Furballs & Mudballs & Naughty, Naughty Filly

Gosh, the fillies are sure growing up. It's hard to believe they'll soon be considered yearlings. Where has time gone?

Filly is doing so good that I can sometimes forget how difficult her first few months were. She must have known what was in store for winter because she's been a furball since early fall. She's unbelievably furry, looking like a woolly mammoth. It's fun to run my fingers in her coat & bury my nose in her soft fur, much to her displeasure because I'm sure she thinks this human is crazy. She was definitely prepared for the week of freezing temperatures that we recently had. Even in the early morning freeze she was warm under that wooly coat. Grey Girl is a little woolly, but no where near as woolly as Filly. GG is such a little cutie, fuzzy like a puffball. She's always bright eyed, loving, & curious. In some ways she's now the boldest of the fillies. When something spooks or startles the fillies, she's the first to investigate. She's really changed from being Baby Dearest. She's now the low filly on the pecking order & the first to meet me at the gate for scritches & petting. Blondi must not have gotten word that winter is almost here. She's slick & shiny, still wearing her summer coat. Her coat is a little thicker than it was, but she's certainly not a furball or fuzzy. She's now the Boss of the Babies & never lets the others forget her new found status. Filly & GG give way at feeding time. Blondi is the most reserved with people but once she knows someone, she likes to drape herself over their shoulder. She's the most in-you-pocket of the fillies.

After the freeze, the rains came & now I have mudballs in my pasture. All that wonderful woolliness of Filly is now caked with mud. The poor curry can hardly get the mud scraped off. Most of the time she looks like a mad mudhen, going around with her ears flopped back as if in disgust at her muddy condition. GG is also a little mudball but her mud is easily knocked off. Blondi of course can't be a mudball because she's too slick & short coated. I also think she's the prissy one who stays in their shelter out of the rain.

Oh was Filly naughty a few nights ago. It was time for dinner & all their buckets of goodies were ready. As I bent over to pour a bucket into a feed pan, I felt teeth hit my head & my hair being pulled. WHAT?! I was shocked that Filly had tried to bite my head. Luckily for me her teeth didn't clamp or I'm be missing a chunk of hair. Or maybe I should say lucky for Filly! I'm not sure if she was aiming for me, or if she thought I was one of the other fillies getting into her feed pan (it was dark after all), but either way her behavior was unacceptable. I stood up shouting & flailing my arms, scattering everyone. I had 3 wide-eyed fillies standing in front of me wondering at the madness before them. Time for fillies to learn about MY space. It's been very peaceful at feeding time since then. The fillies aren't allowed at the feed pans until I step away. They are respecting the new rule & I'm sure it's because they don't want to see the Dark Side shouting & flailing again.

Last Sunday the trimmers were out. Filly & GG were due for trims and they were both very well behaved. GG is learning to stand & pick up her feet really well. She's a bit stubborn but learns quick & complies once she realizes behaving gets her scritches. At times Filly is like a little old horse, wise to the ways of life. Her trimmer said she behaves better than most adult horses she trims. I guess Filly isn't always naughty (wink).

From the fillies & me, Happy Holidays everyone!