Ficus at one year
Here is a video from last week with him out in the pasture with Hiltje (no relation). She got tried of him quickly so we later put Ficus back out with the 2 year old stud Beau. They spend all day picking on each other.
Videos from the 2009 Keuring
These are of our horses. Tara made Ster with a 2nd premie. Ficus was 2nd premie and scored 7.5 on his trot. Freya achieved 2nd premie and was named Champion Filly. We had a nice day….
Ficus goes home
The new orphaned foal, Ficus, has found his nurse mare adoptive mom and the two of them headed for home at the big farm on April 21. Here is a quick video as they leave the hospital and get on the trailer, heading for Tanbark Acres.
Ficus, the new orphan foal, is doing better
In the last post I told of losing our mare Oeke last week due to complications from foalbirth. Her baby, a colt by Mintse 384, is still in the hospital at the Virginia Tech Equine facility. We have found a nurse mare for him and brought her in from Kentucky. It looks like he will be able to bond with her and the vet techs are working with them now to have him nurse from her.
Two days ago Ficus was taken in for surgery to repair an opening between his umbilicus and urethra. The opening never sealed properly and he was suffering from a lingering infection. This procedure is very common with male foals (I think this is the third such operation in our herd) and is fairly standard. Still, you worry. He recovered well though and we hope to bring him home next week.
We named the little guy Ficus. A ficus is a plant and one version is a rubber plant (ficus elastica). Seems to suit him since he keeps bouncing back. A tough start, but welcome to the world Ficus.
Foaling season and we lose our mare Oeke
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Our 5 year old ster mare Oeke was due with her first foal on April 24. On April 9 I got a call from my sister and brother in law (my sister owns Oeke) to say that she had the baby early, during the day and Oeke was not getting up. The emergency vet was called and we managed to get Oeke and her foal, a colt, to Virginia Tech Equine Hospital. Unfortunately, Oeke had suffered a prolapsed rectum and bowel and the vets could not save her. So, at about 11pm Oeke was euthanized.
We are still working with the foal, who is not only an orphan needing a surrogate mom now to nurse him, but is also suffering from some ill effects of not initially nursing.
It has been a tough ime for our family. Losing a horse is always difficult, but losing a mare in foalbirth just seems to be the epitome of tragic.
Cori is due with her baby May 13. Wish us luck.
I published some photos recently of Oeke. One set was Oeke in training at age 3. The other is Oeke when she was at her keuring.
