Handibear Hills Horse Sanctuary
Prince Edward Island | Yogi Fell
May 1, 2024 The last week of April was windy, cold and bitter on the hill. I expected better. It is a good day when I bundle up for winter and open the door to a sunny morning. I am getting wimpy, it is not pleasant on the windy days to work outside. Although my …
April 16, 2024 Crocus and Scilla are in bloom, this is my real sign of spring in the barn yard. It is a lovely sight to see even on miserable days when I am inside looking out my South window. I am clearing some of the flower beds to release the bulbs. I cleared the …
March 26, 2024 In the last missal I spoke about vaccinations. Tetanus was one of them. Today I used my last booster dose on Phillie. Phillie came into the barn with a bad laceration on her pastern, just above the coronet band, which is at the top of the hoof. The coronet band could be …
February 1, 2024 I put a lot of thought into building the stables. I planned for time saving innovations. 30 years ago I was at the barn for an hour in the morning before I headed to AVC and then it would take me until 9.30 in the evening to finish the feeding and the …
January 18, 2024 This weather is the pits for horse keeping. We have to keep an eye out for the wind. Since Fiona, there is very little access to shelter when the winds come from the South East. North West and North East is not so critical. Of course the South East winds bring …
January 1, 2024 Happy New Near from our barn to yours. May it be a healthy prosperous time! I am a very lucky gal! I came home from replacement knee surgery just before Christmas. My goal at that time was to be able to snowshoe by February. That may or may not happen, who knows …
Christmas 2023 Wishing, wishing for all that, we have what we need this holiday season. By the time you read this, I will have had the collapsing right knee replaced, I will be home and in recovery mode. It will be a wonderful thing to be able to walk without the lurch and the worry …
November 30, 2023 Good things happen. I pay cribbage on Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesday in Kensington at the Lions Club and Thursday in the North Granville community centre. It is my good for the mental health to get off the farm for an evening of meet and greet. In the last two weeks fortune has …
November 15, 2023 The weather is telling me to be prepared. I am working on the list as fast as I can, of course it depends upon the weather and availability of my help. Fencing has been a chore. Zoe and Rem removed a tree or two today and got the last of the insulators …
November 2, 2023 First snow!! And that means it is cold enough to kill most of the Bot flies. For me, it is now time for the fall Deworming. Bots begone! And those other critters too. Not the biggest problem in the world but the one field we did not clip has many …
October 18, 20023 Preparing for winter is on my mind. Facebook told me this morning that 8 years ago there was snow the 18th day of October. My journal said that on that day I was bringing in the Geraniums and the Ivy for the winter. Seems early doesn’t it? We haven’t had any frost …
October 3, 2023 The weather has been wonderful for horse keeping, and potato harvesting. Of course I know it will not last. I am preparing for the next routine of fall. Last week the herd had their teeth checked and floated. It is nice to have that done as they transition to dryer feed through …
August 15, 2023 Welcome to my world, I am still at Handibear Hills Horse Sanctuary. This place owns me completely. I am still working on the Fiona fencing, bless her soul. I spend too much time trying to plan ahead for the next big blow. After getting the bunkhouse back on its moorings, I …
July 12, 2023 And isn’t warm and humid. The crew power washed the shed row two weeks ago and it still hasn’t dried. I would love to do the same to the stalls, with this humidity that will not happen, it would mean too much moisture and then every thing would be moldy. Moldy hay …
June 27, 2023 The mission of the Sanctuary, has been about education; sharing our experience and knowledge about keeping and managing horses and ponies. A lot of animals have been cared for in the past 40 years or so, and they had a few health and behavioural issues. Not many sound horses were donated. We …
June 14, 2023 Good things are happening on the hill. I have 2 super SKILLS student workers, Fidel and Asia and John, another super student starting when High School is finished. Our main focus has been Fences and fencing. Fiona was a big help NOT!! On the front fields we have had to replace 40 …
May 31, 2023 I got the worst news the other morning. Neighbours reported a horse on the road. He sent a picture of Pytor munching in front of the Bunkhouse. It is 7.15am and I am alone without help. I went to the car and drove up and down the road and could not …
May 17, 2023 A little bit of rain falling this evening. It is much needed for newly seeded fields and pastures that have bee slow to green up. My fences at the summer pasture are in bad shape. It will be a while before the herd can be moved. I have a promise of fence …