Just to note, they have some new turkeys and chickens. From what I was told by a Zoo Team Member, the turkeys and chickens will (one day in the future) be able to roam the park much like the sheep.
Speaking of "eating," I noticed some big blue bags filled with hay poking out of holes throughout the bag hanging in each stable, which the horses ate out of. This appeared to be in lieu of a pile of hay plopped on the ground for them to eat. Like this:
I asked a trainer at the stables about them. Apparently, these bags were added sometime through this season in order to a.) Stimulate the horses more and give them something to do, and b.) It makes it take longer for the horses to eat, so they don't run out of food quickly or eat it too quickly, as they often had digestion issues/tummy aches because they ate their food too quickly. Just another way the park makes sure their animals are happy and healthy.
The park may not seem to care so much about the well-being of the people, but they certainly love their animals!
I love those little bags. We sometimes go in the stables and watch them play with them. I know they're entertaining or else I would be standing in a room that smelled like horse for half an hour.
Were any of you there, when they first let the baby in the stables on display? We happened to be walking through his first day (according to the keeper). Anyway, apparently momma wasn't ready for strangers to be that close to her baby. She was circling him very protectively. Then she started slamming the wall with her hind legs. At that point we decided to leave her and her baby alone. Oddly several people stayed and continued to upset her.
It got me thinking about the fact that:
1. Her hooves are bigger than my head; and
2. Those horses really aren't cute, fluffy toys.
I'm just speculating but twice at CT last year I saw them have to shut down the photo op when the horse defecated. This way it's at least separated physically if not olfactorily from the guests.
I do suggest being careful, I did get a report that one of the dogs, Sky or one of the other border collies attacked a team member and bit them. It left no cuts on blood or anything, but wasn't something just to ignore. This was during the middle of the week, last week I believe.