Rosehip
Well-Known Member
Im afraid this is going to be a totally self-pitying thread, so get comfy with a cupa and some choc!
My Fell mare, Melly, wass diagnosed with bone spavin of her right hind in sept 09, and was subsequently medicated with hock injections, tildren, danilon, weightloss programme and work routine, the vet was 'thrilled' when she was still 2/10 lame RH after this lot, and so when she went lame on her LH I decided (after talking over with a different vet at the same practice) just to danilon and 24 turn out. Her LH is now 1 or 2/10 lame when its very wet or cold, her RH is never better than 2/10 lame and she is currently 4/10 ish on that leg.
During the summer we gave up the big ascot barn that we used as a lambing shed and storage as well as having 2 make-do-and-mend stables in it, and planned to get a field shelter for the girls for the winter, and would also foal my Welsh SHP mare, Seren, in there in the summer.
There have been problems with the land/farm owner which are now (please God) resolved, and a shelter was ordered, made to my spec, to arrive in 3 weeks....
This was 6 weeks ago, with no communication from the shelter provider, despite repeated calls and emails. We managed to get hold of the chap last week, and the shelter was promised for tomorrow/friday, with a call on Sunday (14th) to confirm all details.
Needless to say, the call never came, and we have been calling and calling with no joy since then. Dad managed to speak to the chap last night, and said to him that if the shelter wasnt available tomorrow, then we would cancel the order...the shelter provider simply said 'ok' and put the phone down. So now I am left with a crippled mare, a cold broodmare, a field full of mud and no shelter.
My partner and I went to a nearby shed building company today to enquire if they made shelters, or could recommend someone who did, they were very helpful, drew out a plan of what I wanted, and said that the boss - who was out on delivery when we were there - would call me this afternoon to let me know a price and to get all my details if the price was right...I havent had a call, and as it's now 5.10pm I doubt I'll get one, although I guess that doesnt mean they wont call tomorrow.
Im working 7 days at the moment, as my boss has had a big op and cant work, so havent stopped for the last 2.5 months, so with a yard of 8 on full livery (inc 2 on box rest), the menages to dig, fields to skip and one of the horses to exercise, then mine to look after and poo pick etc, Im exhausted, my ME, depression and IBS are raging, and I spent last night hugging the loo - presumably something I ate - so feeling even more wretched today.
My boss has offered me DIY livery for Melly, but cant take Seren aswel, so that isnt an option, although it would be lovely to have her there with me. I also have the option of taking them both to a friends yard on DIY, and she would put them out for me in the mornings for a nominal cost, however its twice the distance from my house, and would almost double my outgoings without factoring in bedding and diesel. Also, my friend is pregnant, due Feb/March and wont want to be faffing with more horses than she has to, and my family are dead against me going onto a yard, having never been anywhere except with the sheep and paying a 'grass-keep' rent to the field owner.
Ive been calling and emailing shelter suppliers this afternoon, and have been quoted 3k and 3.5k for shelters, which is way over my 2k budget, Im really not sure where Im going from here or what I am going to do. Im so worried about Melly, she is lame, cold and unhappy, wearing a MW combo and a 180g standard neck and still cold, Seren is ok, just warm enough tonight, but is getting heavy and really needs somewhere warm and dry to sleep. There is no natural shelter in the field, and the land owner wont allow a makeshift structure to go up until we sort something out as it wouldnt be tidy enough.
Thanks for listening, and thanks for any replies, cookies for all who arent glazed over from my moaning!
My Fell mare, Melly, wass diagnosed with bone spavin of her right hind in sept 09, and was subsequently medicated with hock injections, tildren, danilon, weightloss programme and work routine, the vet was 'thrilled' when she was still 2/10 lame RH after this lot, and so when she went lame on her LH I decided (after talking over with a different vet at the same practice) just to danilon and 24 turn out. Her LH is now 1 or 2/10 lame when its very wet or cold, her RH is never better than 2/10 lame and she is currently 4/10 ish on that leg.
During the summer we gave up the big ascot barn that we used as a lambing shed and storage as well as having 2 make-do-and-mend stables in it, and planned to get a field shelter for the girls for the winter, and would also foal my Welsh SHP mare, Seren, in there in the summer.
There have been problems with the land/farm owner which are now (please God) resolved, and a shelter was ordered, made to my spec, to arrive in 3 weeks....
This was 6 weeks ago, with no communication from the shelter provider, despite repeated calls and emails. We managed to get hold of the chap last week, and the shelter was promised for tomorrow/friday, with a call on Sunday (14th) to confirm all details.
Needless to say, the call never came, and we have been calling and calling with no joy since then. Dad managed to speak to the chap last night, and said to him that if the shelter wasnt available tomorrow, then we would cancel the order...the shelter provider simply said 'ok' and put the phone down. So now I am left with a crippled mare, a cold broodmare, a field full of mud and no shelter.
My partner and I went to a nearby shed building company today to enquire if they made shelters, or could recommend someone who did, they were very helpful, drew out a plan of what I wanted, and said that the boss - who was out on delivery when we were there - would call me this afternoon to let me know a price and to get all my details if the price was right...I havent had a call, and as it's now 5.10pm I doubt I'll get one, although I guess that doesnt mean they wont call tomorrow.
Im working 7 days at the moment, as my boss has had a big op and cant work, so havent stopped for the last 2.5 months, so with a yard of 8 on full livery (inc 2 on box rest), the menages to dig, fields to skip and one of the horses to exercise, then mine to look after and poo pick etc, Im exhausted, my ME, depression and IBS are raging, and I spent last night hugging the loo - presumably something I ate - so feeling even more wretched today.
My boss has offered me DIY livery for Melly, but cant take Seren aswel, so that isnt an option, although it would be lovely to have her there with me. I also have the option of taking them both to a friends yard on DIY, and she would put them out for me in the mornings for a nominal cost, however its twice the distance from my house, and would almost double my outgoings without factoring in bedding and diesel. Also, my friend is pregnant, due Feb/March and wont want to be faffing with more horses than she has to, and my family are dead against me going onto a yard, having never been anywhere except with the sheep and paying a 'grass-keep' rent to the field owner.
Ive been calling and emailing shelter suppliers this afternoon, and have been quoted 3k and 3.5k for shelters, which is way over my 2k budget, Im really not sure where Im going from here or what I am going to do. Im so worried about Melly, she is lame, cold and unhappy, wearing a MW combo and a 180g standard neck and still cold, Seren is ok, just warm enough tonight, but is getting heavy and really needs somewhere warm and dry to sleep. There is no natural shelter in the field, and the land owner wont allow a makeshift structure to go up until we sort something out as it wouldnt be tidy enough.
Thanks for listening, and thanks for any replies, cookies for all who arent glazed over from my moaning!
I am as soon as I have the funds.
