We're having our first snow of the winter and it's gorgeous.  The flakes are big and heavy and it's thick out there.  The horses are playing and the dogs are chasing everything.  Can you tell I'm not from around these parts??  Mot people I know are bitching and complaining the snows here and think I'm from Mars, or California.  They're both pretty strange.  Talk to me in March about snow but for now, I love it!

 

D

We've been pretty busy for a time of year that would normally be quiet.  In the last few weeks I've been to Roberts Wood Farm, Mill Farm, Shannon Fitzgeralds new farm, Cornell, Gudmar Peturssons and the Kentucky Horse Park.  Heidi was a scribe in Kentucky so we got be there together for once when I delivered horses. 

Gudmar borrowed our Stallion David for the Equine Affair so I drove Dabbi to and from Roberts Woods Farm.  Brian was a great host as always and took good care of Dabbi after the event until I got him home.  Brian even offered to deliver him to Mill Farm for me.  I was taking horses to Shannons from Gudmars place so it saved me some time after the long drive back from Kentucky.  I would say Heidi was lucky to fly home from Kentucky but the fall weather had something to say about that so I actually beat her home.  The show in Kentucky was very fun and the atmosphere was very positive.  The group in Kentucky organizing the show did a great job!

I spent a weekend a Cornell for their annual farriers seminar.  What a spectacular event.  The quality of lecturers is awesome.  We were lucky this year to have Sigurdur Torfi Sigurdsson as a lecturer (which is the reason I went though I now plan to go each year I can).  He brought along Sigurdur Oli Kristiansson, one of Icelands top riders.  Siggy Torfi lectured using Oskar and Logi.  Siggy Oli would ride the horse first while Siggy Torfi explained what the spectators were looking at.  After Siggy Torfi was done working on the horse and lecturing, Siggy Oli would ride him again to show the difference.  The farriers were quite impressed.  We hope to put on a farriers clinic in the spring somewhere in New York for the Icelandic horse owners in the area so they can better communicate with their farriers. 

Today we were visited by Lisbeth Sundberg, the owner of Boett.  She took the opportunity to stop in while vacationing in the US this week.  We enjoyed the visit and the chance to talk further about their products and the upcoming year.  What a nice family and it's been very enjoyable working with Boett.  They continue to improve each year.

And now we think it will slow down for a while and we can get back to work around the farm.  The weather has turned cold but we're still enjoying the changes.  Talk to us in March and we'll see if we still feel the same way! 

D

There was a foal show this weekend in Iceland and our youngest foal was taken to it.  She was judged in the middle of the pack but we're still very happy.  She's was a very late foal this year so she's still somewhat small.  We're just happy Diddi and Frida thought enough of her that she was one of the two foals the liked enough to show.  It came as a surprise this morning when I read Eidfaxi.  The picture of Svala and her dam Eva is from Oddholi and not from the show.

 

David

Last weekend was fun at Mill Farm watching the breeding evaluations.  It's a shame there weren't more horses.  The horse owners had to share the entire cost (as I understand things) over just 9 horses.  I look forward to the day when we can have 30 or more horses to watch.  The good news is that another domestic bred horse achieved a first prize.  The facility was in it's usual good condition and the nightly dinners were very open and lacking of cliques as often seen at these events. 

I enjoyed the opportunity to meet several people I knew only via email or by reputation and am impressed by the manner in which the NEIHC club members work together.

The next few days were interesting in that I then left Mill Farm Sunday, drove home and then drove back to Newburgh (the import control center) and took horses from the Gudmar in Kentucky.  I took the chance to pick up my father in Pennsylvania as the trip took me within about 30 minutes of where he lives and so he went along.  The chances to see family more often is one of the many benefits of having moved to the East. 

Attached is a picture of one of the horses I took to Gudmar.  He's a very nice horse, good natured and moved out well when I released him into his pasture. 

This morning we're heading to Dillsburg for the gaited horse show. 

D

We got good news the other night.  Frida called to say we had a Silver Dapple Filly born in Iceland. We'll call her Vindstjarna.  Her Dam is a grey First prize mare from Otur and the Sire is Grunnur fra Odholli.  (Winner of the 2006 Landsmot Tolt)  So far the description is big stepping and pretty so we'll see in a few years how she comes.  Her Dam has already thrown a first prize son of our Oskar and a second prize (7.99 overall) son of our Logi.  It's just coincidence that the two offspring that have been shown are by our stallions.  Eva, her Dam throws a lot of Silver Dapple and Vindstarna will have the gene to throw more silver dapple for us.  We'll leave her in Iceland until she's started and decide then who she should be bred to.

 

D

We enjoyed a visit from a group of 4-H girls tonight.  There were about 10 girls and 5 parents all interested in the Icelandic horse, and of course Murphy as usual.  We talked about Icelandic horses, Iceland, gaited horses and then Heidi and I rode Dabbi and Sorli.  When Heidi was done riding Dabbi for them we talked for a while and I suggested the group leader choose a girl to try Dabbi.  (I let her be the bad person and choose.  Ha ha) One of the girls had more experience than the others so she was a clear choice and luckily none of the other girls questioned the choice.  She rode him well.   She rode a bit of trot and then some slow and medium speed tolt.  He was a little tentative to go too fast with her until she let him know she wanted to speed up. He was a true gentleman and she was a good rider.  They looked good together and he gave her tolt like a champ! The girls were all very polite and interested and we enjoyed the evening. 

 

D

We're back from The Nederlands and the World Championships this week.  As you may know Heidi was the Team Leader this year and things went well.  The team was ready and did well.  Anne-Marie almost made finals.  Personally I'm proud of the team members.  The horses, dogs and cats all seemed to have survived though Murphy was the most unhappy and cried until his dogs came home the next morning. 

D

We got some good news from another part of Canada this week.  There was a young horse show recently and a couple of Logi's offspring scored very well.  The highest rated Filly and the highest rated Colt were both by Logi.  The judges had this to say about Logi's colt:

The judge’s comment: “Very well raised 5-gaited foals with good head carriage, big movements, has shown pace with long strides, supple tolt with good speed variation, quite elegant conformation.”

Kordula Reinhartz is the breeder and is self admittedly on cloud 9.  She leased Logi last year and the judges confirmed what she knew.  Logi is 2nd to none for offspring.  She says they're all with good character, easy to handle and off course, very beautiful. 

David

Ran and Andri will leave tomorrow.  They've been in the US for a few weeks and will now make the journey to California and their final destination.  Both have been easy keepers and we'll miss them.  Ran has been breeding to Stigandi and that couldn't have been easier.  She's a maiden mare but you'd never know it.  I look forward to seeing what they produce.  She's a beautiful bay pinto with a nice easy character and from what I understand, good gaits.  Stigandi will also leave soon.  He has other mares waiting for him and Byssa is already confirmed pregnant by him.  Hera couldn't be confirmed but the vet felt maybe she just couldn't what she needed to see.  Hera's body was telling her she's pregnant and she hasn't come back into season so far.  We'll probably check ultra sound her again next week and hipe for good news.  Both Hera and Byssa are leased this year to Katrin

Blida came down from Canada this week to breed to Oskar and they're wasting no time.  She's making it easy for him too.  She seems to really like him besides being in season.  He of course likes the company.  :)

D

I was up early Monday morning for a drive to the quarantine facility and so I was lucky enough to see a beautiful dawn.  The picture doesn't do it justice unfortunately.  The valley was foggy and the sun was just coming up over the far off hills.  The mist was like a nice blanket.  Stigandi was out in the middle when I went for the camera and of course into the trees when I got back with it. 

 

 

 

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