This week the younger three kiddos got to move out to the big field with Rihanna and Rue! Very exciting occasion. And I mean really really exciting. Stampede-worthy, you could say.

Our method was to move each mare and foal pair into a stall on the big field side of the barn, and then open the stall doors into the field so that we were kind of ripping off the bandaid all at once rather than separating and upsetting them over and over. As soon as we opened their doors, they were off.

It was pretty funny to see their approach to their new freedom. Andy and Vee immediately took off for the farthest reaches of the field but then split in opposite directions, both galloping big laps. Chanel and Rhett did some very reluctant hand galloping (anything more seems uncivilized, she says) but mostly preferred to trot around like little Valegros. Peyton, who is normally the herd nanny and the strictest mother, forgot herself there for a minute and absolutely TOOK OFF around the perimeter of the field.

Poor Lucy, who is used to always being the center of her mother’s world, was trying her absolute best to keep up. I can say with confidence that Lucy has never run so fast in her entire life. She screamed the entire time, thinking she was being abandoned, but Peyton did finally slow down and let her catch back up.

Vee did a pretty good job of trying to get Goldie/Rihanna and Blue/Rue involved in her shenanigans but their efforts were half-hearted. Well… Goldie trotted half a lap and then flat out resisted completely. Rue wanted in, but Blue wasn’t really having it, and Rihanna decided she was done after the first lap.

Andy and Vee went around for quite a while, both just happy to stretch their legs and go for a run. After a few minutes the others mostly just tried to stay out of their way.

It didn’t take long though for everyone to settle in. There was no real drama between the mares, probably because they all lived together before they foaled.

They’ve slipped right back into their previous hierarchy and habits. Vee is the boss, Peyton and Chanel pair off a safe distance away from Vee, and Goldie and Blue pair off far away from Vee.

The foals haven’t interacted enough for me to figure out yet who’s gonna be top dog, but Andy is definitely at the bottom of the totem pole. Maybe because his dam is so alpha, he’s always learned to just submit. I get a feeling that Lucy or Rue might end up on top.

Aside from the first bit of shenanigans, I don’t think any of them have hardly lifted their heads from the grass yet. The smaller turnout they were in before had grass, but not as lush and beautiful as this bigger field, so they’ve all been really enjoying stuffing their faces, babies included. It’ll be fun to see how their dynamics play out over the next week or so!

Oh, and this new field is directly across the driveway from Presto, who is absolutely DELIGHTED by his new neighbors.

Happy Friday!