Two Lots, Happy Herds and Old Friends, Plus the Escaping Neighbours!

So its been a week since the shake up and all is well.  Doing two lots, means a lot of driving, but it also means lunch at Valley Farm Equestrian Centre at Wickham Market, Suffolk. The only place you can get a decent home-cooked lunch while watching a lesson, and looking at llamas and a camel!

Its hard work having the herd split, and sometimes we are pushed for time. But the three on holiday are as happy as pigs in shit. We are lucky if we get a wicker. Its like "Hello, nice to see you but can't stop! Grass to eat". Next door there is a mule, and a couple of ponies.

Totally unhandled, Jo and i have been fascinated with them and have been making friends. On Tuesday, we noticed the mule had escaped, and was frolicking on 30 Acres of Sugar Beet Crop next to their field.  We think it belongs to their owner.  We phoned the vet and asked them to let the owner know. On Wednesday, the Mule had been joined by her field mates and they all looked like they were having the best time. Today our landlord told us people had been trying to round up the escapees with sheepdogs.  By the time we arrived all was quiet.....but the intrepid trio were still loose.  Hope our herd don't decide to join in!!

Meanwhile back at the Ranch, Molly has well and truly settled in. At the moment the herd are following her every move (But she doesn't yet know Mini is actually in charge......Mini is biding her time).  Its nice to see them settled. Molly has become more relaxed each day.  To start with I was feeding her, as she is a little underweight, but after wolfing her grub for two days, on day 3 she wasn't interested.  They have plenty of grass and ad-lib hay, so she has realised she is not starving.  Because there is plenty to eat, she has chilled out no end. To start with her droppings were dry and 'stressed', but now they are dark and shiny like everyone elses.  When she arrived she was tucked up, (a sign of stress). At last today her belly has 'dropped'. She is part of the herd now, they are all grazing side by side. 

Molly has had some very welcome visitors from the RDA.  Clare, who used to ride her, and Ty.  Moll was happy to see some old faces, as were we. When we get the others back home Clare and Ty will be able to hack out on Moll and Daisy, while Jo and I concentrate on Charlie and Lil. Happy days ahead!!