2024 Foals Story II

We love talking photos and videos of our Fells to capture their young lives as they develop and grow. We hope you enjoy seeing them and noting the changes as they mature. If you have a favourite image or video do mention us on FB

SEPTEMBER- OCTOBER 2024

Spirit loves people and is inquisitive. You can't walk into the field without her coming to investigate. Here Spirit is making for our dog.

Max is changing his coat, losing the baby fur and getting darker in colour.

Max is still with his foster mare and she is happy to let him eat her feed. She gets a feed because she is not a native pony but a Sports horse. We don't feed our native broodmares when they live out on grass. They get a mineral block in the field, and a token handful of  feed if they are brought into a stable to be handled. Too much hard feed is bad for their limbs.

Max having a quiet walk to say hello. 

Max and Spirit want the same patch of field.

The Foals have to learn to have a foal slip put on and to be led. This needs to be done from time to time when they are in the field, so they don't forget.

November 2025

All photos/videos of Max from now, are after he has been weaned and separated from his foster mum, who goes back to her home. Max is turned out with our old mare Jezebel who he has known since his birth. Jez looks after Max without letting him get cheeky. This is all good for his development.

First Max is turned out with Jez in a small yard. Then after a couple of days he goes out with her in a paddock. Jez is very good with Max. Look at them grooming each other.

December 2024

Spirit in a very playful mood 27th Dec

Weaning Spirit

What else to do between Christmas and New Year!  I decided it was a good time to wean Spirit ...

First I prepare her by putting her in an adjoining box to her mother and tying her up.I then leave her with a haynet for an hour or so. I have gradually built up the time over the past few weeks, so she is used to leaving her mother and stands quietly tied up.

28th December 

One day later and Spirit is separated from her mum Joy. 

Spirit came out of the field quite happily, leaving Joy to carry on grazing. I put Spirit in her usual stable. Then I brought in Liberty - another youngster - to keep Spirit company. Joy stays out in a field away from the yard so she can't hear Spirit if Spirit calls.

I then moved Spirit and Liberty into a large foaling box. Both were very good. Spirit was quite calm.

29th December 

One day later and Spirit is still quiet and no sign of being stressed at leaving her mother. She is still very inquisitive and wants to follow me when I try to muck out, so making it difficult to get a photo of her. She is always close to me when I am inside the box.

Some Photos of Max taken 28 Dec. Waiting for the gate to open into the adjoining paddock. Max wants to be first but 22 yr old Jez isn't far behind. Max is now just over 7 months old.

The difference it makes when a pony puts an ear back. In both of these photos Max is alert at what is behind him and watching what is in front. I have plaited his mane to encourage it to grow on the correct side. This is so that when he is shown in-hand, and is led around the showring, the judge will see his flowing mane.

It is very hard taking videos of Max because if I am in his field he wants to walk up to me. He is very friendly