I am at the finca from afternoon til evening everyday and I do combined office/housework in the morning whilst Alex is with the horses until lunch. All horses are outside daily and Start, Donoso and Halagador are also working out in the roundpen. I am making them jump over natural cavalletti and my plan is to get them from paddocks out in pastures without too much drama. With Tico there are now 7 horses. One is missing. This one is missing since January, it's a stallion I had bought but there are issues with the documents of the horse and I am not taking him on until all is cleared. As I trust everything happens for a good reason so no worries, que será será. Here he is.

Noble

As Donoso was doing cuarantene at the breeding station for collection of semen for USA/Australia at the time for Nova's insemination, I had to rethink. And I am very excited to announce that this brother to Picara will be the dad to Nova's first foal! 

DIVO PM - a unique protagonist PRE of supreme class 
  

Nova yesterday, confirmed in foal to Divo

I finish off with a clip of my huligan dog Viggo playing up Nova yesterday, have a great weekend everyone!
 

Plaster is off and I realized I have converted to lefthandedness, I can actually use whatever hand. Another example of out of bad something good always develops, but it's great to have two hands available again.
I gave Tiki-Tiki a haircut that he absolutely h a t e d, horses are so sensitive it is unreal how he can feel the sissors on the tips of THIS fluffy mane..

 
BUT he CAN, so I had to be a good pedagogue and let him have his time to get used to me doing what I want. In the end he let me put my hand on his forehead, between and on ears even though he was very clear with that he does not like it. So we had an agreement, if he was good and let me cut some hairs without running away he got a good scratch and I did not hold him in his halter. The result was not as perfect but it shouldn't be when you teach class 1 in PRE school   

Today with new grown-up PRE-hairstyle, Tico does not leave nanny-Nova's side and only sees mummy when he's thristy.

We had a lovely springday, all day working in our 'finca', girls went discovering their new fields and Viggo and Betty started their job as guarding their farm :)
I present our humble little place! 

Novedosa and Picara, two sisters that get on very well even though they want the same grass :)

Nova today in new field
       

Yesterday forage de luxe arrived; hay, green oats on straw, alfalfa and golden straw

And,,, the time has come to send the little Donoso-swimmers off to other continents, Donoso VII is now booked by breeders in USA and Australia!
So yesterday with an absolute contentment I drove into the regal Cuetara farm in royal Aranjuez, with almond trees starting to blossom. And when Mrs Concha Cuetara, traditional topbreeder of pure carthusian PREs and a veterinarian expert in reproduction that has worked with the best of the best PRE stallions, looked at Donoso said he had developed into a impressive stud, I felt so immensely proud. I very much respect Concha and her opinion as a professional. Donoso knew exactly where he was even though last time was 3 years ago, he got a deluxe suite, reared and said; Hey everyone, I have arrived :) It's real hard to leave him but Concha knows he is my everything and no doubt he will be in the best hands. 

Donoso ready to do leave Escorial to do his job

Donoso in Aranjuez 2010

Finally fog and the worse cold weather went away and sun came out so I spent all afternoon in stables without being painfully cold.
Here's a non glamorous picture of Halagador on the pessoa today.

Good news Tina's PRE stallion passed vet! I am so pleased, she will be one happy lady riding this gorgeous well trained spaniard. There is nothing more satisfying than to see people find their dream in a horse and get happy, it's fabulous and I just love being part of that process! Thank you for confiding in us Tina   

And these two special Horsespre guys are now moving to luxury homes in Mexico.. 
 

Gorgeous classy palomino colt will no doubt make the mexican extremely happy. Brother to my girls and simply adorable. I just love this colour, looking at a beautiful PRE palomino it's like eating your favourite chocolate, well it is to me anyway :)
 

Novedosa today in her big golden straw box with cosy warm rug and yummy hay. Vikinga girls live a very good life and very soon it will be even better.. 
 

This weeek I finally had my appointment with the reumatology specialist in Madrid, one of the most respected professionals in his field, a very respected Dr. And, it seems I got the the right man. It was great to hear him start with the questions previous doctors has ended with. He said not to worry, and that we will work it out! So in spring I start to take a long series of special refined tests and in May 2013 I will get the verdict.. 10 years with fibromyalgia symptoms but I am hopeful! 

After a rainy friday we got sun back and today has been a glorious autumn day, warm and slightly humid from the fallen rain, nice.

First client we left thursday with a very exciting candidate, one of my absolute favourites for sale. It's a PRE stallion that has been competing morfoshows since he was 1 year old and has won several medals. He has a very good placement from SICAB also. Now he's showed his capacity also for dressage competing the FEI national dressage tests for 5 year olds with results over 69%. Is a Qualified Reproductor awell. He has the same grandmother as famous Fuego, I saw Fuego in the beginning of his training and I dare to say this one has even better natural movements. Very interesting talented horse and important PRE dressage representative. Also with the quality we need in for PRE breeding. Second client tour also finsished with two candidates, Halagador being one of the two. Professionally I think the other horse is the more suitable option for this client, but that is not my decition to make and next week we will know the chosen one..

Had a playday with the sisters. Novedosa looks like a 'skinhead' in her new haircut, she's the athlete full of energy and very confident. Picara is a queen, very sensitive and playful. 

Happy to be with my girls!

Hasta pronto!   

Picara PM  

Yesterday after riding the boys I went to prepare Novedosa for her sisters arrival. After some convincing she finally left her girlfriends in the field. She had just started to eat when suddenly she starts to choke and it looked like she was going to suffocate. Panic. She cramped and something was obviously stuck in her throat. Called vet. After 15 min she coughed up saliva but continued choking. After 5 more (long) minutes I heard a burping sound and that was it, when vet arrived she was ok. Puh.

Nova last night       

I decided to wait for Picara in stables so I could keep an eye on her but she was fine. Pica arrived 00.30 ok but had fallen in trailer so she was very careful and timid, poor girly. She looked stunning in the blue moonlight, seemed to recognize her sister and started to eat happily.

Today we have been getting to know each other, she is sensitive and shy but happy to be handled and cared for. 

Pica at home today

Yesterday we could walk around in shortsleeves and 24 degrees in Madrid city by night, lovely. But that was probably our last summerday because today it's f i n a l l y raining on my lawn!

Saturday the beautiful black PRE mare arrived to her new happy owner, congratulations Jessica!

Infanta 

The australian PRE stud has decided they want to postpone Donoso's breeding project to the coming breeding season 2013 as the season has already started and the cuarantene and freezing takes at least 1 month. Also they did not want to risk rushing the necessary formalities which is sensible and understandable, we look very much forward to do this project next year!

Today all three boys worked out and Novedosa got a new autumn haircut. She is a sweety, stands absolutely still and even let me shave the hairs inside the ears :)

Tomorrow Picara will finally come home, can't wait!  

Novedosa PM next to Donoso VII