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Gradually, we (I) became more confident. At first, the Babies were taken out of their stable and allowed to graze whilst on a lead rope. Then, we’d let them off the ropes to run about the field. One test for my nerves was for me to let them out whilst I was alone. I had to steel myself for that one!
They went out while I cleaned the stables and came back in again before I left for home. Not much of an excursion into their new environment, but it was enough for the time-bring (for me, if not for them).
I had to keep reminding myself that they’re not delicate little flowers, they came from one of the harshest environments and in comparison, they were living the high life! In a dry stable, with hay and feed, shavings for a bed and clean water in the corner. Out on the mountains, sparse scrubby grass, hard, cold ground, seeking out water from streams and brooks, just going into winter, yeah… they had it good.
The day arrived that I finally felt confident in letting they stay out for the whole day. I was on tenterhooks for hours and went up early. I was convinced they’d have escaped and we’d never see them again, or they’d get onto the roads and cause an accident or be killed.
The little beauties! They were still there and safe! The Babies got used to the routine of going into the stable first, to avoid Maverick and Aramis who still hadn’t got close to them. 
Aramis sometimes came into their yard to look over the stable door at them. He’s HUGE, as I’ve said – easily twice their height. Bev told me to watch the Babies when Aramis came close.
“They’ll ‘champ their mouths’ at him,” she said. The act of submission in a silent open-mouthed movement is designed to appease a bigger horse and I’d never witnessed it before! I watched in the hope of seeing the act. Pagan did, but not Goran, at least, not that I’ve ever seen.
Maverick was never interested in the Babies and avoided their stable yard.
“When we let them into the Big Lads’ field, they’ll get chased at first,” Bev said. “But they’ll be OK when Mav and Aramis accept them.”
That was a test I didn’t look forward to.
That particular test came earlier than I anticipated, one wild and stormy night.
I was late going up to the yard and it was dark, stormy, rain lashing sideways. Bev and I got there and I hooked up the battery so we’d have lights to see.
We realised the fence had broken and the Big Lads were able to get into the paddock. Our arrival sparked everything and it seemed Hell was just waiting for us to get there so we could watch as it was let loose!
The girls were in their field, safe out of the way, if wet and getting wetter. Getting Maverick in was a doddle… put his feed in his stable and he’d wander in, right as rain.
Aramis was more difficult. He’s a Warm-Blood and a bit of a nutter. He went into the stable, following his feed bucket, and just as Bev was securing the doors, (he needs a ‘rabbit hutch-style’ door on the top of his stable door because if he gets his head over the door, he’s big and powerful enough to push right through – he’s done that a few times) he pushed forward and broke through, shoving Bev out of the way.
Then he went after the Babies.
Bev shouted a warning to me as I tried to get the little ones in and suddenly, they saw Aramis barrelling into the paddock and they took off like scared rabbits!
The rain hammered us as we tried to get everyone in and safe. Sideways, sharp and pointy rain. The only thing we had going for us was the light shining onto the paddock.
The Babies scattered and ran away from the safety of their stable, rather than toward it. Aramis then took it into his head to chase down the Babies – obviously, to him, they were interlopers.
The mud flew and the Babies sprinted ahead of the horse five-times bigger than them both! Aramis chased Pagan and Goran around the paddock, sliding in the mud, scaring Bev and I to death because we could both envision broken legs in his future.
Bev tried to stop Aramis every time they came past us but with his blood up, nothing, probably not even Maverick, could have stood in his way.
Suddenly, the Babies made a mistake and were cornered at the new fence. The fence I believed would keep them in. Both foals stopped at the barrier, but with a tonne of horse bearing down on them, they leaped over the new fence, from a standing start. They hopped that fence like it was nothing to bother about.
Aramis, luckily, skidded, slipped and slid to an ungainly halt and turned away.
Pagan and Goran, as soon as the danger was passed, hopped back into the paddock.
Not much of a deterrent, that fence.
Bev was furious at Aramis and when I saw how much trouble he was to get into the stable when he didn’t want to go in, I had a serious re-think about whether I could handle them alone as I’d promised.
