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 Scoop of out of date speedy beet in a Quality Street tin, shouting "sheepie" in my best sheepie encouraging voice.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!!!!