Playful Newborn Foal Falls While Playing In Pasture

Felix is a playful and happy foal who is three weeks old. He lives on a beautiful farm near Peterborough, Ontario, along with a few other horses, some cows, and a few dogs. He lives a carefree life and has access to several pastures and paddocks which he can romp and play in alongside his mother, Fling. The two are a joy to watch as they wander, graze, or lie in the sun. A typical foal in many ways, Felix often becomes playful and bounces in the air or runs around spontaneously, testing out his new legs.Show more

But Felix is not yet as coordinated or as graceful as his mother. In this video, we see him happily sprinting and kicking up his heels and we see his mother joining in the fun occasionally too. Felix hasn't mastered the art of cornering yet and he leans too far into his turn, causing his legs to slide out from under him. The moment turns from joyous to scary as Felix goes down hard, colliding with the dirt. He slides and ends up with his head being driven down into the ground. Alison, the owner of the farm watches as Felix rolls over, balanced momentarily on his head with his neck twisted painfully under him. The laughter stops as the man holding the camera ask Alison if Felix is okay. For a moment, it looks as if the poor foal might be seriously injured.

Fling hurries in to check on her baby and she sniffs at him and waits. Felix lies on the ground, recovering, and everybody holds their breath. It's a good thing that a newborn foal is flexible or this spill would have caused a serious neck injury.

Alison helps Felix to get his legs under him so he can get up. Felix eventually manages to get to his feet and he stands and looks around.

Poor Felix seems confused and has temporarily lost his desire to run around the paddock. But after a few more minutes, Felix shakes it off and decides that its playtime again. Horses are naturally tough and being young, Felix is able to bounce back from a fall like this without any trouble. Within a few minutes, he is back to doing what foals do and he trots around again, ready for more playtime. But perhaps Felix will remember the lesson that comes with a fall and he will take the corners more cautiously.

Felix is a very friendly little foal who is more curious about people than most horses. Following his mother's nature and temperament, he is more comfortable with human interaction and more content with close human contact. He seeks affection, much like a family dog, and enjoys playing with anyone who will chase him or run away from him. Felix is getting a lot of attention from Alison's family and from people who come to the farm to visit Fling and Felix. They have become a very popular pair. He is so adorable!