We had two blissfully warm and sunny days on Monday and Tuesday, and the mornings are beginning to taste a little like summer. Today, though, the wind is back with a vengeance. At least it's light now when I go out at 6am, and I can normally squeeze in a 5pm ride even though I finish wrapping legs and checking haynets in the dark.
The weekend was cold and windy, though. No one rode, but I spent some extra time with old Skye. I'm feeling sorry for her now that Magic is in hospital, although she doesn't really seem to mind being on her own - she has neighbors just over the fence. Still, she gets extra carrots (which she likes) and hugs (which she doesn't).
She's doing incredibly well this winter. Definitely a condition point or two lighter than she was in the summer, but holding her weight better than last year, and not doing too badly for a 33-year-old horse with no functional teeth. Her only complaint remains her old right knee. She trots sound, but when she takes her morning nap, she keeps her right leg up in front of her instead of tucking it under. The old knee just can't bend enough for that anymore. I watched her getting up from a nap on Saturday, though, and it was effortless - so that's all good.
Sunday morning was spent cuddling and watching Heartland, and life doesn't get a whole lot better than that on this side of eternity.
Thunder's leg blew up huge and hot on Saturday, but it's gone down nicely since then. At this point I can't tell if there is still a little swelling or if I'm imagining things (I do that). I'm still icing and poulticing away, so we'll maybe trot him up today and see how he is.
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| Thunder in ice boots feat. chunky monkey Lancey. Also shout-out to Thunder for standing still in the paddock with ice boots on, you're a legend |
The kiddos definitely made the most of the lovely weather on Monday and Tuesday. This Appaloosa, who very loyal readers might remember as Jamaica, and his rider are hard at work preparing for their provincials. It's been really fun to pull out all the stops in his management and training.
There's just something about being a kid on a horse under an African sky.
The pregnant fairies are getting steadily more pregnant. I have them on a stud feed now to support them as they're all officially into their last trimester, but they're looking great - fatter than normal for the end of winter. I normally let the Nooities and crossbreds lose a few condition points in the winter (they come out of summer borderline obese) but this year I'm keeping the mares chunky in anticipation of lactating.
Arwen is 217 days today and has passed the "glowing with pregnancy" stage and entered the "breathing fire with pregnancy" stage. Woe betide any of her friends who come within reach of her hind feet.
All signs of grumpiness magically disappear at the mention of treats, though, and she's her cuddly self with me. Just. Don't anger the pregnant dragon, lol.
It's only two months before we start to meet our babies - beginning with two Friesian mares in October. One of them is stressing me out by developing an udder at only 270 days, but her tests and scans are normal, so now we just wait for her to cook that baby till it's done.
In Friesian news, it turns out that I get to go to SA Champs after all - just not on one of my boys (certainly not after Magic and Thunder chose to conspire against my bank account this month). This beauty and I will be doing the Prelim, and one of the others will be doing the Novice. I'm actually relieved that my first SA Champs will be at levels that I am extremely comfortable with. It's a whole week of competition and I am SO SO SO excited! (Also honoured, blessed, and deeply grateful). 💜
This cutie was convinced that this little angel had some nice treats for him in the jar she's carrying. He was sadly mistaken, but I did have treats for him, don't worry.
This colt is not yet a year old and already just gorgeous. I keep waiting for them to get the weanling uglies, but they just don't. A testimony to the impeccable management and individual attention these horses really do get here. I'm learning so much!
I mean, can you believe this is a nine-month-old colt at the end of his first winter? And honestly I'm not even feeding him any grain. It's so nice to have a scale here, too, so I can weigh them every month and check that they're not growing too fast. They just step right up on onto it and stand there like the good little boys they are.
Rounding off this post with Noah's adorable little blep after he woke up from a deep sleep on my lap last night. If you like photos and videos of adorable animals, I post daily media of our pets (3 x doggos, goosey, cats, piggies, many bantams) on their Instagram diary, @thesadlermenagerie.
Going through Scripture chronologically continues to be a HUGE blessing in my life right now. I've reached 2 Kings 24-25, where the Jews are carried off into exile in Babylon. A lot of the minor prophets that we tend to just skip over at the end of the Old Testament (like Habakkuk and Micah) were writing around this time and it is so powerful to experience their words in context with the history. Jeremiah, too, is very powerful, and this puts his Lamentations into perspective so much. The Lord's great wrath and holiness are awe-inspiring, but His ferocious and unfailing love shines on every page.
God is good!
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