NEWS & VIEWS
I always joke, I work to pay the feed bill and this year it’s probably true. With still no rain and one of the warmest summers on record, our grass is non existent and we’ve resorted to feeding additional feed and hay for much of the summer. With cooler mornings, the ponies are suddenly starting to look furry so perhaps Autumn is already on the way.
Rain, finally we have had rain and mist and murk, such a break from the dry, baking heat and spell of drought we have had. Nice to see the little ford full. Maybe it will soak in and get the grass to grow. Even the trees have wilted with leaves crisped and curled so this will be a welcome drink for them too.
Haymaking time is upon us. Most fields are yielding a third to of what they would produce in an average year purely down to the weather with one field growing 24 bales worth, it did 180 bales last year!! We don’t reseed so our old land meadows have not fared so well in the dry time we’ve had. Trying to find a bright side, we are saving on plastic use and will be able to get the majority stored in as hay.
With still no significant rainfall since February, our fields are tinder dry and burnt off to resemble an African plain. In the heat of the day it’s better for foals to sleep in the shade and wait for the evening to cool down and play.
A rollercoaster of a month, our second foal was born, a text book presentation so that ends this years foaling on a high, however it is tinged with sadness after having to say goodbye to an old friend. Pig as she was affectionately known was a pony in a million. We successfully managed her severe arthritis for three years so she could enjoy retirement in the field with her friends, but it sadly became the right time to say our goodbyes. She is very sorely missed.
We have also had two cases of Chronic Grass Sickness confirmed by our vets. A horrible illness, with no definite known cause and no cure, it has been a huge worry and challenge with a difficult road ahead.
Our first foal of 2025, a little earlier than expected but thankfully all well.
Views from around the farm, cotton grass out in force, pretty bog plants, scruffy yearlings yet to fully moult and drought like conditions. Its been a hot, dry spring so far and we could desperately do with some rain.
