I could see this mare was ready to foal but she waited until I left to give birth. She had a determined little filly who followed her wary mother’s example obediently. I watched with disappointment as they moved away when I approached for many weeks. The filly is one day old in these images. She has grown in confidence and brute strength since she was born in early May. She has a definite spark of defiance about her but she is giving none of that to her doting mother.
Early morning light illuminates a new addition to That Herd. This badass paint mare stacked the deck for her success by covertly stealing some time to give birth and give her foal the first important hours of strength-building before returning to the herd. Her plan to stay hidden lasted all day, and as the sun was setting in the second image she was attentive and alert for the slightest encroachment into her sphere of protection. I had no doubt the foal would be well guarded through the night. By the next morning she had rejoined the herd, on her own terms, having successfully given her new foal a head start on confidence for what was to come.
Last year she had a foal that looked just like her. This year, she has a foal that looks just like the sire. She couldn’t be any more proud.
The color of the grass gives away how behind I am in keeping up with new birth announcements. Now, in the first week of June the grasses are golden and dry. The last days of April brought a couple new foals, this wee filly was one of them. Born to a solid older mare, her small size is nature’s kindness to a veteran mother. Not to worry, the new foal has grown quickly and is as solid as any of her older siblings and definitely holds her own like a champ. The third image shows an older herd mate greeting her kindly while her skeptical mother stands guard over the colt’s manners.
This is not the tallest mare of That Herd but she creates a realistic picture of how tall the grasses have become. The ear tips are the only evidence of her foal beside her.
Interestingly, the mare seems to be peering through the shield of a single stalk of mustard weed pretending she cannot be seen at all, which aptly matches her daily desire to be left alone.
Don’t be fooled by the toucan-esque appearance. Her face is her best feature.
Born on April 11th, she has grown into a sturdy, good natured foal in just a few weeks.
Current pics coming soon.
Truly a newborn, only hours old, she really stands out as a foal that will grow into a horse who makes a statement. She is quite sensible and endlessly loveable.
Mother looks fresh as a daisy after having her first foal, only tousled a bit in the mane. Just look at that soft yet noble expression!
These three foals were born within hours of each other on April 6th. I have written on previous posts for years about the many changes newborn foals experience in a small amount of time.
The challenges to their physical systems, perceptions, and environment are drastic. When three foals are born so close together, it’s impossible to not see some evidence of their dispositions displayed as well.
A break during rainy April days brought three new members to That Herd. And I must say, three very individual behaviors for the first hours in the babies lives.
From womb-world to water-world for this filly. An exciting discovery on a dreary spring morning made the rain unnoticeable.
It was wonderful to observe the quiet nurturing of this elegant mother with her first foal. She is calm and attentive and seems quite enamored.
This newborn filly really wants to lie down but after all that work to stand up for the first time she doesn’t want to risk it.
Also, she needs to be at the ready to follow her mother who has a lot of ideas about creating distance.
Born March 27th, a beautiful chestnut filly, to a veteran mare. She has lots of feminine charm and grit as well. My heart went out to her as she learned to walk on front legs that were not quite ready for walking. In a couple of days she was fine, everything loosened up and she is motoring around just fine. In fact, she is one of the more energetic and daring foals so far.
The first days of March brought this little beauty.
I should mention I’ve been getting a lot of emails with no message attached. I have looked into the contact form mechanics for any errors or problems.
If you have sent messages or made comments lately, I thank you but I have not seen what you submitted. My apologies for any frustration this may have caused. I can be
reached directly at unaphoto805@gmail.com. Please don’t SPAM me.
Mingling with the mature mares as if she were a seasoned member of the club, this filly is completely nonchalant.
No signs of confusion or anxiety appear as she strolls amongst her superiors.
This new filly showed appropriate signs of humility when met with nods of domination from the mares she wandered too near; she was respectful but never seemed to question her choices.
She is immediately likable for her complete refusal to be seen as less than.
moxie | ˈmäksē | (also moxy) noun North American informal: force of character, determination, or nerve
There is a constant current of energy transferred from one individual to another with this band of young horses. Bumping, nipping, leaping, and sprints are evident nearly all the time. In this image, the grey is showing admirable tolerance toward the insolent filly. His choice is to sprint away or engage. She will keep pestering him until he makes a choice.
The blaze-faced chestnut colt was a favorite of all the other foals in 2014. You can see him being lavished with attention by a few of his fellow herd mates in this trio of images. I went back to 2014 to remind everyone that there is lots of interesting content about That Herd that goes back for several years. Also, I should mention that I have lost the use of my computer as it is undergoing a costly repair (again). My photographic productivity is at a standstill. Fresh content will be coming along soon. We have 2020 foals to look forward to!
Every new year brings opportunity for each pregnant mare to fulfill her potential to create a sturdy and contributing life to That Herd. Once January arrives, expectation grows with each passing week, knowing that the mares carry a new life. In each pregnant mare, a waiting gift to be welcomed. Hopefully, next month will bring the first foal(s) to That Herd.
“New Year’s Day is every man’s birthday.” –Charles Lamb (I just like the sentiment; welcome 2020)
Zeus was the king of the ancient Greek gods, and the god of the sky, weather, law and order, destiny and fate.
This filly does not have a name, but I call her Zena because she may be the last daughter of a great stallion. Also, Zena means “born of Zeus, welcoming; hospitable; friendly, but with the severe burn of lightening. So far she matches that description. Long may she reign.
All of the mares, are hyper-vigilant with their new foals, this is certainly true for the first several weeks. Horses, being a flight response animal, are ever watchful for reasons to flee. Even suspect sounds or the slightest movements in the distance warrant consideration for moving away to a safer distance. I constantly find myself scanning the horizon and surrounding brush to identify what has caught the attention of the horses. As the foals grow in strength, size, and independence, the mothers are still available at a moments notice. This same behavior is true of confined, domestic mares with foals because motherhood is a strong, universal experience. However, in a free range environment, nature dictates the serenity of the days and nights, often in very unexpected ways.
You cannot close your heart to the things you do not want to face.
What if the things that end–the things that break your heart–ultimately lead to a better version of you? Tragedy brings resilience.
In the years that I have been observing That Herd there have been some losses. Birth and new life is a miracle when everything goes well, a heartbreaking tragedy when complications arise. Also, living a free range life in a wild environment has many unknowns and pitfalls. Sometimes accidents occur, sometimes predation, sometimes medical anomalies. I try to honor the existence of each new life with a blog post, or many, but when lives are lost it can become harder to share their experience and memory. Sad loss stories do not make readers feel good and the purpose of this blog is hopefully more upbeat. I take these losses rather hard, not just the foals but any loss from the That Herd family brings a change to the herd experience.
I usually post information and images about That Herd as a current chronological archive, but this is not one of those posts. Yes, this filly is gone but her short life was documented.