Recent content by Nudibranch

That made me feel a lot better! Normally my sheep/lamb sales cover all the animal costs and a bit more but definitely not this year. But as you say it comes and goes. Here's to better grass next year.

Not struggling yet but may do. I have hay, as much as I could get my hands on; enough for the horses and goats for a "normal" winter. However the summer drought hammered my grass so badly that even with the autumn regrowth it's been eaten down very quickly. It's so poor now that even the sheep...

I find we are always quoted ridiculous amounts...even NFU admitted theirs was ott. No idea why; perhaps smallholding/small farm insurance pays out a lot round here although I don't see why. It's quiet, rural Welsh hills. Anyway I have BHS gold for horse third party. The tractor isn't road legal...

Sabre although when I looked recently I couldn't find a comfort headpiece, only the traditional style with the noseband running underneath. In the end the only option that met my requirements - decent headpiece, flat noseband, nice leather and mix and match - was the Shires Velcociti. I was a...

Personally I would go the in hand option as that's how I start youngsters. The earlier comment about riding being the only way isn't true and is rather old fashioned. I work in hand and then long rein (only if you are confident) as some of mine go on to drive. Long reining in particular gives...

Fwiw I do like the Flexee. I've used the pre gullet and now adjustable gullet version but you do need a proper shim pad with them. And the recommended Nuumed one is no longer manufactured (I think). I find them comfortable, horse goes nicely, certainly don't feel perched. BUT customer service...

Definitely sheep. I've cross grazed for many, many years and the only time we've ever had anything in worm counts was when we moved house. Previous owners didn't divide the grazing, cross graze or poo pick ever so it was 10 acres of long grass plus a lot of worms. My sheep and goats, plus...

It's rubbish but you probably know through gut instinct what to do. I had an 8yo pts. I'd owned him since weaning but he was just never right in so many little ways. My biggest fear was one day he'd either go down and not be able to get up, or have some catastrophic field injury and suffer for...

Same as Paddy. Mine had hives on and off for about 2 years. I tried everything. Then I had a hunch and tested for cushings. Positive - she was only 9. Since starting pergolide, no more hives. With it being an autumn thing this could possibly link to the seasonal rise as well. Definitely worth a...

Bib and belly might be enough and then you don't need to worry about rugging. My Dales is hunter clipped. She's worn a 50g for I think 3 days since I did her this year - out naked (free choice to come in though) and not cold at all. It's been abnormally mild for a long time. Rug wise it's too...

Agree it's worth a cushings test. Skin issues were a symptom of mine. She's only 10. For about 18 months before diagnosis she had repeated hives and just generally bumpy, scabby, very greasy skin. It has improved massively on pergolide.

So after my last email was ignored for a week I sent a slightly stroppier, bulletpointed one outlining the main points. They have now credited my account with the vaccination charge, although I've yet to see it take effect!

Tb Tbh even this doesn't work - the one in question was originally December vaccs and they have crept back (mostly due to fitting into vet availability!) over time to September. Which is partly why I dont understand why they're being so rigid - I've always gone with what suits them in terms of...

Well, I've just searched my emails and found I joined the plan on 16th September. I cant find anything anywhere (including t&cs which are very generic and don't include much detail) about any start dates; 16th, 30th, 1st or otherwise so I'm not actually sure how they would expect me to know that...

They are an independent. I mean we moved a couple of years ago so I lost my amazing, amazing vet of many years, so nobody is ever going to come close, but this takes the biscuit.