Itty Bitty Hooves

Our Sale Horses

Administrator — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 19:09:13 +0000

I posted an ad today on the Lil Beginnings sale board listing the horses we have for sale still. I love the sale board. It’s free and one of the best ways to reach the miniature horse market world-wide.

I listed the 26.5″ black AMHA/AMHR stallion Ten Ls Black Moon Rising–Son of multiple grand champion Taylor Mades Pistol Bang, grandson of National Grand Champion Little King’s Bullet Buckeroo (producer of multiple national grand champion and top tens), and great-grandson of Buckeroo himself. At 1000.00 ready now.

I also just listed two of our fillies–

AMHR Filly born on May 12th! COUNTRY HAVENS STAR BABY (Star) Beautiful Bay (possibly roan) sired by TenLs Splendors Make Your
Mark–a bay pinto Buckaroo great grandson.. Dam: Lost Acres True
Blue Buckeroo a blue roan Buckeroo great-granddaughter. $1,200.00.
Deposit will hold until weaning (August).

AMHR Filly born on April 27th! COUNTRY HAVENS SILVER DOLLAR (Dolly) Beautiful silver pinto sired by TenLs Splendors Make Your Mark–a bay pinto Buckaroo great grandson.. $800.00. Deposit will hold until weaning (August).

Administrator — Mon, 28 May 2007 14:59:09 +0000

Here are the pictures of the new filly we had on Friday finally. It was Mark’s last baby of the year but he sure saved a hum-dinger for the last one.

I still haven’t come up with a name I really like for her. If you have any suggestions let me know. One thought is calling her PC for Country Haven’s Party Colors.

It’s A Girl—Again

Administrator — Fri, 25 May 2007 14:25:35 +0000

Mark is definately the filly producing machine… but now he’s proving himself as a color maker too! Our final mare of the season foaled this morning. A beautiful, flashy silver dapple LOUD pinto. I knew Mark had it in him to throw flashy color. Last year all of his foals were solid except for socks, or maybe a small dot of color here or there. This year three of four were pintos. He had one solid with socks and a big star, one with high socks and just a few small spots, and now two very boldly marked pintos.

The weather is too yukky today to get pictures, and she’s just new and unfolding, but I’ll try hard to get some pics over the weekend of our newest flashy baby.

He Did It Again

Administrator — Sun, 20 May 2007 14:58:28 +0000

Mark is on a roll I don’t ever want him to quit. Mark is our four year old Miniature Horse stallion.

As of this morning he is six for six–girls that is. Last year we’d bred him to three mares for his first year, and they delivered three gorgeous girls. This year we bred him to four mares and three of them so far have given us beautiful little girls! I have one mare left to foal.

Here is Dolly the first filly of the year born last month:

And here is Star, born last week:

From the front:

And here is our newest arrival at one hour old–Flash
It was hard to get a good shot of her because she kept on following me around and putting her face right in the camera. LOL. She’s a real ham:

Finally got her trying to grab a ‘drink’ from mom from behind:

I really don’t like taking shots right at birth because the babies haven’t really had a chance to unfold–but I had planned to get a pic of Star a few days later and it’s taken me until today to finally get a shot of her, so I figured as long as I was out there with the camera, I’d get Flash too.

I’m so happy with the babies Mark has been producing–well, of course my wonderful mares had something to do with it as well, but it’s the stallion that definately produces the sex.

Time Really Flies

Administrator — Wed, 16 May 2007 14:16:34 +0000

My goodness it’s been days since I wrote on here. Several very busy days.

On Monday Beemer came home. The sale didn’t work out and the buyer decided she couldn’t afford to continue the contract so she shipped him home.

She used Montana Express shipping and let me tell you, this is a company definately on my rollodex. (okay, I don’t have one, but it’s in my links and I saved the phone number.)

What wonderful folks they are. Beemer arrived at 9:30 pm on Monday night. I’d waited all day even thought they weren’t supposed to get here until around 7 pm or so. I was just worried they might show up early and I’d miss them so I anxiously awaited their arrival and it ended up being several hours later. haha BUT the drivers were fantastic and said Beemer regaled all at every stop with his fantastic personality and charm–he’s full of it. heehee. He really is. He is such a little bitty love bug. And cute as a bug too.

So he’s back home for a bit although I do need to find him a home. I have no mares for him and I still want to cut back so that the minis I have left are ‘fun’ to own again instead of simply a business to run.

I got a phone call yesterday though that the person interested in buying Mirri and Dolly together decided definately to do it, so technically, although the deposit isn’t here yet (she said she’d mail it today) I guess I can consider them sold. They’ll be going to Oklahoma in a few weeks.

I still have Sparky to sell, and of course, like I said above, Beemer, but I think that will about do it for awhile in my downsizing of the minis.

New Baby!

Administrator — Sat, 12 May 2007 19:20:26 +0000

Blue, my blue roan mare had her very first baby this morning in the wee hours of the dawn. I was watching the cameras and had about given up on her having the baby thinking maybe she was just being a pacing drama queen like some maidens are, but just as I was about to take a chance on a quick nap she laid down and started to push.

Mark is the proud daddy, and he’s 5 for 5 to girls. This new little addition is a spunky little bay filly with the biggest doe eyes and longest lashes you can imagine. LOL I’ll get a picture tomorrow. I like to give the new babies a chance to really get up on their feet, and unfolded a little bit before showing them off, although this little girl has done a pretty good job of that already.

I’ve been waiting a long time to see what Blue and Mark would have together. I kind of expected some paint markings but I don’t see any on this girl, she’s solid bay except for a HUGE blaze just like mamma. Best of all though is she’s healthy and spirited… and a girl.

Maiden mare Blue didn’t seem to want to let her milk down right at the start but after about an hour she did (to my great relief) and mommy and daughter are happily bonding. I turned them out into the sunshine to give the baby some nice fresh air. Tommorrow I’ll put them in the paddock again and get those pictures.

Pistol Packin’ Mama

Administrator — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:21:46 +0000

Little Dolly is a real pistol. She’s the only baby here on the ranch so far this year and she want to play! The older mares aren’t much interested in her childish antics, but she doesn’t care. She charges around the paddock like hell on wheels, running circles around her poor mother who simply stands in the middle of it watching her to make sure she stays safe, but long since tired of trying to keep up with her.

She’s hilarious to watch.

New Girls In Town

Administrator — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 18:05:11 +0000

What a busy weekend here at the ranch. First on Friday we had a surprise delivery… I knew the mare was probably bred even though she didn’t really look it, Mirri has a way of managing to never really look pregnant, but she wasn’t showing any signs of imminent delivery–and she’s usually a drama queen. Well Friday afternoon out popped Dolly (Country Haven’s Silver Dollar). Here she is at not quite 2 full days old:

Then on Saturday Bob and I made yet another trip down to Carisa’s just outside of Attica Indiana to bring her our late summer filly from last year in trade for Alex, and 50% Nubian milking doe. Alex is just beautiful, and at only 2 weeks fresh (just had her babies 2 weeks ago) already producing just one cup shy of a gallon a day. I’m thinking in no time she’ll be giving us a full gallon, and maybe a little more to boot every day.

Here she is today after all the squabbling of herd rank finished off yesterday the barnyard was peaceful once again this morning.

Here she is with Savanah (Savvy)

And here’s Polly ignoring them both while she catches some shade:

So after all the business of Friday and Saturday, it’s nice to have a peaceful, quiet Sunday to just relax and enjoy all the critters here on a beautiful Sunny day.

Sympathy Pains

Administrator — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 21:39:15 +0000

I feel for my friend, Kay. I really do. She has yet another maiden mare that’s being a ‘drama queen’ and acting for all the world like she’s going to foal any minute keeping Kay and her entire family on ‘full alert’–for WEEKS now.

I’m feeling sympathy pains for Kay. I’ve been there, done that for several years in a row.

Immy is my usual drama queen. One of the reasons I’m pretty sure she’s not bred this year. She’s not acting like she’s going to foal out ‘any minute’ yet and this is right about the time she would have started doing that. Sometimes ‘bad’ things (no pregnant mares) are really ‘blessings in disguise’. I have so much going on this spring that a bunch of drama queens would only drive me totally insane.

Kind of a Downer Day

Administrator — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 20:52:16 +0000

Well today was kind of a downer. First off last week I got an email from a lady interested in the 2-yr-old colts I have for sale. I sent recent pictures and she was all excited. I even offered a discount for her because it was for her 4-h kids. She was going to come out this weekend. Now we’re talking about 20 emails over the course of a couple of days.

No word from her before the actual weekend so I dropped her a note that I wouldn’t be home until after noon on Saturday and she emailed me back that oops, she forgot to write me that she couldn’t make it this weekend, it would be next weekend.

No problem, I wrote that it was probably for the best. Then today she writes she bought a different horse.

Now this is par for the course with horse sales and it didn’t really bother me all that much this time. Even up until the email I was like ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’. But it really drove a point home I’d been discussing with a few others on a forum board on the aspect of ‘no deposit/no sale’. Another words, if someone else shows up in the meantime before you get there, if you haven’t put a deposit down, the animal will be sold to the first person who ponies up cash. It seems heartless until you realize that so many folks say, oh yeah, I’ll be there, and never show up. Often times they don’t even let you know they’re not coming.

A couple years ago I had someone I’d spoke to on the phone, and via email wanting to meet me at a certain place to pick up an animal. I took the horse there because I was going anyway so it wasn’t a huge deal, but the person never showed up.

Why are people so inconsiderate? I don’t know. At least this lady this weekend let me know and didn’t leave me hanging.

Then I was thinking today that none of the mares are bred for this year. They could be but they’re sure hiding it well. That’s probably for the best too, but it makes me wonder what my stallion was doing all summer. LOL Maybe he decided he needed a break too.

At least the weather is beautiful today. Had a gate to be repaired today but didn’t get around to it. Probably Tuesday if it’s not raining.