The Neighborly Foal

This past winter was a hard one. It was hard on the arthritis and hard on the immune system for most folks and even some critters, like our Sheltie, Bagpipes. The last several weeks were some of the hardest. We had friends and rellies (relatives) in and out of the hospital. Sadly, winter’s passing meant more than time, as we lost a few. And gratefully, others are muddling through the weather and the seasons.
My dad always says, “Friends are family, and family should be friends,” and it’s a quote we live everyday. Many of our neighboring farm families are some of our closest family friends and our common bonds grow beyond the pastures and the fields that we maintain. 
One such friend, Sarah, has not been well and cannot get out to see the family horses, of which they have many, amongst a variety of cattle and sheep. Sarah and her husband Dick, who passed on a couple of years ago, have had horses all of their married life. Their family and ours have been friends longer than my generation of farmers has been around, for nearly 50 years. In our neck of the woods one cannot think of horses without thinking of Dick and Sarah. In addition to farming, their family owns and operates the local auction barn. They live across the valley and creek, West of here, and much of the acreage between their farm and ours is pasture and it is there a wee little surprise was born, just in time for Spring.

The Neighborly Foal and Mother Mare

This little, or should I say ever-growing, foal was born to one of their favorite mares. Since Sarah cannot get out to see this foal my grandma and I thought to at least bring her a way to see a bit. Gram pieced together a long frame collage and I pieced together the photographs to fill it.  It took a couple of drives and a bit of patience waiting for the clouds to part…and mama mare to let junior awaken from peaceful naptime, but I was able to get some fun shots of the little one getting up to mischief.. and clearly I think this kid is just mischief in the making and is really going to be a hoof-full for mama this summer!
At first, curiosity swept up every fuzzy hair to stand on end, and investigate me…whilst not straying far from mama. Of course one of the other horses was quite curious too, and maybe just a wee bit jealous, and so, in all fairness, I took it’s picture too.
Junior also got a bit dirty hoofing around in the muck and mud; like any kid… show them a mud puddle or pile of manure and they’ll walk right through. Mother mare rolled her eyes and let an audible sigh nicker out. My uncle’s mare would probably tell her that she is going to do that A LOT in coming months!

The Neighborly Foal

After a while of getting dirty, junior wanted to play the “bashful” game and peek out from behind mama, and then some faded thistle, and then a dip by the creek. Sadly though, I couldn’t peek back. If they had been a bit closer then and I not standing on the very edge of the fenceline and deep ditch I would have played “Peek” with junior.  Babies of all kinds can turn anybody into a complete idiot. I am no exception! Of course I, like any proud idiot, have no qualms of talking across acres to the neighbor horses and playing critter games…their owners know me all to well…and surprisingly love me just the same!
In fact the only time they wonder about me….the only time that they admit to wondering about me is when I am on the ground (because I walk with two canes) and they want to check that I got down there on purpose.
I hope these photos bring a smile to your face, as they did Sarah’s… ‘cause this little foal is just a bundle of smiles waiting to happen. :0) *Lis

Tags: Baby, Critters, Curiosity, Foal, Friends, Horse

Category: Featured