I have pretty much nothing to offer the world except lots and lots of pictures of baby horses, so I’m just gonna keep plowing y’all with these every Friday for a while. Baby horses make me happy, so hopefully they make you happy too.
We’ll start with Oakley, since she’s the youngest and this is her first official Foal Friday appearance.
HI MOM HI HI HI
she might win the most beautiful foal contest
proof that it’s possible to go two directions at onceEight off the floor!
And then of course we have Remi, who is already sold to an upper level eventer along with Presto’s half sibling that is due next month. Hopefully we will see great things from this dude in the future!
he’s so well balanced already
just a little leggyhe’s starting to figure out how to work his legs in the trot
when you’re already so good at bucking that your butt can’t even stay in the frame
Y’all probably know that I have been a big supporter of Cambox pretty much since it first came out. I’ve been rocking my isi2 (the first generation model) since 2016 and have absolutely loved it. I really cherish my helmet camera videos, and every once in a while I do go back and watch them again. It’s fun to be able to relive those moments in a way that pictures can’t really capture.
wearing my isi2 helmet cam at Chatt – can you see it?
My favorite part about the Cambox, and what sets it apart from most of the other popular cameras, is the size. It’s very small and discreet, attaching just under the brim of the helmet… you can’t even see it unless you look closely. It’s also extremely lightweight (can’t feel it at all) and much safer than something that mounts on the exterior of your helmet. British Eventing banned those cameras because of concerns over how they can potentially affect the angle or trajectory of your head hitting the ground – part of why this brim-mount style of camera came about in the first place. I had worn a GoPro a few times before the Cambox, and they were definitely light years apart in ease of use, weight, and visibility. Winner: Cambox. No contest.
And my new isi3! I branched out and got a color this time.
So when Cambox came out with the isi3, I was pretty excited. It had all the same awesome design features of my isi2, but with a few key improvements. Physically, the two main changes were little tabs on each side to help make removal easier, and the ability to change the angle of the camera without needing any tools. Both improvements showed that they’re definitely listening to user feedback. But the biggest perks of the isi3 are the capabilities that are built inside, particularly the WiFi and the improved video quality. The isi2 was 720p, whereas the isi3 is full HD 1080p (although you have the ability to switch it to 720p if you want). The main selling point for me, though, is definitely the WiFi.
The isi2 was more basic. A button to turn it on/off/pause, a little slot for the tiny memory card, and a cable to charge it and to upload your videos to your computer. Any issues I’ve had with the use of that camera have tended to be centered around knowing just how charged it was. It had LED indicator lights that told you when the battery was low, but nothing precise like we’ve all become so accustomed to with our phones. Since the isi3 has it’s own WiFi, it also has it’s own app, with all kinds of information available right there at your fingertips. Which, naturally, I’m relatively obsessed with.
checking things out before I mount up
You can check the camera angle, check your battery life, switch modes depending on weather conditions, set the camera exposure, change the volume of the audio (what, no one wants to hear my heavy breathing?), take photos, see exactly how much space is left on your memory card, and upload your videos straight from your camera to your phone. Plus you can control the camera via the app to start/stop/pause recording, if you’d rather use that than the buttons on the camera itself. I LOVE having the app, it takes all the guesswork out of using the camera and offers a lot more video options. And it’s a big perk to be able to directly and wirelessly download the video straight to my phone rather than having to wait until I have access to a laptop and find the cable, particularly since I like to post my videos to social media. I also noticed that the vibrations (which along with the LED lights help you know whether you’re recording or not) are much more obvious and easy to feel/hear on the newer model. Two big huge thumbs up for all of the improvements in the isi3.
downloading my helmet camera video to my smart phone WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE
The isi3 runs about $100 more than the isi2, depending on which package you buy, but I have to say that for me it’s definitely worth it. All of the improved features address every single little complaint or issue I ever had with the isi2, while still keeping all the fantastic features that made me love it in the first place. Having the WiFi capability is huge, and adds a ton of ease of use.
hop through the grid with us!
It also comes in lots of fun colors too, because clearly they understand how important that is to eventers especially. I have a basic blue, but there’s also everything from the most discreet all-black to lime green to hot pink to red white and blue (okay there’s no navy or hunter green, we’ve found my one complaint). They also have a North American base in Colorado now (Cambox are made in France – in Nantes coincidentally, where Presto’s spirit human Mimi lives), which simplifies shipping and service for US customers. Mine shipped really quickly from Denver. You can use code 900FBPONY for a discount, and yes it will stack on top of any other deals or offers! I don’t get anything from it, I’m just such a big fan and a loud mouth that they were kind enough to create a code for my readers.
I also noticed, for those of you who seem to perpetually have gift cards burning a hole in your pocket, that Riding Warehouse is carrying the isi3 now too! I loved my isi2, and I love my isi3 even more. Well done, Cambox.
I am definitely glad that I didn’t have any grand dreams or aspirations for the year, show-wise. I picked a convenient time to lay low and focus on other things. Of course, if this whole apocalypse thing could have waited until after the SO had started his new job (oh good, his start date has been delayed and thus now he’s technically unemployed), and after we had already bought the tiny house and rented out our house in the city (my eye is twitching just thinking about the crash of 2008), that would have been ideal. But, at least it waited until after I wasn’t boarding anymore, and when I’m living out on the farm. Definitely mega grateful for that.
I still get to see the horses every day, no matter what. They still have to be fed and turned out, stalls still have to be cleaned, arenas still have to be dragged, water troughs still have to be scrubbed, etc etc. In that way, nothing has changed for me. And as I see friends that are no longer able to go out to their boarding barns to see their horses at all, I feel really lucky. Trying to imagine being stuck in my house in the city and unable to see my horses is enough to drive me bonkers just thinking about it. Who knows what kind of weird hobbies I would have taken up by now if that was the case. Origami, or meditation, or whittling… something like that probably.
But on the farm, life hasn’t really changed much. Except that I’m home more, which is honestly really nice. The care of the horses is a non-negotiable, obviously, a daily thing that isn’t optional and can’t stop. There’s still that elephant in the room though, the question I keep running through my mind. At what point is riding too risky?
Some countries and states have already cut off recreational sports entirely. Not because of the risk of spreading covid while participating, but because of the risk of injury which then puts you in the hospital. When the hospitals are already super strained, ending up there because you fell off a horse seems ridiculously asinine. Because of that, other people have already voluntarily chosen to stop riding.
I completely understand that decision, and I go back and forth with it myself. I sure don’t want to be the asshole using up precious resources because I was selfish and wanted to ride my horse. On the other hand… I won’t lie, I do want to ride my horse. My horse stays soundest when he’s ridden regularly, even just lightly. However, it’s not an out-and-out necessity, and I won’t pretend that it is.
Presto now throws his fly boots over the neighbors fence, because he is a butthole
So, while I haven’t stopped riding yet, I have done a few things to modify my regular behavior. 1) I’m not riding as much. 6 days a week has gone down to more like 4 days a week. 2) I’m keeping it simpler. No big jumps, or tricky courses, or road hacks, or long conditioning rides over terrain. I’ve only jumped a couple times, and only a handful of jumps, and with those I set up things that were more likely to cause a run-out (ie skinnies) than a crash – proven to reduce the risk of a fall. Mostly though I’m just doing short hacks or flatwork rides in the arena. Basically, I’m trying to reduce some of the risk. 3) I’m keeping an eye on our local cases and our local ER’s. Right now, our county has 6 cases, and the local ER’s and urgent cares are operating without issue.
Of course, the situation evolves rapidly, so I’m constantly re-evaluating. We’re in weird, new territory that none of us really know the best way to handle, so I think much of it depends on the individual situation and trying to make the best choices you can for yourself day by day. I know there will come a point where local cases start to spike, and I very well may have to shut it down and stop riding altogether. Granted, the closest I’ve come to really injuring myself lately was when I had to climb over the back fence to retrieve one of Presto’s fly boots, or when I whacked the shit out of my head on a stall door because I am a klutz. There’s no way to take all the risk away when I’m at the barn every day, so… I’m just trying to be smarter about it and keep an eye on the world at large, knowing that the situation is ever-evolving.
How is everyone else doing? Still riding, or not? Going to the barn, or not?
Well that was quick. Peyton foaled a little bit late, Daisy foaled a little bit early, so tada – we’ve got two babies only a week apart! Say hello to Oakley WTW.
She has the unique title of being the very first Usandro Tilia Derlenn foal born in the USA! I heard that her French papa is feeling proud. She’s super cute, definitely all spunky filly.
How cute is the star/snip?? She’s got a little nose button. Boop it and see what happens.
already strong with the side eye
Daisy was sneaky about it, waiting until no one was looking and popping her out around 10am. The only color options were bay dun and grulla – obviously she looks buckskin, which isn’t possible, most likely she’s bay dun (which can end up looking similar) and not grulla. Michelle is sending off some hair to check for sure. Oakley’s got two hind socks, a big star, and a teeeeeny snip.
It will be interesting to see how she grows and develops, being a Paint (solid) x WB pony cross. In my head I’m imagining her being relatively Connemara-esque. Some hardiness/tractability from the Paint and some fancy/jump from the warmblood, plus Connemara-sized (small horse) as well. We shall see! She definitely looks pretty sporty and athletic so far. I have yet to see a Usandro that can’t jump or move, and Daisy is a great mover herself, so it’ll be fun to start seeing what she looks like as she matures.
queen of naps
In a few more weeks we’ll have another Usandro foal, this one out of the sportpony Stormie. That one should be born with springs in its legs for sure.
How are we already halfway through foaling season? Bring on the babies, I’m ready for more! (but really, they can wait until their due dates, we don’t need any of that preemie stuff happening please…)
Not having to spend 1.5hrs per day commuting really has it’s perks. I have more time to do things, and more flexibility in my day, And not being able to go anywhere on the weekends means there’s no choice but to stay home and finish some projects that perhaps aren’t my favorite but needed to get done. I finally got all my stupid jumps painted on Saturday, and on Sunday I spent a few hours doing some arena maintenance (ie pulling up all the stupid weeds that took root a couple months ago and I’ve been unsuccessful at trying to get rid of via dragging).
I only finished half so far but it looks much better
Rob came out on Friday so I took advantage of the presence of another human and put another ride on Presto. It was his fourth ride total, second ride off the lunge line. For these last two rides I’ve opted to stay up in the courtyard in front of the barn, since it’s a smaller fenced in area. I wanted to make sure we had enough steering before we went back to the dressage arena with it’s low walls. It’s not 100% yet but it’s much improved even just in the past 2 rides, so I think next time we can go to the arena.
no more fussing about the contactand he circles!
We’re doing everything without a groundperson now too. I mount unassisted and we just move off and go to “work”. For, ya know…. all of maybe 15 minutes. Mostly we just walk/trot/halt a few times, make some circles and changes of direction, and then we’re done. That’s all I’m trying to do at this point, and I still want him to feel like this is fun and easy, so better to keep everything short and simple. I just want him to go forward and figure out his balance.
why you look so big, baby horse?
And for such a gawky looking creature, he does feel remarkably well balanced. The courtyard is on a bit of a slope so I thought between that and the circles in the small space he might struggle a bit given his size, but he handles it pretty well. I try to just maintain my own balance and let him figure out his own, which he’s been quick to do. He might not always turn when and where I want him to, but the balance isn’t a problem. We do need to work on his response time to the “go” aids… once he’s going he’s really nicely forward, but getting him going takes a little bit of effort. That’ll be the next thing we work on, once we’re back out in the bigger space. As is typical with him, the whoa works really well. Pretty much just think whoa and you’re stopped. So now we just need to tune it up the other way too.
he looks wild, doesn’t he?
For four rides, I’m pretty pleased with where he’s at. I’m mostly happy that it’s all been really easy so far and he’s 0% worried or anxious about anything. He also feels really nice to ride, like… familiar somehow. I don’t know about everyone else, but sometimes I swing a leg over a horse and they just feel weird or foreign or like something doesn’t click right away, especially since I pretty much just ride one horse all the time. But with Presto he’s felt like home the second I swung a leg over, despite being very different from Henry. It feels like I belong there, nothing awkward or strange about it.
After I was done I had Rob open the gate so I could walk Presto a little ways away out into the more open field area, then turn around and come back to the barn. His first little very mini hack out that was all of 2 minutes.
Yes hello I was promised cookies, please insert below my milk mustache
He’s becoming more of a real boy by the day.
I’m about to give up on keeping the damn fly boots on him though. Now he’s taken to tossing them over onto the neighbors property.
He figured out the duct tape, so now he just rips that off in about 10 seconds. This kid, I swear. I used to say that his mother sometimes used her exceptional smarts for evil instead of good, and the apple definitely isn’t falling far from the tree on this one. He is adamant that he does not wear fly boots. So ungrateful. Henry loves his, no more stomping. I think Presto just can’t handle having toys attached to his legs, the temptation is too great.
Other than riding and doing chores around the farm, I also got a virtual horse-girl happy hour in on Zoom!
3 bloggers present!
Well, horse girls plus Bobby. Except he was the meeting host and thus had the power to put me on mute, which he did every time I insulted him. So basically I spent a lot of time muted. That’s ok, I don’t need sound to let him know how I feel. It was nice to get some horse friend chatting time in, even though there was a dreadful lack of chips and queso at this happy hour compared to most. I did have Ben and Jerry’s though, so not all was lost.
There was also another new baby at WTW over the weekend, which we’ll talk about tomorrow! There’s still lots happening, despite the fact that it may seem like the world has come to a bit of standstill in other ways. Hope everyone else is still surviving okay and managed to fill up their weekend too!
Yeah I know, two baby posts in one week but is anyone really complaining about foal pictures? Yeah I didn’t think so. I’m pretty psyched to be able to be able to roll back out with a new edition of Foal Friday, starring Remi!
PEEKABOO
His hobbies include galloping, napping, whinnying at Michelle, and stomping through mud. His greatest talent so far though? His ability to strike a pose. I mean… LOOK AT THIS KID.
is it legal to be this cute?
He’s practicing for his winner’s photo at Badminton, obviously.
cue “Eye of the Tiger” as he gallops around, getting in shape
uh oh, alien abduction
*hold music* gotta re-fuel
ok back to the serious training
wait what’s this? must stomp it.
oh she’s looking STRIKE POSE
Aunt Grace contemplating a kidnapping
he even strikes a pose in his freewalk, this kid is too much
naps must occur in the dirtiest possible places
now that he’s un-squishing you can see how nicely he’s put together
it’s hard work being this photogenic
Aaaaaand one more ridiculously cute pose to close it out
This kid is something else.
If you missed the video of him jumping over the pole the other day then I’m sad for you so here you go.
What’s today, Thursday (who can tell anymore)? Still haven’t seen another human since Saturday. If only I could get people from work to stop calling, texting, skyping, and emailing me, life would be complete. Really though, a) I’m glad that our business is considered essential therefore doesn’t have to shutter, b) I can work from home. But, ya know… they could email me less. Just saying.
So far this week aside from working I’ve been able to drag the arena a few times, pull up some weeds, move some jumps to the arena, paint a few more jumps (hey I’ve discovered I hate painting jumps), ride, and record a podcast. Far more productive when I don’t have to spend so much time driving. Quarantine has been… enjoyable.
Also I haven’t worn real pants in over a week. Breeches and leggings only. And by breeches I mean tights, because I’m firmly anti zipper and buttons right now. Might be losing weight, might just be stretching out the elastic, who can tell? I’ve been limiting myself to one Little Debbie a day (I have Star Crunch, Cosmic Brownies, and Swiss Cake Rolls. My only regret is not buying Fudge Rounds too. Can we have a side discussion/fight to the death about what the best Little Debbie is? It’s Fudge Rounds.) and I’ve got enough for at least a couple more weeks at that rate of consumption, so… that’s really all that matters.
While I’m doing pretty well in the snacks and no-pants department, I did make one teeny tiny little bitty slip up yesterday. Itty bitty. Teeny tiny.
See, I don’t know if it was the heat
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK TEXAS
or if all the people who think sacrificing millions of people to right the economy is ok
combined together just stressed me out to the max, or what.
But I uh… bought a bridle.
SHUT UP MICHELE.
See, what had happened was, I was scrolling innocently through Instagram, as one does. It’s been awesome for comic relief with all these things like the chip challenge and the see a pup share a pup. I’m 100% here for it and loving social media right now.
But ya know, anyway… doo dee doo… there I was scrolling Insta when BAM.
That is about 10,000 times prettier than the sidepull I ride Henry in. The one I have is too reddish-orange, which is not his color AT ALL. I originally bought it because I wasn’t sure how much I’d really ride him in it and didn’t want to spend much. That was… 6 years ago. And I ride him more in his sidepull than I do in anything else. You know what I’m tired of looking at? That cheap reddish orange bridle.
And then I found a coupon code that put the Dy’on at just over $100, which… um, ok, sure, give me a Dy’on bridle for basically nothing. Twist my arm why don’t ya? And in my defense, this one looks like it might have a little more whoa, so maybe I’ll be able to use it for jumping at home too. His current sidepull isn’t quite enough whoa, but his hackamore even on it’s loosest settings and a leather curb strap is a little bit too much.
In my defense I resisted for like… hours. I mean at least 5 or 6.
Let’s be honest, it was over with as soon as they posted it. A done deal. Fate sealed. Foregone conclusion.
But hey, at least I haven’t eaten all the Little Debbies?
The latest “trend” (or… re-trend?) going around Instagram is the Enneagram of Personality… another method of personality testing. As I’ve found myself with a little more time on my hands lately, it naturally piqued my interest. I’ve been seeing people posting memes with numbers in them and I just had to know wtf this enneagram stuff was about in order to get the memes. I mean, there’s a bunch of froo froo stuff about using the enneagram for self improvement and blah blah blah but really… just profile me and everyone else and help me understand memes. I’m living for memes. So, I took the test. And, well… I do indeed feel seriously profiled.
Defining Characteristics of the Enneagram Type 5:
Appears lost in thought or absentminded
Extremely difficult-to-crack inner world
In-depth knowledge on specific subjects of interest
Gives insightful, well thought-out responses
Thinks extensively before speaking
Has clear boundaries between family, friends and work
Withdrawn and extremely independent
Type 5, eh? Yup, that’s pretty accurate. It went on to give a detailed profile of Type 5, called The Investigator or The Observer or The Quiet Specialist. “Usually introverted and analytical, Investigators gather and process information to build with and synthesize patterns and ideas. ” Do I have a few dozen spreadsheets on my computer with detailed pedigree data of top level event horses? MAYBE. “Their work spaces are typically minimalist with the exception of a collection of items pertaining to their core interests.” Stop reading my blog. “With dreams of working and researching alone in a secluded area for the rest of their lives” I SAID STOP READING MY BLOG.
Ok, so… it’s a little accurate. And how does it relate to me as an equestrian? Look at this part:
They are energized by spending hours of time alone, tinkering with their personal projects and research. The path to mastery in a particular area is a journey each Investigator readily embarks on. They may appear calm and collected on the surface, but when topics of interest come up in conversation, they transform into a giddy and energetic version of themselves. This sudden gear-shift may surprise those who are unaware of the Investigator’s hidden passions.
Riding is a single-person sport, so it makes sense that I was drawn more to it. It’s also one that you can never truly master, there is SO MUCH knowledge to be had on such an endless variety of things. I definitely prefer a project horse/greenie. And yeah, please don’t try to talk to me about anything but horses. I am very awkward and have no idea what to say. They legit call me the Ice Queen at work because of my stoic detachment. Not my fault there aren’t any horses there. Just mention a horse and suddenly you can’t get me to shut up.
Investigators are offbeat, withdrawn and emotionally closed off. They may have a select few esoteric interests which they keep hidden from the public eye—and opt to present an aloof and distant aura.
So yeah we’re weirdos that keep everything bottled up inside. Got it.
Fives are usually somewhat restrained when it comes to emotional expression, but they often have stronger feelings than they let on. Few people know what is going on beneath the surface, as Fives have an often exaggerated need for privacy and a deep seated fear of intrusion.
Yeah true. I do think that I’m more demonstrative when it comes to the horses though. They are probably the thing that draws me more toward normalcy and prevents me from getting lodged too deep within myself. My balance I guess.
They’re well-versed in topics of their interest and may be named the ‘bookworm’ from peers.
Apparently we also really like to read, both to get information and as a form of escapism. That is 1000% true, as evidenced by the sheer volume of books I read every year. I’ve always been a voracious reader of both horse and non-horse books, fiction and non-fiction.
also the wrong use of your vs you’re drives me bonkers with this
The most basic desire of the Enneagram Type 5 is to feel helpful and competent.
Enneagram Fives have the motivational need to know and understand. Fives value making sense of the world around them and, as a result, objectivity and knowledge are important to them.
So the more I’ve thought about all this (and I’ve thought about it a lot in the past week) the more I realize how true this is. I do feel most comfortable and secure when I feel competent, or at least informed. It’s probably why I feel such a compulsion to do a deep dive into anything that interests me, so I feel like I can fully understand it. Like… reading the rule book cover to cover to help ease my show anxiety. Or… spending 2 hours researching KIT genes to wrap my head around why Remi has so much white. There’s an endless number of examples, I do this all the time, but never really stepped back to think about why I’m like this. Totally completely absolutely has to do with my basic need to understand things and feel competent in order to feel comfortable. And I also do get a ton of satisfaction out of feeling helpful.
“To create rapport: Approach them slowly and thoughtfully. Give them room to think things over.”
This makes me sound like a mustang fresh off the range. HAHAHAHA.
“Sensitive to sound, touch and intrusion“
Ok how tf does this thing know I hate loud noises (like, even the vacuum) and am generally uncomfortable being touched? Creepy. Also if you want to get punched, interrupt me while I’m reading.
“Fives tend to get stuck in their heads.”
Oh look, a summary of aaaaalllll of my riding problems.
“Fives need to balance their tendency to withdraw or withhold from people by reaching out to others, even if this involves discomfort or conflict.”
Now this is particularly interesting, because I think in my case “reaching out” kind of took on the format of this blog. It is a big source of my connection with people, and I say things here I wouldn’t have felt comfortable saying out loud before. It’s helped me come out of my shell a lot, I think.
why I think I’m better in print…
Fives are very cerebral in their orientation and believe that knowledge is power. They have a hunger for knowledge and understanding that leads them to explore information in great depth. They may have a voracious appetite for information on certain topics and enjoy building real expertise and wisdom based on these.
Horses. Horseshorseshorseshorses. BREEDING.
So really this post could have just been titled “reasons why I am probably the most annoying person in the world”. Ta-da.
Has anyone else explored the enneagram stuff and thought about how it applies to both your regular life and your horse life/riding? What’s your enneagram number? Please tell me there are more 5’s…
Day 7 of working from home. Still living my best life. Haven’t seen another human since Saturday. I did find a turtle in Henry’s stall yesterday though, and we had a great conversation as I gave him an Uber ride to the pond. His name is Yertle, he’s from next door, and a big fan of Dr Seuss. Look at me, making friends with the neighbors.
he’s cute right?
Don’t worry, I’m not just having conversations with turtles. I actually talked to more humans yesterday than I usually do, between rolling out new processes at work and recording a podcast. More on that when it comes out. I have no idea what I said, hope I don’t sound like a total moron. I feel like I’m way better in print.
But between Skype calls I did manage to sneak outside at lunch time and ride Henry. Normally when I’m in the office I don’t even take a lunch break at all, I just eat at my desk, so to be able to step outside in the middle of the day for an hour of horse time… this is awesome.
I’m also super grateful for the fast-draining footing in the dressage arena, because it rained so much over the weekend that there was just standing water all over the farm. And now it’s supposed to be in the low 90’s this week? We have a very weird spring/summer mashup going on at the moment. The grass is BOMB though. It’s grown so much in my jump field over the last week that I can’t really even jump in there anymore, so I let Henry and Quinnie in there to have at it. They are living their best tubbo lives. For now I’ll just move a couple jumps over to the arena until things can get mowed. Not a big deal, we’re not doing anything intense at the moment anyway.
Dat grass and dos booties
Having more time at the farm also gives me more time to notice and appreciate the little things. Like pretty flowers.
And the fact that Presto is finally starting to leave his damn fly boots alone.
Rumor has it that the shelter in place order for our major city and it’s county are coming out today. I’m in a bordering county, but my work is in the city, so it looks like I’ll be working at home for the forseeable future. Luckily our business is considered essential, so we don’t have to shut down, but they will continue to keep the employees required to be in the office at a bare minimum. Since there are already cases in the surrounding counties I’m wondering if those will be soon to follow with a SIP… I hope so, but we’ll see. I ventured out on Saturday at 7am to make one last trip to Walmart for a few things, so I’m good to go for 3 weeks or so probably before I have to worry about groceries again. At this point I’m definitely trying to avoid leaving the farm as much as possible. We’ll see how things continue to unfold I guess!
#giraffeproblems I was filling his hay net and he barged over to eat out of the top before I closed it. You should not be able to reach that high that easily, kid.
Mostly I just feel really lucky to still be out at the farm, where staying at home is a privilege. I have plenty of space to be outside, and my horses are right here with me. I’d be considerably less excited about it if I was stuck at home in the city. I definitely feel for those of you that are unable to get to your horses right now, and hope you’re able to find ways to fill the time. It’s interesting to see how we’re all adjusting to our new normal… humans are adaptable creatures.
Also, I’ve really been loving all the musicians live streaming little mini-concerts. Did anyone catch Garth Brooks last night on facebook live? I always forget how great he really is. And he sang The Red Strokes, my personal favorite (ok it’s tied with Standing Outside the Fire). There are some really cool things coming out of this otherwise shitty situation.
I dunno about y’all but if I have to watch one more White House coronavirus press conference, I might stab my own eyes out with a quarantini pick. Thank goodness the apocolypse came during foaling season, because you know what the world needs now? BABY HORSES. And you know who really delivered? PEYTON. Say hello to Remington WTW.
If you’re anything like me, your first thought is OMG ADORABLE. And then a split second later you’re like “Wait, holy hell, how did that come out of two relatively plain bays???”.
I have to admit, when Michelle first sent me a picture I was like why is she sending me old pics of Liam? And then I was like wait no that’s Peyton. WHAT?? It’s possible that I asked her if she was sure she put the Ramiro B semen in and not Emerald (she didn’t, no Emerald LOL). To look for an explanation Michelle went back to Peyton’s genetic profile and found that she does indeed possess a W20 gene, which when passed (it’s 50/50 when they have one copy of the gene like Peyton does) works to boost white markings.
We also know that bay/brown/black tends to inhibit the expression of white a bit… markings are generally more expressive on chestnuts. Getting a chestnut foal wasn’t totally unexpected – we knew that both Peyton and Ramiro B had a red gene, so although odds were definitely higher for bay (75%), chestnut was entirely possible (25%). Bay is always dominant, so both parents had to pass their red gene in order for the foal to be chestnut.
Now, back to the white. If you want to talk about KIT genes and dominant white and W20 we could be here all day, but basically what happened was this: Peyton’s W20 gene took a little bit of white and dialed it up. What otherwise might have been a chestnut with a couple little socks and a stripe or something, put W20 on it, and now *bam* you get Remi. The odds were low, for sure. Only 25% chance of chestnut, and then 50/50 on passing the W20. So… “what were the odds???”… 12.5%.
Where did Peyton get the gene? Likely from her sire. He’s bay, but has 3 little socks and blaze. If he was chestnut I bet he would have had a lot more white.
Affirmatif
Genetics, man. They are wild.
I don’t know if anyone in the Baby Bets contest guessed this (I sure as shit wouldn’t have!) since I haven’t looked through to calculate points yet, but if you did – more freaking power to you and your psychic abilities.
As for Remi, he’s pretty perfect. Peyton really knocked it out of the park for her first foal, and she’s being a great mom (if not perhaps a wee bit of a helicopter parent). He’s definitely got the substance of a Ramiro B, and he’s very correct. While already adorable, once he has a few more days to unfold he’ll be downright stunning. He’s going to be a nice rich chestnut, and could you ask for more perfectly symmetrical stockings? Whoever buys this one will definitely hit the jackpot.
Need a good distraction from the world right now? I offer you 2 minutes of adorableness via Remi.
And would you believe that the next mare is already over 320 days? We’re probably only 2-3 weeks away from having another foal, they’re pretty evenly spaced through May, thank goodness. It looks like we’re gonna need steady bouts of adorableness for a couple months. And the next one up is Daisy, the grulla, with the first Usandro foal to be born in the US. PONY FOAL. Stay tuned…
