End of February Analysis; March Goals!

My favorite month is here!!! March is my birthday month, Shamrock Shake month, and the start of Deathstorm Season of course. Not that I enjoy the last part, but you know. 

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O-Ren February:

1) Continue to be a big fat relaxing preggo momma horse! 
Success! And, well, she is not preggo any longer!

2) Get her final pre-foaling shots
Success! Good timing too!

3) Make sure all foaling supplies are on hand!
Success! I wanted for nothing and had no problems. Easy!

Dylan February:

1) More lessons! More more more!
Success! I lessoned with Tarrin and Louisa regularly! I have more to write about that soon!

2) Continue putting together 3rd/4th level and Intermediate (WE) level dressage tests
Success! The Intermediate B test is basically the same as last year's Intermediate test so it's no biggie. 3rd level tests are also no biggie. 4th level tests are decidedly more confusing!

3) Show in the Heart of Texas WE show mid-month!
Success... sort of! I entered, I went, I did dressage, Dylan did awesome, we were sitting in 1st... and then O dropped a baby! So that was slightly disappointing to miss the rest of the show, but what can you do.

4) Make sure all paperwork and memberships are set for the start of the season! March is around the corner!
Success! I think anyway. USDF, USEF, IALHA, WEIAUSA, WE United, and the Confederation of Working Equitation are all squared away, including lease recordings and horse recordings. And now I'm broke forever. My god that was so much paperwork.

Pangea/Frank February:

1) Continue using them as pony animals for the babies
Success! Although I haven't been on Pmare. She was such a cow the last time I rode her that I haven't really wanted to get back on her until her teeth get done in March. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, but she was really a total monster the last time I rode her.

2) Otherwise, enjoy semi-retirement!
Success! Not hard to do!

Pax February:

1) Be ponied off P and Frank regularly
I ponied her less than I expected I would, but I did pony her off of both of them!

2) Go off property for adventures!
Success! We went to the vet and did not kill anyone, and we went along for one of Dylan's lessons, which I will write about shortly!

3) Continue wearing a bridle and doing general handling/baby school stuff!
Success! She is wearing her bridle well, and of course now that I have Potato's old bridle I have a show quality one that fits. She is leading well (pretty well) in the bridle. I ordered a Newmarket shank for her, as it's pretty clear I will not have control over her with something short like reins. I need to have something I can play out a bit in case we get to rearing and thrashing, as we usually do.

4) Send in entry for FEH in March!
Success! I actually sent off two, one to Meadowcreek and one to Texas Rose. And I found out Snowdonia is doing two FEH competitions too, one in April and one in I think June! Hooray! Althogh I suppose I will see what the judges think of her before I send off entires for any more. If they think she is garbage I won't bother. 

Zu February:

1) Continue lunging and start with more long lining!
Did not do this... just too much else going on! The mules are off duty for a bit while while I get the warmblood babies going, then in May they will be back on duty while the warmbloods get kicked out for the summer.

2) Ponies with P and Frank!
I have ponied him off of both of them now! He likes to go out with P, less so with Frank.

3) Toss him on the trailer whenever I take Dylan or anyone else off property! 
Now that I know that Pax can go off property without killing anyone, it's time to take Zoodle. Taking Pax with Dylan was kind of out of control, since he desperately wants to have sex with her, so I think taking Zoodle might be less crazy. 

Uma/Sriracha/Lendri February:

1) Continue general handling 1x week
Success! Everyone got roached again this month and handled a bit, but otherwise the mules are off duty for the moment.

2) Sriracha: Start back with lunging!
I decided it's just easier to have warmblood season and mule season - one group goes and then other has off, and vice versa! Warmblood babies are on right now, mules are off. They'll switch in May!

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O-Ren March:

1) Continue being a good momma horse!
2) Decide breeding plans for next year. The next baby is tentatively spoken for already!

Cregga March:
1) Continue learning about leading, brushing, picking up feet, etc
2) Get turned out into the big pasture!


Dylan March:

1) More lessons! As usual!

2) Continue putting together 3rd/4th level tests

3) Show in the Fort Worth Dressage Club Cowtown Dressage - our first USDF show together!
4) Finalize show plans, some of which have changed now that I bought a truck and have a large payment! 

Pangea/Frank March:

1) Continue using them as pony animals for the babies! Maybe go off property!

Pax March:

1) Go to Meadowcreek for the FEH! 
2) Try not to kill anyone/seriously embarrass myself at Meadowcreek
3) Go to Tyler for the FEH at the end of the month 
4) Also try not to kill anyone or embarrassing myself at Tyler

Zu March:

1) Go off property with Dylan for lessons, to get used to going places!

Uma/Sriracha/Lendri March:

1) Continue general handling 1x week. Mules are off duty until May but they still need their lovins!

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Oh yeah we have some mare in us somewhere! Sitting on her buttrope!

12 Days Old!

My little babe is 12 days old! She has a name now too: Cregga Rose Eyes. For those of you familiar with Redwall, you'll love the nerd name. For those of you going "what the crap is a cregga rose eyes," she was a warrior badger who commanded a large force of fighting hares (yes they're all animals). She had a pretty name, but in reality she was a berserker who had such uncontrollable bloodwrath that her eyes would blaze red. She actually was blinded in battle because of her wrath, after which she became much more benevolent and wise. I quite imagine my little one will have the kind of berserk qualities, so I had this name in mind many months ago. 

So far though, she is anything but berserk. I've never had one that hit the ground and was immediately in love with people. I've had to give her a couple of spankings because she already wants to crawl on the people and kick up her heels at them in fun, but she gets the point pretty immediately, like any little newborn sponge will do. She wears her halter, leads a bit, wears a blanket, has been brushed a little, picks up all four feet, and picks up the front two without any restraint at all.

I have hundreds of pictures already of her - because who wouldn't! - so I'll share a few of my favorites from her first not-quite two weeks of life.  

1 day old

2 days old

2 days old

2 days old

O looking good 2 days after birth 

3 days old and looking all sorts of weird! She's still unfolding, I expect she'll look great at 3 weeks of age

3 days old

3 days old

3 days old

1 week

1 week

1 week

1 week

1 week

9 days old and having a moment lol

9 days old

9 days old and starting to look normal! 

9 days old

9 days old

9 days old and having a fit about her halter

No likey!

Super friendly - and already going grey

10 days old

She really is unfolding into something gorgeous. I give it another week and we will really see what we have, but she already is so balanced and shows such ability to sit it's crazy. And, she loves people! That's a real bonus considering how much Pax hated people for the first three weeks of her life.

Also, she is HUGE. She is so much bigger than Pax was at this age! Comparison below of Pax at one day old and Cregga at one day old:

Where did the size even come from !?

Photo Dump

I have another photo dump to do! I accumulate all of these awesome photos but have so little time to blog that they often get left out of posts. So, I have to take a whole post to share!

Family photo

Big Frank, also known as Eeyore

Dilly you so cool

It's hard to take care of babies that just want to be all over you all the time

All. The. Time.

Unfolding!

Fools on the hill

Uma is learning to smile on command

Chunky Zoodle

Best friends

Oohhhhhh dirty...

Zzzzz

My clients put me on a vaulting horse for fun!

Don't look now Sriracha, he's right behind you!!

Mare in the rain, before baby

Uma

I'm sure I'll have more next month!