Today dawned bright and clear and windstill, a new experience after days and days of high wind under gray and threatening skies, first blowing hard from the north, then blowing hard from the south.
Trees now dropping damaged limbs from our most recent ice storm as if preparing for spring's debut which promises to be just around the corner.
The bouncing lambs revel in the sunshine, popping up like fuzzy popcorn then racing around and around their paddock...
The littlest lamb, a single from a yearling mother follows tentatively behind the larger lambs...wanting to be included but a little scared to leave the security of his mother too far behind. This lamb must rely on the kindness of the shepherd, as his mother is not producing enough milk to sustain him. SO twice a day he slurps down a bottle of warm nurishment from an impersonal bottle then returns to the comfort of his mother's nearly empty udder. The little ewe is an attentive mother yet for some unknown reason she has very little milk to give her little one. One strike against her....a repeat of this performance with the next lambing and she will go for slaughter. There is no room on the productive farmstead for riders! All must produce and prosper or be replaced with those who will.
Horses stand broadside to the warming sunshine, soaking up the sun's relaxing warmth..Foals lay stretched flat on their sides, melted into the peaceful oblivion of contented sleep. Their world is safe, bellies are full and now after days of cold and damp they are warm once again.
Soon the youngsters will start their formal training, the foundation for their life's work as sport-partners for their human companions. Skills gently taught in the first days will set the tone for the rest of their lives. How important it is to consider what is first taught to a young horse and even more important WHO teaches them! A bully trainer can terrify a timid young horse and a timid trainer can allow an overly confident youngster to develop into the "boss" in the training sessions and life to come.
We work with our foals from their first day here on the farm to make every contact with humans a positive experieince. Foals are handled gently from birth and even necessary unpleasant experiences such as medications and vaccinations are administered with as much kindness as possible. It's amazing how forgiving foals will be when somewhat ugly things are followed by lots of gentle words and scratching those unreachable itchy places! Even timid cautious foals can be won over when the right itchy spot is found!
Most of our young Sporthorses are Shire/Arabian and Percheron/Arabian, the ultimate blend of size and substance combined with "fire and elegance"!
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