HC Minis 2016 foaling line-up

[Chanda]

not as much fun as Diane's favorite pictures of Tana, since those were same day photos; but how about these maiden mare pictures...

My AQHA mare with her maiden pregnancy.
Photo series were taken on March 2, 1997, she was about 330 days pregnant, and really didn't look it.
Foaling day picture was March 30, 1997, she foaled about 360 days.  [bred the first week of April 1996, and foaled Easter Sunday, March 30, 1997.  [Foaling date could have been March 31, 1997; whatever day was Easter Sunday that year.]

[dcwolcott]

Thank you for those pictures!  I see some lopsided bellies there, and am very excited!!!

And such a handsome boy -- no matter HOW you get his picture, it's always worth the wait!!

I saw those pictures of your maiden AQHA on LB, and I'm so glad you posted them here.  They are great at showing how these maidens can hide their pregnancies until the last minute!!

[Chanda]

And, look how upright and leggy that AQHA filly was at just hours old.  Since she was cooked nearly a year, she came out ready to go and was big, so she bruised up her momma pretty good; hence the Easter Sunday vet call.    

[Anna]

Hi Chanda, great to see you again and to catch up with all your news.  Love the pics of all the girls - good luck with them - the very cute 'long ears', your gorgeous moos and that fabulous Topper.   
As far as your wonderful quilts are concerned, well they are just so beautiful - I still have the 'western' pillowcases you did for me, wrapped up carefully and put away for when we get the barn converted - as usual in life things get 'delayed'! Keep your pictures coming please.

[Chanda]

No new pictures, but I took my quilt tops to town with me today, as I had a quilt guild meeting and the center where we meet has tables, so I was able to use the tables to layout and pin the layers together to get them ready to quilt.  So much easier than trying to pin them on my bed, as I usually do, especially for quilts that are a bit bigger.   It's supposed to rain this weekend, so maybe I can get one of them quilted during a rainy day.

[Chanda]

Could've just been grime, but Bonny had what looked a bit like wax on her teats this morning.  I tested her with foal strips (forget the name), she's testing around 7, couldn't really pick an exact number, the color looked from 6.8 to 7.2, so I'll say 7.

[dcwolcott]

Oh my!! Now THIS sounds exciting!!!

Keep us posted!!!

[Chanda]

There will probably be no testing with Showy, she's a real touch-me-not kind of girl, hopefully she'll be good for her baby when/if it comes. 
Tana has a little bit of a bag, but not as much as Bonny (and not giving up any fluid as of yet).
Not 100% certain if Misty is even pregnant, and she has a small floppy bag at the moment, so we'll see how/if it progresses.

[Ryan]

LOL  "A touch me not kind of girl" that made me laugh

Sounding exciting 

[Renée]

she has a small floppy bag at the moment.

Shame on you girl! 

[Chanda]

OMG!  I think I might die...  We branded 2/3 of the calves today, it's over 75 out (not sure if it's over 80), and I'm pooped, sweaty and can't wait to take a shower.   Just a quick break here to give my feet a rest, have some Gatorade (only tastes good when I need it, it tasted good, so must have needed it), cool off a little bit and then time to do evening chores.  I think we are taking these pairs out to their summer pasture, so about a 10 mile trail drive to get them out, if they'll trail; if not, they'll go to a temporary pasture one day and the rest the way the next.

[dcwolcott]

Please e....we like you too much!!

I hope you get some good rest tonight and can cool down.  The heat is one of the things I hate the most about Florida.  I know it isn't any hotter than any other place can get, but it's the length of time it stays hot that makes me long for the New York Adirondack Mountains.  But I have to begrudgingly admit I don't miss having to plug in my car at night, or having the month of February always be a minus 20 degrees without the wind chill.  But I sure would appreciate it being more of a 4 season state.   

[Chanda]

I'm still here, but way tired.  I think my allergies are kicking in a bit early this year due to our unseasonably mild winter/spring, green things are pop up early, everywhere.  Time to start taking allergy meds.  [I try not to take them in the winter, so that they'll hopefully continue to work for me.

Checked the girls at evening chores...
Bonny still has the most bag, and quite a bit of tail resistance.
Misty, Tana and Showy have little bag, but also minimal tail resistance, or they just don't care when I play with their tails.
For comparison, never bred Dolly has no bag and lots of tail resistance.
Baybe is looking less pregnant now that she is shed out, but she'd be the last to foal, as she was bred later than all the others, so here's hoping.
Working on getting everyone out to grass, but haven't gotten the girls pasture set up yet, just have portable panels, so set it up and move it around all summer.  They graze the hay yard, but it's not fenced, so I put up temporary fencing every summer.

[Renée]

Thanks for the update and for surviving lol I hope you get a good nights sleep tonight. My allergies have started too so I sooooo know where you are coming from. I am on Benadryl this year as it doesn't knock me out. The meds I took last year worked great but I was in a zombie state all the time and slept for hours. Alby could barely wake me. lol Scary really.

Good luck getting the girls out to grass.

[Holly]

Chanda, sounds like youve been seriously working your tail off!