Equine Market Watch Sanctuaries (UK)

July 22nd, 2024.
A busy day for me, Sam in early and then Amy and I. It was grey, overcast but humid even at 7.30am. All posting went out this morning
Vet zone visit today just Conker's 2nd Flu booster to reinstate his cover - I forgot to pick up the passport so that went in to the Vet's this afternoon to be admin'ed, I'll pick it up tomorrow.
The vet had a quick look at old Willow, he's got raised pulses so is now under more restiction and on bute for a while until that threat has gone. I swear that we no longer have just Spring grass... now we have toxicity all year round :( no wonder people are giving up on horse/pony keeping lately, it seems no matter what you do, how you deal with these issues the weather will trip you up. tomorrow morning Amy and I will bring back up the restiction fencing and pray that we don't get another dollop of tropical rain forest type weather to force back up more of the green stuff. In one of our pictures tonight you can see Bean in the distance ( she is on track and on very little grazing and that is rough long stem stuff) but surrounding her is that violent horrible green poison relentlessly growing. That is on old swarde as well, it never used to be full of sugar rich grasses,it used to be really diverse herbage... that has mostly been knocked back by the clovers and other sweet fast fattening plants. Probably come out of hay via seeding... pffffff it is what it is.
Anyway Conker duly got his jab and I headed home and then got busy at home before heading back to the farm this late afternoon.
I am so ridiculously tired, not sleeping for more than 2 or 3 hours each night.
Our other pictures show the sharing caring 4 in their big fly free shelter, Willow having a wee - nice! They do cohabit well. The little Shets are fine too.

July 21st, 2024.
I had another lie in Sunday for which I am more than grateful. I spent the time instead, this morning prepping and packing the posting of the auction Lots ready to all go out tomorrow. Thank you all.
It's been a warm day hasn't it, humid, a few times when it felt like we were going to get a summer breeze but it swirled and fell flat.
No matter it's dried up all the rain from yesterday nicely as if it had never happened.
Flies are now at their most miserable worse and annoying. Nature sends them for a reason that's for sure, the food chain and the irritation factor of getting animals moving to avoid them, nothing much we can do to quell the seasonal influx so we just provide places where flies aren't keen to be, I like to spray the stables with diluted dettol water but might step up to Vircon if this forecast hot spell comes in. I generally slooosh out the boxes and then let the water evaporate to cool the air down nicely.
Bryan says " Hay" and we agree (Y) it'll be exactly what it is, good long stem fiber with a bit of tasty in the bottom which should make fast and easily.
Grateful thanks to Sam and Marysia today, doing their stuff, docking, strimming, tidying and running the place (Y)
Vet visit tomorrow, just a 2nd booster to do. Farriery on Wednesday early morning (Y) Family celebrations this week coming (Y) and we head relentlessly towards the eighth month of this year...my goodness me it's going fast, time.
Tico p*eping out of his shelter and Bean off down the track... pics for this Sunday

July 20th, 2024.
Auction day at Worcester. About 90 Lots forward but not the 24 year old that was shown in the catalogue. All there were in good condition, no concerns at all.
We got there mega early...why? because we took the EMW Trailer, first time towing for Sam and she handled it like a pro (Y) very proud of her. Actually and empty run was not bad thing as a first time outing. We are back in auction again at Worcester 17th August and at Brecon on August 24th . A lot of nice quality horses today and what is lovely to see is people winning the bid on their chosen horse/pony on the day, the excitement of that hammer going down and knowing that one is finally yours is something to behold :D
It's been warm but with on/off drizzle and now we've got some real rain but it's not for long and then that is it... no more for at least 7 days ahead.
Grateful thanks to Sam and then Marysia this morning and to both Marysia and Su this afternoon as they were both there and had done the work by the time we got back to the yard to feed and make sure all are fine (Y) They are but not aided by some relentless shooting going off not far below us in the Avenbury Valley, would have been nice if whoever was running it would have posted locally about it happening, just courtesy for those close by with reactive animals like blind Conker!
Pics of the maiden run and also of our swallows lining up... that is a heck of a lot which is so pleasing to see considering we had just 2 pairs come back this Spring

July 19th, 2024.
Hot as the devils kitchen today here.
Sam early, Amy and I following in and getting done before that mercury started climbing skywards.
All are well,
I'm so sorry but I havven't got the auction posting done today, it will be in the post first thing on Monday morning though.
Tomorrow we are off to auction, this time complete with trailer. Will any little old body come back? I don't know. At least tomorrow it's forecast to be somewhat cooler although where the auction is held is in a hollow and a bit of a heat trap.
Amy and I returned this middle to later afternoon. Me feeling a bit queasy actually. I think I am a little bit dehydrated from earlier today so have been downing lots of water and some Tonic Water ( which I love without the Gin involved) Lack of sleep recently has also impacted but it's an early set off tomorrow so I'll not be taking anything that aids nodding off this night ahead.
Eric was going to stay out overnight , well - that was my plan - but Eric said " Nah! in thanks" and in he came...his box is big, airy and cool.
Just one picture for you this evening taken this morning when Bert chose to sit with the little shetland boys while they carrot crunched and we picked up in their paddock and barn.
Look out for the blog tomorrow... there may be earlier updates/ there may not be, but whichever we'll be back in the early evening here.

July 18th, 2024.
I don't like 2024. It's taken, and taking away so many who I care about. Today, early afternoon, there came messages bearing yet more personal saddness :'(
Tonight our blog is very brief and very to the point.
Hug those close to you, hug those you care about, make that call, write that letter because our human life time is very short, use that time for caring, everything else is of absolutely no significance because tomorrow may not come. :'(
Thank you all for your fast payments on the latest auction which finished last night.
I have been out all day today and tomorrow is also very busy but I will try to get everything packed and into the post by tomorrow afternoon, if that doesn't happen then it will be Monday morning but fear not, your parcels will be with you by midweek next week (Y)
Only one picture this evening, a quickly taken one of a hot Bean in her airy cool stable out of that 27C sun where she snoozed for along time. Phew! it was a real scorcher but cooling off some now.

⚠️⚠️LAST SHOUT⚠️⚠️

‼️ 1 HOUR TO GO ‼️

PLEASE PLACE YOUR BIDS BEFORE 7pm

THANK YOU 🙏🏻👏🏻✨

July 17th, 2024.
Warm and dry and bright and felt like ... summer.
Sam early and she took a lovely photo of his wonderfulness Conker asking " Where are my nuts?" Sam duly complied with his handful of fibre cubes and carrot. 😂
Amy and I arrived a bit later and got the rest done.
My car went back to the garage today for cambelt change so I've been wheel-less but Amy has run me about as and when. I did however walk down to town to meet her this afternoon and then we headed back to the yard. It was hot, humidity not as high as recently but still clammy. I prepped ready for tomorrow as we have Mel here and an early start so I shall gather my car afterwardsa nd make another on foot journey this time from sanctuary to town. I shall be fit as a flea at this rate!
LOOK!!! THE AUCTION IS ENDING THIS EVENING SO PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE PINNED POST, LOTS OF LOTS TO BE GRABBED.
Pics are Conker and the two little tea-eaters...

Please would all you marvelous 😘😘😘😘

‼️‼️ENDS TONIGHT AT 7pm‼️‼️


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Please place your bids by 7pm 🕖

Thank you 🙏🏻 🩷

July 16th, 2024.
This evening's blog is dedicated to Dr Martin Moore who has recently passed away. Martin was a volunteer, along with Lesley, here at the sanctuary for many years. He was very active in GB Endurance both at home and abroad. He was a fascinating man to talk to, an engineer and a good friend. One of his passions was horses and he was instumental with new intakes here including Abbey, Willow, and several of the smaller ponies including Eric when he first arrived. In recent years Martin had suffered with ill health which in turn impacted upon his volunteering. Our thoughts are with his wife Lesley and with his family and close friends at this very sad time. R.I.P. 'Doc Martin'
IN SANCTUARY TODAY
The biblical rain overnight came and then went leaving behind it scoured roads and puddles but thankfully the big floods of yesterday late evening had all but drained away by thetime the morning work needed to be done.
It has been very humid for most of the day but did break out a bit fresher for about 3/4's of an hour a little while ago... now it's miserable and humid again.
Work all done this morning, ponies not one bit bothered by the rain. Usual work done this afternoon too. Life ticks along
Pictures of EMW Abbey being backed by Martin in June 2007 xx

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PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO HAVE A LOOK THROUGH THIS LOVELY FUNDRAISING AUCTION. 😍

BIDS CLOSE AT 7pm ON WEDNESDAY. 🥳

THANK YOU 💙💙💙

July 15th 2024 St Swithin's Day
And it's raining, that's legend saying we shall have rain for another 40 days...St Swithin can take his legend and go far, far away 😉😂
I'm disinclined to think that dank old Saint is to blame for this lot... and also where are the bees? where are they? today I saw ONE, just ONE little solitary Bee :'(
Usual Monday, Sam in early, Amy and I and Bert coming in not much later. I tried to get a photo of big Buzzard that down on the ground standing in Angie's meadow but I was fractionally slow getting the phone camera out , I'll post the picture that I did get but's a bit of a 'Where's Wally'...good luck finding the bird! 😂
Usual work, and then usual Monday office work for me.
Policy updates today, nothing really much changed just updating accordingly.
Back to the yard quivering about doom and gloom massive yellow weather warnings...so far it's just rained, it's wet and it's dampening everything down, softening up what was rock hard ground and filling up the big rainwater storage tanks, that'll come in handy when we swing towards drought in the next week or so ahead 😂
It was chucking it down but warm, so warm. We've put down shavings in the middle shelter ( they'll p*e all over it overnight so it'll be wetter in there than outside!) we've also stepped up their hay but not by much, a night 'roughing it' won't do them any harm at all given how fat they are!
Thank you Pete for picking up the Estate Country Animal Feeds Bromyard order and then unloading too. It was lovely to see Ange and Holly today, a big hug ladies you know why 💔💔😢😢

❌AUCTION NOW CLOSED❌

❗️⚠️MID-JULY FUNDRAISER⚠️❗️

🌟LOVELY FUNDRAISING ONLINE AUCTION🌟

Here we have 15 lovely items to auction to raise much needed funds for Equine Market Watch Sanctuaries (UK) ❤️🤍

✨ All items are brand new, unless stated. ✨

🌟OPEN FOR YOUR BIDS RIGHT NOW🌟

❗️Bidding ends at 7pm on WEDNESDAY 17th JULY 2024❗️
The highest bidder at 7pm WINS 🤩

Payments via PayPal within 24hrs of the auction ending please to;
[email protected]

All items will be posted out as soon as possible after full payment has been received.
*IMPORTANT*

⚠️PLEASE READ THIS BIT⚠️
❗️Please make sure you change the comments to ‘ALL COMMENTS’ on the photos so you can see what the current highest bid is, Facebook defaults to ‘Most Relevant’ for some unknown reason and this will not show you what the highest bid is.

Good Luck and Happy Bidding.
Thank you so much for supporting this charity 🙏🏻💙

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SHARE THIS POST
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️

😞 Polite Note ~ Please only bid if you intend to buy these items. Unfortunately we have been suffering with non-paying, non-contactable winning bidders and it really is a shame that we have to put this notice up. 🥺

These fundraiser are this charity’s life line, and in general, the winning bidders are fabulous, but just recently we have had more than a few people that either don’t pay or disappear and never contact us to confirm payment or postal details 😢


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#❤️

July 14th, 2024.
A morning off again for me

July 13th, 2024.
Today is one of many things.
Personally today is/was my mum's birthday. I miss her, all the time, every day, every year. I miss her

Sadly, due to a technical issue, we were unable to bring our trailer to Brecon today. Is there anybody here or local that could, if needed, offer transport back to Bromyard please? 🙏🏻 Thank you.

July 12th, 2024.
The day before auction and always in mind is any 'body' incoming and bio-security ahead as well as usual housing. We don't have the luxury of empty stables here but we do have a dedicated isolation box and a fast set up of isolation grazing, thing is there's little point setting up only to have to deconstruct the following day if no one comes home. I don't know if tomorrow will bring in new faces but we also have the next Worcester auction following on the 20th of July so what may not occur tomorrow may well occur on that date...let's just say we can set up PDQ and be ready within 20 minutes of arrival in the yard.
So to today.
Sam early, Amy and I later. Usual work and then again the same this mid afternoon.
Bryan has been busy and our drive is looking brilliant, thank you to all who have done this, we no longer have that ridge between the two tyre tracks of the lane which is fabulous as my Clio is low-slung

July 11th, 2024.
Dry and humid today.
Usual morning with the added extra of Amy and I bringing in the little shetland boys ( I do still miss Gracie so much)
They're good boys and know their routine and are resigned to the usual check over their bits and bobs. Feet, mid-trim, administered to, Louie de-fluffed off his belly (Y) YES!!! Tico sarcoid treated and then both back out for the day.
In between this morning and this late afternoon has been lots of excitement for them all.
Bryan has been bothered about the big Willow next to Tico and Louie's paddock for a while. It's grown rapidly since it's last pollarding and was mingling amongst the power line and the telephone line. Fine when not windy but we are exposed to all comers wind-wise at the farm so through today in came the tree fellers and they have taken down masses of boughs which now means the threat to disruption has gone. Of course such excitement has had prancing and dancing going on and also resulted in a lot of willow boughs for them all to enjoy browsing over during the next few days ahead too.
Little red tractor put to use too taking away the majority of the loppings to be stripped out and the bigger boughs seasoned for a good 2 years before becoming wood burning stove usable but as Tesco rightly says 'every little helps!' So our pics this evening depict all these goings on from today (Y)

July 10th, 2024.
Here we are then. Not far off packing away 2023 to 2024 accounting. An hour with our accountant today and all is looking good.
First though was our usual early for Sam, and later for Amy and I, start.
No problems except Conker was maskless and I noticed his nearside eye was ever so slightly runny so I administered it with sterile eye wipes and popped in some eye ointment that we always keep in stock as first defence for him and Luya ( she also has always had eye issues) This evening he was 100% fine.
Amy managed to get a good dollop of sarcoid treatment on Tico's little lump, it's not gotten any bigger in fact it's shrinking so that is all good. Tomorrow morning they are coming in for a top and tail!! mostly because Louie has a tuft of hair on his belly that is driving me mad everytime I look at him! it has to go!
As I said, between the morning and 2nd shift the accounts were duly handed over to be scrutinized and then when all is approved, finally signed off.
This mid to late afternoon saw dark skies but nothing came of it and it's bright and shiny now. Boring as heck pictures, soz about that! Just fat and brown, and fat and almost black.... with their miniscule teas! I mustn't be mean to Willow, he's such an old lad but shhhhhhh! we don't tell him he's in his 32nd year... he doesn't know, he thinks he's still 13/14/15-ish

July 9th, 2024.
Another July day pretending to be an October one.... well maybe not quite that dire but it's been grey and grim and manky here.
Sam in early as usual, Amy and I together because "this morning Matthew" I'm The Hitcher* and for those of a certain age that will make you shudder! it still makes me shudder especially when ...well I won't spoil it just incase you fancy watching an old Rutger Hauer classic 😬😱 advice is to have a cushion handy to hide behind ..... and as always I digress :D
So back to this morning and Amy gathers up Bert and me, both of us clothed for the weather in coats but both boiling hot as it was sure warm. In, work done, back (Y)
By mid morning my car was ready to gather back up, well done French Wheelie Bin (Y) not totally unscathed by it's MOT as there are a couple of advisories to sort in the weeks ahead but a pass is a pass! *said 'un char' will return next week for it's belts and to discuss it's aforementioned bits that need work *
Anyway enough waffle about that rolling rust.
Our residents are all weathering *sic* the season fine, mostly because they can all escape it by being in.
I returned early and got on with the brush-cutter stuff and finished what I wanted to do despite very fine drizzle.
The mares have not been out on their track but they had been out a bit, the geldings had been out and not in! The little boys had alternated between in and out! Pics are from me this evening and thrillingly include a young Sparrow being watched by a crow ( Reolink Security Cameras ) and then our own mixed doubles grazing championship in honour of Wimbledon 😂🤣 and lastly the Dragon Queen with a smidgen of T-Rex DNA, she who is now 15years young and her own mistress 🐉🐲🦖

July 8th, 2024.
Wooohoooo and a massive thank you a zillion times Halls of Bromyard because the 'french wheelie bin' aka little Clio has passed it's MOT (Y) just a couple of jobs now to be done and it can slink back to it's hutch and take back up it's super-car mantle (Y) These sort of things are so pleasing

July 7th, 2024.
The first week of July flashed by us. How can time be doing this? Maybe it's symptomatic of me getting older ( we've most likely had these musing before but no apologies because repetiveness is also another old age thing 😂 ) so yep, maybe it's all to do with aging but hold on, when I look longingly at that backward leading road of time I am damned sure it was way slower a mistress, far less rush and hurry, much more steady gentle hours to be filled with all kinds of everything. Maybe now it's to to with living constantly on a knife edge of worry, wondering what will come next and I'm not talking about rainbows and unicorns here....time so much to begin with, so little when it's too late.
And once more I digress from the biz of sanctuary days
IN SANCTUARY TODAY
All hairy beasties fine ( but not fine weatherwise but bl**dy wet really) Not warm, not July more October. Weatherman hints of something warmer to come but not hanging about for long. How utterly miserably dismal a forecast is that.
Sam and Marysia in for morning work and it was all done. I had the precious morning off.
I went back about 2.45pm and found both Sam and Marysia 'doing' extras as well as usual work so I brought out the new toy and finished what I started yesterday but without the fencing tape wrapped tight around the cutter head😂😂🥴🥴🥴 this time I managed to miss anything that could cause a problem. I also cut around the yard to drive gateway enabling that gate to be shut and padlocked when that time comes. Those flipping brambles and nettles really had taken over but are now no more though in hindsight I probably should have done it weeks back.
I leave all trimmings in the meadows so that the residents can browse on wilted stuff (Y) and now that the hedgelines are clear they can access the plentiful herbage and shrubbage much easier. Sam got Stiggy out and went off to top buttercups out in the back meadow, Marysia went round with the docker and so, between us all, we have the sanctuary land well under control once more. We finished up tidying the brushcutter trimmings and then fed everyone their diet sized teas... Pics once again from Sam, just 3 but nice pics (Y)

July 6th, 2024 aka known as the 535th day of Winter 2023!
Umm, it was grim! it has done it's worst, it hammered down, threw in some thunder and lightening for the hell of it, blew a hooley and dropped the temps down to those decent of an October or early March day...... and then the sun got through this mid afternoon and the blue reappeared and the strong wind became a strong breeze and it was alright... but right this second it's back in gloom once again :/
So in sanctuary today.
Grateful thanks to Trustees Sam and Marysia for all the morning work and for me getting an OAP lie-in till almost 9am!!! Get me living the dream then!
I can't tell you how the morning actually was because I don't know other than it was all done and all are fine (Y)
Sam and Marysia and I back at sanctuary at around and about similar time this afternoon, with Bertie adding the spice to our lives 🤩🤣🤣 or in my case getting him out of the house because he was driving me daft with his need to be doing stuff!
Both Sam and Marysia entertain him at sactuary around the usual work (Y) usually it invloves chucking sticks or one of his many and varied deposited balls.
Sam got some lovely pictures for you today - a bakers dozen! do enjoy them. They show Bean who has deffo improved for track living although Luya, seen observing the madness of 'Queen Druscilla' doesn't much agree 🤣 All this just because a tiny bit of grazing was released today 🤣
Also see EMW Dude throughly enjoying a nice roll... old Willow too, who looks youth eternal, and of course the handsome one, the one and only Conker..then there is Tico who if only he were 15hh would be Sam's dream horse... he's not, he's about 38inches max! and my lovely Louie, little love of my life aka the demon.
Our afternoon jobs were Marysia doing her usual docking, me with the new brush cutter and all going well until I hit a loose strand of fencing tape getting it wound around the spool so that stopped me despite all efforts to release it.. it's fixed now thanks to Pete Andrews (Y) I did manage to side up all around the biggest part of the middle meadow though (Y)
Sam shifted fencing in the middle, they have a lush new swathe.. fear not! it's not very much at all.. they'll soon demolish it and then have to slum it for 3 or 4 or more days till the next lot is offered to them.
Sam and I also rejigged fencing for Tico and Louie which invloved loppers and secutars and scissors and stuff! I must bring those two in this coming week, scruffs are us orr what!
We are due equine worm sampling via Westgate Labs about then too so it might be perfect for that little job as well (Y)
So here you are 13 lovely pictures to enjoy.
Oh yes, least but way off least thank you all re: auction wins, I'll be packing and posting out on Monday morning all being well (Y) The auction raised a very nice sum of £133.50 🤩helping to keep that mean old wolf from our doors (Y)