Last summer, we were trying to sell our horses to save money on hay we would have to purchase for winter. A woman from St. George called and asked if we would trade for a mini stallion. Amber got especially excited about that offer, because it meant that she could try breeding horses, a dream of hers. So we consented to a trade for our two horses, Blaze and Annie, for her mini horse, Mighty Mouse. It was a good trade, because minis eat about a quarter of what a big horse eats each day, which means that we would have enough hay for our two minis through the winter.
On July 7th, 2009, Amber, Isaac, and I went the distance towing Annie and Blaze in our neighbor's horse trailer all the way to St. George, which ended up taking us about 10 hours with the weight of the trailer. We made the trade as night was falling, and drove to a friend's house nearby to stay the night and then drove Mighty Mouse back home the next day. Since Mighty was about one-tenth of the two horses weight, we made better time on the way home. He was a two-year old stallion, which is about the age they are able to breed. He was calm and obedient. We took him out at every stop and walked him around. He made friends with a truckers dog, and we enjoyed getting to know him better. Amber loved checking on him and meeting all his needs during our 8 hour trip home.
Upon arrival, we let Mighty Mouse meet Pennie with the fence between them. Pennie is our mini-mare. At the time, she was three years old, which is the age they need to be in order to breed. They regarded each other through the fence, and sniffed, whinnied, and trotted around in excitement. So we let Mighty in Pennie's pen so they could get more acquainted. They just started running around together. We could tell that they enjoyed each other's company. Both of them had been living around big horses, and probably didn't know that there were other horses their own size. We could tell they were excited to meet each other. We watched them for a long time, because they were so happy with each other, it was fun to watch them play together. Sometime during that next month, our foal was conceived, and Pennie bore the burden of carrying her all winter and Spring.
We have been studying how to handle horse births, and watching Pennie closely for the last month. Last Friday night, I was so worried about Pennie and didn't have the strength to walk out to meet her, even with my cane, so I called our friend, Marla, to come check on her for me. Marla talked with me for a while first, then she checked on Pennie--and it was almost 11:30pm when she came in and said, "Pennie's fine, I think she has about another week." Marla stayed with me that night because I was too weak to get up to get a cup of water, experiencing medication induced vertigo, as well as chronic fatigue. I was so grateful for her help, especially when Amber came in the room and announced that we had a foal!
We went out as fast as my cane could carry me, and there was another set of beautiful white legs, attached to a cute little brown body the size of a cocker spaniel's. Her name was "Kalypso," Amber announced, because she had surveyed everyone and come up with the best girl name and best boy name for our new foal. She's a fillie, so her name is "Kalypso." She has a beatiful little white nuzzle which she uses to nuzzle your ear if you get close enough. She is so soft. I love to just stroke her body and her face. It reminds me of baby skin, only its fur. Pennie is a great mom and keeps her from harm and makes sure she gets enough to eat.
By nightfall, Kalypso was bounding around the pasture with her mother in pursuit. At times, Pennie would catch up and cut her off, probably so she wouldn't overdo herself. She has a spunky spirit which comes out through her body in jumps and skipping. To me she epitomizes peace, love, and pure joy. So, Brigham and I came up with the rest of her name to remind us of those beautiful gifts. Her full name is "Kalypso Shalom Hermione Radmall." I came up with Shalom, because it is Hebrew for Peace. Brigham's addition was Hermione, because in Harry Potter, she exhibited Love. And Kalypso means Joy to us. She truly is a joy to our family, and to our friends who visit. I never knew how wonderful being a "Grandma" could be. I love taking care of Pennie so she can take care of her new fillie.
