Equine - Feline Talks Proceed at Cedars Fields

Leading Horse negotiator Cedar About Time discusses impending rabbit infestation with Cat negotiator Panda White Feet at Cedars Fields late Friday afternoon. The horses are concerned that rabbit holes in their primary paddock will result in foot and leg damage. Panda White Feet has caught rabbits recently for sport and is considering horse proposals to increase the rate of rabbit capture in return for safe information leading to the whereabouts of mice and bird nests. It is understood the horses are largely unconcerned about the mice but have shied away from giving too much information about the local bird life.

Utility easements go mad

Energy Australia decide to put a horrible eyesore of power poles on their easement - without warning. And Hunter water decide to deny us right of way to our back paddocks. They have suddenly become: BAD NEIGHBOURS. Thanks to our other, human,neighbour B. for allowing us limited dry weather access.

Popeye the bull has left the nest

After a whole year of weaning, Popeye has gotten on a truck to A and S's lovely stud on the Hunter River upstream a bit. He'll have about 400 cows to service. Have a happy life little Cedar's Fields progeny. Our First actually. We look forward to getting you back when your work there is done.

Curly can now get on with her life.

New Steps

Coming down from the house to the yards we've been slowly installing these steps to replace the rickety bricks. That little metal box on the rail is a solar powered light. It works well.

New Shed

Forgot to add some of these developments. A new Garden shed near the wash bays for the feed and tack. Gets the rats out of the garage!

RIP Sunny

Very sad news. This afternoon Sunny, the 33 year old Palamino who has lived here for way longer than we have, passed away in his own paddock. He is now buried there. Sleep peacefully, gentle horse.

He taught youngster River lovely paddock manners. She is very bereft right now. All his girls, River, Evie and Cedar miss you. So do your cheeky mates Mickey and Teddy.

Welcome new horse - River

 
Very apt name for a horse living on the banks of the mighty Hunter River. Is, River! A Clysdale cross, only two years old filly. Loveliest friendliest personality. She really is something. Down from Taree ealier last month.

Sugar and Roxy depart

Our elderly agistees have departed their temporary eight months stay with us and moved for permanent retirement to Byron Bay. Happy trails guys. Lovely to have you stay.

Cows dam full again

It's been empty since about October, which is a pain because the cows harm the horse fences getting a drink closer to the house. But after 100mm of rain late last week it is full again. It filled early last year and stayed full until October even though it never rained as hard again.

We tried vaccinating the two cows and one little bull in M's yards next door. But without a crush, or indeed tranquillising darts, we could only vacc Toffee. Curly and Popeye went crazy when they felt that just a little sting.

Fencing

Been a bit too much out of town to keep up with the blog, so a qick rundown summary of recent events.
Sunny has been sick. At 33 years he gave owner M and us a scare that he might be in liver failure and that would be that. But he pulled through, managed to poo and is now eating and looking very well for a gentleman of his senior years. Good one Sunny.
We have a new horse. O does, specifically. A Clydsdale x Stockhorse cross called River. Only a year old and loveliest nature. Get a photo soon.
M and I redid the fences in the dressage arena paddock and Cedar's paddock. TOffe teh cow had been coming through them with ease because she broke one of teh strands and pushed others over. We redid them all better than ever. Good one M! Pleasure working with you.

Tucker - small but good

New dog, Tucker the Chihuahua x Maltese Terrier, is going great guns. A danger to himself, he is so small, but the big dogs look after him and seem to genuinely like him as part of the pack. As we all do.

Win learns to talk

Winstone, our fine Australian Red kelpie, surprised M yesterday when he greeted her with his best Scooby-Doo "Hurrrowwww". He does make talking vocalisations often because O trained him to do so with the command "Talk!". But he seems to have perfected that word so that it is understandable for what it is. Clever Boy.

Rabbits

We have rabbits. We had hares, which are no problem. And we saw rabbits about a year ago down at the railway line about a kilometre away. But now there are *some* underneath Kid's shelter. Noticed when Panda had spent the whole day in the shelter waiting for a rabbit to come out. When none did and Panda took a comfort break back out the house out it came. Hoppity hop. Then back in before Panda could get back! Nasty.

New Dog!

Happy Christmas O! Granny got you what you always wanted. A toy Chihuahua! Cross actually, 3 months old male. Cross with Maltese Terrier to it's toy sized Chihuahua with hair! And floppy ears. But tiny/. And cute as his toys friends in his basket. But he cuts it with the big dogs and swims in the dam with them. And digs in the mud. And chases the cats!

His name is Tucker.

Micky to the Rescue

Popeye the baby bull calf somehow got herded across the waterpipeline from mum Curly and aunt Toffee by a pair of runaway Malamute dogs two weeks ago. He ran away from them and the dogs failed to corner Popeye because he ran through the fence into the horse paddock where Mickey ran up between calf and dogs and reared at them screaming, attracting M's attention. Also Cedar and Sunny's attention who were in the same paddock who also rushed up to the dogs who wisely stayed on the other side of the fence. The standoff enabled the dog's very embarrassed owner to catch up to them and grab them scoldingly and drag them away back to the road 300 metres away. Good on you Mickey.

RIP Lolly

Only a few weeks old. Happy and vibrant to the end. Snakebite this afternoon. Toffy is crazy trying to find you. Eternal pastures.

Louise!

 
Is a good girl after her bath.

New concrete slab

 
Out the back door.

Cedar her good self

 
watching the calvings

Mother and son

 
Curley and Popeye