Goats, maybe sheep, cows? We haven't got round to researching into specific animals as the fencing and clearing had been the more pressing issue.
I had worked in various dairies in Sussex during my college years and also sheep and goat farms in New Zealand. We had also had sheep, cattle, goats and pigs at home and I had a bit of an obsession with breeding chickens; Light Sussex, Leghorns and my favorite little Sea brights. However my expertise was fixed in equines and knowing that sheep always try to commit suicide on you and goats can get through most fencing I convinced Woody that our first choice of grazing stock should be ponies.
(continuing to pay livery and the option of paying someone to top the land was an annoying prospect)
While looking for a suitable hunter/hack to team up with Easter to enable us to put two horses safely on the land I was offered two Welsh hill ponies. It kinda made sense, it would allow one or both horses to be worked while still having two companion ponies to keep one of the horses or each other company, keeping stress levels to a minimum.
Woody and I viewed the ponies in early Feb, they were totally feral and is a terrible state having been rescued from a barren common land. If I was to take these fillies on I would have to start from scratch with their healthcare and handling. We would need to keep them off the land in a quarantine area until wormed to ensure the pasture was not contaminated. So putting stable doors on the cow shed was another job added to Woody's list.
I was then offered a lovely Tb mare who I have known since she was born in 2008 Jenjen out of my yard favorite Teepee. Jenjen didn't really fancy a career in racing so it felt right when her owner and breeder said we could have her.
The two ponies are due this weekend with Jenjen next week, I hope they all get on!
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