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Author
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Topic: All settled in! (Read 1586 times)
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Joie
FEI
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Posts: 118
I love Trakehners!
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After a rough start to 2009 (Losing my mom to cancer and then finding out 3 days later the farm I was leasing was for sale, and THEN finding out I was pregnant at age 35, and then 2 days later suffering a miscarriage, and THEN finding out I had twins and still was carrying one viable embryo...talk about emotional rollercoaster!!!), I think things might finally settle down a bit.
My pregnancy has progressed smoothly after the initial ugliness, and I'm at a fairly safe 18 weeks and due in October, I've sold a yearling into a WONDERFUL home, sold all of my thoroughbreds (nightmare, too, some of those stories. Why DO people suck so bad??), and we're finally all settled in to the new facility I found to lease. It's a great set-up, I've put in all new fencing, there are 9 stalls (well, 8, because two have been opened up into one big foaling stall...all have Dutch Doors and auto waterers, etc.), with a heated and air conditioned office/lounge right next to my foaling stall, and three nice pastures totaling 17 acres to rotate the herd. AND a nice indoor arena! The rest of the footing will go in before June 1, and I can hopefully get some riding in before I get way too fat. I need to get one mare ready for her OSB inspection in August, and the other fatties need to remember what it is to work for a living. I'm sure they'll be thrilled! 
I am down to "just" seven mares, plus the babies, and two friends who are boarding with their 3 geldings with me (one retired former event horse and two weekend warrior trail horses). They are fun, knowledgeable, low-maintanance boarders to have around, and I am not having to share the entire farm like I was before with 5, um...different...boarders and up to 13 boarder horses.
Anyway, here are some pictures of the herd in their new digs:
I am only expecting 2 foals this spring, so it should be a quiet summer around here, which will be nice for a change, but I'll miss all of the wee little ones cavorting around. Now that school is almost out I'm starting to think about breeding a couple of mares this summer. We'll see. More pics to come when the babies arrive...
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TwinGates
ata
Old Hand
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Posts: 2,342
Performance Matters!
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Congratulations on your new place and the upcoming equine and human foals, Joie! Where is your new farm? It looks lovely.
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helloagain
ata
Old Hand
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Posts: 622
I LOVE Trakehners!
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Joie, so sorry to hear how your year started out. Your new place looks really nice. You're still in Illinois, right? A new baby and 2 new foals should keep you busy, happy, and smiling.
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Alicia
ata
Gold Medallist
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Posts: 353
I love Trakehners!
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Wow, you have been on a roller coaster ride! Glad to hear that things are settling down a bit for you. And Congrats on all of the upcoming babies!
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stoicfish
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Posts: 161
I love Trakehners!
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Very sorry for your losses. Life seems to go like that sometimes, doesn't it. I am glad you found a new home, and I hope the year just keeps on getting better.
Take Care
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Joie
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Posts: 118
I love Trakehners!
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Thanks!! This year did start in an awful way, but actually I think it was a continuation of my 2008. In April, I lost my beloved stallion, AND his colt, on the same day. Then my mom was diagnosed with cancer, school started shortly after, and I worked this entire school year without a planning period. That made the 2 hour drive to see my mom all the time really hard, and taking so much time off of work this fall and winter really was hard on my own kids, my husband, and even the horses. Losing my mom has been terrible, and sometimes I wonder if I'll make it through the day, but I have so much to be thankful for and I really feel like she's watching over me, and this baby I am having is HER way of telling us we need to find something to celebrate, so there isn't so much grief.
But anyway. The new farm is in Illinois (about 6 miles north of town in Sterling, which is NW of Chicago). It's on a main road, and the farm owner actually lives on the property, which is excellent,and my hay guy and all-around handy man, Dennis, is less than 2 miles away, and it's about 8 miles from my house and 6 miles from work.
The farm owner is the same age as me and he has 3 kids that are similar in age to my three, too, and he is horse-knowledgeable. That's a plus. It's like having a built-in babysitter because the kids BEG to come with me now and they always have something to do that doesn't involve video games or television.
The best thing is the pastures, though...there are 2 spring-fed creeks and trees and hills and general prettiness. It's relaxing and the work keeps me somewhat fit.
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Lara, Gryphon Farm
ata
Gold Medallist
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Posts: 291
Trakehner Cowgirl
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Joie - I am so sorry for the loss of your mom, and the twin.. sounds like a very tough year for you, but things are looking up. What a blessing to have a new baby coming, sort of like a gift from God when your mom left.
Your new place is stunning, and the horses look really happy and healthy. Things will get better now - sometimes we get hit all at once with what seems to be years worth of sadness and trouble, not to mention in your case inconvenience with the move.
Please, please do not ride until after the baby comes. I hope this advice is not offensive, and I realize completely unsolicited, but I have lost so many and riding may have been part of it. I finally kept the last one, now 18-month old Gracie (at 39 years old), and did not get in the saddle once. I know it's hard to stay off the horses for so long.. hang in there, and enjoy your beautiful new place!
All the best to you and yours - and congratulations! Lara 
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Tannenwald Trakehner
ata
Old Hand
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Posts: 935
TANZBRISE by Windfall out of Tariana
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Good luck, Joie! Sounds like things have turned around.
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Joie
FEI
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Posts: 118
I love Trakehners!
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I'm working on getting some sales ads up this week, and I snapped some pictures yesterday of the "babies".
First is Aimee FLF. She is a 2 YO Arab-Trakehner. She is getting to be such a big girl. She's already as big as both of her parents! Her mom is my Insterfurst daughter, A Night at the Opera, and her sire is my friends arabian stallion.
Next is LiLi (liesel FLF). She is a 16 month old Anglo-Trakehner filly. She is teeny...about 14.1hh. I string tested her a few months ago to 14.3-15.1hh, but apparently she's decided to have a growth spurt, and maybe she won't be a hony after all. She was the teeniest, tiniest filly at birth...she was born in January on the coldest night of the winter last year. It was 40 below zero!!! I still swear the mare was shocked into foaling by the weather! She was so little when she was born that I had to keep her in a dog blanket...the foal blanket was WAY too big. She's starting to catch up now, and is quite a bit taller than Trudy now.
Last is my Trudy (Trula FLF). She's almost a yearling, and I have gone back and forth about selling her or keeping her. She's the only baby I have left by Wicklow Highlands, my deceased thoroughbred stallion, and she's out of my favorite Trakehner mare, Tansanita Vom Castell. I now own Tansy's 5 YO daughter, Tansalea (by Kitfox) though, and so theoretically I have those bloodlines available to me, but I just don't want to part with my Trudy. She is the sweetest thing. 
I have some video, too, and am going to get more today. I'll post more later. I feel like I've accomplished so much already today...I learned to drive the tractor so I can mow the pastures and drag the arena. I did the arena today and it's ready to go!!
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acottongim
ata
Old Hand
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Posts: 1,435
I love Trakehners!
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Glad you finally got all setteled in Joie - it has been a rough year hasn't it? The place looks great and the horses look happy, and in the end that is all that matters right? 
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helloagain
ata
Old Hand
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Posts: 622
I LOVE Trakehners!
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Joie, now you've posted abot all your pretty horses, please post a picture of that pretty baby of yours when the time is right. Good luck and don't work too hard. 
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helloagain
ata
Old Hand
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Posts: 622
I LOVE Trakehners!
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Well, that's not exactly what I was thinking abought when I said we needed to see a picture of your baby, but I'm sorry Owen I can't really see you. Happy baby to you, Joie!
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Lara, Gryphon Farm
ata
Gold Medallist
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Posts: 291
Trakehner Cowgirl
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Thanks for the pictures Joie! They all look really great.. I love the Insterfurst arab cross, you can sure see daddy in that one. And a special thanks for the picture of Owen's ultrasound, he does look handsome. And I think he is smiling! It's funny you can see facial features already in these u/s photos. Looking back at my u/s photos of Gracie I can see her features did in fact tell of us a little about what she'd look like, big cheek bones and round face. It looks like he's hamming it up for the camera with that grin. Glad you are settling in okay. Have fun on the tractor  When are you due?
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