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Baby On Board
The big event this spring was the birth of Molly’s foal at five-thirty in the morning on April 17th at Miwok. A big girl, the filly has her Irish Hunter father’s long legs, and her Percheron mother’s sweet calm disposition. We named her Zara, Princess of Hearts, because her father is Joe Montana’s show horse, King of Hearts.
Foaling is not always a breeze - before the birth, my staff and I learned to imprint, so moments after Zara was born, we took turns stroking, massaging, and caressing the foal from head to tail. This stimulates the nerves and muscles, to help the new-born to stand, walk and nurse. It is also a vital first step in habituating the foal to humans, making training later easier, safer, and less stressful.
At first, the little filly was wobbly, her hind legs straining to keep her upright, her soft hooves slipping out from under her in the deep straw. She kept looking for milk at the wrong end, getting herself stuck between Molly’s legs. Molly’s soft nickers soon brought her round.
After a couple of days, we were able to take mother and child to the indoor arena for play-time. We led Molly, with Zara scampering along next to mom, wearing her first tiny halter.
As most of you know, Molly herself was born at Miwok, so there is a lovely sense of déjà-vu watching a second-generation baby taking her first steps here. We will keep Zara at Miwok until it is time to wean her, Then she goes to a pasture with other foals, to run and grow until well into her first year. She will get lots more imprinting, training, handling to learn good manners.
Horse Shows - Not Just for Kids
We are hosting an Invitational Show on Sunday, May 18th, with some classes which adults can enter. It’s a lot of fun to test your mettle - come talk to us if you are interested. At any rate, do come and watch. We will have kids competing from Baywood, San Domenico and Napa Equestrian Center. Also, come to the Annual Livery Kids Show-Off and BBQ on Saturday, May 31st. Watch the After-school kids show what they learned all year, and enjoy the Show Team drill performance. After the show, around noon, join us for a pot-luck and BBQ.
5/14/08
