June 21, 2018

Today was a fun day.

The team stayed with Emma at Mel’s and went on a hack down the bridle path. There is one right at the end of the driveway.

Mel got this shot of them before they headed out.

Mel’s view of the crew riding out.

Emma took this photo on the ride.

Emma got this photo on the ride too.

They had a great time.

It was also an amazing weather day. Warm and sunny.

Amy came and picked me up and we spent the day playing around. First we went off on the quad looking for a lost sheep and lamb for Garrin. Which we found! Garrin came down to help collect them – which was neat to watch. I tried to get his whistling for it on video but I wasn’t quick enough.

Amy and I cruised around looking for the missing sheep and lamb.

We loaded up mom and baby and took them back to the field they belonged in and fixed the hole in the fence. Then Garrin noticed another sheep with an issue so he wrangled it and we took it back to the barn. It was quite an adventure and I am grateful to have been able to take part in it.

Garrin and I with the sheep and her lamb

Garrin with the lamb

Quad riding with sheep

Video of our quad ride and Garrin stalking down and scooping up the lamb.

Then Amy and I went on a ride down to the river. I got to ride her trusty pony Goose and she rode her new pony Malibu.

It was a really fun time.

We also got in our yearly selfie together. 😊

Just before Amy ran me back to Mel’s, Carys arrived from school and ran up and gave me the biggest hug. She drove with us to Mels and gave the team the same flying hugs. I was kicking myself for not getting it on video (mainly for Wendi).

On to tack cleaning and pony bathing.

Team work there.

Tilly is bathed and ready!

Loading hay nets and getting the lorry ready to go.

Some of the sleeping youngsters napping behind the stables.

Gunnar watching the haylage going into the nets.

And lots of time playing with dogs.

And then we had dinner compliments of Mel and Andrew who decided our oven takes way too long so made us food!

Gunnar does dishes.

He is the cutest

Building castles.

Trampoline with a pup

After dinner the team gave Grace and Lilli a little coaching session.

Video of practice:

Gunnar’s girth is a 16″ dressage girth.

and now it’s movie time.

interesting stuff for today – I learned some about Welsh sheep, which is the breed Garrin has. The sheep sometimes remove some of their own wool, which is what we were noticing on the sides of the road. The shepherds do shear them for the heat. He did some already and is doing the rest next week. He usually burns the wool since it is not worth the price of selling. They raise the sheep for meat not wool. Which is why the paint spray on some sheep to mark who they belong to or what not wouldn’t mess up the wool.

So the males go to meat. Generally they geld them just a few days after they are born to make them better for meat. Also they dock the female sheep’s tales but not the males. He said the females so they don’t get maggots (which I believe is why they do it in the USA) and then they don’t the males since most go to meat anyway but that they can look in a field and pick male from female quickly.