"Chylly" arrives

[paintponylvr]

Our newest rain gauge isn't working, but we got several inches of rain the other evening all at once.  Our pastures were flooded, the little "pond" was completely full, the babies had a ball splashing around in the mostly underwater roundpen where they are all currently living...  No pictures since it was getting dark (mistake).

But then in the late evening the next day, we got a couple of ponies worked with in our "pond", now almost empty again.  Here are the pics of 6 week old "Chylly" doing her "water works".  This is her fist time being this far away from her dam (who is loose in the round pen and occasionally whinnying for her). 

couple of pics before water worx -





Her first approach to the water -



Encouraging her to go in wasn't a problem - unlike other ponies in our past.  She seems to like being a "Water Horse".  She "trit-trotted" back & forth thru the water a couple of times.



Then, her dam called out and she resisted and then fought the pressure on her head/halter - trying to head towards her mom.  She went up....  & over - Sierra did manage to keep her head above the water when she splashed down.  The splash was tremendous and a large amount of water splashed onto regular sand and disappeared in seconds!



and bounced right back up -

[paintponylvr]

This is just minutes after her flip/splash down in the water.  Not a problem to play a bit more.





and then she came out of the pond a last time.  She still didn't go right back to the round pen to her dam, though.

[dcwolcott]

She, too, is so pretty!!  Both these girls are just special!  And I love their stories!

[Chanda]

Love your little ones, so cute.   Love the pictures and story to go with.

[paintponylvr]

During the day of the 28th of June, we had another "monsoon" - almost all day. 

The pond wasn't quite filled all the way, but Sierra was out in it with "Chylly", so I parked by the gate to the pasture and went out.  Here's some pics of new "water worx"!

[Lnight89]

Oh my goodness they grow so fast! Beautiful!

[dcwolcott]

Oh, she did sooooo much better !!  She is sure a pretty girl!!  Will she be staying with you?  I know you wanted to add some white to the herd, so just wondering?

[paintponylvr]

I am hoping to retain her.  Sierra has also gotten attached and I'd sold Sierra's 1/2 shetland riding pony years ago and we hadn't ever replaced her.  Sierra has since taken driving lessons - both single and paired (only a few times w/ a pair, but enough that she can help with hitching and is a confident driver) - so I feel it's well worth it to retain one that she is interested in/claims as her own.  It also means getting a little more help (?!?! shouldn't, but..)  If pressed, I will put a price on her, but it won't be a small number and most would swear we wanted gold. 

AS to whom "Chylly" would drive with as a pair or in other multiples, that really depends on her finished growth and her mature personality and movement.  We have lots of chances of other matches for her as well - "GG" (Chylly's dam) isn't the only silver or silver tobiano that can/will produce chestnuts now - especially if I don't use the mares that are homozygous for black (all by the stallion that sired some problems).

"Chylly" will fit well with our continuing breeding program - well into the future.  So would have "Kava" the other filly that Sierra had taken a shine to last year, but things happen...  But that was the plan all along when I was trying to plan a future for our breeding program and continuing the lines that I've chosen.  I'm not perfect and I'm still working on it - it was hard to deal with the "genetic anomaly" a few years ago.  It's much harder to do now (producing foals), with the current market.  I don't have the funds to breed a lot, can't keep them all & can't always go to shows to get our breeding program out in front of folks and while it was exciting, I didn't really like showing.  I AM/WAS happy that foals from my own breeding program did WELL in the ASPC ring - open and Futurity programs, for the two years I was able to send ponies out with pro trainers to shows.  Now, if we can do something with the driving aspect, that might be different - at least in the open driving venues - not just ASPC/AMHR. 

I'm still working on how to tie FB and other media into our advertising when I don't want all aspects of my life on the internet... 

[dcwolcott]

Boy, do I understand that!  That's one reason I don't do FB.

I understand about breeding and showing.  I don't like showing, myself, so always hired trainers -- which were toooooo expensive over the long haul.  But produced some nice show foals, and one made his HOF in driving, and was Supreme Champion all through his career.  I was just happy doing that!

[paintponylvr]

Here's some updated pics of the "little chunk"!!  And here I was so worried about how "slight" and "off" she was...  LOL.

"Wild hair child"



Why can't she be this quiet/calm for me and the farrier???

[dcwolcott]

How pretty she is with all that white!!  And so feminine looking!

[Holly]

She is beautiful!!

[Ryan]

Lovely Girl Paula. I lover her markings

[Silver City Heritage Farm]

How did the little water filly like Hurricane Matthew?? Your round pen was a pond, has it all dried out yet? Are you still retaining Chylly? I know from other posts that everyone has been weaned. What are your plans for everyone over the winter? Are they just going to grow out? It seems you may have some work to do, repairing the well after the storm. Since Sierra seems to have taken a special shine to this filly, is she participating in the training more? Has Yoshi been bitten by the horse bug yet?? I sure hope he does!!

[paintponylvr]

Yes, Sierra has taken a shine to Chylly and is still working with her.  She borrowed my Fundamentals videos (the whole series) by Clinton Anderson and took them down to Yoshi's while she's on vacation this Thanksgiving holiday.  She did stop by after Thanksgiving dinner at 'Dira's - to give her dog/cat some loving and to work with Chylly.  No, Yoshi hasn't been really bitten - more like Larry (tough Larry isn't scared of them as Yoshi is).  I believe Sierra may be able to pull Yoshi into it enough to get over his fear and to occasionally pet them, but that really will be it.

Round pen dried about 12-24 hours after rain stopped.

Coal still needs to go over to Vicki's and fully plan on taking him over there next weekend.  The two fillies will grow out and be worked with some more.

Well is now repaired and has an almost finished, new roof on hinges.  Still need to redo the little door on the front of it, but it can go into winter as is.