Day To Day Jobs
There are so many, many very unglamourous jobs involved with running a horse trekking centre. Off hand I can't think of even one that doesn't involve getting very dirty, very smelly and covered in annoying little flies and other bugs. But these are the jobs that make the whole operation run smoothly and comfortably. The most obvious backstage job is endless tack cleaning so that we avoid saddle sores and girth galls. The whole team spend many hours clearing the flat paddocks of horse manure, and on days like today, when there wasn't a trek booked, we drive out on a trek and cut back over hanging bushes, clear rocks off the tracks and level out all the fords on the river.
Today old Rex wanted to come, so we had to lift him up on the truck and then hold on to him as his balance is a bit debatable these days. He was lifted off when we got to our first port of call and he pottered off very happily to read all his e mails, before coming back to us to supervise proceedings. Unfortunately he had obviously tried to stand upon a very boggy bit of track, supposing the surface to be firm, and had fallen base over apex into the gunge. He looked like a Creature From Outer Space and had to suffer being washed in the river on the way home. It is truly a hard life being Boss Dog!
Today old Rex wanted to come, so we had to lift him up on the truck and then hold on to him as his balance is a bit debatable these days. He was lifted off when we got to our first port of call and he pottered off very happily to read all his e mails, before coming back to us to supervise proceedings. Unfortunately he had obviously tried to stand upon a very boggy bit of track, supposing the surface to be firm, and had fallen base over apex into the gunge. He looked like a Creature From Outer Space and had to suffer being washed in the river on the way home. It is truly a hard life being Boss Dog!
Puffles From Outer Space The Unwanted Bath
Tina, Rachael and Rod Scrub Cutting Sarah And Emmerson Sawing Madly
It has been an unusually wet Spring and Summer. We live in a drought region and expect evrything to be be brown and dry all Summer. This year everything has just kept growing and growing, including all the trees and bushes out on the treks.
Linda can ride along the manuka tunnel quite easily on Squirt, but customers on Boogie and Glen run the risk of coming back headless!
Linda can ride along the manuka tunnel quite easily on Squirt, but customers on Boogie and Glen run the risk of coming back headless!
Linda, Tina and Rachael Busy Track Clearing
Me, Me, MEE!
In the summer, after a trek, the horses are hosed down. Some of them love it so much they come back for seconds when we are trying to cool off another horse. As you can see, Glen and Kilmun are jostling for position to get the most benefit from the cooling spray. Don't you just love horses?
An Endless Job
This is truly an endless job, like painting the Forth Bridge for my dear husband Rod. There are well over thirty horses here requiring hoof treatment. Most of the herd have a barefoot trim and have hooves as hard as nails, but it takes a lot of back breaking work to try to keep up with the actual work, and then when the poor bloke just wants to sit down and mop the sweat off his brow, he has to write up the details of each horse up on a board. There are always three or four who need front shoes on, or front shoes on for a few months to help sort out a problem, and these days our young blacksmith, Linton, comes every six weeks to take on this job.
A Full Load Every Little Bit Of Help Helps
Once a year our hay is ready, usually late November or into December. We get kinda twitchy when good hay making weather comes round as at any moment, day or night, we can get the call to say the hay is ready. At this stage it is cut, tossed, bone dry and baled. As soon as the farmer starts to bale it we shift into top gear and all volunteers are greatly welcome. We all just keep going until the whole load is safely in the shed and we can heave a collective sigh of relief. Every time we do another run to the farm we pass a store selling good food but we always seem to be in a hurry, trying to beat the inevitable rain, and food is low priority.
