depscribe's photos with the keyword: brood masres

It's cute, but it's not what it seems. The horse at right has decided to nap -- right on top of the little black horse's leg. The little black horse objected to this, and the chips flew -- literally -- until it got sorted out.

Learning to drink (and not liking it one bit!), the little gray colt is hand-fed some of the artificial milk, though most of it ended up on the ground or one of the humans involved. McKenzie, at right, feels the baby's throat to comfirm some of the milk substitute is getting swallowed, while Victoria coaxes the tiny horse to drink.

Desperate for its mother, the little gray tries to find someplace to nurse, even among other colts.

What's going on here? Several of the foals investigate the little gray, who has decided to nap in the middle of the barn.

In their own small paddock, the babies line up for a good drink of artificial mare's milk.

McKenzie and the little gray stay at it while the barn goes on around them.

This tiny gray gets special treatment as McKenzie Hill of Logan, Ohio, hand feeds it. Born prematurely -- probably because its mother was needed to nurse a more valuable colt -- the little horse hasn't yet developed the sucking instinct, and doesn't take milk from buckets like the others.

After a romp in the paddock, it's time to herd the now-sleepy foals back to their own dedicated, smaller paddock.

Victoria Goss with a long-legged paint colt. "He will be a big horse," she said.

Though they're only days old and will live on a diet of milk for weeks to come, these babies are already trying out their instinct to nibble at hay.

Just like baby humans, baby horses can fall asleep pretty much anywhere.