Random bits and pieces - more catching up

Spot is now gelded, but Beauty managed to let him into the mares' paddock. She's now confirmed in foal to Spot My Dream for 2011. Hopefully this foal will be as wonderful as Pebbles. We hope to actually be able to choose Beauty's next foal's father next year: she and her new foal will be in the round pen (jail) to make sure.

Shawn was gelded at the same time as Spot, and when he was weaned, he was traded to Christine Allard of Forever Green Stables for a cute pony mare named Jasmine. Jasmine is a medium pony.

Lori showed Cool Blue Dream (Spook) at Paint O Rama again this year. He won his 3 year old Stallion class and placed in the Overo class. He also won the High Point Stallion trophy for the Eastern Ontario Paint Horse Club again this year, and added the High Point Overo trophy.

Toro is back - he's bigger than he was last year!

Aggie and Lunch in the shed.

The paddock beside the barn is now fenced and has a new electric fence charger. The cows are in there with Toro the bull. Toro fathered two bull calves this year: Aggie has Lunch, and Cooba has T-Bone. Both are now steers - the elastrator made sure of that. Next year we hope to have two more calves - and more beef for the freezer.

Mom bought a harness for Spot at Lachute. He hitches beautifully, and now that he's fully healed from being gelded, seems to have found his brain. He's a very sensible pony now and can often be found mowing the grass on the dog tie behind the house.

Forever Porto is now my horse. Christine Allard of Forever Green Stables found sponsors to buy him for me. Many thanks to Jacques and Serge Buy, and Larry Rivet for their kind gift! It was such a surprise - and many tears of joy were shed that day. Porto now lives at Dreamscape Acres - and now that this year's show season is over, his shoes are coming off so he can relax.

Porto and I went to Les Jeux Equestre du Quebec in Bromont. Mom came along for moral support and took a few pictures. We didn't do as well as we hoped, but it was an experience to ride in the Olympic Horse Park.

The team from Forever Green Stables did well - Fancy Pants showed in Dressage and Cross Country as well as in the Kur. We were very proud of Mariepier and Fancy Pants!

I rode in the AERSO shows this summer at Forever Green and St. Lazare (Equetrans) in Training and First Level dressage with Forever Porto, and won the gold medal in Training level, as well as the trophy for High Average Dressage Score. Both trophies were presented at the banquet in Dollard des Ormeaux. Thank you, Christine, for all the encouragement and coaching - and for ensuring that Porto became my horse. Without you, none of this would have happened.

Pebbles and Anabelle went to Elisha's place to be weaned in September. Pebbles will be going to the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto in November, so Elisha is working with him so that he'll behave appropriately at the show. We'll trailer down with other horses on Friday, stay the weekend and show Pebbles in his class on Sunday morning.

Peanut went to his new home last Sunday. He'll be living in Mountain with Julie and her boys.

We took Sneakers with us, along with the cart, and had a great afternoon driving around Julie’s farm and giving her boys a ride or two.

Candy (Donna's foal) will also be leaving for her new home soon - Susan B traded her to Christine for lessons.

Susan B bought a new horse. He's a Canadian and his name is Twist. He has a bent ear (he had a hematoma in it a long time ago).

Patricia C. bought another Canadian. His name is Crooked Pete. He'll be used for hippo-therapy for the kids once he's trained. He had an injury to his right front leg as a young horse and it's crooked, but it doesn't slow him down at all

Both Twist and Pete have made themselves quite at home!

Sad news: Reba (My Jet Star) died on Sunday, October 11, 2010. She had congestive heart failure. She was 38 years old - a good age for a Paint. She'll be missed, especially by Serge. Reba was definitely Serge's horse - she loved him and he loved her. She'll be forever in our hearts. Rest in peace, Reba.

I'm sure I've missed something, but when I remember, I'll add it to the next post.

Catching up, again. :)

The Spook-Tacular Fun Show was a success!

We had prizes and ribbons, with championship ribbons made by Mom. Mom also donated a lot of the prize items. Thanks, Mom!

Mom made a delicious cake and decorated it for the fun show.

Despite a miserable Friday and Saturday of rain, Sunday dawned chilly, but clear. The riding ring was too wet to be safe (or fun), so we made a new ring out in the big paddock in the race track. A haywagon provided a seat for spectators and the judge.

Hot food and coffee were in good supply to keep everyone warm and well-fed.

The Walk Division had the largest number of competitors: Jen G. and Ash, Sue and Spook, Kathrine and Breezy (Mom didn't get a picture of them), Earl on Leo with Jen S. leading, Serge riding Reba, Emilie with Sweetapple Scrunchions and Jake with Mr. Maple with Celine helping.

Miella and Sneakers and Serge and Reba competed in the Walk/Trot division and Celine rode Mr. Maple.

Jen S. was our lone competitor in the Walk/Trot/Canter division, as Abby's horse wasn't feeling well and she had to scratch. Abby did come to watch part of the show, though, and make a donation. (Thanks, Abby!)

Mom was supposed to ride Otis in the Walk division, but ended up too busy in the house to get ready and ride. The chili sure was good, but Granny and Grandpa were disappointed that they didn't get to see Mom ride.

Jen and Ash competed in the Walk division.

Sue took Spook in the Walk division, too.



Serge rode Reba and Miella rode Sneakers.




Emilie showed Sweetapple Scrunchions. Sweetapple Scrunchions and Mr. Maple are Newfoundland ponies that live at Forest Lane Horse Farm in North Gower. Sweetapple Scrunchions is for sale - if you're interested, please contact Celine at Forest Lane Horse Farm.



Jake showed Mr. Maple. Since Mr. Maple is a stallion, Celine stayed close to make sure that everything was under control.

Christine Allard of Forever Green Stables graciously volunteered to be our judge. Thank you, Christine! You were a wonderful judge!

Earl won the Walk division on Leo. Although Jen led Leo, she did it with such a long line, we knew she was just there to give her dad confidence.

Jen rode Leo in the Walk/Trot/Canter version of the obstacle course and won the divison.

Jake and Mr. Maple dressed as gangstas. Dan stood by for safety reasons. Note the fancy chain around Mr. Maple's neck and flashy "bling" stencilled on his shoulders and haunches! Good job, Jake!

Emilie and Sweetapple Scrunchions were fairies; both had beautiful wings!

Sneakers and Miella dressed as a cat (Sneakers) and a witch (Miella). Every witch needs a black(ish) cat!

Jen dressed Leo as a spider, and came as Miss Muffett eating her curds and whey. Earl posed with her for this picture.

Jen G. was a princess with Ash as a unicorn.


Emilie took home the trophy and prize basket for High Point Gremlin, and Jen S. won the High Point Old Nag plate and prize basket.

Everyone feasted on homemade chili, rolls, coffee, cake, handmade chocolates, rice crispy squares and Granny's chocolate cupcakes. Generous donations accumulated in the jar for the horse rescue, and everyone seemed to really enjoy the day.

We're already planning for a bigger and better show next year!

Adoptions and new horses on the farm

We have two new horses on the farm: Donna and Rosie. They both came from the Thanksgiving auction at Galetta. Sue bought them, but has since sold Donna to us.

Donna is pregnant, and Sue will keep the foal. Donna is Reba's great granddaughter, according to her papers, and looks a lot like her. Serge is absolutely in love.

Rosie is an older mare that's been there and done that. At the auction, they referred to her as the school bus, and put three kids on her back. She is slowly gaining weight and loves all the attention that she gets from Sue.

Sue has also adopted Otis.

Rudy, the Treeing Walker Coon Hound that we were fostering for Friendly Giants Dog Rescue was adopted by a lady in Limoges.

Jen G. moved Ash to Stubbe Horse Farm in North Gower so that she could go out and see him more often. Since she lives in Kanata, that makes a lot of sense. We wish them well and hope to hear good news about Ash's progress regularly.

EastWind Pony Club news

EastWind PC needs new members! Are you interested in horses? Want to be part of a club that offers education and fun with horses? Thinking about owning a horse sometime, or want to compete?

Pony Club is the right place for you!

You don't need to own a horse to participate, but if you do, that's great too. If you're between 6 and 21 and live somewhere around the Casselman/Embrun area, we'd love to hear from you.

More Dreamscape Acres news!

Spook, also known as Cool Blue Dream, won the Eastern Ontario Paint Horse Club (EOPHC) High Point Halter Stallion trophy at the banquet on October 23, 2009.

We were thrilled!

Cool Blue Dream will stand at stud in 2010, AI only, for a limited number of mares.

I was elected to be the Public Relations chair for the EOPHC, so watch for more information here on what's coming up next year.

Summerfest Breeders' Show

On August 2nd, we took Beauty and Breezy, Spook, and Fancy to the big breeders' show (Summerfest) at Kemptville College.

I braided Breezy and Spook (mane and tail) and Fancy's forelock. All of them were polished until they gleamed from ears to hooves to tail - and we made sure they stayed that way all day.

Lori showed Spook, Natasha showed Fancy, and I showed Breezy. Serge and Natasha alternated holding Beauty (she wasn't showing, but Breezy was too young to be there without her mom). Mom helped out wherever she could.

First up was Breezy (Call Me A Dreamer) in the Pony Foals class. She was a superstar, standing and posing perfectly even though she's only 3 months old. She won first place in her class! That meant that she had to come back for the Junior Champion and Reserve class - and she brought home Reserve Champion!

Spook (Cool Blue Dream) was up next in the 2 year old of 2007 class. He and Lori did a great job, placing second.

Fancy (Dreams Fancy Pants) and Natasha were in the next class - 3 years and older mares. Fancy and Natasha placed fifth in that one.

Natasha and Lori took Fancy and Spook in the Dressage suitability class, picking up ribbons all around.

Natasha and I both placed in Junior/Novice handler - Breezy and I placed third, and Natasha and Fancy placed fourth.

Natasha saddled up Fancy and took her in the Open Pony Walk/Trot and the SPSS Pony Dressage Type Under Saddle classes, picking up even more ribbons!

To top it all off, I won the big door prize donated by Ritchies - a bucket full to overflowing with fantastic stuff from Ritchies including a saddle pad, 2010 calendar, horse treats and more! Thanks, Mom, for entering the draw for me!

All of us competed in the Sport Pony Starsearch Qualifier classes. Breezy's Reserve Champion ribbon along with Spook's second place ribbon means that they could qualify for the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto if the first placed ponies don't go. We haven't decided whether or not to register for the Royal yet, but entries don't close until the end of September, so we have time to consider the options.

We're all very proud of our well-behaved and well-shown ponies - and their good behaviour in the ring was appreciated, too. The judge stopped by while Serge was cleaning out the stalls and complimented us on their behaviour and our spotless stalls! Thanks to Pony Club, we all know how to behave at a show and how to make sure we're welcomed back by keeping stuff neat and tidy, and cleaning up after our horses.

You can find some photos of Breezy, Spook, and Fancy on the professional photographer, Cheryl Ogilvie's site: http://www.pixyourthis.ifp3.com/. Click on Gallery and choose Summerfest and look in the Foals, Ponies and other folders. Mom labelled all the pictures when she found them.

The lighting inside the arena wasn't great for photo-taking, but we did get one or two of Breezy and Spook.

Paint-O-Rama

Saturday, July 25th was Paint-O-Rama at the Carp Fairgrounds, an Eastern Ontario Paint Horse Club show.

Cool Blue Dream (aka Spook) won four first place ribbons in his first class: 2 year old stallions. I showed Spook (stallions must be shown by an adult).




Dreaming of Willie (aka Dreamer) placed 5th in the Aged (over 3 years old) mare class. Natasha did a great job of showing Dreamer.



Both Spook and Dreamer placed in the Overo class.

For the first time off the property, both horses (and handlers) did very well! The show was inside because of the threatening skies, so there were a lot of new experiences for both horses.

Mom came out to take pictures, but the lighting inside wasn't good enough, so she took these ones outside.

Catching up - it's the end of February already!

It's been a busy few weeks since my last post.


We had a Valentines party on Sunday, February 15th combined with a contest to determine the winning logo for our new branch of the Pony Club. All of the Valentines party attendees had a chance to cast their vote for one of the logos entered by Sunday afternoon.


We had four submissions to choose from:






All were carefully thought out and drawn, either on the computer or by hand, and every one got at least one vote.



The winning logo was submitted by Jennifer S. Her daughter will be joining the Eastwind Pony Club in March.


Jennifer coloured the pony dark blue grey (in honour of Sneakers, perhaps?) on the printed copy that she submitted for the contest, but we could pick another colour if the members feel strongly about it. The font is called Jokerman - I'll look for it online and if I can find a free version, we can use it for letterhead and thank you notes (for clinicians and volunteers).

Thank you to everyone who participated by either submitting a logo or voting!

Natasha created a great themed costume for Dash with lots of hearts. He looked absolutely adorable in his flashy multicoloured halter and the heart covered breast plate.




Natasha took Miella out for a ride on Dash in the field.



Natasha later helped Alex saddle up Reba to ride and took her out for a stroll, too.



It was too icy to go very fast or very far, but I know Miella and Alex appreciated the opportunity to ride a little bit.

Thanks, Natasha! You're a big help and a good sport!


Farrier

Our farrier (Yvan Roy) came out on Tuesday, February 17 and trimmed some of the horses. Serge held Malachi and Kane (Katherine and Michael's horses) out in the field and both of them were very good. Neither of them like to come in the barn for a trimming, and Yvan is happy to accommodate them.

Cinder and Finnigan had their feet trimmed, too. Both of them were well behaved.




Arrivals and departures

Scrappy left for Petawawa on Saturday, February 21. I hope that Amelia and Scrappy enjoy their new homes!





Two new horses, Gwen and Neala, a 9-12 year old mare and her 6 month old filly, arrived shortly after Scrappy left. They were rescued from a neglectful situation by Laura W. and her mom. They plan to continue to sponsor them and work with them this summer.



Gwen is a bit thin, but has already put on weight since she arrived. Neala had never been handled - she's wearing her first ever halter now! Gwen likes people, and especially enjoys treats. Neala needs some regular handling to teach her how to behave around people. She's very curious, though, so we hope she'll learn quickly.

Neither was sure how to drink water from a bucket - there was no water in the field that they lived in previously - but they figured it out pretty quickly. Both need work on their feet and a full course of innoculations (Jeff, the vet, will be out next week). Gwen and Neala's feet are way too long and Gwen has "skis" because her toes are so long.

Neala is available for adoption for $300.




Announcements


Happy birthday to Jasper! He's a whole year old now - maybe he'll finally stop growing!

Spook (Cool Blue Dreams) turned 2, too! He's really grown in the last year and doesn't look like a baby anymore!




Upcoming events


March brings us St. Patrick's Day and hopefully the start of spring. The vet will be out later this month to start doing shots and Coggins, so please let us know if you want a Coggins or think your horse(s) need their teeth floated or anything else.


The vet checked Beauty and confirmed that she's carrying a healthy foal. She's due around April 12, 2009. He checked Cinder, too, and thinks her foal is due in July.


We're planning an event on Sunday, March 22 to celebrate everything green! Look for more details here soon. Hopefully everyone will be back from their March break vacations by then.

(Note from Susan: Elly's birthday is on March 17, so we can celebrate that, too. :) Sssshh! It's a secret for now.)


Natasha, Mom and I attended the second of six lectures put on by the Ottawa Valley Large Animal Clinic (OVLAC) at Kemptville College last night. Last night's lecture was all about breeding and gave us all a lot of useful information. Next week's lecture is all about parasites.

Summer's almost over

Wow! It's hard to believe that Labour Day is on Monday.

That means that fall is on its way and summer is virtually over. I hope the warm days and cool nights last well into the fall this year - we still have so much more to do!

A friend offered me a spare straw of semen from Outrageous Fortune, a chestnut frame overo Canadian Sport Horse stallion http://www.baystarfarms.ca/outrageousfortune.htm, so we gave Nikki (Maaks Nikki - a solid registered Paint mare) a hot shot to bring her into season and an ovulation shot, then had the vet come out and do the artificial insemination (AI). We'll have the vet back again next month to see if she caught. We've got our fingers crossed!

One stall is now rented for the winter, so there's only one left. We have room for one or two more horses on outside board, too.

Gypsy, aka Bugs Blue Chip (a registered Appy mare) is coming back to us. She was adopted by a family in the summer, but the teenagers' interests have changed and they're giving her back to us. The next time the vet is out, we'll have her checked to see if she's pregnant by Star and then decide if we're going to put her up for adoption again right away. We visited her today and brought a hen and eight chicks home with us.

We have a new mare coming to the farm mid September. Her name is Dreamer, aka Dreaming of Willy. She's a registered Paint mare, in foal to a cremello Quarter Horse-type stallion. Her foal is for sale in utereo for $300 and is due sometime between November and January. Since Dreamer is a strawberry roan overo Paint with a blonde mane and tail, there's a good chance that her foal will be a palomino Paint. Dreamer will be bred to Spook (Cool Blue Dream) next summer by AI.

Finn is settling in happily at his new home with Leisa near Smiths Falls. Delilah is happy again and regaining some of her weight - nursing Finn was taking too much out of her.