Hay shortage 2018 doubling Eggsy's feed costs

Beginning to feel like all we talk about here on Eggsy's blog is hay, haylage, but, there's a nationwide forage shortage at the moment. The high rainfall during late summer and autumn of last year prevented additional cuts of hay / haylage / silage which has resulted in less available forage, that, and a higher demand for forage, again due to wet weather conditions, has sent the price soaring.

What a shock we had with our latest forage delivery, the bales were less than half the weight of our usual supplies effectively doubling the cost.

As we don't have enough pasture to supply all of Eggsy and his equine friends nutritional needs we have to feed forage all year round so this has come as a devastating blow to us. Imagine if you went to do your weekly food shop and found that everything had doubled in price. This is likely to last for several months until the new 2018 hay is ready, if there is a good crop the prices will hopefully fall again, if not then it will remain high. 

At the moment I don't know how / if we can ride this out, as you know we couldn't afford to finance Eggsy ourselves and depend upon donations to cover the cost of his care. We have had the most wonderful support offered these past few days with huge thanks being owed to:

Elizabeth, Christine, Norma, Lisa, Susan, Sally, Nancy, Amina, Pernille, Eleonore and several Eggsy friends who prefer to remain anonymous.

But can we sustain this during the coming months? What's to be done if we can't? Those are the questions giving me sleepless nights at the moment!

About Eggsy:

Eggsy is a rescue pony he was abandoned and left to starve by his owners as a foal. His care is funded by donations.

You can read the story of his abandonment here: About Eggsy Pony

Would you like to help Eggsy? 

Eggsy has a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds for his care, we'd be really grateful if you'd go take a look, share it far and wide via your social media and of course if you can spare some money please donate.

Help Raise Abandoned Foal Eggsy ~ GoFundMe

Thank you, Eggsy and I really appreciate it x

Too wet a winter

It's been difficult to think of anything to blog about other than the abject misery of mud caused by the seemingly never ending precipitation in one form or another. It's heartbreaking seeing your animals in such conditions knowing that there's little you can do to make life more comfortable for them than to keep their bellies full. At the moment there doesn't seem to be any light on the horizon with another mainly wet week forecast. If this is what we're facing with climate change British horse owners are going to have to learn new ways of management.

Times are going to be tough even when the weather improves, there's a forage shortage now meaning rising prices (if you can find any to buy), fields will need repair as will fencing. Some of our fence posts are rotting in the water logged conditions.

See why I haven't wanted to blog? I really don't want to moan & whine all the time!

"Don't let the incidents which take place in life bring you low. And certainly don't whine. You can be brought low, that's OK, but don't be reduced by them. Just say, "That's life." Maya Angelou

Anyway Eggsy & I have much to be grateful for, your help spreading his story and your financial assistance which has been an absolute godsend with the rising price of forage. I honestly don't know how we'd manage without you.

We have some overdue thank you's for Christine, Philo, Nancy, Norma, Emily, Elizabeth and our anonymous friends it's your generosity that has got Eggsy through these last few weeks. 

"If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded." Maya Angelou

About Eggsy:

Eggsy is a rescue pony he was abandoned and left to starve by his owners as a foal. His care is funded by donations.

Would you like to help Eggsy? 

Eggsy has a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds for his care, we'd be really grateful if you'd go take a look, share it far and wide via your social media and of course if you can spare some money please donate.

Help Raise Abandoned Foal Eggsy ~ GoFundMe

Thank you, Eggsy and I really appreciate it x