The finger is pointed at Tessa Waugh’s horse, as all the others in the holidaying herd pick up mysterious little injuries – while renovating the kennel huntsman’s cottage gives succour in troubled times
The horses are out on the hill for their annual summer holiday; their rugs are off, their summer coats are through and they are enjoying some downtime. Adam and I walked out to see them one evening enjoying the pleasant tableau they made; four geldings standing around like a group of old boys in a pub. It seemed idyllic.
We can see a good portion of the hill from the kitchen window, but neither of us were alarmed when we couldn’t see the horses the following morning.
{"content":"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"}
More delights from Tessa Waugh…
Even home-schooling her six-year-old is a breeze compared to helping with the sheep, finds Tessa Waugh, after a chaotic morning
Credit: Sarah Farnsworth
While the housebound schoolchildren develop new enthusiasm for their ponies, Tessa Waugh finds herself thrilled and chastened by her weekly
Credit: Sarah Farnsworth
While her own restrictions pale in comparison to others’ hardships, Tessa Waugh rues the days she cut the postman’s banter
Credit: Sarah Farnsworth Photography
The farming season is at full tilt with youngstock arriving, as Tessa Waugh enjoys a morning herding renegade calves and
Credit: www.sarahfarnsworth.co.uk
Life in one of Britain’s most sparsely populated counties is always an exercise in social isolation, but Tessa Waugh comes