Can you believe our youngest equine Kalahari turned eleven months this morning?

She’s been growing well since we came back and has such a trumendous appetite-

that we (lovingly) refer to her as our little barrel!

Two weeks ago, she had her own visitor - the seven month old foal of a stockier breed (a Sudanese). His father, the late Gamji, holds the West African Sudanese records in this part of the world. At one point, I considered mating Sahara with him (which would have made the two young horses above siblings). I worried about Gamji’s dominant character, which combined with Sahara’s dominant character would make for one very bossy horse! In the end, Sahara chose love before merits, and let a sweet-natured colt named Rio father her beautiful daughter.

If I believed a timid sire would soften Sahara’s dominant genes, reality proved otherwise. Except for the shape of her head, Kalahari has inherited very little from her father. Just like her mother, Kalahari is self-confident and dominant, always leading the way. Four month older Isolde is her constant follower and the two “sisters” are constantly up to new mischief, thanks to Kalahari’s amazing cleverness.

Speaking of which, Isolde is recovering from her latest bout of piroplasmosis and is back to her old spirits again. With her head held high, it’s becoming increasingly difficult - at least from afar - to tell the difference between her and the other two grown horses! Can you? No? I told you it wasn’t easy…

(Isolde is the one to the left, Arwen in the middle and Sahara to the right)

Happy eleventh monthly birthday, Kalahari!