The mare off by herself was an indication that she might be hiding a surprise. The tall mustard stalks made it challenging to get a peek at this […]
Textbook Mom Anchor
With her usual “keep your distance” glare after giving birth, I get the stink-eye from mom. I must admit she was more generous with her distance requirement this […]
Chillin’
A brief recess from my ongoing parade of newborns allows me to show you this laid back little dude. He looks quite comfortable leaning on his mother’s front […]
Little Jackrabbit of a Foal
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 […]
Occupation: Motherhood
Birth is not only about making babies, but about making mothers as well. New mothers and old mothers contend with birthing risks; in older mares […]
Challenges Met, Newborns Rule
These three foals were born within hours of each other on April 6th. I have written on previous posts for years about the […]
Three Matching Birthdays
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 […]
All Star Mare Mother
All I can do is bow down each year in astonishment to this mare. She is an average sized mare herself, but she successfully gives birth […]
Late March Arrivals
This mare put a lot of effort into keeping a lot of distance between us. After some quiet waiting, I got close enough to observe the foal’s […]
Mini Parade
After what surely must have been a trying few hours for both mother and filly, they gift me with an image like this. Emerging from the shelter of […]
Blessed Beginning
” … The future was an infinite horizon over which the sun still glimmered its early morning promise. Everything has a smell and every smell was fresh — […]
Baby!
Everyone welcome the first new That Herd member of 2020; a chestnut colt! Deer and other wildlife mingling near the horses is a common occurrence.
Ordinary-ness
“One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.” — G.K. Chesterton While this horse may be considered “a valley compared to a peak”, […]
Not Just Another Pretty Face
This image was taken about a year ago at age three. I have not seen this colt for many months but I look forward to seeing who he […]
Among Friends
Horses form close relationships that become subgroups within a herd setting. While it may be anthropomorphic to say horses have friends, they definitely form bonds and make choices […]
Womb to World
The growth of a foal is exponential immediately after birth. Not only their body tissues and functions, but their brains transition at an impressive, and necessary rate. These […]
Inseparable
This is how you find these two foals, always together. The grey fell in love with this dark filly the first day they met. He has shadowed her […]
Buckskin
Color genetics with horses is not without complexity. A new buckskin in the herd this year inspired me to revisit what I know about color genetics. Without getting […]