I finally figured out how to get back into my blog - Success! I still do not understand all the different google accounts, processes, and linking, but I was able to navigate back into my farm blog. Someday I'll get it all figured out...

A lot has happened in the year and a half since I last posted. Horses have come and gone. Swan Creek Patrick, our cremello Andalusian stallion purchased from Swan Creek in Alberta, Canada, has joined Twisted Oaks. He's a beauty, and sweet. TO Vincent (Nibbers) is growing, and soooo curly. He and Patrick are best friends, and seem to be keeping up with each other in their growth. Very different horses, but both act as one. They seem almost joined at the hip. TO Ebony Rose (Ebby) is growing well, and will be a wonderful black western mare when she grows up. That's it for the two year olds. Our only three yr. old, MearlyB, will stay pony size, around 14 to 14.2 hh, and is the embodiment of the legendary curly temperament. She is for sale, but may just stay here for the grand children. Time will tell.

Shadow is looking great - and is a busy stallion this spring. I am breeding several mares for 2013, so he's in his glory with his little band of mares. Sometimes - from how he looks at me, I think he may be longing for his bachelor days alone in his paddock. He'll get there again. I am in constant awe of this big black stallion - he still takes my breath away every time I look at him. I am so fortunate to have him here. Licorice, Hawk's Midnite Shadow x BNC Angel, is back from training at Carrie Wakefield's place. She has matured into a stunning mare. I hope to be able to ride her once it dries out here.

I have been looking for a thoroughbred mare of a certain type for over a year, and finally found Sammys Heart at an auction kill pen in New Jersey. I probably shouldn't say kill pen, because Camelot and their dedicated rescue supporters always manage to place every horse in the dreaded #10 pen. Anyway, Sammy is a beautiful and substantial 16.2hh bay thoroughbred with a super sweet temperament who now lives here. I hope to have a foal from her and Shadow next year. MayB Queen will give us a foal later this summer - and then will remain open until 2013. I want to move her foaling date sooner in the year. I am still trying to get a foal out of Painted Annie Oaky (Cherry), but think it's just not meant to be. I"ll have the vet look at her, but am hesitant to do too much that goes against nature. Perhaps she's just meant to be a one-of-a-kind horse. I have three mares who seem to be pets only - and I"m ok with that. They will have a loving retirement home. I wish I had a big pasture to let them spend their summers in.

Bit-O-Wy Blanca joined our family this year. I have wanted to own Blanca since I first saw her weanling pictures on the Bit-O-Wy website, but one thing after another always got in the way. I was thrilled when we went to Stag Creek Farm to pick up MayB, and learned that Barbara Carroll was her new owner. She could not have gone to a better home. Then, when Barbara put her up for sale during their drought, I contacted Barbara and we worked out Blanca coming here and TD's I Love Lucy going to Stag Creek. This was a win/win transaction for both of us, and I am in love with Blanca. She is big, beautiful, cremello, and perhaps the sweetest horse I've ever known. Her heart is as big as she is, and I am always greeted with a happy 'hi' from her. She even recognizes our truck and calls out 'welcome home' when she sees us drive in the yard. I could not ask for a better representative of our curly horse breed.

Lots more to catch up on, and I will continue later...

Catching up!

Lots of changes around here since my last post. Carrie Wakefield purchased Darque Moon from Naomi, and he is at his new home. It was wonderful meeting Carrie and her mother in October. We feel very fortunate to have Darque Moon go to such a wonderful home. Congratulations Carrie!

AM Hells Belles (Bazy)

We also have two new additions to our band of curly mares. Lindsay Braman has entrusted us with her two grand old curly ladies, AM Hells Belles (Bazy) and Silver Red Ebony. They are settling into our routine, and getting used to the frigid Minnesota winter weather. Ebony is in foal to Lindsay's stallion, Spot O Rust, for a May 2011 foal. Both mares will be bred to Hawk's Midnite Shadow for 2012 foals. I am very excited about bringing these two exceptional mares into our curly breeding program. Ebony has produced two ABCR National Champions, and Bazy has produced an endurance champion, along with several other wonderful foals.  Bazy is a very well-bred broodmare who was bred by Bazy Tankersley of Al-Marah Arabians, where she was used in an endurance breeding program that crossed Arabians and curly horses. In 2007, Bazy was found on a feedlot, untouched and feral. Curly Rescue purchased Bazy and saved her from heading to slaughter. Lindsay adopted Bazy and gave her a wondeful foundation. Bazy is easily managed now, and has already become a favorite here (perhaps because of our history with Arabians).

Silver Red Ebony

Ebony has stepped into her favorite role as the 'grand' lady of the farm. She has a way to draw you to her with her look. I am looking forward to our years together - both are exceptional mares who will make great contributions to the curly breed in their senior years.

Our weanling colt, TO Vincent (Nibbers), is developing as we hoped he would. He seems to have springs for legs, and has inherited his father's movement with his mother's suspension. Nibbers also has a 'teddy bear' temperament. He craves attention and calls to you for your time. Nibbers is the embodiment of the curly temperament that Sunny Martin spoke so highly of. We are dedicated to doing everything we can to help Nibbers achieve his full potential. You can view a short video of Nibbers that Naomi put together on our Youtube channel. Nibbers is missing part of his mane, thanks to his sister, TO Ebony Rose.

TO Ebony Rose

TO Ebony Rose (Ebby) is developing as we expected. Ebby is beautiful, with an Arabian type head, smooth balanced body, both refined and solid. Black, with a curly mane and tail that she will not shed. Ebby should mature around 15+hh. She is simply one of the prettiest foals we have ever seen, and are very proud of her.

Naomi also did a new video of Hawk's Midnite Shadow. We went out to take new pictures of MayB, but Shadow was so 'on' that he stole the show. MayB is in foal to Shadow for a 2011 foal, and we are incredibly excited about this coming curly baby.

Regaining my balance

It's been a wild ride this month. With the help of my daughters, Naomi, Macy and her husband Jon, I was finally able to get the pasture open to the horses.  They have been enjoying the grass all week, and I'm enjoying the reduced work load of being able to turn them all out.  The mares and foals can now go into the paddock during the day, so there is much less work moving everyone around daily and less stall cleaning. I've been able to get into my garden and find the dirt again - if there's one thing I can grow in Minnesota - it's record weeds. They can reach up over 8' if you don't keep up.  I was able to finish cleaning the large paddock last weekend with the skid steer, but the rain has prevented me from finishing Shadow's paddock.  We get rain every few days.. just enough to keep it too wet to work. Shadow spends his time hanging in his stall - only going outside to call to the mares and foals, and to relieve himself.  A lot of bugs this year from all the rain - and we are not getting the nice strong winds that MN is famous for. I never thought I would say this, but I miss the wind! 

I can't believe summer is 2/3 over - I have no idea where it's gone. I guess being so busy makes time fly faster than normal.  Nibbet, who had tendon injuries from birth, is healing nicely.  He will be 100% in another month or so.  Lucy, who went through a rough spell of hormonal imbalance (baby blues) after Nibbet was born, is back to her old self - thank goodness!  Encore and Ebony Rose are doing great - Encore has mellowed so much that it's hard to believe she's the same mare. I'm very proud of her.  Lightening is a star mother, and her colt, Darque Moon, is a rising star. That colt is just stunning - and BLACK!  Once Nibbet finishes healing and can move to his full potential, we will put a video of him up, too. I have never see a foal move like he can - even with being injured. He will stand there and stretch his foreleg horizontal to the ground, and likes to do high level dressage moves in play. I hope he develops the way he has given hints he will.  We live on a big hill of clay, so the paddocks can get slick when it rains, and retains the water - yuck.  We still have the spring muck in some paddocks because it's never dried up all summer. 

I am excited to do more with the foals. They all lead, bath, brush, and stand for the farrier, but they are babies so they belong to their mothers now.  Once they are weaned, we will do more with them.  They are the sweetest foals I've ever known. All they want is attention - which I am more than willing to give!  Time to start the day - lawn needs mowing, garden needs more weeding, weed wacking to do around the fences, and I want to get to the farmer's market this morning.

Nibbet (barn name)

Nibbet is three weeks old today. He is by Hawk's Midnite Shadow x TD's I Love Lucy. Nibbet is like a spider, all legs. Last evening, when we had him and mom in the round pen, he was doing some natural dressage moves (at least that is what it seemed like). Nibbet has the warmest eyes, a gentle personality, and likes nothing more than to come up for some rubs and hugs. He is very curly, and very very special colt. We have great expectations for this colt, and I'm certain he will live up to them.

TO Darque Moon

Here is another of this year's foals, Darque Moon. He is by Hawk's Midnite Shadow x Kentucky Lightening. Darque Moon is a well balanced colt with color and tons of curls. He's just beautiful and loves people. I am constantly amazed by the heads that Shadow puts on his foals. I don't know where they come from, and I want them to just keep coming!

TO Ebony Rose, our 2010 Hawk's Midnite Shadow x Encore filly

Ebby is about as perfect a filly as we could have hoped for. She has it all, conformation, temperment, color, and curls. If I had designed a foal, I could not have done better than what we have in Ebby. We are really proud of this big girl, and know that she has a bright future in front of her.

A small start at blogging.

Well, I guess it's time that I started blogging. I'm new at this, and really can't think of why anywone would care, but I'm going to give it a try. If for no other reason than to document my farm and horse adventures so I can look back in my retirement and smile. I will add more as time and energy permits.