Hawkeye's Journal
Purebred Arabian mare Ember was 17 at the birth of her second child, Hawkeye, by the Lipizzan stallion Pluto Carrma III (Pooka). Hawkeye belongs to Tori Thompson. Em and Hawkeye lived initially with Hawkeye's full sister, then 2 yr old Twix, Em's half brother Celesteele (Q) and boarder Anglo Arabian stallion Philip and me on some agricultural acreage above Riverside, California. E-mail if you want to get these as e-postcards instead of viewing here.
Shot 5:13 am June 25th, another Lipizzan-Arabian star made his entrance about a half hour previously. Happily for me, he belongs to Tori, who leased Ember for this joint production.
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He had to endure weather in the high 90s and a sudden influx of flies. Born dark bay, he will grey out.
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Another birth day image
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Mom is Rem-member Me, called "Ember". Sire is Pluto Carrma III, called "Pooka". He lives in Arizona.
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Ember is 15.2 hands high. This kid is tall, and marked similarly to his full sister, Twix, now two.
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Can you believe I was still shooting on his birth day? Believe it. I'm a horse photographer by trade, and having in-house models like this is golden--and having backgrounds like this is, um, leaden? Bad. Blurring the background in camera is always my goal!
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Hawkeye celebrates his first turnout on day 5. A big zero on my ability to do background blurring.
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He realizes he can do some fun things with his body, as Ember sticks her tongue out and Philip tries to play too.
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Posing for the neighboring mares, all in their fly masks.
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Twix, 2 year old full sister, and Celesteele (Q) watch mom and baby. Q is my endurance horse, he is by Remington Steele out of an SX Saladin daughter.
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Hawkeye rips it up on day 6, figures out how to use those long legs.
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He is All That and more...
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Day's end, first week.
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Foal heat and Ember is interested in Philip, the Anglo Arabian stallion that constitutes my only outside horse. He belongs to Kat Swigart, and does dressage, jumping and endurance.
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Em and Hawkeye motor sedately home from Philip's house.
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A nice "Harrier" vertical takeoff, the first sign that this boy may have boingities inside.
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There is no longer any doubt, as stilt-boy spent most of his slow gear in vertical ascent mode.
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Lawn chair photography. "Only" 91 feels good after a week near/at 100. You can see that mom gave up and went back to dinner as he continued to zoom around independently.
Mad mare, I love those expressions. Hawkeye takes note of the "threat", Twix nowhere near them. Later Ember let them nuzzle each other. No camera at hand, alas.
Ripping it up at considerable speed, independent of mom who resignedly ate her dinner inside the pen.
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Being Hawkeye's mom is a full contact occupation.
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All foals are fascinated with poop-removal devices.
Ember bites Twix on the butt; her crime is eating her dinner while too close to them. Twix just ignored her.
But I'm soooo cute, eh?
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A moment learning about grazing weeds.
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Day's end for the week-old kid.
Jumping imaginary jumps is classic "boingity".
Spaghetti, anyone? Hawkeye joins the "Bad Boys Club" by chewing on mom's tail after I asked him not to.
Two weeks old, looking more like Mom than Pop in the face.
You can really see his goatee in this one. He was born with it.
Besotted owner Tori has forbidden all shots with her in it, except this one!
The light got pretty, I let them out despite having been out for many hours earlier. Shot about a dozen photos, this was my favorite along with one in this pose with his mom.
3 weeks old, coat shot through with grey.
Balanced and beautiful, that's our boy.
Shot for fun, kneeling in the mustard. California golden hills are either grasses or dead mustard weed.
Ready for their closeups
Momma loves her boy, even when he's talking back
You can see he's still skinny when sideways, but not quite like the "playing card" he was earlier this month!
Pesky hot weather and flying pests: around 102 degrees with high humidity
Only a few shots tonight, hard to get motivated when it's hot. They are wandering further afield now, Ember finally remembering that the area to the north is safe and good. My first sunset shot of this boy, and I LIKE it!
He gets "sticky", shot this while backing up, and he kept coming. Wanted scritches of course, not pictures.
The only human around was operating the camera, so Hawkeye had to service himself.
In today's cooler weather (after 20-something days of 100s) they wandered further away from home.
Twix and Hawkeye have some words.
Toot toot! (the caboose)
I am the tall golden boy of the land, none shall pass without scritching me.
Yeah. Well. For photographic excitement, serve up one mare and foal, stir in offspring from two years ago, and place in a pre-heated oven.
