Not much Christmas Good Cheer - Is there any funny/good news out there

carole · Post by **carole** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:06 pm

Feeling a bit fed up at the moment and need cheering up as we had our tractor stolen at the end of last week. They didn't take anything else and thankfully they didn't hurt/release any of our animals (they would have had to walk past all of our gang to get to the tractor). Anyway I didn't want this to be a wallowing in self pity thread but more of has anyone got any funny stories/observations as I could do with a boost.

108-1260406081 · Post by **108-1260406081** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:16 pm

how an earth do you get away in a tractor.

carole · Post by **carole** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:18 pm

very slowly :D

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:36 pm

We've had a spout of tractor thefts around by us Carole. They were targeting just New Holland and Ford, all second-hand. Our friend had her New Holland pinched. All knicked to order.

Also just been told by the police about horse thefts by us. What they do is send someone out to select nice horses and ponies in the light, that person give them some tits-bits and ties a little knots in the mane. They then come back later, run their hand along the mane and take any with a knot in it. So the police said if you notice any little plaits that you didn't put in, give em a call.

Edited By Broomcroft on 1261402632

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:27 pm

One of our most annoying thefts was used Welsh slates - because there were 2 pallets full and they had the audacity to sort them and leave any imperfect ones!!!

I was Soooo angry.

Stephanie

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:30 pm

Yes - I heard that about plaits - it is an old gypsy thing and when my horse got one last year I had a bit of a fit, he spent a long time locked in the stable, also we had gates opened, so they are now all chained and locked.

I was particularly scared as he was 28 a gorgeous palomino but didn't look his age at all.

Stephanie

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 4:44 pm

Be sure if you are seeing plaited bits of mane that it is not just the other horses in the field doing it. When we had two fell ponies stabled together they could do a very convincing job on each others mane. I don't know anything about the horse thieves marking them, but I can forsee a lot of needless fear from quick glance at naturally done stuff.

Duncan

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 6:18 pm

Interesting - and a good point, the field mate of the palomino is able to turn lights on and off, turn the tap on, take my hat off, it noow seems untie and unbolt gates and he even tries to use the yard brush!

Stephanie

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 6:39 pm

Using the yard brush sounds the most useful ability to concentrate on. Maybe it will get proficient enough to clean up after the Dexters. Maybe it could even teach other horses.

Duncan

Minnie · Post by **Minnie** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 7:41 pm

Stephanie,

I never wanted horses but your one that uses a broom now that's my sort of horse, do you think you could teach him to wash up. If so I'd love him.

Have thought if only my lazy cats would do some work and now read you have a horse willing.
:D
Vicki
PS Carole, this thread will make you smile... especially the thought of this horse. :laugh:

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Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 10:12 pm

Broomcroft wrote:We've had a spout of tractor thefts around by us Carole.

Please note that this is Shropshire terminology. We don't have spates of thefts, we have spouts ???

carole · Post by **carole** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 12:19 pm

At this time of year surely you have 'a sprout of thefts'
Just as a complete aside does anyone know who it was it was who thought yellow baler twine was a 'good idea'?

Edited By carole on 1261480805

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:42 pm

"Just as a complete aside does anyone know who it was it was who thought yellow baler twine was a 'good idea'?"

Can we have a straw poll on that?

A baleful howl goes up!

Duncan

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:59 pm

At the beginning of the thread you asked for good news. Well it might not be everyones idea of good news but it cheered me up! A feral cat deposited her 2 kittens in the barn, deep in the hay bales next to my Dexter heifers and bull a couple of weeks ago - pics below.

They are starting to respond to a boiled egg and a few tasty bits of meat twice a day and Mum waits at a safe distance for her food and eats when I leave. She gives them increasingly huge dead rats to keep them company on a daily basis but so far they are quite uninterested in dining on rat. I am delighted to say they were sitting with the first one when I decided to show a them to a rather horrified townie friend who wondered if we were sitting near to many live ones, I decided not to answer!!! :D

Stephanie

jeanthomas · Post by **jeanthomas** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 9:23 pm

Saffy, your kittens are gorgous!! We sadly lost one of our cats last week, she was a rehomed feral I acquired from the Cats Protection League in 1989. She was an adult cat when we got her, her approximate age according to their vet was 18months to 2 years. She had lost her hearing in the last year. Until this year she had remained feral and had never needed to visit a vet!! This year she had become, finally, very tame. Kittens are on the wish list for the new year!!

Carole, so sorry to hear about your tractor, I hope you had insurance cover.

Jean in snowy Suffolk