Country diary: The newborn foal unfurls and stands beside his mother

Tebay, Cumbria: This is a rare breed and intrinsic to farming here. Happily, the new addition is receiving plenty of protectionIt is the first morning after the last yow has lambed, and I am thinking that I don't need to slide out of bed at first light, when my phone lights up to say that I have an answerphone message. A neighbour has phoned to say that one of her fell ponies should have foaled during the night, and do I want to meet her at the bottom of the fell to go up and see?It is a morning of all pervading dampness as I make my way to the fell. Mizzle is falling and having the effect of "bouncing" everything around me into life. Blue, white and violet bluebells stand nodding in the rain, and the grass seems to have woken up after the dry spell. It is very "growy" weather - just what is needed after lambing to revive the meadows. To help, we keep the sheep stock off so that the grass can grow and we can make hay. Continue reading...