sorrow mixed......

I don't want to dwell.... but I do want to remember.

So the story begins.

"Sooty" was a not meant to be.

I guess I should start from the beginning, somehow? Bare with me.

When we moved from Canada back in '85 my parents decided to bring along a couple of horses. Yeah... cause what's a huge move without a little more chaos?

So, we found the perfect subject; JMF Beam Song (aka Tui), for such a move at the Calgary Stampede. Yeah, it really is a great place for abit of shoping. hehe.
My mother grew up with horses, and is a little mad on them. While in Canada she found the Morgans and eventually discovered there were none in New Zealand. What an opportunity!

When we left Canada, they had organised for Tui to be sent to NZ.. of course, at this stage, my dad was staying on in Canada to look after packing and everything. He decided to do one better than my mum and bought a colt to keep Tui company. So.... in Jan of '96 JMF Royal Secret (aka Secret) landed on the good old Kiwi soil with Tui.

The two have been a fantastic match... Tui's had 13 foals, inbetween doing combine driving with me, and all the pony club chaos you would ever want in a lifetime.

I had outgrown my first pony, and while I used to ride Tui, she was always in foal, so not available for all the madness year round. It's not alot of fun having to ride around with a foal following.

Anyway... for the first time ever, Tui didn't get in foal. The vet had come and given her a negative pregnancy check. This delighted me, as I'd been doing alot of riding since her last foal was weaned, and I think we'd even been working on breaking her into driving then too. So... Tui and I were matched and best buddies. In fact, I doubt very much that I would have gotten through that year with any sanity had it not been for my daily rides.
Poor Tui is your typical Morgan.... one that needs no grass to survive. Put her on the spring grass and she'll blow up, and just keep eating until she explodes.
That season, the horse was in her "Jenny Craig" pen, ALOT! We were doing show hunter, and alot of jumping... and for the first time I was getting it. Feeling brave enough to go higher and higher, and know that Tui would fly with me. :) It was all awesome!
Anyway.... while a little stumped about her never loosing alot of weight we just kept tripping on.

One night, I was heading off to pony club... standing in the drive, ready to ride off, when mum suddenly looks under her, and gasps.
Tui had bagged up.

I jumped off... and looked, and no doubt, screamed!!!

5 days later, little sooty was born.

My poor, beautiful mare had been starved all year, worked really hard and all the while, was in foal.

Tui has always liked company when she's foaling, and is always really easy.... so I sat and watched as my poor foal was born. Amazed that she'd managed to carry full term, and not abort it earlier since she was no doubt lacking alot of nurishments all the while.
Needless to say, Sooty was tiny, but everything was fine. I'd got a pony from Tui and Secret. :) She grew to be 14'2" which is the perfect pony size, and was going to be great to drive.

As she grew older she was identical in looks to Tui... just a smaller version, and with such an awesome heart and personality. She nearly died when I first got back from the States, from Colic, and getting a tear during an examination - but somehow trouped through all of that, to the absolute amazement of all the vets that were dealing with her. It became a case study at the University.

She had one foal earlier, who is still around, so that's something.

I declared after that fiasco that I wanted to ride the stalions from then on. They couldn't get in foal!

I've only got two terrible photos that my mother sent me while I was living in the States, so a pic will have to wait till I'm up at the farm over Christmas. I really can't wait to get up there now. I just want to go hang out around all the animals and feel that all is right in the world.

Right now, it all feels a little topsy-turvy.

Can I hang in here till May?