Understanding the signals of a horses tail is one way of learning how they communicate.

A tail held high shows alertness – “Watch Me”

A tail extended straight behind the horse while running, shows acceleration – “get out of my way”

A tail flicked high up over its back and sometimes curled, means “lets dash off and play”

A tail drooped and still signals “I am tired, leave me alone”

Absence of Fear is growing bigger and stronger every day and the paddock is buzzing with curiosity.  He is now 30 days old and is showing real signs of independence.  He strays far from his mother and seeks a new adventure often.  He is becoming a leader, – always first in the feeding pen, first to the feed bucket and first to the hay pile.    His first teeth are in and he is learning to eat grain.

ABSENCE OF FEAR, a chestnut colt was born at 2:00am on March 20, 2010. 

A new foal’s first physical activity is exploring its mother.  A newborn has limited vision, often appearing blind and will stumble over any obstacle in the stall.  this blurry vision continues for about 48-60 hours after birth.  They stay close to their mothers side.  For this reason, confining them to a stall or small paddock is necessary for the first few days of life.

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The breeding and foaling season is fully upon us and prepairing our pregnamt mares to deliver their new foals is a top priority for Chasin’ a Dream Farm.

Unique Quality with Foal 2007

The broodmares gestation period is between 330 and 340 days.  About 11 months plus 5 days from the breeding date.  Calculating the exact foaling date, even with all the medical advances and scientific information available is really a guess.  UNIQUE QUALITY was bred on 4/9/09  and is due to have her foal now.

During the last two months of gestation, the mare rapidly gains weight as the unborn foal doubles in size.  The mare’s nutritional requirements change, as the foal’s demands are greater.  In addition to an increase of daily grain and an abundance of alfalfa, these mares receive a warm mash with added vitamins and minerals each morning.