Still in a holding pattern here. Nothing exciting to report. Yay! Lol.
Nice colts!
It is too bad that Commissioner went so quickly but sometimes they go, due to lack of interest, or when the big interests win because the incredible amount of money offered can keep your farm going forever (MDO? for example or perhaps I’m thinking of another horse that Darley bought, anyway the sellers couldn’t resist after the offer became so huge .) I have no idea which it was in Commissioner’s case.
Good to hear your filly’s swelling is receding. 
I hope, as no doubt you pray, that your next Khozan will have a more laid back attitude.
Is the H.H. mare yours?
I think your filly is lovely.
Red Devil is here.
Tizlot foaled this morning at 4am. Chestnut COLT by Khozan. Oh dear. He was thrashing before his hips were even out. Standing by 4:45, but didn’t nurse until 6am. I helped him stand and rubbed him all over no issues. Maiden mare was a little impatient, but I can’t blame her. Colt was pretty dumb fumbling around, and was difficult to help…suddenly after 20 min of standing he was double barrel kicking any time you rubbed his hind end. Pushing him near the udder (as you can do with normal foals) was nearly impossible. I had to lure him to her udder inch by inch with a baby bottle of colostrum…thankfully mare stood well for milking…and after many, many attempts (that seems like forever when you’ve had no sleep!) he finally latched on at 6am.
This morning he allowed me to rub him all over while he was down, but standing up he is extremely twitchy. Touching behind his withers results in him flying backwards, and if you put pressure on his hip to block him, he kicks (seriously, with intent). I’m sure he’ll get better as we work with him, but his reaction is different than the usual timidness and fear of some other foals.
No more Khozan colts for me, thanks. I’m very glad we only have two left, and they are both by St Patrick’s Day. 
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First newborn I’ve ever needed to try a butt rope on to nurse. And he threw such a hissy fit bucking at the rope he fell down. 
If it wasn’t a maiden mare, slightly confused at what she should do, I would have turned the lights off, went to bed and let him figure it out on his own.
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I’m sure it was not at all funny at the time, but I’m dying over here.
If you’d like a laugh at my expense, I figured out yesterday afternoon that I’ve been looking at the wrong square on my test strips to read pH. No wonder the numbers I was getting didn’t line up with any of my other observations! Sigh. At least I’m reassured that she is NOT foaling imminently now. I’m thinking end of this week/first of next week. But we’ll see. I just cancelled the trip to MS I had planned for that time frame; that might have jinxed me.
Oh dear. That’s remarkable. I feel for the mare. Hopefully he won’t be a jerk to her and if he is, I hope she’ll put him in his place.
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He looks quite pleased with himself.
Do you think he may have a medical problem or is it just his temperament? I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that behavior.
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Nothing medical. He’s just a redhead Khozan. Others have said Khozan foals (colts, in particular) have a reputation for being difficult, strong willed and temperamental. A friend who is a gallop girl called them “cheap” (meaning dirty, dishonest) but fast.
He dropped to the ground twice more today, going to and from the paddock. He balks at going forward, but overreacts to a butt rope, kicks and sits down. Then lays there in silent protest. He doesn’t tremble in fear or duck/spin…he just says Nope. Thankfully Tizlot has grown up a lot in 24hrs and has been a pretty patient mom and is very careful not to step on him when he flops beneath her feet.
With a barnful of babies, I’ve dealt with mini tantrums and exuberant leaping a lot (I never let loose foals follow, they are always led in and out hands-on). Mostly you just ignore it and keep the feet moving forward, guiding the body and not the delicate head and neck. This colt definitely has his own ideas about life!
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That is the way I have always been taught. Never were they let loose to follow. The butt rope or hand around butt and shoulder were considered part of foal education and that was what we did. I can’t imagine dealing with this foal. What you are describing (as you said) isn’t normal foal exuberance.
Does Khozhan have a Dynaformer type temperament or is this coming from somewhere back in his lineage? He doesn’t seem to have a lot of meanies in his pedigree. Seattle Slew maybe, but not many others… Interesting (when you aren’t the one dealing with it.) 
We looked at a lot of “land” names and ended up naming him “Landfall”. His barn name is Liam and he’s a lovely colt. I’m super pleased with him, and his maiden dam is turning out to be a fantastic mom.
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Love it! I truly meant to send that list right after you announced him and realized the other day I never did. I love naming.
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Said farewell to Entice and her colt “Jolly” this morning, as they shipped to KY for her date with Enticed. Why couldn’t one of the Khozan colts have left?? Lol
Little red devil is a bit better. He hasn’t thrown himself down in two days, though he’s quite tough to catch in the stall (still small enough to duck under the mare). Still very jumpy and bolts backward, but the bucking is much less.
Next mares don’t hit 320 until April 4th and 7th, so I get to sleep for a few weeks! So nice! But now breeding ramps up, as all these girls need to get back in foal for 2022.
And LOL @Montanas_Girl I’ve misread the strips too, and wasted more than one thinking the mare was Ready Now! And of course they slam on the brakes when you change plans to accommodate.
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Still holding here at 322 days. Her tail head is starting to sink and her belly has dropped even more. Milk still thin and testing only 100 ppm Ca and pH 8.2, but it is decidedly WHITE now. I suspect she’s going to be one that changes FAST when she gets close. Aren’t those fun?
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Well, Arielle has a little bit of bloody discharge today (day 325). She was diagnosed with varicose veins back in November, so I’m guessing it’s probably just those acting up again, though I suppose there’s also a slight chance that it is/was her mucus plug. She’s starting to look hollowed out beside her tail head, and her udder continues to gradually fill. Milk continues to be white but thin, with Ca at 100 ppm and pH somewhere between 7.8 and 8.2. Nothing exciting, in other words. Just slow and steady progress.
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Hey, @skydy, remember when you were worried about the forecast for 1-2" of rain at my place in one night? Well, we’re supposed to get 4-6" this afternoon/evening! 
That doesn’t account for the 2" we got Thursday night or the 1" that has already fallen this morning.
Good thing my place is on top of a hill, seriously. Y’all may need to send me an ark if this spring weather doesn’t settle down soon.
Luckily, I don’t think I need to worry about Arielle foaling in this mess tonight. It’s supposed to get pretty cold early next week (for us), though - lows in the high 20s/low 30s and highs in the high 40s/low 50s. Watch her pick THAT time to get down to business.
How’s it going with the rain?
We ended up getting almost 7" of rain in less than two days! I am so, so, so grateful for my super hilly property right now (I curse it when I try to ride, as there is literally NO flat ground at all). I came away much better than a lot of people in middle TN - no standing water at all, and my sacrifice paddock is already drying out. The Nashville weather service office recorded yesterday as the fourth raniest day in history. Areas are flooded that haven’t flooded since the epic 2010 storm. At least four people have died. 
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