Day 14 - Lunar Eclipse
We later on found out there was to be a lunar eclipse that evening. So we all lay out on the veranda to watch the lunar eclipse happen. As time past the moon turned a muddy brown colour. We all retired to bed before seeing it return to its full whiteness as it had started to drop cold. Definitely will be a memory to take away from my Africa experience!
Day 15 - Freedom Day!!
So today is a public holiday here in Africa. The weather here is extremly windy so we shall not be riding. This gives us all the perfect opportunity to have a relaxing day doing basically nothing.
Laura and Lucy spent much of the day cutting up the cow for meat to see us through. Laura also the previous day showed me how to make bultomg, so that will be ready in a few days.Nothing better then organic meat!
I spent much of my day curled up with a good book. Definitely having a very relaxing day!
Day 16 - Start of the Barefoot Workshop
As most of the staff had worked the previous day, they had their day off for the public holiday today instead. So as the Panacur worming programme lasts 5 days, today was to be the last day for the endurance horses and the weaned foals. By this time all the foals were used to having this done so it did not take long for Ashely and I to go round the herd giving them all their dosage and they could go back out to their camp.
Perseverance often run a weekend dedicated to teaching people about horses being barefoot; care of the hoof, what is a good hoof and what is a bad hoof as well as riding the barefoot horse. Today was to be the start of this weekends workshop, so whilst I am staying here I am also attending this workshop.
The workshop started in the afternoon, with several people attending and staying at the homested with us. Laura firstly gave us a presentation regarding their horses and why they do it this way before we went out to the yard to look at the horses hooves. Laura showed us good and bad points to the horses hoof looking at the natural shape which had been worn away by the terrain. It was very interesting to see Mauser's feet and how they had been worn from his 160km 2 weeks ago compared with Mubrook whose feet had only been worn from the recent training. We also got a chance to look at Rafiki's hoof which had in the past worn shoes and compared his with the Perseverance horses which had never worn shoes.
After we had compared these horses hooves we all took a trip out to see the mares and foals, with Laura and Bob naming who was who and their pedigree. We did go to the stallion camp also to see the spring and to see if we could spot the 3 stallions; Amir, Orient and Magic but they were not to be seen.
Back at the farm, we were ready for our group meal before tomorrows day 2 of the barefoot workshop.