NOT ONLY SADNESS AND TEARS

My previous post is a sad one, a very very sad one.  Rita’s little foal that we all looked forward to so much, died shortly after birth.  We don’t know why, but even if we did, it will not bring him back.  On Thursday our vet, Dr Louis, diagnosed Rita with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or equine asthma.  I think the shortness of breath and closed us lungs she had at times could have contributed to the little one’s death.  She will skip a season, sleep in a camp with adequate shelter and be treated in an attempt to get her over the COPD.  It can’t be cured, but it can be managed.  And I plan to do just that.

Klara’s date is around the 29th of November.  After today she’ll be watched like a hawk.  And pampered.

We’ve had a busy time recently.  It was breeding season and the mares came into oestrus one after the other.  Timo and Oepke didn’t complain, believe me!! I didn’t have the guts to do hand coverings, so the mares were put with the stallions I want to breed them with and we allowed nature to take its course, albeit under a watchful eye!  All went well and in about a month’s time we’ll know if we had been successful, or rather, whether the stallions had been successful.

This coming week will be one of excitement.  My good friend, Stella de Wet, is coming to visit.  She, sadly also recently lost a newborn Friesian foal and her first mare, Xanna.  We think Xanna was bitten by a snake and her leg just kept on festering, the hoof fell off, the new one stopped growing and started rotting and Stella had to make a very very difficult decision – does she keep Xanna alive and possibly in pain or does she set her free.  She took the heart breaking decision to set Xanna free and all of us who knew Xanna, are still mourning her.

But it is not only sadness and tears.  There’s lots of laughter, happiness and sparkling moments as well.  Like when I have to run Timo past the mares to his stable over weekends.  He is young, big, strong and a real show-off.  I’m not so young, bigger than I should be, most certainly not as strong as he is and in no mood to show off when I have to run like hell to keep up with him!

Emmerins’ skin condition has cleared up and her mane is growing out very nicely.  Actually, all the horses are looking very well!  Ciara has grown so much, it is unbelievable!  Veon is a real sucker for love and attention and crawls under my arm and into my face at every opportunity he gets!

It has been terribly hot and dry and the grass was slow to grow, leading to anxious moments for me.  But since Friday the heavens have opened up and we’ve had glorious rain.  As I’m sitting here writing it is again coming down, with the accompanying thunder and lightning.

Tanyica got a pony, little Maya.  She’s a feisty lady!  The grooms call her Shorty and I call her Chillibite.  She’s bitten almost everybody, kicked us, stepped on our toes, chased us with flattened ears.  But when Tanyica is on her back, she is calm.  Yes, I lead her.  I make sure than I have her in hand very firmly.  She’s a cute cute little body!!

I so badly want to go to shows again.  Not only for the excitement, but to fullfil my promise to God – to reach out to other people as a Rider for the Son.  So, I’m hoping and praying that next year will be my year of grace as far as shows go.  That I’ll be able to go, do well and reach out to as many people as I can.  By carrying out God’s word, I can make sense of this world and the pain we sometimes have to deal with.

Despite sadness and pain, we’re blessed.  God is looking after each and everyone of us.  We praise him for it!!