TLPH Baby Bumps!

I'll say it again... even though winter hasn't even started yet, spring is just around the corner! Here is the current state of the TLPH mare's baby bumps in their various states of gestation. I'm sure I will be posting more baby bump updates as they progress - I need SOMETHING to pass the time! I have never been so excited for a foaling season... the first Chance foal crop! Not to mention all the COLOR possibilities next year. :) All these mares will be on Marestare for the third year, this will be our busiest yet!

I just noticed they are all due in pairs except for the last one. Good thing we have two foaling stalls!




"Sheza", the first mare due of the spring. She is the surrogate mare that is carrying the A Chance For Romance x Skys Castle Magic embryo. Due March 5, we'll start watching her mid-Feb.



"Jamie", the second surrogate mare. She is carrying the much-anticipated A Chance For Romance x Southern Sensations embryo. Due March 11. She'll be in our second foaling stall next to Jamie. First two babies of the year are Chance's, with possibility for color!



Next is ML Zippos Venture "Lucy". She is carrying her second foal, her first by A Chance For Romance. Due March 20th. Hopefully the first two mares will be out of the foaling stalls for her and the next that is due almost the same day as Lucy...



Skys Castle Magic, aka Shirley, is due on March 23rd with her second foal of the year, this one she is carrying, by Artful Move. I'm excited about this foal because I think it is the closest I will get to the late Milo, my buckskin Artful Move colt that passed away. He was one of a kind, but this mare is so similar in type, movement, and mind, to his late dam Lexi, plus with the color to boot, that maybe, just maybe I will get something similar. I won't even expect a buckskin colt though... LOL. Things like that just don't happen twice! :)



Next is the great Southern Sensations, aka Sendy, with the second most anticipated foal of the year, just because it's hers! It is by Huntin For Chocolate and is our only western pleasure bred baby of the year (although I suspect her Chance baby may end up that type as well). Don't have an exact date for her, due mid April, but she looks due in mid December! Note the lovely, faded, annual winter jammies she gets. :P



This is Sleepy Little Asset aka Lily. She is in foal to Chance, I don't have an exact due date on her either other than mid April. I suspect this foal will go both ways, western and english, and be absolutely stunning headed. Oh, and bay!



Last but not least, as it is likely our most unique breeding of the year, is Lady Serengeti, aka Sara the Appaloosa. This is our first ever Appaloosa and she is in foal to Chance! Still sporting a rather slender baby bump, this poor girl is due a month and a half after the last girls to foal, May 31! We just didn't want to waste a year on this lovely spotted girl though, and are so excited to see the appaloosa huntseat foal by Chance! She is also a red dun, so two possibilities for color.. although I know we'll get solid sorrel. :P

You can check out all these girls in their more fit forms at http://toplineperformancehorses.com/broodmares.htm

Happy Baby Bakin'!
~Amy

Busy Busy Time

Well, I know it's been awhile since I've updated. I have to admit, Congress took a bit of wind out of my sails. However, I have recuperated physically and mentally, and am ready to tackle the busy Florida winter circuit! Chance and I have been busting our butts to get into shape. I'd say we're about 50% there, hopefully that is good enough for the show this weekend LOL. I will admit, Chance is progressing quicker than I as far as getting back into shape! Chance has had an easy year of it, but he deserved it after his relatively busy yearling and two year old year. He was away all breeding season and didn't get back into things until summer, and at that point I was gone half the summer showing Tator, and then Congress. Chance thought he had it easy from now on, like he had been retired to stud or something! NOT, LOL.

It is tougher getting these big, growthy young horses into shape than their smaller, chunkier, more compact western counterparts. We have been working extensively on collecting, bending, suppling, and engaging from behind. We totally ignored the headseat for awhile in favor of getting his body back into shape and carrying himself properly. We also started over low jumps, which he LOVES. This has given him something to do other than circles and keeps his mind fresh. He approaches the jumps with his ears forward and is just a natural. It has been an amazing help with strengthening his body, rounding his back, and teaching him how to collect, speed up, slow down, and lengthen his stride with ease. We're now at the point where he is moving beautifully and we are starting to tack that headset back on. It's a slow process, much slower than with the western horses, but here's hoping that the end result will be a beautiful, supple, consistent horse!

Also, I started Chance in pleasure driving. He has NEVER even been ground driven and the very first day we were ground driving around the property, collecting to jog and extending the trot! It was a workout for me too, Chance was probably thinking how do YOU like trotting around in circles! I fired back that pretty soon he is going to be hauling my butt around in a cart... pretty much requires as little physical effort possible! ;-)

First show of the winter, New Symrna next weekend. I am VERY excited to report that as well as Chance, I will be taking Mocha to this show and we will be returning as a team for the first time since September! :-) I missed riding and showing him SOO much. We're going to try to finish out that ROM and qualifying by breeding season, so that he can enjoy the spring without any showing worries (what a life!). Western day for Mocha is Saturday, english day for Chance is Sunday. The goal is to show Chance although I won't push it if he's not quite ready. He's progressing nicely though, and we will certainly be showing within the month. Honestly, it's more fitting my out of shape butt in breeches and an english saddle that is the problem! We have to finish out that ROM by breeding season though, and hopefully get qualified in the HUS and pleasure driving, so we will definitely be showing over the winter.

We have a show EVERY weekend for a month, then a couple weeks off for Christmas, then off to weeks long Gold/Gulf Coasts and the Venice winter circuit! It's busy busy time for sure, but the boys will enjoy a long spring off with just grass and mares. Ahh, springtime, it's just on the horizon... okay, I know winter hasn't even started yet, but still! I'm already envisioning all those Chance babies running around my pastures!

Stay tuned for show updates,
~Amy