Spring in Dorset

 At the beginning of the month I was back in Dorset. Holly and I took the dogs, Dexter and Fella, for a walk in Hardy Country. I'm a big Thomas Hardy fan and I love Dorset countryside. We went to Dewlish which is a small but thriving village near Bere Regis.

 We parked above the village by the wood hanger (still full of crows) and began our walk through woods carpeted in snowdrops. I used to do this walk in my lunch break when I worked in the village years ago at Wainwright Screenprint - a family business working out of a converted stable yard.

 The dogs were keen to get out of the car and in to the green space outside.

Park gates at Dewlish - you can just imaging Farmer Boldwood coming through in his carriage! But back to reality after a pleasant break in England - it's time to get those horses working!

Mrs P. she's progressing nicely. I've started lunging her and have quietly mounted her - so far so good. Then there is Mr P. who is more interested in eating than anything else!

Mrs P.

This is Mrs P. She has just come to us having had little attention for some years. She lived behind the goat farm until the fire last year and since then has been with a bunch of other ponies on a nearby farm. She has not been broken, has not been stabled and is not used to being tied up. She came with an eye infection and with matted mane and tail. She has very little muscle tone and her coat is dull. The good thing is she has a lovely nature and is friendly and trusting. I'm hoping she will respond to regular handling and that we'll be out riding her very soon. Here we are starting to put various bits of tack on her - it's early days but she has not objected to anything so far. 

As for breaking her in - I am quietly optimistic that we will be successful. I've never single-handedly broken a horse but have helped out over the years.
As a child I rode a lot of horses for older owners so that their horses/ponies could compete at junior level. At some shows I'd just wait in the collecting ring and my mounts would just arrive ready to compete! The first pony I rode was Lion a lovely chestnut gelding - probably about 12.2hh. He was great!


Since then there have been dozens more including the irrepressible Flashadina, seen here after a 'sack race' at Bransgore show. He was quite a character - he taught me a lot!
"Flash' had a hogged main which was very spikey and I was forever bashing my chin on it if he stopped at a jump.

Then this splendid fellow - Mr Soapy Sponge. He was a great horse - too big, too strong and too spirited for the 8 year old me - but great fun. He was fast so as long as I hung on and steered accurately we won everything! I remember a whirlwind jumping round at Stapehill Show - I just aimed him at the jumps and hoped for the best. I had to be 'caught' on the way out because I couldn't stop him.



Then there was Charley (AKA Knightwood Sparrow Hawk) - he was my very first pony. Dad bought him for me and he was a super New Forest pony (a posh one - not dragged off the forest). About 14.2hh and dapple grey, he had a lovely nature (mostly) and was an ideal pony for me.

We grew up together in many ways. He was 4 when I got him and had not been worked much due to (we found out later) having had laminitus. He was a bit too big for me to start with and I struggled for a while, but with the support of horsey friends and lot's of patience we became quite a team. He was a good jumper and we did pretty well at local shows, he wasn't too speedy but we did go for lovely long hacks in the forest - and through town!
My Dad used to like riding, though he never had his own horse, sometimes we'd hire horses and go out in the New Forest for the day. Dad was always up for a gallop and loved racing.
Ours was not a horsey family and my first encounters with horses came after we moved to Castle Gate Close (I was 5).  Nearby there were lanes where Dad and I would go walking and fields full of ponies that we got to know like neighbours. I remember lovely palominos 'Kingcup' and 'Top O'the Morning', then there was 'Pride', 'Shandy', 'Tickety Boo' to name but a few. Towards the river was Four Winds Farm where there lived proper showjumping horses - I remember 'Indianapolis' a great skewbald horse who had suffered a car accident and become very nervous. 'Lady Jane' was a graceful mare who regularly competed at national level. Mum and Dad were very supportive of my hobby and most weekends we'd be up at the crack of dawn polishing and steaming kit ready for the days gymkhana or show.
I found this old photo of my grandfather - he was an Irish cavalry man.

Sunshine After the Rain

Who'd have guessed today would be such a fine sunny day (so far any way). We had a terrific storm last night - really heavy rain bursting the river yet again and flooding the meadows in the valley. The animals are all enjoying the sunshine despite the sodden ground and the stables are all ready for tonight.

Blue sky and a light breeze mean it's a good drying day too!







It's a good day for getting outside jobs done and enjoying watching the hens scratch about contentedly.

The hens have already found new places to lay their eggs in the new barn. It is sometimes a nuisance to have to hunt for the eggs but generally I enjoy the fact that they have the freedom to lay where they please.It reminds me of old times when I was learning to ride at Brown's Riding School in Longham. It was a proper old fashioned yard run by Jimmy and Joan and I had great times there. The yard was always full of mixed poultry which made secret nests tucked in stables and barns all around the yard. As general helpers, we kids were given the task of hunting for the eggs and we loved it! I would spend whole days there and come home exhausted!

 The barn may be new but it's already getting 'barney' baler string adorns the oak posts and, horror of horrors, there are cobwebs appearing in Mr P.'s stable (I'll have to dust)!
A temporary tack room is evolving too!

Dodging storms

Changeable weather has meant limited opportunities to ride.
On this day we went out in sunshine but were lucky to get home before the rain came. I did cross the river as the floods had subsided somewhat - a very odd experience riding through water that high but Mr P. takes it all in his stride.

Lambs and Ladies

Cold and foggy this morning.
How pleased we are to have the new barn finished and the animals inside.

Mr P. has had to put up with some pretty awful weather while he waited for his new accommodation. He was a little unsure at first, having been without a stable of any kind since summer, but he is very keen to come in at night now.

The sheep are enjoying the new space too. Previously they were housed in a smaller more enclosed building - this is much better for them. They are hardy creatures and don't need much protection and here they are in an open fronted bay where they can rest at night with the lambs safely tucked up in the corner.

These sheep include our original Millie and Mollie who we bought in 2008. They have consistently produced good quality lambs. The exception being this year when Mollie produced Tiny - a very small little lamb (his twin was a good size). Tiny is doing very well however, and will soon catch up with the older lambs. Then there's Nigella, one of Millie's 2011 lambs. She gave two nice twin lambs this year. New additions are Peanut and Betty who have joined the flock because their owners are working abroad for a while - we don't know when or if they are expecting lambs but will keep a close eye on them. The lambs and ladies are all looked after by our ram named Richard Dawkins who we brought in from a completely unrelated blood line last year.

The lane end of the new barn.

 When the sun finally broke through it turned out to be a super day - the ground is very soggy though and it makes all the chores so much harder. A good day to give the chicken house a bit of a spring clean though!

 One of the new rain water tanks in position. It holds 1000 litres - wonder how long it will take to fill up?

A few outdoor jobs done today. The last of the old 2012 hay used up and the stack dismantled. I used the last of it for bedding and found a sleepy hedgehog at the bottom of the pile. I carefully popped it into a cat basket with the hay it was sleeping in and gave it to our neighbours who have a very luxurious custom made herrison hôtel in their garden. It should be happy and safe for the rest of the winter in there.

Blue skies over the magic forest of Broceliande which lies to the South of us and is our view from the front of our house.

As the sun sets wood smoke rises from the Wild Wood. Or rather, where the Wild Wood used to be! I rode that way earlier and was shocked to see the trees all cut down and ready to ship out. This is the lane that runs along the front of our land. In this picture we're walking Girlie up to the top field to collect Mr P and bring him in for the night.

A cold start to a sunny dry day.
Early morning mist rolls back to reveal a splendid crisp morning.

Off for a ride with Mr. P. Coming up out of Soggy Bottom we can see the main road into town.

Then along by Moon Wood and South at the farm.

Looking back towards home and the fields we just crossed.

Enjoying the winter sunshine - looking North.

Back through Le Rox and homeward bound...

The rainwater storage tanks have arrived.

And the little lambs are snuggled up for the night.

Horse Cam

Exploring lanes and tracks on horseback is one of my favourite things to do. Armed with my new 'horse cam' I can record the countryside as I pass through.

Looking west from If Farm

 Just a short ride today. Starting out heading west and turning down by Daniel's trees and then east along the Crooked Mile. A short detour here to see how the river is looking - the flood water has receded a great deal but it's still very wet at the ford and the Wild Wood is completely flooded.

 The last time I made the crossing, just before christmas, the water was so high it came in over my riding boots. A horrible experience! Mr P was undaunted however, and was quite happy to wade through.

 On the higher ground above the village they were cutting trees beyond Top Wood, we stopped to chat and admire the late afternoon sunburst before turning southwards and home.