Tiki is, inevitably, growing up. As baby horses grow, they turn into surly teenagers. This USUALLY doesn't happen until around 1 year old, but Tiki's been well ahead of the curve since Day 1. When she was a month old, she was already independently walking around on the lead without mom nearby--something normal for 3-4 month old foals. When she was 6 weeks old she was already standing for the farrier like a champ. When she was 2 1/2 months old, she was being such a pissy playful baby walking in from the field with mom that she started having to be walked in separately--something not really normal for a suckling foal at all, but if you had to do it, would only be once they were just about ready to wean at 4-5 months. This past week, Tiki has become such a pissy handful walking with mom at all that she insisted on being led in AND out independently. Again, this is not normal for a suckling foal at all--to have the confidence to insist on being led BY HERSELF AND IN first from the field. More importantly, her attitude has shifted from cute little baby horsie to surly teenager WELL ahead of time. Fun, eh???? *sigh*
Most foals are shy and stand back from the gates while the adults are led in. Most foals will be kicked back by the adults at feeding time, put in their place and are often forced to come in last or next to last. Not Tiki! Nope, she stands at the gate and completely takes over. She will not be budged by the adult horses and they don't even try. I think they understand it would be futile. She comes out first to be led into the barn. Even before her mother. And, with a true friesian appetite, she runs to mom's feed bucket first and steals bites of food until Mona walks in. Even though we've had nights with high winds or situations where we've needed to bring the entire front field in at once, Tiki is the first horse out and the one to lead the pack as they march into the barn. She doesn't look back for her field mates, she doesn't cry for mom, she just marches with the whole world ahead of her with an occasional primordial yelp on the way in. More expressive than "where is everyone?"
She's been a surly, independent, pissy pony these last few weeks. Much like her sire before her, she's highly dependent on my level of interaction with her to keep her attitude compliant and happy in general. While overall she's a great, well-trained foal--the fact is if I don't have time to groom, talk to, or work with her she gets VERY upset and takes it out on whoever her handler is--in this case, poor Anne-Marie. Thankfully Anne-Marie has a personal connection with her and also handled her sire extensively during his young formative years. While I would run into the barn and train/teach all day, Anne-Marie (and others) recognized when Eddie's tolerance level of my lack of involvement was running thin and would remind me to spend time with him. Even pulling him into the grooming stall and giving him a good grooming gave him his "mom fix" and he would be a delightful boy for a week or so afterwards.
So, Tiki's been checking my nametag and has been acting out (piaffing and levading her way into the barn, having stomping, pouty temper tantrums etc) as she's been getting progressively more independent this last month and a half/two months. She's been marching her way to Weaning Day, stomping and pouting all the while. As it's almost upon us and the holidays are over, I'm entering back into her life to boost her confidence, guide her discipline, and reconnect with her to prepare her for her next big step in life.
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