February 13, 2008
So we have officially broken the record for the amount of snowfall in one season. Well over 75 inches of the white stuff. We're close to 80 inches now. Everyone is making guesses on the new record. I'm going for an even 100 inches.
So now with all-this-snow, I'm well versed in snow plowing with the tractor. Not that I wasn't before, but it seems now that I spend several HOURS a week on the tractor plowing our driveway. We seem to get a fresh batch of snow every 3 days or so. In fact, 2-4 predicted for tomorrow...
Tigger is still as fantastic as ever. Of course, between the winter storms and the -40 wind chills, I hardly seem to get out to ride him these days. Awaiting George, our saddler for antoher adjustment.
Not much else for now. We're going nuts with the snow.
October 9, 2007
So the weathermen say we will see 50- degrees by Monday. I hope NOT as I am not really prepared for the cold of winter just yet.
Had a nice summer, although it went far too fast. Foals were born, and some of the mares were re-bred. The inspections are over finally, and most of the foals are weaned from their mothers. I have one more foal to wean. The poor neighbors must hate us at this time of year, with all the screaming the mares and foals do.
Tigger is still as fantastic as ever. I had a lovely ride again last night. I admit the cooler weather has made riding more tolerable and less sweaty!
Not much else to say for now.
March 8, 2007
So the weathermen say we will see 50+ degrees by Monday! I hope so, the monotony of this cold weather and the snow is enough to drive one to drinking. I'm now in the familiar routine of waking early to feed the two mares in the foaling barn, trot out several bales of hay for the morning feed, back to the foaling barn to take the girls out for the day, and back yet one more time to quickly clean their stalls. All before 6am. Too early in my book, but I am blessed daily with the morning sunrise.
Had a super ride last night on Tigs. Greeted again with a loud whinny. We're both a bit out of shape, but I worked us both hard enough we were both hot, sweaty, tired, and quite pleased with ourselves by the end of the ride. He's coming along so nicely. Such a love.
George, our saddler, whom I adore because he works magic, was out last week and applied his mystical magical skills to our saddle, and again, voila, Tig's saddle is perfection again! We had a few moments to catch up on mutual acquaintances, especially Patti, whom I try to clinic with occasionally (not nearly often enough).
Had good news from Arizona from Marie, who owns Star Struck aka 'Rio.' A lovely set of emails with some photos of the boy against the Arizona mountains. He looks fantastic, as do the saguaro's and the AZ mountains! Eat you heart out.
Had a short ride on Tigger last night after my saddler adjusted the saddle. He was super considering he hasn't had much riding in the past 6 weeks. I love this horse, how can I not? He saw me coming slowly across the driveway (through the slop of wet snow), and he whinnied at me the entire way until I was opening his stall door. This is a horse that loves his people!! Of course that was a big guilt trip for me, as I haven't seen him regularly with the weather issues we've had.
Not much happening around here in the past few weeks. This past weekend we had a blizzard that dumped abuot 18" of snow on us. It wasn't the nice kind of snow either, it was the really heavy, wet kind, that gives you a heart attack shoveling it and caves in your roof. So I climbed out the window onto our side roof and spent an hour killing myself shoveling a few tons of it. We now have a 6' pile of snow around the west side of the house.
Replikah is very heavy in foal, and foal watch starts as soon as I can figure out how to get through the four foot drift that blocks the entrance to the foaling barn. My friend Paul was kind enough to come 2 weekends ago and wire in my new 2kV infrared heater for one of the foaling stalls! I'm ready for cold weather!
I can't say I've ridden more than 5 times in the past 6 weeks. Depressing, but I'm not into exercising outside when it's -30F. Not healthy for the lungs or any part of your body. Then the snows came, and haven't really stopped. Tonight we expect a 'wintry mix' which will turn to rain for 2 days. Rain on top of 20" of snowpack. Good stuff.
So this year I will be foaling out 6 mares. My 5 and Kim's mare Maggie is back this spring to foal out again. She foaled here last spring, a big strapping colt. I bought a Sprint PCS data card so this year, I can stream the barn cams online and hopefully have some help with foal watch. Watch the News page for the link and we will also be discussing the cams and foalings on my forum. Everything is set up, I just need to figure out how to access the barn, it's a bit snowed in.
Things are fairly quiet this time of year. Babalou left for his new home in South Carolina about six weeks ago. I miss him, he was such a wonderful colt.
Replikah is nicely in foal, and hard to believe but due in about 3 months! She looks like she's waddling now, but she still fits through the stall doors! The other mares still look 'normal' so my only clue to their slowing expanding bellies was when I went to put Lola's winter blanket on. She hadn't worn it in a year, and I had to lengthen the belly straps all the way as she has a baby belly this year! You wouldn't know it to just look at her, but she's getting quite a tummy. Ripley is looking pregnant, as she's due shortly after Replikah. The others are still hiding it reasonably well.
I am having so much fun riding Tigger. He has such fantastic movement and he loves to work. I am so surprised that no one has bought him, but at least I get to continue to ride him and have fun.
Okay, so I have been remiss in not updating this blog for well over a year. Oopps!
Well let's see what has happened since then. Star Struck sold early this summer and moved to AZ. We have a full sibling coming next year. Cece got in foal last year, the only one to do so, and she had a stunning colt that I named Babalou. He was Premium at his GOV inspection. Replikah had caught in foal to Rosentanz but lost it at 45 days. Bummer man. No one else got in foal last year either. Ripley shut down. I think it was our drought. 4 months of no rain really messes with the mares.
So last year, Replikah had a colt, Star Struck, as I had said. Ripley had a colt, Soxx (see my shocked post below), now living in PA and called Skyliner. Grace had a filly that I named Lyrical. She's a beauty. Sarah's mare kellie had a filly that night that was named Cantanea but we called her Midnight in the barn. She's sold to a lovely jumper rider here in WI.
I have Tigger started under saddle, and he is FABULOUS to ride. What a gem he is. I would love to keep him, but I really cannot.
I sold Willow last fall to a couple from MN. They adored her. I use the past tense because unfortunately she colicked and was euthanized on the operating table. *cry*
ALL the mares are in foal for next year. That's FIVE foals coming next year! OMG! I have a lovely dutch mare on lease from a friend, so she makes #5. I tried and tried to breed Grace with frozen both last year and this spring, and gave up and bought a fresh contract and she is of course, in foal.
So that's the jist of things. We finally cut the second crop of grass hay yesterday. Yes, in October. Would have liked to have cut about 4 weeks ago, but it's been raining every other day for SIX WEEKS now!
The craptastic freezing-rainy season is just around the corner. Oh joy. Days of pouring rain in 30-degree weather. Thank GOD all the stalls are done, stained (arrggg!!) and the floors are matted, doors are done, etc. I have enough stalls for everyone with room to spare.
Well, if you want to catch up with the current events here, you probably should go read our news page, from the bottom up.
June 7, 2005
Holy crap. I walked out to feed this morning and found Ripley had foaled. 2 weeks early, with no warning, a small bag, no wax, no major indications. So she foaled on the shavings and not straw, unattended. I think I stared into the stall with my jaw on the floor for about 5 minutes. I was just shocked. Can we say SNEAKY MARE!? Two, count em, two weeks early!
So he's a boy, and a pinto to boot. Darling, exquisit head and neck, mostly bay with some white in the appropriate places (neck, butt, shoulder, tail and legs). He has the WILDEST markings on his legs. He is POLKA DOTTED. Yes. He is. I'm not fooling. Go see him on Ripley's page if you don't believe me. From what I hear, this is kinda rare, especially as high and as many dots as he has. Very KEWL!
June 6
Kick ass. Yes that was my clinic yesterday with Patti. She worked the snot out of us and we had a blast! Schooled straightness, then moved to the lateral movements of shoulder in, haunches in, renvers. Fun fun fun!
May 31
Well Replikah checked in foal to Rosentanz! I never got around to ordering the Rodioso in time for breeding. We were going to go with Royal Dance but they 'lost' it in their tanks, so we switched to Rosentanz. I'm excited!
Cece is being bred as we speak. I'll pick her up tomorrow. She's been bred to Balou de Rouet.
April 28
Well I'm sitting at work now waiting to get done so I can get home. Sarah's mare Kellie is waxed and ready to foal, hopefully tonight at a reasonable time. I was very surprised this morning to bed down and check her, as I've been doing now for 2+ weeks, and low and behold, major wax! So, fingers crossed for a lovely Cantour foal shortly!
The boys did fine with their gelding. Neither one had any trouble. What a relief.
Stalls are 90% done. I'm in the process of staining. Oh lucky me - I hate to stain. Let me re-emphasize that. I HATE TO STAIN. Dispise it. Would rather stick needles under my nails. I detest the mere throught of staining. I spent 2 hours last night with this task, and made a minimal dent in what needs to be done. Once it is done, then I have to re-level the floors and consider matting the stalls. But in a storm situation, all the stalls are usable - unless I've recently been through with the stain can. Did I mention how much I love to stain? *sigh* Hey, maybe Sarah can help with stain tomorrow while we take turns playing with the new foal! *muh ha ha ha ha ha!!*
I think I"m going to buy Replikah some Rodioso frozen semen. If I get it through WBNA, I get a really good deal, so I can buy her 4 doses of really excellent quality frozen. We'll see if she'll get in foal while nursing this year.
April 7
Yeah yeah yeah. Shit I know. I've been bad and haven't kept this thing up to date. Oh well. Lots of crap going on. Was dating someone for a while, but it didn't work out. I'll just say one thing and leave it at that:
Well, and also: 
which is his new nickname. *heh* Yes, I know, very mature. 
Great news! Replikah foaled 2 days ago. A fantastic black bay colt by Stedinger. He's so gorgeous. It rained so they have yet to make it out of their stall. Soon tho. I'm naming him Star Struck HF. He has the most amazing shoulder and topline! And OMG those cute little ears!! Boy I can't wait to see him move. Now I need a barn name for him. Hmmmm. Suggestions?? See him on our news page or our sales page.
Next news is Sarah emailed me to see if I'd make room for Kellie as her momma pasture mate was sold and suddenly there wasn't going to be a buddy for the baby, so I dashed down last weekend and picked her up. She's due very early May but is already got a bag, so we'll see if it comes late April. Then I got a call from my friend Tracy asking if I could take her mare, plus I already have Kim's mare Maggie coming in around June/July. I had to say no to Tracy for now as I just don't have the space. So we have 6 mares foaling this year! (Well, Replikah already foaled, so it's down to 5 now). And today I just received ANOTHER email from a woman I met an inspection asking me to take HER mare in for breeding & boarding. Geez I need more pasture and more stalls!
Ripley looks pregnant. The others I'm not so sure - Grace and Willow aren't due until July so they still have time to 'show.'
I'm so excited by this Stedinger foal that I'm thinking the 2 more doses I bought just aren't enough. I'm nuts I think. I may have to buy more. Read the March 9 entry for my list of what I have bought. I know - I am crazy.
I need to sell some youngsters! With all these mares foaling, we'll be up to our eyeballs in horses. Come on, ya know you want to buy one of these handsome guys!
We gelded Hollywood and Bruiser today. It went perfect. As I type they are relaxing in the big mare & foal stalls for the day. Tomorrow they can go back to play.
We're working on finishing the last 5 stalls in the barn. I"m torn between trying to mat the stalls and trying to get my 5 acres fenced for additional pasture space!! If someone would buy a horse, I think I could get them both done. *sigh*
March 9
My bad. I"ve been absent from updating this blog. Busy girl I guess. Replikah is due to foal in the next 4 weeks. I can hardly wait. I'm still trying to decide who is going to be bred to whom this year. I bought a bunch of doses of frozen semen from Yancey Farms: Stedinger, Rosentanz, Fidertanz, Balou de Rouet, Abke; plus I have doses in my tank from Royal Dance, Harvard, and my boy Indy. Ripley will go to Abke unless she's leased. Haven't heard anything back so for now, my plan is to breed her. For Willow I go back and forth between Royal Dance and Stedinger. Now I'm leaning for Royal Dance (Rohdiamant - Donnerhall). Grace will go most likely to Fidertanz by Fidermark for a Westfalen foal.
I'm toying with the idea of breeding Cece to Balou de Rouet - a hot young jumper by Baloubet de Rouet - Rodrigo Pessoa's Grand Prix World Cup and Olympic mount. Can you imagine the cross!? On the top of the pedigree you'd have Baloubet/Galoubet and Continue/Contender, and on the bottom side you 'd have Coriander/Coriolan (Coriolan a successful jumper) and Landadel - sire of numerous show jumpers! What a cross! What a jumper it would be, and WOW it would be a phenominal mover too!
January 21
I'm not sure what the deal is but my blog page has gone missing from the server. So I will have to pull the copy off my home computer and merge it with this one.
I'm considering dates for the girls for next year. I"m thinking, right now, Stedinger for Willow. I have his new video and he's HUGE. Glad I bred him to Replikah and not Grace! Speaking of Rep, she's due in 3 months! The baby has been very active lately. I'm considering a youngster named Abke for Ripley, although i have someone who may do an on-farm lease. For Grace I am stumped. She is producing very large horses, so I have to watch the size of the stallions. There's a youngsters with super bloodlines, Fidertanz, by Fidermark (a Florestan I son). The Florestan seems to nick with her as her 2 Freestyle fillies are fantastic. And this guy is smaller, about 16.1.
December 27
Merry Christmas! We had a nice holiday here in WI. It finally is warming up. Slowly, but it is warming up. I hadn't ridden or seen Cece since Tuesday. It was too miserable! However I drove out on Saturday to wish her a merry christmas, and let her romp in the little indoor. She loved it, showing me her big fancy trot and huge canter. She had a blast galloping circles around me, then running up to me for a kiss and a peppermint. I rode her Sunday and again today, and she's been fantastic. Our Patti clinic was so worth the headache that the day brought, as we've progressed in huge leaps and bounds.
Sad news. Our friend Ken's father passed away last week from cancer. Our condolences to the family. How horrible for Christmas.
The cold snap last week had me bringing most of the horses in for the night. The colts are SO HAIRY! They look like yaks. Lots and lots and lots of hair. So much hair you can hardly distinguish body parts! I knew we were in for a long winter!
December 22
Wowzers it's cold out. We were supposed to get some snow this week. Nothing. Just a dusting. What a rip. I woke up to the radio guy saying it was zero degrees outside. Now that will make you really want to jump out of bed and go outside and feed, right? The ground is frozen solid like concrete. It's miserable. Winter has arrived (officially yesterday, by the way).
Cece's been super since our clinic. She's trying hard to please and is figuring things out. Pam has ridden her twice. We were supposed to jump Cece twice, but last Friday there were too many people in the ring, so I gave her an impromtu flat lesson. It went super, and they both are on the same page now. Last night Pam jumped her, and Cece was the best she's ever been with Pam over fences.
So the weather gurus say we should see wind chills on Christmas Eve, the will dip down to 20- and 30-below. Nice. That's just lovely. I cannot wait.
Speaking of Xmas, I think I have my shopping done. Thank goodness. Hate it. Got my nephews some fun toys.
December 13
Cece and I had a clinic with Grand Prix trainer Patti Becker, whom I have known for 4 years. Patti was the trainer at Evegreen for the first 9 months I was there, and put in a few months of training on Daxx for me. She now trains at Fireside Farm.
The day was not without incident. Cece broke the ramp on my trailer so we couldn't get her there. I drove over to the farm to let them know, and arranged transport and a new ride time. We took my trailer to the repair shop and dropped it off. While we were waiting at the barn, friends came and offered us their trailer, so we loaded up Cece and just as I went to get into the truck, I heard a tire with the familiar 'hissssssssss' of a soon-to-be flat. We hurried over to drop Cece off (only a mile away) and I called my father to come rescue me. 4 hours later the flat was fixed.
The clinic itself went well, despite the constant wind and frequent 50 - 60 mph gusts that made the barn shake and humm. Cece was a bit rattled but my constant stroking soon encouraged her, and we had a good ride. Patti rode for several minutes to understand some of the issues we were having. It was a good clinic and Cece has lots of homework to look forward to.
Last night the wind was horrid. The power lines along B & Mahoney were hitting each other throughout the night, sending huge blue electric 'lightening' streaks and knocking our power each time. Most of the time the power flashed back on, but around 11:30pm it happened 4xs in a row so the reclosers shut down the grid and we were without power. I got no sleep.
Roo now has his own page.
December 10
Another good ride on Cece last night. She has today off, to rest for the clinic. I'll give her a spin tomorrow, hopefully she'll be good and I can have a short ride.
What a miserable week for weather. Rain, rain, rain. The mud is the worst it's been ever. I can't believe the puddles. Horses are in again tonight. Freezing rain turning to snow.
Rode the Nordic track again. I'm so sore now the stairs are painful. And yes, I'm a whiner. But I don't see YOU on the nordic sweating your butt off!
I have to go shopping tomorrow. I haven't gotten anyone ANYTHING yet for Christmas. I have NO idea what to get anyone. Suggestions?
December 8
Nice ride last night on Cece, which is good because two nights ago she was a total freak. One of the girls at the barn said she'd never heard me cuss so much. I replied that's because she smashed me up against the wall twice - I thought I might break my leg, and of course, it was my right leg. Don't need more scars on that leg than I already have! I ended up getting off, lunging her for 5 minutes (she I could tell her she was good), then I untacked her and let her run around. She was WILD. The idiots at the barn had watered the ring and got it TOO wet, and she fell. So I doped her up with some bute. But last night, she was so good. I took it easy not knowing if she'd be ouchy from her spill, but she was really good. We quit early as she was a) good, and b)I was worried about her spill.
The rain has been horrid. We have SO much standing water. The mud is so bad it will suck your boots off. Last night I turned the colts back out as they were in during the worst of the rain. Their pasture isn't as bad as the mare pasture. I kept the mares in until this morning. They were not amused at being thrown back out in the mud this morning.
I haven't been on the nordic track the past 2 nights. I had some trouble with the MBG site, so I had to completely re-load it. It took 2 hours (dial up - we're in the sticks). Hopefully the problem is cured.
I have a page up now for Hollywood. Roo is the last one, I guess, to get a page. Hollywood's page needs more work, but for now it will do.
So the USEF and USDF have started with their year end awards. Well, USDF has. USEF apparently has a different cut-off date for 'points' and therefore the list has changed repeatedly in the past 4 days! Why the interest? Well, it's for the mbg site. It's driving me batty, but I'll survive. Nice to see right now that Opus, whom Willow is in foal to, leads the Dressage Breeding Sire's list.
The Last Samurai was on again last night. I didn't watch. Instead, PBS was showing John Denver, the Wildlife Concert. *sigh* What a loss, his death. I remember seeing him here in Madison, when I was very young. He did a concert in the round at the coluseum. It was my first concert, and I just loved him even back then. Really a super song writer and musician.
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there, I do not sleep
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints of snow
I am the sunlight on the ripened grain
I am the gentle Autumn's rain
When you awaken in morning's hush
I am the swift, uplifting rush...
of quiet birds in circled flight
I am the soft stars that shine at night
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there...
I did not die.
December 6
I hate the weather in Wisconsin this time of year. It's cold, and raining. We have mud everywhere. It's not cold enough for snow, so it rains and rains, so I have to bring in the horses. Snow they can handle, cold rain they cannot. It's foggy out too. To our north and south, there has been snow. We have had about 2 flakes. My pastures look terrible. The horses must be sick of wading through the mud. I know I am.
I need to make individual pages for my colts. I've done Bruiser's page but none of the others. I guess I better get to it.
December 5
Super ride on Cece today. I switched her bit back to the french link, and brought out my smaller dressage saddle, which currently fits her better than the my other saddle. Squishes my big butt, but I will survive. I worked her for about 45 minutes, and at the end, she was fantastic. Coming through from behind, and swinging nice across her back. Boing boing boing. She got complements from those in the ring with us. Good filly. One week until the Patti clinic.
Did I mention how SORE I am from the Nordic? Ugg. Reminds me of running track in high school. I couldn't walk up the stairs without yelping in pain. It's not that bad, but at least I know it's doing some good, I hope.
December 4
My friend Sue came up from Kenosha for a MBG BoD meeting and a meeting with our accountant. There's always something to do....
Rode Cece. She was not good today. Maybe tomorrow. We have a Patti clinic next weekend. Better get our act together.
I started on the Nordic Track this past Monday. 45 minutes per day. Boy can you work up a great sweat. Reminds me of when I ran track in high school. I didn't do it today as I am so, so sore. Feels good tho. Did I mention how sore I am? I have no idea if my physical therapist would approve of it as proper therapy for my knee, but it doesn't hurt, so I do it. Better than running for sure.
Watching The Last Samurai tonight. Good movie. When I was a freshman in high school I read Shogun, and have really been facinated by the samurai. Very beautiful. I remember picking up some of the simple words, neh? Their committment to honour, courage, and faith is wonderful. I'm facinated by their suicide ritual. Facinating, but really creepy.
Speaking of books, I think the best book I've read lately, which means about 3 years ago, was Beaches. Love it. Very enriched with side stories that really help you to know the characters. And no, it's not the same story as the movie with Bette Midler in it.
December 1, 2004
Okay, so I decided to start a blog/journal/rambling page. Seems like the thing to do these days. We'll see how long it takes me to abandon this project.
If you've read my news page you already know in November I made a trip to Cincinatti to attend, among other things, the final days of the Federation Stallion Performance Testing at Paxton Farm. As a former stallion owner, it was really interesting. I'm not sure if I could send a horse for the full test. While the testing has dramatically improved since it's inception in the 80s, there are still areas that need improvement in my eyes. The short test is a great option for stallion owners, although probably considerably more expensive, having to provide the trainer, the housing for the trainer, plus the fee to the Federation for the test. This year 6 stallions were in the short test (not to include the ponies, who come for the short test but are ridden and trained by the testing staff). 4 of the 6 passed, on par with the number of stallions who participated in the full test (19), where 3 stallions failed.
Paxton was amazing. A lovely facility. It's fun to see how people lay out their property,their barn(s), arenas, pastures. They have 2 indoors at the ends of the aisles. Lovely offices, viewing rooms. Nice!
While there for the weekend, we had quite the party (thursday night). Really, really fun to meet so many people. My friends and I skipped the 'official' Friday night party and instead hit the mall for some fun and relaxation.
Hopefully, I'll do it all over again in 2 years.