We brought Fiona home a week ago and unfortunately I have been crazy busy and not able to spend a ton of time with her. Regardless, we've picked away at establishing a relationship and I'm honestly waiting for the other shoe to drop. This mare is incredible. Seriously, how did she just fall into my lap?!
As previously mentioned, Fiona sustained a pasture injury and they chose to breed her after receiving a 70% prognosis for full recovery. She was sold to me as appearing sound in the pasture, but given that I didn't purchase her to be a riding horse I wasn't entirely worried about her soundness and didn't give it much thought. To be honest, I hadn't even really seen her trot before I bought her - lol! I saw a short jumping clip (below), and a video of her trotting with her foal, wherein her foal was at her side, so I really couldn't see her, and that was it.
Now that she's home, she's in a small paddock quarantining before she meets my herd. I have been doing my best to stretch her legs and get her out for a change of scenery, as well as get to know her in the process.
I've taken her into my barn for some grooming, and she's pretty darn chill. Her condition is still kinda 'meh', so I have been fairly reluctant to share much but beyond that, structurally I really like her. She's very much an "Old Type" Warmblood; she's heavy boned, big, long and angular. She currently has zero topline and a gut with some ribs visible in certain light, but I'm reminding myself (and evidently everyone reading this) that not only did she just wean a foal, she's had some serious life changes so that doesn't really surprise me. Structurally, she's proportionate and quite correct.
The previous owners had some reservations about her front leg conformation, but she is structurally quite straight, as is her 2021 foal.
I decided to pop her out on the lunge line and was honestly surprised what I found. For starters, she looks perfectly sound. She's very sure footed and has a fabulous trot! Canter I have a hard time evaluating because for the most part the circle is small and she's a big girl, plus she's sort of giraffing around lunging in a halter, but still, it appears balanced and uphill all things considered.
I'm honestly so excited for what she has in store for my budding breeding program, and I can't wait to continue getting to know her. Today I pulled her tail hairs and prepared them to send out to UC Davis to test for Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome (WFFS) to do my part in reducing the risk of passing that on while being an ethical breeder and just... doing the right thing, lol. Pending that coming back as negative, the boyfriend hunt will commence! Currently, I have a handsome man on my radar, but nothing is set in stone yet.
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