Su has just headed off up the road to a lovely home with Claire and Doads McDiarmid in Perthshire. They left us a fantastic hamper of Carse Finest meat from their farm which we are really looking forward to!
Another gorgeous day here, the snow is crisp and the sun is out. Its about minus 14 but still with gloves and wooly hat on its pretty pleasant out there. Normally the brood mares come into the barn at weaning and stay there for the winter. This year Mable will not settle, she's picking fights and has banged her leg, Mark and I think she'll be better out, so the rug went on and of she went! Arab impression to the max - tail over back, high blowing and BIG trot!
She may regret picking fights when the sun goes down and she's out and the rest of the girls are in!!
The herd gets two bales of haylage every four days and they were due it tomorrow, "Yes" I said to Mark "they'll do another day."
"Right" said the horses "you think so do you?" then they all amassed around the gate. Haylage covered in snow no longer counts, if we have to dig for it, we are not playing.
Then they heard Joe with the tractor and off headed Mule and Cherry at speed, as he gets out to do the gate he is greeted with a honkey donkey heee haw and a lot of whinnying, then as the tractor turned up the drive they got all over excited and came cantering up, bucking and squealing telling the others "We bring head in charge of haylage" bow down to the clever mule and its trusty side kick. Joe is a seriously popular person with these horses!!
We've had a bit more snow and its lovely, all fresh and wintery and it must be so much healthier for the horses than the grey miserable winters we've been having. I'm going to say something you won't hear very often on this farm - there is no mud... NO MUD!!!!
Plenty of highlights to 2009 really, Marks polo handicap went up for the second year, Another best playing pony award, six healthy happy foals who are now starting to move onto great new homes, Pitufa and three other South American horses won the open team challenge at Equithon and finally to finish the year in fine style Marks mum was awarded an MBE in the New Years Honours List, best open the champagne!!
If you own a Chamfron Stud horse or one either by our stallions or out of one of our mares please do keep in touch, we appreciate all the updates and photos!
About us!!
This blog has been created to highlight the activities and progress of CHAMFRON STUD. We are a small stud near Gretna in Scotland producing horses that will do a job! Be that jumping, polo, hunting, western, endurance or family friend, with the added bonus of being a little bit special colour wise!
Our background? Mark runs a breaking and retraining yard after three years as Assistant Trainer to Alan King. Previously he P2P'ed for fun but due to his height he now plays polo for his adrenalin rush!
Laura has just set up an equestrian and event photography business after several years working in performance and thoroughbred studs in Australia. She has always had an interest in horse coat colour genetics and her thesis on Appaloosa coat colour was published. Owner of one mule sure to star in the blog sometime soon!
Please keep popping back to our blog and leave a message to let us know you've been! Thanks for your interest.
Please also check out the studs website - www.chamfronstud.com and the photography site www.chamfronphotos.org