Newsletter No 74 Fforest Uchaf Farm. Maindy Road, (Maendy) Penycoedcae, Pontypridd. R.C.T, Wales. UK. CF37 1PS Tel; 01443 480327 info@pitponies.co.uk www.pitponies.co.uk www.sponsorapony.co.uk Open to visitors by appointment only. But do ring 07798584735 and try us if you’re in the area. www.visitpitponies.co.uk
Adults £4:00 OAP/Children £2:00 or £10:00 per car. Groups/Schools/Clubs by appointment. Special needs visitors please telephone to discuss your needs. 25 YEARS PLUS OF PROVIDING TENDER LOVING CARE TO NEEDY HORSES & PONIES
Oooops! In Newsletter 71 going on information given by a visitor we told you that the Bevin Boys association was being dis-banded. It appears that was not true. They are very much alive and kicking and can be found at www.bevinboysassociation.co.uk or by letter via the Secretary Mrs D E Todd at The Chalet, 24 Oldfield Way, Heswall, Wirral. CH60 6RG. We apologise for the miss-information. The old Pit Ponies enjoy their light airy stables. In Wales they wore their harness all day. It consisted of a headpiece, Collar, Pad over their spine, Pad on their rump, britchin and the iron shaft & gun. As a constant reminder for humans {not ponies}we used some old shafts cut in half to decorate the tops of the gates. In the picture left you can see Pit Pony Dylan hanging his head over the half a shaft to see what I am doing. Dylan and Jake are company for
each other and their Hay rack fixed inbetween them. When they come in they have a big feed each and a whole bale of hay to share all night in their rack.
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At nearly 1000 Ft above sea level we don’t have to worry about flooding. But 100 + consecutive days of rain this winter on the Farm have taken its toll here. Water runs off the fields above us and comes down our driveway like a river. When it’s really bad it brings lots of the small stone with it. The power of running water is quite something. It often digs deep gullies and makes the driveway impassable to small cars etc. We have used many extra bales of straw for bedding and also wood shavings which we find are very good at soaking up the wet in the stables. Lots of extra Hay has also been consumed as it’s been too wet for the ponies to stay out for very long. The ponies have been using the Nursery field as a play-ground this winter and we have just managed to work it into a seed bed ready for new grass seed. Far to early really but the weather came dry and windy and we did it wondering if a hard frost would come and kill it or weeks of no rain would shrivel it up to nothing. We are just waiting for some better weather to warm the soil so we can watch it grow and we can turn out the ponies for the summer into other fields whilst it grows back. “Thanks a million” for your support through www.easyfundraising.org.uk. Another cheque came in for £49.56 from your efforts. Don’t forget to tell your friends and family to sign up at
www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/pitpony Please find enclosed poster of “Rosie” We have several other healthy young ponies who need good forever homes. Please do your best to put the poster up where horsey people will see it? Country stores who sell feed saddles etc. would be good. A little taste of Wales. Welsh rarebit. Slices of Granary bread toasted until golden on one side then spread thickly with a mixture of grated Llangollen Cheese, (other cheeses will do but will alter the taste) 1 x lightly whisked free range egg, 1 x tea spoon of English mustard cooked all together in a Ban Marie (pyrex bowl) with the mixture in lowered into a saucepan with some boiling water in and stirred with a fork until thick and creamy. Spread the mixture thickly on the untoasted side of the bread and toast until golden and bubbling. Serve as a lunchtime snack with lashings of hot tea. Mwynhewch y pryd! (Enjoy your meal)
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Jessie came off of Dartmoor with her foal Little Megan covered in Hay. at foot (Fearless). She is serious kicker and everyone here both two and four-legged give her a wide berth. She lives in the Yard over winter with mini Megan who can kick even harder and faster. Jessie has gotten fed up with waiting to be turned out for the summer so has jumped the fence uphill into a little paddock with a little covering of grass. Never a dull moment here! Ooops! another apology due. The gremlins got into the system when we printed the address sheets for the last newsletter and many addresses missed their second line and all your supporter numbers came out wrong. Hopefully they will be right this time. Steven pictured here last summer helping repair the duck house on the pond he has been a helper around the yard for some considerable time left at the beginning of April for a job in an office. We think he’s bonkers but it’s what he wanted, so Good luck Stephen! Wanted a very old caravan. Not plastic windows. The age we are looking at it would have had glass windows. 1950s-1960s to be renovated by volunteers to make a tea room for them. Maybe when it’s done we could offer short breaks here. News, Views and thanks of how you help us help them. Page 3
We have started converting stables 1 & 2 into a hay store. We took the old leaky roof off. Raised the walls about 4 feet and put a new roof on. It makes sense to have the bales at the top of the yard and carry them downhill, < This is Murray a volunteer from Zimbabwe via the University next door helping clear the floor. Angela saw him wandering about with a friend and invited them to come and do something useful. Only Murray came! He worked hard was very pleasant company. Hope we have not killed him off. He is pictured here sieving the scrapings from the floor as its 80% stone 20% soil and only useful if separated. An old wire supermarket basket dangling from a tripod we used to lift heavy items before we had the JCB works ok. His grandparents came from the UK Yorkshire. His parents were born in Zimbabwe. The government has taken 500 acres of land off of them and given it to indigenous people and makes them repair/maintain their tractors etc. This seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special offer! 2 x Full colour Bookmarks (designed by Trica Sturgeon) <The picture shows the back and front of them. They are printed on glossy card in full colour. Also 2 x ball point pens, lightweight in white and green with green text so quite easy to spot when you need it! 1 x Stainless steel trolley / locker tag. And finally a Pony Key ring. All for just ÂŁ10:00 including post
and packing.
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Letters from friends. “My late Grandpa was Richard Edwards. He worked at Penrhiwceiber Colliery. He could be heard walking down the pavement at 4.30am. The day the Horses were brought up, Grandpa was home having his breakfast, when one of the men shouted at the front door, “Richard come quick” Grandpa turned to me “bring all those carrots and apples and follow me now. I did as he bid me! My Dad was in the Royal Air Force, we had just come back from Singapore, just in time for this day. As I followed Grandpa, a loud voice was yelling, it was Merlin, Grandpa went to himplease, All Merlin was saying was please take this off my eyes I can’t see where I am going. Grandpa spoke to him and I put an apple in his mouth. Then I fed the others and I was allowed to walk the other side of him so I could talk to him and give him a cuddle he was good after that. We took them up to a field where I spent most of my time. Every time my Grandmother bought apples I nicked them! Well I had to spoil the mob. Recently my brother told me Grandpa took him and my younger brother David down the pit just before the Horses came up. He can remember the shaft. That made me jealous. They were 5 & 6 years old. When I was about 6 years old my mother, Grandpa and me and I went to Velindre to visit his twin sister, opposite the bungalow was a paddock, running about was a beautiful white horse called Lady. I climbed up on the stile, she came over to me. Grandpa watched as I climbed on her back.. I said Lady told me I could! I loved her, after that any Horse would do. But after I met Merlin he had been my love! Grandpa taught me about wildlife. So when I gave up Nursing and I went to work at the London Zoo as a keeper he wasn’t surprised. Clearing out the ponies one morning the director (and Senior Vet) heard me shouting he came to investigate. I was trying to muck out and the four of them kept running off with my mop and bucket. Trying to see to their hooves was a nightmare. If I went to catch hold of one I would get offered another. Don’t tell me they don’t know what they are doing. The Director told me one day that the animals at the Zoo were all animals until I went there to work. No idea what he meant. I have enclosed a picture of Grandpa and Merlin by my side. How I wish I could turn the clock back!” I am writing books at the moment. One on the history of Nursing and Nurses who have gone before. Another about being brought up as a Military Child. And yet another one on Rhino’s. Hope this tells you of my love for Pit Ponies. I wish I could come home. I am alone here now as my husband died last year. My family live in Cwmdare. Katie also adds she is the cousin of Rugby’s Gareth Edwards but has no contact with him.
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After they have all been out to play outside in a small area with their friends, whilst their stables are all cleaned and re-laid for the next night. They are eager to come in for their feed and to fill Puzzle & Arnie eager to come out to play. up on hay. Then next morning they are st st asking to go out again. It’s a lot of work for us from 1 November until 1 of May. As soon as the grass comes they are no longer so eager to come back at dusk asking to be let in. When the end of April comes they know its sweet grass time and can’t wait to get out for the summer. We just have to wait for the seasons to turn and it’s Out for summer at last. This picture shows not always by them with Eglysyllan mountain behind the calendar.
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Gallery. The sheep have wintered well and are pictured here enjoying their hay. They are very elderly now but do a good job on the weeds
Dylan caught pinching carrots.
Winston enjoying his carrots! These stone stables and barns are a great deal of comfort for our animals.
Toddlers do the cutest things!
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Donations have recently been received in memory of; Mrs Aileen G Reidy, Mrs Myra Powell’s Father. Mr Mary Hoare Mrs A Jackson,
oO-0-Oo Lukie, Beauty, All Pit Ponies past and present.
For the love of Horses. Why do I like horses? I think I must be mad. My mother wasn’t horsey – and neither was my dad. But the madness hit me early – and hit me like a curse. And I’ve never got much better. In fact, I’ve got much worse. My stables are immaculate. My house is like a hovel. Last year for my birthday – I got a brand new shovel. I hardly read the paper – but I know who’s sold their horse. And wouldn’t watch the news – unless Mr Ed was on, of course. One eye’s always on the heavens – but washing waves in vain. As I rush to get the horses in – in case it’s going to rain. And though their wearing umpteen rugs, the best that you can get. I bring them in to keep them dry – whist I get soaking wet. I send every pound I’ve got on horsey stuff for sure. I buy saddles, bridles, fancy rugs – and then I buy some more. I should have had my hair cut – or bought that nice blue shirt. Stamps are still doing well At least it wouldn’t now be ripped and showing up the dirt. Thank you all who save them I can’t make the books balance – so I don’t even try. For the ponies and please tell But I can back a car and trailer in the twinkling of an eye. your friends work colleagues Its jeans and joddy boots that I live in night and day. and any Other contacts. And that smell of sweaty horses just doesn’t wash away. Once every now and then I dress up for a ball. Please keep the old With make-up and posh hair do-and high-heel shoes and all. fountain pens, DVD,’s I ache from long forgotten falls. My knees have got no skin. Jewellery, watches etc. My toes have gone a funny shape from being all squashed again. But late at night, when all is still – and I’ve gone to give them hay. coming. It will all turn into the bills for feed, I touch their velvet softness and my worries float away. vets and farrier paid They give a gentle nicker and they nuzzle through my hair. And I know where my heart is – more here than anywhere. for. Thank you. This anonymous Poem was found as an image on the Internet.
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