Balance: Spectacular Foals and an Injured Riding Mare

It's all about the balance; that's what I keep telling myself.  We really have three outstanding foals so far this year. The Everdale out of Orchis is powerful, elastic, and really adjusts well in his body.  Not to be out done,  Eliscia SSF had the most beautiful foal we've ever had here.  He's a black, with a big white diamond and a white foot; he's beautifully put together--really leggy and typey; and he's a super mover.  I expected a nice colt out of Florianus and this mare, but I didn't expect this nice.  And, third, Werites had the prettiest, little UB-40 filly you can imagine.  She's a little angel.  Looks just like Werites.  Technically, she was due until tomorrow, so she was about ten days early, but what a personality and what a mover.  JaBam SSF, Jelisco SSF, and Jubilantes SSF--known on the farm as J-Bam, Beebs, and Button.  I have every expectation of selling three out of the five foals this year, so please, someone, step up immediately on this black colt before I can't part with him.  I've been waiting for seven years for another Orchis colt, and Michaela has laid claim to the Werites filly--that means Beebs and the two babies coming (Florianus out of D'Orites SSF and UB-40 out of Mistral) have to be for sale.  Or, we refinance the house...

The other side of the balance is that Princess and I are on a four to six month hiatus from riding.  She had an emotional and hormonal reaction to the horses returning from Florida and the barn we were at and the subsequent changes in stalls and paddocks.  In short, she was an idiot to deal with inside and out for a few days.  Somewhere between the time she took me off and dumped me in the cushy Travel Rite footing of the outdoor dressage ring and the next time I rode, she injured her check ligament.  It's not a definite tear, but you can see the weakening and swelling of the ligament on ultrasound.  Dr. Mike Davis, from New England Equin Surgical and Medical has us on a fairly aggressive treatment plan, but it's still a major bummer for me.  Riding has become such an outlet for me and Princess and I have really been clicking the past few weeks. I'm just bummed.  In a month or so, supposedly, I can get on and just walk her....yeah, right!  After a month of hand walking and recovery pen confinement, Princess is going to just walk.  Oh, well.  It's going to be a different kind of summer than I'd planned. Next year I'll have Sammy to play with, as well, so at least if something happens to one of them, I'll have one to ride.

We're planning a Foal Show party some time in July, so be on the lookout.  It'll be an afternoon of seeing horses, talking pedigrees and Dutch horses, and fun food and drink.  Plus, my gardens are in full bloom in July, so it's a pretty place to see, as well.  I'll post the date as soon as I know.