Disaster!
Before Xmas the land that my stables resides went up for sale, and land prices being what they were went for nearly 2 million pounds, well beyond the price limit of the lady who rents the land and runs my stables.
So far she's not heard anything about the person that owns it, but it stands to reason that if you pay that much for land you'll wanna build on it, and its a good few acres, enough for several houses, shops, god knows what.
Which leaves the question of, what will happen to the 30 odd horses and ponies that currently reside there.
Its a worrying thought, some of the show Arabs, and other horses that compete will be kept obviously, for breeding and she does own a little bit of land to which to keep them on, some of the others would have good homes, if she put them up for sale, but then there's the worry of what kinda homes they'll end up in, at least at the stables, they get retired off to a small holding when they get too old to work to live out the remaining years in peace.

But what about the likes of little one-eyed Captain? He's well into his 30's, he came to us from the RSPCA after kids attacked him and his constant companion Chelsea with bows and arrows, he's cheeky and full of fun, but far too old really to go and start life over again. What about little Charmer, tied up and beaten with an iron bar? He's still scared of men and cant be used for riding and the laminitus in his feet means he cant be used for a companion pony out in a field.
BamBam too, Manny, Pod, Trooper, all live on painkillers, would someone be willing to pay out masive vet bills for a pony you cant even ride?
And the people that I've known since I was 6 years old and working at the Stables is all they've done from School. What will become of them?
Horses that have characters and are as real to me with personalities as vivid as the people who care for them, will they end up as glue or dogmeat?