With the weather as it is, nice and warm in the day, and freezing of a night, we have to take the horses rugs off in the day, and put them back on of a nightime. with the older Horses there is not a problem. The younger Horses are not use to it, they want to get involved or start to move about as you are doing the rugs.
Over the winter months, Lady’s and Woody’s foals, from last year, have been in a large gated area in one of the barns. It is a good size area, that unfortunatley allows them to much space when you have to do the rugs, so it takes for ever.
We aways put the youngsters in the same place every year. Being young they should be together in the first year, especially if they have grown up with each other from foals. It is company for each other, and hopefully helps them later in life to socialise with other horses. Some Horses can be very aggressive with other Horses, especially when there is food about. They will kick violently, believing that their feed will be taken. We have never had that problem. When youngster’s are put together, they share their feed, growing up knowing that other horses are not a threat to them when feeding. They can also be extremely dangerous to people.
Some years back I had two Lipizzaner Carriage Horses, Kane and Able, stabled in London. On the first day of receiving them, I gave them their nightly feed. As they were eating a friend came enquiring of my new Horses. We went into Kane’s stable to have a look over him. One silly mistake, and one that I will never make again, for as I went to the back of him, he let two barrels go, so high that the shod hoofs grazed my nose and cheek. I just managed to get out of the stable before he let another one go, he really wanted to get me. If the kick had hit me full on, I would not be hear to tell the story.
Back to the foals. Seeing them with their rugs off you appreciate how much they grow over a year. They are a good size, and look as if they will make a good 16hh. There confirmation, which is important with Race Horses, is extremely good.
Bliss is still very kind and gentle, laid back and always happy to see you. She has the same sort of temprement as her mother Lady. Woodys foal on the other hand, is another Woody with her temprement. She is kind, but very wary, and just as Woody threatens Lady, she threatens Bliss.