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 find him. I swear that as soon as ponies are released from their mother’s womb, they plan on never being confined again. Of course when my students arrived they went to the field to do a herd count, he was back in field. Sneaky twerp he is. Asia and Fidel spend an hour checking fences, trying to think like ponies to find the hole. Of course the high winds had dropped more brush over the fence in one place. And then at the top of the field wires were loose. Repairs were performed and since then, no more morning messages.
It is a busy time making the farm pretty for the coming season. The biggest job is cleaning Fiona brush from grassed areas and flower beds. The adventure grove once was a place of searching through trees for balance beams, balance blocks, ball toss, hobbit house and kid’s cave, climbing logs and swinging ropes. That is all gone. But, it is getting cleared and we will use our imagination to make it fun again.
The barn was built in a shale pit, so flower beds were invented with good old horse buns piled high. Then I started filling lots of tubs, pots and a couple of old toilets with flowers and vines to make pretty. I know how to reclaim and recycle with the best of them.
It isn’t all grunt work for the students. The herd comes in once a day for assessment and their supplements. There is lots of handling to gain comfort around horses. And Zoe is putting them in the saddle for a bit of riding. It is called Newbie training. The Sanctuary has room for one more student worker for an 8 week term. Student must be returning to school in the fall. Give me a shout if you are a high school student. The job will start the end of June.
Black flies are in abundance, now we prepare the Plantain Tea or Seaweed Tea, and before riding give them a good spray with Apple Cider Vinegar. We use the Plantain or Seaweed Tea for a butt wash. The flies go for the wet areas and places where the horses cannot reach with their mane and tail. So udders and sheaths need a good wash as well. The tea takes away the swelling, the itch and acts as a repellant too. The word is out that we need to be vigilant and watch for ticks this year. We started to feed Garlic tabs in April as one repellant. I know with the amount of garlic I eat black flies will be looking elsewhere for their shot of blood. Then I will have to invest in bars of soap. We can wet it to soften and then wipe the horse, they will stick to the soap bar. Perhaps a lint roller would do the same thing. Horse keeping certainly does have its challenges.
My heart goes out to my Nova Scotia and New Brunswick friends, trying to keep their horses safe from the fires. Animals and fires are a very bad mix. Are we in PEI ready for such an emergency? If our animals are not branded or have microchips, perhaps we should be weaving identification tags in their manes. Laurie of North Rustico Fire Dept told me today that PEI records show that only one fire was caused by lightening all others were man made, or perhaps to be correct person made. That is a sad statistic. I am so glad that the word is out for NO OPEN FIRES at all. And we all should be doing the rain dance to help nature along. Be kind to one another, lend a helping hand.
Love and hugs from Yogi and the herd.