Fireworks!

 

As an anti-fireworks protester, I would rather see fireworks banned altogether but have to concede that it is preferable for people to attend an organised display on bonfire night itself rather than people setting off their own fireworks at home for what has become an extended (and illegal) period of time around 5th November. I have a file of photos of rabbits, cats, dogs, cattle and horses that have either died of fright or escaped and then being killed because of fireworks. One of our own foals died as a result of a broken back after fireworks were let off nearby; I will never forget finding her and her having to be put down.

Whilst animals that live indoors can be contained and pacified to the best of someone's ability, it is completely impractical for farmers and horse owners to move their animals, often at a day's notice, to somewhere else, and putting them indoors, or sedating them, can lead to other injuries if they get into a panic. I really don't understand how anyone who owns any animals can support the use of fireworks. 

I am absolutely delighted that a complaint in the Hook area has been taken seriously by the School Parent Teachers Association regarding their display which is only a mile from the Hook Reserves. Apparently last year the display was incredibly loud and prolonged. They have promised not to have any 'large bang' fireworks.

Brief Encounters

Nothing spooky about the reserve on Saturday. The cows were up by the cricket pitch with the ponies nowhere to be found. 

I wandered around picking up the odd bit of litter - I have been asking for suitcases to take to Kenya but I don't think this one will make it.

 Then I came across the ponies in the woodland at the bottom. 

I was able to observe them unnoticed for a little while and was impressed by their capacity to browse all kinds of plants. Then I was noticed.

I left Nelly trying to knock over a very old and very large tree.

Postcards of ponies

During the week I have received some great pictures of the ponies once more. Agent M, as you might expect with her military precision, goes for the All Present and Correct approach. It's so reassuring to see them with their heads down eating. I'm pleased with how they are going into the winter now. This warm weather has done them a favour.

Whereas Ciara goes for this would make a good album cover approach; very moody!

What is a Conservancy?

 

Credit: John Skorpio

The difference between a national park and a conservancy in Kenya is that a national park is a vast area of land which is Government run, whereas conservancies are managed by individual landowners, a body or corporation, or a community, for the purposes of wildlife conservation and other compatible land uses. 65% of Kenya's wildlife live in community and private lands and these conservancies provide a vital connected landscape that complements the national parks and allows animals to migrate naturally from one area to another.

They place pastoralist communities at the centre of their activities, securing livelihoods - and at difficult times like this, life itself - at the same time as protecting the wildlife for future generations. It has been little talked about, but there is a massive drought in Northern Kenya and upwards into Ethiopia at present, with no real signs of an end. Pastoralist communities are one of the first sets of people to be badly affected by climate change. 

I have to sit on my hands when I see public reaction in this country to adverts by Oxfam and other charities for donations. Revolting comments about 'breeding' aimed at a community that cannot afford an aspirin, never mind contraception, and forgetting that a pastoralist does a minor nth of the environmental damage caused by a person in the so-called developed world. The great thing about conservancies is that they are not about white saviours, but about hard-working communities helping each other. 

Please watch this video: Loisaba Conservancy 

Africa Calling

It's just six weeks before David and I will hopefully be going to Kenya again. We're staying first of all at Meru where Joy Adamson set up camp to rehabilitate Elsa the lion and George tried, or was told, to keep away from them. Joy, like a lot of the Kenyan pioneers from the U.K. in the 1930's (although she was Austrian) lived a colourful life, in fact an often-violent life, and she was extremely unpleasant to her staff. She did a massive amount for conservation through the proceeds of her books, but she was a controversial figure, apt to seducing any white man who came near her, and her methods - and particularly George's  - of reintroducing orphan and domestic-bred big cats were not always appreciated. Both George and Joy Adamson were eventually murdered in separate incidents, and Joy was laid to rest in Meru. 

Meru National Park occupies 215,000 acres and more diversity of species than any other park in East Africa. The lodge itself was designed by Stefano Cheli (the chap whose house we stay in in Loisaba where we go next) and was opened by Dr. Richard Leakey (Director of Kenyan Wildlife Service at that time and a fascinating character himself) and Virginia McKenna of Born Free fame. Like Loisaba, it is now owned by Elewana. 

For obvious reasons I cannot wait, and certainly cannot wait to see my camels again and all of my friends of course. I shall try to expand my Swahili which I have learned mainly by reading and writing.  

Five cheetah cubs have been born recently at Loisaba and Peter Ekidor very kindly gave me permission to use his photograph; the guides at all of the camps have a university-level of knowledge about all of the animals. 

Mid-week M

Agent M has been out and about again and tells me we will soon need wellies. 

Hedging

The hedges all had their haircut today at the fields at the Fritham. Despite the racket, the horses were more concerned about the weather (Coco rolling in the dust in the background - he has a perfectly good bed in the corner)

Although Henrietta was less concerned about getting damp...

It was the pigs in the village that were enjoying the rain and the mud and picking up the last of the acorns. Sadly, there is very little incentive for Commoners to turn pigs out on the Forest now and the ponies can be seen running from tree to tree to hoover them up. The price of pork, the number of road traffic accidents, the fact that villagers don't fence their gardens in sufficiently, all play a part in putting farmers off.

Absolute Stars

Prince and Ruth are my star 'pupils' at the moment and not just because they are my only current clients. Indeed, I haven't done much with them myself but Ruth, with her experience in special educational needs, has taken everything on board and taken it all forwards too. Her attitude and natural ability to seek an incremental approach has overcome her initial nervousness around horses; she knows she has to work in a way that keeps her safe and develops trust. Together they have made extraordinary progress in what I know can be a lonely but beautiful place - there are so many people who would push this along with force and not get how important it is for this pony to consent to the headcollar going on. 

I shall endeavour to do a short commentary on each video which I think are important or interesting.

You can see that Prince is in a huge field and yet chooses to be with Ruth. His ears show that he is really concentrating and yet the cocked back leg shows that he still has a slight reservation about being around humans especially one with a headcollar over her shoulder. However, his eyes are soft and he is giving everything the benefit of the doubt. Ruth's own face shows that she has gone into a special place herself - she loves, loves, loves this pony and to me there is a meeting of two hearts and minds here. 

On an earlier day, Ruth has spent time getting Prince used to the scarf around his face. In the video and in the photo, he is allowing Ruth to block his vision and trusting her not to grab him. Every little piece of work on this project is critical. One false move and he could choose not to engage anymore but every day he is becoming more tolerant of the occasional 'mistake'. 

No doubt trying not to hold her breath, Ruth takes the scarf over his right ear and takes it off really slowly so that it slides the whole way along his ear. I might have taken a different approach here, coming in from the side, but actually I cannot fault this approach even if it is full on; it prepares him for one of the positions she may be in when she puts the headcollar on (more on this later). The fact that he accepts is shows just how far they have come since she is now blocking his entire view.  Note that the 'running foot' has come up on the side that she is working. Some body therapists insist that a horse that often cocks a foot may have physical problems in that area (and they might) but to me it clearly relates to a horse's misgivings about what is happening around them. A cocked leg is one of the most misunderstood signs - I have seen scientific research conclude that a horse is happy about standing on a trailer or horsebox because it is apparently relaxing a leg - not true. 

Prince's acceptance of the scarf around his nose shows that the exact issue with being caught for him is all about the ears, especially two ears, as that is the exact point where he felt trapped. There may have been some physical pain involved - it's not uncommon for ears to be twisted in order to subdue a semi-feral pony - but it is poll pressure and the touching of one of the most sensitive parts of the pony that is so emotionally difficult for a wild pony. Heads and hooves, the freedom to eat and to escape, are essential to survival. Note Ruth's calm, almost matter of fact, attitude here and yet I know that inside she is singing. 

Standing further to one side now, and notably again working on his right-hand side - so important - Ruth introduces the headcollar. They're both rather tentative on this first approach but you can see that Prince is offering to put his nose in the noseband. Ruth's timing is excellent here - not pushing her luck - but taking a three-click approach which rewards not only the task but the pony's patience. I love how willing he is to engage with her and ALL four hooves firmly on the ground here. 

One of my pet hates in the horse world is headcollar which don't have to be undone around the crown piece for them to be put on. I think so many problems are caused by people wrenching them - and indeed bridles - over a horse's ears. Ruth is taking the utmost care not to wrench anything and couldn't be more respectful of his ears, so after an initial intake of breath, I'm open-minded about whether we change this approach when I see her. She has prepared him so well for this approach and he seems less worried about it than the headcollar going up from the side. Note all four, make that six, firmly on the floor. 

What I truly love about Ruth is that she normally works without a shred of ego. Here she has reached the absolute, minute, pinnacle of this pony's fear and reluctance, the instant that the headcollar is involved with both ears. You can see a tiny bit of intention in her face and yet she doesn't push her luck - there's a tiny smile to reflect the fact that she surreptitiously touched both ears. She'll get there. I am so pleased about all of this and proud, proud, proud of both of them. 

And finally, here's Ruth taking the headcollar over his right ear. Once again, all four hooves are solidly on the floor and he's asking for that noseband to go over his face. 

Thank you, Ruth for giving me permission to share these videos and giving me an opportunity to give a critique and a lesson. These videos are a masterclass in the attitude, patience, and incremental techniques which are so necessary to get a pony over a deep-rooted fear. 

Sunday Service

The M3 between Winchester and Hook is really beautiful with autumnal trees on both sides and spreading far into the distance. The sky was an amazing blue this morning and then black as thunder on the way back.

The ponies were close to the cricket club when I arrived but set off at quite a decent walk towards the bottom of the reserve with me tagging along behind. The pouring rain from the day before had left them with coats like otters and more than ever they looked like part of their own background. 

Sadly, in less than a week since it was last cleared, there was a new fly tip on the banks of the reserve; ordinary household waste launched from the layby. I brought it all back up to the top in that hope that it can be collected by the refuse collectors tomorrow before the bags burst or are torn apart. 

Kenya Calling

For those of you who have not ventured over to my Loisaba blog, which has sadly petered out, here is one of the earliest posts that I made. I was pleased to hear yesterday that William is in the latter stages of preparing for his wildlife examination. His wife, Pauline, and their little son, Louis should be so proud of him. I admire anyone who can study at the same time as doing a full-time job. 

William

It’s just turned two in the morning (eight o’clock at night in Swahili time) and William gets out of bed. The black sky, lit only by small stars, hangs like a curtain over the boma. It’s cold and William pulls on an old jumper over his overalls and a pair of Wellington boots. The young sandy-coloured female camel that was giving signs that she was ready to give birth as he went to bed last night is starting to make an effort to bring her baby into the world. Silently, William and his colleagues, Kukuman, and Ekomwa, (Benson is on leave) approach the camel who has been separated from the others overnight, reassuring her and begin to assist her with her labour. The female camel is a new mother but she has been used to the presence of these men since the day that she was born.

As she begins to push, emitting a low rumble of pain, William gently pulls on the baby’s front legs, which are extended forwards with its head on top in the attitude of a diver. It may be a few hours before her baby is on the ground but she trusts the men to help her. By four the baby camel, another female, has been born and the mother begins to lick her all over as William rubs the new calf dry. As the baby begins to make an effort to stand, and having gained limited control of her wobbly legs, she searches for her mother’s teats. At last she finds them, latching on to one of them and takes her first drink of warm, comforting milk. Her mother turns her head, reaching down to touch her baby reassuringly, murmuring to her in a low gurgling sound. 

It’s time for the men to leave the two camels now but they can’t go back to bed. In the big part of the circular boma the rest of the herd have to be milked before they are allowed out to graze.

When William, a tall, smooth-faced man with kind eyes, started to work at Loisaba in 2013, he had never encountered camels. He came from Ol Moran in North Laikipia and admits that he was scared of the camels at first. 

“They were so big and I didn’t know if they would bite or kick me.” His concern was justified as the camels stand at over six feet tall at the shoulder and their heads and humps are much higher. Their almost dislocated bodies allow them to turn in improbable directions, and they can kick out at any angle. Camels are very expressive, moaning and groaning in conversation with each other, commenting on the world around them, and have a reputation for being extremely grumpy. Even so, handled correctly and with respect, these camels turned out to be very amenable, affectionate even, and extremely perceptive. 

Working alongside the camels day and night, William soon learned to love them and they loved him back. The herders spend all of their waking hours with the camels, their basic triangular huts stationed around the boma like the numbers on a clock, a deterrent to any predators. All of their cooking, washing, and cleaning is done outside. At night their dreams are punctuated by the murmuring of the camels, and the occasional high pitched cry and answering call, as the animals settle down to sleep themselves. All of the men at the camel boma are fond of the camels, some preferring the tall, light Somali type, and others the shorter Turkana camel which has darker, curly hair like a Teddy bear. 

“I’m really happy when I have helped to deliver a healthy calf,” says William and over the ensuing days he makes friends with the calf, handling it frequently, so that it too becomes quiet and relaxed around people. 

For the first few days, the mother and calf remain apart from the herd, and when the other camels are taken out to graze, the two remain close to the boma so that they can build a bond and the vulnerable calf is protected from predators. Once the calf has had all of the colostrum and is much stronger, the pair re-join the main herd during the day and at night the calf is separated from her mother and enclosed with all of the other calves until morning. At four in the morning, when milking begins, the young calves begin to call eagerly and they are let out, one by one to find their mothers. Female camels will not let their milk down unless they have a calf, and it is only once the calf has taken a drink that William and Kukuman approach each female with a stainless steel pail, William on one side holding the bucket up with one knee, and Kukuman on the other, to milk the camel by hand. Kukuman gently pushes the calf away as it nuzzles him, and once they have taken enough milk, the calf is allowed to drink again and accompanies its mother for the rest of the day, able to drink at will. 

Once the thirty or so camels that are in milk have been milked, the herd of eighty, including the young calves, pregnant females, and the bull, are taken out to graze on the shrubs and trees – many of which have proven medicinal qualities which find their way into the milk. The camels are lightly guided by Ekomwa whose turn it is today to ensure that they are not attacked by predators such as lion; he also needs to keep a careful eye out for buffalo who would happily squash him flat. Meanwhile William prepares the milk for collection in readiness for the first part of its journey to Nanyuki, while Kukuman checks on the young calves and their mothers, leading them over to a fenced area around the headquarters where they can spend the day in tranquility. 

Although William loves the camels, he dreams of being a wildlife guide but knows that he would have to be in for the long haul to make this happen. His education stopped short of High School because he was the eldest son and needed to be the breadwinner for his family. He got married himself earlier this year and sees his wife during his ‘offs’ – two weeks of leave after a period of six weeks away from home. It was William that inspired this blog, his day to day life among the camels unknown to many people for whom camels are not a regular feature. In time it is hoped that guests at Loisaba can be invited to meet the camels, William and the team, and he can explain how this very natural milking operation works; they are sure to benefit from the peaceful company of the camels whose spirituality can fill one’s soul. In the meantime William is being supplied with books on mammals and bird life in East Africa so that he can start to pursue his ambition if he wishes to. 

Damned acorns

Once again, the big horses and the long-ears have been restricted to one oak-less paddock while the very last of the acorns fly off and tempt them like chocolates. Here they are in the waiting room ready for the vet who was doing teeth and vaccinations ahead of the winter; much the best time for older horses to have them done. 

We have worked out it is much best to start with Olly the donkey as he is the most likely to get upset if he sees the other horses and his best friend Coco, being sedated. I've probably said this several times, but here we always sedate so that Amy, the vet who is an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Equine Dentistry, can take a proper look at all of the teeth, especially those right at the back. I'm pleased to say that all of their teeth were very good, and Theoden's filling has stayed in (unlike my own!).

At Hook, the Forest ponies and Pie were doing a thorough search for acorns but all that I can say is that this is no different to the Forest itself, where despite the pigs, there are thousands of acorns for them to find. Indeed, there are ponies which run from tree to tree to guzzle them. Apparently, they didn't stay in this area long and went off to graze on the long grass along the pylon track. 

Other people have caught pictures of them during this drizzly week.

Patsy in the mist: credit Looker Chris

Jack in the 'field' - again under an oak tree!

The Delights of Hook

Picture taken by Ciara, earlier in the morning. Very atmospheric.

I was a bit late this afternoon - more of that later - but when I met up with the ponies, having done a full circuit of the reserve with M, they were very close to where we had been at the beginning. They all looked very well.

M asked me why I don't just call them; she always asks good questions. There are three real reasons. One is where would be the fun in that? As it is I get to see the reserve in all its glory, pick up the odd bit of litter, and come across the ponies unexpectedly from all points of view, getting to understand where they like going and how they behave when they are there. What is really noticeable is that they aren't eating all the time and it strikes me that they already understand that the food is limitless and got into a natural rhythm. 

The second reason is that I don't really want them to come to call - rushing across the rough terrain often to be disappointed when I haven't brought them any food. Also, I don't want them to get used to the idea that they can be called by anyone as they are probably on the edge of being too friendly already. That's the way we managed seventeen years in the Forest, and that's the way I'd like to manage their last few years too. 

The third reason is that it doesn't do me any harm to have to walk a long way, sometimes across precarious ground, it is strengthening up my legs and improving my proprioception. 

It's also a long way for me to travel to see them and I might as well make the most of a day away from home - sometimes alone and sometimes going for a very nice walk with M or another friend. 

We both enjoyed seeing this toadstool today:

And just to top it all, either the Council or the Highways Authority have been out to remove two massive fly tips just outside the reserve which have been bugging me since I got there. Thanks to a bit of nagging from me they had taken the worst of it away and I spent an hour or so cleaning up the last remaining cans and bottles. There was also a five litre, metal can of decking oil which had been left to rust out in the watercourse that runs at the bottom of the bank. I was able to rescue that before it began to leak.