So Happy!!

So happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Diva has foaled tonight at the surprisingly early hour of 9.15 or in the middle of Time Team (suppose I'll never find out if they found the Abbey.......... Still) She had comprehensively refused to stay in with the other mares yesterday, making her feelings know by clearing the five bar gate -pregnancy bump and all and so we gave her a private paddock with an open stable door ( essential if you are Diva) and today she had been running milk all day



So in the middle of Time Team Charles switched to the camera and..............was she breathing strangely.............run. She foaled easily but was in a difficult position for Charles very close to the corner - still she quickly started to call to her foal and he in turn was soon up and sucking in half an hour............so fingers crossed it is looking good so far - Did i mention it is a Colt!!



Danni didn't need gas and air but did clear up the end of Divas hot mash when she had had enough and is seen here celebrating with a new hay net for the night

A useful car park!

It's been "a while" since Danni made an appearance in his own blog - a combination of forgetting the camera if we do hack to a menage and a busy B&B have left him with out his picture taken lately. We've worked in hand a little bit this week - just crossing the back legs over or in Danni's case wriggling for all he is worth as he struggles with five left feet! and today Charles got he camera out to record said back leg stretches all conducted in our car park in front of the stables

"Please can i go back to bed now Mum? I'm a really good boy!"

Waiting for the trans continental.....

Stork that is! Dear old Diva is getting near to her time and has expanded to an enormous extent - she has a couple of fields to herself with her own help yourself stable and is making full use of it often with her two year old Dolly snoring beside her. Now Diva is huge and in need of rest but I'm not sure what Dolly's excuse is other than being a teenager ( Dolly's two) Still Breakfast on the porch is just the thing to start the day for Diva and she was really toasty in the sunshine too!




Thought you may like to see Toffee who has been promoted to a head collar



and gorgeous Sophie born last month going off to "work" for the day!

Dandy Days

We popped in to meet Dandy, Danni's latest son at his home yesterday and one week on he has grown sturdy and strong on Daisy's abundant milk whilst carefully tended by his auntie Mel. The two old mares are besotted by their new charge sharing a joy of their new addition to their herd that will be their future as is natures way.




The two old mares that stand guard over their new charge ..............well sometimes three is a crowd!


but always room for some comforting milk



Dandy got out of bed especially for us when we arrived with exaggerated stretches




"is this a good angle for my tail? "



Daisy with her "Mum" Val

It was lovely to visit them in their idyllic sheltered meadow.

Good luck little Dandy!

To Daisy a boy!

Congratulation to Daisy!! It's a boy born at 1.30 am this morning after a nervous week of foal watching for Daisy's mum Val.




Charles whizzed off before breakfast this morning a managed to get a couple of snaps before we served our B&B guest's breakfast. This is the first foal for Daisy is a lovely compact mare by the good HIS horse Shaab and she was Artificially inseminated as she dozed in her stable to Danilon last year - we were thrilled when she took first time as she is a "more mature" mother of fifteen and blooming with her new baby - just can't quite work out how it happened!

Meanwhile Dani has had a busy week this week as ALL of our mares came in season at the same time - it was one of those moments when your life flashes before your eyes, as they all stood there declaring ah hum their interest. Danni was a star at the AI centre and our record the other day was in and out in ten minutes with Dani happily sucking his polo mint in the lorry on the way home.

This week Charles has succumbed to tendinitis in his leg and the garden is open for a village charity tomorrow so a day limping behind the lawn mower is called for dosed with pain killers..........I'm not too popular but at least it's not a horse!

A Spanish friend

We've had a lovely couple of afternoons lately working with a new Spanish friend - Louise that belongs to a friend Val ( thanks for permission to post his pickie!) Val sent these through of his session with Charles. I must say it was very relaxing sitting on a block outside of the arena chatting with Val, watching the chaps at work! Louis is a charming young Pre from Spain, with life in front of him, looking set to enjoy every minute and I thought you might like to meet him!

Our day started just before five this morning with a trip to the AI centre for Dani - Mel could only collect at 6.00am. Danni was a bit surprised to be put in a lorry at that hour particularly as he was laying down asleep a moment earlier. We were outside of Mel's gate at 5.40 looking at the Guard dog ........"Do you think he bites i enquired of hubby?" (it was my job to do the gates) "Put you hand in and see" Was the charming reply..........hmm we were home again before 7.00 and Mel inseminated little April and the rain it raineth. A quick sprint for me down the lane to NO1&2 containing Diva and Dolly and they sleepily greeted my absolutely bone dry having spent the night n the filed shelter whilst I was drenched.............Horses hmmmmmmmmmm must be some sort of cure!