Welcome Violet

Violet just a few hours old

Triskelion's Violet finally appeared at breakfast time on Saturday 14th September 2013.  Mother and daughter doing fine.  Another successful delivery by Rosebud, even though she was some 3 weeks late by our reckoning!  Never mind, she's a healthy heifer and that gives us two beautiful girls who will be looking for homes in 2 to 3 months time after weaning.  As with all our calves we will start handling them and teaching them to halter and tie straight away.  With a height of 21 inches a few hours after birth she will be a mid-sized adult, perfect for milking and will undoubtedly have the easygoing personality of her mother.

"'Tis the Season"

The Dogwood (Virginia's State tree) in the yard is now in full leaf, which means that gardening is in full swing!  Now, I am a reluctant gardener whereas Jorg is an enthusiastic one.  While I am dragged, kicking and screaming, to the various veggie beds I do, of course, enjoy the fruits of our labors.  We have already tasted the first strawberries from our small patch, have harvested the early beet, and have lettuce and spinach available in satisfying amounts for our regular salads (along with eggs from the chickens). Now that the last frosts are over (we hope!) the tomatoes from the greenhouse are in the ground, as well as broccoli, brussel sprouts, and snap peas.  If the bugs don't get them (mild winter, so a possibility) and a possible drought is avoided, we shall have a great Summer feast.  In the pipeline, it takes a couple of years to get them established, are asparagus, paw paws, plums and blueberries, and with the existing figs, peaches, pears and apples, promise a "fruitful" future.  Funnily enough writing that all down makes the back aching work in tending the beds, and keeping the bugs at bay almost worthwhile!

The Myth of the Old Horse

When I was a teenager, it was common knowledge that a 20-year-old horse was old. And we all knew what that meant. The horse would get progressively skinnier and no amount of food would fatten him up. He would cost a fortune to feed. It was only a matter of time before he died.

But things have changed a lot since then. We know a lot more about dental care; we have softer foods for horses that have started to lose their teeth and foods with a better nutritional balance for this group. We know how to keep them properly hydrated so they are less prone to impaction colic and we have better medications to ease the aches and pains of those old guys and gals with arthritis. We have medications that can help treat age-related conditions such as Cushing’s Disease.

The horse in the photo is Bear. Bear was a severely malnourished horse when we obtained him at the ripe age of 27. He had a body condition score of 1 (a weight and condition index that ranges from one to ten). He also had severe rain rot and a rough coat that indicated that he was loaded with parasites. Today, he is 38. Bear has very few teeth and thrives on a diet of soupy senior mix. We put a lot of water in his food because, if it is a mash consistency, he will choke on it. Bear receives regular dental work because, otherwise, the teeth that are opposite of those he is missing (and there are many) will not wear down and will become sharp and uncomfortable. But while all of this is important, none of it is difficult, expensive or time-consuming.

Some horses, like some people, just have good genes when it comes to aging gracefully. But nearly all horses need a little help from their friends to keep them comfortable. Bear loves people, especially children, and his girlfriend Lily. He has a good life and with a little help from us, should have a long one.

For more information about the care of senior horses, please visit our friends at Traveller's Rest Equine Elders Sanctuary at: http://www.equineelders.org/

Since you’ve asked...

The name of our farm, Triskelion (Tris-kel’-yun), is the symbol of the Manx national flag and the motto is that of the Isle of Man. As many of you know, Tom was born there. The son of a dashing Royal Navy Officer and a vivacious, curly-haired Manx girl, young Tom spent his formative years in Douglas (the capital), sloshing through tide pools, watching pond yachts, getting shot by arrows and losing his shoes in the mud.
Tom later moved to England, where he spent the remainder of his childhood and most of his adulthood, before meeting Jorg and moving to America (for a second childhood, Jorg occasionally swears) .

When it came time to give our Burkeville farm a name, we opted for Triskelion, as the motto reflects our stubborn optimism that no matter what life throws at us, we’ll be okay. It also speaks to the resilience of the White Bird horses, who have been through so much, and who, whichever way they’ve been thrown, still stand.

Fly Away Home

The circle of life at a horse rescue starts when someone surrenders a horse into our care. For any of an infinite number of reasons, the horse that reaches us is unlucky enough to have no one else in his corner at that moment in his (or her) life. But that moment starts him or her on a new life that may end peacefully at White Bird, or be full of promise as they begin a new life with families anxious to welcome them.

Today, we said good-bye to a lovely young mare who came to us about a year ago. We have watched her blossom from a timid, dejected three year-old, to a confident, healthy young mare.



Her adopter found her through one of our ads on Petfinder. Louise is no stranger to rescued horses and knows that there are many out there in need of homes. So when her favorite girl passed away, she knew that there was another horse out there in need of a family. When they met, it was immediately clear that Louise and Flicka had a wonderful chemistry and we know they will become great friends.

Today was hotter than blazes. We stink and we are tired. We filled water buckets to the brim, angled fans and made sure that all of the old codgers stayed out of the heat. Running a rescue is hard work. Why do we do it? This is why.