It's Been One Week . . .

Actually, baby Valentine is one week and three days old today.  She is amazing.  Do all first-time-human-foal-moms feel like this?  What an absolutely amazing creature.  She is only one week old and so highly functioning.  I'm used to puppies and kittens who can't even see or hear for three weeks, while they drag their plump little bodies around blindly on the floor.  Val not only can run, but she's agile and graceful. She is smart and learns quickly, she's trusting and knows who she can trust.  When I had Val and Khandle outside in the yard yesterday, she was concerned that the geldings were all neighing in the pasture.  She would run and look at them, then run back to either me or Khandle, and touch one of us for protection.  I hope she keeps that sure-footed gracefulness that I saw exhibited yesterday -- if she does, she will make a very fine trail horse one day. 

I struggled a lot with her name, there were so many good ideas from friends, but I felt like she just HAD to be Valentine Surprise, since she was a red filly with a heart on her forehead born Valentine's week.  And Val really fits her.  It's pretty, but bold, and easy to say.  Perfect.

She loves to have visitors, and she comes over immediately to greet her fans when anyone walks in the stall.  She loves to lick my hand, or mouth the zipper on my coat.  She loves to have her head and neck and shoulders rubbed, and, oddly, loves to rest her chin in the palm of my hand.  That's something dog trainers work to get their dogs to do, which helps to calm them.  Val just does it naturally.

She lets me touch and rub her all over:  ears, legs, belly.  She lets me pick up all four feet and mess with her hooves.  She has LEARNED to let me touch her hindquarters without kicking (but that one was a bit of a struggle).  Have I mentioned lately she is  amazing?  She must be the best and smartest filly ever!

I bought her a halter, which she accepted without too much trouble.  There was a tense moment when she decided to back away from the halter, very fast, and crashed into the stall wall behind her, which then caused her to rear up and fall over.  Shannon and Khandle and I all rushed to her aide, but she was fine.  Now she lets me put it on her, no problem.  Pam brought her a lavender towel to match her halter and be her first "saddle blanket", and she accepted that with no problem at all.  She lets me throw it on her, rub it all over her, and she doesn't mind the lead rope flipping gently around, either.  Her new lead rope is lavender, too, because she is quite the stylish filly.

February 18, 2011 Pay Attention, Please!

When I was four years old, I can remember my life revolved around horses.  My family lived in a housing developement, but there were horses that I could see out the kitchen window, across a vacant lot.  My mother explained to me that we could not keep a horse in our backyard, because of something called "zoning laws".  I thought it was crap.  We had a beagle, but no horse.  My first horse was named "Clarise," and she was a Breyer model horse that I got for my fifth birthday.  I still have her.  (She's the model "Yellow Mount" for those of you who also fantasized through the magic of Breyer).  I memorized every horse photo book at the library, so I knew all the horse breeds and colors.  I decided I wanted a palomino, so she would match my hair.

I got my first REAL horse when I was 12.  My parents wanted me to be in a "safer" school district than the one I was currently attending, and so they bribbed me -- move with them to the country, and I could have a horse.  Not a problem, I never looked back.  I bought the first horse I saw, Chocolate Chip.  He was the Best Horse Ever.  More on Chip later.  He died two years ago, at the ripe old age of 37.  I still miss him.

I've been "away" from horses for a few years.  I still keep them, but I don't do very much with them -- life gets in the way.  Since Chip was younger, I really haven't been crazy-involved with my horses.  I've been crazy-involved with my dogs, but horses have taken a back seat.  I keep meaning to make more time and get involved in trail riding or maybe even endurance, but time keeps slipping away and I'll do more tomorrow . . .

Last Friday, Feb. 18th, however, I felt like the Universe hit me in the head and said, "okay, will you do it NOW??"  Last Friday I found an unexpected baby filly in the barn.

Khandle came to live with me last February.  She is my dream-horse, an Anglo-Arab with Man O War blood.  Her dam is an endurance horse, and her sire has the blood of some of the most beautiful Arabians in the world.  I bought her last year from a guy who barrel raced her, and she had been starved on more than one occasion and confiscated once by the humane society.  She was skinny when I got her.  I also had a stud colt named Leo that I purchased a few months earlier, also part of the same humane society case.  Leo was about 2 years old, possibly a mustang, but just a great, calm and friendly guy.  His personality reminded me of Chip.  I don't ever remember putting these two out to pasture together, but my Ex, who still takes care of the barn, must have at least one time . . . . Eleven months and 10 days later, it was February 18, the morning I found a newborn baby filly in the stall with Khandle.

I had wanted Khandle to have a baby, but I thought I would find a nice Thoroghbred for her.  I guess Leo isn't a bad choice, though, he has a nice little build, and as I said, a great personality.  She could do worse for a Baby-Daddy.  Friday I had the day off work, because I was planning to take five of my dogs to Michigan to Dog Scout Camp to go sledding.  I had Shannon staying at my house for the weekend to care for my dogs, cats, horses, and boarding kennel.  I was all set to load the dogs in the car and go!  Then, baby horse chaos ensued!  The Ex was there, me, Shannon, Mom and Dad, my sister, my niece, my neighbors, my friends . . . .  oh, and the vet.  Quite a busy day, and so many visitors for such a little filly.  I couldn't leave, no way!  I made plans to leave on Saturday morning.

On Friday night, the vet came back to draw blood from baby and test her antibodies.  The results were bad.  Almost zero.  What a horrible feeling, I loved this little surprise girl so much in just a few hours, NOTHING could go wrong now!  We waited until Saturday morning for another test . . . and more bad results.  So, we had to give her plasma to boost her antibodies.  So hard to see her knocked out with a needle in her neck and only 24 hours old!  But it worked, and all is right, now.  I left for camp with my dogs Saturday night, and left the little one in the care of Shannon and the Ex.

I love camp, it is Nirvana to me, but I missed my little foal..  The dogs and I had a blast, as always, and the Michigan woods were lovely, dark and deep.  And full of snow.  For some reason, I love Michigan snow and really dislike Ohio snow.   It must be the oppressive grey of Ohio winter.  Anyway, we walked and played and sledded through beautiful Michigan snow for a day and a half, before I packed the gang back in the Jeep and we headed back to grey Ohio (see more on Dog Scouts at http://www.dogscouts.org/ )  I was back late Monday, and my little filly is even more adorable.