THE RAMBLINGS OF A STRUGGLING ARTIST ON LIFE WITH TWO TERRIERS, A PONY WITH ISSUES AND OTHER WILDLIFE AND BIRDS THAT CROSS OUR PATH

7 March 2013

MEADOW PIPIT AND I NEED TO TALK ABOUT TRIGGER


Yesterday, feeling pretty grotty, I schlepped up to what is known as the Round Pound, and sat on its stones to recover. this is the site of the loveliest sculpted Hawthorn tree that I have posted photographs of many times. Five minutes later, four birds flew into it and perched. I grabbed the camera and thought I had shots of skylarks but, on blowing them up, realised they were Meadow Pipits. Reading about them, I am now convinced that I have often made the same mistake at a distance and never had the camera to capture them properly. They do the vertical singing thing like skylarks up to 40 metres but are 'reluctant to fly' according to my book! Anyway, what a sweet little bird. More to come over the summer I'm sure. 

Regarding the Round Pound, there has always been some controversy over its date. Some say Iron Age, some Bronze Age, some Medieval. Can I find a decent picture of it in its roundness? No. Here are a couple of the tree which lies in the outer ring to one side. I can highly recommend this article about it that I found when looking for other people's pictures!



 

I need to talk about Trigger. Some weeks ago I made a heartbreaking decision about him which took a huge amount of soul searching and angst. He is just sitting there on his own, unused and wasted. I don't have the physical strength to do much ground work with him and with everything going on with Origami Boy (not my place to discuss....he may allow it sometime), I just don't have the time for him. I love seeing him every day but I don't have the room for a companion and I just don't think it's fair for him like this. He's not an easy pony and needs an awful lot of work. At 13.3hh he's an odd size that few adults are prepared to take on and he is by no means a child's pony. A few people have been putting out feelers and asking clients and friends but to no avail. This morning I spoke to a wonderful woman at horses4homes.com who was brutally honest with me and said that, given my accident, despite it not being his fault, he would be forever tarnished and nobody would touch him with a barge pole. She advised me to have him put to sleep, which I cannot do. He's not great companion material either, not being small or laid back enough. I find it very difficult not to get on him again; he is a constant reminder that I can't indulge my passion, only rediscovered at 42 after a 25 year gap. His past cruel treatment has caught up with him and me! It seems my decision may have been for nothing. He would be good in a riding school where he could follow but, as the lady said today, from an insurance point of view, he would be an impossibility. It looks like we are meant to stay together, but if any of you know of anyone who might be able to give him a home or needs a BIG if undersized project, do let me know. I need land....that would solve my problem but it comes at a HUGE price round here and not one we could afford. I see people buying up tracts of it, empire building, and leaving it to go to waste and it makes my blood boil. Anyway, rant over - sorry! Until next time, here is my boy looking handsome last summer when I first moved him over here. How I wish there was that much grass now!. 


24 comments:

  1. Oh how my heart bleeds for you Em. It is the price we pay for loving our animals. I do hope that someone comes along who is able to take him on and give him a happy life. In the meantime I am sure he needs you, although he probably rarely shows it.

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  2. Aww, Em your boy is beautiful and looks very intelligent. Probably too 'knowing' for his own good, am I right?! If I hear of someone, small in build but able in knowledge to cope with him I'll let you know. If you had a 'small' companion for him, would he be okay, I'm thinking 'goat'. I know, shock horror at the thought, but they can be good company for horses and wouldn't take up much room. Obviously I have no idea of your set up, field etc, so I'm stabbing in the dark here. Anyway, just a thought.

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  3. Weaver - I'm sure there are some people who would have had him put to sleep after the accident but it really wasn't his fault. You're so right about them not showing it!

    Ann - That's a very interesting idea about the goat. I didn't realise they were compatible in any way. It would have to be one that could stand up to him. Not sure his current paddock could sustain a rabbit though, let alone a hungry goat but it's worth looking in to - thank you. Trigger has a very small head and, I fear a rather small brain inside it! He has known fear in his early life and needs constant reassurance. He's such a sweetheart and he deserves someone special.

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  4. Gosh, what a dilemma!
    Yes, we really do take on responsibility for our animals' welfare and it sometimes is very difficult.
    Do hope someone will be willing to take on the challenge of Trigger.

    ps your pippet is so charming.
    Nothing like that here.....

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  5. I hope so too but I'm having to assume not and look to the future and the best I can do for him. Hope you've had a lovely time in Morocco.

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  6. Oh goodness! I would hate to have this problem, I worry so much about animals. I do hope you can find Trigger a very good new home or that, if possible, the goat idea proves satisfactory.

    Lovely to see the Meadow Pipit. I only ever see them in one place about twenty miles from me.

    The recent mention of your hospital appointment and back problems now becomes clear....as a relative newcomer to your blog I hadn't realised you had had such a terrible accident but I have just gone back and read your introduction. It sounded truly horrendous and you have obviously come a long way on the road to recovery, amazing you have done so well considering the horrific injuries!

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  7. Goodness what a decision to make. I understand on a smaller scale the choices we have to make for our animals. I doubt Hamish would be alive in any other home.
    Choices are hard.
    I have seen and read about goats and horses so that might be an option. Do you have a rent-a-goat in your town ?
    That is what I love about blogging I would have never seen a Pippet. Lovely.

    cheers, parsnip

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  8. He is a lovely animal, so sorry for your predicament.

    Thanks for another lovely dose of photos.

    And you have another Versatile Blogger Award nomination :)

    ¤´¨)
    ¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
    (¸.·´ (¸.·`¤... Jennifer
    http://jennsrandomscraps.blogspot.ca

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  9. I don't know much about ponies Em, but he looks very beautiful to me.

    I do hope you find a good home, unless the goat solution may be even better??

    Beautiful Pipit.

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  10. Shy SB - I was SO lucky in so many ways that day but sometimes, with time, I can forget that. I guess in a way perhaps having him around is a reminder of that luck as well as making me sad not to ride any more.

    Parsnip - I love the idea of a rent-a-goat!

    Jenn - thank you and I still don't quite understand the versatile blogger thing!

    Rusty D - Home would be better but I think there's probably a 5% chance of that! I just don't consider him badly enough off to be put to sleep. How terrible that people are actually doing that as a solution to their horses they can't care for. The woman sounded like it really happens a lot.

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  11. I wonder if someone on the IHDG (Monty Roberts and Kelly Marks) would take him on as a project? There are some very very experienced folk over there and have turned around horses with serious problems . . . I used to be a regular member of their forum when I had my horses, but have moved away from it now. Having said that, their advice might also be that he could never be trusted now, due to his past cruel treatment, and that the best thing you could do for him would be to have him put down. The hardest decision of all. I don't know his full background though.

    Do you have my e-mail address? If so, please contact me.

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  12. Em, this is a good website to advertise project ponies on:
    http://www.projecthorses.co.uk There's also a project page on our local horsey website here in the forest(gets tonnes of visitors):
    www.nfed.co.uk
    I'll ask my friend to mention him on hampshire hooves which again gets lots of readers. If he'e meant to move on someone will find their way to him. Until then, have a read of my most my recent post. I don't know why I felt I had to write it today, perhaps it was for you. It might help (and might repay your earlier support over Minty). Thinking of you. CT x

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  13. BB - That's not a bad idea. I don't have your mail address but if you put it on the etsy thing I can get it that way. Or just mail me at emparko@gmail.com. Natural horsemanship was definitely working for him so maybe someone would take him on....I did!

    CT - I will check all that out tomorrow when I get home - thank you so much. Off to bed now and I may be getting the worry dolls out! Always helpful I find.

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  14. What a difficult decision for you. I haven'y been following long enough to know the gory details, but it must have been not only physically painful but also left its toll mentally as well. I salute your courage in keeping Trigger. She is a very beautiful animal. I hope there's a solution for you.

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  15. What a difficult decision for you. I haven'y been following long enough to know the gory details, but it must have been not only physically painful but also left its toll mentally as well. I salute your courage in keeping Trigger. She is a very beautiful animal. I hope there's a solution for you.

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  16. My heart goes out to you--I'm not a rider being a bit afraid of horses--their size and seeming capriciousness. I did manage to stay on my husband's lovely horse, Pebbles through 4 days of a pack trip into the mountains of Wyoming. It didn't seem wise to push my luck with doing it again.
    Animals, like humans, can be so damaged by ill treatment. I hope you find a solution that can be a comfort to you.

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  17. Dear Em, I'm sorry you're having a difficult time atm, know where I am xx

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  18. What a dilemma, Trigger is such a beautiful creature, I have no ready answers. Though this happened to me in my 20s, my horse Sue was involved in a car crash, and I never had the courage to get back on. Kept her for a couple of years more, she had an old donkey to keep her company who then died through old age. Forced with making a decision, I did one foolish thing, advertised her Free to a Good Home. Tons of replies, and I realised I could not choose. So in the end she went to a children's home as a pet and hopefully to end her days happily in retirement.....

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  19. I can't believe she said to put him to sleep!

    I wish I could help you with your problem, being on this side of the pond isn't much help. Hopefully someone will come along and help you.

    We have had a goat in the past with one of our show horses that was nervous and flighty. The goat calmed her down but we had to take it everywhere with the mare as she would raise such a fuss if the goat wasn't in her sight.

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  20. Virginia - He is lovely, if a little small headed!

    MM - I'm so impressed that you did four days on the trot. I couldn't have done that even in my riding days!

    Jopsy - I do and thanks for goat advice and asking your friend.

    Thelma - I'm so glad she ended up somewhere so nice. I wish Trigger was a bit more child friendly.

    Gail - I love the idea of the goat going everywhere with her although I imagine it was a bit annoying for you at times!

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  21. I was saddened to read this about your pony boy, Em. I hope something can be done for him and he is lucky to have you in his life.
    As for that trek to the round pond, that tree is totally cool.

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  22. Isn't it! Some of the other trees are even more sculpted by the wind but this is my favourite.

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  23. Em - this is such a hard decision for you.

    The Project Horses website would be a good place to explore. It is run by a very knowledgeable horsewoman who has been on the IHDG ( Kelly Marks` website discussion group) for years. I found someone for one of my NF youngsters through Project Horses.

    All the very best with finding Trigger a home. Maybe there is a calm, sensible older horse out there who could take his place one day.....?

    Have you tried the Mare and Foal Sanctuary in Devon? Just a thought......

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  24. Thank you. Yes - I've looked at various sites but I need to know where he's going which makes handing him on difficult. I've just found some grazing with other ponies for a month which will help matters and buy time. Also, moves are afoot to find somewhere to buy where my Mum and I pool our resources so she can have her own space and we get somewhere with some land which would be great. Somewhere with enough land for him and a donkey or something!

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