I need to pick up the pace on this year’s introduction segments before we get our first mare in one of the foaling stalls in the barn this spring.

This is HF Dawn’s Millimillenary, foal name, “Millie,” and new life name, “Polly.”

Millie was the third of our six foals born in April and May of 2024.  She was born to one of our favorite little piebald mares, Lucky Acres Princess Dawn.  Millie was Princess’s eighth straight foal in eight consecutive years, and we are now expecting Princess’s ninth straight foal for the 2025 foal season.

During her years with us, Princess had given us three colts; Sugar (Percy), Ricky (Quill), and Zake (she had two fillies and two colts before she came to us).  She was due to give us a girl, and she did in 2024 with Millie.  Princess is one of those special mares that does not seem healthy nor happy unless she’s pregnant or has a foal by her side.  Her annual cycle includes a period where her body score is only slightly off from normal in the period two weeks after weaning a foal to about six weeks post-weaning.  When pregnant or nursing, she’s absolutely beautiful and content.  She was made to be a mommy.

Millie, just like Princess and Mason’s colt from the prior year, Zake, had an oozingly sweet personality.  I can say something great about every single foal we’ve ever had, and, though, she was a little skewbald filly without a bunch of genetic bling, she more than made up for it with a quiet, compliant, and extremely friendly disposition.  She’s just a sweetheart.  Some are just easier to rear than others, and Millie was one of those that just fell into everything naturally without too much coaxing.

The only time that I would say that there was a momentary hiccup with Millie was when she was weaned.  She had about a week when she wasn’t her pleasant, personable self.  She did not quickly forgive me for separating her from her mother.  I could tell that she held me personally responsible for the situation.  She did not approach me like she normally would have done daily prior to that point in time.

She grew out of that, though.  She forgave me and then continued right on with being a little love bug.  It just took her some time to cope with it.

There’s a home for every foal.  We knew that Millie’s future home was not likely to be a large breeding farm nor a show home.  She’s a perfect example of the breed, especially where it counts (temperament), but she was not on the top of the wish lists for larger operations.  Millie was destined to be someone’s heart horse.  She was going to be someone’s daily friend horse.  She was going to be that bright face that met her owner daily at chore time for love and attention.

We know that we found her the perfect home.