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Category: Rosemary's CornerThe news items published under this category are as follows.
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If it wasn't for this I would never see the sun rise over the lumpy hill
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Our new Retirement home for horses is being developed steadily. The bad winter slowed up much of the work outside especially with all the springs coming through the fields, each needing draining to make the ground firm enough for elderly horses.
The stable block is looking very good though with the stables nearly finished, all the block work done but the two Simons who do all the maintenance of our farms are often called away to do other jobs. This winter has been hard on old buildings and water pipes. We had to move out and stay elsewhere when the boiler broke down and after several nights of going to bed with hot water bottles and dressing gowns left on. It was deemed sensible (at our great age) to find alternative accommodation. |
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The Break of Day
It’s 5.00 am and dawn is breaking over the stable roof. It starts with a pale line of salmon pink and dark shadows are blending in with grey sweeping clouds and as the day opens there is a creamy yellow line rising over the hills.
A magpie runs up the garage roof and a seagull flies high in from the estuary.
Overnight, I’ve been watching and waiting for the last foal to be born. It’s nearly September, what is this little brown and white Shetland playing at? All the other mares have foaled, their foals are months old now. Lucy lay down during the night and swished her tail! YES, NO! She got up and ate her hay. We are expecting this lazy foal to be born at every movement now. It’s been such a long wait.
Timmy, the once feral cat winds himself around my ankles, once untouchable he is now overly passionate. Zoe, the Westie is wearing a huge plastic collar, you can hear her bashing it against the floor and walls as she makes her way into the kitchen for her breakfast. Timmy scratched him in the eye and it caused an abscess.
The sun breaks through and fills the kitchen with light.
Once the house animals are fed and let out, I can make my way down to the orphan block. It is being used for isolation because Saffron caught a bad infection and has been coughing. Raw, harsh coughs rack her little body and she has a streaming nose. It is dangerous for her to catch a chest infection because she has an overshot jaw and as a result of this, her nose is pushed in, so it is difficult for her to breathe at the best of times. She was also on a welfare camera and when I was watching in the night, I noticed she wasn’t eating so I gave her some polos and sprinkled them in her hay. She is on strict isolation of course, so I can’t touch any other horse and have to leave them all.
Back on the camera - see she is eating her hay and looking for the rest of the polos.
There are six welfare cases on camera. Three are mares with their foals; Tuppence with Utah, Tishka with Valentine, Trinity with Up Town Girl - the huge foal that is bigger than her own mother now, pregnant Lucy of course and little Saffron. The last one is Misty who is also on the BBC cam.
We used to have Warrior on camera but he is out of danger now. But his is another story.
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As it is Spring, I am watching pregnant mares mostly.
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Spring is merging into summer... 
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