It's a Filly!

Last night our Haflinger mare, Grace (affectionately known as "Kleine") finally had her little foal! We have been so excited this past 11 months waiting for the grand event. Last summer we bred her to the most adorable POA stallion, Tough Rocket. He is a ghost leopard appaloosa and has thrown spotted babies every time. What would we get???


After watching Grace all day, we finally looked out at about 11:30 p.m. and saw that the baby was on her way out. Jill ran out immediately while I grabbed the camera and everyone I could wake up! The foal was born around 11:45. Everything perfectly normal and healthy.

She was trying to stand within just a few minutes, but it took a while to build up the strength. Jill went in to the stall and dried her with a towel as the poor baby was shivering a bit. The vigorous rubbing really motivated her to try to get up. Here she is almost an hour old reaching out with her neck, up on her front knees....

...and she faceplants! So wobbley and funny/sweet!

Finally, at almost exactly an hour old, she's up on her feet. Grace is laying down again though, and the baby began to look everywhere for something to suckle!

Ahhh, at last! Found that nice warm milk! She nursed long and strong, even went around and tried the other side.

Here she is, five hours old and just adorable. She was trotting around her stall and curious to see us when we went out to check. So what is that color anyway? We had really expected a chestnut appaloosa. Well, after much searching we discovered that black is dominant over chestnut, and since Rocket (dad) is genetically black (I know he looks white in the pictures, but that is the appaloosa gene) the baby would not be chestnut. So why that silvery color? That is from the pangare gene (also known as mealy) that is dominant in Haflingers. It acts as a dilutant and gives her belly, legs, and muzzle that lighter color, and softens the black throughout. Anyway, we think she is gorgeous!

And we love her!