Heidi likes the rain sheet!

I heard that our weather was taking another ugly plunge and the last time, I was able to put Phoenix in his rain sheet until the weather turned cold and then swap him to his heavy blanket- but Heidi was chilled by the end of it- shaking and shivering. 

So this time, I put Phoenix's rain sheet on her- despite it DEFINENTLY being too small to actually fit her properly.  She much approved of it.  Good thing I ordered her, her own rain sheet in her size that will be here sometime next week!

Apparently standing in the run-in is taboo now at least this kept her dry so as the temps continue to fall throughout the night she'll be dry and can fluff her fuzz up to stay warm.  It's barely buckled in the front and her butt hangs out the back, but Pheonix wears a 78", Heidi's is an 86" that's coming for her, I measured her at 85 inches. 

She wouldn't let me take it off her this morning, she was quite happy with it on.  She'll have to let me take it off when her's gets here though!!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!!!!
With much love from Heather, Heidi, Pheonix, Gabriel, Speedle, Legacy, Syd, Tonya(and her babies), Keisha, Anna, Natalie(And her babies& Foster baby), Penelope, Tigger, Connie, Connie's daughter, Zoey, Colby, Dalton, Rachel, Eliot, Belle(and her babies), Rafik, Kylie, Marcie, Becky, Grace, Leonardo, Romeo, Juliet, Bree's Girl, Lizzie and William! 

Ponies dressed for Christmas!

It snowed today in KY!!  A little too early to keep it around for a white Christmas but it makes us think twice for the critters!!

Phoenix had no desire to be seen today, he wouldn't picture well at all, but Heidi always poses for me! She's such a goober, just like Jazz was.

Makes me miss Jazz more and more . . .

 

These guys are soo gross from all the rain thus making mud and now snow on them.  Even Heidi got cold.  I'm looking into a rain sheet/light weight water proof sheet for her- just for ugly weather days.

On my return from the hospital for bloodwork, I stopped in to Family Dollar and picked up a Santa hat and reindeer antlers to 'dress' up the horses, and see how far Heidi would let me push on her see how much goofy stuff she'll tolerate that I do to her!

Antler's no problem!! She was haltered and on lead cause I didn't want her running off through the feild and I didn't want them to get lost in the feild!  But she didn't go anywhere!

Phoenix was good enough to do it without his halter on.

He even tolerated the Santa Hat which Heidi thought was a head eating monster!! 

So while they ate dinner I looped Heidi's rope on the fence and measured her in case I can get her a rain sheet.  The hatler slide on very easily and it's not that snug at all- she definently fits into warmblood sized stuff. 

I also changed Phoenix into his heavy blanket, he was Really cold!! Poor old man.   

 

 

Bunny Road Trip

 

I took a quick trip up to Alexandria today to pick up the Nutrena Rabbit feed and it was quite the adventure. Soo much to see on the way. I took Rebecca(Becky/Becks) with me for the ride. 

I Loved it at K & M, it was a nice store- small- very small compared to Walkers in Fort Anne, NY, but the store manager/owner was the one there, and we talked about all sorts of different things while we were walking around the store.  Despite the store being soo tiny I didn't get to the cat and dog half of the store! 

The in store cat and their dog could care less that I had a bunny in the store.

But they also, other than having the full line of Nutrena feeds, they carry the full line of Weaver halters. 

I have average horse size for Phoenix-snug under winter fuzz, but perfect in summer, and I have the small draft for Heidi in the winter but it's too big, they had the LARGE horse/Warmblood size there.  Plus they had one in purple!

So we tried it on when we got home:

Like Phoenix's it fits snug in the winter, but it should be perfect come summer!! 

 

And my first litter from crossing my Chinchilla dutch out. 

Natalie's a first time mommy and this litter proves Eliot as a stud too.  Natalie's as good as her mommy, she's raising her 5, and then one blue baby that lost it's siblings as a foster. 

Above is today in the box, all the ones that are darker with a tan pattern are Natalie's the oddball is Kylie's baby that's a foster.

Below is Natalie's 5 the day they were born:

Kylie's baby the day it was born and then fostered into Natalie's day old litter:

 

So little time before everything changes now!

Saddle re-fit

The saddle was sitting too flat on Heidi's back as she's getting fitter(ie-losing the fat!) and gaining some withers.  I had the saddle with the 4x gullet in the saddle, so I dropped it down to the 3x

SCORE!!

Heidi was more relaxed under saddle this time we got more work done this time with our little 'schooling' session in the backyard.

And ended with a halt and patting.

Whenever I/We can find a lesson barn that's willing to accomidate plus sized riders- It would be so nice to get a few more english lessons so I know more of what I am doing as I attempt to continue Heidi's knowledge.

She still needs a TON more miles under saddle to be considered anything other than green broke, she still doesn't understand much, but assuming I can get everything done early enough tomorrow, I'll get her out again before the rain. 

Short update

Well Jessica transported down a bunny from mid-north Ohio(Kenton to be exact) for my blue dutch breeding program: 

Her name is Spellmire's Grace.  She'll be called Gracie in my barn.  She's intended strictly for breeding as her markings aren't the greatest but I'll probably bring her back to the table once or twice just for some fun. 

 

With Allen here, I got a load of hay in, 35 bales:

So when Christmas break comes in, I'm hoping to put the last of the hay I need for the winter up in the barn.  I'll have to get it cleared out(especially get them totes out of there) and with the trio of us there we'll be able to get plenty of hay into the barn for the remander of winter. 

 

I also figured out I need to change the gullet on my saddle, the 4x is too wide!!

It should be an easy 4 finger fit between the cantle and her withers.

 

It's sitting too low and close to her backbone/withers now.  Good thing it's an interchangable Gullet on that saddle!  I can change it to teh 3x gullet as her wither's develop and she gets more fit. 

 

Nice day for working!

Well It was a gorgeous day once I got rolling.  I slept in to catch up on some sleep. Then I got up and feed everyone, checked out A.Lisa's little Netherland buck as seh brought him by after picking him up in Morehead(He's as cute as a button!  Must get U.Jim to post photos!) 
Then I wanted to get some more work in on Heidi under saddle. Get that steering thing down.  It's a good thing she's laid back.  

So after our work under saddle I tossed the halter on them and let them loose in the backyard to graze some of the green we still had.

 

Mom was worried Heidi would run off, I insisted she wouldn't- not with green grass in front of her face!

Bunny Show

Today Aunt Lisa and I went to The Kentucky State Rabbit Breeders Fall show in Shepardsville today and we had some fun, I took 9 dutch, and 4 New Zealands, A. Lisa brought Miss Goldie, her Dwarf baby. 

This is the little blue buck that came home with me from the guy that was whooping our butts on the dutch table- Tim Wiley.  he's out of Alabama.

 

And this is the chocolate buck that came home so he can go to Marie's.  Marie is raising(er attempting to raise them she needed a buck) chocolate dutch

 

 

Bahloo's on her way!

Well today was Bahloo's last day in Kentucky.  She's going home to her mommy!  I took the day off from work to get her on the trailer.  I brushed her down before Lisa got here to pick her up.

She knows what pocket the treats for her are in.

One last picture with the pretty girl- pardon the pinkish color on her face- it's from the Pok berries, she likes playing with them plus she eats right near them.

Loading up on the trailer!

And out the driveway.  Very sweet trailer, I don't bore looking at that!  That trailer has got to cost way more than our house, vehicles and all the animals combined!

A 3 box stall with side ramp load and front changing room.  Oh boy!

And this picture was one that I've been debating posting or not. I chose to go ahead and post it to show the muscle this girl has gained running with Heidi for almost a year.  Left is from yesterday, the right picture is from the day she arrived in Kentucky a year ago. 

I never realized exactly how much muscle she gained until I put the pictures side by side in Paint.