Droughts etc.

Here in New Zealand, a lot of the country is currently in the grips of a drought. We had a winter deluge and then spring arrived and the rain left, completely! It's not pretty out there. I am frantically trying to buy in extra feed as I know our hay cut is going to be completely inadequate (and that's putting it mildly) and I am desperately thinking of things to try and sell to help fund the extra expense. Talk about going from one weather extreme to the next.

I have some photos of the new Connemara girls and baby Aisling (Maude's foal finally has a name, yay!) and you can see in the photos just how dry we are now. Everyone looks good but I am shovelling the food into them to make sure of it!

If anyone reading this fancies a couple of lovely little 2.5 year old heifer cows - cheap to good home - do let me know.

Isla and Cindy

The girls

Cindy

Cindy being leader

More of Cindy being leader

Running

Aisling

with friend (look closely at her shoulder)

The Reindeer Antlers are doing the rounds again ...

It must be that time of the year ...

Today two new ponies were welcomed into the fold

Kohatu Dark Isle (Isla) and Wayward Wind (Cindy - Reg'd name pending) arrived at 9.30 this a.m and are two lovely purebred Connemara mares who I am absolutely thrilled to be able to say have been offered to me on lease for this breeding season. Both will be bred to Crossiebeg Brennan and I will have two purebred Connemara pony foals next season. I can't quite believe it, I might just have to pinch myself! I am so grateful to their owners, Sheila and Vanessa, for letting them come and 'hang out' here at Talisman Farm. It really is an amazing opportunity and they are absolutely gorgeous ponies!

Here are some photos:

Isla

Cindy and Isla

Isla shows a clean pair of heels

Cindy's sweet wee face

Best buddies already (and only met today!)

In other 'news', we had the vet to scan Hooty and Amber and were thrilled to be able to tell Amber's owners that she is now confirmed in foal to Brennan. Sadly Hooty has some fluid and a cyst so no pregnancy for her so it's a couple of days on oxytocin, serving early in the week and then another dose of hormones and then we wait another couple of weeks to see if we have had success.

I am still waiting to hear back from 2 owners as to their status of their mares (1 x AI and 1 x natural service) but both should well and truly have cycled again by now so I have my finger's and toes firmly crossed. We have a few more AI clients yet to service and some outside mares to arrive for breeding so, with a bit of luck and work, Brennan should have about 10 foals on the ground next season. Not a huge number but a nice start for a young boy in his first season.