Hi Everyone!
Well I am back in Australia and well and truly into the swing of things again!
Despite a few challenges, it was great to catch up with everyone again (even briefly) and I will be back in the UK sooner rather than later.
I am really happy that all the Team ESB ponies found such great homes and such super riders.
Watch out for ESB Irish Honour & Exhibit (Lydia Hannon), ESB Irish Compassion (Jenny Schmidt) and ESB Irish Frost (Sam Brown).
The excitement of the Beijing Olympics is still very much in my mind after our Silver Medal and of course Irish Jester being part of the team.
It was such an emotional day for me and you can read more on www.irishjester.blogspot.com
The reception back home from everyone who knows the ESB story was incredible and has given me even more energy and determination to keep going despite this crazy world of droughts, economic crisis and the backlash of our EI outbreak.
Having been away for five and a half months, things have been chaotic since getting back (to say the least) and I am struggling to get on top of everything – tidy house, tidy garden, tidy shed, dispose of piles of rubbish, fix fences, and get all the horses wormed, moved and sorted.
The breeding season started with a jolt, when one of my mares ruptured her pre-public tendon (which holds up her entire abdomen).
She was very distressed and so we had to induce her. The weight of the foal and her abdominal contents make the tear increase to the point where their abdomen will almost touch the ground. It is just horrific to watch. L
We had trouble getting the foal out but managed after calling in two vets and two assistants. After resuscitating the foal, I suggested we check her internally, as this rupture can often happen when they are carrying twins. Surprise, surprise there was a second foal inside! So we pulled this one out as well and resuscitated it as well. Despite the vets wanting to euthanase the second one, we ploughed on!
Penny (filly) and Farthing (colt), appeared to have plenty of spirit, they are both greys and very cute (Of course!).
This meant intensive care nursing with TWO hourly feeds, drugs and IV fluids for both of them. The mare was not well and after three nights of this, I decided to put out an SOS for foster mares.
Unfortunately, good friends of mine and Team ESB riders (Bron & James) lost their foal the next day and came racing up to pick up a foal for her. Then a friend of mine told me about someone (Kieran Berry) an hour away who had also lost their foal. So we had to put Topsy down (the mare) L, which was tough since I have had her since she was a 3yo and she has given me 12 foals!
We then bundled the foals into the float and took them off to meet their new mums and in the hope that they would get along.
I drove my car and stayed with Farthing – he was going to require the most work as he was not suckling yet and still couldn’t get up on his own.
Penny went on with Bron to her new home and her new mum, Princess.
After a few dramas and not much sleep, I am pleased to say that both babies have new mums and are doing well so far.
This is a major achievement as it is quite rare to have twins go full term, let alone have them survive!
It is never boring around here! On top of this I am trying to still work full time for the UK and trying to get the accommodation centre finished as it is way behind what I was expecting!!!
This is anticipation of you all coming to stay!!!
I am really excited about having Hatty Newman and Beth Eckley come over from the UK next week to help and look at the horses.
There are another 12 mares to foal down and loads to do as we develop the property and build the cross country course for the State Championships next year.
