Random stuff

Alii (Light Spirits x Red Alarm) arrived last weekend for Hamish and has been running with him and Libby ever since. Libby is a regular 'Piggy-in-the-Middle' and insists that Hamish must go through her before getting anywhere near Alii. Poor Hamish has been seeing quite a lot of Libby's back feet! But, Alii came into season yesterday and it seems that Hamish's perseverance is paying off and hopefully she will be going home carrying a baby Hamish in the coming weeks.

It's sun cream time of the year again and I have three white noses that need attending to on a regular basis - they are of course at opposite ends of the property! Meg is desperate for attention as per usual so practically puts it on herself. Robbie pretends he hates it but it's just because he's a boy and boys hate their mothers washing their faces don't they. And Maxi is very well behaved unless he sees the pottle in my hand, in which case he likes to self-exercise himself for a few minutes, hehe.

Ata and 'The Gingernut' (God, any ideas for names, please let us know - I am sure his owner would be grateful and I can't keep calling him The Gingernut for ever!) are doing well. So lovely having babies here. Maude is in the maternity ward so that we may await the arrival of her baby, due 28 November. Exciting!

Today's photos are just randoms I took this morning when doing my rounds ...

Rob slathered in zinc

Noses are whiskery

What is so funny huh?!

Apricot Baby Unfolds

and unfolds nicely too! :)

Cheeky!Pretty

Hungry

Sweet

Inquisitive

Very pretty

and definitely apricot flavoured ...

We welcome another new life into the world

At 5:18am this morning my beautiful Bella gave birth to a corker of a chestnut colt - Super text book birth apart from Bella sustaining a bit of a tear. He came out with no assistance and fast!!!! He has gone from strength to strength and was definitely running before he could walk (first forward movement appeared to be canter rather than walk, haha!). I can sit here in my office and watch them through the window and he's doing a pretty good job of getting the hang of things out there. Bella passed the placenta beautifully about half an hour after he arrived and he's passed the meconium with relative ease. It's an absolute stunner of a morning here with bright sunshine peeking up over the hilltops and bathing the farm in a golden glow. Mornings like this it's great to be alive. Anyway, rather than blather on, I will leave you with the first photos of Reilly's most recent son.

Welcome to the world

Stimulation Ouch!Where's that milk bar? Upsy daisyHowdy! Not quite up yetMummy kisses More Mummy kisses

More Irish Babies...

Maude and Hooty are both to be re-bred this season - Yay! I am so happy to have been able to arrange breeding leases for both of my lovely girls. I hate to see them wasted so this is the perfect compromise for me when I am not really in a position to breed them myself.

Maude will be bred back to Hamish for another full sibling to Malteser, Rafferty and Liath (and half sibling to Aine) - The woman who bought Rafferty off me loves him so much, she wants another! Can't really get any better endorsement than that.

Hooty is to be bred to Coalmans Touch so Rory will hopefully have a full brother or sister on the way in a few weeks. Hooty's first scan is on the 20th so, finger's crossed she will be successfully inseminated a few days later.

Today's photos are of TF Rafferty (newly under saddle), Bella (in foal to Reilly and due 2nd November) and, of course, 'pin-up' boy Ata. Bella has also been out on lease and came home recently to foal. She's having a great time keeping us all waiting!

Rafferty

Bella and her belly

Raff

Ata givin' it some!

Baby photos

Here's the wee boy today - Stretching his legs!