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Post by kafee on Nov 29, 2012 20:14:05 GMT 1
Yep, the New Forest sale! I went to buy 2 large colt foals This is what they thought of my garden! They're now safely tucked up in the yard. varkie and I had arranged to meet up, which we managed, and had an interesting time looking at the ponies. Thanks very much for your input varkie, very much appreciated, and I'm very pleased with my new babes. ;D However, I'm still in shock at the prices I paid for them. 4 years ago I amazed by the quality of the one I bought for 32gns. Today I bought 2 very nice colt foals, costing me a total of 28gns! Yes, 28gns!!! By the time I'd paid for the transfer of passport into my name, etc., I'd still spent less than £40. Oh, and I was stopped by the police on the way there, about 2 miles away from the sale ring, along with everybody else with any kind of livestock transport, full or empty. Not only were the police present checking lights, insurance, MOT and tax, but the RSPCA, trading standards, Customs and Excise, and VOSA. Me and my landie and trailer passed all the inspections, which is very reassuring, with advice that one of the trailer tyres was getting close to needing replacing. The daftest question came from the RSPCA, "did I have any puppies for sale". As if I'd tell her if I had any dodgy puppies, but apparantly they have to ask, incase they find some.
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wills
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Post by wills on Nov 29, 2012 20:24:51 GMT 1
Two beautiful lucky boys you have there
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varkie
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Post by varkie on Nov 29, 2012 22:20:01 GMT 1
It was great to meet you - the little dark bay is very lucky you bought him - the brighter bay is a super little chap. It's a criminal price for both of them, but that bright bay is just lovely - if I were buying, he'd have been on my list for sure.
Just as well you left when you did - some very very silly prices after you'd gone, a few left unsold. I've never seen fillies so cheap before - or unsold!
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Post by maryanne on Nov 29, 2012 22:20:15 GMT 1
They are so cute! Can't wait to meet them both next weekend
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Post by curlytobiano on Nov 29, 2012 22:26:45 GMT 1
Gosh yes. Lovely, lucky boys. Good luck with them
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Post by kafee on Nov 29, 2012 22:56:55 GMT 1
It was great to meet you - the little dark bay is very lucky you bought him - the brighter bay is a super little chap. It's a criminal price for both of them, but that bright bay is just lovely - if I were buying, he'd have been on my list for sure. Just as well you left when you did - some very very silly prices after you'd gone, a few left unsold. I've never seen fillies so cheap before - or unsold! Hi varkie, I'm still shocked that I bought 2 perfectly lovely foals for so little. The breeders can barely have covered the cost of putting them through the sale. Have you any idea why prices were so low? I'm very glad we looked round the pens before the sale, as I knew which ones I was interested in before they came into the ring, for a change. I left promptly (when the purebreds finished) not only to get home in daylight, but to avoid being there when those cute little shetland foals went through the ring. After all, a couple of them would cost hardly anything to feed, and Tor would love a companion the same size as him. My friend wasn't a lot help either, she kept saying "oh buy this one, he's really pretty", and "you've bought his friend, you've got to buy him too"! So I think I did really well to come home just with what I went to buy! Phew!!! The highest price I can remember was 55gns for a filly.
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Post by donnalex on Nov 29, 2012 23:02:43 GMT 1
Lovely foals Going to the NF sales is one thing Id really love to do but probably never will now Ive moved so far north. I love newfies
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Post by kafee on Nov 29, 2012 23:03:36 GMT 1
They are so cute! Can't wait to meet them both next weekend Hi maryanne. They are lovely, and very laidback and calm so far, either that or totally exhausted. I've just been to check on them and I nearly walked over the pale one, Sunny, as he was lying down, but he didn't move. The dark one was busy munching. He came up to me and allowed me to stroke his face earlier when we were walking them down the garden. Thank you, wills and curlytobiano. I'm looking forward to having lots of fun with them.
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Caroline
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Post by Caroline on Nov 30, 2012 2:15:28 GMT 1
They are gorgeous kafee! Best of luck with them. Please keep us updated on their progress. It's good to know a couple of our forester babies are going to have a good chance at life now.
I am delighted to hear about the roadside checking! That's a step in the right direction. It will force some people to clean up their act and will hopefully prevent some suffering.
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Post by troop on Nov 30, 2012 22:18:58 GMT 1
Lovely little critters looking forward to hearing about their adventures
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Post by kafee on Nov 30, 2012 22:31:36 GMT 1
They are gorgeous kafee! Best of luck with them. Please keep us updated on their progress. It's good to know a couple of our forester babies are going to have a good chance at life now. I am delighted to hear about the roadside checking! That's a step in the right direction. It will force some people to clean up their act and will hopefully prevent some suffering. Yes, I agree, Caroline, even though no one else wanted Excalibur, the darker bay, I think they're both handsome boys, and I will do my best with them. I got an awful shock when I went to see them at first light this morning. They were both lying down but Sunny, the pale one, was flat out and didn't look 'right'. He was just outside the shelter with his legs in the shelter. There is an 8" step up into the shelter. He didn't move when I walked up to him, and I thought he was dead! Then I noticed an ear moving, but still he didn't move a muscle. So I thought he must have tripped on the step, fallen awkwardly and broken his neck or something. While I was scratching his neck, and thinking how sad it was and what I should do next, he tried to get up, and I realised that he had simply got himself cast! I've never had to deal with a cast pony before. Mine all live out so they don't have the same opportunities to get cast as a stabled pony. I grabbed a leg at each end and heaved him over, and was very relieved to watch him jump to his feet. Even though he's quite small, it was a bit of a struggle! As Sunny rolled over, his legs hit Excalibur who was lying down behind Sunny. So he jumped up as well, and then proceeded to chase Sunny with bared teeth, corner him and double barrel him! So that's probably how Sunny ended up in his predicament in the first place!! The yard and shelter are divided in half specifically to prevent such bullying, but I'd left them together last night as they were fine, and I thought they would like each others company after all they'd been through, without their mums or companions. Clearly this was a mistake, so I opened the partition and allowed Sunny to walk through to the other side. I gave them each a bowl with several handfuls of grass in this evening, as the first step towards getting them to eat some sort of feed out of a bucket so I can worm them. I'm pleased to say they both ate the grass out of their bowls. I'm not sure what would be the best feed to tempt them with. Anyone got any suggestions? Foal mix? Molassed sugar beet? Roll on tomorrow when I can start getting to know them.
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maislow
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Post by maislow on Nov 30, 2012 23:03:16 GMT 1
They both look well covered so I would think some HiFi & fibre nuts soaked a bit
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Post by kafee on Dec 1, 2012 9:42:37 GMT 1
All was well down the garden this morning, thank goodness!
For breakfast I gave them a handful of grass, a handful of hi-fi, some speedibeet and a small apple in a bowl each. They both ate the grass and then went back to eating hay.
As neither of them are particulary phased by me being around them, I did a bit of advance and retreat towards their withers, when passing while poo picking. Excalibur is bolder than Sunny, but I ended up scratching both of them behind the ears, from both sides, which they positively enjoyed.
So far so good.
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Post by kafee on Dec 1, 2012 19:27:38 GMT 1
Surprise, surprise, I spent some time with the foals this afternoon! I can walk up to them for a scratch, and run my hands all over their bodies. Even their tails are relaxed. Fantastic! A young friend of mine came to meet them, and they were happy for her to go in and give them a scratch too! Excalibur (please excuse the lack of focus, camera was looking at the leaves!) Sunny Not much progress on the feed front. I've given them a bowl of grass and hi-fi mixed together twice today, and each time they do their best to eat the grass and leave the hi-fi. Never mind, it's only day 2. Sunny will eat apples though.
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Post by clara81 on Dec 1, 2012 20:24:22 GMT 1
Aw bless them, sounds like you're gonna have some fun with those two!
Regards feeding I always feed youngsters Bailey's stud cubes, alfalfa and sugar beet.
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