Eowyn: Future Mother?

Carrie roped me into a horse excursion our first day with Shane at camp.

So why did we ditch our kid to come look at horse kids?

Yes, I know they're called foals.

And they are cute when they're sleeping....but why?

Eowyn was why. 

Eowyn was diagnosed with some early onset arthritis. Carrie bought her to be a hunt horse, but suddenly it looked like she couldn't be a hunt horse. The arthritis was a major blow to her resell value, so we couldn't 'swap' her out for another horse easily even if Carrie wanted to.

Eowyn is a mare, though. That gave her an extra option over a gelding: Motherhood.

I never thought Carrie would go the baby route again after Nibs. However, she found a stallion she liked, it was a $500 stud fee for live cover, and she hoped Eowyn would throw a pretty foal for Carrie to train and to establish Eowyn as a potential broodmare. 

I think Carrie should put "Tidy pooper" in whatever future ad she writes for Eowyn. She picks a spot and sticks with it!

Eowyn was happy to see us. I could tell, because she stopped eating to greet Carrie.

Carrie took me over to met the stallion afterward.

He was a little guy! His name was Picturesque Formal Attire or Ty for short. Carrie was hoping to have a horse just like Eowyn, but smaller. 

There were some obvious issues. Eowyn's a big girl. How was Ty supposed to reach!? Compare the picture of Eowyn next to Carrie and the one of Ty. That's a noticeable height difference. Carrie told me it wasn't a problem: There was a ramp to assist. 

What I envisioned was so much more than the reality. There was a section of dirt dug out for the mare to stand in to give Ty an extra foot up.

Highly successful barns don't always look like other highly successful businesses. Dirt is dirt and poop is poop. Carrie went on and on about Ty's awards and achievements on the way up. He'd thrown babies that sold well out of our price range.

And the foals I saw were cute. 

We weren't at the main barn, either. We were at a satellite farm that was 200 acres devoted solely to the breeding program.

That's highly successful.

Ty's attempts to cover Eowyn were not. 

Carrie got a text from the owner that whenever the guy teased her she was happy to play. She didn't seem to understand the step right after.

We had to have Eowyn go to a vet for artificial insemination. It was an extra $300. Hopefully, she took, or it may not be the last time she has an appointment.

It was time for her to come home regardless. We had headed out early to avoid the worst heat of the day. 

Eowyn was a little thrown off by the change in scenery. She had to hang out in her stall at first.

That allowed Carrie time to set up a temporary dry lot while I did horse chores.

Carrie had a quick change of heart and let Eowyn into the dry lot with Abby and Lilly before I finished. She didn't tell me either. I looked up and had a moment when I saw.

Eowyn and Abby were best friends, but Eowyn had never been in a field with Lilly. In Carrie's words, "They'll work it out."

We'll have to wait several weeks before we know if Eowyn is pregnant or not. If she did catch, there will be another appointment to check for heartbeats before Eowyn can be ridden. 

It would've been easier if Eowyn didn't have arthritis, but this is the route we've chosen to make the best of the situation. I'll post more updates when we know more, but it will be a slow process. Foals gestate for 11 months.