Blessi Has a Baby

Lea the stable owner put her young filly Zooey, a warmblood, with Blessi to help with weaning process.  I had a great time watching horse behavior. Since I always board Blessi, I don't often get a chance to just watch horses interact and weaning day was full of drama. 

 

I felt so sorry for poor Zooey--the pathos of a baby being weaned tugs so at your heart--those little quivering nostrils as the filly calls for her mother and the mother calls back. There was a point at which Zooey was desperate for milk. She tasted a pine bough--no that's not milk; took a drink of water--no that's not milk either; went into the stall area thinking she may find her mother there--no milk there; went to Blessi and actually nibbled at his gelding parts--no milk there either reinforced by a nipping motion from Blessi. She did eat some hay from time to time--but that is not what she wanted.

Zooey is confident little girl. Not once did I see her "mouthing" or smack her lips at Blessi like most other foals that I have seen. No, she kept pushing the boundaries and he kept disciplining her--like a really strict uncle. (Note after a few days with Blessi, Zooey did start to "mouth" or "clack" at him and the older horses and Blessi stopped nipping as much.)  Blessi kept her in line by pinning his ears and making nipping motions at her. I only saw him actually nip her once--on the shoulder and it wasn't very hard. And every once in awhile, she kicked up at his face from about 2 or 3 feet away.  When Zooey is not hanging out with Blessi, she spends time with Samauri, the gelding in the next pasture.

 

And it is funny watching Zooey trying to nurse off Blessi. He is actually rather tolerant of it considering his gelding parts are at risk. He does nip at her. I never saw him make any kicking motion at her up to this point. Once she actually got close enough to mouth on his gelding parts. Blessi did this dramatic stomping back up (I have never seen him so collected, his haunches dropped about 6 inches and his head arched) towards Zooey but he never actually kicked out at her--just let her know that she was way out of line.

And I would say "Poor Blessi" except that he is getting to eat non-stop in exchange for some light baby sitting duties. I went into the pasture to groom Blessi and Zooey came up to get some pets also. Blessi was jealous and pinned his ears at her and drove her off. I verbally told Blessi to knock that off (horses should not do that when people are around--at least if the person can prevent it) and Blessi walked off in a huff. He walked off about 15 feet and turned his butt to me. It was pretty funny--he did that to me once before when I mildly yelled at him for tugging somebody's jacket zipper up and down. It was like he was saying "You are making me babysit this brat and then when I am doing my job, you yell at me--seesh, I can't win." I ignored him and he "forgave" me in less than 5 minutes and came back for snuggles.