2015 (May) STABLES at PINETTE RACEWAY

My day #1 of equine photography started at Belfast’s home raceway. This is racing as I remember from the 1970’s. I was a mother’s helper and they brought me along to the races to look after the kids; we always toured the stables beforehand so my boss’s husband could check the horses.

The smells are the same – love it! the curious horses checking us out, the busy manure-movers and the absent-minded jockeys with their thoughts on the race to come, have not changed over the years.

This is re Miss Emily, being harnessed for a jog.

This is re Shelley’s Man, above and below.

Just a Professor being saddled by John Cleary

This is early May, 2015 as evidenced by the snow. Cool breezes for sure.

Whimroader

2015 Ocean View Stable

In the spring of 2015, I started to investigate my neighbourhood looking for mares and foals. I headed out Garfield Road, Belfast and took the first left.

I passed through rural PEI – plowed fields, untidy brush and a pot hole pitted road when suddenly I was on new pavement and was treated to a view of the well-groomed yards, tidy home and very busy barns.

At Ocean View Stables, I interrupted the farmer cleaning stalls and he kindly said “Hang around a minute, I think one’s foaling now!”

He then directed me to a nearby pasture and headed back to his midwife chores. There were a small herd of yearlings, their winter coats starting to shed, leaving them looking moth-eaten and untidy. But still inquisitive!

Meet Summerville Hallee with a wee bay foal, one of the first of the season.

It was a few weeks later that I returned to OceanView. The grass was longer, waving in the breeze, dandelions showed round fluffy heads and the foal population was booming.

The pasture basked in the warm spring sunshine backed by a forest of birch and maple, their fresh new leaves bright green. I followed a packed red-earth track and found two mares-in-waiting, their bellies rounded by pregnancy. The bays moved lasily, black tails swishing the flies away as they came forward to investigate.

I was a distraction in their day, a mere curiosity.

I backtracked down the narrow road to find three mares and foals, all different shades of bay, black manes and tails on the bronze and mahogany browns.

Then, back at the main barn and pastures, last year’s foals had stretched out into furry yearlings, all spindly legs and curious eyes.

                                                                                                                     In early June, I checked back at Ocean View. The mares and foals were pastured across the road from the main barn and I lugged my equiptment down a sundappled pathway thru leafed-out maples and flowering rose and serviceberry to a pasture surrounded by birch and  dark evergreens.

It was like we were miles away from barns or roads or people, just us in the heart of the island.

 

Bay mares and foals, June 2015

Bay mares and foals, June 2015

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               And the farm work of the day carries on.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            2015 STABLES AT MERIDIAN FARM        A week or so later, I stopped by Meridian Farm in Charlottetown. John was gracious and once the bosses were happy he showed me around. The yearling fillies were out in the paddock, kicking up a bit and curious about me, too.

 I like the back-lit effect.

Then John introduced me to a bay mare and her long-legged foal.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             And then I met a mare and pony. The pony is Elmo.

As I moved to the back paddock, another mare, Molly, was led out with her filly. This little one was personality plus!

I mosey’d back to the front paddock where I met the mare Princess (Hypnotic Khris) and her colt, now a 2 yr old trotter called Gettin Messi.

This mare with the star (below) is Someone Like You and her foal.

…on a tear!!

And this is Chiavanasca and her bay filly, a trotter now named Cheeky Cherry.

John was cautious, moving the first two mares and foals back into the barn before bringing out more.

This is Mall Shook Up and her bay colt pacer, Mall Peen Hammer now a 2 yr old.

We had some excitement for the end of my day when the light bay colt got separated from he mare, looked like he balked going past her then tried to go behind her…

…but with the tongue out, it’s like he’s saying “Can’t get me now, I’m with Mom!”