Boys and girls

Wow, the days just seem to be flying by. Sonny is almost two weeks old. Any day now, we should have another foal for him to play with. He wont be the baby of the farm anymore. But Already he has grown so much, you would hardly recognise him as the same baby. His coat has darkened to a much brighter bay. His head which was not beautiful, at birth, has become handsome, his body seeming to catch up to the size of his head. His body has filled out, and he looks fit to gallop all day up and down a mountain side. Sonny is the first colt we have ever had, all the others born here have been fillies. There is definitely some difference in behaviour already, just likes humans. Boys and girl are different.

Boys like to wrestle, rough and tumble, run and hit things. My best friend and i rode horses as kids and our brothers, younger than us , were also the same age and best of friends, had ponies to. While my Friend and i, tried to perfect our jumping technique, plait our ponies tail's and groom them to within and inch of life. Our brothers, galloped around the field, with toy swords and whacked at imaginary monster (gorse bushes and fence posts), usually they were only half in the saddle with arms stretched out to the side,reins left unattended on the ponies neck, they galloped unguided where they choose. The boys loved this. I always remember mum saying that as a child i hugged and cuddled, my brother wanted to wrestle, and demonstrate his new karate, on her instead.

This is what it is like watching sonny. He gallops, whirls and kicks at some imaginary monsters before bolting back to Fern . Where he usually attacks, whirls and runs back off again. Frequently i go to see them in the paddock, i find Fern trying to sleep in the sun. Sonny usually climbing all over her, unable to be still. Biting at face, pulling her forelock, pawing her side. For all the world looking as if he saying 'mum, mum, lets wrestle, come on wrestling time, get up and play with me...Mum, MuM, MUM!!!' Poor Fern just ignores him to the best of her ability, and continues to doze. Although Sonny did get a scolding once, when in failing to get any response, he bit her eye in frustration.

I had to laugh this morning and when i arrived at the paddock, this is what i saw (top photo). Sonny in a rare moment was letting his mother sleep in. He was himself fast asleep next to her, in what had to be the worlds most awkward position, for a horse to sleep in. Head facing down hill, on his side, one hind leg underneath him, and his bum hoisted up in the air. It looked ridiculous, and it amazed me that anything could sleep at all, lying like that. Ten minutes later he was back to his usual routine of wrestling and running. Poor Fern.