Zayfir's Big Heart
August 25th 2008 04:16
Here's me with my boys, the Koel flock. Despite returning for a day I havnt seen them since and Im not sure whats up with them, but Ive had plenty to entertain myself with. I have had moments.....Where I think of work, and what I would have been doing there, and I feel like Im going to bash something, because I miss it so much, but amazingly, something has already come up, but I wont talk about that until its more sure.
And the house hasnt been this clean in months, and Kman is enjoying having clean folded pyjamas waiting for him every night, as well as a fire warming the house and a nice meal.
Lately, my little Zayf has been watching the Boss Horse, Shakir
And adopting him as a role model. Shakir and Magnus are full brothers and lately thats really showing. Despite having different personalities, they have some exact personality traits - they are both agressive, possesive drama queens with a keen sense of ownership. Everything has to be THEIRS. Which is hard when they share a paddock. From the moment he was born
Zayf has had this unbelievably practical attitude. Im not sure where he got it from. I know that Shakir and Magnus get their agressive, Drama Queen attitude from their Sire - whom I adored and often talked down from a towering rage - and it puzzles me, the way genetics work - SK Shakla Kahn, the Sire of Shakir and Magnus, is Zayfir's GrandSire. How is it possible he avoided this precious attitude? Especially after looking up to Magnus, the show Queen, for most of his life...
Somehow he has managed to come through his whole life without stain. He does not hold grudges, he doesnt get upset, and he always looks after the herd before he looks after himself. Of course, thats the stallions job. The majority of stallions are kept in small yards, utterly alone. In breeding season they can breed up to 5 mares a day - brief hollow sexual encounters after which the stallion is alone again. I cannot express to you how cruel this is. A stallions instinct is not primarily for sex and breeding. A stallions instinct does involve making babies yes, but thats only 5% of it. The rest is caring for his mares, protecting them and loving them. Watching his little foals be born and helping them grow. A stallion is more of a man than many humans I know, and all we have accomplished in our modern world of horse domestication is a hell of a lot of insane stallions. All horses are physical creatures that adore interaction
But a stallion so much more so. The instinct running in his viens screams at him to agressively defend his family, protect his home, and find new mares to procreate with. The stallion is the heart of the herd. The Lead Mare may be the head honcho in charge, who says where and when to graze and drink, but its the stallion who brings up the rear, ensuring none are left behind. Its the stallion that leaps into a fight with anything, be it another stallion, a man, or a pack of wolves, to give his women and children a chance to get away. Its the stallion who stands over his women while they give birth, making them feel safe and loved. Its the stallion who helps his children stand and follows them on their first explorative forays.
The role of the modern stallion is so far ingrained that when I told mum about how lovely it would be to see Zayfir play with his foals she foolishly displayed her ignorance by splurting - "But he cant be left alone with the babies! Surely you wouldnt leave the mares in with him!"
That has always been my plan, actually. Once we have the room Zayfir shall have a paddock of his own with at least 2 full time ladies that belong to him and him alone. Of course, he will have to know that ladies will come and go, and he wont be able to posess every last one - if he is as popular as I estimate, Im sure he wouldnt relish the job of loving them all every day anyway! But those 2 ladies will be utterly his, and when they give birth, it will be at his feet, and his sons and daughters will look up into BOTH parents eyes, rather than a humans.
(Okay, maybe I'll be there too!)
When Teshan gave birth to Shakir, her first foal, she was 3 weeks overdue. She spent those 3 weeks past her due date in the IDEAL yard. Ample grass, water and shelter, isolated from other horses but still close enough to see and smell them. A nervous maiden, she closed her legs and hung on to him. Another mare came close to her due date and Teshan was uncermoniously moved to a tiny dirt yard......That was right next to SK Shakla Kahn, the foals sire. I mean, she could touch noses with him over the fence. Under the protective eye of her first 'husband' Teshan gave birth within hours.
What does that tell you about a horse's instinct?
Already, I have noticed Zayf, at only 2 and a half years old, taking on the role of Boss. Shakir has always been the boss, and not really out of any sense of responsability, just because he's pushy. Zayfir has always looked up to his biggest of brothers and takes on board all that Shakir says, and more amazing, improves upon it. He undermines Shakir's role without Shakir knowing it. A violent storm a few weeks ago had the wind under Shakir's tail. He was running around like a crazy horse. Because he's the boss, everyone else thought it was the thing to do. To my amazement, Zayfe calmly herded them up, got them in a tight bunch, and directed them under the shelter without Shakir even realizing he'd been settled down. On multiple occasions since then, when the others want to run like fools, Ive seen Zayf calmly take a position in their centre, and by his calm prescence, prevent them from running. Yesterday, we were at work
And he threw a little tantie. Hey, he's still a kid after all. But he leaped away from the circle and threw his head in the air. So strong. I was on my face before I knew what had happened. From my flat on the ground position, I looked up to see him staring at me. Any of the others, and I do mean any of the others, would have taken the oppurtunity to flatten me, or take off and drag me. Or both. Zayf just watched, concerned. "What the hell are you doing down there mum?"
We were back on the circle before I realized I was bleeding. I couldnt see, or feel the injury, but blood was running down my wrist from my fingers. We completed a few circles just so he got the idea a tantie is not on and I took him off to reward him. As I patted his nose - carefully, trying not to get blood on him - his eyes widened, his ears flicked forward and he snorted in alarm. He tensed all over at the scent of the blood. I gave him some hay and went to clean up. Ignoring the food (HUH?) he paced by the back gate, watching the door, until I returned. As soon as he saw me he called. I went down and showed him my band aid covered hand - Ive got a few serious rope burns that went through a few layers of skin - and he wuffled, satisfied, but still worried. He literally cant stand the smell of blood. He went all funny on another occasion he head butted mum and split her eyebrow open. He just cant stand any of his herd being injured......But its so much worse if he knows he caused it. Its such a new experience for me, as most horses Ive known - especially Zayfir's dear brothers - if they manage to injure you, consider it a great victory, and even seem to do a little 'ner ner' dance over it.
So thats what me and mine have been up to lately......
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Comment by Ash
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Good to be around your Orble world again! Wow I have missed out on so much, so much to catch up on. I get your email notifications and everyday I think... I must get over and see what K is up to... and then some little drama drags me away from the computer and I have to crash into bed after it has been solved.
Love the pics. You are surrounded by some handsome little ones!
Ash
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
Its good to see you too! Dont worry, I know what its like to be busy..Glad you had the time to drop in.
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis