Baby Bets contest participants and baby horse enthusiasts (which, the latter should encompass literally everyone on the planet) will be pleased to know that there’s a new addition at Willow Tree Warmbloods!
Lissa foaled a bay filly (yes I made Michelle count the holes this time!) by Catoki yesterday morning at 6:30am. Her name is Nalah and she’s BIG and healthy, with a star and one hind sock. Also she’s ridiculously cute, because baby horse. But she has big floppy ears too, which y’all know are my favorite.
It was nice of Lissa to wait until I was awake for her water to break, and then for Nalah to be born after I was sitting at my desk at work, watching the camera feed on my computer. The birth was a little stressful in that Nalah first presented with her feet upside down, but quick action from Michelle got her position corrected. Lissa didn’t push much (I swear she is the opposite of Sadie, who rockets those babies out as fast as possible) but Nalah showed some grit by basically trying to crawl out on her own. This girl’s got spirit.
Lissa is recovering well and looks good, and Nalah seems perfectly healthy too. I can’t decide if foaling and the first 48 hours are my favorite part or my least favorite part. It’s so nervewracking, but also pretty amazing.
I can’t wait to see how Nalah bulks up and continues to unfold over the next few days. So far she looks really elegant and leggy and tall, like her dam. I will definitely post more pictures! With two big-time Grand Prix jumper parents, it’s going to be really fun to watch her grow and develop. This one won’t be for sale.
As for the Baby Bets contest, no one guessed the correct foaling date, and only two people got the time correct. We’ve got plenty of folks with points on the board for color, gender, and markings, but this contest is still very much wide open! It’ll all come down to Stormie’s pony foal.
Happy foaling season, everyone, and welcome the WTW family Nalah! Now we’ve got a couple months to wait for the next one.
breedrideevent.com 
She is adorable (Michelle keeps lifting her tail to make sure its a she) HA HA HA…LOVE her face. OMG she is so cute. I squeed out loud when I saw her yesterday on your insta. LOVE HER.
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She was so early! All I can think in the photos you’ve posted here and on IG is how AMAZING Lissa looks. Girl is beautiful and has such a lovely topline. Is she still ridden or is she just maintaining that all on her own?
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Not too early, 331 days. She had Liam at 335 and Sadie regularly goes 335-339. As long as they’re after 320 I’m happy for it to be sooner rather than later. Some of these mares that go 360+, omg I don’t think my heart could take it. LOL
Lissa doesn’t get ridden but Michelle gets the credit for keeping her mares in incredible condition. Their nutrition is top notch, individualized, and no expense spared, not just because they deserve it, but because it’s so important for the health of the foals as well. I have rarely seen another breeder that is as intensely dedicated to the overall health of their mares and foals.
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She’s beautiful!
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Baby girl is absolutely precious, and you already know that I have a gigantic MareCrush on Lissa. Yay for happy and healthy mom and baby!
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Gorgeous filly, gorgeous momma. Welcome Nalah!
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I’m so glad she finally got a WTW baby without a surprise peen đŸ˜‚đŸ˜‚ so excited so watch this girl grow! Thank you and Michelle for sharing the WTW world as it grows, makes me so fascinated and excited about breeding and American breeders! Ahhhhh
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Side note… do you think Michelle will ever release WTW merch to all? I want to rep her and her efforts so badly it may be borderline fangirl..
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We’ve talked about doing some shirts for us, but Two Socks Designs has her logo on file and could make just about anything you want! Embroidered or screen printed.
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Cool! Do I need any kind of written permission from Michelle or can I just write in to Two Socks Design to order?
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You shouldn’t! Two Socks owns a couple of foals from Michelle.
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So precious!!!
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So cute! Look at the chest on that girl!
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Late to the party here, but Lissa looks SO good. I did a little creeping on their website and see that she’s 17 this year–what a testament to the attention and nutrition she receives (in addition to great genes of course). It’s so nice to see people to take such exemplary care of their broodmares. Congrats to the farm on a lovely filly!
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