ANNIE: IS SHE OR ISN’T SHE…? Only her hairdresser knows for sure – not.

Today was the first day since July 1 2015, that I didn’t have a job (I’m a freelance commercial producer). Phew! Finally. Time to spend with the horses!

My first project horse for the day was Annie.

She and I hadn’t worked together for a while and I really need to get her halter broke before the baby comes…

So, I decided to do what I know she loves – grooming.

This was Annie today. She is so sweet… when she hears my car at the gate, she will run down and greet me, and then follow the car up the driveway. Annie loves Norma, my donkey. She also has started to allow the ponies to eat her food. This is not good. So, I just hang her bucket on the highest rung where they cannot reach!

GROOMING THE BIGUN’

Annie adores being groomed – to a point. That point has migrating farther backwards on her body, but it is still there. I’ve drawn it for you on this photo. She likes to be groomed to just about there. Beyond that, she gets a little antsy. Previously, the arrow was right behind her shoulder. So, we are making progress.

I can pick up her front feet, but I cannot dig them out, yet. I will work on that.

I can groom her up to here. After that, she is a bit antsy. But, we are making progress because previously, the arrow was right behind her shoulder.

IS SHE OR ISN’T SHE?

A few weeks ago, I looked at Annie and wondered where she was hiding that baby.

Or… could it be that she slipped the foal or… that she was never pregnant at all?

To me, she didn’t look pregnant when I took these photos from December 28th. Previously, she did, a little bit. But ‘a little bit’ made sense since she was probably just barely pregnant and this being her first foal and her being only 4… well it made sense that she would hardly show.

But now… now she doesn’t look pregnant to me.

It is true that I’ve wormed her naturally over the past 2 months. She is eating consistently and well…

Perhaps she simply had a wormy, hay belly and never was pregnant. And now, the worms and hay belly have been abated, so she looks normal again.

Or maybe she is just a big, very young girl who is hiding the baby well?

They say “only her hairdresser knows for sure…” but I am her hairdresser and I’m not sure at all!

And then I wondered if foal flip flop around and sometimes they are situated longways and sometimes they are situated sideways? Dunno.

What do you think?

This was Annie on Dec 28th. This was the day I wondered if she slipped her foal – or if she was ever pregnant.

?? Is there a baby inside? (Dec 28th)

This was today – here she looks a bit preggers. Or full…

This is today after her massage. She is a bit sleepy. Annie looks healthy but not very pregnant… Then again, she is only 4, this is her first foal and she is big barreled. Is she or isn’t she?

PUTTING THE ‘AHHHH’ IN MASSAAAAHHGE.

After I brushed as much as I could and fixed her mane, I took out my comb and started using it on the chunks in the area she didn’t want me to touch. I made some progress… carefully.

But then I turned the comb sideways and scratched her belly.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

She loved that! Annie quit chewing, hung her head, closed her eyes and sighed.

Perfect. A perfect response. I felt totally rewarded. It was a good day!

This is Annie’s face as I was scratching her belly with my comb. She dropped her head, quit eating, closed her eyes and moaned. I am pretty sure I hit the spot!

JANUARY BUCKET FUND: Aracely!

She is doing well! This healing poultice has to be applied three times a day, after cleaning the wound of all debris and necrotic tissue. Ouch! To read her story and help with her delicate care, click here!