The Big, Red Colt

0524 eat

Long legs, huge hip, solid shoulders and big ears make up my big, red, colt-baby Sims.

I ran the color genetics for Fargo (a palomino) and Flag (a gray).  Of course, I did. Gray is dominant and the chance of the baby being gray was over 60% according to the University of California-Davis.  But Gray horses, are not born.  It is a color that horses turn.  A horse can be any color at birth and become gray.  And UC-Davis factored that in as well.  So, I hoped for my favorite, a buckskin.  I hoped for a smoky black colt.  I longed for some white legs and Fargo’s trademark blaze (that she passed along to Betty Sue).  But never in my daydreams of this baby, did a red colt come to my mind.

SnipImage

Here is the actual color calculation.  Gray is shown as the final color of the coat along with the color in parenthesis that the horse will be born. 

The chance of Sims staying my big, red horse are only 6.25%.  I am not aware of any Flag horse that is a chestnut (horse word for red).  So, Lauren will probably get her longed for gray Flag horse to match Feather.  Clearly, I did not get my 9.38% of a chance at a buckskin.

But that is all okay.  Sims is finally here!!  Sneaking in to be born as Lauren watched Grey’s Anatomy and I was at work.  (Someone suggested calling him Flagmount’s Grey’s Anatomy, but Lauren vetoed that!)  He is healthy, straight legged, big and super friendly.

A word about his barn name.  Sherre Sims befriended us during the Wharton years.  She was diagnosed with cancer.  She fought bravely and hard.  But cancer won.  She was one of the best people I ever knew.  So this is our tribute to her.

We are still arguing about his show name.  It will be Flagmount’s something  just like Feather is Flagmount’s Irish Freedom.  I will update you on that. Feel free to add suggestions, please!

Here are some more pictures.  Thank you for all you that have followed this boy from conception to life.  It is pretty awe inspiring.

0524 mom lay

Mama Fargs saying”this huge thing came out of me?”

0526

At least he sleeps sometimes!

13240127_10208389019097041_5677145659651727589_n

We had some issues with Fargo being under the weather right after the baby came.  I cannot tell you how proud I was of my two daughters, Ally and Lauren, as they tirelessly took care of the baby, hour by hour, as the antibiotics took hold and mama Fargs got better.  I know if Amber had been here, I would have seen a truly top notch team as she is my certified International Lactation Consultant daughter and she would have known just what to do to help Sims keep eating to stay alive.

There was never any whining or complaining even as they tired and wanted to quit.  They were both already madly in love with this big red colt and nothing was stopping them.

We are so grateful to welcome Sims to Six Meadow Farm.  Expect big things from him! We are.

Thanks for riding along.

We’re Pregnant! In foal! Having a baby!

Blonder Reflection aka Fargo

Blonder Reflection aka Fargo

Yippee!  Indications are that the insemination of my RPSI German mare, Fargo, was successful.  We will check her again in three weeks.  I think Fargo is a lovely mare, standing about 16 hands.

Fargo showing off her pretty trot in the pasture.

Fargo showing off her pretty trot in the pasture.

Her breeding as the Oldenburg Rainbow’s granddaughter coupled with her strong sire Blonder Hans whose strengths are wonderful elasticity and impulsion with a brilliant  jumping career should be a fine fit with the Flagmount genes we know and love so well from our own mare Feather.

Fargo's sire Blonder Hans

Fargo’s sire Blonder Hans

Fargo has had some lovely babies in the past and we sure hope to have another next March. Personally, I am hoping that Fargo as a Palomino from a Palomino sire from a Palomino grandsire coupled with her Oldenburg grand-sire’s pinto markings might create a colorful Flagmount baby.  But I do not care!  Happy, healthy and sound is the ticket.

Here are some pictures of Flagmount’s Freedom-

At 16.3, this is a big, solid boy reminiscent of his sire Flagmount King

At 16.3, this is a big, solid boy reminiscent of his sire Flagmount King

10156075_304549393030826_6348694369867436554_n 1009869_304549423030823_6408584568034055608_n

These are shots of Flag in action.  No wonder our Feather is so brave!
Truly great news to brighten the seemingly endless days of rain that we have had.  We should know if our OTTB mare TeeDee is pregnant by Flag this weekend.  What a delight that would be!  Thanks for riding along!