Lots of learning done!

Apache Dreamer is now three days old and learning all the time.
Thank goodness for webcams as we would miss so much of his new talents otherwise.
He had his first experience of “Outside” on Tuesday for an hour. We have fenced off the little grassed area next to the chicken house, so its not too far for him to walk but enough for him to run around mum and she can enjoy some spring grass.
He learnt to climb on some tiny rocks, taste grass, chase chickens and see Aunty Poppy in the field below them.
Twiggy is proving to be a very good mum, after the first 24 hours of having a very sore udder, today she isnt so bothered by his bumping is head on it and vigorously feeding, her tummy is going back nicely and everything seems ok with her which is marvellous.
Yesterday he learnt what electric tape does!!!!! he didnt like the fact it bit him!!! lol but after him going through the tape and panicking mum we felt he needed to learn! now he is respecting it!

For those of you wanting to see his dad here are two pics of him, one was taken last year and the other is of him as a baby in UK

His Mum was born in the USA and this is one of her as a baby.

The First Spanish Mustang to be born in France has arrived!

Apache Dreamer made his appearance at 7.10pm and it was a very normal, simple birth. I only had to help get his head and shoulders out and then Twiggy managed the rest.
He is the image of his dad but has the troubleshooter eyeliner.

we are getting there

Well yesterday there was a marked change in Twiggys temprement and udder.
We moved the 3 amigos onto their spring grazing on the chasse land and then let Twiggy and Pops through onto the land behind the house for some well needed grazing. Twiggy spent a couple of hours on the grass then came home and stood around watching the family harrowing the paddock they were in. She was stamping her hind legs and generally looking unhappy, I didnt even need to headcollar her to bring her in a tea time, she just walked straight on up to her stable.
Her hind legs are now very uncomfortable, they appear to be “weak” but it is normal in some mares for this to happen and it does mean foaling is going to be soon.
This was her udder yesterday morning.

Twiggy’s udder is forming nicely, this was the udder on 14th March and the other from 27th Feb.

She is very uncomfortable now and although having her feet trimmed on Sunday she still walks carefully, so it is the weight that is causing her discomfort.
She now has a fetish for washing her bucket…. she will spend hours washing it all over, bottom and sides….guess this is the maternal instinct coming out.

Things are progressing nicely

Foaling countdown

Well the time has finally arrived, Prairie Breeze (aka Twiggy) and Poppy are now in the stables at night getting ready for foaling.
Poor old Twiggy is feeling the strain now, she is slow and lethargic and just stands around sleeping alot! Poppy is still the same although now HUGE!
Thanks to our good friend Carl from www.ineedaholidaytoo.com and his wife Jacqui we now have a webcam installed in the stable to watch Twiggy at night without disturbing her but I suspect she will hang on until the weather warms up a bit from the weekend, I hope so anyway as the windchill is still in the minus figures.
She has started to form an udder now which is how we judge the imminence of the foal. We have decided (this could change!) that the new addition to the herd will be called Apache Dreamer…. watch this space as they say.
Meanwhile we have had 3 enquiries for viewings for the property, wouldnt it be so good if we could move to a smaller house with more land for the herd, I love this house and it is perfect for a family with a couple of ponies or horses but not suitable for 10 which is what we will have next winter if the foals havent gone by then!
Watch this blog for regular updates on the mares foalings.
Bye for now.