I'm back

Well just about. Surgery went very well and the doctor discovered the source of the problem was in her own words "a huge bone spur, and more bursitis than I'd ever seen before." Today I had my second session of physical therapy and can get a full range of movement (as long as someone else moves my arm), and there is less swelling there now than before the surgery. Unfortunately I can't really use my arm much and am forbidden to pick up anything heavier than a dinner plate in it for a few more weeks. I just want to know when I can start riding again and mucking out.

Anyway the show must go on. So halter training began today for the sheep going to the Bolton Fair. This years fair is a big deal, the featured sheep is the Shetland and I have been asked to talk about conformation. I'm using the NASSA site but any more information would be gratefully received. 

Here's Jacquith showing her pose for the ring. It's only her first time being lead and she actually got the hang of it near the end.

Cammie is a pro, but needs work on standing still in position.

Sunny was a little rambunctious, but again got the hang of it and managed well.

Oh, and the chickens are growing wonderfully. Here's Christina one of my silkies looking adorable.

Tomorrow I am visiting Muppet. If the weather is nice I'll take my camera. 

And introducing

Well with the rest of the lambs leaving today it was lovely to actually get a lamb to join the flock. I have wanted a white lamb for a year or two, and was very excited when Nadine at Painted Knoll showed my pictures of this girl.

So here is Painted Knoll Jacquith, Jackie or Jac for short.

Super cute.

The pasture looks rather empty now (empty but not quiet lol). Xander and Colby left for their new home with Donna in NH, Cinnamon and Cheyenne left for their home in CT with Penny, and Cara went to Nan at Hythe farm in MA. I am sad to see them all leave but so happy that they all found really good homes. I should be going into winter with 9 sheep, which means I have 1 more arriving :)

Just a small update

No pictures sorry, you can blame the wonderful New England weather which has been rainy for several days. It is supposed to get nice tomorrow so maybe I can get some then? 

I just wanted to update because Crystal and Xavier left today for their new home in Vermont *waves to new owner and hopes to see a blog from her soon* they were fun to load up as Crystal is just a hoot. However it was sad to see them both leave and on Saturday the other babies all go to their new homes :( Luckily for me I get a little something at that time.

I just wanted to warn everyone that after next week I might not be posting for a while. I am due to have surgery on my shoulder on Tuesday and until the surgeon knows how bad the repair is I don't know what my recovery time will be. Could only be a week in a sling, might be 6. I'm just hoping it takes the pain away, and means I can use my shoulder properly for the first time in over a year.

I'll work on those pictures soon.

Walk, leap or lie down?

Yes it does sound like a the name of a game show, but it's actually the big decision every lamb has to make when he, or she starts their halter training. Our lambs began theirs on Saturday and here are the rather comedic outcomes.

Cheyenne was the best at walking straight away with her halter. She only had a few moments of lying down but she did very well.

Cinnamon lay down a lot before she understood.

Xavier did the best leaping.

Before her got it.

It was all too much for Crystal though who just lay down.

Xander played dead. We did manage to coax him into a more upright position later on.

Colby half got it. Sometimes she lay down and sometimes she walked ok. 

It really was a shame not to catch some of the more put out facial expressions. But hopefully you have a taste of how halter training went. Right now they are a work in progress.

Muppet the early years

So I totally missed blogging about my wonderful horse turning 7 on the 1st of June. I even didn't get any pictures of him as my shoulder has been acting up, and my friend Alex got hurt that day too. But to make up for it here's early Muppet.

I got Muppet from The United Pegasus Foundation (http://www.unitedpegasus.com) he is a PMU baby. That stands for a Premarin baby. The drug Premarin being made from pregnant mares urine, the consequence being that each year hundred of foals (the unwanted by product) are sent for slaughter. I was told he was a quarter horse paint mix and this was the picture I saw of him.

Some nice people shipped him to the barn I was boarding at in California for free, and here is what he looked like the day her arrived. Completely wild and ungroomed lol. He was not used to people and no-one could touch him.

He quickly grew to be quite a looker and here he is at a year old.

Here's my first wonderful attempt at clipping him. Luckily even though both of us didn't know what we were dong he felt cooler and happier at the end at that was the main thing.

When he turned 2 he filled out more and you can really see the horse he's going to be around this age a little more.

This is the first time he wore a saddle at 3 and a bit, just before we moved from CA to MA.

Stretching the legs at home in MA.

And this was his first winter at home in MA before he decided to jump the pasture fence and have to be boarded out.

At 5 years old my mum and dad got to finally meet him when they came over on a visit from England. This is one of my favorite pictures of him that my mum took.

Sadly I have not been as good about documenting the last few years, something I will do better at, and this is the last picture of him I took this winter at his new barn with one of his friends.

Hopefully I will do better about documenting year 7 of his life with me. 

In non-Muppet news. Chloe and Celebration left today for their new home with Holly. I think they are going to have a very happy life together. 

A big treat

For the chickens today as they got to enjoy watermelon in the sunshine. This is the end of their first week outside and they are doing really well.

Almost all of them go into the coop at night by themselves, except for Annabelle and her bad leg who wait for someone to pick her up and put her inside. They can all go outside by themselves in the morning.

The watermelon was a success.

I love my chickens. They are so cute. 

Lambs, rams, and grass

My partner and I finally got the middle pasture fenced in with PermaNet this weekend so the flock can get locked out there. It take 5 rolls so there is plenty of space for everyone, and the boys and girls are happy to get along together.

The only problem is that some of the babies lose their moms in the long grass. How many babies and moms are out here? 

Here's Cinnamon wondering the same thing.

The boys think it's nice to be out of their paddocks and are being perfect gentleman so far.

The babies are growing so fast.

Chloe and little Celebration leave Saturday for their new home. They are going a few weeks early as they have an event to attend. I'll miss their little faces.