Cutestuff # 1: colt handling

Have you met Cutestuff 1 yet?

Earlier this week I shared how the little filly we have here

(born just before Christmas here at Granite Glen)

sailed through her first handling session.
...

Here is Cutestuff #1, born just hours earlier than his chestnut half-sister,

in his inaugural hands-on encounter with Mr I.

Firstly, Mum (Jill, Mr I's main mustering mare until she got pregnant) was caught and placed in the small 'vee' yard near the handling area.
Then it was time to get up close and personal with CS1.

Perhaps it's because he is a boy, and all that testosterone makes him a little bit fiesty...

... but things were a little more physical than with CS2.

He's very strong, and bucked against Mr I's restraining arms.

Apparently his little heart was beating pretty fast too!

(I could make a bad pun about knowing how he feels, but that would be tacky! )
Hello Mum!

Mr I checked for soundness, feeling over the little bay colt's joints too...
And his strong little back and rounded little rump..

His heart rate is easing a little now...
Hello little Fella...

He's quite curious now...

investigating these new beings in his personal space...

Even the little pink beings...

(although he remained a bit unsure about this one!)

While he was skittish with the kids, I think it's really important they are introduced early - both for the kids and the foals! Who knows? Violet may well be the one riding him most in years to come...

Even if the anticipation of this weighs heavy on your mind CS1, go forth, knowing you passed your first human handling hurdle with flying colours!

Don't just look...see! (2)

When all you can see is barbed wire and dry grass...

Look closer.
Where is the unnoticed beauty in your life?

Sight of the Day!

I have to admit something: I'm not so much a 'morning person'.

It takes about two good coffees to get me kick-started before breakfast.

Of course, I live on a cattle property and have young children, so the chances of sleeping in past 7am are pretty slim. So I haul my body from the sheets by 6.30am most mornings and head straight for the Moccona jar. My family knows me well enough to work me wide til I 'come to' properly.

...

As I prised my eyelids open yesterday, two little voices called me from my semi-conscious-yet-upright state.

Hey Mum, we got a present for ya!

The voices were near the back steps.

I ambled to the doorway, to be confronted with this sight:

Have you ever seen two youngsters so pleased with themselves?

They had been down the yards ,while the men caught and saddled horses for mustering, and had decided to "help Mummy". Dash found his little wheelbarrow, they scrounged a little shovel from the shed somewhere, and hit the stables.

And did a little 'harvesting'.

Just for me.

Manure.

Fresh and whiffy and wonderfully wet!

It was like they had brought me the crown jewels.

Or a lobster dinner at the Hilton.

Would anyone like a side plate of cheese with that?

Cutestuff #2... handling 101

Remember Cutestuff #2... Admiral's daughter?

That cheeky little as-yet-unnamed* redhead who has been busily flirting her way into hearts all over blog-land? (Yeah, OK, on Granite Glen too).

Well this week it was time for her very first human handling session ...

Want to see what happened?

It was her first time in the yards... lots of firsts today and she's a little nervous and quivery.

Those endless ballerina legs don't know which way to dance... but sticking as close to Mum as humanly (equinely?) possible...

Ummm.

You are a bit CLOSE there, yonder human.

See that ear flicking back and forth?

It means (in horse-speak):

I am watching you. I am a bit unsure...

What do you want from me?

...

Mr Incredible quietly steps in to slide his hands around her chest so she cannot run away. Her Mum is right there, behind the gate. She is snickering quietly to her filly, but is not unduly alarmed - she is an experienced brood mare and knows all about this part of the game. But CS1 is still a little anxious...

I try to calm her.

Sshhhhh darlin'.

No-one's going to hurt you.

Those wide eyes say she doesn't quite believe me!

She stands well though, and doesn't fight against the hands holding her.

Mr Incredible slowly shifts his hands away, and releases her.

But the lesson is not yet over.

The real test is in getting them to relax enough to be easily caught a second time...

Hey baby girl... we are still here.

Want to try again?

Oh well done!

Those ears still darting a bit, but she allows human hands to still her a second time.

...

And this little nose ...

FINALLY quit quivering...

It's an A+ for CS2!

And here endeth today's human hands lesson...

I always like to end of a good note!

Or with a couple of cute (rear) ends, anyway!

...

*We may have a foal naming contest soon - however this little filly doesn't actually belong to us (we are looking after her Mama for another horse owner) so the moniker may not stick!

Montage #1 - the equestrian set

The images for my very first Bush Babe montage

were cleverly selected by Kate (from Utah Zen) ...

What do you think?
I waited until the parcel finally negotiated the Australian and American postage systems and was safely with Kate, before sharing it with you. It took almost four weeks (why, I do not know!) so I was utterly relieved when she emailed me it arrived OK.

I shall add it to the image list here... I'll keep adding images as they prove popular with visitors and those purchasing prints for their walls.

If anyone else has any clever ideas for a set of photos from this site, I would love to hear your selection. Or even what you'd like to see more pics of.

Thanks!

BB

PS More foal photos coming soon!

Culture'n'City'n'Country Roads...

We have just returned from a whirlwind trip to the Big Smoke: Bris Vegas ('Brisbane' if you are actually looking on a map!). A weekend away. It was lovely - exhausting but lovely. We managed to sqeeze in two visits to rellies (hello Grandad and Gwen, hello cousins T,J and L!) a spot of shopping, movie viewing

Mr I kindly took the kiddies to Bolt and left me to munch on popcorn while inhaling Australia *sigh*.

Oh look - Mr I at Granite Glen!

Jeez we need some rain!

What?

Oh, sorry, it's Mr Jackman (aka the Drover) on Far Away Downs. On the big screen.

heh!

...

The sweeping epic was wonderfully sweeping. And epic. Mr Incredibles all-time favourite actor David Wendham plays the bad guy fabulously. Our Nicole's brow moves, and she is perfect as the uptight Pommy aristocrat, and Hugh... well. What can one say? He just simmers and flexes and glowers ... what more can a girl ask for?

My heart actually belongs to the youngest member of the cast, Brandon Walters, who has the most incredible liquid brown eyes ever. Like Nicole's character, I totally wanted to adopt him by scene two. The kid is amazing - and he can act too. A star is born...

...

Can you tell I really enjoyed this movie? Although (don't you hate a "but" in the middle of your movie review) I shall be sticking my hand up the next time Mr Luhrmann shoots a movie and needs a stock advisor. No-one gallops AT or THROUGH the cattle in real life, Baz. Not if they want the mob to stay together... a minor point I know, but one that jars if you have any experience in the saddle.

...

But then of course, Our Baz more than makes up for this little lapse with a bit of this...

(Mum, please look away now!)...

Just to keep us all engaged.

*wipes brow*
All is forgiven Baz. No, really...

...
The real 'excuse' for the trip though, was my Christmas gift from Mr Incredible - tickets to the Cirque du Soleil. I adore the Cirque... we have seen every single show that has been to Australia since the first one (Alegria, I think) about five years ago. I was utterly blown away at that first experience. Mesmerised. We have taken the kids to one show previously (during which they hid in our coats for almost half the show) but decided to once again share the experience with them. It can be a little overwhelming sometimes, but the performances are so incredible and the costumes so breathtaking that I thought it cruel not to share it with them.

So Dralion was booked and Voilet and Dash combed and primed (no, Dash, there are no elephants in the show!) for their Big Circus Encounter.

The excitement built as we approached the blue-and-yellow tent (seen here from the Gateway Bridge) ... the event was set up on the docks on the Brisbane River.

I insisted on taking my Nikon in with me and shot a couple of glances of the place but I am (as always) disappointed that I could not take photos of the show itself. Of course, I understand the no flash thing - distraction is the last thing these guys need!

It could be disasterous!

But really, no words can possibly share the whirl of vivid colour, incredible action, amazing contortions and connections of the performers, interspersed with comedic relief by nonsense-babbling (non-red-nosed) funnymen.

No TV show can do it either.

...

If you have never been to one, you MUST try to go. Honestly.

Make it a 'bucket list' thing to do.

It really takes you to another world.

An incredibly beautiful, haunting, uplifting, surreal, fabulous world. Or in two words:

Must.

See.

Warning#1:
A visit to Cirque du Soleil MAY wear you out!

...

And for other traffic-phobes out there:

Warning #2:

It involves a whole lotta this:

*Blah!*
I am so spoiled these days...

with this view from behind the wheel instead...

The drives might be longer, but the scenery sure is better!

So now I am all "city-cultured out"... recovering from being on-the-move, driving for over 11 hours, shopping, movie-ing and cirque-ing.

...

So...how was your weekend?

Up close with Cutestuff 1 & 2

Did I mention somewhere about the current cutest things (don't forget the other one!) at Granite Glen?

And how these two breath-taking equine bubbas were sired by the late, great Admiral?

...
Clearly, I have been a little remiss at getting some more photos to make y'all go "aaaahhhhhh". And I am fond of a little appropriate "aaahhhing" ... what do you think? Shall I show some progress photos of Admiral's foals? Alright then, you twisted my arm!

...

Dash, Violet and I went out in the Prado to check on the pair of scamps... I warned my slightly rambunctious pair to try and keep a lid on their enthusiasm so they didn't scare the foals off while I was taking photos. They reluctantly agreed to "try and be quiet" and "try and move slowly" so as not to startle our subjects. Thus reassured (?) we set off down towards the dry river bed, where we found the brood mares and their offspring.

...

Got your "aaahing" gear ready??

This is what we found:
This is Cutestuff Number 1.

Obviously that's not his real name.

Actually he doesn't have a real name yet.

So until we all think of something outstanding, Cutestuff Number 1 (CS1) it is.

He's a colt (duh!) and is as handsome as Hugh Jackman.

Or Will Smith.

Or whoever floats your boat.

Mr Incredible and Hugh Jackman float mine.

(Just so you know!)

Number 1 is very handsome but still a real Mummy's Boy.

Not that there is anything wrong with that! After all, he is only two weeks old!
...

Oh look!

Here is his half-sister, Cutestuff Number 2 (CS2).

Work those eyelashes baby!

How adorable is she? Foals have such adorable eyelashes. And noses. And toeses.

Redheads rule (at least in the horse paddock here at Granite Glen).

Perhaps she could be called Ree? Heh.

Or maybe Bree (Desperate Housewives)?

(And is it just me, or is there a striking similarity between these two characters? What do you mean one is real and one is not? Heh!)

Now, where were we?

Oh. Cutestuff Number 2.

CS2 is a bit of a prankster.

She annoys her Ma endlessly with the whole "wriggle the rump under Mum's belly" trick.

This is something Violet tries on too. I feel for CS2's Mama.

Hang on! What's happened? No more posing little girl?

CS2 got a little shy all of a sudden, and trotted smartly around the other side of Mum while she pretended to nibble on a sheaf of hay... I turned around to find out what had caused this unexpected change of mood,

only to find this:

When I asked what on earth they were doing, Dash patiently explained:

We're being horses, 'course!

So the baby horses won't git scared an' all...
Right.

Of course.
Silly Mum.

My giggles then sent both Mamas packing, with foals in tow.

Darn!

How is it possible that even their fuzzy little bottoms are cute?