Page 151 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

being dragged along behind. Juno, being fed up with the tether, was taking herself off to
Jack’s paddock!

Once Juno’s son Jupiter arrived we had to find somewhere else. Ebony arriving, with his
enormous appetite compounded the problem.
Casting around the locality, we found the chance of using the grassy banks of the land
drains. But these needed fencing. A huge task for the long thin area which was the result,
but better than the other option of nothing!
Our first site had been along a bank rented by the Smith family at Revesby Bank.
Jupiter and his mother spent two years or so there quite happily until Mrs Smith decided to
sell and move away.
There were now the three horses and we had moved them onto a long bank of the
Medlam Drain, still at Revesby Bridge. This was at the very end of the straight road
running past our house and travelling north towards Horncastle.
For several years this was reasonable, especially in the summer. For the winter though we
had to think again.
The land was heavy clay. The slightest wet made it cling to your boots and the horse’s
feet, like weighty glue. It would not drain, in fact it is transported and used to line the
bottom of canals and lakes to keep the water in!

(Picture of River Bank Starting to get far too muddy)

The horses had to come home as soon as the land became too wet and this involved a
lengthy walk up and down the two mile length of long straight road.
The very first winter we were not properly prepared, we were on what is now called a
“learning curve”.
I think Ruth drove me down the road in a car and I walked back with a horse, one at a
time. Ebony came first and was duly deposited in his stable to await the arrival of his
friends.
Well, as you may know, horses get impatient and after living together with friends for some
time, once removed from the friends, they become anxious.

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