Dung beetles 🪲
Active Dung beetles 🪲
Only other land management nerds will understand my excitement when earlier this week after 18months of almost daily kicking over of poop I finally saw dung beetles working away in not only 1 but half a dozen I kicked over!
Last active season we had limited numbers in the top paddocks but no matter what I couldn’t get them down the front where the land had previously been used to farm due to all the chemicals used in that process and the damage it does to the soil biome.
This year over winter contemplating our continued management we finally bit the bullet and ordered a batch of beetles specific to our area. It was only last week we received the email notification from the ecosystem teams working on them that they were almost ready and due for delivery later this month or early January (weather dependent).
A nice $1k saving now that our practices have meant they have made their own way here 🙌🏻
All the girls think I am just a crazy old hippy when I insist we don’t use poison, worm at correct times of the year when the bugs are dormant and fecal count the remainder only worming our high shedders to avoid the beetles being killed off. We don’t overgraze and erode and we also return all the goodness we create to repair our permaculture.
I’ll continue to be the crazy old hippy if it means we keep getting these 😝
Dolly
Super proud of these two superstars as they set out to their first pony club rally as a combination today 😍
That huge smile didn’t leave Idelia’s face all day as she showed all her friends her new pony.
When this little jockey came to us 4 weeks ago she couldn’t canter independently without loosing a stirrup and balance and then Dolly doing her classic freakout at “why is there a tiny human clinging to my side and not on top?!? 😳” resulting in a dumping.
Idelia is so committed only missing one day of riding since due to being away for a weekend with her folks.
This is 4 weeks to the day we met them and look at them go! 😱
Makes my heart literally melt seeing Dolly still giving and teaching these mini equestrians at 23, so proud of them both today working as a team .
Match the kid to the pony and there is no stopping them.
I couldn’t be more proud of our Dolly today as she carried her little partner in crime around. My heart was in my tummy as I’ve seen her dirty stop and dump many before her but I think this time she has met her match! Dolly didn’t even look like thinking about it once all day 🫶🏻
She adjusted so well to her rider, she would do this course at a flat gallop with the big girls aboard but happy to trot around at Idelia’s pace!
She has my whole heart and will never leave us but no point her wasting in the paddock now our girls are bigger when we can share her and get results like this 😍
#LakevaleCupieDoll
#Jorayla
Jij
Not my recommendation for cool off walks but Jorja marches to the beat of her own drum 🤷♀️
The old girl showing them all how it’s done on the skinny bridge. Straight on, not a second look👌🏻 Can’t say the same about some of the “younger” equines 🙊 aka big scardey cats 😂
The old girl showing them all how it’s done on the skinny bridge. Walked straight on, not a second look 👌🏻
Can’t say the same about the “younger” equines🙊 - aka scaredy cats 😂
#LakevaleCupieDoll
Not yet 3 months off the track but I already feel safe enough for this tiny human (she’s 10!) to pilot this amazingly laid back equine!
She’d been asking almost everyday since he arrived 🤦♀️
Finally this week she got her chance 😍
#Texerro
We said goodbye to Glam this week as she finished her stay with us and headed home.
Lots of goodbye kisses and scratches as we were loading up.
We’re happy to see that the horses were able to help Glam achieve a little zen while she was here. From being terrified of them in the beginning to relaxed enough to regularly be seen snoozing.
From busting through fences if her BFF was taken out for a ride to not even looking up from grazing 👌🏻
She’s spent some time living life like a horse in a herd and went home in her winter woolies (sorry Krystal 🥴)
Still a long way to go and I personally believe she will always be a “diva” 😜
The toughest ride Aylissia’s had yet but somehow she still loves her 🤷♀️ not sure I’ll ever find an equine that kid won’t connect with!
Aylissia free riding Dukey boy with our new neck rope from ZL equestrian 😍
#MalibuParkCalzini
#Jorayla
Aylissia free riding Dukey boy with our new neck rope from ZL equestrian 😍
#MalibuParkCalzini
#Jorayla
When the suns almost set, mummas feet hurt and we should have been home hours ago…
“But just five more minutes”, “Just one more turn”!
We do it all for afternoons like this!
Who needs tack anyway 😜
Baby Emerald coming back in like a pro over the past 2 months after a very looong and unplanned spell due to a tendon sheath injury.
Maybe a blessing in disguise though as she has matured beautifully.
Rising 5 now so I should probably stop calling her the baby 😝
We’ve re started nice and slow and tonight was the first time we thought we’d try jumping again in over a year. I was on my own so a little tough to video and show her the way (there was a lot of sky videos that ended up in trash 🙄) but I caught a small snippet!
#Jorayla
#LillysScarlettSerenade
When you get your turnout time from founder pony jail and can’t contain your excitement, want to eat ALL the grass like a kid in a candy store and play with your mate all at the same time!
Sunny recovered and feeling fiiiine 😍
#FairlightAcresSunglow
Afternoon Zoomies for some of the crew today 😍
They were having a blast!
Sunset rides with the ponies 😍
Sunset snuggles 🥰
Wickey and Chevy lovin’ some lovin’ lately. Both gentle souls.
“Scratch ma butt Boofy!”
Another Jorayla success story!
Here is top dog Chevy and his new best mate Boof.
I’m sure Boofs owner thought I was bat 💩 crazy multiple times the first few weeks Boof was paddocked with the bachelor’s when I told her “this is normal behavior while he is an intruder to the herd but they will accept him just be patient”. (We had tried him in with my herd and he was fabulous until the girls started to smell good, then he proved himself a confirmed batchelor 🤣)
Every day Elly saw Chevy chase Boof off every single time he came within 3 meters of him or any of his mates.
The batchelors had been a settled herd for quite some time and didn’t feel like they needed any new members 😜
By week 3 they could be seen sharing a bucket and I get to witness this perfectly matched play style every day, some times I see them play like this 3 times a day 😍
They are now buds, never far from one another and it makes it so much easier for their owners to head out on a ride together - always more settled with friends, they are a herd animal after all.
A settled herd hierarchy should not be underestimated! We are lucky enough here to have plenty of space and are willing to take the time to move them around to find their perfect fit!
So this is spring…
Sunny showing Dolly his special new founder pony shoes, she’s on season so showing him her special bits and Wickey sailing through spring but upset he too isn’t in founder pony jail 🤦♀️
Roll on summer and some browned off grass!
(Aylissia’s video skills 😬)
Splash splashing our way into spring time night rides!
Crammed as many in this week as we could before the rain sets in for another week 🙄
Splash splashing our way into spring time night rides!
Crammed as many in this week as we could before the rain sets in for another week 🙄
When you REALLY have to practise your patience because your mum is taking sooooo long putting all those damn supplements in that it’s like 10mins later that you actually get to eat 🤣
What a good boy Wickey is 😍
#DunelmAbsolution
