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Well, thanks for the thought! I am never unwell (livestock doesn't allow that luxury) but I have recently had a couple of days in hospital. Home again now and back to the usual routine. 28 year old mare (Glentrowan Belina) couldn't get up this morning and gave me a good scare. I had to get the...

I've noticed a tendency for horses to be considered "old" at a much younger age these days. So what about the age of a working stallion? The usual reference books are no help. I have bred pedigree livestock (sheep, dogs, horses) for a few decades and age in a sire is always to good thing. Nature...

The Senior Officer, xxxxx Police Station, xxxxxx, xxxxxxx-shire Dear Sir, Fireworks This evening, at approximately 7pm, I was alarmed by a series of very loud bangs, in quick succession, like to a machine gun, which continued for about 30 seconds. When I went to the back door, I could see...

Well, what a lot of negative comments! I couldn't do without mine! For one, the trailer is permanently backed up to the second gate and everyone gets occasional loading practice. Most self load because there's usually feed in there. A round pen is a moderately confined space so all sorts of...

I have had permanent electrified wire fences here for about 30 years with only one serious accident (12 ponies on average), touch wood. As has been said, wire is OK with a few caveats. The wire I use, and recommended for permanent electric fencing, is high tensile galvanised steel 2.5mm. A...

I now have an estimate from one of the vets I have contacted for the 'routine operation' (castration). So I have two prices, one from an independent and one from the practice owned by big business, within a radius of about 40 miles. I have also discovered that a third practice will still do...

Thank you for the 'welcome back'! It is appreciated!:) I haven't posted on this thread since my first one as I knew the subject would generate a good debate, which it has done. This subject needs to be aired; and probably regulated. My main point was the difficulty in researching and comparing...

Probably of general interest so posting here rather than in veterinary. My vets have been taken over by one of the large vet groups and it seems to me that fees for a routine surgical operations have escalated. I could be wrong but as it seems to be impossible to compare prices so I don't...

Discussed this with a WHW officer recently. Horses need to be able to mutually groom with another horse so it is illegal to keep one on it's own. See item 3 below: Legislation The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes owners and keepers responsible for ensuring that the welfare needs of their animals...

I shot my beloved 'Foxy' last night. I had this dog from a pup and she was with me 24 hours a day. She'd been to the vet's who wanted to open her up for exploratory surgery. The x-rays showed nothing conclusive. She had been fussy over her food for weeks, was gradually losing weight, and finally...

Thanks, people, for reminding me why I hardly ever post on this forum these days! School holidays already? I am guessing the 2yo is a Highland. So, starting from scratch, I'd get a soil analysis done to identify any trace element deficiencies. Knowing the OP is a regular, she has already done...

And your experience of foxes and their control is....?

Just an aside from someone who used to control foxes. Snares may not be very humane but they are a lot more humane than the fox that attacks a pregnant ewe incapacitated through being in labour or on it's back. I have seen plenty of cases where foxes have made these attacks by entering at...

I agree with all the above.....to an extent. My three mares and a stallion are in a three acre paddock with ad lib access to hay. The grass would seem to be non-existent. Probably 10mm in height. (See photo below). Yet the ponies are grazing away, in good healthy condition, quite contendedly and...

I have "Ifor Williams" on mine....!!!

When chain harrows get worn, the links start falling off! A temporary fix is to hit them with a large hammer to tighten up the joints, if you see hat I mean. Mine have got to that stage now and I need a new set (£600:(). The old set are still workable and will be for sale for what the scrap...

What is the soil type? I am unconvinced that clay soil is suitable for horses whatever the drainage as horses will cause compaction and churn up soil into a quagmire in wet weather. The next thing is drainage. Water flows down hill. That may be stating the obvious but you'd be surprised how...

The Horseman's Word was a secret trade union for the men who worked heavy horses before tractors. They came out on strike in the NE of Scotland in the 19th century, so the farmers tried to work the horses themselves. The union was similar to the Free Masons with secrecy, strange ceremonies, and...

For those who are interested, this is the newspaper report on the stalker who has had the tools of his trade taken away from him because of "allegations". I know the man personally as he occasionally calls to pick my brains about dog training. There are similar stories but this is by far the...

BASC act as a mouthpiece for the member, so they will put his case -- but seem disinterested in taking on the police directly about policy or their sticking to police guidelines. My MP attended an interview and was marginally better. There were so many flaws in the handling of my case that I...

I think some people need to wake up and smell the coffee! In October 2015, my guns were seized by the police following an altercation with my neighbour over his falsification of a planning application. I was not told of my alleged offence ("hostile behaviour" -- my accuser being said fraudster)...

Foir this reason, I don't like deposits for live animals, either way. Dixie makes a very good point. Supposing the horse had gone lame? Who is responsible for paying the vet bills? Or something else has gone wrong? Money passes with ownership. Simple.

It was my understanding that you need Employers Liability Insurance even for unpaid volunteers....is that correct? I've always bitten the bullet, got it, and displayed the certificate even though my volunteering helpers are unpaid, occasional, and definitely flexi-hours...

Any good? https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=national+statistics&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-ab&gfe_rd=cr&ei=0WWrWOeeFdTv8AfuqrP4Dg#q=horses%20site%3Aons.gov.uk&gfe_rd=cr...

They can also become marooned....

But if some believe the Nazis shot all the hounds, maybe they need to do some research on Hermann Wilhelm Göring! There was a gundog kennel not far from my previous farm that allegedly had 750 dogs in the 1930s - 40s. At the outbreak of war, 450 dogs were shot on one day on the orders of the...

As you say a formal complaint has been lodged with the RCVS (which is what I think you mean and not the RVCS), then any discussion on here while an investigation is in progress could be prejudicial. If you have evidence, I suggest you forward it to RCVS, with copies to the appropriate...

I may be completely wrong about this post but it does have a familiar ring to it! The Highlands of Scotland is a small place and the horse world up here even smaller! I have no personal involvement in any strangles case except as an observer of a very unpleasant witch hunt and as someone who...

I may be completely wrong about this post but it does have a familiar ring to it! The Highlands of Scotland is a small place and the horse world up here even smaller! I have no personal involvement in any strangles case except as an observer of a very unpleasant witch hunt and as someone who...

Can you please cut-and-paste the part of my post where I say the OP has done something wrong? I have merely repeated what my friend, the WHW inspector, had told me about horses kicking and biting in the hope that others might learn what I have learnt. What's wrong about that?