Well, after waiting for many, many months in order to lose 100 pounds, Basil finally had his surgery today.  Unfortunately, it was inconclusive.  It seems that he is a bit of a mutant... just some strange anatomy going on.  Either he was already gelded and it was poorly done, or he is malformed and his testicles could not descend.  So, he will be treated as the stallion he acts like and a suitable home found for him.  He is now quite a sweet guy and very manageable, thanks to the fine folks at Horseplay Your Way who fostered him and trained him up for us.  He has overcome the bulk of his fears and is now generally polite and cooperative.  We couldn't be happier with his progress!

The new buckskin was named "Ranger" and he is already adopted and gone to his new home.  He just needed his gelding surgery and was quickly spoken for by a wonderful driving home on our waiting list.

Puzzle and Glory are still hanging out here, happy as can be.  They are shedding like mad and helping to keep the local bird nests nice and cozy!  Thor will be returning to our main facility this coming week, since we have ample space now.  Cinnamon is up for adoption, amazingly enough, but will remain at his foster home for the time being as he needs softer footing than we have here.  He is running and bucking and doing so well... we are very surprised at how far his rehabilitation has taken him and are, of course, thrilled!  He is ready to find a permanent home.

It is very, very strange to only have five Minis to write about!  We have also been doing some other behind-the-scenes work with the SPCA that we can't publicize, so rest assured - we are still keeping very busy.  I'm sure it won't be long before we have another influx of Minis needing our help.  Thank you all for your continued support.

Well.  We went from 21 to 5 Minis in short order.  Now we're heading back up again.  Our newest arrival is a very handsome buckskin who needs a name.  We're running a poll so that everyone can vote.  The name suggestions were from the class of kids who did a big fundraiser a little while ago - very cool!

Puzzle and Glory are still hanging out, but November and BamBam have been adopted.  Our dear Echo has been adopted as well, with a year of good health under his belt!

So, that leaves Thor and Cinnamon in their foster homes and Basil who has returned to the main facility here for his surgery.  He acts like a stallion and has tested as likely, so we're going to have one shot at a crypt surgery to see what's going on in there.  He has lost a ton of weight, so he is ready now and will have the surgery sometime this month.

Here is our new guy who will have a name very soon.  He had his gelding surgery yesterday and is doing very well.

Wow!  It's mid-March!

We had quite the day today.  Gallant, True, Justice and Banjo went to their new home!  All four boys just hopped right into the trailer and said, "Well, where are we going?"  They are going to do just fine!

Nico was adopted as well.  He had gone down the street to hang out with Pirate while we were so full.  It turns out that the pair of them are just perfect together and so Nico became a permanent addition!  I swear I don't plan these things!  LOL

CJ went to his new home and he's doing just great as well.

November, Glory and Puzzle are all still up for adoption, but there are people coming to meet them next weekend, so fingers crossed!

Take a look at this photo of Glory.  Remember back in November when she could barely walk?!



Leo and LeRoy are on the brink of going to their new home, so we're excited for them for that!

Thor, Echo, Cinnamon and Basil are doing great in their foster homes.  Basil will be returning to us this week to see if he's ready for his gelding surgery yet.  I'm really hoping he's lost enough weight!

BamBam is officially up for adoption as of this moment.  He is quite the character and I'm sure it won't be long until he finds a family.

Hi folks!

I do apologize for the big gap in entries.  Hovering around nearly 20 Minis really keeps me quite busy!  I don't have a lot of energy left over for typing about Minis after dealing with them in person all day.  LOL  However, I've taken up Birding and actually feel quite refreshed now.  It's good to do something that has nothing to do with horses sometimes and so now I feel more balanced.  

So... let's see what has been going on since January!  Nico and CJ are now all up to date on everything.  CJ has an adoption pending and Nico is now listed as available.  Valiant has been adopted!  Gallant, True and Brave were finally strong enough to be gelded a couple of days ago.  They are all doing well.  Gallant had his teeth done as well.  His weren't bad enough to warrant the sedation earlier on.  Now they just need their booster shots and they'll be ready to go.  Gallant, True, Justice and Banjo are all going to the same home in mid-March once the boys are all healed up.  Brave will also be heading home once he's healed.

November came back to us and she is hanging out with Glory and Puzzle.  All three girls are up for adoption.

The foster horses are all doing great.  Leo and LeRoy have a home waiting for them in March.  Thor, Echo, Whiskey, Cinnamon and Basil are hanging out and doing their thing.  Basil will likely return in late March or April for his gelding surgery.  Hopefully he'll have lost enough weight!

We also have a new arrival!  Valiant vacated and BamBam took over his spot the same day.  He was gelded as well this week and is doing just fine.  BamBam is an adorable Silver Bay, just a little guy.  I'm sure it won't be long before he steals someone's heart.

Well, 2014 has been a roller-coaster ride so far.  We lost a Mini, found a Mini, had one adopted and took in two more.

So, the sad news first.  Our dear little Clover was put down.  It was the best decision for her, but it was a very hard thing to do.  I don't think that I'll ever get used to it... actually, I hope that I never get used to it.  Heart-wrenching and gut-wrenching... the decision to end a life should never come easy.  I made sure that Clover had a great last day, with grass and cookies and everything a horse loves.  

So, being so upset, it was a very emotional discovery when the next thing happened.  I'll give you the back story first.  The last Mini we adopted out, before we went official in 2009, was Ivy.  Something happened with her family, as they very suddenly dropped out of contact and we never heard from them again.  We were left to wonder what had become of Ivy - the only Mini we've lost touch with as of yet.  Well, I was contacted by a lovely family with two little girls.  One of them wanted to have donations for Pipsqueak Paddocks rather than birthday presents and they wanted to come and meet the Minis.  Well, they were looking on our website, doing more research, when they made a discovery!  Their own little Mini, Lilliput, was on our website!  It was Ivy!  So, it is wonderful to know that Ivy ended up in such a wonderful, caring home!


Then, the lovely Mystery met her family and they took her home to Texada.  She has a driving match there named Frank, and you're going to love the photos of the pair of them together in the future!  LOL  

And finally, an hour ago, we had two new arrivals!  Nico and CJ just need to be brought up to date on a few things.  They are nice looking boys and I'm looking forward to working with them.



So, that is our first few days of 2014, pretty much covering the entire range.  But, you ask, what all happened at the end of 2013?  Well...

Brave is still making great progress.  Playing, running and allowing us closer and closer.  He's gained enough weight to have a tetanus shot, so that will be scheduled this week.  Gallant and True are ready for their first shots as well.  I saw True trot for the first time, though he still spends most of his time eating.  Gallant is starting to approach people on his own now, which is wonderful to see.  Justice is healing well from his surgery.  All three boys, plus Banjo, are now "adoption pending" all together to a wonderful family.  They won't be able to go home until all the surgeries are done though, so likely sometime in March.

Valiant and Glory are now up for adoption.  Valiant gets to play with Justice each day, but has to have his meals separately as the skinny guys get way more food!  Glory is now with Puzzle since Mystery left.  That was hard on Puzzle, as she was boss mare and now her whole herd is gone, but now she's happy to have Glory as her replacement herd.  Glory had not shown any interest in making friends until now, but the two are getting along great, so I'm very happy that we tried it.

Cypher was adopted by his foster family on Christmas eve!  He is much loved there.

The dry, cold air these days is working wonders for Echo.  He is doing really well with no nasal issues lately.  Whiskey, Thor, Cinnamon, Leo and LeRoy, and Basil are all trucking along too.  Leo and LeRoy should be up for adoption pretty quick.

So, Happy New Year everyone!  Thank you for your support in 2013 and we're looking forward to some milestones (like our 200th Mini) in 2014!  We could not do it without you!

 

Well, we are working through all of the rehab issues with the Minis.  With a record 21 Minis in our care, it's been a busy time.  Happily though, Little, Whisper and Hush have all been adopted, so we are down to 18!

If you would like to see a video about the first steps of rehab with Brave, Gallant, True, Valiant, Justice and Glory, just go to YouTube here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX0m86RYopc  WARNING though - there are needles and whatnot!  :)

Specifics though?  Here we go...

Brave: is really coming around!  He has energy and plays with toys and other horses.  He is actually taking an active interest in humans, in a positive way!  Take a look at this video, where he reaches out to Kristie for the first time:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-ebnz1R9Jk

True: head down and eating - all day and all night!
Gallant: eat and eats, but will play with Justice when he bugs him.
Justice: is a pain (which is GREAT) and so he's healthy enough to geld this week!

Valiant: all healed up and ready to go up for adoption as of this Thursday when he'll get his booster shot!

Glory: slowly coming around.  She will have xrays this Thursday to rule out rotation as her feet continue to heal.

Mystery and Puzzle: really sweet, silly and ready to go!

Clover: still a concern.  She will have xrays this Thursday as well to check her rotation for comparison.  

Cypher: doing well in foster care with interest in it turning into a permanent home!

Echo.  Echo is starting to struggle with infection again.  Though I have tried to stay positive about him, I have always been concerned about relapse, which is why I never put him up for adoption.  The vet, his foster mom and I are keeping a close eye on his progression.  So far, he is happy and pain free.  It is hard to hold onto hope for a complete recovery in this case though, I just thought you should know.

Banjo, Whiskey, Thor, Cinnamon, Leo and LeRoy, Basil: all are doing well at their foster homes.  Playing, hanging out, chilling out, recovering, gaining weight and losing weight respectively.  LOL  All are in great environments where they are engaged and active.  Here is Whiskey's Christmas photo, the dear old bear... 



 

Today was Farrier Day for the new five and our amazing hoof wizard, Taylor Josiassen, came out to donate her time!  We were most concerned about Glory, as she was in a full body sweat at the auction from painful feet.  We were fearing the worst - founder!  There was a huge sigh of relief when the farrier said that she had minimal stretch and bruising.  The pain was being caused by extremely overgrown (tall) hooves and flares that caused her to rock on her feet!  Much more easy to deal with!  Here's how it went...



YAY!

The three skinny boys also had hoof issues, in the form of many abscesses.  Gallant had the worst one though and had to get a poultice and moon boot.  The poor guy had a tough time figuring out how to walk afterwards.  LOL  Kind of like when you stick those booties on a dog.  LOL  He did finally get the hang of it though.


Glory also got all of the burrs taken out of her mane, tail and legs.  The poor girl was a pincushion!  The boys were groomed as well and had their first powdering.  Tomorrow the vet comes for their preliminary exams and perhaps some work if they are strong enough.

Dear Preston,

Thank you so much for coming to visit this morning.  We all think it is so very cool that you asked for donations instead of presents at your 6th birthday party, and that you raised an amazing $447.00 to help the Minis!  You picked such a great name for our timid little foal, "Brave".  Well, guess what Preston?  We used your awesome donation to save five more Minis today!  We are sticking with the "Brave" theme and we named the new ones... Valiant, True, Gallant, Justice and Glory.

Okay... I'm going to take the time tonight to catch you up on the eight new arrivals of the past two weeks, because it's going to be another crazy week because we've got ANOTHER five in today!

SO, here we go!

Brave is slowly and steadily improving.  He has got a little spark these days and is on the verge of actual antics.  He is safely through his first two wormings.  We were quite concerned as he expelled numerous huge ascarids and hordes of smaller types.  He's a-okay though and I cannot wait until he is as active and bratty as a young colt should be!


So, the day after Brave arrived, we picked up Secret's herd.  Secret came to us via the SPCA about seven years ago.  We picked him up out of a herd of Minis as there were two stallions that were fighting.  I have been worried about the remaining Minis ever since.  Finally, after a very long wait, they came into our hands.  Cypher, the other stallion is now gelded and safely ensconced at a foster home.  The three mares and filly are here at the Paddocks.  Puzzle, Mystery, Whisper and baby Hush.  Luckily, none of the girls are pregnant and the whole herd had their teeth done, shots, farrier etc with no major issues!

Here is a cute shot of Mystery and Puzzle.

So that was all fine and dandy.  The next day... two more stallions arrived!  Leo and LeRoy are 21 year old brothers, they are fit as fiddles and raring to go.  They have now been gelded and are fostering over at Deb Harper's place as she specializes in dealing with our more intense Minis!  LOL  They are quite handsome boys!


So, now Thor is in a new foster home where he's doing very well.  Whiskey, Basil and Banjo are reported as doing great as well.  Echo (the Mini who had the sinus infection and surgery) has a vet visit scheduled for this week as he has some nasal discharge again.  This comes and goes, but is hanging around a little too long this time and we're just going to check it out to be on the safe side.  Cinnamon is being fostered by our vet and seems to be recovering well from his setback.  We have hope that he will be adoptable!  Clover is still here at the Paddocks, awaiting her second dental session and ultrasound.  Little is here at the Paddocks too and his adoption is pending!  YAY!  I think that's everyone... except for the five who showed up today... but that's a whole nother blog entry!  LOL


 

Well, we've got a herd coming in tomorrow!  I thought I should catch up on the last couple of weeks before all the new news starts happening. So here we go...

Opal, Chicory, Midnight, Rook and Archie have all been adopted!  Wahoo!

Basil is doing just fabulous in foster care, at the home of Horse Play Your Way!  He is learning to do Mountain Trail.  He, Juliet, Archie, Banjo and Little all particiapted in a Mini Mountain Trail Demo at the Mane Event.  They absolutely loved it!  Here's Basil being a superstar... notice the significant weight loss too!

By all reports, Whiskey and Echo are doing well in their foster homes.  Thor and Little just headed out to Deb Harper's place to foster as well, to make room for the herd.  Thor had came back last weekend for viewings, but was not yet chosen for a permanent home.  Poor guy - he's such a sweetie!

Now that the weather has snapped to cold all of a sudden, I am concerned about Cinnamon.  He has taken a turn for the worse and so we got him x-rayed to see exactly what's going on with his feet.  I am gathering opinions and information so that we can come to an informed decision on what's best for him at this time.  He has got a massive, deeply bedded stall in my vet's barn to keep him comfortable for now.

Today we had a new arrival who had been left at the auction house.  We're happy to introduce "Brave", so named by one of our amazing young birthday donors, Preston.  She said, "He should be Brave, let's name him Brave! One day he will be!"  I must admit, I just about cried at that.  Here's the one picture I have of him so far.


 

The fundraiser was a huge success and thanks to some great deals provided by our suppliers (Gord Laughlin Construction Ltd, Fraser Valley Steel & Wire and Kel-Mor Enterprises) we are able to get everything we need for the Paddocks expansion!  Thanks to the amazing donation by Sawatzky's Imagination Corporation of half their crew for three days - we will be done next week!  We shifted horses around today as we were working and Mulligan was the first Mini to try out one of the new Paddocks.  The footing still has to go in, but he LOVED the massive space... and this is not even one of the big ones!  Just click here to view the video of Mulligan zooming around.

Before I forget, I want to start off by saying that I hope to see many of you at the Mane Event next weekend!  We'll have our booth in the usual spot - so I'll see you there!  Be sure to stop by and say hello!  It sounds like we'll be having some of the Minis in a demo first thing Friday morning too!

So, let's see what's what now, hey?!

Cinnamon is doing super.  We've now moved him to a foster home with a huge stall with super deep bedding and an in/out.  He's being his charming self, as usual.  Chicory, Whiskey, Echo, Basil and Midnight are doing fabulous in their foster homes.  Apparently Basil will be doing some demo work with Juliet at the Mane Event too!  Thor has gone to Deb Harper's for fostering.  He's starting to hang out with the other boys there and is doing very well all around.


Archie and Banjo sent some time at a foster home just across the river, but now with our Paddock expansion nearly finished, I'll hopefully be bringing them back here to our main facility tomorrow.

Opal, Clover and Little are doing super too.  We're going to hang onto Clover for a while, but Little will soon be up for adoption.  We also have two new guys in town.  Roscoe and Rook!  Roscoe is heading to his new home tomorrow and Rook will soon be up for adoption.  He is quite the handsome guy...





 

We have some new arrivals!  Cinnamon is a darling older fellow.  He has foundered, but is bright eyed and relatively active - so we are very hopeful about his recovery.

Clover and Little came together from a very caring home.  LIttle has now been gelded (he was a cryptorchid) and they are both finishing up their initial appointments with the vet and farrier.  Clover might possibly be pregnant, but the ultrasound was inconclusive, so we'll try again in a month or so.  She has some metabolic issues that we'll be sorting out in the meantime.

Thor is recovering well from his surgery.  He is such a sweet horse!  Basil and Midnight are now out in foster homes.  Basil's blood test came back and he is indeed a stallion.  He needs to lose a good 100 pounds before he can have surgery though!  Chicory's adoption fell through, but he is well loved in his foster home and they were quite happy for him to stay put.  Whiskey and Echo are still living the good life in their foster homes as well.

Opal and Archie have had their shots and so are up for adoption as of now!  I'm sure it won't take long for these darlings to find wonderful homes.  Banjo is having tons of fun these days too.  Mulligan has taken him under his wing as "apprentice artist" and they created a lovely piece of art for our Silent Auction at the fundraiser coming up this weekend.  LOL  Banjo REALLY got into it!  I had a heck of a time trying to take photos while also trying to prevent him from dumping the paint buckets!  LOL



 

It was an interesting day yesterday.  We had a 380 pound Mini who needed a serious operation, and so had to be put on an operating table.  Luckily, we've got access to a great facility and a very nice neighbour with a handy forklift!  Our new arrival, Thor, went for a little ride and is recovering nicely from his cryptorchid gelding surgery.


Here is the handsome fellow, concious.


Let's see... what else is new...  Scout is adopted!  Silver and Snap have gone home together as very good pals!  Banjo is stable and feeling good again!  Midnight is putting on the pounds and feeling great!  She runs and bucks like nobody's business!  Chicory's adoption is pending, which is awesome!  Whiskey and Echo are doing great at their foster homes.  Basil is doing well, starting to shed some pounds, and I've sent off a blood test to determine if he is indeed a stallion or not.

We also have a familiar face back at the Paddocks.  Opal's adopter has had some life changes and had to give her up.  Opal brought her little buddy, Archie, along as well.  They are both sweet as pie and will be put up for adoption very soon.  Here's Archie...



 

Oh no!  I've not written in a month?  So sorry!  Make sure that you visit our Facebook page, I am over there every day with photos and stories!

Well, today is definitely noteworthy!  Willow is adopted!  Yes, after two long years, she's got a home of her own!  YAY!

What else is new?  Let's see...

Pirate is adopted!  YAY again!  So, Scout has taken his place at the trainer's.  He's learning lots and is reportedly a very smart little dude!  Deb Harper always takes wonderful photos when they're at her place, and here's one of my current favourites of Scout!


Midnight is still here, slowly putting on the pounds.  She is an absolute treasure and my daughter wants to keep her.  LOL  Not going to happen, but it's good to know she's kid approved! 

Silver has returned for a visit in order to meet Snap and get to know him before they go home together.  I got some cute footage of their first time in together after sharing the fence for a few days... you can click here to see it on YouTube.

Banjo had a scary bout of colic, but is doing better now.  We're working on stabilizing his system, but I think it's the extreme heat that set him off.  He's such a little cutie... I quite like him... but don't tell my daughter I said that!  LOL

Chicory and Whiskey are still hanging out in foster homes and now Echo has gone to a long-term foster home as well.  I want to monitor him for a year to be sure his sinus issue isn't triggered by season.

So, that just leaves our new guy, Basil.  He is a VERY large boy who needs to lose some weight and gain some trust.  He is very smart and I'm having fun working with him.  He seems to really like some of the volunteers too, so that's awesome!


 

We have got two new arrivals!  Scout is quite the character and we have not yet managed to get a good photo of his handsome face...















































His dam, Midnight Rose, on the other hand is a complete doll. 

Photos: Kathy Day

So, let's have a little run-through, hey?

Snap is still healing up and learning his manners.  I expect he'll be ready to go to his new home with Silver in July.  He is such a little cutie!

Saturn has made the trip to his new home and is much-adored already!

Banjo is officially up for adoption today!  He has calmed down to "normal" bratty baby boy levels since his surgery and is one fun little guy!


Chicory and Whiskey are doing very well at their foster homes.  Chicory had a little field trip the other weekend when he, along with Willow and Mulligan, spent the day at a Children's Grief Camp.  They were very good at their jobs of hearing secrets, being hugged and the kids even got to draw on them with chalk.  Willow is so great at that sort of thing and Chicory is such a sweet old boy with the kids.

Pirate has been having lessons at Deb Harper's with a potential adopter, and it's looking good for him!

As for Echo... I am happily surprised!  He is now out of the danger zone for immediate relapse and I am cautiously optimistic that he will indeed be a-okay.  This one really is a little miracle folks... I really expected to lose him.  He is such a sweet boy.

It was a very sad day here yesterday.  Clara and Misty were two ponies sent to us on Sunday.  We were their last chance, and after exams and xrays, it was decided that it would be kindest to put them down.  They were very sweet girls, but due to chronic founder, they could not walk without pain and had a host of other issues as well.  Rest in peace Clara and Misty.

We've got a new arrival!  "Snap" is a young stallion (well, was a stallion) who is here to be gelded, heal up and then go on to his wonderful new home with Silver!  Yes indeed - Silver has been adopted!  Twilight is adopted and has already made the trip to her new home.  Cricket found a ride to her new home as well and she is doing fabulous there.  It's just Saturn waiting for a lift now, but he should be going home within the week.  Here's Snap...



Banjo was gelded yesterday along with Snap, so he'll be ready to go in a couple of weeks.  His manners are coming along nicely and now his progress should be exponential.  He'll be up for adoption in two weeks.

Chicory, Whiskey and Pirate are still happily ensconced in their foster homes.  Pirate has almost finished shedding out into his summer colours...


Willow is the only girl left here now, so she an Mulligan are still hanging out and loooooving the sunshine.  I should get a photo for you of them sunbathing.  LOL  

Echo has been off all his meds for one week now and it's so-far-so-good.  We will know this month if the infection is chronic or not.  He is having a blast out there with Saturn though, they are little feisty twins!  LOL

 

We have a new arrival!  Banjo is a little tiny crazy colt.  He's turning one soon and is trouble on four legs.  LOL  Quite the little busy-body, he keeps us entertained - that's for sure!  You can click on his photo to go to his page and watch a hilarious video of him and the BIG yellow happy ball!  LOL



All of the Minis are doing well.  Things are pretty much the same as last time.  Fostered horses are doing great and everyone here is hanging out, enjoying the sunshine when it's there.  Cricket and Saturn are still waiting patiently for their rides.  Banjo is in with Silver and that is spicing up his life a bit.  LOL

Echo has run the course of two treatments since his surgery.  I just finished his last injection and now it's a wait and see scenario.  We've gone after his issues aggressively, but we're now out of realistic options.  He is either better, or not.  We will know pretty soon which it will be. Our superhero has fought valiantly and we can ask nothing further of him - time will tell.

Once upon a time, there was a skinny little guy named Jet...



It's been nearly two years and our handsome boy is going to his new home!  



To read Jet's story, click here.

Echo is still doing well.  He did manage to pull his tube out, which was half-expected, so the vet came today to reset it.  He is quite tolerant of the flushing procedure and takes his medicine nicely.

Chicory is absolutely adored at his foster home and he's set for the summer, unless an adopter comes along.  Twilight is doing well and apparently loves her new Mini buddy at her foster home.  Whiskey and Pirate are great too, by all reports.

Cricket and Saturn are still hanging out, waiting for their rides.  Willow is doing really great as well.  She is getting so strong now and can handle quite long walks with plenty of trotting and even cantering!  Mulligan is as devoted to her as ever, though we have opened up the "Mully-gate" and he now goes and hangs out with Silver at times.  

Silver has been promoted to movie star!  We made a very fun video and he was so brave - it turned out awesome.  Click here to view "Silverheart's Quest"!


 

Echo had his procedure today.  It turns out he has a primary sinus infection, which, out of all the possibilities is the best news we could have gotten.  I have made a page with photos of the surgery and the xrays leading up to it.  Definitely not for the faint of heart... or those enjoying a snack while cruising the internet.

VERY GRAPHIC IMAGES.  IF YOU ARE A KID, ASK YOUR PARENT FIRST BEFORE YOU CLICK THIS!  IF YOU ARE A GROWN UP - BE SURE YOU WANT TO LOOK!

Too much foofarrah!  The Minis are shedding and the fur is flying!

It's been an interesting week!  Chicory is settling in well at his new foster home.  The kids there adore him and he is so good with them!  He gets plenty of grooming and going out for walks!  Twilight has moved to a foster home as well, but I have the feeling that she may end up as a permanent addition there.  We'll see!  Whiskey, Pirate and Jet are doing really well too.  Plus, we are so very pleased that Jet has an adoption pending!  That is reason to celebrate as Jet is a tough guy to place.  It's looking really good though!

Cricket is doing really well here, learning how to make friends.  She and Twilight got along great before Twilight left and now Cricket is good pals with Echo.  A ride is in the works, so she should be leaving for her new home pretty quick.  Echo on the other hand is causing us some worry.  We have been treating a persistent sinus issue and trying to determine the underlying cause.  His latest x-rays and blood tests are disturbing.  The next step is a diagnostic procedure which involves drilling into his skull and hopefully a biopsy so that we can get down to the bottom of this.  We've got our fingers crossed for the little guy as what we find may be life-threatening.

Saturn, on the other hand, is doing extremely well.  He has been adopted (YAY) and will head off to his new home at the beginning of June.  For now, he is healing up from surgery and growing in his damaged hoof.  Willow and Mully are happily sunbathing as I type and we have brought Silver back here to the Paddocks from his foster home.  It's time for him to start learning how to interact with the other Minis.  He has only been with Pirate his whole life, and that was a very unbalanced relationship.  He is doing great though, much more secure and brave about interacting with us humans.  He is a real sweetheart.  Here is Silver this afternoon...

Well, now that was a busy day!  

First thing in the morning, Firefly was picked up by his new family.  I am supremely confident that he will make a full recovery in their capable hands.  He had put on 30 of the 100 pounds that he needs here, and so he was ready to travel to his new home.  I cannot wait to see photos of him in a few months!

Once Firefly was on his way, we jumped in the truck and went to get Chicory.  He was moving foster homes today.  He looks fabulous - you would never know he was a walking skeleton last summer.  He took Cricket's place at another foster home and we brought her here to our main facility.  She has put on some good weight as well and is much more sure of herself these days.  She can still be defensive about handling, but she now has no issues with interacting voluntarily with humans.  She is a gorgeous little thing and has a home waiting for her now.  She gets to go and live with Cinnabar once we can wrangle her a ride.  Anybody going to Powell River anytime soon?  LOL

Then, once we had Cricket settled in, Margaret (one of our VP's) arrived to take Ladybug to her new home!  She will be working with little kids at a therapuetic riding stable.  She's such a sweetie, we are hoping that it is a great fit for her.

So, that leaves me with Saturn, Twilight, Echo and Willow here, along with Cricket.  And, of course, little Mulligan.  It is Mully's birthday this week - he is turning 5, which is a bit of a miracle.  We did not expect him to see his fifth birthday!  He is doing fabulous though and as long as he's happy to be running around, we'll keep glueing his feet back on!  LOL  Here's Mully and Willow enjoying the sunshine this afternoon...

Saturn is doing fantasic!  He should be ready to go as soon as he's had his booster shot.  His incisions are healing perfectly and he is sound on the foot that is growing the wall back in.  He is a total love-bug!  One of my volunteers went over to him when he was laying down and started to scratch him.  He stretched out like a dog wanting a tummy-run and was really enjoying the massage!  LOL  Here is Saturn today after Margaret brushed him... but before he rolled!

Twilight is adjusting well to her baby Sunset's departure.  She and Echo are now good pals and I'm hoping that they will teach Cricket how to be a part of a herd.  They are both scrappy enough to put her in her place, but they are both playful as well and so hopefully she will get some positive interaction.  It will all be supervised at first, of course.  Cricket is going to go live with Cinnabar, and he grew up tied to a stake, so he didn't get proper interaction as a youngster either.  Horses are each other's best teachers though, so I have hope for all of them.  Twilight and Ladybug sure taught Echo how to behave properly.  LOL  He could not get away with any bad behaviour with those two boss mares!  Echo is scheduled for a fresh round of head x-rays on Tuesday.  I hope that we'll be able to get to the bottom of this persistent infection that he can't seem to shake.

Willow is hanging out with Mulligan and they get supervised playtime with the herd.  Echo plays pretty hard, so I have to be out there to make sure he doesn't jump on either of them.  LOL

Jet and Pirate are living large and learning lots at their foster home.  Silver is enjoying his foster home too, finally getting to live his own life without Pirate bossing him around!  Whiskey is getting spoiled rotten at his foster home.  He's probably gotten more TLC in the past month than in his entire life altogether!  Here he is having a bath yesterday in the sunshine...