Friday, April 22, 2016

A Little Unexpectedness

Well, Sassy decided to have her baby....In broad daylight....And I still missed the birth!! :-(.

I've had the feeling for awhile that Sassy would foal a little earlier than what her estimated due date. I kept having bad dreams that she foaled unexpectedly while she was still out with the rest of the mares. That would have been bad...very bad.

I wouldn't consider this baby premature, like Flashy was. Sassy did not take the first time she was bred. Right after Cindy D. got her back from the stallion, she came into heat again. An ultrasound confirmed she was open, so back to the stallion she went. The second time around, she was bred and then stayed for a while longer. Sure enough, she came back into heat again. The stallion owner called me and asked me what I wanted to do, and I told her...breed her again.

Since Sassy was ovulating both times (there was a lot of problems with mares double cycling last year), it was hard to guess which time she took. We estimated her due date as May 4th, but it was always a possibility that she took the 1st round of the 2nd breeding, which would have put her due date as April 25th.

Either way...Sassy completely fooled me the morning that she foaled. She wasn't all that interested in her hay, but considering she always has some hay in front of her, it's not like she really goes after it at feeding time. She wasn't overly bagged up, wasn't soft around the tailbone and there was no waxing.

I fed, went about my business and a couple hours later I walked by her pen, heading down to catch geldings to ride and I noticed she was standing in the barn. That didn't seem right, so I got to looking and sure enough...


My heart kind of stopped because it was immediately apparent that I finally got a colored baby. That was obviously a palomino...and such a pretty blaze.

My next thought was...Please be a filly, PLEASE be a filly!!!

Firewater Fooler is pretty consistent in his color production. The boys have all been plain colored sorrel, with the exception of Ruger. Ruger is actually Mags's only bay foal. All but one of the sorrel colts have grayed, except one. Mags's colorful (palomino, buckskin and roan) offspring have all been fillies.

So seeing the palomino color, I was just praying that it also meant I finally got a filly.

Well....It was not to be. It is a colt.

However, I do get the distinction of having the very first colored COLT by Mags. And as of right now, it does not look like he is going to gray out. His eyelids are solid yellow, not frosted...

I have to say, he is everything I knew this cross would produce. The Firewater Fooler/Colonel Freckles nick is a proven good one and even at a couple hours old, I can tell this little guy is exceptionally nice...


He has the most adorable, little head on him...

Well, I didn't get my filly this time around...But suddenly it seems fairly inconsequential. Sassy is a young mare and I will have the opportunity for more babies. Always, always, the most important thing is...Sassy had an easy delivery. Both her and the baby are doing great and he is even more gorgeous than I could have imagined.

Most of the time, I have ideas for names rolling around in my head, but nothing has ever really come to me for Sassy's baby. Sometimes the baby just has to get here and then the name pops into my head. Kinda like Flashy. LOL. I really had no intention of naming Flashy, Flashy...but it just popped out during the fiasco to save his life and it stuck.

Nothing popped into my head when I saw this guy and every time I thought of a name, I'd go see him and feel the name out. Nothing seemed quite right. Last night I got to looking at pictures of Sassy's grandsire, Freckles Cowboy Gold...

And had almost settled on calling the baby Cowboy. I was in the stall rolling the name around...and it kind of seemed to suit him, when his REAL name popped into my head...

He is now named, Hawk!!

He is all soft and downy right now...But he is going to grow up to be swift and deadly. So it just seemed fitting to name him after a bird of prey. :-).




9 comments:

Olivia @ DIY Horse Ownership said...

What an adorable baby!

Cricket said...

So darn cute! And very well put together.

TeresaA said...

He's beautiful! Congratulations

cdncowgirl said...

He's so cute and I love that name :) I also like how you feel out the name first, names have power so they need to fit ;)

Sooo... now the big question, seeing as he's got colour and good breeding, and more importantly he looks pretty darn correct, is he going to be a prospect to keep his goodies or is he destined for the gelding pen?

Shirley said...

So exciting! Even if it is a colt ;0)
I hope he doesn't grey out.What was Mag's base colour?

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

Mags's base color was palomino.

At this point, I can only say that Hawk has potential as a stallion prospect. :-). I have already had 2 people call dibbs on him, if I want to sell him. One person, definitely wants him as a stallion prospect. The other, I suspect has the same motive. I look at it this way...I'd rather ride a gelding that people say, 'I can't believe you gelded him', vs. having a stallion that people say, 'Why does THAT still have it's nuts?'. LOL



Crystal said...

Haha Im that same as you with stallions, so many would make great geldings.

He is adorable even if its a colt, maybe next time you will get a filly. Makes me wish I had babies coming but not this year or next year

Mrs Shoes said...

Hawk's a little stunner, for sure. Congrats (& great name).

Laura said...

He is quite the looker already! Can't wait to see him grow up (nuts or not...lol) I would love to show some of those speed/ranch type horses in AQHA halter classes...I think they would do quite well.