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

17 March 2013

TRIGGER GOES ON HOLIDAY AND A REDWING


Today Trigger started his month's holiday down the road. I walked him there, took off his halter and let him go. I haven't seen him move so fast for a VERY long time! It's rare to see the Arab in him, but, like this, it's really obvious. Banner tail, nostrils flared, he looks fabulous. When I took his rug off earlier this morning, he looked awful to be honest. Coat flattened and the rug induced bald shoulder patches.....you wouldn't have known it was the same pony. His new companions ran for the hills in fear as he careered around like a mad thing. When I went back this evening, I found the very kind people who live next to the field feeding him carrot and giving him a cuddle. I think he's going to be fine, even if the mares don't take to him!








When I looked out of the window at 6.45 this morning, I was horrified to see it was snowing again! It lasted for about half an hour with proper big flakes and settled on the grass for a couple of hours.


When I took Snippet out at 8.00-ish, it was cold and foggy but as I walked, the sky began to clear in the distance and lit up the hills in a most beautiful way.


Foggy, snowy sheep


Fog into the distance


The sky begins to clear

As I stood in Trigger's field (the old one) a few minutes later, the skies had cleared almost completely and the snow dusted hills looked stunning.



In the field beyond, the fieldfare flock was enormous and I managed to snap a few of them:



And these starlings:


When I downloaded the pictures later today, I discovered that one of the Fieldfare I'd shot was in fact a Redwing! Very excited and I can see another one in the background.


When I left Trigger he seemed pretty calm and happy so I feel like I've done the right thing. He'd managed to put a huge rip in his rug but never mind. Still no sign of the companions....they may come round but if he continues to chase them around like he was, he may be out of luck. Until next time, I'll leave you with our resident pony who I think I should name if she's staying. Daisy will do her very well. 






21 comments:

  1. what a delight to see Trigger enjoying himself like that! He is so handsome.

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  2. How nice for Trigger to go to another field for a holiday...well, we humans like holidays after all! Hope he settles in okay with the others. He looks a lively and lovely boy.

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  3. Yes, I do hope Trigger settles in.
    Beautiful redwings! I don't think I've ever seen one.

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  4. Mon Dieu !

    He will not want to move back to the smaller field after seeing "Gay Paree"

    cheers, parsnip

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  5. Trigger is really a handsome boy and I hope the mares will stop running and see it too!

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  6. Isn't he beautiful - unmistakably Arab! Enjoy your new pastures, lovely one.

    Your new friend looks like she'll drop any minute. That will be exciting for you.

    And the birds - how beautiful they are. And how good your camera is to catch the detail so far away.

    Thanks for the photos. I hope the weather improves soon.

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  7. Lovely photos of his Lordship! How I miss not having my darling boy (Crabbet Arab) any more as he was SO beautiful to watch when he was having a silly five minutes. Looks like Trigger will enjoy his holiday anyway.

    Great bird photos, and I'm not surprised the winter chappies are still around.

    Daisy looks like . . . a Daisy to me too!

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  8. Trigger looks thrilled on his holiday!
    Snow here too today!

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  9. It was joyous letting our horses out of the barn to watch them frolic; every day even around the dinner hour they used to kick up their heels. Do you leave Triggers rug on him all the time? we always left ours off so they would grow their heavy winter coat since they preferred outside then in the barn. Very cold here still with temp in the minus dbl digits. xx

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  10. I think Trigger's companions will come around in time. It was great to see him running around having a wonderful time.

    Great snow photos on the moors!

    Your Redwings don't look like ours :) Ours are black with a red bar on their wings. Starlings are starlings no matter where they live :(

    Looks like Daisy found a nice safe place to foal.

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  11. Kath - Not so handsome with the rug off at the moment!¬

    Ann - He is extremely lively which is one of the reasons re-homing him is virtually impossible. Time will tell....

    Rusty D - I THOUGHT I'd never seen one but perhaps, at a distance, quite a lot of the Fieldfare have actually been Redwings.

    Parsnip - You're right - he's not going to be happy at all.

    Kim - No sign of the mares this morning....I think they're hiding in the gorse bushes.

    Virginia - you must be pretty autumnal over there now? Trigger is not looking so Arab-like this morning!

    BB - Glad you agree about Daisy. I was trying to think of white flowers but everything was too fancy for her.

    Elizabeth - Let's hope this really is the last of the snow!

    Cindy - He had it on because I wasn't planning on seeing him again until morning and it was forecast to go down to minus 5 again. His coat underneath it is like a mop!

    Gail - Starlings are indeed starlings wherever you go. They are roosting nearby so we see huge numbers flying over if we go out at the right time.

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  12. Definitely an Araby boy in those pics, let's hope it all settles down a bit for you both now. Lovely pics of the moor as always. We have plenty of redwings and very few fieldfares here. I'd not seen redwings till this so-called Spring. CT x

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  13. He seems fairly settled today but having the moorland ponies right there on the other side of the wall will get him all excited again.

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  14. I do hope those mares come round to adore Trigger - how can they possibly resist him.
    Lucky you to get some sunshine down there - up here it is still snowing that horrible wet snow.

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  15. The obvious joy in the first photo was a pleasure to see. I hope his holiday goes well. Some very atmospheric photos here, such a different landscape compared to what I am used to.

    It's always worth looking among a flock of Fieldfare for Redwings and there are sometimes a few Mistle Thrushes among them too.

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  16. Weaver - You poor thing with the snow. It's wet here but the sunshine has started to dry out the puddles a bit and raised our spirits.

    Shy SB - I will be looking a lot more carefully from now on. The thing is, they're usually so far away that only blowing up the photos allows me to see what they are. Today it's Dunlins I think....I'll be wanting your opinion in the next post!

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  17. What a gorgeous Pony Trigger is and he looks so happy and full of the joys of Spring :) Do so hope he enjoys his holiday.

    Some lovely atmospheric photos of the moor there too.

    Its so lovely to see huge flocks of Fieldfare with a few Redwing too :)

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  18. I`m sure i won`t take long for the mares to fall for Trigger. Isn`t it wonderful to see the Arabian Half come to the fore sometimes! Our old Arab x Section C can still turn from a rather ordinary Welshie into a stunning Arab with her banner flying in the space of seconds.

    Hoping that Trigger enjoys his holiday and that Daisy gives you lots of fun when her foal arrives.

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  19. Ragged R - Yesterday I saw what I think are Dunlins but need the nature savvy among you to confirm that!

    DW - The Arab in him is very well buried in his past. If you have a moment of utter boredom, put his sire's name into google and have a look at him.....Ardenhall Missoni. not my kind of thing but very attractive. Somewhere in his past ther is an Arab relative, but quite far back.

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  20. That first photo really lifted my spirits em
    J x
    Ps photos on way soon x

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  21. Me too John - it's nice to see him enjoying himself. I'll look forward to those pictures! x

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