No gate pushing, no neighing, no Rebel charging about like a banshee.  The miniatures spent the first 3 days tentatively exploring Pearl’s paddock ready to fly should she suddenly appear and rouse on them – a bit hard to hide such a large horse and cheeky foal but there you go, anything is possible in their little heads.  So it’s all very quiet at Deacons Gate these days and I miss them both.  Mind you there are advantages, poo collecting, feed preparations, trough cleaning, grooming and fussing over them alone took at least an hour every morning, so I am spending more time talking to the chooks before heading out for the day.

Pearl and Rebel are doing very well on last communication with Beandema (Deb and Andrew Ormond).  Their travel was uneventful and on arrival they settled quickly (food always keeps Pearl focused).  The stallion, Spitfire, was very interested by all accounts and we all hope this indicates the service will be without complications and that she takes on the first serve.  Pearl had already cycled here at home so she needed to be brought back into season artificially prior to Spitfire servicing her.  Pearl was PG’d (an artificial hormone injection – progesterone) last Sunday so Pearl should have been served sometime this past week, all going well. 

Rebel is getting loads of attention so isn’t missing out on anything.  Beandema have electric fencing so he’s even had his first zap much to his surprise and Deb who was scratching him at the moment they both got hit.  Pearl has of course sorted the pecking order of any other horses in direct contact with her baby and keeps them on their toes no doubt.  He’s probably grown another inch or two as well.

Sigh…. 3 weeks to go till they come home (if Pearl does take first jump that is).  Our excitement (apart from foals and horses) in recent months is to re fence half the property and build a new stable complex, so by the time Pearl and Rebel do return they will not only be moving into a new paddock but will also be able to trek around the whole property via a connection of laneways…

How long it takes them to suss out the new system will be interesting but as we are testing for difficulties with the minis first, probably not long with guides to help them.