What is going on here on the farm right now — work, visitors, animals, weather. We write here as we go, so you can see how things really are with us.
We are extending the arrival paddock
Zuza and Steiger grazing in the garden. This is our arrival paddock, the place for horses who are new here. We are now extending it by another piece of land, still overgrown for the moment. It has to be cleared and fenced.
Our neighbours helped us as well. They let us graze a piece of their land. We will not name them here, but they will know who they are. Not everyone has neighbours like that.
Why a new horse does not join the herd straight away
A horse who comes to us is in most cases a horse who has been through treatment. And he can only join the herd once he is as healthy as possible.
Being accepted into a herd is not always a pleasant business. The horses drive the newcomer off, they are curious and they show him where he belongs. And they do it fairly roughly.
It can be done more gently, across a fence. The horses see each other, get used to each other and slowly become acquainted, without being able to reach one another. An introduction like that is far milder.
Even so, a horse has to be as healthy as possible before joining the herd. In a day the herd can cover several dozen kilometres of pasture. A sick horse, or one still recovering, would fall behind and suffer.
Teeth were done
Our vet came to do the horses' teeth. It is something that often gets forgotten — and yet a horse with sore teeth eats badly, loses weight and tends to be edgy. A check once a year saves a great deal of misery.
A report for Farmárska revue was filmed here
A television crew came to film for Farmárska revue, a Slovak farming programme. Originally the filming was to be about the problems of draught horses from a veterinary point of view — and that was the subject we had been looking forward to.
Except our vet threw us in at the deep end and a report about our association was filmed as well. We were not prepared for that. We did not even really know what we were meant to talk about.
So it turned out the way it turned out — no preparation, no rehearsed lines. Perhaps that is better. At least it was honest.
We are building a new hay barn and stable
For the past month we have been building a new hay barn with a stable. We need somewhere for the hay to stay dry and the horses to be under a roof in winter.
The frame is up and most of the roof is done. More photos will appear as the building goes on.
Making hay
The hay season is in full swing. We make our own feed — it is a whole summer's work, but it is what lets us feed a herd we could not otherwise support.
Photo gallery — here on the farm
Horses, work, weather, everyday life. Added as we go.
There is always someone on the farm
This is a farm people live on, not one they drive out to. Someone is with the horses several times a day, in the daytime and at night — and besides us, members of the association and our helpers come here at all sorts of times, at weekends and on holidays. The pastures are covered by cameras and trail cameras, and the footage is stored.
Would you like to see more?
We add photos and videos as we go. If you feel like coming to help, or just to have a look, get in touch at riozdruzenie@gmail.com.
More from the farm
What we need right now
Materials and things you can help us with right now.
Our machinery
The machines that pull all this along — and why they need replacing.
Thank you
The people without whom it wouldn't work.
Become a member
Application and what membership means.