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On Monday the 23^rd November 2009, the Trust was contacted by the Animal Health Officer at Ceredigion County Council and asked to assist with one horse and two ponies that were to be removed from premises under section 18 of the Animal Welfare act 2006.

We attended on Thursday 26^th November and found the three in a bare, muddy paddock with no access to water.  They were covered in burrs; their hooves untrimmed and though not emaciated, were under weight. It appears that the owner had left the animals in the care of her parents who had no horse experience and were unable to care for them in the proper manner.

We loaded the animals easily and brought them to the Trust. A full health check has been done, they have had their feet seen to, and an initial attempt has been made to clean the burrs from their coats.

For the time being we have called the bay pony Cadell, approx 15yrs, the bay horse Canasta approx 10yrs, and the grey Cloud approx 20 yrs.

Canasta

Cloud

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25th November

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14th October

A week ago Adrian found Gypsy, our piebald mare, cast in a ditch down in one of the lower fields with no road access.  It took several hours work to get her out and free using our tractor, she is fine now by the way.  However the fields there are on such a slope that we couldn't get the tractor back out of the field under it's own steam and it stayed down there until yesterday when 3 burly men, several onlookers, a photographer and a sheepdog spent the morning bringing it back up to the barn area.

I offer you a few pictures of the event, taken by myself yesterday.

The Trust is extrmemely grateful to Ashley, Will and Mr Tractor for helping us out.  The job took a couple of hours of their time.

The Gloucestershire Support Group is holding a coffee morning in aid of Lluest on Sat 7th November from 10am - noon at the Selsley Scout Hut, Selsley West, Stroud, Glos.  Admmission is £1 including refreshment, children free.  There will be Stationery, Gifts, Toys, Raffle, Cafe, Bric-a-brac for sale.  If you live within easy travelling distance to Stroud, Margaret, Angela and Pete would love to see you.

September 9th

Lluest hosted a BHS training session this evening, the second one we have been asked to do.  BHS volunteers gather here at the farm for a presentation followed by condition scoring a variety of our animals to help them get a feel for what they might find when asked to attend an animals the public has concerns about.  Lee Hacket, Chief Executive - Welfare for the BHS was the trainer for the evening; the volunteers came from all over the south of Wales.  We also gave Wendy Davies, Development Officer - Wales a warm welcome back to the Trust.  Adrian chose a dozen animals for them to look at, giving them a brief history of each animal and the problems they have after the volunteers had tried to work out any history and age and possible problems with the animals.

I think the star of the evening was Min, our blind mare.  For the first time, we had Min in a stable in the barn with unknown people milling about.  She handled the situation so very well, we were proud of her. She was calm, almost serene and most unlike the panicky animal we knew when we first came here nearly 3 years ago.  Just seeing her coping with a new situation made the evening worthwhile.

We look forward to hosting the next training day for the BHS and will make sure we have a new set of ponies to test their skills.

Shown below are a couple of photographs taken in the barn, the first is of the volunteers looking and discussing Min and the second is a group photograph.

Sunday 20th September 2009

Please do not forget that this is the day of our AGM. It starts at 2pm.  Members, volunteers and anyone with a genuine interest in our work is welcome to come along join in, and have their say on what is happening here now and in the future.

Monday 10th August

We certainly returned to normal yesterday when the rain came down again all day long.  Not that we stopped doing things, it just makes it a bit more difficult, that's all.  Yesterday saw the arrival of Ebony and her 3 year old foal Bramble who are at a loan home just up the lane from us.  They have returned to the Trust for a week or two in order to learn a few basic manners and for Ebony to have her feet trimmed comfortably.  As they live just up the road Adrian and a volunteer  wandered up to collect them both, walking both easily back the mile or so to the Trust.  The are beautiful animals, Bramble being the larger of the two, towering a good hand or so above her mother.

Of course photos were taken

Our busy day on Friday was followed by an equally busy Saturday and Sunday when we took Millie and Adele to the National Waterfront Museum where the girls joined an exhibition of the Miner's Seaside Holiday.  Once again the weather was in our favour and apart for a brief shower Sunday morning, we had fine weather both days.  The event included a sand pit in a marquee, a Punch and Judy man, the "seaside donkeys," and the Corus Brass Band entertained the large crowd on Sunday afternoon just like seaside band stand concerts used to be. Millie and Adele proved they were up to all the attention they received and behaved impeccably, neither were phased by the Punch and Judy or the band.  Many thanks again to our supporters who turned out to visit and assist us: Robert, Sharron, Alexa, Anwen, Julie, Amy, Janet and Caryn were all very welcome.  The collection tin yielded us £51 for the two days and we will receive a large donation from The Watefront Museum, many thanks to Dyleth and her team who made us feel so very welcome on this, our third trip to the site with  animals.

Photographs follow:

Out of the truck, heads down and into the grass for the girls.  Millie only got into the marquee once and then decided she didn't want to play in the sandpit anyway.

The girls check out Punch and Judy, Adrian was more impressed than the donkeys I fear.

They both preferred the brass band that entertained for about an hour on Sunday morning.

Of course much fuss was made of the girls, but being the stars they truly are, they took it all in their stride

Friday 7th August

Our visit to the National Botanical Gardens of Wales with 3 of our ponies proved to be a huge success.  The weather was most kind to us and the 3 boys were very popular with children and grandparents who gave Zorro, Cquirt and Alfie as much fuss as they could take.  We were very greatful to those who came to support us as well, so many thanks to Julie, Bethan, Robert, Sharron and Alexa for turning out. The collection boxes yielded £88 in donations.  Julie helped out as official photographer and we must also credit Ted Taylor with taking the marvelous picture of Bethan running with Alfie.

So a few pictures follow:

Tabby, bethan and myself with the boys waiting for the official opening.

Zorro is always a firm favourite with children and he is every inch the star.

We were part of a very large event as you can see.  By the way it was a plesure to see the ponies so clean for a change.  Normally they are mud monsters.

Bethan and Alfie have low boredom thresholds so Bethan decided a little excercise was inorder.  Many thanks to Ted taylor for the photo.

Wednesday 5th August

The weather broke at at last and as we have a busy weekend ahead of events requiring clean doneys and ponies, it was designated as Bath Day.  All in all five animals had a good bath in the sunshine, not the least Millie who is off with Adele to the Waterfront Museum this weekend for the Miner's seaside holiday exhibit.  After using lots of shampoo on Millie it was the turn of Gwilym, Zorro, Cquirt and Alfie, all of which seemed to enjoy most of the process if not all.

After a quick lunch, Three of us went off to collect Pearl, a pony with attitude who has come to us for a couple of weeks to learn that kicking the hand that trims you or tries to do anything not food related is not the best of ideas.  Adrian donned the protective gear to work with her in the round pen, just as well I have to say. Methinks it will take a week or two but we shall get there in the end.

From there it was the turn of Chico and Alfie to have some harness work.  They seem to be getting the hang of it at last, ably assisted by Sky our sheepdog that doesn't understand sheep, who acted as following carriage dog.

A final session with Squid, a paying guest who is here for basic groundwork up to first rider and I have to say it was a packed but very worthwhile day.

Pictures follow:

Gwilym and Cquirt are amongst the lucky animals to get a bath.

Millie isn't sure this is what a donkey should do.

Bethan and Catharine working with Chico and Alfie, Sky hot on their heels.

Another shot of the boys.

Stnding well out of the kick zone to work his way down to the rears.  She wasn't at all keen on that and needs a lot of work.

PUB OLYMPICS

It was a great afternoon at the King's Arms ,Llandovery on Sunday when we held our first pub olympics in aid of Lluest.  Everybody that attended agreed that it went well and we raised £80.73 for the Trust.  In a series of different pub games, teams vied with each other for the coveted medals, kindly donated by Karen and Ashley, landlords of the King's Arms.  We would like to thank all the people who helped out on the day with either raffle prizes or just by taking part.

Here are some picutures to show you what you missed.

Dominoes can be a very serious game.

But then so can horseshoes and throwing a ping pong ball in a jar.

Not to mention a serious round of pool.

But the prizes make it all worth while.

A bottle of champagne looks good.

Amy got the dog food.

Tabby's mom Sue got the Grand prize.

And now for the medals:

Tim and Carole were overall winners, seen here with Adrian after the presentation.

A play off for second and third places.

And here they are.  A great afternoon that we hope to be able to repeat in the not too distant future.

SEE US AND THE ANIMALS AT:

Two events for your diary where you can see us.

GRANDPARENTS DAY

On the 7th August we will be at the Grandparents Day hosted by "Learn With Grandma" at the National Botanical Gardens of Wales.  We will have ponies with us  for a hands on day that includes kite flying, gardening, spinning and a host of other activites that grandparents can do with their grandchildren.  Find us near the main square/restaurant from 10am to 4pm on the day.

SEASIDE HOLIDAY

The 8th and 9th of August will find us at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea where Millie and Adele will be once again entertaining all ages in the museum's seaside summer holiday exhibition.  As well as the donkeys there will be Punch and Judy shows, kite flying and other activities to demonstrate what a real seaside holiday USED to be like.  Find us in the courtyard from 10am to 4pm.

THEY'RE BACK !!!

Here are some pictures we took yesterday of the Tabby and Bethan upon their arrival and also a couple of our patron Gareth who joined us for the day.  We all say.......

WELL DONE TABBY AND BETHAN !!!!

Tabby and Bethan being greeted by Gareth.  The were a bit stiff but looking good as were the horses.

The girls and welcoming committee just prior to tea and cake.  We had a short let up in the rain.  Many thanks to Barbara, Kathleen and Julie for helping out at the Farm yesterday doing all the regular jobs that have to be done whatever else is going on.

Gareth riding Brandy, in her late 20's but still occasionally feels she want to work.   And below, Gareth on Brandy with Kathleen our Australian volunteer.

July 10th

Nearly home now, the girls were treated to lunch at a pub in Brecon by one of our volunteers.  She took some nice shots of the arrival, the people and the horses having lunch and the sight of the two girls heading off once more into the distance, both of them knowing that it is nearly over.  Julie (volunteer) reckoned they looked as fresh as if they were just heading out and not thrashing through the undergrowth for the past 4 days.  Well done girls, see you tomorrow.

July 9th

Here is today's map of the route the girls took.  You can see how they have skirted round the mountain today to make it a much easier trek.

July 9th and Alex our brave supporter, who is fighting terminal cancer has almost reached her target to raise £5,000 for Lluest.  Together with her husband Rich and friends who formed a committee she organised a 'garden party' in her home village not far from Belfast.  Pauline and Tabby travelled over (flights paid for by a supporter) to join the fun and express our thanks for the wonderful support.  The money in donations has been coming in via 'Justgiving' who also claim back the Gift Aid for us.  The Silver Lining Appeal is still active, but maybe you will also be inspired by Alex and consider setting up your own fundraising page for Lluest.

http://www.justgiving.com/lluesthorseandpony/raisemoney

July 8th

Yesterday's marathon as clearly shown by the TRAAKIT.  They did a lot of wandering about and you can see the mountain part of the ride quite clearly.  I am told by the company that if you can get a mobile phone signal, then you can ring your contact, they click on "Where are you now?" and the location can be found at any time, a good feeling if you are stuck on top of a mountain without a map I should think.

July 7th

I have put another map on, this time the device that Bethan is carrying. The Trakkit has been set for half hourly updates instead of hourly and it certainly makes it easier to see just how much they are having to wander about from field to field to find their way round.  When I originally opened the photo as sent to my e-mail I was able to zoom in on it and you can read all the place names that you can't read here.  At least you can get the gist.

Monday the 6th July (again)

These are some of the photos that Karen Cholerton of Heath House very kindly took of the girls on Monday.  I hope the saddle bag held up as Karen reported that she had to restitch the blue one that Bethan is carrying.  It does look a lovely place I have to say.  I have included a link to Heath House on the links page.

Monday 6th July

The first day's ride.

Not overly clear on a small scale I am afraid but this is how the TRAAKIT can present you with the information.  The box on the right tells you who has the device (in this case Bethan and Tabby) and the orange line is the path of the device as plotted on an aerial ordnance survey map every hour.  It looks a lot straighter than it actually is so I have asked the TRAAKIT man to make the next one a bit more detailed for us.  At any time during the day we can locate them by clicking on the named device (i.e. Tabby or Bethan) and then clicking the phrase "Where are you now?"  After a few minutes a location is pinpointed.

4th July

Llangadog Carnival day.  Our current quarantine situation means that we can't take any of the ponies from the Farm as you know.  But we asked nicely and got 2 of our loan animals that live locally to help us out.  With their people of course.  The Tust was placed directly behind the Carnival queen and her court.

Pictured above are Bethan riding Suzie (front) and Charley who is seen riding Corky.

Suzie and Bethan are doing the sponsored ride at the moment, from the giggly phone call we had this morning the girls are obviusly enjoying the trip.  Just wait till the saddle sores kick in.

Charley and Corky both live in the village. Corky is a magnificent 17.3hh animal that came to the Trust last autumn along with Bluff and Belle when their owner could no longer care for them. He is a horse with great presence, a handsome animal.  We are pleased to think that all 3 of those horses have found really good homes, certainly Corky is competing this year at local shows so watchout for him if you go to any.

It was an afternoon of meeting and talking to people once we got to the rugby club. Another £50 sponsorship for the ride.  It was also the first time meeting Amy, a new volunteer.  She helped out a lot and we hope to see her again soon.

2nd July

I thought a few photos of our 11 week old foal Callico were in order.  The first shows her with mother Spangle, as you can plainly see the foal is almost as tall as her mother already.

Her colour changes almost daily; at the moment she is losing the second round of baby fluff and underneath that she is black and white, a roan  I suppose you would call it.  Like all foals she loves to belt round the field chasing after absolutely nothing after which she usually flops onto the ground tired out.

Watching Callico is a great time waster I must admit.  Won't be long now till Sasha also foals.  We have put Sasha and these two in together so that hopefully when Sasha's foal arrives they will form a little herd all on their own and the two foals will be able to play and learn what being an equine is all about.  I should think we will get nothing done then because we will all be standing by the fence watching them together.

Thanks for the photos goes to Tabby.

YOUR CHANCE TO DONATE TO OUR SPONSORED RIDE

The 6^th July sees the start of the 6 day -135 mile sponsored ride that Tabby Wheeler (left) and Bethan Matthews will undertake riding from Worcestershire to here the Trust to raise much needed funds.  Bethan will be riding Suzie, a horse she has on loan from Lluest and Tabby will be riding Pappie, kindly donated by the Matthews family.  Both girls have been getting themselves and their animals in training by regular riding and we will keep an eye on their progress through the Traakit Device that will be fitted to the horses; it gives a satellite location to ensure their safety on route.  We have been asked to use the ride as an opportunity to trial the Traakit device for all riders and horses' safety in the future, including a couple from America who are going to be riding around the world!  The girls and horses will be staying free at various Bed and Breakfast locations along the way. The Trust is grateful for their assistance and a link to each one will appear after the sponsored ride is completed.

To sponsor the girls just click on the "Donate" button and choose your preferred option of payment.

Our open day scheduled for August 16th is cancelled because of the Strangles outbreak at the farm.  It's following on from equine flu that showed its ugly head just after our Easter Monday open day - what a blow.  However we soldier on and thank our lucky stars that so far the affected ponies are pulling through.  We obviously have extra veterinary bills but we are also losing out on the much needed and appreciated pennies and £'s left by our summer visitors.  Ouchh.  If you can help by doing a small fund raise for us THANK YOU.

13th June

As most of you know we have students from Coleg Elydir here every Monday to do their work experience so we were honoured to be asked to attend their Open Day with some ponies on Saturday the 13th June.  Coleg Elydir is a residential college for people with special needs and we have been working with them for sometime, offering their students an opportunity to experience working off site with equines, doing all the jobs on a working yard.  And they do absolutely every job that comes along including mucking out, washing buckets, feeding, grooming and handling some of our quieter animals.  With strangles here on the Farm, we couldn't take any of our ponies but we were offered Sapphire and Maggy, 2 ponies who have been rehomed locally.   We had a cracking day, staff and students alike made us very welcome indeed.  We took some information boards with us that showed the students at work on the Farm and as you can see from the bottom photograph, Lawrence, one of our current  students, was hard at work drumming up support from the visitors.  He raised £57 for us in the collection box so well done Lawrence and many thanks also to Caroline Farquhar and her family for loaning us the two girls that features so much on the day.

9th June

As well as our own raffle tickets proceeds from which will go towards veterinary fees, we are registered with www.everyclick.com/lluest-horse-and-pony-trust who is running a raffle for small charities.  Tickets are £2 each and the prize is a new Fiat car.  If you would like to take part and help us, please go to the website above and help us help the little (and big) gems you see below. Thank you.

6th June

The quarantine that we find ourselves in has meant that I don't see the ponies as often as I normally do so sometimes I take myself off for a wander round to see the changes of the seasons and see how they are.  I did this yesterday morning before it started raining (it is now) and I took some shots of ponies in the buttercups.  We have moved some of the larger animals round into summer grazing now that the grass is past the high laminitis stage and they are really enjoying the change.  The smaller ones and those that are "good doers" are still in the winter pasture and still looking good on it as I think you will see.  It is also a change not to be looking at mud monsters all the time.  The weather has been warm and quite dry for a week so just for a while you can see what colour the ponies are .

Zorro looking good.

The larger animals are really enjoying the grass.

Chance is starting to recover and put on weight now.  She is still in a field with Sasha at the moment.

and last of all is Cquirt who I have to say has become a real favourite with all of us.

May 31st

Lluest Supporters on Sponsored Ride

It'll be saddle sores all round for Bethan and Tabby when they undertake a 135 mile sponsored ride in aid of the Lluest Horse and Pony Trust.  They have chosen the 6^th to the 11^th of July to ride from Worcestershire to finish here at Lluest hoping to raise much needed funds for the charity.

Tabby said both of them are really looking forward to the event.  "It is a good test for all four of us.  I haven't done long distance riding for some time but I have confidence in my horse, Pappie and I know that Bethan will be fine on Suzie, a horse that she rehomed from here at Lluest.  Here's hoping we can raise lots of money for the Trust."

Financial support for the girls has already begun as they have been offered accommodation free of charge in B&B's along the route.  As an added safety measure to protect them and their horses, Tabby and Bethan will be testing the new Trakkit device.  Trakkit normally operates as a single piece of kit but in our case will be attached to both horse and rider to give a satellite location all along the route.  That way if horse and rider separate, both can be safely located by GPS.

Daily reports will be added to the website so we can hear about all their adventures along the way.

Donations and sponsorship will be possible through the website via paypal (just add the reason to the comment space) or however you wish.

Despite our recent setbacks, Lluest has a lot to give the horses and ponies of Wales but we can't do that without continued support from all of you.

Please help us to help them.

May 29th

Yesterday Callico was officially 6 weeks old.  She has come a long way in her very short life and though she doesn't know it her training has begun.  She is handled regularly by Adrian and Tabby, has worn a head collar to be lead and all four feet have been picked up to start to get her ready for trimming when it is time.  Gradually losing her baby fluff, it looks as if she will be black when the proper hair comes through.  She has grown an awful lot, probably 6 inches, so it is clear she is going to be a big girl when she grows up.

As we still have some sort of equine flu here, we are cautious about when we handle Callico, she is dealt with first thing in the morning before any of the other animals, everybody washes their hands before touching her after that.  We want the very best of lives for this foal, in a way she represents the future of the Lluest Horse and Pony Trust as we head into the twenty first century.

May 21st

Check out another of our new residents, an abandoned miniature Shetland pony.  We received a call from a farmer in the Swansea area two weeks ago reporting a pony dumped in his field, he couldn't keep him so would the Trust be prepared to take him on.  We were told he was a small Shetland pony and when he arrived the shrill soprano whinny confirmed he wasn't gonna be a big one.  When the back of the truck came down he appeared, all 2 ft 6 inches of him. He had clearly been living rough for some time, was dirty, louse ridden and had several cuts and abrasions on his body, presumably from barbed wire.  We reckon him to be about a year old, maybe 18 months at the most and still entire.  As this year all un-named animals must have a name beginning with the letter "C" and because of his huge stature, we have named him CQUIRT.  That is "C" as in a soft "c" like in "celandine".  We posted an abandonement notice with the man who found him and have waited the required 2 weeks to see if he was claimed.He belongs to the Trust now and after he is gelded this autumn we will try and find him a home as a treasure pet as he really is too small to be ridden.  He is truly a lucky little pony.

May 20th

The lovely mare in the photos is Star.  Adrian and I brought her in yesterday from a lady who can no longer care for her due to illness.  We believe Star has already found a new home to go to after the equine flu has abated.  I think you will agree she is a beautiful lady.

MAY 17TH

Those of you who may not be receiving a newsletter by post or indeed are new to the Trust will not have received any of our summer raffle tickets.

The purpose of the raffle is to assist us with Vets bills.  As you can imagine with so many animals on site,  it is not unusual for us to require the services of a veterinarian for something on a fairly regualr basis.

The last bill we received was for over £1000.  It was made up of some dental work, the cost of the tests and drugs for Tumble, the first animal to contract equine influenza.

But the main part of the bill was concerned with the treatment of Zorro, our small spotted pony who contracted choke which then went to pneumonia.  We were very, very worried about Zorro, we didn't think he would pull through nor did the vet at one point, the first couple of days were very much touch and go.  He is a great ambassador for the work of the Trust and embodies the spirit of us all here, that of never giving in, fighting to help the animals in our care and to help those who have yet to come.

A raffle ticket only costs a pound, a whole book only a fiver.  You have the chance of a top prize of £100, not a bad return. Every pound that we receive goes to pay the bills that have helped to keep Zorro and the others here alive and in the best of health that we can.

If you think you would care to invest a pound or two or indeed feel you could help by selling some tickets to others, please contact us by e-mail or phone so we can send some tickets to you.  To help keep our costs down even further, send us a stamped, addressed envelope and we will send your tickets out to you by return of post.

HELP US TO HELP THEM

The flu virus that we thought was making its departure seems to have decided to stay with us - so in view of that we have decided to cancel our AGM on Sunday 17th May and it will now hopefully be held on Sunday Sept 20th - time to be arranged.

21st April

Flu on the Farm

Just when you think all is well fate has a habit of knocking you down again.

As you all know we had a wonderful Open Day.  Easter Monday couldn't have been better for us, with a final total raised of around £2,600 we were feeling like we were well on the way to better times.

On Monday the 20^th April we were supposed to take Tumble to her new loan home but when Tabby went to collect her, it clearly wasn't going to happen.  Tumble was not well and at first we thought perhaps it was a coincidental case of Choke like Zorro was recovering from.  Certainly she was coughing and there was lots of spit and other discharges coming down her nose.  We had her checked out by the vet that was on site, Tumble had an antibiotic injection and one to get her temperature down, we hoped for the best.

By the next morning however Tumble was much worse and the clear discharge had changed to a horrible yellow colour.  The vet attended and was worried, swabs were taken; they were flu like symptoms, could be highly contagious and could prove very dangerous or even fatal to the very young and the very elderly.  With Callico less than two weeks old and our elderly animals on site as well, whatever "it" was we did not intend that it should get any further than Tumble and Ceri who was displaying some of the same symptoms.

Adrian put the farm into quarantine immediately.  Only Tumble and Ceri in the barn, two possible cases put in a separate field and no visitors or volunteers other than Adrian, Tabby and myself to be on site.  We cancelled any equine movements in and out of the site until further notice.  I absented myself from the main barn just in case and a rigorous programme of disinfecting began in the barn not forgetting the horse lorry, feed/water buckets and a disinfectant foot bath was placed outside the barn for a wellie dip.  All horses in the fields stayed there; we designated the field with the two possible cases as the "dirty" field where any further possible cases could be as isolated as much as is possible here.

It was the safest way to deal with the problem.  It would be too easy for our volunteers to inadvertently pass on the illness to their own or other horses, let alone any visitors who might do the same.

From then on it was a waiting game.  We waited for the results, we waited to see if any other animals came down with flu like symptoms.  The swab results came through Friday evening. Not as bad as we had imagined but still a nasty infection.  At the moment we have three certainly down with what is in effect equine flu and two possibles we aren't sure about.  The fact that we have seperated the herds may just help to contain it if we are lucky.

How it got here is anybody's guess.  It might have been latent in an animal and something sparked it off, maybe someone brought it in on the Open Day, we shall never know.  We shall get through it in the end with the (long distance) support of all of you.

7th April

Zorro is Ill

All of the staff at the Trust were concerned when Zorro became ill the week before Easter.  He showed the first signs of illness when he just clearly "wasn't himself."  Tabby, our groom, popped him into a stable but it was obvious that medical attention was needed.

He was diagnosed as having "choke", a condition where the animal's throat becomes blocked and all the saliva comes either up through the nose or down into the lungs.  Choke is a common ailment for equines and one that has to be treated quickly.  Luckily the vet was able to clear the obstruction but it left Zorro with a very bad case of pneumonia caused by the accumulation of fluid in his lungs.

The first few days were critical, very much touch and go for Zorro and all of us here were very worried, indeed the first two nights he was handfed a "porridge" of water and pony nuts every hour or so with as hard feed or hay could have been fatal.  He was also on a high dosage of various drugs, both to fight the fever and to ventilate and clear his lungs.  Adrian and Tabby were also doing foal watch at the time so they were able to be by his side as and when he needed the attention.

It took about a week before he was really in the clear; we all breathed a huge sigh of relief.

How he got choke we will never know.  It could have been anything that blocked his throat.  Luckily we noticed the signs early enough so that the treatment could be given that, frankly, has saved his life.

Zorro will make a full recovery, he is already back to his normal cheeky self, but it might be another week or so before he can return to his normal field or resume his duties as Lluest Educational Assistant and Mascot, a job he performs with gusto.

11th/12th April

Visit to the Swansea Waterfront Museum

We had been asked to take equines to the Museum on Easter Saturday and Sunday to represent pit ponies, animals in industrial Wales.  With Zorro out of action due to illness, it fell on Sonny's shoulders to take all the fuss and attention that comes with being a star.  He leapt into the breach willingly and spent both days either enjoying the grass in his enclosure or meeting the public, "pressing the flesh" if you like.  He was a big hit with children and adults, standing patiently in front of the great glass doors of the museum while children made craft works of him or just generally being petted, hugged, photographed, you name it.

What a difference the sun makes.  Our previous trip to the Waterfront Museum was in March when the donkeys represented cockling.  The weather that time was foul, wet, cold and miserable.  The difference this time couldn't have been more marked.  Sunshine and warm weather for two whole days.

We met lots of new people, Sonny made lots of new friends.  The Trust is very grateful to the Museum for a second opportunity to raise awareness in this way and for their very kind donation.

On April 21st Adrian was alerted to a mare that had been abandoned in a rather thin state.  Having made initial enquiries to the police to check for reports of a stolen mare, she was brought to the farm.  If the owners do not claim her within one month she will become the 'property' of the Trust.  We have given the name Chance to this sorry but so trusting animal.  She was infested with lice but she has been treated and will also be vaccinated.  We estimate her age to be approx 25years.  It is very sad to think of the trauma that Chance must have been through in the previous days/weeks.  She must at one time have been part of a family to have the trust she does in humans now.  Let us hope that over the summer she will re-gain her condition and once again become and feel the beautiful mare she once was.  With team work - our supporters, Adrian and Tabby, our volunteers, and Chance, all pulling together we can do it.

In the depths of a January winter a little pony called Spangle came into the care of the Lluest Horse and Pony Trust. She was defenceless and caught up in the middle of a family break-up. She was malnourished and in foal. As a little charity we could so easily have said ‘Sorry’ and walked away. We were struggling for funds and going through a horrendous winter that was playing havoc with water pipes, not to mention the demands by an ever extra hungry herd of horses already at the farm.

However approaching mid-night on the 10^th April, good fortune blessed us and Spangle, and a little ray of moonlight shone over the fields at the Lluest Horse and Pony Trust as a little filly foal was born. Spangle had kept us waiting as many Mums to be do, but she knew her stuff OK, as there was an Open Day due on 13^th April. She knew that if she kept the little filly tucked up inside her until just a few days before the day, the visitors would have something really special to see.

The ‘little’ filly is in fact quite large with very long and wobbly legs and long ears, mostly black except for a white blaze and two white socks. She was very nervous of all the onlookers at first but soon gained courage and by early afternoon she was coming up to the fence to be photographed and patted at close quarters. Mum was given a bucket of feed, and at one time had a problem deciding whether to fill her belly or reprimand her baby for becoming too familiar with ‘strangers’. Mostly the belly won, although like most women she found she could multi-task and did an excellent job in reminding that baby of hers of the dangers of this World.

Callie Coco will stay at the Lluest Horse and Pony Trust until she is four years old. Her training will be gradual and kind – and then she will be loaned to an approved home. She will always remain the property of the Trust and she will be checked regularly. She is one of the lucky foals born this spring – she will not end up at a market in the autumn being sold for a few guineas and passed around from pillar to post during her life. Thanks are all due for this little miracle of life that we have been able to help, to the supporters who have so generously supported our work.  Below see pictures of CallieCoco and her Mum.

On Wednesday 25th March it was time to say good-bye to Nipper.  The story below was written by his loan 'Mum' Karla.

Just to say thank you to Lluest for giving us the pleasure and the privilege of loaning Nipper (known as Nippy) from the Trust for 2 and a half wonderful years.

Nippy came to us at around 28 years of age and – from the first day – he proved himself a highly intelligent, resourceful and wise little horse, with a sweet and loving personality. All of this stood him in good stead as he cleverly went about integrating himself with our small herd of three, including Missy the 17 hh Shire mare, to whom little 15 hh Nippy was to be a companion. There were some trials and tribulations initially but Nippy kept steadily and bravely to his purpose. Before long he won the mighty Missy's heart, along with the hearts of everyone else here on our smallholding in Llansadwrn. Blind in one eye, Nippy had the most endearing way of looking quizzically at you with his head tilted slightly to one side, as if always asking 'how is it with you today?'

Nippy thrived here with us over 2 summers and 3 long winters, during which he could still put in some seriously good gallops whenever the Hunt came round! He loved his bucket, his haynets and the comforts of the barn – but, in true Cob fashion, he also did himself well, tucked up in his good rug, out on the pasture in all weathers. His particular joy seemed to be to stand out in the fields under the full moon on calm clear nights, presumably mulling over his 30 odd years and remembering all the good times.

Sadly, at 31 going on 32 years of age, Nippy started having a few problems, which we believe were due to minor strokes. Although he remained largely unaffected by the 3 little falls he had, the prognosis wasn't good and the hardest decision had to be taken, for Nippy's sake, and to save him future pain or indignity, to put him to sleep on Wednesday 25 March 2009. Up until his very last day, Nippy's quality of life was good – but he was suddenly very tired. Our painful decision was made because we loved him.

Taking on an older horse always has the potential to result in heartbreak, but we would still urge people to consider it. Even just a brief time together, in the twilight of a horse's life, can be so rewarding - for the horse and for you. The pleasure old-timers like Nippy can bring is limitless. They have a depth of wisdom and serenity and a capacity for pure and uncomplicated affection often lacking in younger, more feisty horses.

We wouldn't have missed our time with Nippy for the world, even though we miss him dreadfully now he has gone. Our time with him was relatively short but very sweet. We hope we brought as much joy and fulfilment to his life as he did to ours.

Rest in peace, Nippy.  

Here are some pictures of our new arrivals - there wasn't enough space in the Spring Newsletter for pictures of them all!!

Sonny is one of the three Shetlands taken in during January following sudden ill health and bereavement. He will stay at the Trust, and join Zorro in promotional work during the summer. Bonnie (right) came to us shortly after completion of the newsletter.  She is a kind and gently soul, but came in when her loving family could no longer look after her.  She already has a loan home waiting.

Lady (left) and Sophie who came with Sonny, Mishka and Sadie.

Adrian and a group of Lluest volunteers together with Adrians own two donekys attended a day at the Waterfront Museum in Swansea.  They braved the bitter cold winds and handed out lots of leaflets.  They were there again on Easter Saturday and Sunday - and then back to the farm ready for the open day on Easter Monday.  How's that for a feet/hooves not touching the ground life style!

MORE SAD GOODBYES

We had to say sad Good-byes to Patch, Thomas and Mollie during the winter/early spring.  A more detailed account is showing in our Spring Newsletter.

Moontague Concert in Aid of Lluest Horse and Pony Trust

A small but enthusiastic crowd attended the concert on the 22nd November in aid of the Trust.  Fronted by Moontaigue, a family band and including other local artists, there was a complete range of music from rock to classical and the audience really showed their appreciation.  A raffle also attracted a lot of attention and the end result was a donation of just over £250 for the Trust.  We would like to give grateful thanks to Kathleen Montague, the organiser, her family band Moontaigue for headlining the event and also to Bryony, Chloe, Gail and Eddie for their support.

Sad News - Mousey - Tuesday November 4th

Sadly Mousey's loan owner rang today to confirm that Mousey had been put to sleep this morning. She had not been well lately and it was decided in consultation with the the vet that the kindest thing for Mousey would be to let her go. Mousey came into the care of the Trust in Sept 2004. Her previous owner suffered health problems and had to sell her small-holding. By chance there was a lovely loan home waiting locally so she went straight there. We thank Sue for all the care she gave Mousey - a lovely little piebald Shetland who we are sure will be missed by all the family.

Sad News - Fred - Monday November 3rd

Unfortunately we had to have Fred put to sleep this morning. He was found lying down in his stall and could not get up, even with help. He was not cast and last night was his normal cheeky self, so a bit of a surprise. His breathing was quite laboured and when checked by the vet, he had a distinct heart murmur. Some painkiller was given to see if this helped him, with his symptoms the normal things like colic were ruled out and so when it was obvious that he was not his normal self, in discomfort but not pain the sad decision was made. He had made good friends with Patch, another Shetland, the couple making a memorable couple of old codgers! So Patch and ourselves will miss the little fellow who always gave a welcome whinny and was generally a lovely little Shetland all round.

Quiz Night and Silent Auction - Friday October 24th

We all had a great night at The Kings Arms in Llandovery. The Silent Auction attracted bids by email as well as on the night. All those that won will be notified in the next few days. The quiz worked everyone very hard but was a laugh from start to finish, with some wild answers from all. The raffle raised about £60 with everyone buying tickets with generous spirit. Heads and Tails was played in the break with a very nice knitted clown as the prize. Bryony won first prize in the raffle and Francis went home with a bottle of Babycham. Overall a great night with everyone leaving warm, slightly tipsy and happy. It was also great to see faces we hadn’t seen for a while.  We all raised around £530 which will contribute very nicely to this winters feed bill. Thanks to The Kings Arms for providing a very warm and inviting venue. Thanks also to Simon our wonderful quizmaster. To everyone who donated raffle prizes, they were much appreciated and some provided a few laughs. Also to everyone who donated lots, without you we would not have raised half the money, thanks. Tabby and Julie who organised the event deserve a round of applause. Thanks to all who attended and here’s to the next one.

Spartacus

Demands on the Trust are far greater than our funds allow. We therefore have to look at each plea individually.  A plea from a gentleman nursing his wife with brain cancer who can no longer give the pony he has had for 18 years the care it needs, is surely deserving.  We could take the lead from other charities and advise euthanasia for this pony.  The gentleman has obviously exhausted all possibilities himself regarding finding a new home.  At his wits end and distraught at not being able to fulfill his role as a caring owner, he contacted Lluest, and Adrian visited the couple in early October and we decided to bring Spartacus into the care of Lluest.  We are not only taking a pony out of a situation where he is suffering ‘poor circumstances’ as is one of the Charities objectives, but helping a couple who are struggling to live with the illness that so many of us have personally encountered, and of course the Trusts founder Ginny lost her life to cancer, at the age of 38yrs.  Spartacus is a little on the thin side and his hooves need attention, but once he is fully recovered we will find him a loving loan home, where he can enjoy life as a riding pony again.  We are sure that you as our supporters will share our feelings and thoughts for his previous owners, and hope that they find some small comfort knowing that their dear Spartacus is safe. – thanks to you.

Lluest Horse and Pony Trust Short Term Care

As every owner of an equine knows there are times when your horse, pony or donkey needs just that little bit of extra care. It may be that he needs box rest or post op care and sometimes you need to know he is looked after in the short term while you yourself recover from illness or even take a well earned holiday Lluest Horse and Pony Trust are pleased to be able to offer limited spaces to help with the following:

BOX REST

POST OPERATIVE CARE

EMERGENCY SHORT TERM LIVERY

HOLIDAY LIVERY

BASIC GROUNDWORK TRAINING

FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE CLICK HERE

Sad News - Poppet

Sadly we had to have Poppet put to sleep on 26th September. She had not been right for a few days and we had already had the vet out once before to her. She had dropped some weight but we thought we had won that battle as she had put some on and maintained it. But in the last couple of days she lost some more weight and her back end was just not right, that along with some other signs told us that she was telling us that she had had enough. Adrian did a fair amount of work with her this summer in order for her to be touched and groomed and have a head collar on her and he got to quite like her and her little ways. Although she was always in the background and not in the limelight she was still one of the characters of Lluest for a large number of years and I am sure that many people will miss her little face seeing them on Open Days and on their adoption certificates She will be missed by many, but she went with the sun on her back and with dignity to the end like the little lady she was.

Update on Willow

Intelligent horsemanship proved it's worth when Adrian worked his particular magic on Willow who came to us virtually unhandled earlier this year.  Willow had not been with other equines for quite sometime and had forgotten what it was to be a horse.  She was very nervous around people as well but with gentle handling and a lot of kindness she began to trust.  Last weekend it was decided the time was right for a join up in the round pen and it took only a few minutes for Willow to come in to Adrian and for her to allow herself to be led calmly on a loose rein.  Then the saddle and bridle were tried and as you can see, Willow has accepted these easily as well.  We are hopeful that it won't take very long now before Willow can be rehomed as a much treasured child's pony.

Intelligent Horsemanship Charity of the Year

It is with very great pleasure that we can announce the support of Kelly Marks and her Intelligent Horsemanship organization through being chosen as one of her charities of the year for 2008/9. We share the stage with the Riding for the Disabled in Lambourn, Kelly’s home town. All proceeds from both the main fundraising and the classified section of her website will be split between our two wonderful charities. All our training and handling of the equines at Lluest are based upon the techniques of Monty Roberts and Kelly Marks and so we are very proud to have the support from Kelly and her supporters.

www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk

New Patron - Gareth David-Lloyd

Popular Welsh actor and one of the stars of BBC's Torchwood and Doctor Who, Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones in Torchwood) has kindly agreed to become our Patron. This is excellent news and a real boost to our morale.  Gareth is over in Canada and America at the moment, at two sc-fi conventions, but we are hoping he will visit the farm later in the summer, if filming of the new series of Torchwood permits.

Round Pen Handling Progress

Seen in the photographs below is Adrian working with a couple of our older unhandled ponies.  Despite having been here for sometime, short staffing and lack of proper facilities has meant that there was little opportunity for the all important basic handling that these animals need in order to check their feet, teeth and general condition.  As a result of the incredibly generous legacy from the estate of Janice Marlow, we now have a round pen where the animals can be safely contained while Adrian uses his double "magic" of kindness and patience that will ensure that the animals can be administered to in times of need.  He leaves nothing to chance though, always wearing the hard hat and in many cases a body protector as well so that he doesn't need administering to after a session with a frightened pony.

Market Conditions

Market conditions have always been a great source of concern for Lluest and in the early years we fought for improvements.  However, since Ginny's death varying circumstances have meant that we haven't always been able to keep watch and keep up the pressure for still much needed improvements.  Conditions over the past few years have varied, however at a May sale there was much to cause concern and Adrian has written a full report, which we have forwarded, to the National Equine Welfare Council of which Lluest is a member.   Remember that many of the horses and ponies at these sales are 'wild' therefore frightened, easily panicked and not handled in an appropriate way, causing danger not just to themselves but also often for human onlookers.  There is no provision for hay or water, many will have traveled long distances, and will have even further to go after the sale.  We will continue to monitor the sales, but in the meantime if you have any comments or have witnessed bad practice at sales, please contact us.

New Training School

The Lluest was kindly left a legacy, from which we were asked to use the money to improve certain parts of the Trust. We have now had a new, bigger and better training school that boasts propper drainage with a soft sanded area - wow!. We would like to thank so much the family concerned without whose legacy it would not have happened.

Saturday/ Sunday 8th/9th August