We are getting down to the last couple of introductions. These last two blogs will be about our two youngest members of the Berry Sweet family. First up is the 2 year old, Berry Sweet Perfection. My family still rolls their eyes when I say her name because I named her Perfection as she was perfect to me from the minute she came into this world.
Sundae was China's very first baby. She was bred to Ive Got Super Powers at my good friend Jess's place in IA. It felt like the longest almost 12 months of my life waiting for that baby to arrive, especially since she went over a week over due! The last week when she was dripping milk and we knew that birth was going to be at any time was the hardest. I don't think I slept a wink. This was before we had the cameras so the constant barn checks, only to be met with disappointment were exhausting.
Finally on April 1 (yes, Sundae was an April Fools baby), I turned Cher and China out in the arena to run around and stretch their legs while I cleaned their stalls. Tim came in the barn to see how I was doing and asked if I wanted China to foal in the arena. I thought he was playing an April Fools joke on me and laughed saying "very funny". He responded with that she was laying down and he had started to see the bag. Oops!
We got her back in her stall and Sundae was born not much later, maybe 15 minutes. She was our very first filly born on the farm and almost a carbon copy of her mom, right down to the face markings. If she had had two back socks - they would have been hard to tell apart as mature horses. I spent every spare minute I could hanging out with that cuddly filly. She has loved people since the minute she entered this world. So it was horrifying to me when, at only a few days old, I could tell that Sundae just wasn't herself. She seemed a slight bit lethargic and I called the vet to come check her out. Hours ticked by and when the vet arrived he checked her over and turned to Tim and I. "What's this foal worth to you?" were his exact words. My heart plummeted into my shoes as I looked at Tim with tears in my eyes. With a deep resigned sigh my amazing husband said, "whatever it takes."
Our vet is very frank about things and his reassuring words were that we had caught it early and it was probably an easy, but not inexpensive, fix. Sundae and China had to make the trip to the equine hospital in Stillwater and spend a few days there to get her joint flushed and be on antibiotics. Because we had caught it early, it was an easy fix and Sundae came home as good as new. Knock on wood, she has been healthy ever since. She never lost that curious and loving nature and quickly won over the techs and vets at Stillwater. We were glad to get them both home though. It was the best summer with 3 friendly babies that loved attention in the pasture that year. I still feel Sundae set the tone and showed those two other babies that humans were THE BEST.
Sundae was my first ever in hand project. I learned a ton last year thanks to Sundae. I learned what worked and what didn't. I screwed up and we fixed it together. She had her yearling moments where she added some "flair" to our lungeline goes but she always was my very best girl. I couldn't have asked for a better partner. She has won two buckles already for last year and I know that she has a lot more exciting accomplishments in her future. Starting Sundae under saddle was easy and anti climatic. There were lots of happy tears when I rode her around the first time. She is my very FIRST baby that I planned, watched be born, named and then got to put the first rides on. She is our first Berry Sweet baby that we created and have shown from the start. For every pony in the future, Sundae will always get to be that special spot in Berry Sweet history.
There is only one thing "wrong" with Sundae. Sundae was supposed to be little. She was China's first baby and everyone KNOWS that maiden babies are supposed to be small. Sundae didn't get the memo. Sundae is currently over mature POA height limits as a 2 year old. She will not be able to be shown in the regular breed show classes. She can still come along and show in the open classes though so we aren't too bummed. IF the right home came along that wanted to show her in the Pinto classes (which she is also registered for) or I think she would make a wicked hunter pony, well - you could maybe pry her out of my hands. Until then I'm going to ride her and enjoy her and show my open show "pony".
Despite her size, Sundae is still "perfection", as her name implies, to me.
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