Syndication

We are about to start our first racing syndicate. The syndicate will include (racing only as ownership will be leased to the syndicate) both Bossy Looker (Bella) a 3yo filly by Now Another Look out of Bossy Octopus (Game Pride) and Carlisha a 5 yo mare by Mystical Shark out of our now defunct broodmare Laura Jayne (Nero's BB). The trotter will go to Bevan Heron and the pacer to Graeme Lamb. We have a number of interested parties but will advertise in the coming Harness Weekly as well. Both are ready to go into training and as soon as the syndicate paperwork is in place, they will be transfered to the stables.

We are to hold two of the ten shares between us (Vee and I) with me as the nominated manager. We believe we can race both of these for a cost of $50 per week for each 10% share. Let us know if you are interested - vancoach@xtra.co.nz.

No more greenhouse envy

Here is the famous greenhouse.

We went to the Small Farm Field Day last Sunday and after buying a coffee first thing, Vee went back to the truck and by the time she returned I had done a deal on the greenhouse. Darren and Nikki from Kirwee. Good product, great people.

Lambies

Here are some photos of our orphaned lambs, now ongoing members of the FEH Family. Beavis, Butthead and Roger RAMjet. Top photo is sister Karen and neice Jess feeding them a few weeks ago.


Our plan is that we have them to clean up the paddocks after the horses have eaten their fill. It is expected that Roger (also known as CD) will be part of our 2009 Christmas Dinner too. Ex-vegetarian KJ really has moved on :).

Further flood Fotos :) and latest Fernside Frolics

To add to the Cust Creek photos below, we went down Lineside Road today (3 days after height of flood) to view the paddocks down there. Lineside Road is the main road from the northern motorway through to Rangiora. Here are a few pictures of the "Lineside Lakes".

We brought Carlisha (6yo Mystical Shark out of the now defunct Laura Jayne) home from Bevan Heron's last Saturday. For a late start mare, Bevan has done a good job breaking her in. She has a cough so we've kept her apart from the others but as Bella goes just where she wants, she joins her every now and then. At this point the idea is to syndicate Bella (Bossy Looker officially, 3yo trotter) and Carlisha as a package and give them both a go this season. Bella will go to Bevan and Carlisha to Grame Lamb. Looks like Julius Caesar fillies will have to go to sales as we need to lessen stock and get some income from the breeding.

A Wonderful Fernside Winter

As many who have either experienced NZ weather during the last week of July 2008 or have seen or heard of it on the news, here's a couple of pictures of the local "Terrain" taken this past week. Usually the Cust Creek is just a creek (and I often drive through it on my way to work) or, in Summer, when the dodgy new dairy farms are irrigating, it has little to no water in it at all. These two are photos of it taken yesterday, actually 2 days after the height of the floods. We have called it "Mini Mac" (apologies to niece in Wellington) as it looks like a mini version of the Waimakariri when a Nor-West has brought rain and/or melt to the mountain catchment area.

Foot not Knee

It seems I (finally) made the right choice by getting Olive into the loosebox. Yesterday she wouldn't let me touch her knee but today, after standing still for 16 hours, the swelling in the knee has gone down appreciably. Vet Andrew (great guy) from Rangiora Vets came and Olive had a bad abscess in her hoof and had damaged the knee by walking oddly on her heel to relieve any pressure on the toe of the hoof, where thew abscess is. It has been cleaned and drained. Now we have to soak her regularly in warm water and epsom-salts. Learning, learning every step for us.

Starting the weaning process?

We have our first foal of the current crop in the loose box with her Mum - Wee "Cleo" (also known as Cap) and Olive. Olive has a big knee which she has been favouring notably and the vet is coming to check her out tomorrow morning. As Cleo is the youngest of the foals, we probably won't actually wean her at this point but over the next two months we will start with the eldest and work through the three of them. They are now all progressing well and we aim to send Olive back to Julius Caesar this coming season. We are wondering about Honey (Now Another Look out of Whizzy) and whether we can enter her at Riccarton in a hurdles race. When we separated her from Cleo today (they seem to have mated up well) she just jumped the bloody gate as if it was a natural thing to do (proper Hurricane style farm gate). The fun goes on.

We spent a lot of the middle part of the day today with our three young nephews who were riding Eddie after staying the night. I spent about 1 1/2 hours working with Sooty after my first official riding lesson Friday a week ago. All I can say is that Sooty, despite his foibles is easier to manage than two 11 year olds and and a seven year old - Neph - Phews!! :) 55 must be too old to be a parent of youngans I think.

The ever curious but ever adorable Sooty.

A photo daughter Stacey took when here the other week. Sooty taking front stage again - what's new?

A Winter Wonderland

Hi All,

In between uploads we've been away to Qld through Aussie House Swap and found the whole thing great. Couldn't have afforded to stay 3 weeks without the free accommodation. Came back and soon bedded in reality by the snow last weekend. 'Rain' had damaged a leg just on and above the crown and although healing is still somewhat swollen. Otherwise all horses okay.

Looks like we are going to sell some youngsters (commercial reality) probably the two Julius Caesar fillies. Sophie - (JC/Laura Jayne) is looking big and strong and we'll probably wean her during the next month. Cleo (had wobbly knees) is coming along well and looks like she'll be okay afterall, still to be confirmed though. Will also start to jog Bella (Now Another Look/Bossy Octopus rising 3y0) soon and she will go to Bevan Heron for the start of the new season, will be looking to syndicate her for racing then.

Trying to use all of the available grass we had the horses out around the house recently. Left the front door open and of course Sooty had to pop in to see if there were any more apples on offer; you've gotta love him.

Exciting Days

The new foals, Sophie, Honey and Cleo are home in the back paddock. Photos to come soon.

Sophie is looking so big she actually could belong to her thoroughbred foster-mother you'd think. Honey is still the image of her sire Now Another Look and Cleo looks suitably exotic, misty, capaccino colured coat, partially trimmed hooves and all.

Sooty TV

New Mare and Further Info About Cleo

We picked the 5yo daughter of Laura Jayne (by Mystical Shark) up last Wednesday. She has been given to us as a substitute for her mother. The mare is not named but is very likely to be registered this week as a combination of names from our neighbours kids who are learning to ride a bit here. Likely name is "Carlisha" as a composite of Carys and Elisha. The mare is big and strong. At first we thought she was stroppy but it seems she's pretty genuine but just a little arrogant, this should be managed now she is being broken in (by the fabulously brave Bevan Heron).

CLEO - It seems issue with Cleo may not be as clear-cut as first suggested. We will try to repair the matter between now and May and then reassess.

Falibility seems unrepairable

When born, Cleo had an obvious problem in that she stood over her knees. This was expected to fix itself within a short period but it hasn't happened this way. The vet is to see her today but it looks most likely that she will not be able to race (and hence we won't register or brand her). We are hoping to get a return service from Julius Caesar. She will either be put-down or given away as a possible hack when she is weaned.

Cleo arrives - Caesar's daughter is now above suspicion too

As promised, pictures of Cleo - by Julius Caesar from Olive Bromac (Holmes Hanover).

We went to visit her at Graeme Lamb's the day after she was born. She is nicely coloured with that dark marking along her spine. Like the other JC horses she is a fine looking, tall filly who will probably take a while to catch up with her long legs.

Her Mum is proud but open to contact and Vanetta was able to stroke Cleo's nose immediately, When we took nephews and neighbours' kids up to see Cleo on Sunday her curiosity was apparent in overcoming any sense of shyness or reliance upon mum.

With Dolly not being in foal, we won't have any new foals on the ground next season. However, given we have taken ownership of Laura's (deceased dam of Sophie) 5yo daughter, who is to go straight to be broken in; have Rain (Knight Rainbow-Olive Bromac) planned to be broken in too later in the year and Bella to go into full work for the Spring along with the three new fillies to come home, I guess that will be enough.

Bella in work

A photo of Bella (Now Another Look/Bossy Octopus) showing her first trotting skills at Kerry O'Reilly's place. We were impressed as she had progressed well within a few days and has progressed even further since. She was trotting so fast even our 'posh' camera couldn't keep up :))

Another b... beautiful filly

Our third filly foal for the season and second Julius Caesar "Cleo" was born this morning. We have yet to see her but Graeme (Lamb) tells me she is again a picture of a horse, as have been all the JC horses on the farm this year. My guess is 'Anotherflamingfilly' won't make the cut at HRNZ (we've had seven foals now all fillies) so we'll go for something reminiscent of this situation but not that specific name.

Photos will follow tomorrow.

Trotters Galore

As stated, we have two trotting broodmares, one Bossy Octopus (Dolly) is a three win mare (from 16 starts) by Game Pride and we have "Bella" a beautiful 2yo by Now Another Look from her who looks promising and very likely to race next season. We have tried to get her back in foal to another sire this season but have been unsuccessful. She is likely to go to Sunseeker in the Spring.

Our second trotting broodmare is Glentar (Whizzy) our original is by Gee Whiz II. We have a 2yo (Lucy) out of her and she just recently foaled another filly (Honey) both by Now Another Look. Lucy has been broken in (by Kevin Townley) but we have done no more with her since. Honey (pictured above) really is honey coloured and looks just like her Dad. It would be nice if she had a good share of his talent too.

Nature - The Balance of Life and Death

Laura Jayne and Sophie

Our second pacing broodmare - Laura Jayne, foaled a beautiful Julius Caesar filly just before Christmas. Sadly, as can happen, Laura died later in the day from internal bleeding due to a ruptured uteris. Vanetta rang everyone we know in the business as well as many we didn't. This included Trackside who kindly broadcast the situation and a contact number. We ended up being offered a Thorougbred mare "Bonnie" by Steve Montgomery and the two hit it off straight away, as if they actually were dam and foal.

Sophie is pictured here alongside of her new mum Bonnie.

A note of warning here: We had taken added insurance at a limit of $2,000 per broodmare with AMI but, as many will not be surprised, when we went to claim we were told that the cover did not include "this sort of situation". I have yet to talk to the Area Manager to see which sorts of situation the bloody thing does cover.

Summer update

We have four standardbred mares, two pacing bred and two trotting.

We currently have two trotting two year olds in work. One of these is just returning from Kerry O'Reilly's place (by Now Another Look out of Bossy Octopus) and is expected to qualify easily as a three year old after some spelling time during the Summer.

We also have two hacks, both of which are standardbred geldings. Eddie, at 15 hands, is an everyone rides near-schoolmaster and Sooty is a 16.2 hand dark bay who thinks he is the most beautiful horse in the world (we agree) and also considers himself to be a stallion but he's wrong. Sooty's breeding goes back to the great Bravine but we didn't know that when we bought him as a 5 year old hack (he's 10 now).