Queen Elizabeth, the Sultan of Oman, and Sultanna

When this photo popped up in my Instagram feed yesterday, my thought was, "So THAT'S what the Sultan of Oman looks like!" For several years I've wondered - ever since the barn ended up with a horse named after him.

In 2014 the Sultan flew Tim to Oman so he could inspect the turf on the Sultan's golf course and advise him on pest management. (I call Tim the Canadian Cowboy but he is a highly accomplished entomologist and professor here at Purdue University.)

While Tim was overseas, Dolly, Tim's mare, surprised us all by foaling a month early.

Tim named her Sultanna in honor of his trip abroad and as a nod to the Sultan. Go here to read a little about that.

Tim has bred three foals during the ten years I've been boarding Abby with him, and he has yet to see one foaled.

He was gone when Sultanna's foal, sweet Little Feller, was born (and sadly never saw the foal before he passed away the day after birth.)

And when Snickerdoodle, Sultanna's full brother, was foaled in 2015, he was born at the stable where his dam had been bred, not with us.

Sultanna was bred again last spring. Her second breeding did not take, and we think it may not have taken again - I've witnessed her raising her tail and turning her hips and squealing at Hokey, signs of a mare in heat, not one who is in foal.

At this time, she's not telling if she is or isn't going to present us with a foal this spring. If she does, I hope Tim come up with another great name like hers. And, that he's in town and able to see the newborn foal.

Christmas Card of the Day

Herd Dynamics

There are a lot of dynamics that go on in a herd of horses. They sort themselves into an alpha who leads them around and makes decisions such as to where to graze and when. If the alpha is a mare, she often has a favorite who may not be high in the hierarchy but is accorded respect from the other horses due to her friendship with the alpha. That describes the relationship between Abby and Diablo.

Despite her age (or maybe because of it) Diablo is the boss of the herd and has been for more than eight years. She's the smallest of them all, but it's not always about size. If that were the case, then Trouble would be the alpha.

Because Abby and Diablo are besties, Abby gets first choice at the hay rack, the water trough, and the salt and mineral blocks. 

Hokey and Sultanna also tend to spend time together. Sultanna is the lowest of the low. She was born when her mama, Dolly, was part of this herd, and back then Dolly was the lowest member. Sultanna has never broken out of that place.

Hokey is a loner much of the time. He goes where he wants, although he respects Diablo's leadership and will give way to her. But he can be found happily munching in a different section of the pasture while the others are way across the field or standing under the trees by himself enjoying the shade.

He will pair up with Trouble, but is spending more and more time with Sultanna now. 

Trouble is a bit of an enigma. Abby is Diablo's bestie, but he is definitely number two in being boss. Trouble will often shadow Diablo and follow her and Abby. Like here where he's standing behind them in the old barn.

Tim originally had seven horses when I got Abby, and Diablo was the alpha then. Trouble and Hokey have also maintained their places in the herd order over time, with Abby always being lower than either of them. It's been interesting to watch horses come and go (Mason, Persuasion, Yukon, Dolly, Snickerdoodle, Sultanna, and a pinto pony whose name I can't recall) and see them integrate into the herd, but that order has remained stable and unchanged.

Sultanna is in foal again and due this spring. With Little Feller, she made it very clear to everyone that they were to leave her baby alone. She absolutely was not afraid to stand up to the other horses so it will be interesting to see what happens to the herd dynamics when she foals in April.

 

 

1996 Thoroughbred Mare & Foal

I am a sucker for a vintage mold. Often they can be purchased for much less than they originally sold for because newer molds are generally more popular and sought after. I keep my eyes open on several online sales sites to see if anything that I don't already have comes up for sale, and if it is in good condition and for a good price, I will take a second look and maybe even buy the piece.

The Thoroughbred Mare and Nursing Foal are not sought after molds but I think there is a serenity about them that is very appealing. So, when I saw this pair up for sale, I bid on them.

 The set was a JC Penney Holiday special run in 1996 called "Pride and Joy."

 They came in their original box and are absolutely rub free. I think they may have been kept in that box all these years as the original packing material was still in there with them.

 The date is stamped on the box flap.

I assume this person checked the models before packing them. He did a good job - I cannot find a flaw on them.

Normally I don't name a model unless I am going to be showing it. But I made an exception for these two.

 How could I not name them Sultanna and Little Feller?

Thank You - First Post of the Day

I just wanted to say thank you to all who posted comments about Little Feller and his passing. Please know I read them all and that they meant a lot to me.

We are doing okay and moving forward. (Those are contented ears - Abby and Sultanna are chewing some peppermints.)

A second post is coming - stay tuned!

Going Forward

Yesterday I did not go out to the barn. I didn't want to see that empty nursery paddock and be reminded that we lost Little Feller. I didn't want to stand at the gate and cry again. I just didn't want to do anything.

But when hard things happen, you have to move forward, even if you don't feel like it. So later today I will drive out, take carrots to Abby and her pals, and walk past that empty paddock. I will probably cry again, but I still have a wonderful mare who looks forward to my visits. (Let's be honest; she looks forward to the treats I bring with me!) I've got the rest of the herd to brush and scritch. Sweet Sultanna to hug. I am blessed in many ways, and especially horse-wise.

Life goes on, and I've had my time to grieve, to try to come to grips with the "why did this happen?" I firmly believe that animals go to heaven, and that Little Feller is up there kicking up his heels and prancing around. That comforts me. I'm moving on and will be fine.

 Rest in peace, Little Feller. You will always have a piece of my heart. 

Grieving

Normally I don't have any trouble writing, but this morning I just can't seem to articulate what's in my head and my heart. I'll do my best to record the very short life of Little Feller and what happened to him.

Thursday morning, the day after he was born, Loni went out to the barn around 10:00 to check on Sultanna and Little Feller. Everything was fine, and she did not notice any problems with him. I was planning on heading out late afternoon or early evening. Tim was flying home that afternoon and I was looking forward to hearing what he thought of the colt.

Around 5:00 he called and told me that the foal was dead. It took me a moment to grasp that - I was shocked and speechless. I pulled myself together and asked what had happened. Tim replied that when he'd pulled up by the nursery paddock, Little Feller was lying in the grass of the round pen and dead. There was no sign of trauma or injury; he was just stretched out on his side as though he were sleeping but sadly, he was gone.

 Sultanna standing watch over her little guy.

While Tim had been traveling, I'd been keeping him up to date on how Little Feller was doing. He was up, he was nursing, he'd had difficulty passing his first poop but later ones were normal, he was active and inquisitive, walking on his hooves instead of his pasterns - all the things that you check when you have a newborn foal were fine.

Tim thanked me for all I had done and said that it was just one of those things that happens occasionally. I could hear the sadness in his voice, and I was in tears when we hung up.

I went out later that evening to check on Sultanna. She seemed confused and was happy to see me. I gave her some carrots and cried by her side.

Yesterday I went back out for my daily visit in the late afternoon. I saw that Tim had replaced the fence between the northeast pasture and the agribusiness next to it during the day and that the herd was now out in that pasture.

Sultanna was back with the herd, but she was keeping to herself. I didn't walk out to her nor did I call to Abby. I just didn't feel like it. Normally the barn is one of my happy places, but yesterday, the joy was gone. I just stood by the gate where we usually visit and let the tears come.

The nursery paddock, a place so recently full of happiness and hopes for the future, seemed empty and cold.

That's all I've got today, folks.