WE DID IT!!!

Something amazing and miraculous has happened! I can't hardly believe that I am writing this out for real.... but WE DID IT!!! The Bay Girl fund has literally reached $999!!

And who am I kidding, saying WE did it.... YOU did it!! You, my excellent and beautiful and wonderful and kind and caring readers did it!! We need to have a special club for you guys or something... Bay Girl's Girls? Bay Girl's Guardian Angels? Mimosas all around for everybody!

I shouldn't celebrate too prematurely, because obviously I still need to call and make the offer on her. Nothing is certain until papers have exchanged hands, and no one knows that better than I do... but I can't not be excited!!

And now, it REALLY is time to pick a new name for my sweet love. I had almost decided to stick with "Bay Girl," just because of the history behind it and all that it implied, but I feel as though it doesn't really even work now that she isn't just "bay" anymore (rabicano is special after all!). As you guys are the ones responsible for her upcoming rescue, I want you guys to weigh in on a new name. Here are just some of the ones I've had floating around in my head:

Agatha
Gizelle
Mona
Scarlett
Estelle
Beatrix
Kitty
Renata
Portia
Trellis
Jolene

Somehow, I don't really feel as any of them actually FIT her, you know? The name needs to be simple, elegant, beautiful, and gentle. Some of those names are too sharp, too complex, too racy for her.

I did have one pop into my head that I am absolutely in love with: Love. It really does seem to fit - it is beautiful, simple, and hopelessly overused and misunderstood except by those who really know it well. Nobody else seems to like the name but me, but that is the one I am leaning towards the hardest.



She says, THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Creep Feeding!

Hooray, the little monster is finally creep feeding!


Everyone begins their creep feeding process differently and at different times; at 3 months of age, the colt is starting a little bit later than usual but not actually late. Three months postpartum is around the time that milk production decreases, and foals start to rely more on solid foods rather than milk - although Elvis has of course been eating his mother's food and everything else he can get his mouth on for months now. It's just what babies do.

Having the colt around has all but completely ceased my work with Bay Girl. He is such an enormous pest that he gets into everything that I do and spends most of his time trying to chew on or jump on me. The problem with this is not the fact that he does this and gets a spanking when he misbehaves, but the fact that any sort of discipline I do scares Bay Girl to death. Any sort of fast movements, loud noises, or aggressive postures frighten her, and that is the absolute last thing I want. Oye, colts.

With weaning time moving ever closer (anywhere between 4-6 months, and I will guess it will be on the earlier side for Elvis), it is nearly time to make an offer on Bay Girl. If anyone wants to make any last minute donations, fire away!

Bay Girl says, please help bust me out of baby jail!!!

Picture of the Day

This happy nosey says quick, donate to my rescue cause :)

It's official, she's a rabicano!

Well, we can officially say that Bay Girl is now, erm.... Rabicano Girl? Ok, not really, but she IS rabicano for sure!



She says please help me, I am having a very bad hair day.



Much better. Also, that is her extremely exasperated face.... check out the red colt eating her lead rope. He is such a pest... it's hard to scold him when he chews on me or does something naughty, because it scares her to death whenever I make any sort of a bossy move at all, even if it is directed at him and not her.


Here's the rabicano proof up close!




Note the specific pattern of the white barring on her tail. That is classic rabicano. And if you look VERY closely - and trust me, I had to look closely too because I had never noticed it before now! - you can see the VERY subtle roaning on her flanks, right at the stifle/flank junction. Rabicano it is!



So far, the name "Bay Girl" has just stuck along with her, kind of as homage to her nameless past... but now that it doesn't even really accurately describe her anymore, I feel like it really is time to give her a new name. But I have no idea WHAT name!


Also, remember how I was describing the very, very, VERY saggy mom-belly? This is what I am talking about:



The anti-topline is obviously explainable, but the vast belly is a bit concerning. It is more vast than I would expect for a regular-sized mare who is currently nursing but is open... hmmm. Thoughts?