# Wikke



## Sara (Jul 6, 2007)

After 2 years of saving and 2 years of waiting, my colt was finally born this year. He came out healthy, but with a detached placenta. As a result, he lost his suck reflex. So he spent the first few days of life at the Virginia Tech vet school, learning that his mom was not a big black monster and that she provides the milk, not the water bucket in the corner.

Anyway, just a few pictures. He's about 3 weeks old now.

They pumped him full of antibiotics at the hospital to keep him from catching any bugs and put a feeding tube in his nose for the first couple of days.









Teaching him to make the jump from bottle to mare.



























First leading lesson.









Cori wondering why the heck I'm following her around the pasture with a camera.









2 weeks old.


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## Lyra (Jul 8, 2007)

OO!! He is precious! I love the third picture of him.


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## meggymoo (Mar 10, 2007)

Aww he's gorgeous. :wink:


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## Sara (Jul 6, 2007)

Thanks 
He's a little bundle of energy now, runs all over his mom; she's a pushover when it comes to discipline.


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## alucard (Dec 8, 2006)

He's cute!! boy I wish I could afford having my baby horse stay at the Virginia Tech Center. Your lucky!


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## Sara (Jul 6, 2007)

Luckily, I don't have to pay for it; that's the breeder's responsibility at this point. However, she is also a good friend, so I'm glad he only had to spend 3 days there.


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## Friesian Mirror (Jan 11, 2007)

I hope he's doing okay, he's so gorgeous! Is he a Friesian? I love the 3rd picture, it's so cute


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## Sara (Jul 6, 2007)

Friesian Mirror said:


> I hope he's doing okay, he's so gorgeous! Is he a Friesian? I love the 3rd picture, it's so cute


Yar, he is Friesian; a Heinse colt out of my friend's Wander mare.


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## cleveland (Jun 28, 2007)

aw he's breathtaking
!!!
so curly and cute!!!


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## Babyrowz (Mar 16, 2007)

he is lovely,im sure he will make a good horse/pony when he is older.


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## Sara (Jul 6, 2007)

New pics at 2 months old...he's all brown and wooly right now, but you can see where he's shedding out to black on his face. He's really filling out and he's got a big elevator butt right now


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## jumpjaky (Aug 22, 2007)

aw hes beautiful! its a shame though  hes going to grow up and everyone is going to be so jelus your so lucky!


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## ~MavvyMyBeauty (Apr 16, 2007)

He is beautiful! You are very lucky.


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## friesian_lover (Aug 10, 2007)

Isn't he something?!! Sooo handsome!! Congratulations on him, tell me your story. I am saving up for a Friesian, and recently I've been thinking "outside the box" about getting a young colt rather than saving up my money for 3 years to buy a 3 yearold, much less expensive, plus i'm mainly interested in having a companion so why not start off when he's just a babbyy.


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## xx-rambo-xx (Apr 13, 2007)

Aww..he's absolutely stunning!  
Such a gorgeous little expression..looks to be a great mover too!
In that 3rd 2 month old pic, he looks like he's in the show ring..ears pricked, square halt.. :wink: 
I'd just like to say too, it's excellent photography. =) Compliments to the person who took the photos!


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## Sara (Jul 6, 2007)

Friesian_lover, those were my thoughts too. Plus, you get the added bonus of watching them grow up and really getting to bond with them...I'm glad I went this route. 

Right now, he's mastered leading and getting on and off the horse trailer. He's learning how to stand tied in the stall for short periods of time. He's getting better about the clippers too, though he still stands with his nose in his mom's flank for comfort.

The keuring's in September, I'll post more pictures of him then and let you know how he fares


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## Sara (Jul 6, 2007)

xx-rambo-xx said:


> I'd just like to say too, it's excellent photography. =) Compliments to the person who took the photos!


Hehe, my friend Dawn is a bit of a photophile...really nice camera, I'd be scared to use it, even if she let anyone touch it! These are her photos, I just cropped and adjusted them in Photoshop.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Very cute.

Just wondering... Why does he has bandage around nose on 1st pic?


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## Sara (Jul 6, 2007)

kitten_Val said:


> Just wondering... Why does he has bandage around nose on 1st pic?


He had a feeding tube put in his nose until he learned to suckle. The vet techs would milk the mare every day and feed the baby via the tube every 3 hours or so. The bandage was to keep the tube up and out of the way so he didn't pull it out.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Wow! Poor baby!


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## friesian_lover (Aug 10, 2007)

Sara said:


> Friesian_lover, those were my thoughts too. Plus, you get the added bonus of watching them grow up and really getting to bond with them...I'm glad I went this route.
> 
> Right now, he's mastered leading and getting on and off the horse trailer. He's learning how to stand tied in the stall for short periods of time. He's getting better about the clippers too, though he still stands with his nose in his mom's flank for comfort.
> 
> The keuring's in September, I'll post more pictures of him then and let you know how he fares


Where are you located? I am in Victoria, but I was hoping to make it out to Monroe to check out the Keuring, never been to one and I would like to learn more about them. I wasn't really considering a baby Friesian because I have never had the chance to handle a foal like that, but now I am considering it, probably something you just learn as you go along, i mean its not rocket science...i dont think? lol Any suggestions?


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## horse_luver4e (Jul 12, 2007)

omg he's beautiful! I love his arched neck and his head is so high!


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## brittx6x6 (Mar 4, 2007)

He is absolutely GORGEOUS!!! He is going to look just like his mom! I am so excited for you! Have fun raising him because it's something you will never forget!


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## Sara (Jul 6, 2007)

friesian_lover said:


> Where are you located? I am in Victoria, but I was hoping to make it out to Monroe to check out the Keuring, never been to one and I would like to learn more about them. I wasn't really considering a baby Friesian because I have never had the chance to handle a foal like that, but now I am considering it, probably something you just learn as you go along, i mean its not rocket science...i dont think? lol Any suggestions?


I'm in the western part of Virginia, so we'll be taking the colt and a couple of 3 year old mares to the keuring in Lexington, VA. Its always a good time, lots of people very passionate about their horses and willing to talk about them non-stop!

I think if you do your homework, starting a colt or filly isn't a huge stretch of the imagination. Read, watch videos, go to clinics...all horse training can be broken down into very simple steps. If anything, I think foals are easier, because you KNOW what they've been taught.


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## friesian_lover (Aug 10, 2007)

I agree with you completely, I have had to train some very green 4 and 5 yearolds, and I think because they are much bigger and have more power and like you said before you have no idea what they've been taught, it can be a little more difficult. I would love to be able to bond with my forever friesian right from the start. I dream about it everyday and i know it will happen soon.

By the way i love your avatar, did you draw that?


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## Sara (Jul 6, 2007)

The avatar is something I picked up from another forum, I just liked it

For your first foal, I think its a good breed to start with; overall, they are very people-oriented and calm natured, though youngsters will still be youngsters and some are hotter than others (Tsjerk offspring seem to be like that a lot). But overall, a very forgiving breed. 

Breed-specific things you want to focus on in training include teaching them about personal space...they have no sense or respect of it, and they want to get close to you all the time. If they are scared, they will often jump towards their handler instead of away. Also, they tend to be slower to react to signals and aids...not like draft horses, but not as quickly as your average warmblood either. So excercises to keep them mentaly agile and quicker to react to pressure are good.


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