Lambies

Here are some photos of our orphaned lambs, now ongoing members of the FEH Family. Beavis, Butthead and Roger RAMjet. Top photo is sister Karen and neice Jess feeding them a few weeks ago.


Our plan is that we have them to clean up the paddocks after the horses have eaten their fill. It is expected that Roger (also known as CD) will be part of our 2009 Christmas Dinner too. Ex-vegetarian KJ really has moved on :).

Further flood Fotos :) and latest Fernside Frolics

To add to the Cust Creek photos below, we went down Lineside Road today (3 days after height of flood) to view the paddocks down there. Lineside Road is the main road from the northern motorway through to Rangiora. Here are a few pictures of the "Lineside Lakes".

We brought Carlisha (6yo Mystical Shark out of the now defunct Laura Jayne) home from Bevan Heron's last Saturday. For a late start mare, Bevan has done a good job breaking her in. She has a cough so we've kept her apart from the others but as Bella goes just where she wants, she joins her every now and then. At this point the idea is to syndicate Bella (Bossy Looker officially, 3yo trotter) and Carlisha as a package and give them both a go this season. Bella will go to Bevan and Carlisha to Grame Lamb. Looks like Julius Caesar fillies will have to go to sales as we need to lessen stock and get some income from the breeding.

A Wonderful Fernside Winter

As many who have either experienced NZ weather during the last week of July 2008 or have seen or heard of it on the news, here's a couple of pictures of the local "Terrain" taken this past week. Usually the Cust Creek is just a creek (and I often drive through it on my way to work) or, in Summer, when the dodgy new dairy farms are irrigating, it has little to no water in it at all. These two are photos of it taken yesterday, actually 2 days after the height of the floods. We have called it "Mini Mac" (apologies to niece in Wellington) as it looks like a mini version of the Waimakariri when a Nor-West has brought rain and/or melt to the mountain catchment area.

Foot not Knee

It seems I (finally) made the right choice by getting Olive into the loosebox. Yesterday she wouldn't let me touch her knee but today, after standing still for 16 hours, the swelling in the knee has gone down appreciably. Vet Andrew (great guy) from Rangiora Vets came and Olive had a bad abscess in her hoof and had damaged the knee by walking oddly on her heel to relieve any pressure on the toe of the hoof, where thew abscess is. It has been cleaned and drained. Now we have to soak her regularly in warm water and epsom-salts. Learning, learning every step for us.

Starting the weaning process?

We have our first foal of the current crop in the loose box with her Mum - Wee "Cleo" (also known as Cap) and Olive. Olive has a big knee which she has been favouring notably and the vet is coming to check her out tomorrow morning. As Cleo is the youngest of the foals, we probably won't actually wean her at this point but over the next two months we will start with the eldest and work through the three of them. They are now all progressing well and we aim to send Olive back to Julius Caesar this coming season. We are wondering about Honey (Now Another Look out of Whizzy) and whether we can enter her at Riccarton in a hurdles race. When we separated her from Cleo today (they seem to have mated up well) she just jumped the bloody gate as if it was a natural thing to do (proper Hurricane style farm gate). The fun goes on.

We spent a lot of the middle part of the day today with our three young nephews who were riding Eddie after staying the night. I spent about 1 1/2 hours working with Sooty after my first official riding lesson Friday a week ago. All I can say is that Sooty, despite his foibles is easier to manage than two 11 year olds and and a seven year old - Neph - Phews!! :) 55 must be too old to be a parent of youngans I think.

The ever curious but ever adorable Sooty.

A photo daughter Stacey took when here the other week. Sooty taking front stage again - what's new?

A Winter Wonderland

Hi All,

In between uploads we've been away to Qld through Aussie House Swap and found the whole thing great. Couldn't have afforded to stay 3 weeks without the free accommodation. Came back and soon bedded in reality by the snow last weekend. 'Rain' had damaged a leg just on and above the crown and although healing is still somewhat swollen. Otherwise all horses okay.

Looks like we are going to sell some youngsters (commercial reality) probably the two Julius Caesar fillies. Sophie - (JC/Laura Jayne) is looking big and strong and we'll probably wean her during the next month. Cleo (had wobbly knees) is coming along well and looks like she'll be okay afterall, still to be confirmed though. Will also start to jog Bella (Now Another Look/Bossy Octopus rising 3y0) soon and she will go to Bevan Heron for the start of the new season, will be looking to syndicate her for racing then.

Trying to use all of the available grass we had the horses out around the house recently. Left the front door open and of course Sooty had to pop in to see if there were any more apples on offer; you've gotta love him.