News Update May 24, 2008

She was born in the dark, in secret, at a time only the woodland creatures know of.

Late day, this past Saturday (May 24 2008), as the herd ambled by the house on their way to graze and spend their evening in the far east sector of the property I noted how visible Belina's udder had become. (Her's is usually very high and tight and out of sight.) And then, as the herd picked up a mellow canter to take themselves ahead of the pesky flies, I noted that Belina could only manage a brisk trot. I remarked to Kevin, "This could be the night." I wished them all a good night's passing, sent out sensations of love and tried not to worry should Belina indeed deliver her foal overnight -- trusting nature's ways still is hard for me at times.

Dawn came, but the horses did not. Breakfast was waiting for them but they were still off in the east sector of the property. I had a feeling...

...and with the assistance of binoculars Kevin and I could see a very small horse form among the dimly lit bodies of the rest of the herd. At least we were quite certain it was a horse... it surely looked small -- could it be a shadowy bush? It moved several feet, and bushes aren't know to perform ambulatory steps, so we were straight away off on a hike to greet the newcomer

Belina is not the best example of Sorraia type, (her sire is a Spanish Mustang of Sorraia type but her dam is a 13h Appaloosa Mustang Pony which had been captured several years before off one of the Washington state BLM ranges), she is small and while her coloring and facial profile are fine examples of Sorraia type, her overall conformation is round and pony-like. We obtained her as a "package deal" when we purchased Bella. Both came to us from their semi-wild 700 acre home in South Dakota, USA as yearlings. Hardy thought she might nonetheless make a contribution to the Sorraia project -- which was nice to hear because we had, of course, fallen in love with her immediately.

Belina expresses her opinions much differently than does Bella. Bella is sweetly stoic but Belina is easily frightened, easily irritated and quick to show anger. Don't let her diminutive form deceive you, she's a wild cat when she feels her space has been inappropriately infringed upon and has sent big Jerry running off in the other direction on many occasions. Even so, if approached in the right way, Belina is an absolute darling and most appreciative of attention.

It was no surprise to me then that Belina was especially protective of her foal, allowing only Altamiro to get in close with them, and even then, if he didn't go about it the right way, she'd give the stallion some strong words as only she can do.

Altamiro is already so wise in the ways of appeasing the female gender and clearly knew how to go about things the right way so that Belina would accept his protection and assistance with the new filly.

Of course, like you, I am wondering too... was Altamiro assisting with the birth of this foal, just as he did when Animado was born? Did Belina stay with the herd, or did she find a private place apart to deliver the tiny filly?

I only have observations to assist me with the answers to these questions. I know that Belina is basically a young mare who feels safest among the group... she has never been one to go off very far even when grazing in the open, but is always partnered up with one or more herd members. To be right in with the herd on the first morning of her filly's life tells me that she again, prefers to the safety of the herd, even though she would not allow anyone to come very close to her or her foal. Yet Altamiro was accepted, and his actions with the two of them are as tender and fatherly as he had been with Bella. I conclude the birth was probably very similar to the one I was allowed to participate in when Animado was born. Another first time mom, being so wonderfully maternal and seemingly pleased to have her own foal to tend to...and no need for humans to show her the way!

We are amazed that this filly is already showing the grulla coloring and was not born with the buff-colored foal coat that Animado has (which is beginning to shed out). And she is so dark! Hardy Oelke tells me that this coloring is much like Altamiro's sire who is a very dark grullo, darker even than Altamiro. So often one sees photos of the lighter variant grullo and dun coloring in Sorraias. We seem to have the darker variant, which fits into Ravenseyrie just fine.

Not being able to touch her, or see much of her because of Belina's strict rules governing such things made it difficult to get a sense of what this filly wanted to be named. Yesterday morning, however, as I was thinking of how tiny, yet exquisitely proportioned this shy filly is, and watching her frolic in short gravity defying bursts of energy I thought she seemed like some wee magical woodland sprite. Without verbalizing this, I asked Kevin what this filly made him think of. He said, "She's a little sprite." And so she is! We've named her "Fada" which means "sprite or fairy" in Portuguese.

This morning, the little fairy made contact with Lynne the human... it was all the more special for having to wait four days. While Belina was enjoying her special breakfast of oats, alfalfa cubes and apple slices, Fada ventured out a miniscule muzzle to first sniff and then fumble with the sweatered sleeve of yours truly. After a a minute or so of this, I resisted reaching out to touch her back -- instead I stepped back one step. Can you guess what happened? Fada stepped well forward and put her head against my leg, prodding me. It was then I reached down and got to caress and itch a woodland sprite, who happened to have an especially itchy spot in the center of her little chest and was delighted to know I could help her relieve that itch.

Heaven is not some far off place that you need to die to get to see... heaven is here and now.

Article and Photos by Lynne Gerard, Web page by MyHorse.ca