October 27, 2008 – His own feed bucket

If you look on page one when we were discussing names I did mention Rotkonig is german for Red King. I know - that was a long time ago.

I don't have to (except for breed shows) but I think I will use his registered name for competitions (let the butchery begin). It was my second choice, not some random thing they came up with. But I was really wanting Red King.

I went shopping on Saturday (pouring rain, and helping a friend find a saddle) and among my purchases picked up a Schleigh model foal. I chose this model because it looked most like Rory in face and body shape. Sitting in the van afterwards I looked at my receipt and it said 'hannoverian foal'.  Made me laugh! I'm going to get some white paint and paint his markings on it.

I'm starting to feed Rory out of his own bucket (and hang it on the fence) and he's getting the idea nicely. The mares are fed in descending order, and he follows me around as I dump each bucket into each feeder. Then we go back to the fence and I hang his bucket up. I've been stepping further away, but stay close enough to warn off the third mare should she get any ideas. Rory is happily munching away. His mum won't share with him. She does the pinned ears and snaked head thing and all!

I was looking at him on the weekend and he's almost as big as the other foal. Better put together just now (TOF is growing bum high at the moment) but I'm sure he'll go through the ugly duckling phases too. He is so personable. He's the first one to look up and the first to come and visit, but he'll get out of the mares' ways if they come behind him. I balanced a bigger bucket on his bum (those small round ones) and he didn't mind until it started to topple. I shot my hand out to catch it and that might have startled him too, but he didn't go anywhere, just moved a step sideways.

August 21, 2008 – Independence already

Rory and I went exploring last night. To set the stage, the barn is an L shape. Rory and his mum now have a stall in the short piece of the L. There are more stalls, the feed room, tack room and bathroom in the long part of the L.

We had our usual run across the parking area and back. Then we went into the long part of the L and paraded down the aisle and out the back door. Then we had to show off our in-hand trot and went running down by the arena and back. Mum was waiting outside the short part of the L. We lost sight of her when we went into the long part of the L and didn't see her again until we went into the barn and into his stall. Neither of them was screaming for the other, or fussing. Rory was really good. Mum half nickered at him when we did go into the barn where she was nose deep in her grain. I put him in the stall and he was all ready to follow me out again.