4/14/15, about 3 PM- BIG newborn! When I saw the nose coming I could not believe the size of it. I had called the vet as soon as Coral laid down (he ended up not having to come). Usually I don't, but after the two false alarms the previous night and going so far overdue, I was figuring maybe better safe than sorry. The foal's legs and nose were presented rather more sideways than in the normal diving position at first, which was concerning. After Coral got sternal a couple times before lying back on her side again, the foal seemed to rotate into the proper position.


Is that mine? (Notice the peanut gallery in the background.)


After a brief rest, Coral got back on her feet. Here she is talking to Callie and encouraging her to get up.


Callie's first attempt to get up, which was unsuccessful.


It's a little buckskin spider! Legs everywhere!


Funny face.


With a assist from me she is on her feet and headed directly for the milk bar.


First try, and bingo. Coral stood very still while the filly latched on. Some mares are not as accommodating, so I was grateful for her motherly ways. Her dam Topaz was a great Mom, so I had hoped it was hereditary. Happy to see that was the case!


4/16/15, Two days old- Rain has limited Callie and Coral's turnout, creating a wildebeest foal. It is amusing to watch her, though.


Airborne!


Callie caught sight of the herd.


Pretty head. Callie's expression reminds me very much of her dam at the same age: friendly and curious.


Coral loves her little "Creature".

>
Callie has a lot of body colored hair in her tail, a common finding with duns. Darned if she doesn't have a tiny dorsal stripe too, right down into the tail, like a dun! It would be neat if she kept it once she sheds! I always say Coral is my faux gray, her daughter could be my faux dun :-)


Proud mama and beautiful daughter.


Three generations: Coral and Callie with Kennebec Topaz, Coral's dam and the filly's grand dam, on the right over the gate. Topaz is 23 this year.


An interesting study in likenesses.


4/19/15- A week of practically non stop rain has made everything a mess. Coral was coming into her foal heat and got very wound up about something going on at the neighbors, and before long both she and Callie were mudballs. She finally settled with some hay and my neighbor Elizabeth Allen could have some one on one time with a now decidedly bedraggled Callie, who walked right up to her. Callie has yet to meet a stranger; she loves people.


4/21/15- One week old.


A couple of official one week old pics.


Watching Jim on the tractor.


4/24/15-10 days old- our dogs barking at the fenceline provided an opportunity for action shots.


10 days old. Filling out nicely! Coral's ventral edema is all gone.


4/28/15- Two weeks old- Callie got a visit from Lucy Ray. It'd be hard to say who had more fun, Lucy or Callie. I am more and more in love with this filly every day. She is bold and fearless, but kind and LOVES people. She is learning to be very mannerly and to control her boundless energy around people, and she learns very quickly because she is super smart.


Two weeks old- showing off her amazing speed and agility at the canter.


4/30/15, 16 days old- Callie went out in one of the big fields for the first time yesterday. This prompted some serious lap running as well as a stop and stare reaction to the alien creatures (goats) next door. Despite not being familiar with this field, Callie never put a foot wrong.


May 10, 2015, three weeks old- Cassidy Sutherland and her Mom Rhonda Evans visited yesterday to see Callie. Callie thought Rhonda's camera was very interesting- and maybe, edible.


Callie to Cassidy : "ooo, that's the spot... now a little to the left..."


Cassidy (or Rhonda?) took these with my camera. I don't have many pics of me with the horses and I didn't have any of me with Callie before, so THANKS ladies!


May 12, 2015- Callie began her introduction to the herd today. She had previously talked to everyone through the fence. Sometimes introducing a mare and foal in with everyone can be stressful, especially if the dam is protective. I was pretty sure Coral would have no problem with her mom being in with them, and that was the case. Topaz headed first to finish Coral's alfalfa (SUCH a Morgan!), and Callie laid down for a nap. Topaz then stood guard over her and Callie just seemed happy to have another friend. They were quickly all out grazing together and if Callie got a little too pesty Topaz warned her off with a look or backing up a few steps. Tomorrow will be Kyrie's intro to the new little family.


May 14, 2015- There were no problems introducing Kyrie and Rosie to the herd and here they all are together. Such a happy sight and a big relief to have this over with. Weaning time will be here before you know it, and Callie will need her friends to help her through that.


May 22, 2015, 5 weeks old- Callie is not really very photogenic right now. She is shedding but has gone overboard rubbing that itchy fur off on her face and ears and they are nearly hairless. That is the dark you see between eyes and muzzle; she is not going to actually be a dark buckskin. Above her eyes is properly shed and you can see she is pretty much the same shade of buttermilk as her grand dam Topaz.


Callie is an athlete. Notice her deep engagement behind in this picture. The distance between her hind hooves is greater than the distance between the fronts (look analytically at photos of other horses in this phase of the trot and you will see a lot with that ratio reversed, a sign they are traveling on the forehand). This "uphill" carriage shows a lot of promise for her future career in dressage, eventing or CDE.


The little family: grand dam Kennebec Topaz, dam Coral Forest and 5 week old Fantastical.


Callie and Coral coming up to check me out. I had a blanket on to get their ears up so this is their "what is this thing in our pasture?" expression.


Callie checks in with Mom.


This picture makes Callie look smaller than she is but she is standing downhill from Coral here. She is HUGE. I have had 3-4 month old foals that were her size, and she is just over 5 weeks old.


May 25, 2015- Callie and the herd went into a new-to-Callie pasture and she had a great time ripping around.


June 1, 2015, 6.5 weeks old- I can hardly wait until she finishes shedding. She looks so moth-eaten. But look at how big she is already!


Callie and her new toy.


June 21, 2015- Callie gets a visitor! Here she is with Juantonio Garcia. Coral of course had to include herself in the attention-getting ;-)


July 7, 2015- three months and weeks old- It's been awhile since I took pictures of Callie. She just looked so motheaten as she shed that I figured I could wait. She is not quite shed out here, but close. I used a can with rocks in it to try and get her to move for action shots. It was kind of a dud as these were the only two that I got. She only moves away a little bit when confronted by a new "scary" thing but then circles right back to investigate.


I had another "secret weapon" for getting ears up. Here Callie is watching it. See the next pictures for what it was.


Apparently Callie has seen Jim on his bike one too many times. It quickly became an object to chase. Or maybe, to eat. The first picture made the Southeastern Cycling website with Callie billed as "Jim's new cyclocross training partner" :-)


August 5, 2015- 3.5 mos old- It has been awhile between Callie photos. July was just so incredibly hot; this has been the hottest summer I can recall in 30-some years of living in Georgia. I did not have any energy for anything but my basic daily chores before returning to the house for a shower and some AC! Things have cooled back into the 80's the past few days, with rain. Callie was standing in front of the open barn door which for the full body shot (next) did not make for a very pretty background, but for this head shot well- just remove the top of the gate and WOW.


Her legs are longer than her dam's at 3.5 months.


Snack to go! LOL! Such a Morgan!


I think Callie looks very mature here and this pic gives a good idea of what she'll look like as an adult.


August 25, 2015- Callie is sold, so weaning day has come a little sooner than planned so she can travel to her new home in a few weeks. Here she is making a frustrated lap of the field. Also known as being in milk withdrawal, LOL!


Kyrie is always there for Callie to lean on. On weaning day she was especially needed.


Another weaning day picture. Callie is now 4 1/2 months old. I will be sad to see her leave, but know she deserves to have more attention than I can give her here.


"Stop to smell the flowers..." or maybe, taste them. SUCH a Morgan!


September 17, 2015, Callie's last day at Brookridge- Callie and Hayley Amerman formed an instant bond the very moment they met. It was sad for me to see Callie leave, but I am confident she is in good hands.


It took Callie about an hour to load, which I thought was not bad for a foal who'd never been exposed to a trailer before. She WANTED to go in, but could not figure out how to get her hind legs up in the step up. She finally figured it out and stood there quietly. Still, I am a worrier, and even though Sara had brought a companion horse for Callie, I worried about how she'd do once on the road, with all the traffic noise and sights. Well, here is my answer. She rode home quietly and settled in. She has since been on another trailer ride to a local arena for a show practice.


Callie meets one of Sara's longhorn steers!


September 26, 2015- Callie meeting Laura, Sara's Mom. The umbrella did not bother her at all. Apparently there is very little that scares Callie Flower!


December 2016- Hayley playing with Callie over some obstacles. Callie is a natural!


Summer 2017- Two year old Callie and Hayley.


May 2019- Callie and Haylee on the Memorial Day trail ride on the Buffalo River, central TN.


April 2020- Callie at age 5. She reminds me very much of her grand dam Topaz, but she is starting to fill out and get some curves like her parents. Thanks for the picture updates, Sara!


May 2021- Callie and Haylee on the 2021 Memorial Day trail ride on the Buffalo river, central TN.


July 19, 2022- Callie has arrived at Brookridge, in foal to KS Bluestem The Old Guard. Here she is meeting Leelee through the fence for the first time. The two became fast friends.


July 27, 2022- Callie has been here just over a week. It was unbearably hot but I wanted to get a few update pictures for Sara.



August 4, 2022- Another hot day.


August 25, 2022- Waiting for a shower to pass so I can turn her out and get pictures. Callie is still learning about the stall guard.


Well so much for "clean" horse pictures! My ear getter was this big ball, which was a flop at getting ears. Leelee found it interesting though.


Nothing comes between a Morgan and her food!


Still working at getting her head out of the grass long enough to show how beautiful she really is.


September 24, 2022- The neighbors were burning their trash which got Callie's attention. She is even more upheaded than this when she's really interested in something, but I was happy enough with these to use one as her new profile picture.


October 2, 2022- Jennifer Poulin Novaria, her brother Bill and Bill's daughter Morgan were here to pick up Leelee. Callie would not be denied! Here she is with Morgan.


October 8, 2022- Callie was part of the welcoming committee for the 34th Annual Southern Model Horse Convention held at the farm. Here she is with Laura Collier.


December 4, 2022- Showing off her baby bump!


February 4, 2023- She reminds me a lot of her sire in the right hand picture. Chonky preggo girl!


August 13, 2023- Today we had a wonderful visit from Kristi Peterson Hoffman and her boys Derek and Daniel from the Philly area. Kristi and I had never met but we know each other from the online game Howrse (International server). Her Mom lives in Florida now and they visit her each summer, so they stopped by on the way home. We are hoping to make this an annual visit!