We've had a really good but busy week, unpacking everything and deciding where everything should go. It's very strange having an extra room upstairs, which is now John's dressing room, and an extra room downstairs, which is my craft room.
There seem to be loads of doors, too, as in the cottage everything was open plan, with only a door to the bathroom. Here there are three doors right next to each other, to get out to the garden, and two at the front, which takes a bit of getting used to.
It's still very cold as well and we haven't got any central heating as the boiler doesn't work. We've had a plumber out who couldn't get the pilot light to stay lit. We can have showers, but no bath yet, which is the thing we were looking forward to.
Part of my brain knows full well why I'm here but the other half can't get used to it yet. It's as if we're on holiday, even though I have all my stuff around me.
Tessa is confused, too. She is used to having all that land to run around in, and now has a long, narrow garden. It seems to be full of interesting sniffs, though, which she likes. There is a lovely table and chairs and barbeque area out there, as well as a shed and a greenhouse, which will be fun in the summer. There are primroses and trees that are just budding, and a pheasant that strolls around without a care in the world.
I'm sleeping very well, which is doing me good, and I've realised it's because we can't hear the rain on the roof any more. I've gone outside and seen that it's really wet, but had no idea all through the night.
But the most important part is that the horses are loving it on their new yard. Barnaby is being a bit boisterous, but I'm not surprised as he doesn't know where he is. Last Sunday we rode and decided just to go steady and go in the school. Barnaby was dragging me towards the fences and I think it was because he thought we'd travelled to a competition, and this was obviously the showjumping! It took a long time to settle him. Zak wasn't bothered, he thought he may as well have a bit of fun and pop some fences.
But, oh, the hacking! We ride straight onto fields from the back of the farm and it's just field after field. It is absolutely blissful. John and I went together and the horses loved it. We did some cantering, as it's all grass around every field. I could feel Barnaby going, "What, cantering?" so I said, "Yes, darling." so he did his obligatory 20 strides, like he would at the old place, then I could feel him hesitate,
"What, all of it?"
"Yes, my love, go on!" and away he went, side by side with his buddy, who was dying to streak away. Just fabulous.
We spent one session with me in the school and John taking Zak out, which went very well. I don't want Barnaby to think he and Zak mustn't be separated under any circumstances, as he is used to me riding him out five days a week on his own.
It will be strange from tomorrow though, as John is back to work and we will go to the yard when he gets home. The horses are being mucked out for us five days a week, so we've been doing it over the bank holiday weekend.
I haven't mucked shavings out for 3 years and just stood staring at it at first. Then I though, 'Oh well, just stick a fork in and see what happens,' and away we went. They don't use wheelbarrows, either, they muck out straight into a rubber skip and tip it straight into a little truck called a Kubota, which someone then drives round to the muck heap and empties it.
There are no water buckets either, they all have automatic waters, such luxury. We didn't even have those on Lorna's yard. The stables also have the metal door that opens to slot hay in. I will take some pictures as soon as I can, I promise, then it'll be obvious what I mean.
Well I'd better go and cook something for dinner.
More soon,
Jane x
Monday 9 April 2012
Tuesday 3 April 2012
We Are Here!
I am recovering from what has been the most exhausting few days ever! We moved the horses first thing Friday morning. I have only just found my camera in one of the boxes, but I'll try to take some photos of their new yard tomorrow.
I was absolutely dreading the journey. Some of you may know we have terrible problems travelling Zak. We packed their rugs and feed bins and loaded the horses, Zak in first, then Barnaby, with me travelling in the back to hold onto Zak and talk to him on the journey. The first few minutes were awful. For no apparent reason, Zak decided he couldn't possibly remain upright, and leant against the partition between him and Barnaby with his legs straight out against the opposite partition. I pulled him upright again and just kept talking calmly to him (no easy feat when you feel sick yourself!) and eventually he calmed down and decided he could travel after all. We bonded in the back of that lorry, I can tell you. He was actually resting his chin on my arm after a while and blowing in my ear, which was so sweet. Barnaby had no problems whatsoever. I have to say though, that if I hadn't travelled in with Zak he would have fallen over and done goodness-knows-what to himself within the first five minutes.
Basically I prayed all the way there.
And we arrived in fine style, with Zak not even sweating, which was fantastic.
We took them into their new stables and Barnaby practically fell asleep. We unloaded their rugs and tack, stowing them in various places and then were able to turn them out... onto grass. Neither of them could quite believe it and didn't know whether to buck and leap about, canter up and down, greet their neighbours or just eat. Okay, it wasn't long before they decided to just eat, and I'm not surprised as they've both been desperate for grass for ages. Barnaby has been leaning against the dry stone walls at the old house, hoping his weight would knock a section down so he could get into the field next door.
I know we haven't had rain for a while anyway, but there is no mud in these fields, and plenty of grass. I also thought it was our job to poo pick every day, but we have it done for us Monday-Friday. We do it at the weekend as part of our mucking out. How blissful is that?!
It was the strangest feeling ever to drive away and leave the boys there. I haven't been away from Barnaby for three years. It was odd when we got back to the farm, too, as we've never been there without them. I kept looking out of the kitchen window to see what they were up to, but there was no one there. So odd. I worried about whether he was warm enough, settled in, able to lay down on the small shavings bed (actually it was a lot bigger than I'd realised once I'd seen him in it) would he drag people around the yard, would the staff remember to keep them together, etc etc.
And so we finished the last of the packing...
(More soon!)
Jane x
I was absolutely dreading the journey. Some of you may know we have terrible problems travelling Zak. We packed their rugs and feed bins and loaded the horses, Zak in first, then Barnaby, with me travelling in the back to hold onto Zak and talk to him on the journey. The first few minutes were awful. For no apparent reason, Zak decided he couldn't possibly remain upright, and leant against the partition between him and Barnaby with his legs straight out against the opposite partition. I pulled him upright again and just kept talking calmly to him (no easy feat when you feel sick yourself!) and eventually he calmed down and decided he could travel after all. We bonded in the back of that lorry, I can tell you. He was actually resting his chin on my arm after a while and blowing in my ear, which was so sweet. Barnaby had no problems whatsoever. I have to say though, that if I hadn't travelled in with Zak he would have fallen over and done goodness-knows-what to himself within the first five minutes.
Basically I prayed all the way there.
And we arrived in fine style, with Zak not even sweating, which was fantastic.
We took them into their new stables and Barnaby practically fell asleep. We unloaded their rugs and tack, stowing them in various places and then were able to turn them out... onto grass. Neither of them could quite believe it and didn't know whether to buck and leap about, canter up and down, greet their neighbours or just eat. Okay, it wasn't long before they decided to just eat, and I'm not surprised as they've both been desperate for grass for ages. Barnaby has been leaning against the dry stone walls at the old house, hoping his weight would knock a section down so he could get into the field next door.
I know we haven't had rain for a while anyway, but there is no mud in these fields, and plenty of grass. I also thought it was our job to poo pick every day, but we have it done for us Monday-Friday. We do it at the weekend as part of our mucking out. How blissful is that?!
It was the strangest feeling ever to drive away and leave the boys there. I haven't been away from Barnaby for three years. It was odd when we got back to the farm, too, as we've never been there without them. I kept looking out of the kitchen window to see what they were up to, but there was no one there. So odd. I worried about whether he was warm enough, settled in, able to lay down on the small shavings bed (actually it was a lot bigger than I'd realised once I'd seen him in it) would he drag people around the yard, would the staff remember to keep them together, etc etc.
And so we finished the last of the packing...
(More soon!)
Jane x
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