to Fantasia for treating us to a wonderful filly.