Apparently there are many people who have "forgotten" or perhaps never knew. Dad is gone now, a victim of Covid 19 in early 2020, along with many other soldiers who lived at the Holyoke Soldiers home. Honestly, in a sense I am glad he is not seeing what’s going on.  

My mind reflects on closer to home difficulties over these past 2 years which included major life-saving Surgery of the human kind, Veterinary emergencies, Real Estate Roulette, Fraud, Lies, Rumors, Deceit, and being stabbed in the back behind the scenes. Uncertainty of the future most definitely occured.  But, we stayed the course. Considering the source of the challenges served good purpose. There was simply nothing to do but to pick ourselves up, dust off, on move on. 

Over the winter, numerous people contacted us to see if we were open for tours, but we don’t do tours in the winter. Honestly, I got the feeling some inquiries were people wondering about our status; possibly wondering if we were still in existance, or if our ponies were going to be dispursed. 

I’m here to say that we were and still are alive and well, despite it all.  Our volunteers, believers, and followers would not let such a thing happen.  Everyone came together - all of them brilliant, honorable people.  

Our mission has not changed.  In fact we have evolved to be where we had dreamed of being one day. Our plan was never to collect all the ponies we could find, never to put notches in our belts. We have always stuck to our mission. We have always considered the Newfoundland Pony first in every thing we do.  We have always believed the herd should grow in Newfoundland. Always believed in their traditional usage being preserved and promoted. Always believed that the pony is Newfoundland's Pony and Newfoundland's heritage, not Canada's, not the USA's.  

We continuously assess who is benefiting from every step we make.  Proud to say it has and will always be, the pony.  No one associated with us has profited from their plight. Our mission is clear, our boundaries are as well. 

We have moved forward with those whose sense of decency is the same, honest people whose hearts are true. We, including our ponies, have found safe haven. 

That said, the world is still a mess and the incidence of mental health issues has risen drastically. But the number of professionals who can help them has not. There is sadness, depression, anger, dispare, frustration.  Add this all up and it is no surprise that substance abuse has ensnared more people, good people.  

Today the ponies work side by side with people battling substance disorders at a therapy farm close to our new location. We are offering Equine Assisted life skills development programs there, both for residents and the community. 

While the residents learn about the breed, and how to care for the ponies (and other animals there), through our Side by Side People & Ponies EAL program, they are also working on building relationships, both with the ponies and with people. 

Unlike humans, ponies don’t lie, they don’t judge, they don’t hold grudges, they’re not vindictive, and they give immediate feedback. Interactions are life changing. In this case it is life changing for all - on top of ponies and people working together for a better life, the farm has joined us in our mission.  Newfoundland Ponies will be bred and born there. 

Other aspects of what we do have changed as well.  Our new farm is no longer open to the public. Bittersweet, while we were busy helping ponies & people for 11 years, we forgot about taking care of ourselves.  But no worries, in due time, there will be opportunity for the public to meet the ponies.   We will announce that as soon as plans are firmly in place. 

In the meantime be well, be safe. Please keep the people and animals of Ukraine in your hearts.   Little Blue and Daffodil are proud to wear the blue and yellow. 

LOOKING BACK, PART 5.

​Applewood Highland Heather was most definitely pregnant, confirmed via ultrasound.  To see the tiny pony fetus made our hearts jump but at the same time, reality set in hard.  We now had a pregnant pony and we needed to ensure all would go well.  However, we knew nothing about breeding. Once again, Cindy Mehaney was more than happy to mentor us.  She had much experience with these ponies, and many foals were born thanks to Cindy's efforts. 

Over the nearly year long gestation, we watched over Heather and sought advice from Cindy.  An experienced mare; this would be Heather’s 6th foal but unfortunately only her 4th purebred foal.  Crossbreeding with an endangered breed mare is not wise. It puts a purebred mare through the rigors, the risk, and time dedicated to carrying, birthing, and raising a crossbred foal that will not help the breed.
As Heather’s foal grew, so did our trepidation. I purchased books on foaling and over the winter, read everything I could find. Our birthing kit was set-up months before hand. Foal-safe fencing was installed. A foal blanket was purchased. I consulted with Poulin feeds and put Heather on their hay balancer. And bought a foal halter. What I had read was that it was super important to get a halter on the foal within 30 mins of birth so they will imprint on you. That stuck with me and so I was prepared.

All was well, but while her pregnancy progressed perfectly, our farm suffered a tragedy.  Winston, my beloved mini-donkey who had a police record in 3 towns and was so famous for his antics that Animal Planet reached out about having him in a show, and who was my reader’s favorite subject in a column I wrote, was found hanging from a hay net wrapped around his now broken neck. He was gone and I was devastated. 

When we found Winston, the ponies were standing all around him. They were clearly effected. Once his body was removed, I went back to comfort the others.  His best donkey pal, old Shaggy, stood there looking numb, with his head hanging down.  As I went over to him,  I totally broke down, I lost it and sobbed from the depth of my soul and heart.  Heather slowly waddled over to me.  Softly yet with purpose, she leaned her body against mine and hugged me. At that moment, I felt loved and as my tears fell on her, I felt her foal kick for the very first time.  It seemed like she was saying that there is life still, all around us, and another one on it’s way. 

That was the day when we named the foal.  Winsome Dream.  Winsome after my beloved Winston, and Dream after her father Macosa’s Dream.  But after the tears had subsided, a thought hit me.  Maybe Heather was trying to tell me that Winston’s soul had joined the unborn foal’s soul.  How beautiful but on the other hand Oh Shoot!!  If that foal was anything like mischievous Winston, we were screwed! 

Every day spent on foal watch seemed like this foal would never be born. I used my books to check for signs of going into labor, such as her udder bagging up, her tail head “softening”, and vulva lengthining…but there was nothing that I could see. 

On April 11th, I happened upon Heather laying down, looking like she was pushing. Convinced this was it, baby’s birthday, I stayed. But Heather gave me a dirty look, got up and did nothing else, all night long!  Exhausted, the next day I purchased a baby video monitor.  She still hadnt bagged up.  And to my eyes, she showed none of the signs I read about over and over. 

Just before sunrise on April 12th, via the monitor, I heard Heather moving around. She was in labor! We raced to the barn just in time to see Winsome born. With our veterinarian on the phone coaching us, Mom and baby met face to face.  Tansy and Mandy came over to see and nickered at Winsome, her wobbly legs unfolding as she stood. Then, all at once, the sun started to rise, a flock of wild turkeys showed up gobbling, 30 ft away. Chickadees called to each other amongst the trees. A neighborhood Rooster crowed. And Shaggy let out the biggest bray we ever heard.  It was a beautiful welcome to the world. 

Oh, and my worry about haltering the foal within 30 mins?  Winsome was born friendly, she came right over to us and to anyone who came to see her. Mom was cool with it too.  Imprinting with a Newfoundland Pony at birth I have since learned does not apply.