Chamfron Ombu - 18 months old

Waxwings

Saw the Waxwings in Dalston today, not the glorious close up berry eating photos I dream off but it was lovely to see them anyway.

Its not all fairydust and unicorns

I was never going to get out of this year without making difficult decisions so this time last week I had Llamita and Carter Bar put down at home.  Llama was rapidly becoming toothless and would have been put down this year regardless.  Mable unfortunately needed heavily doped to have her feet trimmed after an injury as a youngster, that and the realisation that she was no longer 100% sound sealed her fate, she could not be guaranteed a good future when I disbanded the stud.

Essex Girls!

By one o'clock the girls were safely in Essex having travelled really well.  They have met Brujo and are happily tucking into their hay in the barn Shaun built for them.

Chamfron Beltane Fire and Chamfron Tarantella Away

Ethel and Ella loaded like stars this morning and were off with Douglas Horse Transport at 6am.  All being well they will be Essex girls by mid afternoon.  Chamfron Beltane Fire is now owned by endurance rider Clare Wilde and joins the five year old Arrayan Numa gelding Brujo Numa (bred by Janey Martin) and Tarantella is owned by her husband Shaun.  The plan for them both is long distance rides, dreaming of joining the Long Riders Guild one day.

Pretty all day!

Another cold frosty morning with the snow on the hills across the Solway catching the light.  Then a cracking sunset to finish.

A little bit scenic!

A glorious day and a lovely view with Chamfron Colorado in the foreground.  You could imagine he was in Montana!

A bit nippy

We are getting perfect conditions for Frost Flowers and Hair Ice at the moment, wet followed by hard frosts, this also means perfect conditions for the yard turning into a skating rink.  With that in mind I've moved the foals down to the bottom barn, that way they can leave on transport without coming outside if necessary.  It is not shiny but they are very content.

Danger!

The rapidly advancing sticky nosed foal...

Chamfron Inca - six months old

Chamfron Colibri - six months old

Chamfron Tarantella - six months old

Mucked out

I took the foal pen down last night, using every trick Mark has shown me in the last ten years to get the wayward pins out, wielding my hammer and even the crowbar like a fiend.  Then today the sheds were mucked out and the muck heap was cleared.  I envisage there will be rather a lot of sweeping going on tomorrow...

Snow

Woke up to the first snow of winter and the news that the USA had voted Trump for President.  I had the sudden realisation that Mabel could be his love child, check out the complexion (somewhat orange) and hairstyle (blond and windswept)!

Rugs

The weather is certainly taking a more wintery turn and the mares have taken to hanging over the wall at night, suggesting I might have forgotten something.  When I spotted the first few flurries of snow today I headed off and picked up their washed and mended rugs and by the time I'd unloaded the car and got the first rug out of it's bag the girls had appeared.  They quickly formed an orderly queue and are all now warmly wrapped up.

Morena Away

Morena loaded up and heading south, she is off with Ally to join other ex Chamfron Broodmares Tammy and Bridget and is booked in to visit Arrayan in the spring.

Chamfron Inca and Colibri weaned

Rosa and Dick came over on Sunday so we weaned the last two foals, Inca and Colibri.  The mares are now back out and enjoying the reasonably dry weather and blue skies.