30th June: Since last writing, I have had an accident. On 10th Jume, Shona and I were about to worm ponies when they all took fright at something and galloped towards Eliza who knocked me unconscious and stood on my leg. Shona ohined for an ambulance and the next thing I knew, there were 2 paramedics, 5 policmen and my neighbours, Robin and Gregor, all standing round me. I was taken to Stirling Royal where I had 14 stitches in my leg. I was given crutches and told not to put weight on my left leg. I was allowed to drive an automatic car, thank goodness. I am very lucky that Eliza only stood on my leg: it could have been much worse. I did keep saying to the paramedics,"Please tell me I don't have brain damage." They must have thought I was mad.

Lee Ann Bunn from Virginia arrived that day and we had booked a spa break at Knock Castle which I had to back out of.

I was determined that I would go to the Royal Highland Show, but knew I would be useless as far as doing things with ponies. Shona and Nicola took over with the ponies and both tried to make life easy for me for which I am truly grateful.

We got there despite my leg and the lorry's failing to start. Honey was unplaced;Honeybee, her foal, was 3rd; Lizzie, 3yo was 5th and Royal Caledonian was 5th. I was especially pleased that Cally behaved perfectly. I hired an electric scooter at the show which helped stop the swelling on my leg. lee Ann lived with me in the lorry, but we had no power to the living. It was a good show, with scorching weather and I enjoyed the break.

6th June: Wonderful weather made Gargunnock Show a great event. I took Honey and her filly foal, Honeybee and 3 year old Elisabeth (Lizzie). I was delighted when all three were placed first by judge Sandy Baird and even more delighted when Honey was pulled forward as In Hand Champion.

29th May: Cally and Eliza, yearling colt and yearling filly, went to Drymen Show today. Shona and Nicola were handling them at their first show. (Well, Eliza was at RHS last year with her dam, but hasn't been shown since). They travelled well and behaved well after they had got used to the ring. Cally was 1st and Eliza was 2nd. I have to admit they were the only two yearlings forward but it was ggod experience for them.

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Eliza

19th May: The last Highland Cattle of my breeding have just been sold. The three heifers (a 3 year old, Annag, and two two year olds, Annag and Maisie) have been sold to Vicki's sister-in-law, Morag. I had thought to put them away for beef, but they are all good heifers and should make good cows, so I was reluctant to beef them. I still have six young bullocks for beef.

14th May: Elise foaled this morning. She has a colt foal and I think he'll be black. She was 8 days late by my reckoning. He's a big boy!

1st May: Honey has foaled. I thought she might as she was waxing yesterday. All well with mother and daughter, who is grey dun and by Haakon.

Hope and Honeysuckle made the long journey to Caithness on Wednesday night and arrived safely with their mew owner, Lynm Cormack.

16th April: It's a while since I last updated. I survived through the extreme cold, lived without electricity, without water to the house or steading, had a leak from my cold water tank in the thaw and it had to be replaced. In February, my mother-in-law took seriously ill and so I had to visit her in Glasgow four times a week. She now has carers, who are great and that has taken the pressure off me and Vicki.

Hope and Honeysuckle have just been sold and will go together to their new home when their new owner finishes lambing.

Honey is due to foal on 20th April and is already bagged up. She's in foal to Haakon. Elise, in foal to Kestrel, is due at the beginning of May.

Last month, three ponies escaped from their field, gorged themselves on sheep and cattle feed and gave me a few worrying days. The liquid paraffin obviously worked as all three are fine and had no symptoms of colic, laminitis or anything. Thank goodness!

25th January: Happy New Year!

The pony who has been loaned is Rabbie Burns of Fourmerk, who is now with Mary and Colin Forsyth at Friockheim. Mary is delighted with him and Rabbie has a really good home with her. She's been riding him and he's been well behaved and friendly.

18th December: The meat has been selling well recently.

I have had updates from Tulah Tuke about Laddie who has settled in welll at his new home.

I've also had news of a pony I sold who is now on loan to a really good home: more news when it is made public. Watch this space!!

I now have 15 ponies as well as Dillon, Vicki's gelding. I still need to reduce numbers to make it possible for me to cope. The ponies for sale are:

Tuskerbister Jarl Haakon: grey stallion, foaled 1999, who could be loaned to an experienced home. He has left quality foals and has amazing action.

Hallam of Fourmerk: yellow dun gelding, foaled 2008, a friendly lad. Should make a good ridden gelding but has blemishes (which do not affect his action).

Fourmerk Holly: yellow dun filly, foaled 2007, who has sweet itch but is a lovely filly.

Fourmerk Honeysuckle: grey dun filly, foaled 2009. A very sweet, pretty filly who is of show quality.

Royal Caledonian of Fourmerk: bay colt, foaled 2009, and defintely stallion potential.

Heather Jock of Fourmerk: yellow dun colt, foaled 2009, first foal of MacCallumdene, and again, a potential stallion.

25th November: A while since I've updated! Horatio arrived safely at his new home. After his departure, I sold MacCallumdene to Robert and Heather Shave who intend to produce him under saddle and to breed from him. Laddie has also gone to a new home with Tulah Tuke in Norfolk. It's quite fitting that she bought him as Laddie is a Fyfedene grandson and Tulah knew Scott when they both worked together on films, when she was make-up artist and he provided ponies/horses. I was sad to see all three leave, but I know they have all gone to good homes where they will be appreciated. I now have fifteen ponies plus Vicki's gelding, Dillan, but still need to reduce numbers.

17th September: Horatio has been sold to Ramon and Jo Drake from Lincolnshire and leaves for his new home tomorrow.

17th July: Heigh Ho was put down today.

30th June: The Highland Show was good. A bit hectic on the Wednesday morning as the water supply (private) failed, but Shona and I with Elise, Eliza and Bella got there safely. Elise was pulled in first but another pony was put ahead of her in the final line up. Eliza was third. Bella was in a huge class of yearling fillies and got nowhere.

I organised the Highland Ponies for the parades with several volunteers who did a great job and it all went smoothly.

30th May: It is two years today since Ronnie's accident.

26th May: Message for Mrs A: we spoke yesterday. Please send me an email (joan@fourmerk.com) and I'll reply to you.

24th May: Perrie was put down yesterday. She had been brighter on Friday because the painkillers controlled the pain but yesterday morning she was in so much pain that there was no option but to have her put down.

22nd May: Hope foaled eight days early on Sunday 17th May. It's a filly and so my foaling is finished. Two colts and two fillies. Perrie (TB) was lame last Saturday. It turned out to be an abscess but the vet didn't diagnose it and put her on painkillers. Yesterday she was in extreme pain with colic and I thought she was going to have to be put down. She's not out of the woods yet and is on strong painkillers. She isn't dunging much but even a little is a hopeful sign.

8th May: Rosemaree wasn't due till 14th. Imagine my surprise to find that she had foaled yesterday afternoon, again about 5:30pm. It's a colt and his sire is Kestrel. I swithered about bringing Rosemaree and her boy in for the night, but he was up and sucking and the forecast for hail showers had changed on BBC. So I left them out. Poor wee man: the hail showers did come and as I had a committee meeting and it was pitch dark when I got home. He seems fine this morning, as do the other two. Elise's filly is adventurous and has been attempting to make friends with Honey's colt, but he's too scared to go near her.

Honey's colt by Mack

Elise's filly by Kestrel

Rosemaree's colt by Kestrel

5th May: Elise foaled this afternoon at 5:30pm, three days early. A filly! The sire is Kestrel. I saw her foal from the kitchen window through the binoculars. The weather was horrible: wind and heavy rain. I had to get help from my neighbour to get them indoors. The foal was two and a half hours old by this time and hadn't sucked. I thought it was a colt. It's a very dark colour and might be bay or black. It was a struggle to walk them up to the steading past Haakon who was going mental! However, about half an hour after we got them safely in, the filly was sucking. Thank goodness! I had been dreading spending all night getting it o suck. She has filled out all ready. I have asked my neighbour, Robin, to name her: a name beginning with E.

Two more to foal: Rosemaree is due on 14th to Kestrel and Hope is due on 23rd to Haakon.

28th April: Honey foaled on Sunday morning early. She has a big, strong, yellow dun colt. He is the first foal by MacCallumdene.

19th April: Since last writing, I have bought a pony. Fleetmead Eilidh, who was bred by Deirdre Robinson is by McInnes of Fourmerk and out of Trailtrow Funeuch Ensay. I loved the colt foal I had last year by McInnes but had no use for him as a stallion and I had desperately wanted a filly. Deirdre had said she wanted to keep Eilidh, but she h=generously changed her mind and allowed me to buy her.

Eilidh is a very pretty, sweet natured filly, well handled and a credit to Deirdre. She's mouse dun at present but has white hairs through her coat, so will eventually go grey.

The winter has been a struggle for me with no help with ponies. My neighbour helps me with the cattle and so the bluetongue vaccinations have been done. I have six young cattle and two bullocks have gone for slaughter, the meat to be collected next week.

Honey is due to foal next week to MacCallumdene. This will be his first foal so I am full of anticipation. Hope, Elise and Rosemaree are also in foal.

12th February: I have just had Bramble PTS. She was 30 years young in spirit. She took colic today and the vet said she would have required surgery but that he would not put a thirty year old through that. Nor would I. She died with dignity.

We have owned Bramble of Croila since she was six, when Vicki bought her. Bramble was always a law unto herself and a survivor. In all the years we served her with the stallions, she only had three foals: McGregor of Fourmerk, Benjamin of Boquhan and Baxter of Boquhan. She bred not when I wanted her to, but when she chose to.

Vicki rode her when both were young. We took her to shows but she was always difficult to load. At South West HPC Show, at Barr, she had taken ages to load and when we got there, she refused to come off the trailer. Showing over, she refused to load and a crowd of people helped us. An old man stood at the side of the ramp and donged her with a shovel every time she tried to escape off the side of the ramp. She was eventually winched in and the tie ring which had been round was oval for ever more. She tried the same at Kincardine Castle when we took the lorry and Scott and John Paterson, (Gargunnock Stud), took over and told me to leave them to it. I will never know what they did, but a few days later, Ronnie was leading Bramble into the yard and the lorry ramp happened to be down. He found himself with Bramble on the lorry!

Bramble was fine with an experienced rider but would make a monkey of someone who thought they could ride, but really couldn't. On the other hand, when Vicki was a working BHS pupil in her gap years, Bramble was angelic with RDA pupils.

Bramble was a good listener and in difficult times, I would confide in her. Her response was to use me as a rubbing post for her head, but I'm sure it was a sign of affection.

Latterly Bramble suffered from arthritis but this was controlled effectively with Supaflex. She had no teeth: could manage grass but not hay, so was fed lots of chaff and Sixteen Plus. Our daily routine was that I opened the gate and she walked into her stable for her feed, but today she was reluctant to come in and ignored her feed when she did. Then I saw her turn her head to look at her flank. I knew before the vet told me that this was the end.

Farewell, old friend. You were a great character and much loved.

20th December: The foals, Rosa, Bella and Hallam, were weaned in November and weren't at all concerned about being parted from their mothers. Their mothers were even less concerned! The foals stay in for the winter. All three were handled again and loaded on the trailer and were very well behaved.

Rosa left for her new home at the beginning of this month. She is sold to Liz Mangham from near Leeds.

Hallam and Bella don't get on together and so I have had to separate them.

My job at Allanwater is quite demanding, especially with Christmas fast approaching. I still have presents to buy and Christmas Lunch to make to take to Ronnie's mother's in Bearsden as a movable feast. Just too much to do and too little time.

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and hopes that 2009 will be a good year for you all.

30th October: Kyla II and her colt foal Kyle left for their new home on Orkney today. Sad to see them go but I need to reduce numbers and I know they have gone to a good home. Kyle's breeding is unique - he is by McInnes of Fourmerk - and he's just a lovely chunky boy. Kyla has done him well especially since he's her first foal.

I have been without heating and cooking facilities since Tuesday, since BP LPG have not filled my tank for 5 months, despite their contract to top the tank up regularly. It would have to happen at the coldest time of the year. I have spent two nights, freezing, huddled up against my coal fire. The delivery didn't come till 5:00pm last night and my gas fitter didn't come to unlock the safety valve. A BP engineer came this morning and got the central heating boiler going, but I can't get the Aga to ignite. BP has offered me £50 for the inconvenience. That's derisory after the misery and stress they have caused me.

29th October: Lassie went to her new home with Helen Almey in Norwich at the beginning of the month. She has settled in well and Helen sounds pleased with her. She intends to breed from her and is not far from Glenwestcastle Stud so can perhaps use Johnstondene.

I have returned the deposit on Bella for various reasons so she is still for sale.

Vicki booked me a holiday in Spain from 18th - 25th October. I desperately needed a break. I have never been on holiday alone and so some things were hard: like going out to dinner on my own. I did enjoy it and it did help relieve the stress. The weather wasn't great: tree days of torrential rain and thunderstorms. I went on tours to Gibraltar and Seville both of which I really enjoyed.

Last night, I discovered that my LPG gas had run out. The coldest night of the season! BP LPG last delivered here 5 months ago. Their contract, which if there is a problem, they always enforce, is to deliver gas every six weeks over autumn, winter and spring. This is the second time this year that they have breached the contract. I am frozen as the central heating is gas and I can't cook as the Aga and hob are gas.

10th September: I had a lovely day on Sunday at Central Scotland Highland Pony Club Show at Strathearn Eventing. I took Honey and Bella. This was the first time I had done all the preparation work for a show on my own, (apart from Shona helping me to wash them). I was not confident about getting there as I have never been there before, but I made it.

Vicki showed Honey and Claire Lafferty showed Bella. Honey was second and Bella beat the filly foal which has been winning so much this year to first place .I won the newly presented Marnonwells Quaich which is lovely. Vicki and I were judging and stewarding the handy Pony classes. The course was designed by Vicki. I think she and I had more fun from it than the competitors as we spent most of the time in stitches! Eilidh helped us by returning things to their correct places after each exhibitor had finished. I was asked to present the prizes and most were won by friends, which was lovely.

I got home safely and felt I had achieved things.

I heard this morning that the first foal by Fourmerk Royal Scott was born in Australia yesterday. It's a very dark coloured filly and she's to be called Clementine. She is out of Croft Cnoc Clover and was bred by Sue Jarman. Thanks for the photo, Sue! Kendall is Sue's daughter who helped me at RHS in 2007.

Clementine at one day old

MacCallumdene has gone to James Aird in Fife to be broken to ride and is progressing well.

I have been selling off the remaining beef from last year in bargain packs and all but one are sold.

27th August: A sad day in a way. The last two Fourmerk bred steers have gone to the slaughterhouse today. It's like the end of an era. I still hope to continue to sell Highland beef but will buy in cattle for finishing.

The beef will be available in about four weeks' time and I have a discount available on the beef remaining from the last consignment. So all you Highland Beef lovers out there..............

Rannoch has gone to his new home on the Black Isle and has settled well with his new owners. I was sad to see him leave (from Westbank Stud where he'd been on loan) but I know he's gone to a really good home.

Kyla and Kyle will be leaving soon to go to Orkney and Horatio and Laddie are now well handled and should be leaving soon. MacCallumdene is off to be broken to ride this weekend.

Elise had a mild bout of mastitis, probably cause by the flies, but is recovered. I now just need help to get her out as it involves bringing Horatio and Laddie in first.

9th August was my 60th birthday. It was as lo the day that Maisie, my old cow died. She was born here, raised her, had calves here and it's fitting that she should have died here rather than endure the OCDS which involves going to a market. RIP Maisie.

31st July: Heather Belle (Bella), Honey's filly foal is sold and will leave at weaning. Only Haakon, Laddie, Hallam and Kyle still to sell. By winter, if they are all sold, I will be down to twelve ponies. That would certainly make life easier, both financially and practically.

I showed at Braco last Saturday - didn't do anything spectacular - and judged the unaffiliated classes and mounted fancy dress. I really enjoyed the judging and the standard of the fancy dress was extremely high.

18th July: Rosalyn and Harmony have both gone to their new homes: Rosalyn to the Black Isle and Harmony to Orkney. I hope their new owners will be happy with them. Rannoch, who is still on loan to Westbank Stud, is sold and will go to his new home at the beginning of August. Rosa, Rosemaree's filly foal is also sold and will leave at weaning. Horatio is also sold but needs more work before he can go.

I had a lovely, relaxing day at the Breed Show, where I provided the baking and acted as hostess in the hospitality tent. It was good to see so many friends and lovely ponies. I especially liked the Reserve Champion, Wendy and Martin Taylor's three year old filly. I would have taken her home.

Shona comes here when she can and we have been handling youngsters and foals. My next show is Braco where I am judging the unaffiliated as well as showing.

6th July: Blossom was found dead in the field on Friday. She had seemed to be improving and had even attempted to trot on Thursday. I am devastated to have lost her and very sorry for the person who had bought her. She was so beautiful and had such a lovely nature. She should have had a great future ahead of her. She joins Rosella, the two baby fillies and Kelpie who have all gone over the last year.

Fourmerk Heather Blossom

I went to Doune and Dunblane Show yesterday with Shona to help. Claire, who used to show for Scott, was helping, too. Shona couldn't show as she had injured a toe and couldn't get a boot on. Claire showed Hope and came second, I showed the foal, Hallam, and he was also second. (Claire swapped with me for the foal class as I ran out of energy). Hope was too strong for me to lead in the parade, so I had no option but to ask Ronnie to lead her. She was strong for him and so they exited before their final walk round the parade ring.

Scott flew back to Australia yesterday and his daughter, Mhairi, will be with him for the next two weeks.

30th June: We had a good Royal Highland Show. I was let down, at the eleventh hour,by someone who was helping me, but Shona and I were determined to get to the show. It was hard work, but we got there.

Heather Honey, (Heigh Ho), was second non-ridden yeld mare. She was pulled in eighth initially and I wasn't pleased. Scott moved many ponies around from his initial line-up in that class and Heigh Ho ended up second. I was pleased! Elisabeth had taken everything in her stride which was amazing since she had never been shown before. She was 4th out of 13 and did everything that was asked of her. Shona did a great job of showing the two ponies and was told that Heigh Ho's trot out moved her up! I am determined to show ponies this year as it may well be my last year of showing.

We came home to learn that Haakon and Mack had got together and had fought each other. Robin, my neighbour, had managed to separate them. They had kicked each other on the face and both had swellings. Mack came off the worse and had a bad cut on the inside of his lower lip. No broken bones, just painful swellings.

An addendum to RHS: I was so angry at the total confusion and lack of organisation for the parade at RHS on Friday that I took matters into my own hands and organised the marshalling of the ponies for the parade on Saturday and Sunday. I have now uninitiated an online petition which can be signed here (The petition is now closed but had the desired effect).

Other things: On Saturday, Blossom, who is sold, took ill. She couldn't move, was lethargic and her mucous membranes were inflamed. I called the vet and he was unsure of a diagnosis. Her temperature was 104, Her heart rate was high, she looked like a GS pony and that was what the vet thought it was, despite the fact that she didn't have patchy sweating or tremors. I thought long and hard abut Elise last year and another pony who had displayed similar symptoms the year before.

The vet gave her antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and a sedative. I spent all night till 2.30am checking Blossom every hour. The vet had said he would see her on Sunday if she were "still with us." She was a bit better on Sunday.

All these events have happened in summer when the weather has been unseasonally bad. That is the only link I can think of. I am sure that it is liver fluke and the blood test results would echo this as a diagnosis, with a secondary infection because the liver is compromised. (apart from 2007 and this year, I have always taken the precaution of dosing my ponies with cattle Fasinex in spring and autumn, against fluke). I didn't have the time or help to do this last year or this spring.

Blossom is improving. She is more co-ordinated today, is grazing and keeping company with the other ponies in the field. The inflammation in her membranes is not as bad, her temperature is coming back to normal and her heart rate, although still higher than it should be, is reducing.

Rannoch, Blossom and Rosalyn are all sold to the same home. Harmony is also sold and will go to her new home next week. I still have Haakon, Lass, Laddie, two colt foals and two filly foals to sell. It is hard to part with what should have been my future breeding ponies, but I have no option.

On the up side, I start a new job tomorrow as factor to the Allanwater Apartments at Bridge of Allan. I am looking forward to taking on a new challenge. It is a part time job and is mainly on an ad hoc basis.

Ronnie is still desperate to come home and to help and support me at Fourmerk. His partners have deemed him to have retired and so we have no income now. The compensation case is years ahead and not something to count on.

11th June: I had Kelpie put down today and that was a difficult decision, given present circumstances, but right for her. I had a special bond with Kelpie and I am very upset. She had had severe laminitis several years ago but I had managed it and she had spent summers on a bare field with no problems. About three days ago, she became unsound and had a horizontal crack across a front hoof. I knew there was no quality of life for her and she was in pain, so there was no other choice to make. With everything else in my life being bad, this is just one more nail in the coffin. Gallop with the wind in your mane, Kelpie, and feel no more pain. I'll miss you.

Kyla has had a colt foal by McInnes and he is lovely. His bloodlines are unique and even as a baby foal, he has such presence and is very friendly.

23rd May: So far on the stud reduction, I have sold Harmony, Kelpiedene, Rosalyn, Blossom and Storm. These are all sad sales, but I know they are going to good homes.

I still have Rannoch, eight year old, mouse dun stallion; Lass, grey dun yearling filly; and Laddie, cream/grey dun yearling colt for sale.

Kyla, four year old mare, will be for sale. If she has a colt foal, she will be for sale as soon as the foal is of an age to travel. If she has a filly, she will be for sale when she has reared the foal. She is due to foal to McInnes of Fourmerk, on 4th June.

My TB mare, Pertindian, is also for sale. She is easy to handle and is the most maternal mare I have ever met. She produces beautiful part bred Highland foals. She is a quality Weatherbys registered mare by Precocious out of a Nicholas Bill mare, Squawbil. She is 16 years old, fresh for her age, easy to handle and could be served this year by Kestrel.

Now that Hope is no longer in season, I can catch her! Sod's law!!

As well as Laura, I have part time help from Shona who has worked here from time to time since 2000. We are getting mares served and youngstock handled, as well as making Fourmerk look tidy again.

Annag, the remaining cow, has also had a heifer calf with no problems.

13th May: Hope foaled on Sunday and I was worried sick as I didn't see it suck. After several visits to the field, I realised it was sucking. Hope is extremely protective of her yellow dun colt to the extent of charging at people, including me. However, mother and son are fine. Just how do I catch her to serve her?!!

I have help. Laura McVean started working for me yesterday and I feel we are really achieving things. It's good to be able to move forward and make progress. We are in the midst of serving mares. MacCallumdene had his first jump tonight. It took a while before he could get it all together, but we got there.

For information: I am a foal milk holder for Battle Hayward and Bower. If anyone loses a mare, please contact me. I have an emergency pack which costs £10 and I also have one full bag of milk and one with a tiny amount taken from it.

A plea to all breeders: please strip colostrum from at least one of your brood mares and freeze it. I am kicking myself that I stopped doing this. I never had a need for it until this year and of course, it would have been invaluable. Maybe we could start a colostrum bank? I'd be happy to co-ordinate this in Scotland.

6th May: Two filly foals born this morning to Rosemaree and Honey. Both are up and sucking and look bright enough. I can't get near enough to check that the mares have milk but assume that since the foals are lively that they have. Something good at last.

1st May : Things are no better. In fact, maybe worse.

One good thing was that Maisie, my old cow with the droopy udder calved at the beginning of March and her heifer calf was sucking within 48 hours. Maisie didn't cleanse and so had to stay indoors for a few days but both she and her calf are fine now.

On Monday 28th April, Harmony had a still born filly foal. Just as I discovered this, I saw that Heigh Ho was foaling. The best neighbour in the world helped me get the mare and foal indoors as the weather was so bad and Harmony was trying to steal the foal. We got the filly foal sucking, but the mare had no milk. I tried stripping colostrum from Harmony but she didn't seem to have much. My thanks must go to Penny Ritson of Garth Stud at Denny who gave me some frozen colostrum. I fought hard to save this wee filly. My son-in -law, Colin, did a wonderful job of teaching her to suck from a bottle yesterday. This morning, I found the poor wee filly dead. I am exhausted with staying up late to feed the foal.

Ronnie is still in Dunblane and has carers three hours a day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I see him every day apart from this week when I have been coping with the filly foal.

The news 2000 to 2007 has been archived under "Older News"