Beware three red mares and a colt! 5/19/16

[Kathy Johnson]

Yes, Josette, babies having babies. Red is a super sweet mother, and even as a two year old knows exactly what to do. We are all just overjoyed that everyone is well (fingers crossed) and she endured the birth, and the baby is healthy. Very active. I mean born running. More pictures later....

[Chisamba]

How old do you babies having babies people think mustangs are other wild animals are when they have babies? I assure you the stallion is not standing there saying, ooh, this one is too young, i'll let her grow up for a year.

I am not an advocate for breeding young, and it hurts me to see the young horses run through auctions pregnant and likely to end up at the slaughter house, but feral horses, zebra, deer, buck antelope, dogs, etc etc, are bred as soon as they start their heat cycles. which is young.

[Koolkat]

Mom looks quite content to have you hold her and look at baby, I think you've made a LOT of progress.

Congratulations on all of it!

[Josette]

Sorry for the confusion - what I meant was I was trying to see the sex of the baby and guessed it was a filly too.

(yes - I know young animals can be bred.)

[Kathy Johnson]

Yes, yearlings in the wild are bred. That's the only thing that gave me hope through this pregnancy. I don't think it is tracked if the mares or foals growth is stunted or they have developmental orthopedic diseases or the mares die while foaling in the wild. I will say that it took a HUGE, and I mean huge, amount of calories to try to ensure that both Red and baby were getting what they needed to both grow at the same time. And I still think Red is too thin.

LOL, Josette, I was thinking, "her eyes can't be THAT bad to miss the baby in the picture. How could she read this?" But I have sheep deprivation from foal watch.

[Mainer]

sheep deprivation that IS a terrible thing

keep the story coming - LOVE it and everything you all do out there!!!

[Imperini]

She's adorable! So glad everyone is well too

[fergusnc]

Both are so beautiful. And look so comfortable with you in their space. All that time and effort of handling mom prior to baby's birth was obviously well spent.

Pondering...in wild mustangs....is their smaller stature influenced at all by the fact that mares may be giving birth before they are full grown? Or is the size solely determined by the genetics? Would mustang foals taken into farm life, raised and later bred (at full maturity) to other mustangs who were foals taken into farm life, produce a generations that were taller/larger? Or would genetics keep them pretty true to what we see in the wild? Neither here nor there....just a brain that wonders a lot about stuff, often stuff that you can't truly answer due to the inability of apples apples research versus apples to oranges speculation.

So happy for all of the horses that end up in Kathy's program, getting a second chance that is head and shoulders above any other landing towards which they may have been headed!

[Kathy Johnson]

Fergus, it is hard to say. We have a couple of rather large mustangs too. Their DNA doesn't always show large horses in the paperwork. One of them is a solid 16.1 and her DNA test showed primarily pony. Strange stuff. I'd also factor in nutrition, as well as genetics and foaling age. There's often not a lot to eat out on the range.

[Mainer]

and maybe on the range - bigger is not always better.

[Flight]

She is very cute!! Congrats!!!

[LeoApp]

I am glad mommy and adorable baby are both doing well!

[fergusnc]

any updates????

[Kathy Johnson]

I am late getting this out, but this is Bodacious. Bodhi is the sweetest, FASTEST filly I have ever met. Doll is ready to foal, sometime this week, I think.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Bodacious.html?soid=1102390974141&aid=en40wlK1770

[Mainer]

Thank you for this wonderful update!

[fergusnc]

[Kathy Johnson]

It's boy!!!

Nightmare Doll had a strapping red colt this morning. She is a wonderful mother but just about freaked out when I started touching him. She started shaking. He's a verbal guy, likes to talk. All systems go. So far, so good.

[greenholmeshandy]

Makes you wonder what happened to her with a previous foal. Well done for giving her a safe haven.

[Josette]

Beautiful foals! Poor mare being so stressed.....

[fergusnc]

So handsome. And poor Mama. Glad that she landed with your gang!

[Moutaineer]

What a looker!

[Flight]

Beautiful!!!

[Mainer]

gotta love it "three mares and a colt"

just unbelievable they were headed to slaughter.......

[PaulaO]

OMG, I LOVE baby boy! And he's going to have hind socks!!!! Are you the Chestnuts Only Farm??? LOL

[Sunshine2Me]

OMG, I LOVE baby boy! And he's going to have hind socks!!!! Are you the Chestnuts Only Farm??? LOL

I was thinking the same thing! Do you only do red horses???

[demi]

OMG, I LOVE baby boy! And he's going to have hind socks!!!! Are you the Chestnuts Only Farm??? LOL

I was thinking the same thing! Do you only do red horses???

NO!! I'm pretty sure she does greys only ...or maybe she's switching to red!

[Mainer]

Any updates on your herd?

[Josette]

Very Sad news - Kathy is leaving the Medicine Horse Program. Maybe she will post an update here.....

[Kathy Johnson]

Hi guys,

Yes, not only am I leaving MHP, but my neurologist has also asked me stop riding, lifting, twisting, bending. And working on the computer, due to ruptured discs in my neck. It is degenerative disc disease, which is pretty normal as we age, but I've got it too young and in both the neck and lumbar. As well as neuropathy in my foot from the surgery. But I'm looking forward to going back to Michigan and getting some rest. That's as far as I'm planning. Here's an update, with babies


https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10154392381803188&id=108681978187&pnref=story

[Flight]

Oh wow Kathy, that's a bit sad. Sorry to hear about your disc problems that stopping you riding. Hope you are feeling ok (or as good as you can) about it all. I really enjoyed and learned from your photos. Thankyou.

[Mainer]

Yikes - so sorry to hear all this. But as usual you seem to have a positive attitude and we all know that attitude makes a difference! I too have looked forward to and learned from your posts. Good Luck with your next chapter -

[fergusnc]

Hoping the new chapter bring more joy than all the previous chapters combined. Thank you for all of your hard work at MHP...sounds like a wonderful place.

[Quelah]

Is MHP going to continue on? I thought you were the program? I mean that it was your facility/barn/program/horses?

[Kathy Johnson]

MHP is a non profit, 501c3 charity, so it owns itself. I am/was the Excecutive Director. So , it will continue under two of my assistants, one to run the therapy end and one to run the horse end. Thank you for all the well wishes. Somethings are definitely getting better with (sort of) rest, but some things are not. I have a few more weeks to ago then I can head back up to Michigan for awhile to help my parents and get some real rest.

[piedmontfields]

Kathy, I'm sorry for the riding outlook and wish you and MHP well with the transition. I hope deep rest is very restoring!