Adorably clumsy foal tries to graze like mom

Foals are among the cutest and most adorable animals on the planet. Felix is just three weeks old and he is no exception. Like his mother, Fling, he has a calm and wonderful disposition. Although he is playful and enjoys his share of running and bouncing, he is a very relaxed and patient little horse.Show more

Felix lives on a beautiful farm with lush, green meadows, forested areas to explore, and large paddocks to run around in. He follows his mother everywhere and they both watch each other closely. Fling is proud and protective and she keeps a motherly eye on Felix, snorting and whinnying occasionally to give him instructions about his behavior. Felix watches her too and he imitates almost everything that she does. Naturally, a nursing mother horse needs to eat a lot of grass to produce enough milk for her baby, so her day is spent grazing as much as possible. Fling eats almost constantly as Felix watches curiously.

Felix can be seen here trying to graze too. He watches and then he bends his head down to nibble the grass. But Felix has a few problems with eating grass. Felix' legs are much longer than Fling's in proportion to the rest of his body. Horses are born with legs that are nearly their full grown length. This is a matter of survival, as they will need to be able to outrun predators at a very early age. His legs are long enough that he can't actually reach the ground with his mouth to get at the short grass. He must bend his ankles and spread his legs in a comical fashion. He struggles with his balance as he does so and almost tips over as he straightens his legs afterward. He is adorably clumsy at this age and you can't help but laugh, even though his determination is admirable.

Felix' other problem is that he can't actually digest solid food yet. He will continue to nurse for several more months before he starts to actually eat grass and is able to obtain nourishment from it. His show of grazing with his mother is all about doing as mom does and he probably doesn't even understand why she is eating this strange food. Felix won't have full grown teeth for a little while longer either so he won't find eating grass to be easy at all.

But the world is meant for exploring and Felix is trying new and fun things every day. By watching his mother, and the other horses on the farm, this little man will learn how to be a good horse as he grows to fit those clumsy legs.