Cara Baby is born!!

[zarzamora]

Well its 9 weeks and counting now, and I'm getting very excited, so I thought I would make a little update thread for my ponio and her foalie!

Cara is my Welsh D x Cob mare who I bought as a 4yr old wild thing, completely unhandled 2 years ago. We call ponies like her Native type Coloureds- and they are rather popular in the showing world, as they aren;t as heavy as cobs but fashionably hairy enough! We did some shows and qualified for the national championships, where she got lots of pretty rossettes, incliding 2 firsts! (not bad for a pony who you couldn't get within 100yards of 5 months earlier!)



When she first arrived


I backed her and such, but can be quite nervous still. The way our showing classes work is anything over 14.2 gets ridden by a judge, rather than the rider, for a portion of the show. I decided it wasn't worth upsetting her over it, and so decided she could have a couple of years out to be a mummy instead!


her first show

She's in foal to my friends traditional gypsy cob who stands at 13.3, so hopefully the baby should stay under 14.2! Hears hoping Sam put a little more feather and bone on foalio too! Sam has been to HOYS (horse of the year show) and won at county and national shows up and down the country.




She is due april 4th! But the window is anwhere between march 20th (I think!) and May something... She's a maiden mare too so its all a big guessing game!

Looking wild and happy in October:







And last weekend (january- 10 weeks till due.)


Still showing off her lovely welsh movement!



Looking a good bit rounder!

And a little video of her having a prance around:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh80QabW-bM

[YourLoveOnly]

You have such pretties, I always really enjoy looking at pictures of them. That stallion looks gorgeous too, I am exciting to see the gorgeous foal that results! <3

[zarzamora]

ahh thanks hun  ;DI have digested a ton of foaling books and Im beginning to feel ready for this now! I just can't wait- crossing all my fingers and toes for a healthy baby!

[Scullisto]

omgosh...she is beautiful...I cant wait to see the new behbeh!

Thank you for sharing your lovelies!

[Kadana Sorano]

She really is beautiful zarz, I can't wait to see the baby!

[zarzamora]

eee i know me too- everyone please keep your fingers and toes crossed for her and a healthy baby!

[Silvanon]

How exciting!  Hehe, round preggy mares are cute.  LilBit wishes to express that she very much liked the photos and videos.  (I think every chestnut paint horse is now going to be "Cara" and every black paint is going to be "May"  ^^)

[zarzamora]

hehe bless LilBit! How old is she now?? You have to explain to her that Cara is bay though hehe

[Silvanon]

She's 2 1/2 now, she'll turn 3 in May.  And, oh, I totally managed to miss/forget that Cara is bay!  I guess that definitely ups the chances of the foal being bay, then.  XD

[zarzamora]

hehe She's a funny colour bay, I love it I always have to argue the toss over her colour.

My money is on a bay and white filly, going from Sam's track record. I know all of his babies.
He's only ever produced one black and white foal from a bay mare, the rest have all been bay and white, and only 2 boys in 3 years!

[springacres]

You never know, it could be a black and white - depending on Cara's own genetics of course.

Keep us updated, and do post pictures when s/he arrives!

[zarzamora]

hehe it could be, I know, I just think its fun to put little wagers on these tings, helps to pass the time!

[Kahlira]

If the foalie is half as pretty as that pair is, wow, I don't have much else to say =D

They're beautiful <3 Here's to hoping foalie is healthy and short!

[Dunkel.Prinzessin204]

Sweet! The foal is due on my birthday! I think that based on the parents the foal will be gorgeous!

[CutieePiee]

How absolutely gorgeous! And congrats, I can't wait to see the foal. That must be so exciting!

[zarzamora]

thanks guys  Yes, Im extremely excited! Despite having owned foals, this is the first I've actually bred myself, so im reading up lots and I'm attending a seminar my vets is putting on, being a very well prepared co-mummy.

Its moving day on saturday, Cara is coming in to foal, so shes moving back home (she's currently living out near by!)

[zarzamora]

mmoving day today!

[YourLoveOnly]

Hope it all goes well ^^

[zarzamora]

she  a pro bless her, and is tucked up safe in her stable now with a lovely deep straw bed and a big pile of good hay and a yummy bucket feed- think shes a happy girl

[YourLoveOnly]

Good to hear

[Pinkshadow]

She's soo pretty , its amazing zaz

[zarzamora]

Thanks Pink

Took some more pics this morning, now she's back in her stable she's having a day in to rest and be wormed, and so I took her for a little play in the menage, poor baby got jiggled about!

[springacres]

She looks like a very happy girl, Zaz!  She's very lucky to have such a caring owner <3

[Winged]

She looks gorgeous in those photos! I especially love the second last one

[Kahlira]

Love the one where she's coming straight at you with a look so much as to say,"Oh look at me now, dream about me later"

[zarzamora]

hehe she is such a show off. She's doing really well! The vet is pleased with her, and thinks she's doing really well. She's really enjoying being back in, I thought she might be a monster, since she adores being out and living out- but I think the pregnancy is making her appreciate the comforts that a stable can offer- like Hay just for her, no other horses bothering her, warmth, dry deep bedding, and best of all- bucket feeds every night and morning! 

Thanks for all your lovely comments everyone. xx

[Kadana Sorano]

I adore the last two pics.  The closer up shots make her coat look just so inviting to snuggle against.  *wants to steal.. mm borrow! Zarz's horse* lol

[Neocridders]

Those are freaking amazing pictures, Zarz. I mean, she looks like a rock star!
Look at her!
And wow. Those pictures are just great. Especially seeing as animals are hard to photograph since they are unpredictable. Of course, she loves you, so that probably makes it easier for you than any other photographer.

Still, she's so beautiful.

[zarzamora]

LOL I'd love to take the credit for that, but honestly she's rediculously easy to photograph- she is a born show-off! plus its something of a hobby of mine- especially horses, nothing better than snappy pretty pics of ponies.

Kadana - she's got the softest coat I've felt in a looong time, shes like a teddy bear! I love snuggling- though she doesnt stand it for long, far too independent lol

[zarzamora]

just over 5 weeks till due date!

I attended a foaling seminar last night which scared the crap out of me! Idid my research before i put her in foal, but theres nothing like 2 hours of intensive focus on EVERYTHING that can go wrong! I was nearly shaking when I came out! I feel well prepared though, at least- ready for every eventuality! will try and snap some pics tomorrow!

[Kahlira]

Yay for updates!

[zarzamora]

day 312.
Getting very wide, no drop at all! Side on she barely looks so far along!

[Kadana Sorano]

She looks happy and frisky! 

[Neocridders]

Wow. She's the prettiest girl! I can't wait to see a pretty baby.

Eeeee. I am so excited. Thanks for posting these updates. She's so beautiful <3 <3

[Silvanon]

Hehe, still quite the showoff, I see!

[Kahlira]

EEK! Getting so close XD I'm so excited for ya!

[Ryuukokoro]

Awwwwww. I love the pic that looks like she's snoozing in the sun. <3

And can I say I'm so majorly jealous that you can actually see the GROUND where you are? We still have snow up to my waist in most areas! Won't be seeing anything green for a few more months yet.

[zarzamora]

Silv- lol ALWAYS the showoff- and still so dramatic about everything!

Thanks Kah!! Im sooo excited- her udder is developing now, and she looks so HUGE today!

Ryuu- Haha she was just going into a major roll lol. Yuck! Snow! What a pain! I'm so glad ours never stays aorund for long!

[zarzamora]

day 319:
her flank muscles are beginning to relax and drop, her tummy has dropped a little and her udder is getting bigger and getting quite hard! not long now!

no pics today as battery was flat! Will try and get some tomorrow night!

[Kahlira]

Everything progressing smoothly is a good thing <3

[zarzamora]

for those of you who are following Cara's pregnancy:

Day 324 (yesterday)
(please excuse my bog-monster mare who loves nothing more than wallowing in the muddiest patch of the feild she can find!!)




Beginning to bag up and muscles of her flanks are relaxing down... 16 days until D day!

[zarzamora]

annnd because Ariel was jealous that no one was looking at her:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9byiMup44AU

(she is wet after her first bath since semptember, and was having a blast in the school with Tilly the dog!)

[Kahlira]

One can not forget Ariel, no XD Goodness, zazzy, you're truely blessed, living amongst such beauty.

[Goddesss]

Awww she is looking so rolly polly. 

Ariel is beautiful.

[zarzamora]

hehe thanks guys xx

[Crowflux]

Wow, how gorgeous! :3

[WhoBear]

You have such beautiful horses. They all look very happy and healthy. Cara is stunning and so is the stud! I find myself looking forward to the arrival of the baby. xD

[zarzamora]

Day 331!

Well - tummy is dropping more, and bag is going up and down depending on how warm it is haha. Expressed some clear sticky liquid from her left teet today, though her bag has got to get much bigger before I'll start camping out hehe.

just some very quick snaps from my phone- will try for decent ones on sunday!

[Kahlira]

She's getting sooo big! Yay! I'm seriously so excited for you <3

[TheVulpia]

soo pretty horsie <3