Charm looks GREAT.
I agree with Diane.
Koalah gets big and "ponderous". Koalah has had 5 foals for us (4 from our stallions, 1 purchased in utero). She "puts up with" being groomed - she doesn't really seem to like it or dislike it any different time. When I was driving her a lot - she seemed to REALLY enjoy getting out on the road - even when heavily in foal. Her attitude & step always changed after her harness put on - both single and pair driving.
Tory also gets big and she becomes just short of "loving" (remember she is one of the "wild child" ponies that is such a terrible one to catch). I can now catch her out in the open pasture (SOMETIMES) - but never by approaching her head. She does like to be groomed - especially in her last days before her delivery(s). She has only had two foals for us, so far.
This last year - both KoKo and Kechi, both 2009 models & maidens, became spooky and "weird" right before foaling.
KoKo - though we got her when she was only 3-1/2 MONTHS old and has had a tremendous amount of handling and even became a driving pony - became very aggressive and nasty after Koal was born. She was like that (had to be caught and tied up herself FIRST, before catching her son) up until he was a full 60 days old. Makes me wonder if her dam in Iowa was the same way before we got KoKo... Didn't realize when I got her that she was so young - that's another story. I will have to do that one in full one of these days - before I forget that trip!!
Kechi - well she was "funny" when she came back home in February 19. Foaled May 13. Her illness, staying alive, still nursing her foal and then weaning her foal - she hasn't changed. In fact, she's very "ugly" out in the pasture. Pouncing on and attacking any/all of the ponies that come close to her. Doesn't appear to have any friends out there - she's always pacing the fence or eating hay alone... Makes me sad. She was always a hard one to catch - especially after a series of injections as a 7 month old foal. Now - she's a whole lot worse in many ways. I am going to be changing all the "youngsters" over to oats (may later change everyone over - this is a trial and study on a small group of ponies first) and am studying on herbal supplements for Kechi right now. May actually have a panel run on her to see if she's missing major things in her diet and that's the problem??? Her hooves trimmed yesterday - she is still having some issues with laminae in her hooves... AND she was sore after being trimmed (for the first time).
GG's dam (Bell) is easy to deal with at foaling. Bell enjoyed being groomed when pregnant AND driving while pregnant. GG herself has always been a pretty laid back pony. Her pregnancy - she seemed to stand with "dreamy" eyes alot. She was GREAT with having both herself and her foal handled - even though she was a maiden, too. She even got her first bareback and under saddle rides while having her days old filly at her side. Then the granddaughters quit riding
None of the maiden mares have been bred for 2017.
Have other mares - these are just ones I'm thinking of right now... O - can't forget Stuffy!!!
Stuffy was our very first Shetland foal - born in 1996. Appeared fine w/ maiden dam when stepdad had my children out w/ mare & foal, taking pics. Came into town where I worked - kiddies had already named the baby. By the time I arrived there hours later, baby down & in bad shape - no cell phones (still no signal in that part of Montana 20 yrs later). Stepdad and my kids still gone, neighbor kindly hooked his trailer up and took me, mare & foal to vet hospital. Foal treated, lived. Mare milked out until dry - never developed an interest in foal (actually tried to kill her several times) - taken home while foal stayed for another 24 hours. Foal released & raised in our kitchen for 20 days on Foal Lac from a bowl - traveling back & forth from our place to parents place (day care) until she wouldn't stay laying down in cab of truck anymore. Then she graduated to a bucket of milk constantly left hanging in the pen next to her sire. Road cut thru parent's property and neighbors kept stopping to ask what the deal was w/ that stuffed animal in the pen next to the road. Her name became Stuffy instead of the other one. Fast forward to 2001 - lease family said she was GREAT w/ her 1st foal. Then 2010 when she finally had her 1st for us - also wonderful. A riding/lesson pony thru her pregnancy AND a driving pony after foaling. 2013 really stands out when our grand daughters were out just a few hours after she foaled - I LOVE the time I spent w/ the 5 (daughter, too) of them that day.
Notice where the "baby", Gwen, is - she's just turned 14 months old (yes, mom is just outside the cropped pic) -
I swear Stuffy is giving Gracie permission to love on her new son -
