Sadly we lost two of our famous old mares last season, I mentioned Femme - mother of Frontier and Farrington. Farry incidentally buckled at the 2010 Quilty with another of Femme's daughters Lanamere Femmara. My old faithful mare Charabal Amarita also went to meet her maker in early May 2010.
On a bright note there were four foals born to Kholonial mares. Kholonial Amazzon (who is away at Aqaba) foaled a lovely partbred filly by Heaney Seafarer whose name is Kholonial Aurora, Destiny of Kholo (on lease to Ann Nyland) foaled an anglo bay colt, Hyksos Gryphon. Cudglebar Riena (dec) foaled a purebred chestnut (going grey) filly by Sachin who was orphaned at only six weeks old and will be known as Kholonial Silver Reine. Lastly at home, Leatherwood Mystery Grey foaled a loud sabino chestnut partbred colt - Kholonial Lightning Jack.
January 2010 has been an extremely unsettling time for us all here in SE Qld. The flooding has been unprecedented and loss of life distressing. While we didn't suffer flooding of our buildings our paddocks were waterlogged for weeks on end. We've been battling conditions in the Kholonial horses that we normally don't have to worry too much about.
The horse's feet are suffering terribly. The moist condition combined with the amount of grass (high sugars) ergot etc has led to UV sensitivity/dermatitis/shin infections, laminitis, white line separation, foot abscesses (the number has been staggering). Fireaway has dreadful cracked heels at the moment.
My itchy horses have never been so uncomfortable or itchy. The buffalo fly have been shocking and the seed ticks insidious. The midges and biting flies unbearable. I have put some zeta - cypermethrin cattle tags in their manes to try and alleviate this a little. It seems to be working. Not 100% but making life a little bearable for them. All my air con rugs fell to pieces with the wet, sweat and heat - just ripping off their backs, especially if scratched under a tree. I've put new rugs on the worst horses as well.
In the process of starting a couple of young horses. We have started Kholonial Bronzewings (Boz) and K. Abigaail (Abi) under saddle last year and they are due to come back in and start education. Kholonial Boadecia (Lil Bo) is in work with Marty after suffering an odd bout of acute laminitis during the flooding. Too scared to put her out in the larger paddocks now - she has a line which looks like she did a 160km growing down her hoof - a metabolic event of some sort.
Kholonial Beauzolais (Jolie) has also been started and proving an ideal pony for Tom to be led on. She gets upset now if Lil Bo goes off without her. Getting awfully fat now and will have to come up the front as well. Too much grass!!! Kholonial Bartholomew is in work at Steel Poppy and I am soon to start riding him. Barty is going very well for Jan Darling.
Our two old girls Kemal Sweeet Dreams and Shayperil Golden Lady are still both going - and Tom rides them both from time to time. They're not up to rides off the property as their old legs aren't able.
