Friday, September 27, 2013

Catching Up With The Horses

It was a beautiful winter day here in Arkansas, perfect for spending an afternoon out with the horses.
Favorito was alert and at attention.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d314/d795/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

He looks like he was posing for this shot. He so wants to please, so watches for every cue.
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Anastacia is looking like she might be pregnant again.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d316/d795/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

She was made very mellow by the unseasonable warmth of the day.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d317/d795/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Poesia wanted nothing to do with all this attention so made her getaway as soon as the camera turned toward her.
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Alexios has grown so much and does beautifully on the lead rope.
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Here he seems to be saying "Whatcha doing?"
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It was a gift of a day and I couldn't think of a better way to have spent it than out with our little herd.

Alexios Returns

It's been awhile since Alexios has had a chance to get in front of the camera as life here as been rather chaotic. This past weekend we finally had time to get out and visit with the horses. On Saturday, the farrier came out and Alexios had all four hooves trimmed. He did very well considering it was only his second experience. Unfortunately there are no photos as we had our hands full.
Sunday we went back out to the horses just to spend a little time in their company. Alexios, who is now 12 weeks old, took the opportunity to ham it up a bit.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d196/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

I think he was trying to decide which was his best side.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d199/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

He is shedding prolifically now. He is showing more and more of his mother's color, though he may yet darken as he matures.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d202/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

His hooves look pretty after their trim, and he is showing that he will have mismatched socks.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d203/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

It was a hot day so we decided to bathe everyone. Favorito was first and he seemed to greatly appreciate having all his dried sweat washed away.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d204/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

He did exactly what we'd expected once he'd been turned loose. He pawed a bit at the dirt.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d205/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Then lowered himself to the ground in preparation...
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for a good roll in the dirt.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d208/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

He took great pleasure in his back scratch.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d209/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

And made sure to get himself entirely coated...
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on one side.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d211/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

We were left with a two toned horse.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d212/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Next it was time for Alexios to be introduced to the shower scrunchy that we use to bathe the horses. We've found that they love the good scratching it gives. Alexios sniffed it suspiciously.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d213/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

He did allow Deb to show him what it was for though he didn't really trust it yet.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d216/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

After a few swipes on his neck he wandered away and took time to absorb the experience.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d218/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Mom showed him that it was a positive thing as she stood calmly and allowed herself to be scrubbed. She almost appears to be smiling with approval.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d219/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Alexios observed for awhile and then decided he needed to burn off a little steam.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d220/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

He took off after Poesia and exhibited his desire to be studly. She wasn't impressed and expressed herself by kicking out her hooves at him.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d221/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Poesia was last in line to be bathed and she decided to be hard to catch. Once she started her shenanigans, we had to see it through to the end. Finally she realized we were serious and let us catch her. Once we started wetting her down, she seemed almost embarrassed that she'd resisted such a pleasant experience.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d222/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Alexios was out in the pasture while we were lavishing attention on Poesia. He showed off just how fine a horse he is becoming.
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As soon as we were done with Poesia she was ready to head out into the pasture.
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Alexios gave me the opportunity to gauge just how much he's grown by grazing for awhile next to Poesia.
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We left them cooler and contentedly grazing.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d226/d391/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Alexios At 11 Weeks Old

Just a quick update as life has been quite busy of late. Between visiting the girls up in Missouri this past weekend and now house sitting down at the horses, we haven't had much time to catch up with life. Alexios turned 11 weeks old yesterday and we are finally getting a sense of what his adult color. He is a bay (dark mane and tail) but looks like his color will be closer to the red of his momma than the mahogany of his daddy.

http://media-files.gather.com/images/d511/d375/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Alexios Gets A Lesson From Favorito

We got a break in the weather yesterday so Deb went down to the pasture to spend some time with the horses. They were eager to get out to graze. They were close to the fence that sections off Favorito's pasture so Alexios took some time to interact with his dad.
At first things were very sweet between them. Alexios made all the appropriate submissive gestures, and Favorito approved.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d219/d368/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

They stood together, Favorito keeping watch while Alexios grazed.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d220/d368/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

They strolled together down the fence line. Poesia and Anastacia were close by but didn't seem at all perturbed by their interaction.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d221/d368/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Right after this nose sniffing. Alexios decided that he would try to act the little stallion with his father. He can be a bit too full of himself and chose the wrong moment to display that.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d222/d368/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Favorito decided that he needed a lesson in what it really means to be a stallion. He can be quite impressive with his displays.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d223/d368/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Alexios was promptly put in his place.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d225/d368/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

It is times like these that he turns to Mom for comfort.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d226/d368/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Nothing like a good, long drink to make life a little better.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d227/d368/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

He meekly wandered back over to Favorito, this time to be the student of the stallion.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d228/d368/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

And a footnote for those that are interested. Alexios is now shedding on his neck - if you look closely you can see the darker brown starting to come through.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d229/d368/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg


Alexios Out In The Pasture

It was a good afternoon to let the horses out to graze for a few hours this afternoon. We've had a lot of rain and storms roll through here this week so they've been a little more confined. Alexios took matters into his own hooves the other day and somehow managed to escape from the pen. We received a phone call letting us know he was out loose by himself so Deb dropped everything and headed down to the pasture. We were both quite nervous as we didn't know how he'd gotten out, and whether he'd injured himself in the process. When Deb arrived there, all the horses were completely calm. She did a thorough check of Alexios and could find no sign of injury. Also, she walked the perimeter of the pen on both sides to see where he had managed to break free. Everything was as it should be so we're guessing that he somehow managed to go under the pen again. He should be too big at this point to be able to do that but obviously not.
Today, they were eager for the grass. Alexios became interested in eating the seeds from the tall grass that had grown up on the outside of the fence.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d977/d360/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

He soon learned that this was a gathering place for gnats and took off trying to rid himself of the pesky little things.
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Realizing that he'd gotten a little too far away from mom, he turned around and headed back to her at a quick pace. Perhaps he was still a little shaken from being separated from her the other day.
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Here he seems to be talking to himself as he mozies the rest of the way to her.
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Something caught their attention.
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Anastacia decides that it is time to move them closer to Poesia.
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She didn't like the attention that was being paid to them by the two mares in the adjoining pasture.
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She makes sure to be between them and Alexios as she herds him back to the top of the pasture.
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Today he was being very obedient to his mother's wishes.
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They do make a pretty pair.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d986/d360/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

The two mares stood at the fence watching them leave. It almost seems that they are trying to say, "We only wanted to be neighborly."
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d987/d360/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Once they are at a safe distance, Anastacia stops to graze again. Alexios looks like he is more interested in checking out the mares. Who knows what sort of interaction they had when he was out loose.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d988/d360/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

He did decide that he wanted to hang close to his herd though.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d989/d360/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Anastacia was paying close attention to everything. Here she was checking out what Deb was doing that created an unexpected noise.
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The other day when the farrier was out, Alexios was way too rambunctious. He even was so impertinent as to try to mount Poesia (yes, our little one is very precocious). Sometime between then and now Poesia had taken the time to have a long, and probably harsh talk with him. Today he was very respectful, making sure to give her a wide berth.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d991/d360/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg
She did keep her eye on him though, and he was fully aware of this fact.
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We took a break from standing out in the pasture and watched them for awhile from the car.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d993/d360/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Poesia treated herself to a good back scratch by rolling in the grass.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d994/d360/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

They had the chance to eat their fill of grass and then decided it was time for their feed. Alexios managed to get himself stuck on the wrong side of the gate.
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d995/d360/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Quickly he sorted it out and came flying into the pen. He most certainly did not want to be forgotten!
http://media-files.gather.com/images/d996/d360/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

He has started shedding quite a bit on his neck and the color underneath is much darker than his baby coat. I will try to get some closeups next time.