It's been four months since I signed off, and I'm not sure whether to characterize this stretch as "mundane" or "extraordinary."
Hermione and Jo's Magic have led a common existence as mare and foal, without any snags, leading up to last week's weaning. No character quirks, no health concerns, no problems of adjustment. Jo wasn't abnormally attached to Hermione (at first I worried that she would be, as a reaction to being a rejected foal), but she also wasn't any more likely than other foals to let her mom get too far away. I'm convinced that Hermione didn't realize that anything was unusual about the situation: she'd had foals before, she had another now, what's the big deal? And from afar, that's how it appeared: the two were just another mare and foal in the herd, indistinguishable from the rest.
A closer inspection, of course, revealed a few distinctions. In the broodmare pasture, Hermione alone was no sleek Thoroughbred. At 22, this fat little Quarter Horse was by far the senior horse in the broodmare pasture and didn’t bear much resemblance to the Thoroughbreds.
Jo separated herself in other ways. Her height (14.2 hands at five months) made her the tallest foal, and put her within inches of equaling Hermione. More noticeable, though, was her personality. No one could repair a downed fence board, or clean the waterers, or cut through the pasture, without our filly pressed up against his hands, begging for attention to some itch, real or imagined. She was never overbearing or poorly behaved, she just reveled in proximity to humans. That, I happily realize, is a positive legacy from her dam; all of Exotic Blue's foals have been this way.
On Aug. 18, our six-month test came to an end. It was time for weaning. For the record, Hermione's milk bag was full right up until the end, and Jo was still enjoying a liquid snack several times each day. The two behaved as any mare and foal during separation: the usual frantic whinnying, some depression, and then resignation. In the week since then, Jo has settled down nicely and has cemented her friendship with another weanling to fill the gap created by Hermione's absence.
For those readers who have requested a follow-up to the story, here are a few "where are they now" notes:
- The process of inducing lactation in a non-pregnant mare deserves to be promoted as one of the most useful breeding innovations of the last several years. When widely implemented, it will save the lives of untold foals, will give new purpose to older or barren mares, and will present an economical alternative to the nurse mare industry. This is not a process that is limited to prosperous farms or to clients of top veterinary hospitals. It is the best hope for breeders and for horses, everywhere, who must deal with rejected or orphaned foals.
- Exotic Blue has moved on to bigger pastures. Literally: she has the run of an 800-acre farm in eastern Kentucky while she’s being prepared for her new career as a Western pleasure mount and trail horse.
- We're undecided on where to point Jo's Magic. The filly is big and correct and tears across the fields the way you'd expect a future racehorse to do; prepping her for a future yearling sale is a possibility. She’s also gentle and smart and has a graceful athleticism that would make her a natural dressage prospect, and we've decided that if we receive interest in her for a sporting career, we will consider selling Jo this autumn. Her half sister, 2-year-old Summer Weekend, is already in training as a hunter-jumper and when prospective purchasers come to see her, they often inquire about Jo. Wherever she goes and whatever she does, I know she'll be a star.
- And that leads us to Hermione. Here's a mare who was always a favorite, always willing, always dependable... but it wasn’t until age 22 that she became a hero. What can she do for her next adventure? In my small neighborhood, there are young children in every house, and more on the way. Hermione will be that first ride that will live forever in the memories of these kids. She'll be the horse who forgives her young riders' bad form and heavy hands, and instructs them to be better equestrians the way only a wise old horse can do. She'll be the mare who stands quietly as she is groomed, yet again, and quite unnecessarily, by the next generation of horsemen and horsewomen. In the late summer each year, I'll try to reclaim this remarkable little horse to nanny the newest weanlings, to comfort them and teach them manners. In short, Hermione will be loved.
Next Post: Happy Birthday, Jo!
