The Ten Best Things about the Foals Coming Home

Jun 4, 2017 | Farm & Ranch, Horses

Bringing the foals home was a Team Turnabout family adventure—four people, two sweet logoed trailers configured with three box stalls—our most exciting mission of the summer. We have three handsome colts: Pavie (Comme Il Faut x Pistoya), 2.5 months old, bred by embryo transfer, with his surrogate mother, Parade; Elliot (Cornet Obolensky x Eloise), 2.5 months old, embryo transfer, with surrogate mom Secret; and Dominic (by Dominator Z), 1 month old, carried by Eloise herself.

Here are the ten best things about these little guys coming home:

(1) All three boys were superstars on their first trailer ride. Elliot even loaded before his mom, who was being stubborn/naughty about getting onto the trailer. Dominic nursed almost the entire way; Nancy said we should be playing the Good Humor truck jingle.

Pavie and Parade loading at Takoda Farm

Pavie and Parade on the trailer cam

(2) If you want idyllic, this is it: view from the kitchen window of mares and foals grazing. Seriously–it’s heaven.

The view from our house

Morning scene

(3) It’s better than TV. You get high-speed action (galloping, bucking), sentimental moments (mama/baby stuff), plays for dominance (baby stallions—need I say more?), and soap-opera drama (current episode: Parade will NOT let Eloise and Dominic into the shed, but Eloise keeps trying/sneaking in when Parade’s not there). And we can watch it all over lunch.

Eloise and Dominic ostracized from the shed!

Relegated to the corner

Kind of a lazy morning, but you can see who’s in charge at the moment:

(4) Now we have nursery school and senior citizens all in one place. (Grappa, eg. is 30 years older than these little guys. I’m hoping he’ll give them some advice over the fence.)

Fun with the old guys: Firefly was terrorizing Otter and Grappa so he got a special clip job.

(5) If you want to feel appreciated, give a foal a back scratch.

Dominic loves it

(6) Rather than route 22 with Heidi’s Inn and the Red Rooster burger joint and pedestrians darting across the road (Why?! Really, people.), our evening foal visits now involve peaceful walks, sunsets, pretty trees, etc.

Favorite tree by the farmhouse

Watching the sunset

Eliose + Dominic

Elliot + Secret

Stormy sky after sunset, back at the house

(7) This winter our crew decided “Secret” and “Parade” weren’t quite the right names—and started calling the surrogate mares Michelle and Melania. (Seriously, that’s what’s listed on the feed board.) So yeah, Michelle and Melania are back.