TWINS 

                                                               WOW  They Survived!!!!

On April 22, 2008 Elite Susie (Lea) gave birth to two happy healthy foals at 4:20 and 4:25 am.  Twins are very rare in the equine world, one set out of every 10,000 survive. We are very happy and excited to share with you that mom and both babies are doing wonderfully.

Lea can not produce enough milk to feed both babies so we are helping out with a bottle about every hour for each of them. If you've ever thought two is twice the money for income think again. Foal milk replacer is expensive!!!! Melissa has become mommy number two to them. What a bond this creates.

Elite Susie RHRR   x   Messenger CVH

barn names: Bonnie and Clyde

Registered names: Extra Message BRS and Multiple Message BRS

We have to share that early morning. We had done our usual 9:00pm check on her, it was her 337th day of pregnancy  (horses carry about 11 months). There was nothing new, she could go at any point, every thing pointed to it but nothing new to tell us that it was going to be that night. She had carried 330 days and 334 days with previous foals. My back was killing me so rather then stay at my mom and dads as usual and sleep in mom's recliner chair, I decided to go home to my own bed. We have cameras in the stall with the monitor at my folks, plus the mare was wearing a foaling alarm on her halter. If she lays down right out flat for more then seven seconds it sets off a pager. I knew my dad would keep a close watch and call me if any thing started to happen. At 4:05 am he called telling me it could be a false alarm but Lea was very uneasy. I flew in to my clothes as my dad called Melissa, who lives right by the barn. I think I drove about 65 (in a 40 mph limit) all the way to the barn. I ran in to the barn to have Melissa tell me I was to late, it was a boy. She alone had delivered her first foal. There she sat in the back of the stall towel drying this beautiful little guy. My dad headed for the treat bag, Lea was already looking for the treats. When she turned her back end to me there it was two more little feet headed out. Oh my god!!!! Excitement, fear we felt it all as I rushed in to her side as she lied back down to deliver the second foal.  I'm thinking  and saying, probably about a thousand times please let it be alive. Then the please let it already be gone if it's not meant to be. I was really expecting to be helping deliver a dead foal. I tore the sack off her nose and thank god she took her first breath. One hurdle down, she is breathing. Each first was so exciting, they both stood and nursed then everything else started working. I don't think we've ever been so excited to see babies poop. I kept saying pinch me, I must be dreaming. Every day has been wonderful, they are growing stronger and more precious every day. What an experience it has been, one most of us will never have and one I'm sure we will never have again.

5/17/08   boy have they grown!!!                                   Bonnie                                                     Clyde

We  are so happy, both babies are doing  so awesome, they are just the sweetest little guys. They continue eating more and more every day. Both of them have been so easy to handle, they are doing great at leading and we have started teaching them about being tied. They have been learning about the electric fence too. This is the hardest lesson, at least for us.  Bonnie excepts everything with out complaint at all and Clyde well he protests a little but less all the time.

8/3/08  Twins have been weaned!!!! Bonnie took it like a trooper. Clyde on the other hand who has been a mommy's boy right from the start was pretty upset for a few days. A week has gone by and he has decided that it is not the end of the world after all.  They are both still pastured with Bella (their half sister) and Auntie Penny and our wonderful baby sitter mare Auntie Natya. They have continued to grow like little weeds and are just as sweet as always. Now weaned we will really start to work with them more and we promise new pictures very soon. The twins are both for sale and ready to move on to a new home. We are really wanting them to stay together.

8/11/08 The twins have been sold. Stacy and Keith Newsome of Corinth KY. will be picking them up the end of this month. Stacy and Keith are Pro Ride Horse Transport, a cross country horse transport company that Brookside highly recommends if your moving your horse any distance. www.proridetransport.com We all suspect there won't be a dry eye in the place on the day they leave.

The twins have excepted life is okay with out mom, they are still growing like crazy. We still need new pictures, if ever it will stop raining!!!!!

8/24/08 at 9:10 pm the twins have left Brookside:(

 After introducing Stacy to her new babies which of course was love at first sight, we took them to meet Messenger, then on to meet Lea. Keith had met them when he delivered a horse here from FL. a couple months ago. Of course they loved both Messenger and Lea, can't be helped!!!  We here at Brookside are saddened to see them go but Keith and Stacy are really nice people who we know will give them a wonderful loving home. Bonnie walked up the ramp of the trailer with very little assistance and of course right behind her went Clyde as if they'd done it a million times. Keith and Stacy's trailer has such a perfect set up for hauling horses.  So many people asked if we were concerned about our babies traveling so far, not a bit was the only answer. We were very impressed with Pro Ride Transport at our first meeting only a few months before.  The twins walked into a roomy box stall with nice clean straw bedding where they made them selves right at home. Of course dirtying the stall was the first thing they worked on. The trailer has air ride suspension and cameras in the stalls so they can watch them the whole time. I'm not so sure that once they were down the road a bit that Stacy didn't end up in the trailer riding with them, then again maybe it was Keith that would be in with them. After loading the twins we all stood in the trailer visiting a while. The twins acted as if they were in their own stall in the barn, not a worry to be had. The twins may have moved on but we will give updates as we hear from Stacy and Keith on how they are doing. Keith and Stacy thank you for the loving home you will provide for these two miracle babies. Always remember you now have family here in VT!!!!!!

11/9/08 Twins are going great. Boy they sure have grown but are still as cute as can be. Stacy says "They are doing great!  So cute and such  personalities!  Bonnie is so sweet and does anything you ask of her.   Clyde is, well Clyde!  He loves attention but isn't above turning his tail to you and giving a little kick.  But we're working with him and  he will be fine. "I really think Clyde will look like Messenger, he already has a much longer mane than Bonnie. One nice thing about Clyde, he will come right up to me put his head in the crook of my arm and practically go to sleep for as long as I'll rub his nose, such a sweet baby". Remember Stacy give them lots of hugs and kisses from us. We miss them.