It’s been so many weeks since I last posted. I think whatever algorithms drive social media traffic have probably forgotten about me, but oh well. Sometimes things in real life are moving fast and you just don’t have any words that can be shared with a wide audience. That’s fine.
I’ve been getting to know some new horses, since I’ve been presented with an opportunity to interact with another herd. This group is much younger, with one foal being only a weanling. It’s been so interesting learning how the group dynamics change with a baby in the mix. When Rex was a baby he was kept with his mother away from the rest of the herd until he was around a year old and about to be weaned. Most foals are weaned much earlier, at around six months. That’s the case with this foal, who now lives with some other youngsters in the 2-3 year old range, and one older gelding.
I was surprised to learn that babies are treated like, well, babies. The other horses are very gentle with him and he’s allowed to stand anywhere he wants at the hay pile without being driven off. The other horses just eat around him. One gelding in particular has taken up a sort of uncle role and shepherds the little foal around the field. When I first arrived this gelding kept the foal away from me, but as he got to know me better and I hung out in the field more, he’s discovered that I deliver excellent face scratches, and the foal has been sniffing my jacket and nosing my hand while I’m scratching his uncle’s ears. It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, and it takes a goodly amount of self control not to fixate on the adorable youngster. If I do then he scampers off.
There’s always something new to discover when hanging out with horses. I look forward to getting to know this new herd and learning from them this winter.
If you’d like to learn more about my past adventures with horses, read my memoir, Standing in a Field With Horses, available on Amazon, SmashWords, and other online book stores.
Maeve Birch Home 