I had all good intentions of getting some equines and Alpaca to wear these but time ran out LOL…

Happy Halloween from the Big Dark Scary one

Sometimes horses feet are neglected and it is a sad fact of life that can totally change the way a horse moves and reacts to things. When I first saw our Draught Mare she had terrible feet but I knew that we could get those “right” and she had everything else going for her for what I wanted to breed as Rare Draught horses. see for yourself…

Before:

and “getting there” now…

thank you to the Blacksmiths that have worked with us over the past 6 months – I knew we could do it… but don’t be fooled by this sized down photos… shes a VERY big horse!

so pleased this little Draught Mare at just under 17.2hh has come so far in such a short time Bless.

Time flies by so quickly – just take a look at these foals now – just gorgeous and shortly for sale too when weaned….

living out full time and definitely in their Winter woollies but “spotting out” nicely LOL

Well the applemania consumption continues at Clay Meadow with the Alpaca enjoying a teeny bit chopped up finely, the ponies the windfalls and the Draught mares munching the cookers with their newly filed nashers lOL

And the humans? Well how many ways can you eat apple that we haven’t yet done? aha – dried!

  first you peel them and chop and layer on trays

then you put them into the drier and you wait…

and then you wait um about 24 hours and lose the will to live but get this…

they do taste nice but (my opinion) not worth the wait and the company selling the machine were next to useless I might add giving no dry times or temperatures to work with!

Nope – not for me, lost the will to live – back to um – I know… baked!

  one hour, yum – result!

If you are remotely edgy about Dentistry please do not read on – it really wont help you when you go LOL

Horses often get edges on the teeth that can catch the gum causing ulcers, it is the same with Alpaca and as the Alpaca are done at Shearing annually and inbetween if necessary, so too are the Kensmyth Equines – enjoy..

Well done Alice from the George Vets who we have been using since 1998 !!

With the Beast from the East of last year still fresh in our minds, beautiful snow drifts and the bluest skies I ever did see, quite a contrast to the October sunset beauty this week … no disappointment or disillusion can effect beauty!

That time again ahead of Winter to gradually weigh the whole herd, especially the Cria. We wean at 6 months or half adult bodyweight whichever is the sooner and when appropriate. As our Alpaca are the larger heavier kind it means heavier cria weights before weaning – makes sense!

it is sooooo important to weigh each Alpaca and each cria at the outset so you can see if any are losing weight – never rely on body scoring alone. And… although obvious… always weigh when dry!

Happy to say no adult here weighs less than the one shown at 98.8kg and shes a lighweight compared to our  heaviest at 131kg.

Cria weights with no one due for weaning just yet and all well, happy and had their 2nd ADE of this winter – marvellous.

Winter is coming – be prepared for it.

sometimes when you get older you don’t always check things to be as they first appear and I had a hilariously funny experience recently. We are always sourcing good sheep for our flock and on a visit to see some recently I asked to go to the bathroom.

I was politely shown the cloakroom (literally had coats hanging) and saw a lovely coloured doorstop so I thought as I sat down. yes, this is me on the throne and yes – you can imagine my surprise when the doorstop MOVED!!

yes – you guessed it, no doorstop this one but a Tortoise in from the cold rather than hibernating no less. Quickest visit to the bathroom I had I can tell you but he was kind of cute!

I am on the warpath again for those TV adverts who are making money on packaging wonky carrots and selling them as if a new brand – rather than looking at the fact that wonky means not perfect or genuinely not perfect and how they should be giving them away for next to nothing or free – grrr

my version of the wonky carrot on my farm…

I love to see the cria play at dusk and sunset, to see the dawn sun rise and to walk in the thick fog, not so keen on the soakings recently but that’s farming life for you!