The Recalcitrant Newt

Delia stays well out of the foal politics.  She is not interested.  Why should she be?  They are small and young while she is old and disinterested.  She is not attached to them in any way.

So, every morning, we let her out of the field to free access of whatever she wants and I think she is looking very well on it.

Meanwhile Albie and Newt are sorting themselves out.

They are both fed every morning – Albie gets two buckets – one with milk and one with hard feed while Newt gets a his own bucket of hard feed.

To start with, this system worked fine.  They would eat standing side by side.  They didn’t share their buckets and knew whose were whose.

Then suddenly Newt decided that he was the boss of Albie and he wanted his breakfast too.  He now tells him where to stand, which bucket he can have, what to think and do.

And, worst of all, Albie agrees and lets him.

Tor, sensibly, does not get involved.

So now Newt’s bucket of food is placed far away from Albie and I sometimes even stand over them both to stop Newt thinking he wants Albie’s bucket as well.

When Newt is on the his breakfast rampage, Albie comes to stand by me and looks pathetic. “Mum, Mum, Newt’s got my food…. Mum, Mum, what do I do?”

Meanwhile, Newt’s fur is still falling out in clumps.

Albie is doing very well, though.  At least he is good at something – holding onto his fur (Albie’s one talent!)

Poor little Albie. We never expected this.  Newt needs to go out with the Minions soon – they will tell him where he stands in the great order of life.

6 thoughts on “The Recalcitrant Newt

  1. Linda

    The little tyrant! (maybe Albie has been making fun of Newt’s fur loss? No, he’s too nice for that.) You’re so right; some time with the Minions should straighten him out… 😉

    Reply
  2. Kara

    I wonder if Newt has Telogen Effluvium. It sometimes happens to people when there has been some type of stress to the body. Maybe it happens to animals, too.

    Reply
  3. Margaret Robinson

    I love reading your blog and the pictures are amazing. Old Hat to you all, but gorgeous to those of us who don’t live there!

    We’ve had two horses over a period of time at the Ranch where I board my horse, that have lost clumps of hair. It turned out to be a vitamin deficiency. Now, these were older horses, but me thinks that young/old sometimes things are the same. Just a thought. Has the vet said anything?

    MMR

    Reply
    1. Frances Post author

      Hi, I think Newt’s hair loss is due to sudden change of circumstances. It can affect foals like that. He has a Shetland pony mineral/vitamin bucket at his disposal!

      Reply
  4. Sam

    Looks likes “give a Newt an inch, he takes a mile” has happened. Any idea why Newt’s fur is falling out?
    Who will be Albie’s buddy when Newt goes off to Big Boy Manners School?

    Reply

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