It has again been a while since I updated by blog. We’re in the process of changing it into a website with all the necessary information about all my horses and other services, such as the fodder we sell.
But we’ve also been through a traumatic few weeks.
But first the nice bits. Dene and Patty Coetzee, whom we bought Oepke, Barbara, Madonna and Emmerins from came to visit us. Oh how wonderful that was. The only dark cloud over that weekend was that Oepke got colic twice in as many days. We’re still not sure why, but Dr Louis, our vet, got him sorted out and we’ve changed his feed since. The big guy is now happy again and fast gaining condition.
We never made it to the Vrede show, partly due to Johan’s chemotherapy that was at a fairly crucial point at the time just before the show, so I didn’t want to add any stress to him and I didn’t really have enough time to prepare the horses. But there will be other shows! And I plan to be there!
I also got advice from an equine nutritionist and we’ve put all my horses on specialised feeding regimes, right for their condition, state of pregnancy, etc.
Then, last week, tragedy. Major tragedy. My one eight-month-old colt, Ryan, had a slight temperature for a couple of days, but nothing outrageously high – around 38deg, which is still within acceptable margins for a horse. Last week Wednesday my head groom, David, called me early the morning. Ryan didn’t want to eat. I rushed out and saw that his breathing was slightly laboured. But his temperature was still within normal margins. I phoned my vet and he advised me to give him an injection for pneumonia. Ryan was standing under a low, sloping roof and Johan said he would hold him while I give him the injection. Suddenly, out of the blue, Ryan reared up, hit his poll against one of the beams, went over backwards, fell very awkwardly on his neck and head …. and couldn’t get up. We thought he was just dazed and quickly got him in the right position if he wanted to get up. As we tried to lift him into an upright position, Ryan died, virtually in my arms. To say I was stunned is putting it mildly. Less than five minutes before I had a slightly sick, but still live little horse in front of me. Suddenly I was cradling a lifeless little body, staring helplessly into his glazed eyes. I felt like dying. I felt like raging against the heavens, screaming out my inability to have helped him, to have saved his precious little life. We are all still devastated by his death. He must have hit his head so hard and fell so awkwardly that he sustained injuries bad enough to kill him. I didn’t want an autopsy done. I’m still blaming myself – I should have been more careful. I shouldn’t have given him the injection under that low roof. I should have taken him out into the open and put his halter on. I shouldn’t have been in a rush, but we were on our way to visit my parents for the day. I should have done it differently. But all the “should haves”, all the “why didn’t I” won’t bring back my little colt.
Since his death Veon has become very attached to me and to my beautiful little filly, Ciara, who turned one year old at the end of August. But more about that and the happy moments later. At the moment I’m still mourning for Ryan. I miss him. And I so dearly wish I could have that morning over again, to do things differently and save his little life. He was buried close to Ceaser and Bea. Rest in peace, little one. We miss you….
AND TEARS FLOWED
HORSES – NEW AND OLD!
We’ve finally adjusted to all the new horses and the new routine to make sure that all of them get the best possible care. It is the middle of winter and today, for instance, is COLD! There’s still a possibility of snow and big, fat, grey clouds chase over the sky, driven by an arctic wind. The horses are all well and happy. We’ve had a few runny noses, Ciara ran a high temperature for a few days, but thanks to medicine that our beloved Dr Louis van Jaarsveld prescribed, she was well within two or three days. Oepke and Ryan also had to get antibiotics, but they’re all fine again. Emmerins’s skin is looking better, thanks to gentle brushing and care.
Very soon we’ll start to prepare for the Vrede show. I can’t wait to start working with the horses, but I have to fix my training ring first. That will be done within the next day or so.
Every time I work with the horses, every time I see them, touch them, brush them, look into their gentle eyes I thank God, I praise God because I’m so blessed. Faeriewood Friesians is blessed. But here are a couple of pictures of the horses. Enjoy them!!
Timo and I on our way to his stable. He is magnificent!
Faeriewood Ciara at 11 months old. Isn’t she a beauty?
Johan giving Ciara a kiss.
“Mommy” and Ciara.
Ryan and Veon, Rita and Klara’s colts.
Oepke GT. He was not exactly in the mood to pose for pictures … so I’ll try again!
Oepke having dinner.
Emmerins. She still looks a bit scruffy from the skin condition she has, but it is already looking a whole lot better!
Barbara, my massive, gentle mare. I love her to bits!!
Madonna. She’s a shy girl, but she is beautiful and very gentle.
Me and my beautiful boy, Timo Vee.
Timo and Tanyica.
Klara, my 14-year-old mare and the mother of Veon. She is pregnant again.
Rita being tended to by Marius and his assistant, Seuna. She is Ryan’s mother and also pregnant.
Hartzenberg Minke.
Tanyica and her pony, Maya. She loves brushing her and yesterday she rode her, albeit without a saddle. I don’t have a short enough girth for her. I am, after all, used to Friesians and not ponies!!
FAERIEWOOD FRIESIANS TAKES OFF
(This was written on 4 June. Publishing was delayed by … um … computer glitches.)
The past month has been one of the most exciting of my whole life. There aren’t enough words to describe how I feel right now as I sit here writing. My dreams are coming true at an astonishing rate. At times I have to pinch myself to make sure that I’m actually awake and that everything isn’t just a massive dream.
My Friesian stud has suddenly grown from one stallion, three mares and a filly to two stallions, eight adult mares, a filly and two colts. Thirteen Friesians!! Their names roll off my tongue like honey and I repeat their names endlessly to myself, just to convince myself that it really is true!
There’s Oepke GT, my imported stallion. Timo Vee, the stallion that I had since he was one year old. Then the mares: Rita, Klara, Barbara, Madonna, Emmerins, Valerie, Rozaan
and Minke. Ciara, my filly. And Ryan and Veon, the two colts.
On the 16th of May Johan and I fetched Rita and Klara and their foals, Ryan and Veon, from
Lorima Stud.
Days later the bank returned the money it had deducted, putting us in a position to buy the Graaff Reinet horses we had put an offer in on. Then all the arrangements started – to get the mares transported to our farm, to fetch Oepke….
On Tuesday (May 31) Johan and I went to fetch Oepke from Le Roux Botha, where he had been at stud. It was a freezingly cold day with an arctic wind blowing. Seeing Oepke for the first time was almost a shock. Suddenly reality hit home – he was mine! I can now also
say I own an imported stallion. I stood around with a lump in my throat until he was loaded, snug and warm under a blanket, and we were able to tackle the long drive home. That was when the tears started flowing. Tears of joy and excitement. I phoned Dene Coetzee, Oepke’s former owner, but I cried so hard, I could hardly speak.
At home, Oepke was put in his camp, adjoining his stable, but then the sports started. He was obviously upset and everything was new and not what he was used to. Oepke started running up and down against the fence, neighing and tossing his head up and down. He didn’t pause to take a drink of water, up and down Oepke ran, up and down. Eventually Johan and I went to sit with him. Johan had him on his lead and tried to calm him down. I again felt like crying but this time from fear and worry. What if he gets colic? How am I
going to handle him and calm him down? But Johan stayed with Oepke and talked to him, stroking his quivering body and trying to ease his distress. Eventually it paid off and Oepke calmed down. He ate a little, drank some water and then it became obvious that he was tired. It looked like he sagged. We stayed with him a little longer to make sure he was comfortable and then we left him to get used to his new surroundings and to rest.
Wednesday morning dawned with a completely new horse. He was gentle, calm and very ready to be cuddled and kissed. But something did happen Tuesday night, when Oepke was so restless and upset – he and Johan had formed a bond as strong as those of brothers. Johan feeds him, puts his blanket on, cuddles him. Oepke is fine with me and he loves being cuddled by me. But it is with Johan that a special softness comes into his large, deep, brown eyes. It is when he hears Johan’s voice that he comes to his gate, ears pricked and eager. Oepke is Johan’s horse and I’m so happy about it. Both of them deserve it.
Thursday (June 2) the three girls, Barbara, Madonna and Emmerins, arrived. There was a lot of excitement about their arrival as well. They are three gorgeous girls – massive,
black mares with gentle eyes. Emmerins has a skin condition, but we will sort that out as quick as we can. They have already integrated well with the rest of my mares. When we call them to come eat their concentrate, they come eagerly and the madams do not shy away from love and cuddles with us.
We are still trying to sort out accommodation for all the horses, so that they all sleep in
warm stables. At the moment it is a bit of a juggle, especially with the two colts being weaned and confined to the one semi-stable. And suddenly we are run off our feet! Feeding the horses, grooming them, cleaning out stables, making sure there’s enough hay for the night and bedding for all is a mammoth task! I can hardly keep my eyes open at night and an early night means just that – an early night!!
Today (June 4) my farrier, Marius Cloete, came to check on Tyra’s feet and trim Rita and Klara’s feet. He was overawed when he saw Oepke. The condition of Tyra’s feet was
another cause of rejoicing. They’ve improved so much, it is unbelievable! A miracle! A constant source of wonder. For the first time he trimmed her feet and they looked almost normal.
As I sit here, my mind keeps wandering to four years ago, when I decided for the first time that I had to have a Friesian. It was after seeing a stud profile of them in the HQ. I was hooked. It was a need. It was not negotiable. I had to have a Friesian. I started phoning breeders and came across Ferdi and Monjha Hartzenberg, from whom I bought my beloved Ceaser. And that was where the bug bit me. Someone recently said to me that it is never
enough to have one Friesian. If you have one, you want a whole herd of them. I had one four years ago. Now I have a whole herd. It started as a dream. My dream has come true. Last year I rejoiced when my first foal, Ciara, was born. This year my joy will be three-fold. I have three pregnant mares.
I am overwhelmed by God’s grace and the blessings He is pouring out over me. I don’t have words to describe how blessed I am. I can only re-affirm my vow – to use my horses, my ability to work with them and to ride them, to reach out to other people and to carry out God’s wonderful Word through my stud. We are, and will always be, Riders for the Son!!
It is nearly time to go feed my babies and put them in their warm stables for the night. They will greet me eagerly when they see me. I will touch their strong necks, kiss their noble faces and look deep into their gentle eyes.
And I will be the happiest person alive!!
HEALING HORSES – A FARRIER’S STORY
The first time I met him I had to look twice. I was expecting a burly, muscled man. That is after all what a farrier should look like, isn’t it? Not slight, slender and covered in tattoos. But something in his eyes, a quietness, an inner peace, caught my attention and when he started working with my horses, he captured my heart and my loyalty forever.
His name is Marius Cloete, he is a farrier. He takes care of my horses’ hooves every six
weeks. With me he is fighting to improve the condition of my Thoroughbred mare, Tyra, whose front hooves are absolutely devastated by laminitis. When I told him that I can’t give up on her and that I will fight for her life and health with everything I’ve got, he understood and he joined in the fight. And I saw a miracle happen.
By now Marius is a regular visitor and, as things happen, we chat, share stories. There is no other way when you share a love for horses and when you work so closely with someone. Over several visits a story unfolded that touched my heart and, yet again, convinced me of the magic and healing power of horses.
Marius was a wild child, a rebellious youngster who got involved with drugs and alcohol. One day, when he was sitting in police cells, an evangelist, who is also a master farrier, came to visit him. As Marius says: “I was naughty. I took things, I used drugs and I wasn’t too keen on religion and God and the Bible.”
The man who visited him, Nico van Deventer, became his saving grace. In the cells, Nico said he wanted to pray for Marius.
“As he prayed, something knocked me over,” Marius says. “When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the ground and I didn’t know what had hit me.”
During that time Marius asked Nico what a farrier was and Nico invited him to “come and see”. It was love at first sight when Marius saw Nico working with the horses’ hooves
and he there and then decided that he also wanted to work with horses. One morning he also accompanied Nico to church.
“When I walked into that church, my whole life changed,” Marius says.
He stopped using drugs and dedicated his life to learning to be a farrier. He worked with Nico for five years before writing his trade test. Today Marius has his own flourishing farrier business. He is a master farrier. He has been in the “horse business” for
almost eleven years and he doesn’t regret one moment.
“Horses and working with horses changed my whole life. They made me a new person. They touch me in a spiritual way. Every day is full of new challenges and every horse is different,” he says.
The horses and their owners become his friends and boy, does he go the extra mile!! He is ever patient, gentle, he takes his time when working with horses. And they respond. They reward his gentleness of spirit with gentleness. They reward his patience with patience.
There is heartbreak as well. He lost a horse he had been working with for four years to
laminitis. The pedal bone rotated so badly that there was nothing he could do to help the horse and the animal had to be put down.
But if there is a chance of helping a horse, Marius will give his all. He works with Tyra with
endless patience, giving her time to rest in between working with her hooves. He talks to her the whole time he is busy. He comes out to our farm every two weeks to trim sometimes just a few millimetres off her hooves, to keep their shape as it should be. He
researched supplements and brought me two buckets to help her and relieve her pain. He praises God with me for every small victory with Tyra’s hooves. And he doesn’t give up.
Often he is accompanied by his wife and little boy. Both love horses dearly and enjoy sharing his passion for and dedication to the gentle animals he works with. Marius’ dream for his son is that he will one day also become a farrier.
When I look at Marius and listen to his story, I’m yet again amazed by the magic healing power of horses. So often have I seen people arrive on our farm, filled with pain and
depressed beyond words. The moment they see the gentle faces of my horses, their hands reach out and a light fills their eyes. They can’t stop touching the softness that is my horses and after a day spent with the gentle creatures, they reluctantly leave, vowing to return quickly.
Marius managed to turn his life around with the help of horses. Today he spends as much time as he can working with them. He is a beloved friend, not only to my horses and my family, but to many others. Thank you, Marius. From the bottom of my heart. I’m proud to be your friend!! May God bless you and your family!!
Marius taking a breather between horses.
Marius with his favourite girl, Tyra, whose front hooves have been devastated by laminitis. Thanks to his tender care her feet are much better!!
Marius tending to Minke’s feet. I don’t think there’s a horse he can’t handle! She’s a feisty lady, but with endless patience he overcame her resistance.
The massive hole in Tyra’s left front hoof when Marius started cutting it out. When he opened the whole for the first time, it bled and that was the best thing that could have happened. That showed us that the infection was gone and that the circulation was back. This also relieved the pressure on Tyra’s sole and she has been walking a lot better since.
The hole the last time Marius worked on Tyra’s hooves. For the first time in almost three years we’ve been able to trim her hooves to a shape that is normal. All thanks to Marius and his endless patience! He also did research to get supplements that will help her and keep her pain free. Marius, I salute you! I admire you! Thank you a thousand times for all your care, devotion, endless patience and gentleness!
AND DREAMS COME TRUE
It is late night, my favourite time to write and think. Tonight, however, I’m sitting here feeling as if I’m walking on a cloud. Living in a dream, floating on a magic carpet of happiness.
My dreams are coming true.
My prayers are being answered.
And finally I can write about it, shout about it, tell everybody about it! My stud is blessed. Very blessed! Recently I added two pregnant mares and their weanling colts to my family of horses. They are Rita and Ryan and Klara and Veon. They came to join us from Marinda and Jan de Villiers’ stud, Lorima. It was not a really expected addition. It was a vague possibility until Johan one day prompted me to phone Marinda. And the next thing we were off to Schweizer Reneke to fetch the girls and their babies. They’re beautiful, gentle and already such a part of my life, I can’t imagine a time they weren’t here. Ryan and Veon are being taught to walk on their halters and they’re doing it beautifully.
The next dream that’s coming true is the addition of an imported stallion, Oepke, and three mares, Barbara, Madonna and Emmerins! They would have been five, but the dreadful disease, AHS, claimed the two young mares, Ecstacy and Majestic. Rest in peace, girls. We’ll miss you, even though we’ve never met you.
Oepke and the girls belong to Dene and Patty Coetzee of Graaff Reinet in the Eastern Cape. We saw the ad for the stud in the Landbouweekblad and plans were made. But, due to circumstances, we had to put the transaction on hold. We feared that the horses would no longer be available to us after so long. But this morning, we sent an email and in the afternoon the reply came – the horses have been waiting for us!!
So, very soon, we’ll have another four horses to add to our growing family! My stud will be bursting at the seams and it will take a bit of planning to fit everything in perfectly, but we live by the grace of God and He will supply the necessary resources!! He is at work in our lives and miracles are taking place every day! He will never let us fall and will bless us in abundance!!
I feel like the richest woman on earth as I sit here writing. Four years ago I started out with two colts, added another colt and a filly, another filly and another one. Then tragedy struck and I lost Ceaser and Bea. But still I was blessed and I praised the Lord. Then came my little miracle, Ciara, my first Faeriewood foal. And now I’m adding even more horses – first Rita and Klara and now Oepke and the girls. Wow. I’m almost at a loss for words.
These blessings come at the time that is also filled with sadness and stress. Johan has again been diagnosed with bone marrow cancer. In a very early stage, but he still has to go for four months of treatment. Very expensive treatment. But again, we’re blessed! The medical aid pays for everything and he doesn’t have any bad side-effects from the treatment.
All I can say tonight is a massive THANK YOU, LORD!! And also, a big thank you to Johan for his support. And thank you to Marinda and Dene and Patty for trusting me with their horses. It is an honour!! It is a privilege to own Friesians. I will look after them and care for their every need humbly and with dedication.
Wow … dreams do come true and prayers are answered.
MIRACLES DO HAPPEN
There are few things as horrible as getting a call from a good friend and hearing:”please pray for my horse, I think her leg is broken.”
It sends chills down your spine, your mouth becomes dry like an old newspaper, there’s a weird buzzing noise in your ears and you have to shake your head a few times to make sure you’ve heard right. A broken leg is mostly a death sentence for a horse. It is a well-known fact.
And that is the call I got yesterday afternoon while on my way home from work. Stella de Wet, a young Friesian breeder like me, phoned to ask my opinion. Her mare, her first mare, Xanna, has just started to get better from horse sickness and biliary when it happened. She injured her one front leg so badly that she wasn’t able to stand. At least, that’s what we thought. Yesterday afternoon Stella phoned me, distraught. She had called out a vet and he said Xanna’s leg is broken. What do I think, what must she do. She doesn’t have the guts to put the horse down herself and she has already phoned a friend to come do it for her.
Rationally speaking it was the only thing she could do. But my heart screamed that it wasn’t possible. Give Xanna another chance!! My advice was to get a second opinion. But in my heart of hearts I was already burying the mare. Surely a vet should know what a broken leg looks like and feels like? I told Stella to give Xanna a shot of bute – a strong anti-inflammatory and painkiller – and to find another vet for a second opinion. And I told her that we will have to pray for a miracle.
Through a series of events and people, Stella traced a vet in Secunda, who specialises in horses. That was the first miracle. He has a portable X-ray machine. The second miracle. He was willing to travel to the farm where Stella lives with her parents to check the horse out. The third miracle. When Stella phoned me to tell me that she had found this vet, my heart lifted.
And we prayed. I prayed that God, for whom nothing is impossible, would send an angel to mend the leg so that the X-rays would show a perfectly normal leg today. And that there will be something else, easily fixed, wrong with Xanna. Every moment last night I prayed, for Stella for strength and wisdom, for the vet for wisdom and safety and for Xanna, that she would be fine.
This morning, while I was tending to my horses, Stella phoned. She sounded down. Xanna didn’t want to get up and she wasn’t eating well. She looked like a horse that had given up. My heart fell. Stella and I talked and talked – I was trying to comfort her and to keep my own hopes up.
Around 11:30 my phone rang again. My heart contracted in my chest. It could only be Stella. What would the news be?? After what felt like an eternity I got the courage to answer my phone. Stella’s voice said:”Our miracle has happened. Xanna’s leg isn’t broken, she just has an abcess in her hoof.”
For a moment I froze. And then it hit me. Xanna was fine!!! I started crying, thanking God and praising Him. In His wisdom and love He had sent us our miracle. Stella would not lose her beloved mare.
She told me that the vet found the place where the abcess had started and opened it up, drained all the pus and put a poultice of Epsom Salts on it. Right after that Xanna got up, put weight on the leg and ambled off, as if nothing had ever happened. I was elated. I was so happy for my young friend, who loves her horses as dearly as I love mine. I know the sadness and pain of losing a horse – I lost Ceaser and Bea and I still mourn for them. Stella has been spared that pain and suffering.
Proof again – miracles DO happen!! For God nothing is impossible. On so many occassions the Bible tells us: what you ask in My name, you will receive.
Tonight, on a farm near Ermelo, is a Friesian mare who is living proof of that – what you ask in My name, you WILL receive.
Stella will sleep well tonight, as will I. It would have been terrible to see my young friend suffer through the agony of grief over her beloved horse.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, thank You! Thank You for loving us so much that we’re allowed to ask for anything in Your Name!! Thank You for listening to the frantic prayers of horse lovers. Thank You for caring so much about us and our pain!!
Is anything impossible for our God?? NO! A thousand times NO!!
MUDDY GIRLS
And that’s how us mares do things at Faeriewood Friesians… !!!!
“Oooooh nice! I’m going to be sooo pretty after this!!!”
Ciara churning up more muddy water. Can you believe how big she is??? Wasn’t she a tiny, frightened, silver grey baby just yesterday?
Muddy mares!!
Happy muddy mares!
Today is a glorious autumn day. The sky is a transparent blue and only a slight breeze play around with the trees. I can watch my mares, sleek and gleaming with good health, where they graze in their camp. I’m yet again amazed at how big Ciara has become. She has Timo’s beautiful arched neck and long, slender legs. She’s a beauty. She must be weaned, but we had so much rain that the camp where I wean the foals is a swamp, so she’ll stay with her mom for a few more days.
Although I don’t have any proof, I get the feeling that Rozaan had “taken” after her tryst with Mindert. She has a settled look she didn’t have before. I hope I’m right. I guess I can get the vet out to test her, but right now I prefer to not do it. I think it will anyway be too soon. If she had taken she will only be two months pregnant.
I will visit the horses a bit later in the veld. They will welcome me, nudging me for treats and I will bow my head, humbly thanking the Lord our God for the privilege of sharing my life with my horses.
I’m also praying for another miracle. I want to buy more horses and I’ve lined up a whole stud of an imported stallion and five mares. But a few things need to fall in place before Johan and I can buy them. I’m praying for that to happen. It will be a miracle. It will be a dream come true.
AUTUMN, CIARA AND TYRA’S FEET
It is March and the season is turning – autumn is here and winter on its way. Around us trees are dropping leaves, the fields are no longer bright green, but the golden green of autumn and in the evening there’s a slight nip in the air. Very soon I’ll have to shake out rugs, mend those than need mending and make sure all my horses have rugs that fit!
My babies are all sleek and beautiful! We’re blessed! They’re all healthy, happy and full of energy. Minke is now fully accepted by the other mares. She is beautiful! Energetic, always ready for a cuddle and a kiss!
Ciara is now almost seven months old. At the end of the month I have to wean her. I’m already stressing about it, but it is something I have to do. She has now fully changed colour and is a lovely black-brown. Just before we left on holiday, we caught Rozaan, Minke and Ciara having a mud bath. It was so funny to see. Due to all the rain we had, there was a sizable puddle in their camp. The three ladies splashed around in it and turned it into a lovely mud puddle. Then the fun started. They pawed the muddy water, rolled in it, chased each other, rolled again – feet flying and snorting. Afterwards they were wet, muddy brown monsters! The next morning Grace, Elias and I had to brush all the mud from their coats. What a mission. And, just as we had them nice and clean, what did they do? Head straight for the puddle and roll. All we could do was laugh.
Tyra’s feet are finally beginning to look better. Thanks to my new farrier, Marius Cloete. He has shaped her hooves in such a way that she is much more comfortable and finds it easier to walk. He has opened and cleaned a massive hole in her left front hoof and we’re trying to get it to grow out. Then Tyra will be able to walk without any pain. We’ll never be able to ride her again, but that’s fine. I don’t care. She’s my example of never giving up! Marius is a miracle! He comes out every two weeks to check on her feet and to make sure the shape of the hooves are fine. Marius has also offered his services free of charge to the Highveld Horsecare Unit. May he be blessed for his compassion and dedication!
I will try to load a couple of pictures of the girls’ mudbath, Minke and Ciara. My internet connection on the farm is just very slow at times, which makes loading pictures quite a chore!
CIARA’S JOURNEY CONTINUES AND OTHER STORIES
Well, what can I say? It seems that towards the end of a year, time starts doing this funny little trick – it rushes past you in clumps, hiding just out of sight and whenever you think that you can “grab a little time”, it simply darts away and disappears.
We’re already in February and I haven’t updated my blog since late last year! Well, let me remedy that immediately!
Ciara’s journey continues with loads of fun as she discovers the world around her. She had changed from a gangly, silver-grey baby to a very self-assured, moth-eaten, bi-coloured little lady. Sometimes a bit of a monster, especially when she tries out her very sharp baby teeth on a finger. She reminds me a little bit of Maria in Sound of Music…
“She’s outpester any pest, drive a hornet from its nest…”
But we love her to bits. She’s now fully trained on the halter, at five months and a few days old. We brush her (and she brushes back with her teeth), we clean her feet without someone hanging on to the lead rope and she follows me around like devotion itself. She’s not scared of humans at all! We can touch any part of her body without her being scared or moving away. In short, the little madam is doing extremely well and she’s gorgeous!! She’s also losing her silver grey baby hair, turning into a sleek, black young thing. But some of the baby hair is still clinging on, so she has a very peculiar moth eaten look at the moment. I’m trying to brush all the baby hair out, but it just isn’t working. I guess she’ll be fully black in another month’s time.
In all, this year started better than 2010. Last year Tyra was so severely sick and little Bea died of AHS. So far this year, no disasters and for that we thank the Lord every moment of every day. As a matter of fact, we praise Him for giving us a new addition to Faeriewood Friesians!!
Hartzenberg Minke, a two-year-old filly out of Mindert van Gaasterland Grun (gosh I hope I’ve got it right! Will check!). Mindert is an imported stallion, six-years-old and proudly owned by Ferdi and Monjha Hartzenberg. The same people I bought my first Friesian, my beloved Ceaser, from. They had to sell Minke, because they only have Mindert and she’s his daughter, so no breeding.. etc etc etc, and they thought of me. Monjha phoned me, made me an offer I just couldn’t refuse and voila!! Minke is now part of our family. What a sweetie she is!! Feisty young lady with looks to match – long, wild mane flying in the wind, floating trot and the demeanor of a princess. She’s an F3 and will be put to the stallion just after winter, when she is very close to three-years-old.
Also, after Ceaser died so tragically, Monjha and Ferdi offered me the option of a free covering on one of my mares with Mindert. Well!! What a tremendous gift! So, when we went to fetch Minke last week, Rozaan went with to be covered. The original plan was for her to stay there for a month or two to be covered and then we would fetch her again. But she had other plans. When we arrived there she was more than ready for a love tryst with the handsome stallion and it happened there and then. The next morning again! And she returned home with us. So, we’re holding thumbs that she’d “taken” and that we will have a little Faeriewood with Mindert-blood by the end of the year.
This is our year of miracles and we thank God for them!! Before we left for the Hartzenbergs, a gruelling five hour drive from our farm, I asked the Lord for a miracle and I reminded Him of the promises He had made to me last year and before that. Well, I couldn’t have got a bigger miracle, now could I!!!???
There’s only one thing that is slightly out of joint. Mud, flies, mosquitos, horse flies… the products of the massive amount of rain we’ve been having. Everything is wet, muddy, musty, humid, gooey … think of any word associated with damp and wet and we’ve got most of it. Earlier this week my stables flooded after a 60mm downpour in a couple of hours. I live in wellingtons and I’ve given up on keeping my house clean and mudfree. So, we’re now also praying for a bit of sunshine. With light showers inbetween!
Johan, Tanyica and I will be on holiday for a week from next Thursday. I can’t wait to go, but at the same time I’m sooo worried about my babies. It is after all AHS time! But, I trust in God and I know that He will protect my animals from all evil. He has brought another angel into our lives – our friend, Dirk Gouws, who farms a few kilometres from us. While we’re gallivanting in the surf, Dirk will keep an eye on my horses and my three German Shepherds will stay with him during that time. Thanks Dirk! For all the hours of conversation, sometimes lighthearted, sometimes more intense and serious, for always being willing to lend a helping hand and for endless glasses of cooldrink while we contemplate life. We pray that this will also be your year of grace and miracles!
And, as always, I have to thank my dear husband, Johan. For staying calm when we have to load nervous horses, for understanding when I walk away and leave him with the logistics of getting two mares on the horse trailer. For being excited with me over a new mare, for helping me to clean stables and for taking care of my babies when I’m at work. It is so lovely to see him coming back to life after his three year struggle with cancer. It is such a miracle to stand next to him, early in the morning, listening to my horses nicker and watching the sun rise. Thank you, my love, for always being there for me.
THIS IS OUR YEAR OF GRACE AND MIRACLES!! THANK YOU GOD! AMEN!
2010 in review
The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:
The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.
Crunchy numbers
A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 2,600 times in 2010. That’s about 6 full 747s.
In 2010, there were 13 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 62 posts. There were 55 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 121mb. That’s about a picture per week.
The busiest day of the year was July 20th with 124 views. The most popular post that day was 020.
Where did they come from?
The top referring sites in 2010 were google.co.za, facebook.com, student-loan-consilidation.com, alphainventions.com, and thecalifornianfriesian.wordpress.com.
Some visitors came searching, mostly for adelprag, adelprag friesian stud, friesian, adelprag stud, and beautiful horses photos.
Attractions in 2010
These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.
ADELPRAG FRIESIAN STUD – WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE March 2010
For Sale February 2009
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PICTURES March 2010
Faeriewood Friesians 