Happy New Year

Well 2015 has ended up a wee bit stressful!  Mark has been in hospital since before Christmas which is a huge shock as he is never ill, so what have we found out (in no particular order!)  Firstly that if you are going to get ill Dumfriesshire isn't a bad place to do it, I'm not sure we would have got the level and speed of care anywhere else.  Secondly, we have good friends, you know who you are, thank you.   Thirdly one of us has to (wo)man up and stop being wet about driving the tractor (first lesson Monday, I'm scared already) though everyone has been unbelievably kind about moving haylage for me (and sorry you're not off the hook yet!)  And for the moment, Lastly, I can't do all these horses on my own but I can ask for help and I can do my best and thats good enough.  Interestingly I've lost some much needed weight, toned up and my back feels brilliant for it so there is always a silver lining in every somewhat crappy cloud...

Which brings me onto my annual moan about the weather, it was a bit wet again, we were humoured by a dry October which was very nice but November and December have been the pits.  That said we are not flooded like so many and for that we are grateful.  

So foals - wow the 2015 crop was a belter!  A few of these guys have viewings booked for January but some don't and they are starting to feel a wee bitty sad about it.  So if your New Years resolution is to add some Criollo to your life it's a resolution you could keep!

To the Chamfron owners, I am proud of what you achieved in 2015 and I know 2016 is going to be very exciting!  Have a lovely New Year and lets hope 2016 is a good one for us all.

Chamfron Paloma - Festive Agility

Angelic Paloma won the Open Agility class on the weekend with a score of 127/130.  She was also crowned "prettiest mare"!  Thanks to Ros and Alison for the photos.

Chamfron Ombu Away

Ombu had a wee practise in the trailer on Boxing Day and then headed off to his new home on Dartmoor with Pat Howe this morning.  He is such a good natured foal and I think in a couple of years time he will be the spitting image of his dad.  His future includes a lot of very scenic hacking and hopefully helping with the Dartmoor pony drifts, a job I'm sure he will excel at (and love!)

Happy Christmas

Wishing all our friends a very Happy Christmas.  Silks (aka Bimble Whippet) has not only seen another Christmas but has revelled in it.  He had a good rummage under the tree, found his present from his great granny and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Festive Chamfrons

The tradition continues with some superb festive Chamfrons.  We have Bellini (Natalie Brougham), Cactus Jack (Sarah Chadfield), Colada and Kukri (both owned by Gemma Hope), Mojito the Tapir in Tinsel (Rowena Kennedy), Paloma the Angel (Alison Cheetham), Ojo de Tigre (Lindsay Purves), Toledo being backed by Rudolph (Cara Brooke), Tizona (Christine Harling) and By Dand and Firefly are heading back to the 80's with their leg warmers on (Rebecca Crump).

Little and Large

A few snaps of Ombu and Campeador having a lead out today.  Weather continues to be truly grim, foals slightly grubby (but happy!) 

Chamfron Paloma backed!

Paloma has been backed by the newest addition to her family - Zac aged (nearly) eight weeks old!

Wee Update

Ombu was gelded a week ago and as he was flying round the pen bucking and squealing last night (and poor Fatty was rolling her eyes) we have now weaned him.  Campeador will stay a colt until the spring and will be weaned in the next day or two.  All the foals are suitably plump and very floofy!

Wildlife Camera - (mostly) November

In reality it's been about six weeks since we checked the trail cam as the camera we use for the job has been on its holidays in Fuerteventura!  Some nice shots of the fox, badger, squirrel and a pheasant who is really rather magnificent despite the rain. 

Chamfron Zamba - (nearly) 6 months old

I think this foal is an absolute cracker!

Festive Selfie!

OK I have absolutely no idea how it can be December already but time for the reindeer hats and (frankly a weak effort of an) advent calendar to come out.  I have added a jumper this year which is clearly neither classy nor my colour but boy is it floofy and warm, I may be living in it!  Glad to see the back of what has been a fairly miserable November all in all but we have plodded on - Santiago and Zamba are now weaned and we are rejigging the barn.  At the moment six of the mares have the run of one full side with a haylage bale in a feeder at one end, when the last two colts are weaned we will do the same on the opposite side.  The fields are so wet under foot so instead they can stay in with company, room to roam, ad lib food and lots of fuss.  Fair to say they all ready look pretty thrilled with the set up.

Bugger...

Sadly Conquistador's leg had deteriorated and he was put to sleep this morning.  I think we were right to give it a try on Sunday but the odds were very badly stacked against us.  

A mixed day...

A nice bright day, the weanlings are happy and Treacle was admiring the sunset.  Unfortunately our dear little furry beige child, Conquistador, has done himself a damage with a bad wound to his hind leg.  First impressions were pretty awful but he's bright eyed and bushy tailed and these Criollos are nothing if not tough so we'll have a go.

Chamfron Mojito - 19 months old

Just love his neck!

Chamfron Tizona - 4 years old

Lovely update from Christine to say that Tizona had her first outing today to Horse Agility just for a bit of fun and experience.  Well she was very well behaved and won!  Christine says she is coming on in leaps and bounds, looks amazing and the next plan is some cross country schooling.  I think she will jump like a stag!

The Weanlings (so far!)

Chamfron Quintana Weaned

Quintana has been weaned for a few days and is happy and settled, a typical Tammy foal she loves people and is very sensible.  The weather continues to be miserable, heavy heavy rain coming in day after day, I think we are paying for our dry spell last month!

Northern Lights from the air

Photos taken on our recent flight to see the Northern Lights with kind permission of Pete Lawrence from www.auroraflights.co.uk

Lumiere Durham 2015

We headed back to Durham for Lumiere 2015, the largest light festival in the UK.  As is becoming a theme with our trips out the drive across was horrendous with torrential rain from Storm Abigail.  We suspected we would be doing nothing but a long soggy road trip but as we pulled in to Durham the rain went off and for the most part stayed off.  The city has lots of different light installations including big knitting, an interactive projection on the roof of the cathedral triggered by the movement of the people below below and a rose window made out of thousands of plastic bottles.  

As we left Durham we may have tootled round a roundabout a few times while waiting for the Sat Nav to kick in, as we straightened up and carried on our journey the police pulled up behind us and put their own flashing interactive light show on.  Luckily for us they hadn't seen our recreation of the Maltesers advert and were just checking out a report of a stolen Ford Ranger so we were soon back on our way.  Two miles down the road it dawned on me through all this I'd had Gunnar the Ikea stuffed badger on my lap (I like to squish his feet as stress relief...!)