25th January, 2016 Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Knowing that you have bred a foal, and a posh foal at that, to sell, does not make it any easier to say goodbye. Today I went to load Holly, one of Beccy's Warmblood foals to go to her new home with Amanda and Tommy, two of the students that came on the Handling the Warmblood Foal Course a fortnight ago. Tommy fell in love with her at first sight and as a budding young show-jumper we have high hopes for their future together.

Holly was very interested in proceedings at first while we set up the trailer for her departure...

...and then she thought she would have a little lie down.

A tough day for any owner, even if it is what you were hoping for.

I'm still using the scarf to lead her. Today was not the day for her to meet a hard pressure if she felt the need to back up a little bit.

A little reassurance at the entrance to the panels. The gates are wide open so that she is funnelled inwards towards the trailer but they are also in an L-shape so that she doesn't have to face a dark cavern.

At the foot of the trailer she is allowed to relax on the ramp, and even back away if she needs to. The gates to the panelled area have been closed quietly beside her so that she is now in the container before the container. She is also on a soft surface.

She loves her food so is asked to follow a bucket...

...and in she goes. She travelled loose and without a head collar because she has never been tied up yet, was travelling for the first time, was alone, and needed to learn how to keep her balance.

Another stable, another door. She will be turned out in a couple of days with her new companion Rory. Since she has been in some of the time at Beccy's there is no sudden change of diet.

"Home safe and sound she travelled like a dream." AS

"Just want to say a huge thank you to Sarah Weston, for the loan of her trailer and her expertise in loading our new foal. It couldn't of been less stressful for little Holly Hocks. Also down to all of the hard work done in the foal handling courses ( thanks everyone). Can highly recommend these courses, what could be better? A day full of foal cuddles." AS

Before we headed home I just had time for a quiet word with Archie and we also weaned Bella, Savannah, and Theo. In an ideal world this would be done gradually but weather conditions, facilities and the fact that two of the mares are pregnant again meant that wasn't possible. However, all three foals are more than seven months old now and can at least go into the stables side by side for company. They had settled very well by the time we left and the mares were happily eating hay in the field and looking rather relieved.