Wheel Barrow - This is the most desperate requirement at the moment. However it is not just any old wheel barrow that we need. Each morning (& evening) the breakfast feed has to be taken to the horses & this is done in a wheel barrow - the typical load will be 4 20Kg sacks of horse feed, 6 sacks of carrots, 2 bin bags full of bread for the Pigs, a 20Kg sack of rabit food, a 20Kg sack of Sheep & Goat food & a bale of haylage - ALL THIS in ONE barrow !! - Our main barrow is a 230 litre capacity barrow with 2 wheels & is not only essential for transporting the feed about, but also for mucking out purposes. Using a small barrow means that you have to make 2 or even 3 journeys for the sake of 1 - whilst this sounds trivial when you are trying to fit in what I need to every day this really does make all the difference.
Here is a picture of the kind of barrow we need to replace our broken one - HERE
It isn't just feed and muck that we need to move about with this barrow - it's hay too - see HEREfor a previous article we prepared about Fiona & her wheel barrow !! - You can see that this just wouldn't be possible with a 'normal' barrow.
Our other 2 barrows are of the smaller type, although one is still are large barrow like this one HERE - Our one of these is about 12 years old & the rust has finally won & the 'bucket' is no longer attached to the frame - it has been repaired a number of times, but now there is nothing left to bolt as the bottom of the bucket is paper thin and tears at the slighest pressure !
If you can help with this or if you would like to make a contribution towards a new barrow I would be very grateful
Builder ! - Many of the Stables are in need of repair as the horses have, over the years, kicked the concrete blocks away that form the base of the stable walls, on top of which the wooden partitions sit. Unfortunately there is only a single width of block meaning that a strong kick is probably enough to crack the joint with the floor. We have zero building experience - but we do have a cement mixer! (when it's fixed - see below). So if anyone who knows about cementing bricks & cement blocks wants to help us sort this out, the horses would be very grateful and promise not to kick them down again ! Clearly this is a Summer activity as the Stables need to be empty & Horses out in the fields in order for this sort of repair to be conducted. Bricks/Blocks are also needed to make the repairs. If you can help, please get in touch.
Lorry Fitter ! - Daisy, the sanctuaries ambulance has been off the road for some time now - she is a Ford Cargo 0811 and I think she needs bleeding (the fuel line). She also needs a bit of a service but won't start at the moment. We would be very grateful to anyone who could help us get her on the road again.
Stable Muck Shovels - the wide type made of very strong plastic - mucking out 15 stables a day quickly wears out the muck shovels & the shovel gets shorter & shorter ! - it's only when you get a new one do you realise how small the old one has got ! I'll take some pictures to show you what I mean ! - Just a quick note to say that if anyone is thinking of buying any stable equipment who lives in Essex, the best Saddle shop I have found is the one at Battlesbridge Mill near the Rettendon Turnpike - The shop is run by very nice people & they are the only saddle shop I have ever dealt with who have been sympathetic to the animal sanctuary !
Hose Pipes & Standard connectors - Although we now have a number of troughs on mains water supply we still use hose pipes in the stables & yard, however all our hoses are over 10 years old & have perished in so many places that they more resemble irrigation systems that hose pipes ! - if you can help with a new hose pipe that would be great
Feed Buckets are always welcome. Buckets come in varying qualities. Typically you get what you pay for & although you can buy a bucket for £1.50 odd, it will last for a few weeks before being split. The best buckets I have used are Stubbs buckets - they are expensive, but I still have some I bought nearly 10 years ago. They have been trodden inside out by the horses, but are so strong they can be bent back into shape & carry on regardless !!
Wood ! - Bit of an odd one, but we are always grateful for decent pieces of wood with which to make stable repairs. Good lengths of 2"x4" or 4"x4", 6' fence posts - half or full round 4",
12' half round rails 3" or 4". Most useful are the 8' x 4' three quarter inch plywood boards that you normally see surrounding building sites - they are very strong & great for repairing stables.
Also featherboard is needed to repair the exterior of some of the stables where the existing has rotted away - 6" or 7" depth & any length !
Nails & Nuts & Bolts ! - all helping with general repairs & maintenance - Fencing nails are particularly useful 4" +
Horse Rugs & Blankets - very happy to take any second hand horse rugs or blankets. I have horses here of all shapes and sizes so probably have a candidate to fit any size you may have.
Cat & Dog beds - I like to leave as many cosy cat beds as I can in the outbuildings so that the ferals and stable cats have somewhere warm to snuggle through the Winter. They do sleep in the hay bales but I know some prefer to snuggle in those igloo style beds !
Bituminous Tape ! - Yes an unusual request I admit, but this stuff comes in rolls about 3 inches wide (like a big sellotape roll) and is absolutely excellent for making minor repairs to leaking roofs. With so many stables & so much roofing, wear & tear takes it's toll & where a leak has developed it is very important to get it sealed as quickly as possible - This stuff is really handy for doing just that.
