Couldn't ask for better weather!

Had the day off from work today and was happy to see the sun shining...it's about time!!  Jim, Alyssa, my mom and I met with Bill Heiser last week to come up with a game plan for properly preparing the horses for the keuring (a "judging" where officials come from the Netherlands to inspect friesians and give them a score that is based 60% on movement and 40% on conformation, or how well they are built) which will be held in Marshfield, WI this year in September.  We had a fabulous dinner and are all very excited to have the  wonderful opportunity to work with Bill!  Dahlia (or Alli for short) is our main project for the time being since Nemo is pregnant.  She will be two years old in May so we are focusing on working with her on the ground by lunging and long lining her to develop good movement and muscle tone.  She seems to catch on to things quickly and definitely aims to please you-what a fun horse she is!  She also likes to have some fun along the way and see what she can get away with.  She will be trotting along quietly and suddenly stop to buck and kick just to see what you will do...lol!  I will quietly tell her to "quit it" and she just goes right back to what she should be doing.  She makes me laugh!  Today we decided to put out a 12" diameter PVC pipe in the snow in order to build muscle tone by having her trot over it.  I thought she might be a little skittish at first, but instead she quietly walked up to it and started pawing at the pole and quickly had it twisted throughout her legs....what a silly girl she is!  She then tried standing on top of the pole just to see what that would do.  I started lunging her again and she was like a pro and happily trotted right over it without any hesitation. 

Nemo, our six year old mare who is in foal to Nanning, on the other hand, has the luxury of quietly watching from her pasture while she muches on her hay.  She has been spoiled rotten and has been living the high life! We have been extra cautious with her after the tragic loss of Nanning.  She basically eats, sleeps and  gets her daily massages from my mom.  I spent some time with her grooming and giving her a backrub that she absolutely loves.  She nuzzled me the entire time and was even salivating by the end...too funny!  My mom and I were both very excited to have the opportunity to feel the baby kick for the first time today!  I can't believe her due date is just over two months away!