Bright got weaned last Thursday at the age of 6 months and a week. If you don't know what that's about, its the process of separating him forever from Lady Marquise. The two have been stuck to each other's side since he was born and he has had the opportunity to nurse at will. In order to wean him, they put him in the barn under the misters in a stall and put Lady back in a far away paddock with another broodmare. The reason they do this is to encourage Bright to eat regular hay now and to start the process of halter breaking. Usually, this is a really anxious time for both mare and foal, but because they had the opportunity to stay together for better than 6 months, the process has been a little easier. Bright does not seem to upset, but rather very very friendly. When I walked into the stall he cozied right up to me and sniffed for carrots. I guess he thinks I am the carrot lady now. I show up about once every three weeks and bring him delicious, cold, hard carrots. He's a really really sweet horse. I like him a lot. Lady Marquise also seemed to be handling foaling with great equanimity. She didn't seem bothered at all. The other broodmare she was with just kept pacing the fence line looking for her foal but Lady just dozed in the shade trying to stay cool. That is one smart and solid headed horse. She passed that on to her son.
Bright has a nice new foal halter on in this photo. The folks at Legacy made him a very nice brass plate with his name on it. Anita, the broodmare manager, told me that she thinks he has great conformation right now but is a little skinny. Alittle sucked up because his system is in shock because he can't nurse anymore. Also - he is growing tall like a weed. He's lanky. If I put my arms out straight, his back comes right up to them.
BRIGHT LIKES CARROTS. Now that he is weaned, or in the process of it, Bright is eager to receive carrots from me. I think we've built a sort of trust over carrots. He has an expectation of me now. Alot of the foals don't know what they are because no one has ever come to give them carrots. No one has ever brought them any treats at all. But not Bright. He gets treats everytime I visit. He's going to be easy to train as long as you give him carrots. Anita and Diana (Legacy Ranch folks) both told me that he is such a nice tempered animal that he will be easy to train, and because of that, I can leave 
him a colt for as long as he needs to be. Everyday now, he gets walked from his stall on halter. In three weeks, he should have the hang of it and then go into an outdoor paddock with other colts to frolic and play.
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