Calidora GypsyCobs

SD Bluebells - "Eden"
2019 Blue blagdon mare
NFS

I have no fancy photo today, just a sweet picture a friend took of Eden and me yesterday while she was here to visit. I don't often share pictures of myself because I'm usually the one behind the camera.

I bought Eden sight unseen from England (from SD) when she was just a long yearling. Watching her bloom from a young filly to the incredible mare she is today has been an amazing journey. While I love all of our horses, Eden very quickly became my heart horse.

What is a heart horse? A heart horse is something you feel, a connection unlike any other horse you've come across. It's an intensely powerful and deep affinity for each other. It's an unbreakable bond. If you haven't felt it, it's hard to explain. Once you have it, you know that bond will be hard to find again.

I've been lucky enough to have two heart horses in my lifetime. My first was a sweet bay Thoroughbred gelding named Romeo. I had him for 14 years, until he passed away at 24. Now I have Eden, who will hopefully be with me for the rest of her life.

Calidora's The Devil Wears Prada
2023 blue blagdon mare
(SD Bluebells X SD Empire)

Prada is one of our Calidora foals from 2023. She is out of my gorgeous blue blagdon mare, Eden (SD Bluebells) and by the stunning world champion, SD Empire. These days, Prada is living her best life in South Dakota with her wonderful family. I know I usually share my more polished, artistic photos, but when her family sent us this picture, it was simply too good not to share!

Yes, our horses have all the things you want in the breed - beautiful conformation, gorgeous hair, abundant feather, great bone, etc. One of our favourite traits is the gentle temperament this incredible breed is known for. And sometimes... Their complete lack of understanding of personal space. 😂 Okay, okay—we do teach them manners!

We absolutely love seeing how much our horses adore their people and how their goofy, affectionate personalities shine through. Watching them settle into their homes, build bonds with their families, and grow into the unique horses they were meant to be is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.

Every one of them is different. Every one of them is special. And seeing updates like this always makes us smile.

Time for some real talk—this is important for anyone breeding horses. Farming isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. This past week, we lost our only 2026 foal, a beautiful c**t we named Elliott. Despite multiple veterinarians and doing everything possible, we couldn’t save him.

In over 20 years of breeding, I had never heard of Neonatal Isoerythrolysis (NI). That's how we lost Elliott. By sharing our experience, my hope is that someone else may recognize the signs early and prevent a similar loss from happening.

In very simple terms: NI happens when a newborn foal’s red blood cells are destroyed after it drinks its mother’s colostrum. It happens because the mare’s colostrum contains antibodies that mistakenly attack the foal’s red blood cells due to a blood type incompatibility. There is a lot more to understand about NI, and I strongly encourage you to do further research.

Foals affected by NI often appear normal at birth but may quickly become weak and develop jaundice within the first few days of life. This is a big red flag and requires immediate veterinary attention. Additional symptoms can include difficulty standing, dark urine, poor nursing, lethargy, as well as elevated heart and respiratory rates.

Mares that have produced an NI foal cannot safely provide colostrum to future foals unless blood compatibility is confirmed. However, NI is manageable. It is not a hereditary condition, and affected mares can continue to have a successful breeding career with appropriate management.

Please consider donating colostrum to local veterinarians or colostrum banks. Many foals depend on it.

Thank you to the breeders who have reached out to share their knowledge and support during this difficult time. It has been deeply appreciated.