I have purposely been leaving the foals and their mothers to themselves since their “traumatic” headcollar and microchipping event.

Obviously, we keep an eye – you know, count legs, heads and tails, check they are not stuck or in the wrong field.

Having said that, Hetja is very forgiving and always pleased to see anyone – mostly because I suspect she thinks we have food and she understands that foals have to learn.

Brá is a bit more wary but let me say hello without any calorific enticement and we had a nice chat.

Both mares are blooming (read hugely fat but as they are nursing, then this is fine and totally unavoidable).  There are no slimming diets for nursing mothers.

And, meanwhile, their foalios are divine.

I think we are forgiven our trespasses for the trauma of last week.

Dreki is now proficient in the art of the nose-kissey.

He has it down to a fine art.  Heaven.

 

Lilja has perfected the art of blaming Dreki for everything as she is a professional Princess.

We all adore her but we also understand her Little Ways.

Lilja, too, totally understands the nose-kissey technique.  We teach them early, here at Thordale.

It is considered an essential life skill.

And then there is the playing.

I would say that mostly Dreki initiates play.

And, when it all gets too much, Lilja has learned to run back to her Mum telling tales.

“Mum, Mum, Mum – Dreki’s biting me.  Mum?”  Hetja has stopped wading in on Lilja’s behalf.  They can get on with it now.

The little foalios are learning all that is important.