A Hard Good-Bye

It's been a long time since Filly has graced these pages.

We've battled warts & almost won.  The secret to battling the worst case of warts anyone has ever seen?  Monistat Cream!  That's right, everyone in WalMart would look at me REALLY funny as I bought every tube on their self.  The cashier, well into her 70s, wouldn't meet my eyes.  One time a woman actually asked me what i was going to do with all that Monistat.  LOL  You should have seen her face when I told her I was slathering Filly with it to rid her of warts.

The last rain of Mar 2016, brought trouble.  While playing, running, & bucking with her herdmates, Filly slipped & injured both stifles.  CMK knew then that Filly's future riding career was over.  As long as Filly would be pasture sound & happy, CMK would be happy.  It wasn't long before Filly was once again running & bucking.  Although only 98% sound, she was happy.  Always the first to come running when called, & always enjoying chasing the hay wagon, her Pasture Puff status fit her well.

I can remember hoping for a live foal because the mare was ill.  It was the middle of the night & I was all alone.  When the contractions stopped without a foal being born, all I could think of was that I had seen my vet pull a foal & he'd had to use chains & another man to help.  How was I going to get this foal into the world?  Sobbing & pulling, I can still close my eyes & feel how it felt to fly across the stall, landing on my butt, with a wet foal in my arms.  It's as if it were yesterday.  The filly of my dreams had arrived.

I still see her as the baby who smelled roses.  That first day out of the barn, enjoying the fresh air, she was fascinated by the roses.    

By the time Filly was three days old, I knew she had a problem.  It took the love & devotion of a special friend to help me save Filly.  Filly's grandpa also had a huge part in saving her.  Without the special people in my life, I would only have had Filly for a very short time.

It's been almost eight years.  Filly & I have been through a few trying times, but have always overcome.  Until now.  Just a few weeks ago, Filly reinjured her stifles.  I was hopeful, but not too optimistic.  My vet couldn't offer encouraging words other than saying "tincture of time".  But we'd already used that time healing from last year's injury.  Filly is no longer happy.  She no longer runs to greet me, no longer chases the hay wagon.  Ever so slowly she creeps across the pasture.  As she lays her head on my shoulder, I know Filly is in pain.  My heart is breaking, but I know it's time.  Time for the hardest thing I've ever had to do.  Time for A Hard Good-Bye.  I will always love you Filly.  CMK

Growing Up

Happy New Year!  Filly's New Year came in with a bang, errrrr, saddle.  That's right, filly had her first ride on New Year's Day.  And what a wonderful girl was she.  She went right up to the mounting block & didn't mind weight in the stirrup at all.  She didn't mind the saddle rocking back & forth.  She didn't mind her soon-to-be rider laying across the saddle, patting under her belly.  In fact, she seemed to like the attention.  Of course eating cookies out of the patting hand was pretty good & made everything alright.  Then carefully she had a rider on her back.  An ear twitched.  A lip wrinkled. An eye rolled.  Filly reached around to smell the foot hanging by her side.  Hmmmmm, no big deal.  It was just another adventure to have fun with CMK.  After being led around for a few minutes, Filly was turned loose to carry her rider with ease around the round pen.  CMK sure had a big smile on her face.  There was Filly acting like a grown up, looking wonderful under saddle.  From a "touch & go" foal to a saddle horse.  Oh what adventures the future could hold.

Filly Says Good-Bye to Grandpa

It's with a very sad heart that Filly has lost the most important man in her life.  It was her wonderful Grandpa who used his ingenuity & skills to make the splints & cuffs that helped save Filly's legs & life five years ago.  For the past five years, Grandpa has always had a soft spot in his heart for Filly.  He wanted daily updates on her antics, & laughed when Filly's stories were silly.  Grandpa was prouder than I when Filly had a rider on her back for the first time.  It was HIS Filly who was going to be a nice saddle horse.  It was HIS Filly who he had labored to help save.

I know horses don't understand the words
when we tell them of the sad losses in life.  But I KNOW Filly could feel my sorrow as she snuggled her head into my chest as I cried.  We both lost a very important man.  An amazing, giving man who was always there to support Filly & I.  I'd like to think he's somewhere, walking without pain & weakness, among the horses of greener pastures who are so very lucky to have him among them.  Good-Bye Grandpa.  We will always love & miss you.

With Love,

CMK & Filly    

Happy Birthday Five Year Old!

Today Filly is five.  Wow, she's growing up.  She stands 15 hands & is a big girl.  This spring she's beginning her training to become a future riding horse.  Her first saddling was non-eventful.  She didn't even mind a little weight in the stirrups, or having them flopped around.  Her second saddling went just as well.  CMK stood in the stirrup & laid across Filly's back.  All filly did was turn to see what was happening..  Plus she wanted a cookie for being a good girl. :)  For the 3rd saddling CMK couldn't stand it any longer.  She just HAD to get on Filly's back.  She moved the mounting block up close & stood in the stirrup.  Then she laid across the saddle & fed Filly cookies.  Ever so quietly she stood in the stirrup & swung her right leg over.  Filly had a rider on her back!!!  CMK dismounted & mounted again, only pausing briefly in the saddle.  SUCCESS! What a wonderful year this is going to be for Filly.  From sick new born to having a rider on her back, what a journey.  Happy 5th Birthday my lovely Filly.

Happy Birthday Filly!

Happy Birthday Filly!  I can't believe you're 4 years old today.  Has it really been that long?  It seems like yesterday that you barely made it into this world.  I can still "feel" the events of your birth night & am still amazed that you're here.  You're a wonderful, gorgeous filly & I'm so lucky to have you in my life.  You're so very dear to my heart & I will love you always.  Happy Happy Happy Birthday Filly!

It's Never Easy

Sometimes it sure does seem that a black cloud hangs over poor Filly. For the last 3 months both knees have been stiff & locking when picked up. They'd relax once they reached a point where it felt like a hitch & release. They'd lock & almost snap to a release when she stepped over the board at her stall gate. While Filly didn't seem to mind when this happened, it sure freaked out CMK. What could be wrong with beautiful Filly? Was it from her rough start in life? It wouldn't be surprising if her illness & contraction at birth had come back to haunt her. But what a tragedy if that were the case.

As CMK watched her gorgeous youngster every day, she worried at what the future could possibly hold for a filly with "bum" knees. The dreams of one day riding Filly faded away with a heavy heart. CMK just kept thinking that as long as Filly was comfortable she'd be a loving & pretty pasture puff. But what if the time came when she wasn't comfortable? Unbearable thoughts for a filly so young, not yet 3 years.

Finally the vet came out & looked at Filly. He bent her stiff legs & declared her knees PERFECT! The problem wasn't the joints at all. He palpated her legs & narrowed the problem to her suspensory ligaments. While not very sore, Filly did flinch to pressure along the entire length of her suspensories. What could have caused this? The vet asked how much work Filly was getting as the usual cause is overwork. Well that couldn't be the cause because Filly isn't under saddle, doesn't get worked, & just plays free in pasture. And other than her rough start in life she's never had an injury. The vet didn't think the rough start as a foal could be the cause. Then he started talking about dietary deficiencies & CMK slapped her head. The vet mentioned a phosphorus deficiency could be the cause but it's not common. What he didn't know as he spoke was that CMK had had her hay recently tested & it'd come back as extremely low in phosphorus. It was the hay Filly was eating through winter, right when the locking knees began. At last a cause that could be treated.

CMK was so relieved. Her overactive imagination of everything that could go wrong was put to rest. Filly should be fine with dietary adjustments. She'd get MSM & Glucosamine for her soft tissues. She'd also start getting some wheat bran added to her diet to give her the much needed phosphorus. Filly is so lucky that CMK tested the hay. Without the test results the cause of the knee stiffness might never have been found. Without a cause there wouldn't be a successful treatment. Another lesson learned, test hay so the appropriate supplements can be fed.

For Filly it's never been easy. But with all the lessons learned along the way, she'll one day be a gorgeous saddle horse & trail partner for CMK.

The Tooth Fairy Has Arrived

Oh my did I leave a surprise in my bucket for CMK. While eating my yummy beet pulp last night I felt something go crunch. I thought I'd bit a rock. CMK is always mad when she finds rocks & sticks in the beet pulp & has been threatening to send all the rocks to Farmer's Feed with a complaint. Well it hurt when I bit down & one of my teeth kind of wiggled. I was so afraid that I'd knocked a tooth loose. But then I couldn't feel anything so I dove into my beet pulp again & OUCH. My tooth fell out into my dinner. Oh no! What had I done? Oh no! I knocked my tooth out. I didn't want to eat any more because I thought my other teeth would fall out. My neighbor laughed & laughed at me, explaining that I had just lost a baby tooth & not to panic. It's NORMAL to loose baby teeth. BIG teeth will come in & when all my baby teeth are gone, I'll be a grown up. I sure learned a lot last night.

Tonight CMK found her surprise. When she was pouring my beet pulp into my feeder she saw my tooth. She was so excited she poured my dinner all over her hand as she grabbed for my tooth. She had a huge smile on her face & was muttering what she might do with my tooth. She said something about making a necklace so she could wear my tooth around her neck. People sure are strange sometimes. But I love my CMK anyway.

I'm a Big Girl!

When I went into the barn last night for my yummy beet pulp bucket, CMK was there with my blanket. She's decided that this winter I'm old enough for a blanket. I'm very careful with my blanket because I don't want to ruin it. It's black & warm &, if I say so myself, looks fabulous on me. I'm really quite stylish & feel so grown up.

Today CMK brought out this stick thing that has another stick poking out. She put it on my back in a couple of places, all the while adjusting & hmmmm-ing & oh no-ing. She was counting on her fingers & muttering "only 31 months" and HOW tall?! She seemed quite concerned when she decided that my rump had hit 15 hands high. That's 60" or 5' at the heightest point of my rump. Oh my! Poor CMK, that's all the taller she is at the top of her head. She figures I should grow to be at least another whole inch taller when I'm all grown up. That means my withers should catch up & pass my rump's current height by an inch. Hehehe Maybe I'll get even taller. Hehehe CMK doesn't even want to think about that, let alone admit I'm a big girl. A VERY BIG GIRL!

Save A Turkey!

That's right everyone, Filly wants to help save turkeys by encouraging everyone to eat CARROTS! LOL Silly Filly.

Filly & her family would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Birthday Filly!

Wow, time sure flies. It's been 2 years since Filly was born. After such a tough beginning my miracle filly is now a gorgeous 2 year old. Looking at her today it's hard to believe there were times when we didn't think she'd survive.

Filly is my "old soul" & that's understandable with all she's been through. She's very calm & sedate with nothing much bothering her. But sometimes, when she thinks I'm not looking, she sprints across the pasture with her friends. Mane & tail flying, showing off for all she's worth. It's such a joy to see her enjoying life. I love to go to the fence & call for her because she'll raise her head acknowledging me, reach down for another bite, & then she'll break into the prettiest trot to come see me. She can be such a love, planting her head in my chest while I rub her double swirls. She also enjoys me scratching inside her ears. She's such a character in her own quiet way.

For her birthday she got lots of cookies & carrots. She can be such a little piggy but she did share with her friends. She also got lots of rubs & scritches as I hugged on her. There's no way to describe how Filly fills my heart with joy.

I love you Filly & cherish every moment with you. Happy birthday & here's to many, many more memories in the making.

Holiday Wishes From Filly

It's been a while since my mom has written about me so I thought I'd say hi to everyone. I'm sure growing up & at 18 months I stand 14.1. I've been told that's pretty tall for an arab filly. For anyone who's wondering, my poor crooked legs are STRAIGHT! I'd like to say thank you to everyone who helped me. Mom, Auntie S, Auntie L, Uncle C, my followers, Grandpa & Trimmer. If I've forgotten anyone I thank you as well. Without everyone's help I would have been destined to be a cripple with an unpleasant fate. Now I can run & play in pasture with my friend. I'm the boss you know. I had a baby sister born this year & maybe one of these days I can get my mom to post her picture with me. Her name's Spring & it's so much fun showing her all the great things about life. I even share my feed bucket with her. Well, I better go. I just wanted to wave a hoof hi to all. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season & don't forget to hang stockings in the barn so Santa will visit all your horses. Merry Christmas everyone!

Oh, and aren't I gorgeous????

RIP Mama

I've been meaning to write for the last week but just haven't been up to it. Mama was such a sweet mare & she'll be dearly missed. She came to me in deplorable condition & against all odds, she not only survived but so did her soon-to-be-born filly. With the diagnosis of malabsorbtion & pancreatitis, I always knew Mama wouldn't see beyond her teens. But the reality of her death isn't any easier knowing her life was shortened by ignorance, & therefore neglect. If Filly's friends & the casual passersby learn only one thing from this blog, I hope it's that not worming horses regularly can cause death. Yes, worms kill! The damage from a heavy worm infestation is what caused Mama's ailments. The damage to her intestinal tract prevented her from absorbing the nutrients in her feed. This in turn caused pancreatitis & liver damage. PLEASE, please, please worm your horses on a regular schedule. Better yet, monitor fecal samples to insure your worming routine is taking care of any infestation. Treating & caring for a horse who's suffered worm damage is heartbreaking. You watch them gain their strength & blossom, only to have them waste away as their body eventually fails. YES, WORMS KILL! Run free Mama, free from pain & wasting, free from the ignorance & neglect of humans. Thank you for sharing a part of your life with me. Thank you for giving me your most precious gift, Filly. Run free...

My Gorgeous Filly

I really wish I could get some good pictures of Filly, but the little darling would rather pester me than pose for a photo session. She just keeps trying to show me her double swirls & big brown eyes.

She's growing into a very lovely yearling. She's finally overcome her rough start & is continuing to thrive. She's at last caught up with her filly friend Blondi &, although 3 months younger, Filly is now the same size. Her growth & size measurements give me the estimate that she'll be about 15 hands with good bone & substance. She's going to be the perfect size for me because she's my perfect Filly.

Miracles Do Happen

As I sit here this morning, I think back on that morning one year ago when I was on foal watch in the cold dark before sunrise. I was waiting for a very health compromised mare to foal. I sat beside the stall knowing that everyone believed the mare not only wouldn't survive, but neither would the foal. It had been a long month nursing the mare along, hoping for a miracle.

Sometime before the earliest sounds of the new day began, the mare went into labor. I waited, & waited, & waited. Finally 2 little feet & a nose poked through. Then the mare stopped having contractions. She lay still, panting, but no more contractions. I waited some more. I did all those things I was taught to stimulate contractions, but nothing helped. The clock was ticking & I could feel the sick panic wanting to set in. I'd seen foals pulled before, but always with chains & multiple people. I was alone. I can remember pulling, begging, pleading, & pulling some more. I don't know how long I pulled because time really does seem to stand still. And then all of a sudden I was falling backwards with a foal half in my arms. A beautiful chestnut filly took her first breath as I pulled her clear & removed the sac from her face. A miracle had occurred.

The months that followed were tough & many times I thought I would lose my precious filly. But she proved to be a tough little girl with a very strong will. Today she grows more gorgeous as each day passes. She runs the pasture, playing with her filly friend. She greets me at the gate & follows along as I walk her pasture. she's a perfect (well almost perfect) lady with the manners many grown horses will never have. She's the little love of my life & I enjoy her every day. She brightens my world.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FILLY!!!! I love you!

Grey Girl Says Good-Bye

Thursday the 4th was a sad, yet happy day. Grey Girl was going to her forever home. I had always known she wasn't staying with me & that she was going to a really good friend of mine, but that didn't make parting any easier.

I'd become quite attached to Grey Girl, aka Baby Dearest. She was born at a time when I was consumed with saving Filly & I wasn't ready for another foal to be born. Then when she was born it was obvious that she too had contracted tendons so I ended up treating TWO fillies. Thankfully GG's contraction resolved with minimal treatment. In her first few weeks I was so busy with Filly that I wasn't able to spend time with GG. As Filly progressed & I knew I wasn't going to lose her, I started to spend much needed time with GG. At first she wanted nothing to do with me, preferring to run & hide behind Mommy Dearest. I'll never forget how strong she was at just a few weeks old, dragging me around the stall when I tried to halter her for the first time. We both ended up on the ground, me sprawled on top holding her down while I managed to get the halter on. Oh was she mad, a spitfire through & through. Then came the day when I was able to scratch her butt when she wasn't looking. That must have felt pretty darned good because she started looking for me to give scratches. It wasn't long before she was following me everywhere, demanding attention even when it meant pushing through the herd to reach me. GG became the most loving filly, a real pocket-pony, the first to greet me at the gate. She's grown into a gorgeous, elegant, lovely moving filly with that "look at me" attitude.

As the day got closer to GG's leaving I had a lot of second thoughts, battling with myself to keep her. She fills such a warm spot in my heart & the light touches of her nose on mine always make me smile. Even as my friend pulled into my drive I wondered if I could really let GG go. I knew I would miss her tremendously, but I also knew my friend would love her & do right by her. Plans for the near future will have GG in the showring, prancing before the judges & I'm sure she'll bring home many ribbons. Once mature she'll travel the trails with my friend. She was such a brave filly getting into the trailer & my eyes were wet as she left my drive. I love you Grey Girl & can't wait to follow your updates. Good luck in the showring.

Later Thursday I spent quite a bit of time hugging & snuggling my face into the very furry Filly. I always knew I wasn't going to keep both fillies, & there was never any question that Filly will remain with me for life. She & I will both miss GG but I know that letting GG go with my friend was the right thing to do. Someday I on Filly & my friend on GG will ride together & reminisce about my year with the fillies.

The Yearlings Have Arrived

New Year's Day is the day when most horses are considered to turn another year older. So while Filly & her friends, Grey Girl & Blondi, are 8 months, 6 months & 11 months respectively, they are now YEARLINGS! Their older friend is my now 3 yr old, future riding horse & trail partner. Horses are so lucky, they have two birthdays of special treats every year. New Year's Day brought buckets of warm mash with carrots, & I hear a birthday party is in the planning stages for Filly's really big day in May. It's hard to believe that the ups & downs of 2009 are finally behind us. 2010 brings in a new year that I hope proves to be all fun times & adventures for the new yearlings.

A Brief Update

Thanks Phaedra96 for asking about my girls. I'm glad you've enjoyed reading about Filly, Mama, & their friends.

While it's a few years off, Filly will one day be my #1 trail horse. Dare I hope endurance horse? She's quietly bold & not much bothers her. I expect her to be a very easy horse to start under saddle once she's mature. Because she's had such a rough start in life, I plan to give her plenty of time to catch up & finish maturing before I begin to think of starting her. She requires more groceries & special care than the others right now because she's trying to grow & catch up at the same time. She's going to be a big girl as she's already the same size as Blondi, who's 3 months older with the same sized parents. I have to admit that Filly is near & dear to my heart & she can do no wrong. Well maybe when she bit me she did wrong, but I've already forgiven her.

Grey Girl will also someday be a trail horse. In the meantime she will most likely go to a few shows to strut her stuff. She's very flashy & is a gorgeous mover. She has that WOW factor that people notice. She's lively & her eyes just sparkle. She's the first to greet me when I go in the pasture & she demands attention. I still feel guilty for not giving her much attention in her first month or so, but I was so consumed with saving Filly that I was overwhelmed & not ready for another foal. GG & I make up for lost time now & she's just a little love. There are times when I can be caught blowing softly on her muzzle while she blows on me.

Mama has never picked up beyond where she was when Filly was weaned. She will always require special care & probably never gain a body condition beyond 3+. But while she'll always be an extremely hard keeper & thinner than normal, she has a gorgeous coat & a sparkle in her eye now. She's handling the winter weather a LOT better than she did our summer heat. Her health issues make it hard for her to regulate her body temperature so she has to be monitored closely. She'll always require extra TLC, but she's worth the effort.

Mommy Dearest is doing fine. She's fat, happy & running with her herd on 20 acres. Fortunately she had no health issues other than being a little under fed when she came to me.

2009 sure was a tough year for the mommas & fillies. Here's hoping 2010 is much kinder to us all.

Furballs & Mudballs & Naughty, Naughty Filly

Gosh, the fillies are sure growing up. It's hard to believe they'll soon be considered yearlings. Where has time gone?

Filly is doing so good that I can sometimes forget how difficult her first few months were. She must have known what was in store for winter because she's been a furball since early fall. She's unbelievably furry, looking like a woolly mammoth. It's fun to run my fingers in her coat & bury my nose in her soft fur, much to her displeasure because I'm sure she thinks this human is crazy. She was definitely prepared for the week of freezing temperatures that we recently had. Even in the early morning freeze she was warm under that wooly coat. Grey Girl is a little woolly, but no where near as woolly as Filly. GG is such a little cutie, fuzzy like a puffball. She's always bright eyed, loving, & curious. In some ways she's now the boldest of the fillies. When something spooks or startles the fillies, she's the first to investigate. She's really changed from being Baby Dearest. She's now the low filly on the pecking order & the first to meet me at the gate for scritches & petting. Blondi must not have gotten word that winter is almost here. She's slick & shiny, still wearing her summer coat. Her coat is a little thicker than it was, but she's certainly not a furball or fuzzy. She's now the Boss of the Babies & never lets the others forget her new found status. Filly & GG give way at feeding time. Blondi is the most reserved with people but once she knows someone, she likes to drape herself over their shoulder. She's the most in-you-pocket of the fillies.

After the freeze, the rains came & now I have mudballs in my pasture. All that wonderful woolliness of Filly is now caked with mud. The poor curry can hardly get the mud scraped off. Most of the time she looks like a mad mudhen, going around with her ears flopped back as if in disgust at her muddy condition. GG is also a little mudball but her mud is easily knocked off. Blondi of course can't be a mudball because she's too slick & short coated. I also think she's the prissy one who stays in their shelter out of the rain.

Oh was Filly naughty a few nights ago. It was time for dinner & all their buckets of goodies were ready. As I bent over to pour a bucket into a feed pan, I felt teeth hit my head & my hair being pulled. WHAT?! I was shocked that Filly had tried to bite my head. Luckily for me her teeth didn't clamp or I'm be missing a chunk of hair. Or maybe I should say lucky for Filly! I'm not sure if she was aiming for me, or if she thought I was one of the other fillies getting into her feed pan (it was dark after all), but either way her behavior was unacceptable. I stood up shouting & flailing my arms, scattering everyone. I had 3 wide-eyed fillies standing in front of me wondering at the madness before them. Time for fillies to learn about MY space. It's been very peaceful at feeding time since then. The fillies aren't allowed at the feed pans until I step away. They are respecting the new rule & I'm sure it's because they don't want to see the Dark Side shouting & flailing again.

Last Sunday the trimmers were out. Filly & GG were due for trims and they were both very well behaved. GG is learning to stand & pick up her feet really well. She's a bit stubborn but learns quick & complies once she realizes behaving gets her scritches. At times Filly is like a little old horse, wise to the ways of life. Her trimmer said she behaves better than most adult horses she trims. I guess Filly isn't always naughty (wink).

From the fillies & me, Happy Holidays everyone!

Never a Dull Moment

Yesterday was trimming day for Grey Girl & Blondi. Their trimmer has more patience than anyone can imagine & was very good with the naughty fillies. So many thanks Trimmer, you did an awesome job with the little darlings.

Grey Girl was stubborn & clamped her lips tight. When pawing her feet away didn't get her loose, she tried to rear & jump. When that didn't work, she finally threw herself onto the ground. Neither CMK nor Trimmer let go & GG discovered that she wasn't going to win the battle. She at last decided to stand like a good girl. Of course she was still mad & let it be known by the ugly faces she gave everyone. Her feet sure looked nice when Trimmer was done.

Next it was time for Blondi's trim & she was very naughty. Yesterday wasn't a good day for her & she had a few melt-down moments. She stood like an angel for her left front foot but all her other feet were off limits. She fretted herself into a light sweat & bounced around with wild eyes. CMK wondered if it was because she remembered Trimmer helping give her a vaccination 2 weeks ago (remember when CMK got knocked in the head & everyone saw stars?). Blondi was tense & it took a lot of quiet petting & patience to convince her that it wasn't the first time her feet had been touched. When she finally realized no one was going to hurt her (read that as poke her with a needle), she relaxed & all her feet got trimmed. She has such nice feet.

Filly, Filly, Filly... Sometimes CMK wonders if Filly will be the cause of a mental breakdown. Surely she makes for some nervous moments. While Grey Girl was getting her trim, Filly was wondering around the stall looking for any stray morsel to eat. She was cleaning all the buckets & licking up every gram of flavor. The next thing CMK & Trimmer saw was Filly's head stuck in a bucket. It was tied to the wall & Filly had the handle over her ear. She pulled back & luckily froze when she reached the end of the tie. As soon as Trimmer put a hand on her, she stopped moving & waited to be saved. After it was all over she was very subdued & tucked her head into CMK to be hugged & petted. It sure is a good thing she's a calm, sensible filly. After she was hugged & kissed & fawned over, she went right back to checking out the buckets. Silly Filly!

And rest assured, the buckets will no longer be tied to the wall. In fact, buckets with handles will no longer be used as feed buckets. Geesh, there's never a dull moment when working with the fillies.

Indian Summer Days

It's unbelievable that tomorrow is the 1st of November & it was HOT today. Poor Filly was baking in her winter woolies. She's already fuzzy & ready for winter. CMK was wondering if maybe the big clippers should come out & at least shave the underside of her neck to cool her some. Blondi has no winter coat yet & Grey Girl is just a little fuzzy. Poor Mama was sweating & CMK had to give her extra salt. The Indian summer days are gorgeous, but hard on horses who've already prepared for winter.

Around noon an old friend stopped by to chat. Marv hadn't been by in quite some time & was surprised to see how Filly had grown. He said he never thought she'd make it in those first weeks, let alone grow to be a beautiful, healthy, weanling. All the fillies hung over the fence so he'd be sure to pet them.

A couple hours later someone else stopped by with a friend to look at the horses. They spent a long time watching the fillies, petting & scratching them all over. Grey Girl has become the biggest love when people go into the pasture. She has to make sure that she's not over looked. The visitors couldn't believe how friendly & "pocket pony" the fillies are. All three clamored for attention & the visitors thought the way they lay their heads on CMK's shoulder quite cute. One commented that it's not often you see foals of any age as friendly as Filly, Grey Girl & Blondi.

All of today's visitors had to walk the ranch & look at all the horses. But on this gorgeous fall day the fillies really did steal the show.