First of all we got the hay in! This is the best feeling every year and, with a bumper harvest this year, we are very happy. No sooner had we filled both barns and the heavens opened and down came the rain. Perfect timing!! 712 bales of hay off around 6 acres is a very good yield - we could not be happier and the hay is absolutely beautiful stuff. We are now all set for winter and have enough to be able to sell a couple of hundred bales to help us pay the contractor.
I was beginning to feel a bit like the breeding season had stalled with mares doing funny things in their cycles and nobody getting in foal but in the last few days we have had a positive scan to Hooty (a full brother or sister to TF Ailbhe mac Brennan) and two trips to SYENZ for collecting resulting in one positive pregnancy and, hopefully, another in the next fortnight. Tinks was teased today and is not showing any signs of coming back into season and Bernie, Maddy and the lovely TB mare who won the Free Breeding competition have all been bred. Maude (Fantasy - Kingsway Diamond x Jay's Charm) has been leased for an in utero foal to Brennan and will be scanned on Monday to see where she is in her cycle and make sure she is still a good breeding prospect and Maddy, Bernie and Tinks will be scanned to check their pregnancy status - Fingers crossed firmly for a pile of positive results!
Now that the hay has been cut, I have been able to move the horses around a bit and Ailbhe, Hooty, Maddy and Ronan are sharing a couple of paddocks - So much fun to watch the stand off between foals (and Mare and foal in the case of Maddy and Ailbhe). Finally Maddy has relaxed enough to allow the two foals to hang out in close proximity so it is really just a case of waiting for Ronan to build up the courage to accept Ailbhe's advances and play.
We have a new house guest too, a lovely young German woman called Kirsi - She is proving to be a great help around the place.
Less positive news is that Brennan has been scratched from the Wairarapa Championships this weekend due to a unresolved case of greasy heel. I am sure he will be absolutely fine (vet coming tonight just in case) but I won't take him out if he is not 100% and he is just not right on a circle on the right rein. He is a young stallion and he will have many more chances to attend this and other competitions in the future. Hopefully we will be able to get him right in time for the autumn HT season so he can go to a couple of one day events - now THAT will be fun!!!!
I have also been spending a bit of time at my friend Louisa's taking photos of the young horses and stallions. They are planning a big sale late March with some lovely horses with super breeding so, if you are in the market for a nice youngster, keep an eye on the blog and I will add more details as and when I can.
