Without the usual heavy forelock covering his face, you can see the charming white eyelashes on this beast. He looks handsome and content.
A new colt, first seen at about a week old, is doted on by his mother. She is not keen on my getting close, and moves away often. The colt amused me by making a mad face at all the horses, foals or mares, who ventured too close to him. He looks innocent enough in this image though.
He’s looks cute, but he’s a fighter. Shoving and biting, rearing and racing, the colts use their free time to practice techniques that may help them, in the future, win mares. Even the castrated colts engage with alarming intensity, securing social position or defending it.
A July image of a colt, both attractive and strong; he has an unusual blue slice of color in his left eye.
A powerful mare emerges from woody terrain to investigate my visit. She is young and strong and good-natured. I think she looks lovely in this setting.
This young filly has changed so much, I barely recognized her after not seeing her for many weeks. Her coloration has deepened into a perfect match for the woody areas where she roams. With herd dark woody brown coat and splotchy white markings, she has perfect camouflage in the trees when the sunlight filters in.
Aurora Musis amica. (Dawn is friend of the muses).
There is no heat yet from the sun; the only hour of this day that won’t be hot until well after sunset. It was not cool, just not hot yet. This put a spring in her step, and doesn’t that light make her look pretty?!
… dreamers would have a vast herd of noble steeds, like this one.
A beautiful image captured of a horse I admire.
Farther than most would go, that’s where you will find them.
Quiet leadership from the herd stallion, on a day to day basis, can seem like an annoyance. All that driving and gathering of the mares sometimes seems without purpose or need. It’s as if the stallion is just being imperious. That being said, in times of confusion or stress, the leadership of the stallion can be life-saving. All that daily enforcement of his will is necessary when real danger is present. Leadership is a thankless role, until truly needed. Then you’re a hero.
Legs crossed and mouth exploring, this three day old colt creates an endearing sight.
It has been five years since I first laid eyes on this ordinary bay colt. One of the last foals of the year, born with tight front leg tendons, this newborn colt caught my attention. He was not flashy or attention grabbing in the usual ways. It was the valiant effort he made to keep up with his mother, his expression one of earnest concentration, his resilience in navigating his bent knees over the challenging terrain and through the vegetation, that stood out. In a few days, his tendons were normal and he marched about with curiosity and good-natured acceptance of whatever presented itself to him. At five years old, he has the same thoughtful expression and pleasant disposition. He remains respectable in every way. He has remained a personal favorite of mine in the herd.
The behavior of a herd stallion changes often and with a moment’s notice. One minute, he may doze alone in the shade, the next moment he may thunder into the mares, head high, bellowing, marching about, with his tail sweeping from side to side. He may turn from quiet grazing to rambunctious patrols in an instant. Often, his expression may turn from gentle acceptance to fierce commander, as in this image.
I have a lot to say about horses eating thistles when surrounded by other (seemingly better) choices, I just don’t have a lot to say right now. In the mean time, here is a delightful, good-natured mare eating a thistle with plenty of other grasses underfoot.
Well, she’s huge, and I don’t mean the bay filly in the background (who I call Chunk), I mean the newly born filly. She is a day old in this image. Again, and still, I am forced to marvel at the fact that she was, just hours before, rolled up inside the mare. Inconceivable!
“Where the waters do agree, it is quite wonderful the relief they give.”
–Jane Austen, Emma
(Even for a horse)
An underdog in age and size, this new colt is all powerful when perched on this dirt mound. Hilariously, all of the foals spent time exploring the power of elevated position on a couple of mounds of dirt one morning. They strode confidently around the pinnacle of the mound, defending their position from curious herd mates.
Here is your daily dose of cuteness. I could provide an hourly dose of cuteness, if I only had more time to devote to this archive. I am delighted to report that there are many moments of foal cuteness and discovery to come.
This carefree romp is brought to you by the That Herd stallion. Life is good.
Bravely standing right in the middle of somewhat tense communication between a stallion and his mother, this colt correctly displays the submissive mouth gnashing behavior. Many foals are intimidated by the stallion and keep their distance out of respect, but this colt has had no problem with greeting and interacting when the stallion is in close proximity. Even in this moment, he stands squarely in the middle of negotiations.
