MOVING ON – FAERIEWOOD’S FUTURE AWAITS!

I have been idle for a year. Well, almost a year. It was something like hibernation and the time is here to finally wake up and move on. Much has happened in the past year, so it was not a total waste of time. I completed my first year of study for an equine behaviourist and I am busy with the advanced course. I have learnt much and I am thankful for that. I have also made wonderful friends, for which I’m even more thankful. My last post ended with a cryptic “watch this space”.
Well, it is time to find out why you’ve been asked for almost a whole year to “watch this space”!
Faeriewood Friesians will now have two other components – Barock Pintos and miniature therapy horses.
To reach the dream of breeding Barock Pintos I got coverings with Zerro, Far Hills Pintado Stud’s imported Tobiano Warmblood stallion. So, in a year’s time I will have my first Barock Pinto babies to show off. I guess that entails a bit more of “watching this space”, but I’m sure it will be worthwhile!
As for the miniature therapy horses – that is another dream. A dream to fullfil the promise I made to use my horses to reach out to people who need it. Next year, God willing, I will start to study with the Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Institute of South Africa (EAPISA) so that I can use my horses to help people who desperately need solace, therapy, a gentle hand and lots of love. Especially horsey love. The miniature horses are perfect for this. They have lovely temperaments and being small, they’re not intimidating or scary. The last thing you want to do to a person with issues, is scare them to death with a 17hh behemoth! So, near the end of last year Domino, a 7-year-old pinto mini gelding joined us and wormed himself into our hearts with his cheeky nature and gentleness. About a month ago 10-year-old Lancelot (stallion) and 2-year-old Lilly (mare) joined us. Lancey is lovely and tame, but Lilly has trust issues, so we’ll sort that out and use her as an example that it is worthwhile to trust new people and embrace new adventures.
What will also happen within the next month is that we’ll get a brand new and beautiful website! Thanks to Audrey Moolman of Far Hills. She offered to help me with the website and we’re almost done!
I have also embarked on an almost impossible task – sorting out my house and garden.
Oh boy!!
What a job!
This mammoth project should be finished in about a month.
I’m known for being an optimist…..
I would like to get people to come to the farm, have their family, wedding and other pictures taken with the horses and enjoy some time away from the city.
This, however, is a long term project. How long term?? Gosh, I dunno…. we’ll see. But definitely more than a month!
Okay, the past year.
Well, Johan has been through a lot of chemotherapy late last year. This year he was part of a clinical trial and we’re still busy with the aftermath of that. He is doing very well, but will have to be on a maintenance medication for the rest of his life. The bone marrow cancer is lurking. We have to put it to sleep. It will never go away, but we’ll keep it subdued.
As for my horses – well, the bunch is as happy as can be. I’ll post pictures again as soon as they don’t look like woolly mammoths any more. I gave my mares a season off and now we’ll begin to prepare for them to be artificially inseminated with Zerro’s semen.
We’re optimimistic. We look to the future with faith. We know we are blessed and plan to reach out and share our blessings with other people!!