Simon - 14:30. Remaining ponies collected by grazier this afternoon. All done for another year - thank you for help with the checks! Simon sends his thanks also and said it’s been fun and kept him fit playing hide and seek with the ponies around Ibsley Water!
We had a contractor out earlier this week to quote for new field gates to replace the 6 Hampshire gates around the shoreline. We hope to get this done around Christmas and will make next years checks much easier!
Jack
11:00. Ponies checked and 3 removed from site (Sass and the 2 geldings). 3 left to be collected in coming days
13:00 - All 6 located mid way up section 1. Close checked and no apparent issues although I did spot split in the chestnut roan mare's off side hind hoof which I had not seen looking so obvious before.
10:00 - All 6 located around the elephant garden area. Close check: no apparent issues. More interested in browsing trees/ bramble bushes than eating grass.
10:00 - All 6 located near the cemetery, browsing through the trees. Close checked and no issues apparent.
10:00 - All 6 found, eventually, spread out in the (very wet) marshy area just south of the cemetery. Very dense fog made the task tricky, with even the ponies calling to each other in poor visibility. All checked over, no concerns.
10:00 - All 6 together dozing in the sun midway up the western shore. No issues apparent following close up check..
10:00 - All 6 together at Hampshire gate adjacent to the elephants. No concerns after a close up check of all 6.
Sass's 2 wounds are healing and don't seem to be bothering her at all.
10:00 both days
10/10/24- All 6 up by Ibsley cemetery together: all fine. To note theSass's bee sting dry and healing. She has a hard to see second "wound" under her jaw. About size of a 20p piece, with a tear in her skin. However, it is dry, healing and crusted over so no concerns.
11/110/24 - All fine up near Ibsley cemetery, again.
12:30. Bee sting on Sass’s shoulder healing up but still weeping slightly. Otherwise all ok.
10:00 - All 6 close to the 1st Hampshire gate, nearest Ellingham Drove. Close check on all. No concerns.
10:30 - All 6 dozing in the sunshine near the hants gate between sections 1 and 2. Close check. No concerns.
10:00 - All 6 dozing in the sunshine near the elephant garden. Close up check. No concerns.
10:00- All 6 together, grazing / resting on western side of section 2. Close check of all. No concerns.
10:00- All 6 grazing in sector 1. Close up check of all. No concerns. Hampshire gate between 1 and 2 now open as requested by Jack.
10:00 - All 6 happily grazing in sector 1! The grass is obviously greener there. Gate between 1 and 2 still closed so they are freely using the lake as a detour round it.
Dun mare's lump/ insect bite as seen last Friday has nearly vanished . Not bothering her when touched. No concerns.
10:00 -All 6 grazing companionably together by the most easterly sheep paddock, a couple of them testing the fence strength for greener grass on the sheeps' side. and eating hawthorn, leaves, berries and all. As Pete has already posted, I will try to move them tomorrow if they have not already made the transition. themselves: watch this space.
10:20 - All 6 together just beyond the Hampshire gate closest to the osprey platform. Newbie sems fine although the others were bullying her a bit. No issues.
12:45. All six together near eastern Hampshire gate. 2 having a snooze in the sun. No issues.
13:30. Dark chestnut mare removed from site. Replaced with her daughter (so still 6 ponies).
10:00 - All six loosely together, grazing or sheltering, in and around the oaks by the sheep paddock. No concerns other than for the continuing poor condition of the dark mare.
10:00 - All 6 taking shelter from the rain under oaks by the sheep paddock. No issues other than those previously noted about the dark mare's appearance. looks worse with a wet coat.
10:00 - All 6 grazing together by the easternmost paddock . Close check over: no issues apparent.
17:00: All 6 together near to the easternmost paddock : grazing contentedly. No issues apparent.
10:00 - All 6 found adjacent to the sheep paddock: 3 under the trees and 3 out grazing nearby. Close up check over. No apparent issues.
Note for tomorrow- Friday 30th- Lynn will check the ponies bu likely to be @ 17:00. Catherine aware.
Lynn is unavailable for checking the ponies from 9/9/24 - 16/09/24 inclusive. Back to normal 17/09/24.
10:00 - All 6 found in the shade of trees, across the water from the osprey platform. No issues apparent on close check up.
10:00- All together in compartment 3, directly across the water from the osprey platform. No issues apparent.
14:45. All ponies checked and looking in good condition, bar the dark chestnut which is still on the skinny side. They’ve done a good job in compartment 4 so I’ve shifted them across to compartment 3.
Thanks all!
09:45- All 6 grazing together on the spit near Goosander. No issues apparent after close inspection.
10:00 - All 6 seen near Goosander hide- 5 grazing out in the open, bay mare in the shade. No issues apparent.
10:00- All 6 seen together in front of Lapwing hide. No issues. Mac's leg has healed very well and no sweaty mares found!
09:00- All 6 together in the shade by the Hants Gate nr Goosander hide. All fine although the chestnut/ roan mare was a little bit sweaty (but cool) behind her ears and on her neck. None of the others were.
However, she seemed otherwise content and showed no other signs of any distress or colic i.e. not looking round at her belly or kicking at it and there was no sign she had been rolling. She was also picking at the bramble bushes along with the other 5. Passed this on to Pete .
10:00 - All 6 in lively mood just north of Lapwing hide, probably weather and deer related (lots of both this morning!)
Check over once they were calmer-no issues. Mac's cuts are healing well and his leg is noticeably less swollen now.
10:00 - All 6 in the shade by the mended Hampshire gate. All fine. Mac allowed me to dab his cuts with a little antiseptic cream which immediately repelled the flies: leg still swollen but doesn't seem to be bothering him.
10:00- All 6 together in the shade by Pete's refurbished Hampshire gate. No issues bar Mac: injury about same as when seen on Tuesday: the top of the leg is still swollen and the larger wound is closed but attracting flies and annoying him a bit. I'll check again tomorrow., perhaps dab with a little antiseptic cream, to repel the flies a bit, if necessary.
09:45- All 6 found on the spit between Goosander and Lapwing hides. All fine although Mac, the gelding, has sustained couple of cuts on the back of his upper near foreleg. One is @2.5 inches long by 1 inch wide, the other above is narrower a a little longer. It was difficult to close enough for long enough to get a really good look with the other ponies milling around. The wounds look dry though there is dried blood around them.. His leg is slightly swollen around them, too. Pete has notified Simon. Worth a check tomorrow is anyone is looking up close. Photos for reference
It may be an injury connected to the flattening of the Hampshire gate ( the 3rd of the 3 gates used to access the ponies around Goosander hide. I have shored it and tightened it as best I can and reported above to Pete. Lynn
Ponies to be check by Simon this evening. He will be doing another check Friday evening whilst Lynn is away and dropping another mare off on Sunday via the Goosander hide entrance. Pete will be assisting with this by unlocking gates etc.
Cheers all
10:00 - All 5 seen together on spit between between Goosander and Lapwing. Checked over from close quarters, no concerns other than quite a few ticks seen on a couple of the ponies.
17:30. As some of you may have heard, the main gate off Ellingham Drove was smashed by a flytipper yesterday. Bournemouth Water (land owner) has been informed and will be removing the fly tip next week with the gate being replaced possibly the week after. As a precaution, I moved the ponies through to compartment 3 this afternoon so there are more barriers between them and the road. The easiest way to check them now is via the northern gate (off Mockbeggar lane), then heading east.
Thanks all!
10:00 - 3 ponies found in compartment 1, 2 found in compartment 2. The Hampshire gate between them was intact. As the 3 neds in compartment 1 all had wet bellies and legs, I strongly suspect they switched grazing areas by walking around the gate and fence, through the lake! Hampshire gate now open so they have the run of 1 and 2. All checked over. No concerns.
06:00. All ponies checked up close and in good condition. Contained within the second compartment now. Lyn isn't available to cover Thurs-Fri next week so we will need to arrange cover.
10:00- All 5 in southern part of sector 2. 4 checked over at close quarters: 5th more tricky as grazing the vegetation from the water. Ticks visible on 3 ponies: assume this is not an issue. Otherwise all fine.
As advised to Pete, in preparation for a change of grazing sector, I don't have a key that works the padlock on the Hants gate nearest the osprey platform. It could be there is another padlock there that I failed to spot.
10:00 - All 5 grazing together at the Southern end of Western shore . No issues or concerns.
10:00 - All 5 seen together, upper end of compartment 2, more content as fewer flies around. Checked over at close quarters. No concerns.
10:00 - All 5 grazing together at top end of compartment 2: horse flies annoying them otherwise no issues or concerns.
Probably easiest to check using top gate off Mockbeggar lane now as I suspect they’ll spend more time up that way with the extra grass.
With Lynn away from Wednesday cover is as follows for the rest of the week:
Lynn - Tuesday
Simon - Wednesday & Saturday
Pete - Thursday & Sunday
And now we are 5. On checking the blog before heading out to the ponies, I saw no post for yesterday. I was therefore glad that I saw Jack, who advised Sass had been removed and therefore only 5 ponies on site so no need to panic! Please can all pony related info be put on the blog as I rely on it: Blashford staff are not always on site so it is my "go to" source of information? And whilst I am on here: next week Thursday and Friday I am away & unable to visit so could someone please cover 4th and 5th? Thanks everyone.
10:00- All 6 together in the shade of the trees up on the bank alongside A338. Checked over and no concerns.
10:00 - All 6 found together under the trees alongside the A338, just south of the gate into compartment 2. Checked over. No concerns.
10:30- All 6 ponies seen and checked from close quarters. No concerns. As Simon says, they are favouring the shade offered by trees up on the bank alongside the A338 and can be hard to spot!
10:00. All good and in correct area. Ponies favouring spot under trees at top of compartment next to road.
And then there were 6, all fine when checked @ 10:00Friday morning at close quarters. 2 distinct groups of 3 , grazing close together. No concerns. One of my keys worked on the 5bar gate lock (brass one) and I'll test the others next week.
Three checks today!
The first was when I found Mac (the chestnut roan) had broke through a Hampshire gate into the small strip next to the main entrance where we had stashed the pulled ragwort! There were no signs he ate any despite finding droppings next to the heap. After pushing him back in with the others, I came back with Lyn to repair the Hampshire gate (using slightly taller posts). A final check at 15:30 confirmed they were all in the right place and Mac still behaving normally.
Simon and Karen phoned to say say will are dropping 3 more ponies off this evening so 6 in total to check tomorrow Lyn.
As some of us were struggling with the locks on the main gate, I have swapped these out.
It’s that time of year again already! Three lovely New Forest ponies were dropped off by our new graziers Karen and Simon Crouch this afternoon. Three more (plus foal) are expected to arrive later in the week (date tbc) and will remain confined to the western shoreline for the time being (compartment 1 on the map).
I have circulated the revised livestock looker checklist via email which you familiarise yourself with again before carrying out checks. This also includes access information and up-to-date contact details should you need to more urgent report welfare or fencing issues.
The rota has been updated with Lynn kindly agreeing to cover Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, Karen/ Simon covering Saturdays (and occasional Wednesdays). Pete will cover Sundays and I’ll cover Mondays.
As in previous years, please remember to update this blog after each check. Karen is having IT issues currently so doesn't have access yet, but hopes to set her account up in the coming weeks.
Thank you all again for your help, and do give me a shout if you're unsure on anything.
Jack
