Orphan Foal - Growth and Growing Up
Bodega and Bravio -
Foal Growth and Growing Up. Summary of the two B Babies at 3 weeks.
Bravio’s blog starts here and Bodega’s blog starts here
FOOD
He has started eating hard feed, and is not bothered whether it is his baby food or Serranilla’s mix, which he happily consumes. Mind you, she eats his too.
- Nibbles at the straw in the box, nibbles at grass when they are out - in the short intervals in which he is not boing-ing around.
Bodega
Consumes her full quota of milk with enthusiasm. Still not fully persuaded about hard feed, but will eat it so long as it is fresh and dry. Tends to pick out the bits she likes first.
- Nibbles at straw in the box, likes grass when she is out, and investigates and tests every flower she comes across.
PHYSICAL Growth of the Foals
Growing strong, definite macho build to him, and oh that head. Daddy to the last hair!
Bodega
She now has substance, with her body looking stronger and more definitive. She is discovering the joys of boinging.
More on the height of the foals.
Foal Growth in ATTITUDE
Appealing and Cheeky. His whole body language and attitude is ’And??’ Quite forward.
Bodega
Friendly, independent. Tendency to nibble and chew. Likes my jeans at about calf level.
The Foals’ Growth with PEOPLE
In the box he is quite territorial. If I am inside it is a mutual advance-retreat-negotiate until we have established that
(a) he is not allowed to nip and (b) he is going to get that wither scratch.
He allows me to touch him all over the upper area, and still does little bounce-hops when my hands go under his stomach.
- If I am outside the box, he comes to the door to have his neck, head and ears scratched.
- Outside in the arena and the field he is curious, not scared of people.
- He likes to be the one initiating contact, and if you ignore him he is determined to be noticed!
Bodega
I cannot whistle properly but I can manage one note, which is my call to her.
The response is a little whicker,
telling She-Who-brings-The-Milk to hurry up.
She is perfectly at ease with people in her box, and responds to body language, as in
’Move over. sideways hip-bump I can’t put your milk lift it high above both our heads
in the manger sideways other-hip-bump when your nose is stuck in it.’
I can rub her all over, from both sides, plus checking under her tail. She doesn’t flick an eyelid.
- Outside I can throw the lead rope over her back, quarters and neck, catch her, and touch her all over as well.
- Yesterday Andres picked up her hind feet and pretend-rasped them. She stood easy easy,
with the lead rope lightly laid around a pole to give it ’weight’, & me on hand so she couldn’t get caught up or restricted.
GOING OUT - Orphan Foal Growing with Companion
They go out (i) Into the red-sand arena (ii) onto green-grass-grazing patches (iii) into the big just-mown hayfield.
Either Serranilla and Bravio are contained in one spot and Bodega in another, or - as we work towards integration - Andres has Serranilla on a long loose lead, with the B’s playing in the vicinity. I watch, and play sheepdog if the B’s get too adventurous, or go too far AWOL.
Bodega has free roam of the yard when Andres is feeding, working around etc. We don’t let her loose with the two of them as yet.
- More interested in boinging than anything else. Plastic bags are to be bounced at. Chickens are to be bounced on.
- QD and Arco Iris (on the other side of a fence) are to be investigated from a safe distance because they make funny faces and put their ears back.
Bodega
- Plastic bags are to be chewed. Chickens are to be chewed.
- QD and Arco Iris are to be mildly regarded, then ignored when they make funny faces and put their ears back because they are not chewable.
The Foals’ Growth with EACH OTHER
He is CURIOUS - wants to get to know this long legged filly. When she boings off, he bounces and looks surprised. Then follows and repeats.
Bodega
At first she was happy to take him or leave him - there were SO many other interesting things to investigate.
Now she is discovering that running and boinging with him could be quite fun.
SERRANILLA with the B’s
She is a VERY good mother, but don’t mess with her, never mind that you are her son. She keeps him briskly in line with purposeful nips, and a warning hind leg if warranted.
Bodega
She treats Bodega much like she does Bravio, without allowing her up nursing-close.
The B’s with SERRANILLA
Still a bit ’If I’m not sure, I’m going the other side of Mommy’.
Bodega
Couldn’t be too bothered - but she is respectfully wary.
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