For some strange reason, we were both awake early this morning! The truck was due at 10.30am, but with a sprinkle of snow on the ground and icy patches on the roads, we assumed it would be a bit late.
We wanted to give the horses a bit of a clean up before they travelled so I brought them in early, hosed the muck off their feet and fed them. Anne arrived at about nine to start the cleaning process and we were both very calm and relaxed as we scraped the chunks of mud out of their fluffy coats.
That is, until twenty past nine when one of our many spies around the country rang Anne, to say "Lovely truck! Just saw it at the Dunkettle roundabout" - about fifteen minutes away! (Thanks Shona!)
Our work-rate increased dramatically, and before long they were in a respectable condition and ready to go!
Anne had a quiet few moments in the stable saying goodbye to GiGi, but I was waiting for the truck at the end of the drive.
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| Here it comes! |
It was too big to get up our drive, so Paddy the driver parked it at the corner where our drive comes out onto the road.
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What luxury - they'll never want to go
into the trailer again!
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| Pepper and Lily were fascinated |
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| I look like the Michelin man - it was COLD! |
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| Labelling the horses |
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| Flurry went first |
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| A little gent as always |
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GiGi can be funny to load sometime, but she
couldn't wait to follow Flurry up the ramp |
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| Does this truck make my bum look big? |
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Anne's last goodbye (I gave Flurry a kiss when no-one
was looking!) |
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| Flurry got the stall with a view! |
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| Pity we couldn't squeeze Lily in there as well! |
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Paddy giving Anne details of the route - he's taking
them all the way to Macon. |
They'll have a rest in George Mullins' yard in Co Carlow, then they'll be loaded up again for the ferry crossing tonight. Paddy has to drop one horse as he crosses England, then they'll arrive in the yard at Dover later tomorrow. They will all have another rest, then they leave on one of the night-time ferries and travel down through France overnight, arriving in Macon at about seven or eight in the morning. Poor Nathalie will have an early start. Fingers crossed they have a good journey and the "hand-off" goes smoothly.
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| Ready to go |
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| It was a tight squeeze getting around the corner! |
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| Bon voyage, chers chevaux! |
Not as traumatic as I thought it would be. The driver was a real horseman which gave me great confidence. Very slick organisation
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ReplyDelete..and now, at last, the question that remained unanswered for so many years has been answered...PADDY is 'taking the horses to France"...(thanks George)
ReplyDeleteHahahaha
ReplyDeleteBon voyage!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh what a long journey, bon voyage et bonne chance
ReplyDeleteExciting stuff!
ReplyDeleteBon Voyage!
ReplyDeleteWe're looking forward to hearing how their journey goes ...
Clive & Murray
Exciting stuff! We have used Mullins a few times and horses always arrived in top condition after a 3 day journey so they are in the best hands =) Can't wait to hear how they settle in to the new place
ReplyDeleteJest to lonf Journey. Mullins to piękne miejsce do odwiedzenia w czasie życia. To naprawdę ekscytujące, aby odwiedzić i prom zrobić nie można skrócić podróż, ponieważ są one wygodne i oferuje relaxable podróży po Europie.
ReplyDelete