First up when I called this morning.

Followed by the others.

I gave the big Minions their food separately outside.

(So there would be no hassling)

Poor little Stardust started to whinny while I was mucking out their shed so I moved him, leaving the door slightly ajar so he could see his friends and continue to eat in peace.  By the way, he is not fat – far from it, he has worms and I am worming him gently rather than shocking his alarmingly low system.

Afterwards, as it was a day of grot, I opened the doors wide, opened the toy box and let everyone in to play.

Of course Waffle, Storm and Silver knew exactly what to do and I watched from a distance.

Stardust took his time but carefully and quietly went about investigating all the “toys”.

No one was horrid or chased him off.  There was no foal chewing and he seemed to be part of the herd, although still very much in the background.

The playing was not rough or chasing, just shoving plastic boxes about and making noises, like kids with a drum set.

And suddenly, full of food, they all stopped playing, went to sleep, leaving me to sit on a bucket with BeAnne at my feet on Tiger Watch.

So, being a good mother, I turned out the lights, put on some soothing music and they all slept for 30 minutes.  I continued to sit on my bucket and played an iPad game.

Interestingly, when they woke up, each one came separately up to me for a nose kissey.  Stardust was the first.

As they were awake, and I was feeling stiff and cold, I pushed them outside to eat and went to find some lunch for myself.

Most interesting.

Little steps but definitely steps.