Chamfron Nagasha at six months.

Chamfron Nagasha (By Marco ex Kofi) is now six months old, weaned and getting ready for the 2008 show season. Thanks for the photo Steve and Bob.

Lizzie's Foals (can we fill in the blanks?)

For my own amusement I started to look up Lizzies previous foals and so far it makes for interesting reading. Photos are thanks to Lesley at Tresaison and Paula at Haverlands. If anyone can fill in the blanks or if you spot an error please leave a comment!

1992 - Amazing Rainbeau - Colt by Amazing Blue - well known sire - Blanket Spotted Colt.



1993 - Mannog April Blues - Filly by Amazing Blue - Won supreme champion at BApS National 1997, producer of the current Mannog stud stallions. Bay Blanket with spots.



1996 - Mannog Roobee Tuesday - Filly by Rubicund (TB) - Bay, light frosting.

1997 - Mannog Jack Flash - Gelding by August Harrier - Bay few spot.

1998 - Mannog Penny Lane - Filly by Spotless Rainbow - Bay solid.

2000 - Tresaison Flashback - Colt by Dances with Wolves - Dark bay roan with lacy blanket.






2001 - Tresaison Foxtrot - Filly by Dances with Wolves - Bay solid.



2002 - Tresaison Mackensie - Colt by Dances with Wolves. (think I have the right photo for this one!!)



2003 - Empty

2004 - Tresaison Bacchas - Colt by Dances with Wolves - Bright bay with a blanket.



2005 - Tresaison Splashback - Colt by Dances with Wolves - Dark Brown, characteristics, to roan out.



2006 - Empty

2007 - Tresaison Boomerang - Colt by Dances with Wolves - Dark bay, solid.



2008 - Empty.

Sometimes its nice to be wrong!

Well the sun actually shone yesterday and Mark took Pitufa out hunting for an outing - god that pony is a super star!!! (inserting totally gratuitous photo of mini tuf!!)






Got home and started to feed in the stables. That's great I thought Nico's been fed.... and then I looked at him and realised it was his breakfast still sat there - SHITE - walked in to his box and he isn't weight bearing on his near hind, he's breathing heavily and his eyes are about popping out his head - OH SHITE - when I say "not weight bearing" that doesn't even come close to describing it - he won't move at all, his leg looks misshapen, swollen in places and slightly warm. He'd been eating his breakfast when I left perfectly sound and had obviously stopped eating almost immediately after we left - so I conclude something catastrophic has happened soon after 8 in the morning.

I get Mark to look at his leg but already I have that sick feeling in my stomach, that absolute certainty that we are about to be shooting our second horse in six months. Marks face tells the same story, we can't work out how he's done it but we decide he's broken his leg.....

Andrew Miller the vet arrives quickly and is absolutely positive Nico has an infection.... "An Infection????" Deep sighs of relief all round (Mostly from Nico I guess, especially if he understood the "how do we get him out the box" conversation) IV bute and Penicillin and he brightens up within five minutes and manages to choke down a carrot or two.

So for today we have a stallion who has a leg like a tree trunk and he's not well but fingers crossed we'll get him back on track soon.

You don't have to be mad to live here......

Yes you do, I'll give you some examples.....

Firstly I'll title this one "Its a shame it kicks hounds....."

Because by god that mule would cross any country....Out into the barn this morning and it is BITTER here, so jacket is up under my snout and hat is down over my eyebrows.

Now background info - our horses live in a cattle shed. They are paired up and have a pen about the same size as four normal stables to mooch about in. Two pens down each side and then the back of the shed is open and the broodmares have access to it and have large concrete feeders down both sides so they come in for dinner and haylage. Mule is one of the side pens. The broodmares pen is divided from the mules pen by a four foot "wall" and the big concrete feed trough is on the other side of the wall.

So back to this morning - I grab Quin and Ned and get this "something is different feeling" - spin round and count the broodmares - thats odd there is a broodmare in a black rug.... only Lizzie is rugged and she's head to toe purple.... try to open my eyes fully and notice the broodmare in the black rug has long ears......That BL**DY mule has jumped out of her pen, from deep litter straw, wearing a rug over at least 4ft and with the equivilant of a big old ditch on the landing side!

Mules doesn't have a mark on her, I was just peering under her rug when the farmer came along on the quad bike and she hates the quad bike so off she high tailed it and I can say for certain the mule is sound and well but sh*t how do I keep it in ANYWHERE??????

Secondly I take my sheep for walks......

About a month ago my tup (Barbados the rasta sheepie) went missing... only to turn up in the local farmers field I was horrified and offered to remove him immediately. Chris seemed strangely unbothered "No lass, leave him be, he's courting"

Yesterday I met Chris on the driveway with sheep trailer and five bundles of manic collies leaping about. "I thought you could get that tup of yours today" - yes I said no problem - "Aye I thought I'd get him with this lot but then I thought it would be nicer if you got him with a scoop of feed" - I looked round and it could of been my imagination but those collies looked embaressed - had they tried to get Barbados and been found wanting?

So off I went, this time with woolie hat pulled down practically to my chin and TWO jackets on. Scoop of out of date speedy beet in a Quality Street tin, shouting "sheepie" in my best sheepie encouraging voice. Over the field he galloped (sheep are so much more forgiving than horses!!!) and we wandered up the entire driveway - me and my sheep. The following photo is purely to give people a laugh - flattering - I think NOT!!!!

Lizzie of Larchmont.

Gift Horse?

How lucky am I? As of today I now own my very first "spotty" horse with the arrival of the legendary broodmare "Lizzie of Larchmont" who was very kindly given to us by Lesley at Tresaison Stud - http://www.tresaisonstud.co.uk/ as she is now concentrating on Knabstruppers. This fabulous mare is 22yo (yes really!!) and has produced some wonderful horses, not least the stallion Amazing Rainbeau.

She also won the broodmare class at the BApS National show as a 19yo!

Not the best photo but isn't she lovely?

Snowing.....

A few more photos....





Ruby wonders what this white stuff is?!!!! Sedate old Broodmare.....!

All this snow doesn't half make your stallion look grubby though!



Hound puppies had an absolute ball playing in the snow.




Right enough of this enjoying ourselves - back to work!