August 25, 2024
As popular opinion, summer is near its end. As soon as Old Home Week is over the temperatures get cooler. My students have left me, their grant programs have come to an end. Zahra has started her 2nd year at the Atlantic Veterinary College. Ashley will be starting her first year at Bluefield High School. I have had a grand summer with the help of these two capable women. They got a lot of maintenance work completed, barn, pastures, fences, and horses, all the work it takes to keep a farm. The horses and ponies were happy to come to the barn. They knew they were going to get some loving. Now I will have to prepare the barn paddock for their winter sojourn. Fiona trees still need to be harvested, the fences will need to be checked and secured. I need a shelter fence established, so the herd will have protection from the east and southeast winds this winter. I lost a complete hedgerow that gave them a lot of protection from the south. In the past they used the maple grove for shelter. It is now a jumble of fallen trees. Hopefully the woodcutters will be able to fit this job into their busy schedule. Outside work is very dependent upon weather. All this planning in hopes that the new hurricane season wooshes by the island just like Ernesto. On the wall my list of management practises on called “Whether they need it or not” state that Teeth should be checked and floated if necessary at least once a year. I choose to do it before the winter. On our day of dentistry. The 4th year Veterinary Students come to learn and practise their skills on 10 mouths. And so it should be. I have dedicated the Sanctuary residents to the education and management of the equine. We all learn on this day. I have only 3 older horses now, they have 20.\ years on them. The past herd was a tooth education, as they got older their teeth changed, got loose, had sharp points, or fell out. All reasons why we had to supplement their feeding with soft food and add more food. If they could not chew their forage efficiently, keeping weight on was a big problem. A problem that I don’t seem to have!! I found through the years that once the horse lost weight, it was a big chore to put that weight back on. And if the horse proved to have Cushing’s disease, it is nigh on impossible to gain weight unless medicated. It usually costs a lot of money to buy special feeds. There are no bargains to be had. Feed costs are rising and rising. The pension is not. I am most grateful for folks that donate monthly through PayPal. The Blue box is checked weekly and there are many anonymous donations found there. I do not have Charitable Status so cannot offer receipts that are tax deductible. I know the folks that do donate, really care about the herd and their care, their donation is not because of a receipt. It is a wonderful thing to have such wonderful friends for Handibear Hills. Kindness and generosity all around me. By sharing the herd for education and that good feeling you get when working with them, I am passing on the kindness. Love and hugs from Yogi and the herd.