Animals Farewell - Horses' New Home and Piglets Gone

Earlier in September, our 2 ponies Arend and Valk found a new home... Because we are only staying on the farm until the end of the year, we knew from the start we would have to sell them again. They taught us many lessons, and we have been blessed by the opportunity to have had horses and getting some valuable experience and life lessons.

What triggered the sale so soon though, was the planting of new orchards. Their camp (and grazing/food) next to our house is now a young fig orchard.

The new owners live on a farm in the Baviaans, and we are sure they will take good care of the ponies - so after having come to visit and see Arend and Valk once, the next step was to figure out the transporting business. 

After weighing Arend on the cattle scale, we determined that the 2 ponies together on a trailer would still be under the weight limit. Thus, the trailer it was! 

First, they tried coaxing Arend on, thinking that if they could get him on Valk would quickly follow. Unfortunately they had underestimated Arend's stubbornness. 

Tempting with treats...

He refused to budge. 

Ponies in the 'Kraal'

There has been a lot going on centering around the horses, and we've had some major breakthroughs. Arend has made huge progress and he's a really sweet pony; Brendon and Breyton are confident enough to ride him alone (bareback - it's quite a mission staying on his back, but both Arend and rider seems to enjoy it immensely). Leading him around with someone on his back is also happening regularly (even I had a ride - once).

Arend snacks often.

Maarten on his own horse - a dream come true!

Valk is another story though.... In the beginning of August, my mom got the bright idea of putting Valk in the 'kraal', and with Arend going first, to try and get both of them into the cattle crush so that we could finally touch her. It worked very well - she was trapped between steels bars and Arend in front of her (he also served as a means of keeping her calm).

At first she shook violently at any contact, and our biggest fear was that she would panic and start kicking, possibly getting her legs through the bars (which would lead to broken legs). Thankfully she didn't, and after a few minutes of stroking and gently talking to her, she stopped shaking. Her eyes stayed wide and scared for the first few times though.

Once we calmed her down, we started grooming her and even put a halter on!

With the halter on, Brendon tried leading her around in the 'kraal'. She dragged him around quite a bit, but he clung for dear life. The next day she wasn't nearly as hard to lead around, and for the first time we went on a walk with both horses on lead ropes!

Leading them around in the 'kraal'.  

To the team, it was a miracle. 

Riding!

Every evening (as far as it's possible for them), Brendon and Breyton has been coming here to work with the horses. They go on walks with Arend, and Maarten (horse trainer in progress) has been working with Valk as well. The process of training horses requires lots of patience, but we feel that we've learnt a lot in the 3 months they've been here.  Arend was not really approachable, but now some people can even ride him (although not yet completely alone). Valk did not even come near human beings when we got her, and now she eats from our hands. But the best thing about the horses is how we can build relationships with other people in the process!  It's also great to see how when people work together towards a common goal, things between each other are sorted out to achieve that goal.

Late evening sun. 

 Maarten using the glove technique, to desensitize her to being touched.

Rewarding her for not panicking with a glove on her back. 

 'Styling' his mane with anti-fly spray.

Come rain or shine...for the love of horses.

Last week we had a breakthrough with Arend. Since a neighbor's son had ridden him 'cowboy style' in March, Arend picked up the habit of turning to kick the moment anyone attempted to climb onto his back. This led to nobody being able to get onto his back, even if they just wanted to lead him around (with someone on his back). As a result the team had been getting slightly discouraged, so my mom arranged with 'tannie' Marina, a neighboring horse breeder much more experienced in horse-iness than us, to come visit and give advice. She offered a few valuable tips and tricks, and in a matter of 2 days the boys were climbing onto Arend's back again! Thanks tannie Marina!

Jason (another farm worker who works on a neighboring farm with horses) has also been helping now and then. Here he is on Arend.

Woah! 

Maarten summoned enough courage to ride a bit.

We went all the way to the dam.  

 On the main road. "Oee dis so lekker..."

Our excellent lawnmowers.

Taking a nap. 

Thanks for reading!

The Rain Has Come!

The past week it has been cold and wet here on the farm, and the Kammanassie River overflowed several drifts, blocking the shortest route we have to George. The rain is welcomed after a long dry summer, but it is causing some interesting experiences.

The second day of continuous rain brought up a problem we hadn't anticipated - the two smallest poor piglets' pigsty had drainage problems, and was filling up with freezing water. Luckily my dad came to the rescue and hauled them over into a third separate pigsty next to the other pigs' cage.

Much-needed rain.

Flooded pigsty.

 Catching the pig.

In you go piglet!

My parents and brothers then left with our car to find some new straw for the pigs, and got stuck in the mud (literally). After attempts to pack rocks and give the wheels some leverage, my mom went to find help and oom Jan pulled them out with his 'bakkie' (I had a good laugh). 

Stuck in the mud. 

Packing rocks. 

Ponies looking drab - they've grown their thick winter coats, but looked miserable nonetheless. I would too, in their position after 3 days of continuous rain. 

When the rain finally stopped, we went to check out all the drifts.

Oh bother...we can't get through this drift for a while.

Horse Stuff Continued

Two months into being horse owners, things are looking interesting. It has been a journey; not a destination. Arend's hormones has calmed down a bit, but he is still rather difficult. Valk is still wild, as she won't allow you to touch her, but at least she eats out of your hand very carefully.

One Saturday, a shelter was built for the horses. The horses like it and often stand in it - for once Murphy's Law was wrong!

Team at work.

Progress.

Completed!

A neighbor's son and daughter once came to see if they can help with the horses as well - soon our horse 'team' arrived too. Mission one was to ride Arend:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-oW9Zr9nY6cSkxZSmFjNHBlakU/view?usp=sharing

Once they accomplished that, a halter had to be put on Valk. At first they tried gently, coaxing with treats and using Arend (who stood quietly held by a leadrope - I think he was intimidated) to push her against the side of the fence.

Step 1: getting her trapped behind Arend. 

Step 2: grass and treats. Notice her ears though; she's not impressed. 

Persisting. 

She ate out of their hands, but they couldn't touch her otherwise. 

She refused to trust them though, and pretty soon it was the two seventeen year old boys having the time of their lives as they tried catching the 'stubborn old wife'. They got a cowboy loop around her neck, but that didn't help much since she just dragged all the boys hanging onto the rope around the enclosure.

Action photo!

 At first they tried it alone...

Horse Business

We've had our ponies for 36 days now, and much progress has been made! Every day Brendon and Breyton (the farm foreman's sons) come help us handle the horses, by just stroking and giving them grass and treats, following the concept of just a little every day. Arend (the stallion) has been stroked and fed quite a lot, and we can now even put a halter on him. Valk (the mare) has also improved drastically - in the beginning she would stand in the far corner of the camp if you even tried approaching her; now, she will come close enough to eat grass out of your hand (but always slightly behind her mate).

In the beginning... They stayed far away. 

A neighbour's horse handler that came to look at their hooves. He was so comfortable around them and once again showed us that if you've got the confidence and know-how, everything is easier. 

Mucking is a daily job. 

Grass-bribing. 

Getting some exercise. 

We put her in a small enclosure for 2 days, so that we could offer her grass/treats without Arend eating it all up before she could summon enough courage to come closer. 

Stretchhh....

Ponies and Grandmother Arrive!

The past two weeks has been wonderful, because our grandmother Elna is visiting!! February 15th we drove to George, and celebrated Valentines Day (one day late) by eating lunch at Panarottis – it was actually very funny as we barely spoke a word to each other, everyone absorbed in their technology while we had good internet connection... We fetched 'ouma' afterwards at George Airport – it was exciting watching her plane land and another take off.

The day before we fetched her, we (spring)cleaned the house - even Nassie helped washing windows!

George's tiny airport.

Safely back home with ouma (last seen 5 months ago). 

At her arrival, she delivered warm clothes (that we left behind in Potch), and something that caused lots of laughs and teasing for my dad: kefir. It’s a kind of yogurt-making plant (more like sour milk though). At one stage my dad got obsessed with it (he still is) for its health benefits and energy-giving properties etc. When we started travelling he had to leave it behind, but now he wants to start it up again! He had dried some but that didn’t work, so he needed new plants which he ordered from friends in Potchefstroom. The keifer was laboriously packed and repacked till it passed the requirements for flight transport, and my dad was overjoyed when it reached us last Sunday. Keifer is now fully revived and working.

I was required to take a picture.

We’ve been visiting the neighbour farmers and friends with her, went on walks, showed off animals, swam in the dam, washed dishes, cooked and played games together, and are thoroughly enjoying her stay with us!

Walks on farm roads.

Watering the vegetable garden. 

Board games. 

Sunday morning before 'church'. 

Tea on the Kammanassie mountains - the cattle was very curious.