I just wanted to let you know how the girls are doing.

Annie is doing great in her new home. She settled right in with no problem but I don't think she's terribly fond of her stablemate Ella. She tolerates her but I think she would have chosen someone else! She is getting a little sassy, but is still sweet. She's starting to nicker to me every time I come out of the house but more so at meal time of course. I have been working with her on standing still while mounting and she's getting really good. I just want to take it slow with her because who knows what she's been through, and I'm in no hurry. Her winter coat has all shed out and she looks so shiney she even has dapples on her butt! We're also working on getting used to fly spray. She doesn't even like to have it wiped on but she's getting better. The flys really bother her so she better get used to it. A neighbor is giving me two fly sheets - she got a bunch for free (long story) - so that should help. We'll see how Annie likes that!

Ella is doing great now too. It took her about a week to settle down and stop pacing and she was in heat the whole first week too so that didn't help. But now she just stands calmly in her corral. She is really comming out of her shell. She actually puts her head over the top rail of the corral and looks excited when I come out! She will look right at me and will let me pet her head without turning it away. I even set the baby on her back one day (holding her tight with both hands of course) and Ella just stood there perfectly content. I'm really happy about how good she's doing after only two weeks! I think she's a real sweetheart inside just waiting to come out.

One of these days I'm going to call Lydia Hiby the "animal communicator" and try to find out what these girls have gone through in their lives!!!!

Sunflower (Carl started calling her that and it stuck) is just fine. David trimmed her hooves a few weeks ago. He got quite a work out. Someone hadn't really done anything with her feet in a long time and it took David Lee, Marla, Mike, Stevo and myself to do one little horse. The wash rack was not yet set in concrete so she had lots of wiggle room. Stevo held her lead line wrapped around a pole--kust to give us a little leverage, Mike rubbed her star fast and furiously to distract her, Marla held the carrots in her hand for Sunflower to nibble and I made sure David had plenty of coffee. At one point I came back and David had his backside pushing against her rump. In the end she gave in and got her feet done. This week with Carl there calling her darling, she let me have all four feet ot clean without any problems.

She's very sweet and her great grandfather-Morafic and Maddie's great grandfather Ansata Ibn Halima were half brothers.

The vet was out yesterday and gave demure elegancepc (aka sunflower ellie) a clean bill of health except her teeth. He said she had vampire teeth and is scheduled to have them floated in two weeks along with Mama Swing. Her feet get a much needed pedicure this weekend. Aside from that, she's eating her alfalfa, oats and sweet feed and playing with Swing and Kidd in the arena.

Maddie and Sunflower's mom

Just to let everyone know, Maddie's Uncle Carl went and picked up Ellie (228) aka Sunflower. She is covered with mud and God know what else. We started cutting the mats out of her mane. While running his hand down her leg, her Uncle Carl discovered two wounds, caked in mud/feces etc. The wound is draining and the vet has been called. Like Maddie Mae, the first thing she did was roll in her stall full of shavings. She is very pretty and sweet. We found out from the paperwork at the feedlot that she's had 4 foals. Well, now her job is to reest, heal, eat and play.
Maddie and Ellie/Sunflower's mom