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Health & Fitness

Spring Fever

For riders, spring means warmer riding weather and the arrival of foals.

I love spring. It’s my favorite time of year.

There’s something magical about the time right after the snow melts but before the summer gets into full swing. The land seems to be completely dormant, but beneath the surface, it’s rapidly preparing to bring new life into the world. Soon, shoots of new grass will poke through the ground, and buds will begin to appear on the trees.

If you look out across the horse pastures that dot the area, chances are good you will spy a mare, idly grazing on the fresh grass. It may appear that she is doing little else, but inside her swollen belly, she too is preparing to bring new life into the world.

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Which brings us to another reason I love spring so much: foals.

There’s something magical about foals, too. Just watch a little newborn answer its momma’s whinny with its own squeaky cry as it tries to operate its stilt legs and then tell me they’re not special.

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Feel the soft fur of their fresh little manes and the teeny tiny whiskers on their noses and try to keep your heart from melting. Look into those big eyes framed by long lashes and realize that this foal already looks just like her momma.

We form such strong bonds with our horses that it’s no wonder we seek to keep a part of them with us in the form of their offspring after they’re gone. These foals enter the world completely unaware of the high hopes that are pinned on them: hopes that they will be a great jumper, reiner, roper, eventer, dressage performer and hopes that they will be as great a partner to us as their parents were.  Instead, they cavort about the pasture under their dam’s watchful eye without a care in the world.  

Simply magical.

What about you? Are you anxiously awaiting a new arrival or do you already have foals on the ground?  What are your foaling stories?

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