It's Been One Week . . .

Actually, baby Valentine is one week and three days old today.  She is amazing.  Do all first-time-human-foal-moms feel like this?  What an absolutely amazing creature.  She is only one week old and so highly functioning.  I'm used to puppies and kittens who can't even see or hear for three weeks, while they drag their plump little bodies around blindly on the floor.  Val not only can run, but she's agile and graceful. She is smart and learns quickly, she's trusting and knows who she can trust.  When I had Val and Khandle outside in the yard yesterday, she was concerned that the geldings were all neighing in the pasture.  She would run and look at them, then run back to either me or Khandle, and touch one of us for protection.  I hope she keeps that sure-footed gracefulness that I saw exhibited yesterday -- if she does, she will make a very fine trail horse one day. 

I struggled a lot with her name, there were so many good ideas from friends, but I felt like she just HAD to be Valentine Surprise, since she was a red filly with a heart on her forehead born Valentine's week.  And Val really fits her.  It's pretty, but bold, and easy to say.  Perfect.

She loves to have visitors, and she comes over immediately to greet her fans when anyone walks in the stall.  She loves to lick my hand, or mouth the zipper on my coat.  She loves to have her head and neck and shoulders rubbed, and, oddly, loves to rest her chin in the palm of my hand.  That's something dog trainers work to get their dogs to do, which helps to calm them.  Val just does it naturally.

She lets me touch and rub her all over:  ears, legs, belly.  She lets me pick up all four feet and mess with her hooves.  She has LEARNED to let me touch her hindquarters without kicking (but that one was a bit of a struggle).  Have I mentioned lately she is  amazing?  She must be the best and smartest filly ever!

I bought her a halter, which she accepted without too much trouble.  There was a tense moment when she decided to back away from the halter, very fast, and crashed into the stall wall behind her, which then caused her to rear up and fall over.  Shannon and Khandle and I all rushed to her aide, but she was fine.  Now she lets me put it on her, no problem.  Pam brought her a lavender towel to match her halter and be her first "saddle blanket", and she accepted that with no problem at all.  She lets me throw it on her, rub it all over her, and she doesn't mind the lead rope flipping gently around, either.  Her new lead rope is lavender, too, because she is quite the stylish filly.