Last night I had to get some of my sheep in. It was pouring with rain when I went to feed and Eliminator the older ram wouldn't come for his food. So I got him and his ladies in to the shed and gave him some antibiotics. Last couple of days he wouldn't eat. He's been a bit funny for the last four weeks. He wouldn't come into the shed to feed with the other ram and ram lambs. The younger ram Jonah has become more dominant this year and only had to turn his head and Limmy backed away. He also got hit one night and landed on the floor when Jonah charged at him right in front of me.
I separated them two weeks ago and put them in with there respective ladies. He picked up and looked much happier in with the girls. Think he was relieved to be away from Jonah. He'd been doing his job. Sadly this morning when I went to feed and see how he was I found overnight he passed away. I think he might of had some internal injuries. He just hasn't been quite himself but I'd hoped that with time away from Jonah and fun with the girls he would get over whatever it was. I'm sure it was probably caused from being hit. I'm really sad just now. He was getting on, and for a ram he's done well, but with that awful weather last night it was clearly too much. It wasn't his time. He looked really well over the summer. What with loosing the cow a few weeks ago, now my ram. It feels like things are on a downward spiral just now. Rest in peace Eliminator.
An hour later I find myself loading up my horse to take him for a riding lesson which I booked. Which proved quite interesting. It was in an indoor arena which we've not done before and was just a trot pole lesson, with only 3 in the class and an instructor I didn't know. He spent the first 35 minutes of the lesson spooking every time we went up the long side of the arena on one side, he also didn't like the banner on the wall on the end of the arena. So we kept cutting that end short as well. The spooks down the long side meant that we couldn't turn into the poles as we were already spooking across the arena in towards them. Slowly he started to accept that side and went more straight but still sped up going down that side. I was also pushing him a bit too much and need to learn to slow him down. I've booked another lesson so hopefully he will go in there next time a bit more confident. Apart from the spooking it was a really nice lesson. Can't wait to try again.
I separated them two weeks ago and put them in with there respective ladies. He picked up and looked much happier in with the girls. Think he was relieved to be away from Jonah. He'd been doing his job. Sadly this morning when I went to feed and see how he was I found overnight he passed away. I think he might of had some internal injuries. He just hasn't been quite himself but I'd hoped that with time away from Jonah and fun with the girls he would get over whatever it was. I'm sure it was probably caused from being hit. I'm really sad just now. He was getting on, and for a ram he's done well, but with that awful weather last night it was clearly too much. It wasn't his time. He looked really well over the summer. What with loosing the cow a few weeks ago, now my ram. It feels like things are on a downward spiral just now. Rest in peace Eliminator.
An hour later I find myself loading up my horse to take him for a riding lesson which I booked. Which proved quite interesting. It was in an indoor arena which we've not done before and was just a trot pole lesson, with only 3 in the class and an instructor I didn't know. He spent the first 35 minutes of the lesson spooking every time we went up the long side of the arena on one side, he also didn't like the banner on the wall on the end of the arena. So we kept cutting that end short as well. The spooks down the long side meant that we couldn't turn into the poles as we were already spooking across the arena in towards them. Slowly he started to accept that side and went more straight but still sped up going down that side. I was also pushing him a bit too much and need to learn to slow him down. I've booked another lesson so hopefully he will go in there next time a bit more confident. Apart from the spooking it was a really nice lesson. Can't wait to try again.
