Nova's back from running with the stallion in Billinudgel.
And *my, my*, she sure looks like she's in foal!
We're expecting the new foal will be born in about six to eight weeks.
Foal's sire: Chabra Hotshot (bay, Australian Stock Horse)
Foal's grandsire (Nova's sire): A Little Touch of Salt, (Buckskin, Qu'arab)
Foal's granddam: our (previously) own Moreton's Duchess (Buckskin, now residing at the Myth).
Barry Stanford of Chabra stud in Billinudgel has done a fantastic job of looking after Nova while she was away. Thanks Barry! She's in fantastic condition!
As Nova carries a double dose of the dilute gene - i.e., a rare double dilute (often called Cremello - but in her case actually Perlino), any foal of hers will be given one of the cream dilution gene. Being thus homozygous, when crossed with a horse of solid colour, Nova's ensuing foals will be a dilute version of the father. So if the father is bay, the foal will be buckskin. If the father is chestnut, the foal will most likely turn out palomino. If you'd like to read more about the genetics, please see this excellent site. It also helps dispel some silly myths about Cremellos & Perlinos - such as 'they're weak and unhealthy', 'they're albinos', or that they are more prone to skin cancer.
Nova's a lovely, healthy, strong and very kind horse with a super temperament, and so is the Dad. Let's hope the foal inherits some good genes!
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