Faith has a Guardian Angel

This bank holiday weekend, we finally got around to setting up the Paddock Paradise track again. I was so pleased to do this, as I think it is a wonderful system, and the horses are never more healthy and happy than when they are on it.

So yesterday morning I turned the girls out, and showed them that the track into the ‘firing range’ field was now open.

Unfortunately, i had completely forgotten about the small herd of goats that my neighbout is now grazing in her dog paddocks next to the track that goes into the firing range field. As Faith cantered past the fence, she spotted the goats and took fright, and ran straight into the internal electric fence of the PP system. The fence was on at the time, and as she came in contact with it, she tried to leap it, didn’t quite make it, and got tangled up. I was about 100 yards away at this point, and all I could see was Faith leaping three times in the air like a stag, to the accompanying sound of wooden fence posts snapping. On the third leap, she ran out of slack, and got pulled to the ground. I felt so sick.

By the time I got to the entrance of the field, she had somehow untangled herself, and was standing up looking for Tilly. I spent the next hour dismantling the track, and getting the girls back into their original field. I briefly got the chance to examine Faith, and there didn’t seem to be a mark on her, but she was too worked up to stand still enough to let me get a proper look.

So the girls spent the day in their original paddock, and Ipopped out every hour or so just to check that all was generally well. However, it wasn’t until Mum came across to sit with the boys in the evening, that I got the chance to get the girls in and give Faith a thorough examination. Miraculously, apart from a few small rope burns, she was fine.

I don’t doubt that Faith had an angel looking after her yesterday. The sight of her running into that fence and getting tangled was just one of the most sickening things I have ever seen. Needless to say, I shall be waiting until the herd of goats return home before I think about opening up the PP track again.