What's this all about then?

I can hear you asking that even as I type.

This blog is all about the trials and tribulations of the Lluest Horse and Pony Trust, a small equine charity that is stuggling to stay alive in a big charity world. It is also about our lives here. That's me by the way in the photo; I am the tall one in the coat and hat, the short guy is my beloved greyhound Merlin and we were posing for a photo on whatI have found to be a typical Welsh summer's day. Actually for the benefit of any American readers, that photo was taken on the 4th of July. So much for the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer then.

My husband Adrian (manager) and I have been here just over two and a half years. We upped stakes, packed everything including all our animals into two artics and moved here from Suffolk in October 2006. More about all that in a later post i think. So we moved from the land of flat and drought to the land of song, mountains and what sometimes seems like never ending rain.

We love it here. We even love it when the rain comes down sideways, the mud is over the top of your wellies, the wind is taking your hair out by the roots and yet another pony stands squarely on your foot.

The last couple of years have been a big learning curve, neither of us had any charity experience but we have enthusiasm, committment, drive or perhaps we are just gluttons for punishment, who knows.

We have had many sad times here, many times when I have lain awake all night worrying about whether we will still be here in a year's time. But equally we have had many joyous times; the birth of a foal from a rescued mare, getting it just right when rehoming an animal, the way special needs people react when they have intereaction with a horse or pony or even just watching an aged mare canter up the field for the first time when you thought for sure she would never be capable of doing such a thing again. We have cried a bit but we have laughed a whole lot more.

I hope to entertain anybody who happens to pass through my blog, I shall do my best anyway. There will be some photographs as well. There is rarely a day goes by without something out of the norm going on.

I hope you all enjoy it.