The Tale of Oliver Twist

I have to tell you....
I had a little apprehension yesterday when I dedicated a blog post to Moonbeam.


You see, whenever one of the equines get just a little more attention that the others,
they all get their panties in a knot.
Then the whining and the complaining begin...
"Whaaaaa, whaaaaaa, whaaaaa..."



And then I don't get a moment's peace until I promise all that they will receive equal press.
And so today I must tell you Ollie's tale.
(You've heard that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, haven't you?  
Well, Ollie is the original squeaky wheel!)


This summer it will be 6 years since this tiniest member of our equine herd
came to live on the farm.


Rejected by his momma, who had to be "put down" when Ollie was just three weeks old,
this little orphan boy came by his name honestly.


Oliver Twist.

We picked little Ollie up and brought him home in a dog crate on the back seat of the truck.
(that's how tiny he was!)


Now, if you have read the Dickens Classic, then you know that Oliver fell into a life of crime...
which is surely what would have happened to our little Ollie if he had not come to the farm to live.


Without a momma to teach him manners or morals, Ollie grew the way of most mini orphans...
into a bit of a juvenile delinquent.
It was his adorable looks that saved him...because his disposition was sometimes less than sunny.


Luckily, because of his size, he is quite easy to deal with...
and in fact is quite comical in his ill-mannerdness.


When he first arrived at the farm, Ollie was just three weeks old and quite tiny.
Unwilling to take milk replacements of any kinds, we worried for the first days that he might not make it.


We should have know soon after that, being a fighter, he would eventually be a strong willed
little man.


He grew slowly, and after about a week we no longer worried.

Ollie and I have an understanding.


For me he is well behaved and keeps his little temper in check.



For others... not so much.... and especially men.
He pins his ears back, then...
takes any opportunity to try to nip or kick any poor, unsuspecting fellow
who happens to wander into the dry lot... just because.
I think it's his way of proving a point...establishing dominance...in a Napoleonic sort of way.


Months after Ollie arrived, we decided to adopt his half brother, Red,
so that Ollie would have another "little" to play with.


They quickly became friends....


and over the years, inseparable.


Red and Ollie are polar opposites in disposition.
So many times I have wished that Red was full-sized.
As a big horse, he would be a dream.... a beautiful dream.
Ollie, on the other hand?...
Well, I am thankful almost on a daily basis that he is the tiny fellow that he is!


Adorably cute....
and a boy that only a Momma could love!

Comments

Lynne said…
I am loving your stories of late . . .
Cute little feisty "Oliver Twist!"
Patsy from Illinois said…
Gosh, I love those littles! Thank you so much for telling us about them and giving us some pics of when they were uh, little littles. Dear sweet Red and independent Ollie. Thank you for giving them a wonderful home.
This N That said…
I think with Ollie The feelings are mutual. Maybe he's being protective of you? He is a cutie. My how time flies. Seems like just yesterday that he came to live with you.
colleen said…
This is so much fun!! Keep posting!!
Country Gal said…
They are all so beautifully cute . Lovely story and photos . Thanks for sharing , Have a good day !
jaz@octoberfarm said…
what a sweet story. ollie and red are lucky you found them! ollie sounds a bit like the teddy of the horse world.
Junebug said…
I'm so enjoying your posts! Oh Ollie, you must be a little stinker! I'm sure glad Mama loves you! Hugs!
buana said…
Oh, I am smiling from ear to ear!! What a precious story about the littles and how they came to your farm~~thank you so much for sharing it!
Rebecca said…
He is so darling. Next to a person, how big is he?
Unknown said…
Love this story and those two are just the cutest ever. I had no idea they were that small in the beginning. Wow.....I just love them.
Unknown said…
Love this post. What an amazing story. Little feisty Ollie, how sweet he is.
Anonymous said…
Heavens, Ollie was indeed a tiny baby! I didn't realize just how strong-willed he is though! The photo of the three "big horses" looking down at him particularly cute. He has a somewhat comical look in most of his photos, as if he is hamming it up for the camera.

Kathy