Knowing Which Side Your Bread is Buttered

I mourned the loss of my ponies' freedom when Juma was killed and I brought the rest of them in off the Forest. That's why I was so overjoyed to be offered the seventy-five acres of conservation grazing at Hook. Looking back, it was a fabulous adventure for them but subconsciously I worried about the fences, the public gates, and the fast fast roads surrounding it. Nowadays they are living a quiet, but possibly boring life, at least as a herd and rotating around different fields. 

No-one has taken to domestic life quite like Snippet. At twenty-two and with an eighteen-month old colt still at foot, she had been struggling for a while, especially through the winter. Despite her owner giving her feed whenever she saw her, she didn't look good. Her owner struggled to decide whether she should be put down or whether to let her go to this completly alien life as a domesticated pony with Melanie who was taking on Snippet's son Mulibwanji. It was only at the last second that her owner decided to let her go.

If anyone else is struggling with this romantic notion that an old wild Forest Pony should not be taken away from its natural environment then Snippet gives pause for thought! 

Just after winter with a yearling foal at foot

In her natural state

After some pampering!

I have just been contacted by a lady in the United States who has bought a pony from what is known, all too honestly, as a kill pen. There are discarded and unwanted horses, often at the end of their working lives and injured in some way, that are transported across America either to Canada or worse, Mexico, for slaughter via various yards and auctions where people can buy them. There are many groups dedicated to rescuing, treating and sometimes having to put to sleep, these horses whose owners should have taken responsibility for putting them down at home. Many arrive with their new owners sight unseen and with a completely mysterious background. I hope to find out more about this pony who appears to be completely unhandled and her new owner now has a copy of No Fear No Force in the post. 

My Friend Tom has Twenty-One Rhino - and they all have names!

 

Following the successful relocation of twenty-one rhino to Loisaba Conservancy there have been promising signs that there will be calves on their way. The strong rains which have sadly caused flooding in some areas, have provided plenty of green grass and water for the wild animals at Loisaba. This morning Elewana Collection reported that:

"The rhinos have settled well into their new environment, with territories established and couples observed mating. Notably, these pairings have contributed to genetic diversity, with individuals from different conservancies forming bonds. Bingwa from OPC has been seen with both Naomi from NNP and Akitam from Lewa, Margaret from NNP has partnered with Muturi from Lewa, and Bruno from OPC has bonded with Safiya from Lewa."

Beaulieu Road Sales

The Beaulieu Road Sale is due to take place on Thursday 30th May. There won't be any foals there but there may well be some (relatively) unhandled ponies there. My book enables people to train their ponies without forcing a headcollar on to them at any time, leaving a headcollar on with a tag, or tying them to something solid to teach them how to tie up or lead. The book is available from sarahweston.co.uk and has helped thousands of foals, older ponies, and the odd camel and calf to be halter-trained. 

Newsround

I've never known horses lose their coats so late following a winter but I guess age is not on their side, and Jack's slightly curly coat is a symptom of his Cushings. He is a darling, taking half a Prascend every day which is nestled inside a single barley ring. Lots of horses refuse to take it. 

Our guest, Fleur, is coping well with relative isolation. Her favourite trick is to neigh gently until Dave and Henrietta wander up the hill to say hello across the divide but then completely ignore them. 

Meanwhile the Shetland pony on the Black Isle is making good progress. 

"Things are going well with Geal. I have been doing a mixture of both techniques. First I greet her and give her a small treat, then I stroke her head at the side and reward with click and treat, she was initially allowing then backing away but now she doesn't back away or does a bit but then always come back to me and I think she gets that a reward will follow. I can touch all over her head and nose which is lovely.

After a while of doing that, I sprinkle some hard food down and while she eats that I stroke all over her back and over each side of her mane. Every so often I lean down and stoke her face again and give a small treat. I have discovered that her sweet spot is under (not behind) her ear and above the end of her jaw, she has sometimes started leaning in to it.

I have used a scarf (a very fetching pink one!) and can rub it over her face, yesterday she tolerated it over her nose but she will sometimes especially if I persist (maybe too long) she will back off but she does come back again.

This is all done in the field. Yesterday I had a bucket of food in the field that she and Sammy shared and I was able to stroke her loads whereas in the past she would have just moved away. That was a good feeling.

I did kind of get to this point months ago whilst sitting on a chair in the field but then it went backwards and I now feel like we have a plan of how to go forward.

I think I will move on to head collar today, do you think that sounds ok?"

Prince has been primped or should that be pimped these days?

 

and Mulibwanji and his mum, Snippet are taking strides with their education too. 

Leading practice for Mulibwanji...

...going in a stable practice for Snippet. 

Feeding the 5,000 - again

A slight exaggeration but I am feeding 9 equids, 3 geese and several goslings, and at least fifty deer on my nine acres of land at the moment. 

We have been told that there are estimated to be over 6,000 deer on Forestry England land on this side of the A31 alone. Whenever it is quiet, they cross over onto grazing land and settle down to eat and sleep. They were surprised by my early morning visit. 

Yellow Sun

At long last there has been a pleasant day. It is Theoden and Dave's last day in the second winter field (as it became) and they will be reuniting with Jack and the girls tomorrow. Meanwhile Pie and Henrietta will be keeping my friend Nathalie's pony, Fleur company, following the extremely sad loss of her own field companion.

Good news again from Melanie about Snippet and Mulibwanji who look so much better having come in off the Forest early this spring. Snippet has become a beautiful colour in her summer coat.