Donald is our old stallion, the first we bought, he is 30yrs+ and this is the first year we wintered him in the stable and for the first time he had a rug which he managed to destroy on a regular basis!! he has lost most of his front teeth so the poor boy is gummy!! His molars are still working reasonably well but he does have a problem eating hay, he fairs better eating grass but of course during the winter months there is very little so have been bucket feeding him 4 times a day using Simple Systems with a combination of herbs, we have found celery seed keeps his mobility good and he has a good quality of life, now that the ground is drying he is out during the day, he is a big old horse and loves to scratch on anything he can find, bending gates, wheelbarrows in fact anything in his path he's a proper big bugger!! All the time his quality of life is good he will live out his retirement in the environment he has lived in for many years, many of the horses on the yard are his sons, daughters and grandchildren. In the next week or so he will move back into a paddock with his youngest son Kevin we will keep up the bucket feeding but will reduce it to 2 a day, unless he requires more.
Mel is one of Olivers' first foals born on the 1st June 2007 her mum is Honey and her grandad is Donald, she is very brave and inquisitive, has a lovely temperament which she gets from her dad and grandad she enjoys nothing more than a good groom, she is learning very quickly, at just 1yr she is measuring 12.3 hands, she has good confirmation and lovely markings, she is now working on the halter and has a lovely action when loose or on the line, she is very happy to be with humans or part of the herd. For the next year she will remain with the herd coming out for grooming and feet trimming, she will be for sale in 2010 when we have backed, schooled and put her in harness. A £1200 deposit will secure her.
