Things you should NEVER say to your farrier

•  If you will just give each of the dogs a piece of hoof they will get out from under the horse and quit fighting.
• As much as you charge, I should get to use that truck too.
• If you get that done in 30 minutes, you’ll be making $200 per hour.
• That’s not the way they did it on that horseshoeing show.
• I see who makes all the money in horses – it’s farriers!
• My last farrier couldn’t finish this horse’s feet - they gave me your name and number.
• You don’t mind if I feed the other horses now, do you?
• Are you sure you have them on the correct foot?
• If he didn’t kick like that, I’d trim him myself.
• Would you mind trimming my new WILD BLM mustang?
• Can we shoe him in the arena? If he rears in the barn, he hits his head.
• You sure earned your money on that one!
• I forgot you were coming; I just turned all the horses out.
• Oh, it rained (or snowed) and his feet are REALLY muddy, just clean them off before you shoe him will you.
• I’m sure glad you don’t mind shoeing him after he’s been standing in all that poop.
• Can you make it after six, or on Sunday because I have to work.
• I just cannot believe that he bit you.
• I read all about the Natural Way to trim on the internet, and you’re supposed to. . .
• Did that hurt?
• I know that he is difficult to shoe, but he is so good on the trails.
• It doesn’t look like he’s leaning from here.
• Good morning – glad you’re here – can we reschedule? I have a lot going on today.
• It’s so cool that he can balance on just two feet.
• Can you shoe him so that he doesn’t paw?
• Don’t tell my husband that I used the grocery money.
• Most times when he kicks, he misses!
• Just do the hinds – I’ll do the fronts.
• I left the checkbook in the car, and my wife/husband just left – can you bill me?
• Does it mean my horses have some sort of deficiency when they chew the paint off your truck like that?
• This horse does forge, also interferes, and sometimes hits his knees….
• We need to keep the price down on this bill. I got a bargain on these shoes at a rummage sale, could you use them instead and save me some money?
• Oops! Wrong horse.
• I know I said just one trim, but can we shoe ‘em all as well?
• My weanling colt needs a trim, and I figured you could halter break him at the same time.
• I’ve got a new horse whose feet are in pretty bad shape. The previous owners said their farrier wouldn’t work on him.
• I know it’s been a long day for you; that’s why I saved the worst one for last.
• If my other farrier’s ribs weren’t broken, he’d be able to get shoes on this horse.
• It’s a good thing you’re slow today, or he’d have had shoes on when he kicked your truck.
• My grandpa used to shoe horses like you, only he used a sledge and a corn knife.
• I don’t understand why the shoes didn’t stay on. I just had them done 12weeks ago.
• I know I haven’t used you before, but I need the horse in the morning and every other farrier I called was busy

Closer......

Kim and I tested Poppi's milk last night. Her calcium is over 200 ppm!! Her PH has dropped, but it has a little bit to go yet.
We are hoping she will go tonight, but we have a mid April snow storm moving in. Apparently, Mother Nature hates Wisconsin! From the research that has been done, mares can delay the delivery for up to 3 days after her milk tests ready. Part of me wants the foal to be born tonight just to get this horrible waiting over with, but the logical part knows tonight would be bad with the colder weather moving in. I don't want to sleep in the cold barn tonight, and I don't want a little wet foal in this weather either.
I checked Medusa over last night too. I think we have a bit of a wait with her yet. She still has quite a bit of muscle tone in her tail and no jello muscles going on in her rear end. Her udder is large and full, but the rest of the signs say she will be about a week.
We should have foal pics to share soon! :)

So tired of the waiting!

What do mares teach us? Patience. Lots and lots and lots of patience!
Waiting for 2 mares to foal requires a lot more patience than I possess. Today, Poppi is at day 350, and Medusa is at day 333. *sigh*
Medusa seems to be progressing much faster than Poppi, despite a due date of 17 days later. Hopefully, that means I will get the filly I'm wanting, since colts seem to take longer to "cook".
I've been testing Poppi's milk with pool test strips, since I don't know much about her breeding history other than she has had one foal, and she aborted her 2010 foal. Her calcium is testing at about 150, and her PH is holding at about 7.2.
I have not tested Medusa's milk, as I'm sure the cranky witch would love to take a shot at my head. As her pregnancy progresses, she is getting more and more grouchy. Poppi on the other hand, is such a sweet mare.

I hope to be able to update later this week with foal pictures. I hope that Poppi gives me a bay colt and Medusa gives me a buckskin filly, but as long as they are happy, healthy babies, I'm a lucky girl. :)

Introducing our new mare, Imachocolatelollipop!

Allow me to introduce our newest addition!

Imachocolatelollipop, 2001 dark brown mare by Chips Count Chocula out of Rhonda Rosemont. She has almost $2600.00 in NSBA earnings.

 Imachocolatelollipop

Poppi has had one other foal, Absolutely Oprah, an '08 filly by Absolute Investment. This filly sold at the AQHA World Show as a yearling in '09 for $5200.00.

 Absolutely Oprah

Poppi is bred to the same stallion as Medusa for 2011. Hot by Invitation, 2006 AQHA Buckskin stallion sired by Multiple Congress Champion, Gucci Only out of The Hot Mouse, by Hotrodders Jet Set. "Rodney" was named Buckskin Congress Champion 2 year old stallion his only time shown. His show career was cut short due to injury.