Critter Sitter's Blog: Twenty-four Chincoteague Pony Foals So Far...

First, it seems like Jigsaw has died. No body found, but she has not been seen for more than four weeks. She was born 5 June 2013, and was the daughter of stallion Wild Thing and Cody 2 Socks. She was not found for the Spring Round-Up, the only pony missing. We grieve for her. She was a part of Legacy's herd, and her palomino pinto filly born last year was a buy back. Jigsaw's Little Miss Skeeter (Skeeter) will be her lasting legacy.
Back in 2015, the legendary stallion Surfer Dude passed away during the winter season. The CVFC kept four of his foals as buy backs that summer. Kelly's Raven Moon passed away due to a birth defect that appeared before his first birthday - but the three fillies born in 2015 are on Assateague - Surfer Princess, CLG Surfer's Blue Moon, and Surfer's Shining Star (aka Gingersnap). All half-siblings, Blue had her first foal last year. Surfer Princess has a palomino pinto filly on 1 May, and, not to be out-done, Gingersnap had a palomino pinto with Prince on 3 May. (Last year Blue had a black colt sired by Prince of Tides that was born on 25 May, and she appears to be pregnant this year, too.) I, personally, find it funny that the three half-sisters are in two herds - that are led by half-brothers - Tornado's Legacy and Tornado's Prince of Tides. The brothers are sons of Tornado, a buckskin pinto stallion and both were born in 2007. Legacy's dam is Unci, who was born with lordosis (but has NOT passed it on, genetically); and Prince's dam was Sand Cherry.
So there are two foals to comment on - the first being Gingersnap and Prince's palomino pinto. Gingersnap is avoiding areas where people can get near, so the sex of the baby is unknown, and the markings are not clear. It looks like the foal has white shoulders on both sides. When better photos become available, I'll share them.
Yesterday's birth was almost an accidental death... Surfin' Chantel, a six-year-old daughter of Rainbow Warrior and Surfin' Scarlet, went into labor on a narrow tongue of marsh while the tide was rising. The foal was born, barely on the muddy land; but when the bay colt tried to stand, he fell back into the cold channel water and he couldn't get out. Luckily, Captain Nate, with Daisy's Island Cruises had been passing by and had stopped to watch. He stepped overboard, picked up the foal, and carried it onto dry land. In the meantime, passengers aboard his boat had called 911, and the CVFC was notified. The boat passengers cheered when the colt found his mother's milk bag and had his first nurse, getting the needed colostrum and warmth. Carlton Leonard of the CVFC Pony Committee arrived in a hurry (in his personal boat), made certain that the ponies were OK, and "shadowed" the mare and foal for over an hour to be certain there was no permanent harm. The sire of this lucky bay colt is Maverick.
Photos of the foals follow, along with up-dated and better photos of two others...

Foal # 23 - Gingersnap and Prince, palomino pinto