February 17 & 20, 2009 - More arena running

February 17, 2009

I took the weanlings out to the arena for some play time on Sunday morning before they went out for the day. The pair of them took off and didn't stop for ten minutes. Rory came to see me and I asked if he was ready to go out, snapped on the lead and then reached for TOW. TOW just evaded my hand and turned and headed back out across the arena again, so I unclipped Rory and sent him after TOW.  They ran around for another 5-10 minutes before they came back ready to go outside. So cute!

February 20, 2009

I took the weanlies out to the arena again last night. The other weanling tried to take off the moment we got through the door and we ended up halfway down the arena before I got them stopped and sorted out. I didn't dare let go of their ropes because the door was still wide open and I didn't think I could get back to it before they did. Once I got the door shut and unsnapped the ropes, they took off and galloped round and round and round.

They nipped at each other, threatened to kick, ducked and dodged and bounced for a good ten minutes. Then they walked for a bit and checked some stuff out before taking off again. I had them out for half an hour and they ran, played halter tag, wrestled a bit and ran some more. At one point Rory was thinking about having a roll, but TOW trotted over and they started playing again.

Rory got himself sweaty and was showing no signs of stopping so I eventually had to snap on his leadrope and walk him around for a bit to cool out. TOW followed and tried to play a couple of times, but backed off when I warned him off.

I got a bit cold, but they're fun to watch.

January 5, 2009 – Arena play

I confess I didn't get him anything for Christmas. I did scrounge around and find a conway buckle last week to put on his halter so no one can do it up too tight. Does that count?

The local weather has sucked so far this winter. With a thaw and some freezing rain the ground is an unpleasant mix of frozen bumpy mud and ice patches. So the weanlings haven't been doing any tearing around. Friday I took the boys into the empty arena and let them go. They didn't have a clue what to do, and huddled together looking lost. They'd thought they were going in for dinner. Rory pooped about five times - every time I put the pitchfork down.

With a little encouragement they went off and had a gallop around. Rory prefered to trot - I could watch that Rotspon trot all day. TOF can be a little free with his feet at times, and swung his bum at Rory often but didn't actually kick. After about half an hour I took them in for dinner.

Saturday I sneaked them out for half an hour again. This time Rory led the charge around the arena. They needed less encouragement to keep going, and were more curious about the stuff in the corners. Rory pooped a bunch of times again (at least I know his guts are moving) and they followed me around as I scooped up the little piles.

Sunday they got to go for another half an hour, and needed a lot more encouragement to run. There was some snow sliding off the roof and they stood looking up at it trying to figure out what was going on. They didn't really spook at it though. It was soft snow and made hardly any noise, it was the moving shadow that caught the weanlings' attention. They aren't at all concerned about me chasing them around and happily come over to me when I stop, and they finish their run.

August 28, 2008 – A near miss

Rory in the big field with mom

I really hesitated to post this for fear someone would get the idea that Rory is in a unsafe situation in any way. Remember I put him there, have done before and will do again without hesitation. It was just one of those fluke foal events.

Rory had a little scare the other night. We put the two mares and foals out in the new paddock again for a while on Tuesday evening.

Rory and the other foal were quiet at first, then they started coming together and playing for brief periods. Rory got running after one bout and went right through the fence (electric rope, but not under power yet thankfully). The rope stretched with him, and he got loose almost instantly without tangling or even scraping himself, but it was a bit of a shock to him plus he was now on the wrong side of the fence.

He trotted up and down for half a minute until I got close enough to grab him as he went by. I hooked up the lead rope, and put him back into the field after a quick inspection for damage - none. Also fortunate was that mum didn't notice he'd escaped, so there weren't any hysterics happening on either side of the fence. It's a good thing he's an independent little fellow.

A few minutes later he got running again, and was heading right for the fence in the same place but he managed to stop and turn away. He did that a couple more times too.  I was worried watching him, but he seems to have figured out the fence thing and has no inclination to challenge it again.

The other foal is getting bolder and is initiating play nearly as much as Rory is now. He's running more, and Rory is wrestling more. Rory's got the rearing thing down pat. When his buddy figures that out, his greater weight is going to give him an advantage, but for now Rory is holding his own. When they run, Rory can leave his buddy behind in a flash when he drops into high gear.  They are fun to watch.

I am told that Rory's mum did the same thing when she was a foal - got through the fence somehow. Upon arriving home from work the breeder found her outside the fence with her mum still inside.

Apparently Rory's mum liked to run like mad when she was his age too.

August 11, 2008 – Born to run!

Friday was pretty uneventful. I did night chores again and gave Rory a good scritching.

Saturday we put them out in the new field for half an hour, with the two pregnant broodmares. They were very interested in the foals and came over to see them. Both mums were protective and there was a good bit of milling around. They did some running around too (and I got some good shots of Rory and his mum).

The bay preggie mare attached herself to Rory and his mum and at one point Rory went to her, ignoring her "P*** off!" and mouthing. She took a swing at him with one hind leg (thank gods she missed). I don't know if he thought she was mum or what. He was pretty persistent and his mum wasn't upset. Anyway, I went and brought him away from that mare and back to his mum. Then just hung out with him for a bit, scratching him and scrubbing mosquitoes off him. He pooped while I was standing with him - it's still very runny, but the liquid jet is absent.

We took the two mares out a bit later and left the two foals (and mums) to see how they'd do. It was hilarious to watch.

Rory started bouncing. Rearing, bucking, leaping into the air - you name it, he did it. Then he started running in big circles, very fast. He went to try and get the other foal to play without any luck. The other foal hid behind his mum. So Rory tried running past them very fast to try and entice the other foal away. After a bit he took a break and nibbled a bit before bouncing again. The other foal got a little daring and cantered away from his mum. Rory spotted him and ZOOMed over at high speed, scaring the other foal back to his mum. Rory did the drive by gallops a couple more times. The other foal moved away from his mum again a bit later, towards Rory this time. Rory cantered slowly towards him and then started bouncing with each stride, flinging his forelegs up and forward as an invitation to play. The other foal's eyes popped and he ran back to mum yet again. We felt sorry for both of them. Rory wanted to play so badly, and the other foal was scared of his antics. We didn't leave them out for very long - the alfalfa is knee high.


Rory has discovered that he can whinny. He's been a very quiet foal, but on Sunday he was whinnying a fair bit. We put the two mares and foals out in the new field again on Sunday. There was a lot less activity this time. Rory did some bucking and playing and running very fast for the first ten minutes or so, without really trying to engage the other foal today. After the BO chased his mum away from the in-progress shelter, they had a lovely trot across the field to near the other mare and foal and the two foals were showing some interest in each other at about the time we had to bring them in. The other foal's mum is getting used to Rory and not objecting when he comes up close now. It's progress and I'm sure they'll be tearing around together in a week or so.

I gave him a bum wash again last night. He was good. He wasn't sure about the zinc, but once I started rubbing it on he liked it. I picked up all four feet without needing to have the halter on him. He's getting good at that. Good thing - he's going to have to get his feet done soon.

One more note. Rory has the typical baby scrapes/wear marks on his hocks and the hair is growing back in black (or extremely dark brown). His mane has the dark growth at the base, and on the backs of his ears the new hair is also a very dark greyish, blackish, maybe brown colour. The area around his eyes looks quite dark as well, though I can see chestnut hairs very close to his eyes. I can hardly wait to see what colour he turns out. Perhaps he will be a very dark chestnut - that would be (he could wear red!) or perhaps he will do what last year's (unrelated) foal did go darker after the foal coat, and then lighten up again in the spring or perhaps he has the sooty gene to darken his chestnut colour.

August 8, 2008 – Baby horse stuff

Last night I was doing night feed and I brought the other mare and foal in first because they were at the gate. The other foal was a handful, but not too bad - just not as good as Rory is. Rory was perfect (of course) when I brought him and his mum in.

My BO told me they were getting along okay, and several times were in the shelter at the same time. He said that Rory wanted to play, and while his mum was in the shelter and the other mare and foal were at the hay feeder Rory was running laps around the paddock trying to entice the other foal out to play. I can just picture it.

I gave him a little grooming and then, with a little help (holding) a bum wash last night. I picked out his hind feet while he was being held. I'd managed to do the fronts while he was loose. He was very good. After I'd scrubbed and rinsed and dried his bum I put some zinc ointment on to sooth and protect the skin. He's got a little touch of the scoots (was a bit dirtier last night), but again his temp was about the same. If he spent the day tearing around trying to get the other foal to play he can't be feeling too bad.

I draped the little towel over his neck, and hung it off his halter, and draped it over his back after finishing the bum care. He didn't mind it on his neck (after he got his ears free of it), wasn't keen on it hanging over his nose, and walked around when I put it on his back.

My BO is building a new paddock for the mares and foals - bigger. He hopes to have it done on the weekend. Rory will love the extra space.

I was looking at his hooves yesterday and noticing the dark growth coming on the non white legs. The hind one has a white stripe on the inside that's making me wonder if he has a touch of white on that coronet and I just can't see it through the pale baby hair.