She's Perfect!

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A week ago today I welcomed a new life into the world. My good bay mare, daughter of Destiny, granddaughter of Tamarac, great-granddaughter of Mahogany and great-great-granddaughter of my beloved Duchess, foaled out the first of a sixth generation of that ‘Dynasty’.

Since I live alone, I foal out my mares by myself and I can assure you that, in the middle of the night, at the moment of delivery, I always feel a bit of panic (My vet told me there would be something wrong if I didn’t!). At the moment ‘no turning back’ I say a little prayer that all will go well. As many of you know, last year did not … which has increased my anxiety level.

This time, though, I was not alone. By some twist of karma, a friend was passing through on a work assignment in the area and was visiting – not just any friend but a fellow with broodmares of his own and who, at one time, boarded them with me. Many is the time we foaled out a mare in the still of the night! As soon as Rod arrived last Sunday evening I told him Legacy would foal that night.

“Do you want me to call you only if I need you or do you want me to call you anyway?” I asked him. He quickly answered that he would like to share the experience with me as we had done so many times years before.

As I predicted, Legacy went into labour about 3:00 AM. I called Rod.

Legacy’s delivery was not easy. I needed help and, against all odds, I had help to deliver a beautiful bay foal at 3:50 AM. As Rod and I stepped back to allow mare/foal bonding, he commented that we had worked together with very few words and knowing just what the other one was doing and how to do it. I had not thought about it at the time but he was right. We had both dropped into the roles we needed to without even thinking about it. 


Every one of this foal’s matriarchal ancestor’s first foal was a filly. I was sure this one would be a colt. Not so. Following the pattern of her ancestors, Legacy’s first was a filly. And she was perfect.

Not so Legacy. She needed immediate veterinary attention so, after finding a driver (Rod had to go to work!), I rode in the trailer with both of them to the vet in Williams Lake where we spent the rest of the day, Legacy expertly attended to and the little filly playing and sleeping on the lawn.

I am happy to say, Legacy is on the mend. I would have probably lost my mare had I not made that trip.

Riding in the back of the trailer for 100 km, I had lots of time to think. I could not decide on a name for the newest edition and I mulled over the possibilities, never quite satisfied with anything I could come up with. It was only yesterday that the name became clear. She had really already named herself! Every time someone asked about the foaling, I prefaced the account of Legacy's problems with “The baby’s perfect but…” Finally it dawned on me. Her name is "Perfect" . . . and, since I wanted to use something to signify the 6th generation, her AQHA name will be "Wildwood Perfect Six".

Big handle for a little filly but she’s up for the challenge. After all, her daddy is Walking With Wolves and he’s always been up for any challenge.

And while I wait and worry about the next mare to foal, who is at day 366 gestation today, I am falling in love with this one-week-old, pretty bay filly. How dangerous is that? Or is that just perfect...

Wildwood Perfect Six at one week

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The legacy continues...

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In the early hours of May 7th, my good mare, Legacy (Wildwood Legacy Lace) foaled out a beautiful bay filly. While every foal is a miracle and every foaling a landmark event, this one was more special and more noteworthy than most. This filly is the first of a sixth generation Wildwood mares. Here's how it goes: 

Duchess and I at CFR 1974

In 1968, I bought a two-year-old mare from Doug and Nancy Dear in Montana. Her name was Ma Dear but I immediately called her Duchess. Race bred (sired by Pasamonte Paul out of a Classy Bar mare), powerful and athletic, she was to be my next barrel racing mare. That she was – she took me to a CCA championship and the Canadian National Finals – but what I didn’t know is that she would found a dynasty of Wildwood horses. Duchess lived to be 36 and was with me for 34 years. She lived to see four descending generations.






Wildwood Mahogany
In 1979, I bred to Duchess to my stallion, Seco Top Moon (a black son of Top Moon) and she foaled out a bay filly, Wildwood Mahogany. I trained Mahogany and both my daughter and I
showed her in a wide variety of classes from halter to reining.





 

Wildwood Tamarac
 
Now hooked on reining, I bred Mahogany to Solanos Peppy San and, in 1987, she foaled out Wildwood Tamarac, a sorrel mare with undeniable talent, sweet personality and a fantastic disposition. I trained and showed Tamarac in reining competitions in Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC as well as many reining demonstrations. She was my first futurity reining horse! Tamarac is not only an important link in this dynasty; she is also a key element in the gene pool of many my Quarter Horses.




Wildwood Destiny

Since I wanted a foal from this good mare, I bred Tamarac and, in 1993 she gave me Wildwood Destiny, a bay filly sired by Podoco (grandson of Doc Bar with strong King breeding on the bottom). Like Destiny’s maternal ancestors, I trained and showed her. She was a dream to ride!

By now I knew I was building a dynasty! Tamarac produced six fillies in a row before producing a colt. At this point, my focus was the maternal line as I had access to sires with performance records so I was thrilled to have so many fillies from such a good mare.





Wildwood Legacy Lace packing

Not to be undone, Destiny foaled out five fillies in a row when she entered the broodmare band. The one I selected to keep was Wildwood Legacy Lace, a bay daughter of Listo Pollito Lena born in 2003. Like the rest, she went into training but, although she is a finished reining horse, I showed her only lightly, mostly because I moved and had to make a choice which horse to show. I did use Legacy trail riding, packing and as a wonderful quiet lesson horse.



Wildwood Legacy Lace and the new generation.
 Last year I bred Legacy to my stallion, Walking With Wolves and in the quiet hours of the morning of May 7th, Legacy presented me with the next generation of this Wildwood Dynasty – a beautiful, strong, healthy bay filly that taxed her mother’s strength (and mine!) to the maximum. She's perfect and she carries the genes of five great mares that I have raised, ridden, shown and bonded with. It seems like this new addition to the dynasty should have a name befitting the occasion but I have not settled on one yet. If I can’t find one that connects the dots, I will call her Shiraz. She’s bold, full-bodied and, like a fine wine, better with age.

It’s interesting that the first foal for all of the mares in this maternal line was a filly. Even Mahogany, who went on to produce several colts, had a filly first. Duchess, Mahogany, Tamarac, Destiny, Legacy and now little Shiraz. The legacy continues…



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Showing Me What She Knows

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With warmer weather finally taking the ice and snow off of my outdoor arena this past week, I couldn’t wait to ride. Only a small circle was dry enough to ride on but I caught up my two young mares, Mistral and Sapphire. After a short lunge (I hate lunging!), I stepped up on first Mistral, then Sapphire, and suppled and circled for a few minutes. Both mares, although out of shape, immediately settled into the training program.

It’s always rewarding to pick up a horse after months layoff and find out she still remembers everything but I expect that. I’ve seen it too many times not to expect that. It never fails to amaze me, however, when a horse that has been off for years wants to work for me! That’s what happened next.

Prima (Peppy Del Cielo) is 13 years old. She is a well-trained but not finished, reiner. Due to a slight unsoundness in early training, I quit riding her and bred her in 2004. The last time she was ridden (except for hopping on and off bareback in 2007) was 2003. She is not in foal now so, after working Mistral and Sapphire, I caught Prima up for a ride.

I remembered Prima was always ‘cinchy’ so I didn’t saddle her. Instead, I lunged her for about five minutes, walked her over to an upside-down tub I could mount bareback from and slipped on her broad back. As my weight settled into her, she rocked forward and back, a bit uncomfortable but not unsettled at all. Then, in response to my soft leg bump, she walked forward. With only a halter and lead rope on the left side of her neck we walked out into the arena, stopped, walked, turned. I believe she actually loved showing me what she knows. Even at a walk I felt the smoothness of this mare, the ease with which she had performed complicated maneuvers, like spins. I’m sure she would have spun that day if I had asked her to.

That short ride on Prima made my day, made my week actually. Every day for the next few days, I did the same until yesterday, when we jogged several circles– still bareback with a halter. Prima actually initiated the jog and was happy to pack me around – and she is so smooth! And so broke...







I would like to ride her bareback for several more rides but I’m wondering if I, not Prima, can handle it. Once off of a walk, the leg muscles are telling me how out of shape I am. Maybe we can get in shape together…

Kind of makes me wonder, though why horses remember forever and I don’t. Last winter I took up crocheting after many years away from it and I couldn’t remember how - nothing,  not even a basic stitich! It’s not like it was a fleeting hobby – I crocheted, knitted and embroidered for years! I can hardly call a horse’s intelligence inferior to mine, can I? Of course I already knew it wasn't so.

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Neither snow nor rain nor heat...

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Thus says the motto of the Pony Express riders!

The Chilcotin may be remote but not so isolated that mail is delivered by horse. For Big Creek folks, however, the motto holds true . . . with the exception of mode of transportation. Every Friday, for the past 50 years, 'snow, rain, heat or gloom of night', Brud Lee delivers mail to Big Creek.

Brud's wife, Anne, is the post mistress at Hanceville. She receives, sorts and mails out of a small room in the basement of her house. (When I first moved here five years ago, I thought it was pretty cool to drive the winding trail with cattle on each side to the "post office". I still do...) Mail is delivered to Anne three days a week; on Friday of each week, Brud delivers to Big Creek. He's been doing this for 50 years! And I don't believe he has missed one day. Once, since I was here, he could not make it up the icy hill after crossing the Chilcotin River. It bothered him so much thinking how much Big Creek people were counting on mail day that he tried again later in the day . . . and got there.

My great neighbours, Brud and Anne Lee (right) and Art and Dianne Joyce (left) on the occasion of Art's birthday.
Friday mail days in Big Creek are a big deal. Besides getting that long-awaited letter or parcel, there is plenty of visiting and catching up. Veera, the 90+ matriarch of Big Creek community, always bakes something fabulous and everyone gathers around for coffee talk in her charming little house at Fletcher Lake. I visited Veera once a few years ago with friends of mine and we each purchased a copy of her book, Chilcotin: Preserving Pioneer Memories.


Veera Bonner (center) chatting with my friend and I in her house at Fletcher Lake
 Brud's contribution to the community does not end with delivering mail. He has helped me out more times than I can count with everything from moving a piano to tractor repairs. Last Saturday, Canada Post and Big Creek recognized him for 50 years of service. I didn't hear anything about retiring...

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Easy Day at 'Easy Go'

Posted by Sharon

In the spirit of the last post, I continue to live in the present and, since my present almost always includes horses, yesterday was no different in that respect. But yesterday was more than the usual feeding and caring for my horses. Yesterday I ventured out of the Chilcotin (but only as far as the Cariboo) to a gathering of horses and horse lovers in the indoor arena at Easy Go Ranch. I admit I needed a gentle push from a friend but I did go . . . Crystal and I arrived without horses and left itching to ride. Since neither of us has an indoor at home and our arenas look more like skating rinks, we had to be satisfied with soaking up the ambiance in that arena.

100 Mile Sliders Reining Club is an active group of riders interested in reining. To that end, they meet with their horses to exchange ideas but more importantly, to connect with others with a like interest. I had not met most of the riders and spectators at Easy Go Ranch but it didn't take long to see they were friendly and enthusiastic. I had brought may camera and, though the light is poor in an indoor, I managed to get some shots that conveyed what I perceived - a group of happy riders and horses.

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Privileges of the Present

Posted by Sharon

After the last few posts, I felt a compelling need to jump back into the present. Memories are great but they’re just that – memories! To paraphrase Dr. Phil, “You can’t change the past – it’s over; you can’t change the future – it hasn’t happened; the only thing you can change is the present.” The present is today – March 8th, 2012.

Nothing is more about both past and present than birthdays. My computer reminds me of three on March 8th – an old boyfriend, an ex-husband and a friend, two born on March 8th of the same year! I phoned my friend. Ex boyfriend and husband belong in the past today. My friend and I discussed this at length on this day, her birthday (the 'present', not the old boyfriend and the ex-husband). Although vastly different in many ways, that’s one thing on which we agree. 

After I hung up, I continued to think about what living in the moment really meant and how I could make today, March 8, 2012, everything it could be. Easy – play with my dog, ride a horse, plan my garden (Okay – that’s the future but ordering seeds is now…)

I’m not going to tell anyone I’m waiting for spring anymore. Spring will happen when it happens. As my friend said this morning when I said some don’t want to celebrate birthdays: “A birthday is a privilege,” she said. Sure is… And so is every moment of every day. . . and night! Full moon tonight! I do love full moons.

And so I’ve wandered the trails backward quite enough for the time being. It’s all about the privilege of the present now.

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