18th February 2012
Last Monday, I noticed that Fiona was running milk. Although we searcher the paddock she was in, along with some of the area she had access to, we found nothing. However we strongly suspect that she has slipped twins - just as she did exactly two years ago. She doesn't seem in the least concerned, fortunately.
Having been giving Tamara and Bracken some extra oats and hay for a couple of weeks in an area loaded with hay-on-the-hoof and some nice green pickings, we've now put them back with Fiona, Solo and Ceilidh. Surprisingly for February, there has been some grass growth and some fields in sheltered areas are showing quite green. Others look awful, however - especially where the wild geese have paddled fields.
The five maidens by King Duncan have been given the Meadow and are gorging their fat selves, while talking to the SPACEs who now have the run of Louira. (SPACEs are Spider and children ! Smoke, Juniper, Harvey and Woody).
I've finally made a radical decision not to use our foaling field and paddocks for foaling this year. It has been used every year since we began breeding - and even prior to that for occasional foalings. We also rest it for two to three months prior - and it has been rested for nearly a month now. However we need to handle a colt ready for vetting, and then for two more colts for castrating - all before April. And being adjacent to the stables in the byre, it's also useful for handling ponies for sale etc etc.
Therefore it's a monumental decision not to foal beside my house and Gilbert's cottage; instead we'll be foaling across the road in Rattle. Pre-foaling mares are always kept in the adjoining Cari fields anyway, so it should be relatively straightforward. But of course if anything goes wrong, the mare and foal would be quite a way from the stables or shelter. That's the scary bit - we shall just have to hope all goes well.
30th January 2012
I never cease to be amazed at how the ponies can read our thoughts. When we plan to move ponies to a different field, they are invariably waiting patiently at the gate.
Today, I wanted Gilbert to take out Tamara and Bracken from the other mares, so that they can get fed individually and go onto a bit of better grass. I know big Ceilidh can be a bit of a barger, so I was a bit worried about the operation - which would mean closing the gate behind the two mares he wanted, while leading them through it.
I might have guessed. Within minutes I saw him leading Tamara with Bracken following, on their way to the handling pens and fresh paddocks. When I congratulated him and asked how he'd managed, he replied "oh I just told them which ones I wanted, and they happily obliged".
Started fresh linseed today - put it on this morning, to soak overnight, before cooking it tomorrow. It's a bit of a chore, but with the log-burning cooker not costing anything to cook it, at least I know exactly what they're getting.
29th January 2012
And still it blows and rains - the fields are getting black patches where too many geese have been grazing. I'm really concerned now about how we shall get through February - always the worst month of the year for the ponies.
Tamara almost certainly is not in foal - but she is such a big mare she'll need some extra feeding anyway. So the plan is to put her and Bracken into the Meadow, where there is a lot of rough grazing - albeit rather wet in there. Then the remaining three MIFs (mares in foal) can also be fed some hard feed. Feeding more than three buckets in one field just doesn't work ! The greedy one can easily finish up and start on another bucket before the slow one has arrived !
We're moving the SPACES (Spider and children) down to Long Louira tomorrow; Spider, Juniper and Smoke know every nook and cranny among the rocks where there is som excellent grazing - and will hopefully show Harvey and Woody their ways. So we've moved the Maidens up to the Rattle/Cari circuit where I can see them from my house. These are my favourite girls and it was lovely to watch them yesterday.
Meanwhile the MAFs (mares and foals) are in the Back of Beyond and we could see them from the road, grazing a lovely hillside of green grass.
Today is the anniversary of Duncan's death down at Torran. No sign of the shooting party (or gunshot) that was here last year. Pearl, Tiegan and Lady are in that field now - all getting a bit of hard feed and hay as Pearl has suddenly dropped condition. At 28 years old, I do hope this isn't her going downhill - she's looked SO well up to recently.
21st January 2012
What absolutely dreadful weather we're having again. After a week of it not raining perpetually, we're now back to wind and rain/sleet/hail.
Angus Mor has settled well with his new companions and his mom - although sticking to the end of the field nearest her son - is at least grazing with the other mares. Angus reminds me a lot of his dad - Glenbanchor MacGillie Dubh - in that he has the same pretty head and good length of rein. He's much more leggy tho and stands roughly the same height as the 2yo - even tho he's not a year old yet.
I'm having considerable difficulty with fields this winter; we've been so so lucky in that we've very largely bred fillies for many years. Now with wanting to keep two entires for reviewing as stallion potential, three geldings and two of the 2011 colts still not gelded, I'm fast running out of space. I really don't know how Forester would react to young blood, so he needs his own space too. And the older gelding and two young entires are in the foaling fields, which need resting before we bring the pre-foaling mares in. It's really posing a bit of a problem and causing a lot of sleepless nights ! I make a decision, then realize why it won't work - and have to go back to the drawing board again !
We're finally making a bit of progress with the show and are absolutely delighted that Alasdair Fletcher (Editor of Scottish Farmer) has agreed to judge the sheep classes for us and also that the Lochindaal Hotel has agreed to do the bar for us on both days - with ALL profit going to Cancer Research. I am so grateful to all those who've agreed to help raise money.
The classes for the heavy horses and ponies are now finalized and are hopefully available on this website.
18th January 2012
We weaned the big colt foal (now yearling) Angus Mor yesterday - always a worrying time, tho it usually goes well enough. The two geldings were first taken across the road to talk to their new lady friends, Spider, Smoke and Juniper, then Mariner (now rising two) was taken to the Big End of the byre. Next Tiegan and Angus Mor were brought from their field, through Tup Paddock and the orchard, then into the Apron and into the byre looseboxes.
When Angus Mor had his head in a bucket, Tiegan was taken out and the byre doors closed. She was then boxed down to the other end of the farm, nearly three miles away.
Mariner and Angus Mor were let out this morning and Angus met Lordy. Both Mariner and Lordy are very gentle souls and were a bit alarmed at having to play with the youngster.
Felt very sorry for Tiegan, who was standing at the end of the field looking homeward. I told her not to worry and that we were looking after her son very carefully.
Angus Mor has had a few gallops and shown some very nice paces, but has generally settled quite well. He's shadowed Mariner all day.
Meanwhile, Woodsman was just the other side of the road from them and didn't realize his herd had left for their evening pastures and were well out of sight. When he realized, I saw him take off at lightning speed, through the gate into Mid Cari then over the hill. He obviously found them - what a clever chap - there were plenty of options (and gates) open to him. I was quite pleased with the way he looked among the other ponies. He's the first of Forester's foals.
21st January 2012
What absolutely dreadful weather we're having again. After a week of it not raining perpetually, we're now back to wind and rain/sleet/hail.
Angus Mor has settled well with his new companions and his mom - although sticking to the end of the field nearest her son - is at least grazing with the other mares. Angus reminds me a lot of his dad - Glenbanchor MacGillie Dubh - in that he has the same pretty head and good length of rein. He's much more leggy tho and stands roughly the same height as the 2yo - even tho he's not a year old yet.
I'm having considerable difficulty with fields this winter; we've been so so lucky in that we've very largely bred fillies for many years. Now with wanting to keep two entires for reviewing as stallion potential, three geldings and two of the 2011 colts still not gelded, I'm fast running out of space. I really don't know how Forester would react to young blood, so he needs his own space too. And the older gelding and two young entires are in the foaling fields, which need resting before we bring the pre-foaling mares in. It's really posing a bit of a problem and causing a lot of sleepless nights ! I make a decision, then realize why it won't work - and have to go back to the drawing board again !
We're finally making a bit of progress with the show and are absolutely delighted that Alasdair Fletcher (Editor of Scottish Farmer) has agreed to judge the sheep classes for us and also that the Lochindaal Hotel has agreed to do the bar for us on both days - with ALL profit going to Cancer Research. I am so grateful to all those who've agreed to help raise money.
The classes for the heavy horses and ponies are just being finalized so will be available on this website very soon. (if I can learn how to put a PDF file on here !)
