2008 Love Your Horse Mare & Foal Photo Contest Winners

I am so excited to tell a story about the most beautiful of God’s gifts. My best friend and love of my life Shakirah was an abused and forgotten beauty. The people who sold her had no idea what heritage she had in her Bask/Khemosabi Arabian blood lines. Kirah and I joined up in 2003 after a summer of convincing her I was ok and she could leave her pasture with me. That was only part of it. She still had a colt by her side and he was three. It was heart wrenching for her to leave him. I could see Shakirah was a forever mother and promised her she would never have to say goodbye again if she had a baby for me. I brought her an Egyptian stallion she hated. She showed nothing but discontent for him except she did know I brought him in for an important reason and I know she knew what breeding would mean for her. I sold him thinking all was lost and the first test came up negative so we went through a tough New England winter on her regular rations (Blue Seal) come spring she was huge and I had no doubt she and the stallion had found a moment in the July full moon. She tested positive and I quickly put her on Mare & Foal, she gained perfect weight. Kirah was ready and I was on watch. I had given up on certain due dates and spent many nights sleeping in the barn. Kirah was very trustful of me and the hour was never an issue. She surprised everybody. The first day of summer horse camp at my barn the horses were all out at 8:15 am on the pasture and I went to get a coffee for our 9 am start. A student called me on my cell phone and said “something is coming out of one of the horses” she had never seen my horses before her mother brought her up that morning. I drove as fast as I could and as I pulled in the driveway a baby slipped to the ground under where Kirah was standing and 5 others circled around them. She began to clean him as I ran over. She had delivered a beautiful golden chestnut colt at 9 am with a huge audience. Neighbors and dogs and horses and camp children everywhere. I gave instructions to my new students and they went through the most educational and memorable next 4 hours of their lives. The children ran for towels, brought me all the birthing equipment and supplies, helped and watched as we carried our new 90 lb. friend to the barn, cleaned him, got his first milk, treated his cord, waited for the sac and put everything in order. Kirah had no problem having 10 midwives tending and touching her new baby. She knew he would stay and she was proud!! I rode her and brought the baby in our 4th of July parade. Striker (Striketaztik) was born June 19, 2006. He is still in the pasture with his mother. A very well behaved stallion! He will begin his breeding career. Nature takes care of its own and letting mother and colt remain together give them both strength, courage and love. He knows where his place is and who is to be bred and who is not. They are all free on our farm to be horses. I still catch him trying to get some milk from Mom and she still has it. She has also nursed some orphans in between. We are truly proud of our beautiful mare & her foal. They thrive on Blue Seal feeds and Kirah would be a fine cover for you. Striker is what a foal fed Blue Seal should look like.