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Children Hope and Horses
Florida Equine Therapy
Equine therapy nonprofit
  Aoife's Story  
 

Laura had another 'vision'......... !

Since the CH&H children learn life lessons from the program horses; lessons that heal their wounds; wounds that will prevent them from leading happy, productive lives; wounds that can, if not healed, turn them into a societal problem/burden..... Why not open up a whole new horse world to them ?? Why not let them learn basic life-lessons from a (mother) mare and her new foal (child) ??

Why not let them watch the mare/foal bonding, the trust, the protection, the security, the teaching, the discipline the love as it unfolds from birth and develops another winner ??

 
  So Laura set out to locate a donation of another kind for her winner ! Since even a "pedestrian" sire's stud fee is never free... the search became one, not just for the "right" stud, but, for the money to pay the fee. And, since LeLe is not a CH&H program horse, even though she is always there to inspire the children.... all of her upkeep and expenses are always kept separate and distinct from the charity.

When Laura talked to LeLe's driver, Chuck Connor, the veteran had been so impressed with the little mare's gutsy character and potential that he offered to provide the sire....free ! Knowing pacers as he does, he felt that the stud he had was a perfect match and had a high probability of producing another winner !

We did not have a clue that Chuck planned to use the NJSS "Horse of the Year" as the sire ! Squaw's Fella is his name, and, winning is his game (look him up). He won the NJSS Championship....a $150,000 race at the The Meadowlands, where all the top pacers in the country compete. This big guy is a big winner in the "big leagues" of harness racing !.....What a 'bonus' !

Well, that was last May ! By the summer, LeLe's sonogram and tests showed a healthy fetus that would probably be a little girl, with an ETA of April, 2010. Yes, it was a girl..... and, she made it an April delivery with only 2 hours to spare. April, 30th @ 10pm.

Our new little girl, Aoife (pronounced "EE-FA") took about an hour to rest up from her trip and to get her bearings before wobbling to her feet to explore her new world. For close to 2 hours, with frequent stops for nourishment from mom, she explored everything....mom, the water buckets, the visitors....everything.....before she put herself down for a nap.
Aoife was off & "pacing" from the get-go ! What stamina !

Here are some pics.....		  
 
Here's Mama LeLe with her newborn foal, Aoife !
  
 
 
 
At 16 hours old..... Aoife is already surveying her domaine (next to Mama, of course!).
  
 
 
 
Never know when the 'chow' bell will ring..... Time for some nourishment ! (Waddya expect from a 16 hour old baby?)
  
 
 
  And, a week later.... What a beautiful little girl...... The color has changed (& will keep changing)
the ribs are gone..... and she is staring down the photographer while letting Mama replenish !
To nurse a demanding-ever-hungry foal takes a lot of replenishment fuel !

And, folks, that is what a potential winner looks like !		  
 
 
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