This message is from: Doug Knutsen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> This message is from: Peg Knutsen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Hi Julia et all, Regarding the safety of Apple wood for rescuing wildlife from a horrible death at the hands of one's watering tub - it ain't necessarily so. We had our pasture inspected by a botanist friend who warned us that new apple shoots, especially suckers, are quite poisonous - I believe he said they contained cyanide. So we keep the pasture free of those as well as the apples. To Mike May: OK, OK, I'll come out of the "lurking closet" and introduce myself and herd. My husband Doug and I have begun breeding Fjords under the "Knutsen Fjord Farm" name. So far, that name is a little pretentious, as we are living on less than 5 acres, but soon we will be moving to Ellensburg - central Washington. [10 acres, new email address, Bed and Barn, etc] Our stock is from Anvil Acres: Anvil's Silka and her kids Rocky [stud colt so far], Pepper [weanling filly], and "zygote" in the oven - due next May. We are bumbling around learning the ropes, aided and abetted by our trainer Heidi whose alias in the Herald is "Tinkerbell." Readers can follow this amusing process by reading the "Midlife madness - setting up horsekeeping" series in the Herald. We became interested in Fjords by encountering so many of them in lower BC. [Perhaps "interested" isn't quite accurate; maybe fascinated, smitten, obsessed, twitterpated...?] So far, we've been to Libby '97 and '98, two local local Fjord play days, Equitana '98, two PNFHPG meetings, the Eugene Evaluation clinic and Evaluation, and one NFHR meeting. Heidi has been working all along training our horses and us, but this process has been interrupted way too much by our other life. We are both in the process of becoming semi-retired - whatever that means.... I'm also doing the copy editing for Sally on the Herald [when I'm in town], so you can blame me for correcting your grammar or spelling - it's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it! Our goals? Learning more about everything. Will continue to breed, hoping to include some grey stock. Will keep developing competence in handling, riding, and caring for our Fjords. [A life-long process, I know, but time flies when you're having fun, right?] As soon as feasible, we want to learn to drive and pull. Are we nuts? Not sure, but we're meeting lots of wonderful folks and being exposed to many different, shall we say, points of view. And having a grand adventure. I'd love to hear from readers the "one essential book" to read while "setting up horsekeeping." Also any comments anyone would be interested in sharing on my series in the Herald. I'm trying to shape up my writing skills as one way to support my "horse habit" in the future. Thanks for wading all the way through this introduction. I look forward to hearing from you all out there in cyber-Fjord land. Cheers, Peg
