Robusta ZIA!
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Tireless night watches….Fifteen to be exact. Over two weeks I dedicated myself to sleeping in the barn. Propelled forward by the impending arrival of our newest ranch addition. Our fostered mare, “Zuni” was due to deliver any day! All the signs were in place…and she had begun Emmy award winning nightly “false labor” performances that could have deceived the most experienced foaling attendant! My nerves pushed me on…my nerves and stubborn pride…after about 3 nights in the barn…I was dead set on sleeping in their until that baby arrived!
April 3rd, the Saturday before Easter, my eyes blurred open in the cold morning air….for the 16th morning in a row, I peered out from under my sleeping bags at the tiny baby monitor in my tack room next to my make shift cot. I let out a long sigh as I gazed at the GIANT prego mama still standing in her stall. I watched my breath make tiny clouds as I grumbled…”oh Zuni”. I quickly got up out my “barn bed” and fed all the horses their breakfast in the chill of the morning. The horses nickered gratefully as I dropped hay…and mama greeted me like business as usual. “Oh well, maybe we will get a baby tomorrow”…I left the group of munching beasts and went inside the house the brew a nice hot, strong cup of coffee.
Our Saturday foal class was to arrive at 10am. After a few cups of good coffee, I hurried about tidying up and getting things in order for my soon to arrive students. It was about 9am, and I made my way back out to the barn for some last minute stall cleaning…and as I brisked by Zuni’s stall…I noticed something laying in the hay… "boy her stall is dirty” I thought to myself…and then I saw a small dark figure bustle in the straw! It was a BABY! I had just missed it! A perfect little petite filly! Just darling and so STRONG!
Class arrived shortly and as if Zuni timed it herself…my students were able to see and touch a tiny, still wet newborn foal! So amazing!!!!!
Our long awaited baby was a little Bay filly standing next to her proud Appaloosa mama. Because Zuni was bred unintentionally on a feedlot while awaiting her inevitable fate…(AAE) the rescue, that save Zuni had know way of knowing who the father of this foal was. But the moment this baby made her arrival we could see some definite clues. With her tiny petite bay figure, her sweet little hook pointed ears, proud neck and tail… and not to mention a sweet little dish face…we knew right away our baby was half Arabian! Amazing.
We knew we had to give this spirited little girl a sassy little name that could stand up to her personality…so we named her “Zia” which means “light” in Arabian. Perfect for A Ranch of Light’s first baby. Zia was darned with the full name, “Perfectly Brewed Robusta Zia”.
Zia is precious…but sassy and full of herself! Dramatic and spirited…this little girl is full of fire! The day she was born , I mentioned to a friend…”this wasn’t exactly the kind of foal we were planning for” and she in all her wisdom said “ God never gives us what we want, He always gives us what we need”.
Zia is exactly what God picked for us! We are excited to see what God has in store for this little filly!
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Back to the Barn!
