Beauties

free range horse photography portrait of a mare and foal
These willing subjects make a beautiful mare and foal portrait.

When they just stand there and pose like this, it’s a photographer’s gift. Born during a stubborn rainstorm, this filly spent the first week of her life drenched. She and her mother are basking in the warm sun on this day, the rainy weather long gone. By this time of the year, I grow weary of the incredible dryness and have to remind myself there was once green grass.

Bright Star, Bright Future

free range horse photography portrait of a new January foal
Her star marking is blinding me.

 

free range horse photography of a mare and January foal
A January foal keeps pace with her skittish mother.

New foals in all their freshness bring thoughts of potential. Possibilities are endless when all of your talents are not yet formed. May all her strengths be mighty in mind and body.

The Assignment

“When I was five years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life.

When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’.

They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.

–John Lennon

free range horse photography of a filly who loves discovery
This filly will not take the easy route; the tangled route is more interesting.

Every day the foals are assigned lessons in life skills. Some make the assignments bend to their unique disposition and I think they are “happier” for it.

She could have simply walked around the scattering of branches but she chose the slow route: sniffing, and touching, and nimbly stepping her way through instead.

 

 

 

 

A Study in Soulful

 

free range horse photography of a June rainy day newborn
On a rare rainy day in June a newborn arrives fuzzy and extra cute.

 

free range horse photography of a young mare with expressive dark eyes
A standout since birth, this filly has beautiful deep, dark eyes.

From Day-One who could resist the dark, expressive eyes on this beautiful filly? Even now, a few years later, she retains the most beautiful soulful eyes. She’s a little older, a little wiser, but still brightly curious and gentle in disposition.

Optimum Nap Zone

free range horse photography of a filly dozing under her mother's tail
Dozing under the protection of a gently swishing tail.

Inseparable

free range horse photography of two foals who are always together
Where the filly goes, the colt follows, a devoted pair even though there are several weeks difference in their ages.
free range horse photography of two inseparable foals
Companions dozing together.

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 ever since. Rarely leaving her side, he is a model of devotion. The mother of the filly tolerates his affections entirely.

Home Is Where The Herd Is

free range horse photography of a filly browsing in an oat field late in the day
The last light of a summer afternoon illuminates a browsing filly.

An independent filly lazily follows the scattered herd through an oat field in the late afternoon. Her mother is not in sight but no matter, her family is the whole herd and she feels at ease with all her herd-mates.

Enough of Everything

free range horse photography of a fuzzy filly in spring grass
A fuzzy coat and a green meadow are reminders of spring.

Time well spent leads to a life well lived.

Bravado and Caution

free range horse photography of three fillies looking innocent by a failing oak tree
Three fillies looking innocent by a failing oak tree.

Older foals never cease to entertain me with their mix of bravado and caution. These foals are old enough now to be fully independent; their explorations of me are constant and surprisingly intense.

 

The Will to Survive is Strong

free range horse photography of a new bay filly

“Does anything in nature despair except man? An animal with a foot caught in a trap does not seem to despair. It is too busy trying to survive. It is all closed in, to a kind of still, intense waiting. Is this the key? Keep busy with survival. Imitate the trees. Learn to lose in order to recover, and remember that nothing stays the same for long, not even pain … ”

–May Sarton, Journal of a Solitude

The will to live is strong in this one.

Absolute Devotion

free range horse photography of a new mother's devotion to her new foal
Horse hugs.

Her enthusiasm for her foal is adorable. Her constant nuzzles and touches are met with trust and matched adoration from the filly. They are the perfect cure for anything that may causing you stress.

From Womb to Water

free range horse photography of a newborn foal in a pond with her mother
Less than 24 hours old and this newborn filly is experiencing her new world with mature confidence.

With the courage of a veteran, this newborn filly takes the plunge.

Her Journey Begins

free range horse photography of a one day old foal strolling with her mother
Sporting a cropped mohawk and a determined face, this one-day-old filly strolls beside mother.

With her first day behind her, this new filly purposefully marches beside her mother, matching her every turn and pause. Soon she’ll be investigating her surroundings with confidence.

The Filly Streak Continues!

free range horse photography of a napping newborn filly under her mother
Late day naps are in order on your birth day.

It’s a girl! Again! 2019 Fillies are running in a strong majority for That Herd. Several summer foals are still expected so we will see if that continues. Mother and newborn are just fine. The mare’s roaming patterns were not in my favor today; many tall grasses and mustard seed obscuring my view. She did, kindly, let me approach her and the filly even though she’s only several hours old.

A Little Horse of Her Very Own

free range horse photography of a devoted mare and her first foal
An attentive mother checks in constantly with her newborn foal.

This mare is impossible to dislike. She is curious and gentle. She’s a bit of a lovable goober, though I hate to use a term that’s so hard to define. Motherhood should suit her; she has always wanted a little horse all to herself to play with. The newborn filly, looks almost exactly like her, which makes this even more fun.

Fresh and Fearless

free range horse photography of a black filly lying in a dainty pose.
The dainty pose of this filly is irresistible.

Don’t let that dainty pose fool you; she is brimming with mischief.

Happy Ending

free range horse photography of a mare and new foal with large forehead star
Quite a star on this new foal.

Stolen from her mother while she lay down to pass the placenta, this filly had to navigate some confusion and rough treatment for several hours. All that is a distant memory now, and both mare and foal are doing well and back with the herd.

In Love With a Ninja

free range horse photography of two foals meeting nose to nose
A delicate meeting between herd mate foals.
free range horse photography of two foals meeting tenderly
The colt closes his eyes to heighten his sensory meeting with a new filly.
free range horse photography of two foals coming to an understanding
Several weeks his inferior, this filly is a force to be reckoned with for this sturdy colt.

With lightening speed, she rises up to administer a (mock) fatal jab. He never saw it coming.

Understandably Peeved

free range horse photography of an angry foal circling it's mother that stole a newborn foal
A well-meaning mare steals a newborn from another mare and her own foal is (understandably) quite irritated.

(Another picture of the sassy filly shown defending the dirt pile a couple posts back.) In this image she is circling her mother with confusion and irritation over the attention given to another foal. Her beloved mother has stolen another mare’s newborn foal and everything got really weird after that. This event required intervention and I’m happy to report that the confused newborn was reunited with her mother and they were separated from the herd for a while to bond. All is well for all the horses and the brief disruption to the sassy filly’s esteem is corrected.

Earned Fatigue

free range horse photography of a tired mother of a newborn foal
A veteran mother and her earned fatigue shows the day her foal is born.
free range horse photography of a wistful mare and newborn
A mare with a newborn filly appears wistful as the others move off to a new location.

A veteran mother maintains a protective zone around her newborn filly. She stays quietly within the herd, but she minimizes her wandering for the foal’s sake and undoubtedly, her own sake as well. She is recuperating from the birth of a large foal. The foal is not much more than twenty four hours old in these images.