I don't believe in coincidences. I believe that every thing happens to God's plan. I believe that He knows the desires of our heart and is oh so faithful to those that love Him. He certainly has been, and continues to be, so good to me.
In Devine Intervention I told the story about a colt that I raised and then sold as a yearling. It has been ten months since that experience and I am still in awe of His faithfulness. I remember a good friend of mine asking me what I thought the colt would bring. Of course I had no idea, but I said at that time that God knew how hard I had worked, how important my little horsey business was to me, and He knew what I needed. My friend agreed that I had worked hard but also said that that didn't mean the colt would sell well, it didn't mean that the right buyers would be there. I think he was trying to prepare me for the worse case but I was sure that the colt would bring a price that I could be happy with. Faith
Fast forward six months. The same mare is in foal again and once again she is a month past her projected due date. If you remember, the average mare carries her foal an average of 340 days. We were once again knocking on 365 days. I double checked, and triple checked, her last cover date thinking that perhaps I made a mistake. No...... I was correct in my calculation. I was getting pretty weary from working a full time job (trying to keep all my work caught up so that if I needed to take an emergency vacation day my coworkers would not suffer too badly) along with sleeping on the couch with the TV/camera monitor going - one eye and one ear open all night. All three mares had spent the winter together and being herd animals they don't like being alone so I always had two inside when Corki needed to be inside. That meant two stalls to clean. If you stay on top of them every day it isn't such a hard job, it is just another job that has to be done. What a labor of love!
As I said, I was pretty weary. Every day Corki was closer to foaling but she wasn't changing much at all. I had heard a couple of horror stories about foals being too large to be delivered and I prayed, and prayed that all would be okay. You figure that when the mare goes over like that the foal continues to grow and gain weight in the womb. One is always concerned about difficult deliveries and getting a foal that "stands and nurses" after the investment of time and money - 340 days is a VERY long time to feed and care for the mare (although I would be doing the same even if she wasn't in foal) but I was tired.
Work. The current management where I work is pretty rigid. I had made it known that I might have to call in some morning and take an unplanned vacation day..... I watch my mares pretty darn close and I have a very good idea of what's going on with them but I have not found a way yet to "will" the foaling into happening when it is convenient. Time kept ticking.....
Our company takes a physical inventory every month of all the work-in-process (WIP) and you are expected to be there unless you have something so pressing (like maybe death) that keeps you away. It is usually done on a day during the normal work week unless we are behind on our financial forecast. Guess what? At the end of April we were behind so management decided to do inventory on Saturday! Great.... I have a certain role that I perform and while it is not "critical" it IS necessary to ensure a successful inventory. During the normal work week I have a co-worker (that is also a good friend) that I could ask to fill in for me. He is a "corporate" employee and not required to participate in the "plant" inventory and I was NOT going to ask him to give up his Saturday (I don't think it is right for any of us to be asked to do that, especially when we don't get compensated for it). Once again I voiced my concern about my mare foaling and me not being available to work on Saturday - no sympathy - and the chance of me not being there for this Blessed event was becoming very concerning. I knew I was running out of time. She had to eventually foal and every day she got closer and closer.
:My father-in-law, bless his heart, has been my day watchman for several years. Most of the larger thoroughbred farms have a night watchman. I have a DAY watchman - I am the night watchman I would usually check with him around lunch time to see what Corki was up to. He was my eyes while I was at work.
Friday, April 27, 2012, I called at noon to see how Corkie was acting. His report was that she was walking the stall and seemed very nervous. That's all I needed to send me flying for home! It was inevitable that she would eventually foal. WOW!! I couldn't get home quick enough! When I got here it was clear to me that she was close. She had a wild look in her eye, her udder was fuller than it had been, and she was very uncomfortable. I took her out in the pasture on a lead rope thinking that it might help her to relax. No.... she wanted back in her stall - that was her safe place. I watched and waited.
When a person is watching for a mare to foal they always watch for wax on the ends of the teats (nipples). So far Corkie had not had any wax but as I was watching her I noticed white milk on the ends of her teats. Yay! When the milk is white foaling is CLOSE! She continued to walk the stall and there were several times when her belly moved a bunch and she kicked violently at it. Oh yes.... we are getting really, really close!
John was mowing the grass and was up close to the barn. Mowers being what they are .....it was making some noise and I really wanted things to be quiet for Corkie. She was nervous enough..... so I motioned for him to shut it off which he did so he could talk to me and see what I needed. I told him that Corkie was having her foal so he joined me in watching her. It went quick and uneventfull! YAY again! John was there and was a part of this wonderous miracle from God. Every time I experience I am in awe!
I don't think it was a coincidence that Corki had her foal that Friday evening. I think God knew that I was going to have to work and be unavailable on Saturday, and I think He knows how important it is to me to be with my mares when they foal - He knows the joy I get from it! I was a little sleep deprived on Saturday and pretty gitty with excitement..... but I was there for our monthly inventory. Praise be to God! He is so very good to me!
2012 Memorial Day Weekend was extremely hot. I'm betting that we set some kind of record for sure. John was fortunate enough to get tickets for the Indianapolis 500 Race and I was fortunate to be able to stay home and enjoy our deck. After working all week there is no place I'd rather be than home.
As I said, it was HOT! One of the things I enjoy doing is feeding the birds. I know that God will take care of them, but it can't hurt to have a little help from people like me - especially in adverse weather. While I was enjoying all their fluttering and chattering I started thinking about leaf misters that Ive seen people use to cool their outside areas. I decided to make one of my own for my bird buddies. Our nozzle has a mist option and I simply draped it over one of the tree limbs, turned it on, and sat back to see what would happen.
They LOVED it! I had some sparrows and blackbirds visit, but the Robins thought it was the bees knees.......(I think that's how you say it - if not you know what I mean..... they liked it a lot). I believe at least one of the birds in the top picture is a young bird. It kept wanting to be fed. All the birds got down in the wet grass and wiggled and fluffed and wigged some more. It was so entertaining for me that I decided to see what the horses would think of it.
Everyone that knows me knows that I am a animal loving, horse-crazy gal. I hope that I live all of God's words to the fullest but the words that pertain to animals are particularly dear to me. Today I am thinking Proverbs 12:10. "The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel" NLT. Oh how I want to be godly and for there not to be a cruel or hurtful bone in my body! Enjoy watching my girls cool off in my homemade mister.
I have heard it said that we will have jobs when we go to Heaven. I have also heard the theory that we are in "basic training" here on earth for what our Heavenly Job is going to be. That thought brings me great joy and comfort for I believe I will be helping to take care of God's Animals! Yay!
First let me preface this. It is not about me or what I have done. This is all about a blessing from God. He did it all and I am so thankful to Him.
I NEVER EVER want to forget this experience...... NEVER EVER EVER!
In the post named "Finally" I wrote about a foal that was born on our farm. It was a wonderfully magical time and another example of God's handiwork - the miracle of birth will never cease to amaze me.
Anyone that knows me will agree that I am a "horse-crazy" gal. I was born that way and don't think at this point I will ever outgrow it (since I am pushing sixty). I took that skinny, long legged foal and raised him to the best of my God-given ability, enjoying every minute of it!
I brought mom and baby in each night, basically so that the little fellow could lay down and rest, but also so that I could sleep peacefully knowing that they were inside where he would be safe. Corki is a good mom and very protective, but you just never know what might happen in the dark of the night. In doing things this way he was handled twice a day, putting his halter on and taking it off. I feel that this is very important for the foals but that's a topic for another post. At any rate, he continued to grow and flourish on his mother's milk and my care and weaning time came without incident.
We named him Indy Mint. Indy comes from his sire's bloodlines, Indy King by A. P. Indy. The Mint came from me..... I always carry peppermints with me to feed the horses and he developed a strong liking for them very early in life. In fact, he grabbed his first one out of my hand when I was feeding it to his momma. I don't think he had very many teeth yet because he bit my thumb when he grabbed the mint. He probably knew what they were because his milk was saturated with the taste. Yeah.... his momma likes peppermints too.
So Indy continued to grow and learn about being a horse. He learned about standing for the farrier and we were fortunate that his first experience with this was uneventful. The farrier took his time introducing him to the task while I held him and cooed to him to keep him settled. He was a biter though and left many bruises on my body..... sometimes in places that I can't tell about. But that's what stud colts do and he was ALL stud colt. I didn't hold a grudge but did learn to watch him real close.
Indy Mint continued to grow and he looked more and more like the real deal. He was very athletic and looked the part of a race horse. Of course he should look that way..... his pedigree is full of very talented racing stock on both the dam and sire's sides..... and he LOVED to run. I decided that if we kept him he would just be wasted. While I have a Thoroughbred Trainer's License in the state of Indiana it has been several years since I have done my own training and our half mile track that we once had is now back to being part of the grain farm acreage. We certainly could not afford to send him off to a trainer to the tune of $75.00 a day. We are just common, hard working people. The decision was made to put him up for sale. I made a flyer on him and posted it on the backside of Hoosier Park. I received several phone calls inquiring about him but no one was serious enough to come look at him. I decided to consign him to the yearling sale that the Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (ITOBA) was having in October.
You might be wondering where all this is leading. Why the title? What does God have to do with any of this. I don't want to seem boastful and I really hate to mention monetary amounts but without that reference it isn't clear where the title does come from. So..... here it goes.
One morning I went to Hoosier Park to watch my other race horse train on the track. Being on the backside of the racetrack is truly one of my most favorite places to be. We were just getting ready to load Jazzical on the trailer to bring her home when one of my acquaintances came riding up to the trailer. He offered me $5,000 for Indy Mint sight unseen - my asking price was $10,000. I told him that I had consigned him to the sale and that he hadn't seen him, at which he said he had seen the picture and that's all he needed to see. He told me to think about it. Here is the picture that he saw (along with all the other people on the backside).
It's hard to believe that that skinny baby grew into this guy! He looks like a 2-year-old here not a yearling. So.... I went home and thought about the offer that had been made. One never knows how a auction is going to go and I really thought we should grab a legitimate, live buyer if we had one - and the man is a very good trainer. However, I knew I would have to pay a penalty to pull him from ITOBA's sale, so I calculated what that penalty would be. I talked it over with John and decided to counter the offer of $5,000 with $6,500. That would allow us to pay ITOBA and still get a reasonable amount for Indy. I called the man back. Blah, blah, blah...... he talked about colts that he had sold and what he had gotten for them..... blah, blah, blah.... then he said he would see me at the sale. Okay.
I continued to groom Indy both in manners and on his coat. I kept him out of the sun so his coat wouldn't get sun burned and put him out at night. At this point he was more than able to fend for himself and keep any predators away, but I still slept with one ear open listening for anything that sounded amiss. My mares were in the lot behind the house and if he got out I would be able to hear the commotion that they all would have made. He didn't. John put the trailer in the round pen for me so that I could school Indy on loading. Some horses are skittish about the trailer but I had to close it up if I wanted to just put him in the round pen because I couldn't keep him out of it!
Sale day came, well actually it was the day before the sale because we had to be there on Saturday and the sale was on Sunday. I had wrapped his front and back legs before and we had been on little short trailer rides. I believe that the more you can get them acquainted with at early ages the better they will handle when the big stuff comes along..... again a topic for another post. Legs were wrapped in white leg wraps (I'm big on making a positive impression) and on the trailer he went. It took us close to two hours to get to the farm where the sale was, he rode very well, and when he got off the trailer he was strutting his stuff. It was a beautiful place and after being in the trailer for the longest period ever he was taking it all in.
I wish I had pictures from this point forward but I don't. I was busy handling Indy Mint so I will have to rely on my memory.... another reason for this post.... as I said at the beginning, I NEVER EVER want to forget this.
We got him settled in. I had consigned him early enough in the registration process that allowed us a stall in the main barn. I'm not sure he would have stayed in one of the portable stalls that they had set up under a tent but you can tell by the picture that this is a very nice place and the main barn was a horse lover's paradise. Thank you, Lord. Our stable mate next to us belong to a very nice lady and she kind of took me under her wing, advising me on certain things to do.
Horse sales are designed to allow prospective buyers time to inspect the horses. We didn't have many lookers on Saturday. I could have hung around in the barn all night, because that's who I am, but we didn't. We gave our cell phone number to the night watchman and headed on our way to get a bite to eat and some rest. I believe there was a World Series baseball game on TV that night but I couldn't tell you who was playing, nor who won. I just wanted Sunday to come and I wanted to know what the outcome of all this hard work was going to be. Two years of hard work.... yes, he was only one year old, but I had taken care of his mother the year before he was born..... so two years hard work.
Day of the sale. Wow! It's been over three months and I am still in the clouds over this. Many people came by to see Indy Mint, some more than once. We had decided early on that it would be better if I handled him since he was more accustom to me. I had gotten him a leather sale halter with a brass name plate on it. His coat was shining like a new copper penny. He looked good! One of the leading trainers at Hoosier Park looked at him and was very complimentary on how I had gotten Indy ready for the sale. He said he knew that I had not just done that over a course of a couple of weeks. He knows horses and he knew the hard work I had put into getting Indy to where he was. There is something exciting that happens inside of you when your peers compliment you. John and I have been doing the race horse thing since Indiana got parimutuel wagering and a race track. We have seen a lot of people come and go, many thinking that it is an easy way to make a quick buck. Once they see how hard it is, they quit. We haven't quit, and I don't plan on doing so anytime soon. I enjoy it too much - but you have to enjoy it or it is too much, and too hard of work.
They had a stage set up under a tent but the wind was blowing extremely hard and the tent was flapping and making a great deal of noise. The babies were not wanting to walk up on the stage and they actually had a couple flip over backwards so they made a makeshift sale ring on the ground encircled with bales of straw. I was able to stroll around a little and watch some of the horses sell. The handlers that ITOBA had were kids that worked at the farm. They had trouble with some of the horses and they even had one get away from its handler. Again, it was decided that I would take Indy in the ring myself. There were 72 yearling consigned and he was Hip No. 66. When they got to around Hip No. 50 I started to get nervous. My heart was pounding, I was dizzy, and I was having pains in my chest. I prayed. I turned it all over to God and asked him to see me through this.
I waited until the very last minute I could to take Indy Mint into the sale ring. I didn't want to risk the chance of him getting away from me. He had not been out of the barn since we had gotten there.... there was no need for him to be. When we went into the ring he had his head held high, ears up, and he was standing as tall and proud as could be. I walked him in a circle and then we stopped. I stroked his neck and shoulder as he looked out over the farm. Every time we did that it seemed like the bidding went up another couple thousand dollars so I just kept doing it. He was behaving himself and and I felt very comfortable. Maybe I was numb or maybe it was God answering my plea. I know what I believe.
The man that offered me $5,000 earlier in the year at Hoosier Park was there. John said he quit bidding at $19,500 and that was because his wife pulled him away. Indy Mint sold for $20,000! I walked away from the sale ring saying WOW! And three months later I am still saying WOW! I would have been happy to have sold him for three times less than what I received. God had other ideas. He knows what we need and He is so faithful to those that delight in Him and I praise Him for what He has done for me!
Once the sale is over you are still responsible for your horse until the new owner comes to get them. We watched a lot of yearlings either trying to be loaded into their original owners' trailers or new owners'. The resident Vet was busy tranquilizing the babies to get them to load. Finally the buyer came to get Indy. I had brought a bag of feed so that they could transition him over to what they would feed and I brought a bag of peppermints, telling them that he would go anywhere, do anything, for a peppermint. He thought that might help to get Indy loaded. I walked out to the trailer with them. It was hard to let someone else take the lead, but he wasn't mine any longer. One man walked up into the trailer to be able to head him and hook him, the other lead him onto the trailer. Indy Mint loaded in that trailer like he had been doing it all his short life! It was almost like, okay.... so what are we going to do now? He made me soooooo proud!
My Indy Mint is a fun and playful spirit. He loves life and has always been eager to see what is around the next bend...... trusting that it will be okay..... just like I trust my Lord and Savior.
Please enjoy the video of my "Indy Guy". It will make you smile and we can all use a reason to smile every once in a while.
Living on a farm opens the flood gates for wonderous things of Nature to be seen. All you have to do is take the time to absorb them. I've seen my share over the years and hopefully will blog about some of them in the future. This morning I saw something that was absolutely amazing to me and have to write it down so that it doesn't get lost in the fog of old age. (yes, I'm getting there.....)
The nice thing about weekend mornings (much to my horses' dismay) is that I can wait until daylight to feed. That's what I did this morning and while I was watching them eat their grain I heard some geese "honking". Naturally, I looked up in the sky to see where they were. It was one of those "boootiful" winter mornings where grass is crunchy under foot from the frost overnight, the sun is shining bright, the sky is oh so blue, and not a breath of air is stirring.
The geese were in formation heading south, maybe a half of mile from our property (it's hard to tell when you are on the ground and looking up..... they might have been a mile away.... or even further). I thought, that's cool. We see a lot of geese in this area now a days so it wasn't really all that unusual. Then I heard more honking behind me. Again, I turned to see "them" and there was a lone goose in the sky, maybe about a quarter of a mile to my northeast. I looked back to the formation I had seen going south and to my amazement they were all turning around, coming back to get their friend. Lot's of honking went on, and the lone ranger joined the formation. I imagined that the leader was giving the straggler the devil for getting lost or being tardy. But they settled in and continued their flight south.
Moral of the story...... Don't leave your friend(s) if they loose their way. We all do sometimes.
AND take the time to watch for those wonderous gifts from God. There are many of them given each day if we take the time to open our eyes and realize where they have come from. I know the geese in the sky this morning have made my step a little lighter all day.
It is funny when I think of it, but last January I told one of my co-workers that I felt like 2011 was going to be my year. I could just "feel" it all the way through to my bones. We talked at length about it numerous times throughout the year (still do) and he felt the same was going to be true for him. He is an entrepreneur and is always trying something new. He had a project that he was wanting to start and of course I have the horses. I didn't know that "my year" was going to come about because of my little horsey business, I just felt that 2011 was going to be my year..... to have things swing my way.
We were half way through the year and nothing really "oh wow" had come to be for either one of us. Life was good, but it was the same rat race - and work was very trying. In early August, John and my house was broken into! John did have some loose change taken along with his pillow case, but for the most part, the only items of much value that were taken were my fun things - camera, iPod, jewelry, my daughter's baby teeth, etc. The biggest thing that was taken was my piece of mind. I no longer felt safe and it WAS a terrible feeling.
My co-worker was having set backs with his project, but we both kept feeling that 2011 was still going to be our year. We were determined and tenacious. Obstacles arose but we just kept plugging along..... never giving up...... NEVER giving up. He battled the red tape of buying property for commercial use and the set backs that it brought. I battled the snow and cold last winter (and the heat this past summer) to keep my horses fed. Once, right after the break-in, I thought my yearling colt had broken my neck! I was fine, and my co-worker beat the fall rains that just would not let up. We were determined and we NEVER gave up!
Guess what happened? We NEVER GAVE UP and 2011 was "our year". He is on his way to having a business that could make him self-employed and I sold my yearling colt for a nice price and gained a great deal of respect from my peers with my little horsey business.
2011 WAS our year because we NEVER gave up! I can't say that enough. Be strong.... be determined.
I'm sure you are wondering what we predict 2012 is going to bring. I personally have no idea. I am going to enjoy the blessings that God has provided in 2011 and trust in Him for what will be in 2012.
I've seen several posts lately about choosing one or two words to concentrate on during the New Year. Of course you don't just concentrate on the word(s) itself, but the meaning of the word(s), incorporating it into your daily life allowing it to shape you. You can either pick the word(s) or let God whisper them to you. All morning I have been thinking of the word(s) I would pick. The one that kept coming to mind was "nurture". I am a nurturer at heart and it seems kind of natural to pick that word. Maybe it is a little too natural and too easy since I already have that tendancy. As I am writing this Blog Post I am hearing God whisper the words "Stand Strong". That is much more challenging in today's world. At every turn it seems as though there is someone or something that wants to steal our joy. God has blessed me (and mine) in ways that I could never imagine. He has filled my heart with dreams and He has allowed those dreams to come true. He has filled my heart with a joy that is oh so awesome and I never, ever want to lose that joy. My word(s) for 2012..... Stand Strong. What will yours be?
