Sunday Morning

This is charlotte faulkner unable to remember her own password so using Jo"s page.Well the sun is shinning, i have hot tea and i have nearly finished setting up the training programme for Pony keepers seems to be the only way to get any goverment funding towards our battle to keep ponies on the moor. Newsletter also finished so anyone who wants to know what we are trying to do please email me and i will sent you a news letter. The radio programme on channekl four was good i felt although i would like people who commented to do more than just cry out in horror, actually take action to help us give these ponies a chance. Sadly as Natural England couldnt comment they could not say"The grazing numbers are limited by Natural England agreements and perhaps it is the environmental agreements that are playing a much bigger part than give credit to to driving the reduction in numbers?  I know we have to dispose of colts and unmarked etc - but nowhere have we mentioned the cause and effect of Natural England agreements?" Moving swiftly on the article in the mail on sunday, ok i suppose same applies we need everyone to help us and ask more questions of the authorities who impose all these things upon us.
ok i am going of to hug a few ponies muck out feed and train the three i am getting quiet at the moment. Stanley is ready to go home so will let them know later Piper is still being rather difficult as he knows he has teeth and the spotty pony is ready to no bad thing as i have four more arriving this morning who i have homes for so will get them microchipped and passported this week and then they can go to thier new homes, preferably before tuesday as i then have 15 coming in, they have been away on conservation grazing up country, but are not allowd to stay all year.

since i last decided i had something interesting to say, the sun came out yipeeee the cuckoo called and the swallows arrived or two of them any way. We seem to be rushing around in endless small circles at the moment.
I have to thank one omy dearest friends for coming to my rescue and helping me clean the inside of husband tims boat which had suffered horribly from English winter black mould everywhere. What a wonderful kind person and she bought sandwiches as well. It was Storms birthday so we went out for supper where ginny works Blue Tiger Ilsington, yummy supper but all a bit tired. Sunday morning of to Foxworthy to muck out seven stables and bed up for night, try and be useful. Tizzy came to help me as we needed to get away on time 12.30 as we had the musical ride practise, Tim brought the music he had selected and it really started to come together, now we just have to teach ponies to lie down and work out finale no pressure then and find one more pony.
Storm is now in New Zealand or i hope that is where she has ended up, she managed to lose her phone in Brisbane airport.
Four ponies have gone down to Dartington to try and set up the grazing project again, this is a wonderful idea but came to a drastic end last year when the field flooded and seemed suspicously like sewage not just river water.
This morning was spent litter picking the site with some great kids from BTVC who are helping create the ideal place for these ponies to be. We were encouraged by how much healthier this area of wetland looked many more wild plants than last year and less litter. I put this down to the ponies but i suppose the sewage and cold weather could have had some bearing on the wonderful extra large primroses.
Enough said i have cleaned my house with Ginny s help and it hasnt fallen down with shock. Stacey came to teach ponies to lie down while i wrote a plea to the forestry commision to let us use new take at Bellever, fingers crossed, they will see the value in supporting us.

 Mrs Charlotte Faulkner Vice Chairman of Friends of the Dartmoor Hill Pony and secretary of  Dartmoor Hill Pony Association wishes to work alongside Mr David Bowden to take on the lease of the Lakehead New take to continue to introduce the management plan for ponies on Dartmoor. It is a very important project for maintaining our valued icons of Dartmoor and a vital part of our heritage. The New Forest  and Exmoor  pony keepers are following the project closely but there is a great amount of interest from those managing semi feral herds in Australia, America.

The first year of the project was successful with a stallion running with a herd of 20 mares if you to have a copy of the initial report available on request. Year two is about to start and a fresh secure parcel of land is needed to run project on as the ponies have to be checked every day and regularly scanned and the land owned by the Forestry Commission to the west of Belever forest, Lakehead New Take, would be perfect.  We wish to rent the  New Take for  phase 2 of this project which will not only help preserve the ponies on Dartmoor but will also be of value worldwide for the management of Feral and semi feral equines.

We would restore the fencing where required and manage the new take to benefit the ecology, managing the Gorse etc, we have discussed with the local community our plans and everyone seems enthusiastic and a local farmer has offered to help to improve the sward in the new take by running the cattle in order to encourage the return to an area for plant animal and insect life to thrive once more. 

how could they refuse easily it would seem sadly.

well to day has gone so well 13 boys gelded, why to give this by product of keeping dartmoor as we know and love it a chance at a future, they are so gorgeous. Dart vale Vets Victoria and Johnathan arrived and the team began the conveyor belt. Thank you to John Terry Barry Lyn Tizzy Philip who dropped a pony off and got the trailer unstuck, Susie who brought her pony Ted, Sophie and her two children who took a pony home Quibble to join Quality Street who they brought back to get her micro chip now she is tame, still one of my favourites. Granny did a delicous lunch for everyone including Castration cake, named by my son Thomas, as its the vets favourite, lemon cocoanut cake to those who dont know better.
Fixed the fence up again for moving ponies as Queenie Wills young Shire seems to prefer it on the ground, back to the drawing board on that job.
A couple of hours in the office then fetch Thomas and update Nigel one of our committee members who couldnt make the AGM.
Tizzy and i had a meeting to discuss a few more details for the musical ride and Tim has agreed to sought out the music yipppeeeeee.
Thomas back from wood work full of fun having had a great time, back in the office to write this and find photos for new website for friends and start to do banner boards, i would love to do one saying
"Why should a pony be condemned to death because it hasnt got the write paper work even though its brother has, where is the justice in that and how ill it help Dartmoor......stop ranting" goodnight

ok so the wonderful Will has shown me what to do so you can see what i write as i havent achieved that yet, here goes. Day didnt start well, Tim and i discussed finances i can see the only option is rob a bank or win the lottery. Set of to collect a pony for gelding and rehoming from Bickington got lost so late, lovely people help me manouver barriers to entice one small red head into trailer. We did it. Got home did office, well some of it any way, ginny middle daughter appeared and we got pony in that she is breaking cleared shed. Tim kindly got tractor to position our last three bales, where am i going to get more why hasnt the grass grown. Took a call from a charming person wishing to rehome her amazing pony all singing and dancing, this is happening about once every two days now although i felt this was very genuine. Started mending fence Hannah who features as my wonderful help appeared and finished job as i went to meet man in charge of National parks bid for pots of money, meant to be about community Phil and i tried to explain the ponies vital role and how they should be included as a priority for help to keep thier heritage alive. Brick wall i think. Barn ready for colt cutting tomorrow two more ponies arrived and left hay for the final one of our night visitors. Another one arriving in the morning, for gelding and rehoming. Went to doctor who says i have a disfunctional nerve in my ear, those who know me will say it is more widespread than that. Home to supper Darling Tim made delicous pasta. Will arrived to sort out my most recent computer glytches i now have a cloud not a halo sadly, Ginny's boyfriend arrived and we cracked a bottle of champagne i had been given for christmas as he had good news to report. as i go to bed five ponies in barn ready for action and more in the field ready for the vets attention tomorrow.    

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