- Location
- North Norfolk
Dealing with depression - suicidal thoughts - Join the conversation (including helpline details)
- Thread starter Andyrob
- Start date
Thankyou for your kind words, I have purposely not touched alcohol for fear if I start I wouldn't stop. Never much of a fan of alcohol anyway so not something I miss.@Cowslip - I used to blame lambing. I was convinced that it could plunge me in to needles despair and equally, lift me up and set me back on my feet - - but then it occurred to me that burning the toast or going outside to a puncture in the car - could have the very same effect. I went through a spell of having a large whisky for breakfast, but as is usual, the fickle bitch turned on me and bit me! Booze solves nothing, it never has and it never will.
I remain convinced that for many of us, the problem is rarely what's visible, what's in front of us, the problem is really and rarely what forces the tears, the battle is within ourselves. It's all about which direction we are travelling in and whether the 3 steps forwards and 2 back is in fact, the other way around - it's only ever temporary, I tell myself!
I'm convinced that for all the state aid available with counselling and meds - mostly, the answer lays within all of us - we eventually find our own way forward. Oh to have the gift to see in to the distance, to see the problems and before they land in our lap.
You have a salvation @Cowslip - you have the ability to think, and to express your thoughts - you may not feel particularly privileged, but trust me, you are.
Your right it's not just the lambing that gets me down but it's normally the livestock I get more upset and frustrated with which then triggers my outbursts.
Thankfully I don't get upset when I burn the toast as that is usually a weekly occurrence in our house
I was down to 13 ewes left suitable to go to the tup so stupidly went and bought 75 tegs, will be trying to breed my own in the future less risk of problems and get the stock I actually want. Sheep you can't live with them but can't live without the wooley cretins either.…….. and @Cowslip to make matters worse. I no longer keep sheep - they are all gone - bereft doesn't touch the sides of it! WHAT would I give to be lambing ewes - right now!
See? Nothing quite like an idiot - is there?
- Location
- North Norfolk
My ewes, just like my brood mares, were my life. Difficult to explain to the bystander, those with perhaps no understanding.
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Christoph1945
Member
- Location
- Widnes West Cheshire
I was down to 13 ewes left suitable to go to the tup so stupidly went and bought 75 tegs, will be trying to breed my own in the future less risk of problems and get the stock I actually want. Sheep you can't live with them but can't live without the wooley cretins either.
How do you shepherds and shepherdesses cope when you are counting your sheep; do you not fall asleep? Can't get to sleep, count sheep; it never worked for me!
My mother-in-law always said that counting her blessings worked for her but I found that the anger and anxiety in my mind would blind me to my many blessings but I eventually discovered that counting breaths worked a treat for me and assuaged any woolly thinking.
Do all you sheep folk use dogs for working your sheep?
- Location
- North Norfolk
My dogs were the real reason why I kept sheep.
Christoph1945
Member
- Location
- Widnes West Cheshire
And now?
Yes couldn't be without her, best friend I could ever have.
Christoph1945
Member
- Location
- Widnes West Cheshire
How do you work her; with whistles, shouts n calls; or both?
Despite being none farming folk, the wife and I always loved to watch 'one man and his dog' and oh those back breaking sheering competitions.
She's just on command and hand signal if a windy day and she can't hear. Should have trained her to a whistle but I can't whistle very well.
when is that then? once every other blue moon ....maybe
spelling police are here i'm afraid , 'Shearing with an a ' and a back aid will help not to give back ache when shearing or dagging ... infact hitching up the springs is like having yer nikes pumped right up
Christoph1945
Member
- Location
- Widnes West Cheshire
If working dogs are off a long line of sheepdogs is some of the training already built in; a bit like heredity and birds knowing how to build nests without being shown?
As for sheep ........ when I have been metal detecting close to a flock of sheep I just keep my head bowed and move very slowly. Upon nearing said sheep they just amble away, un spooked but I wouldn't work a field with cows or a bull in there. Interestingly, I was informed that more incidents occur with tups than with bulls. Will a tup get nasty if it sees a stranger enter it's field.
As for sheep ........ when I have been metal detecting close to a flock of sheep I just keep my head bowed and move very slowly. Upon nearing said sheep they just amble away, un spooked but I wouldn't work a field with cows or a bull in there. Interestingly, I was informed that more incidents occur with tups than with bulls. Will a tup get nasty if it sees a stranger enter it's field.
No,i doubt it not generally speaking.
although every now and then theres one who has a funny (not ha ha, personality.
on a farm i used to rent there was an orchard that i kept the rams in and one particular old sufolk had a habit of lowering his and giving it some at you
the old farmer owner used to get butted lightly up the backside when he went picking up widblown apples
not funny really
but he wasnt so bad when you got to iknow him but the odd one can be, and they are best given a oneway ticket.
- Location
- North Norfolk
- Location
- North Norfolk
No one really trains a sheepdog. The best that anyone can do is use what ever talents are available and build the dog from what we have.
The last dog that I had, had no outrun and I never managed to get one in to him. Beyond 40 yards and he would swing to the centre and barge his way through the middle of the flock. Why did I keep him? He was mustard at penning - NOTHING ever got by him!
He had a use, and the pen was it. Over the years I became fond of him - and so I would walk with him around my sheep and drive them down to the pen.
I had another dog and his forte was that he could count - I mean it. I was bringing ewes with lambs in doors to footbath and when the lambs were a few days of age - I was only bringing in those with twins. I'd leave him outside the stable whilst the ewes stood in the foot bath. After perhaps 4 batches of 5 or 6 ewes with their lambs, I looked over the stable door, and there were 3 or 4 ewes stood there, all with twins - Mick had gone and got them. This went on until there were no ewes left with twins, the rest were all singles.
The same dog Mick, when I was helping another shepherd and the dog was perhaps 10 months old, the ewes which we were moving reached an open gate and being sheep, they made a bolt for it. I sent Mick over the fence, he very soon had them back where they were supposed to be, and in the original field. 2 years later I was again with the shepherd in the same field and before I knew where we were, Mick had gone over the fence and to the gate which this time was closed. Did he remember what had happened 2 years previously? I can't think of any other explanation.
I had a cracking bitch called Lynn, I could walk in to a field with her at heel and at 200 yards, the sheep would flock - she had a power over sheep which I've never seen before, or since. If I had to catch a single ewe and once she knew which sheep it was, she would go through 500 others, she wouldn't leave the sheep which was wanted. She would grip a mouthful of wool, just behind the shoulder and stick all four feet out, eventually, the ewe would give in and stand there until I got a cleek on her hock.
I often wonder what, if anything I ever actually taught my dogs - at best I got a Stop in to them, but that wasn't always guaranteed. When the big boys had 1000 sheep to gather, it was surprising how often I got a 'phone call, the night before! I miss my dogs - I miss them greatly.
Christoph1945
Member
- Location
- Widnes West Cheshire
Good morning folks; how are we all today.
It's a cool, but not cold, bright morning here and the sun has been up and about for some time; however I clung to my pillow for a while after first light forced it's way through the bedroom blinds.
When we first moved into lockdown I took to daily walking to chase away the cobwebs and knowing just how much the black dog hates a moving target kept a daily appointment with the outside world but unfortunately damaged the Achilles Tendon of my left heel two weeks ago and walkies are now off the schedule for the time being. I eventually broke our our old static bike, dusted it off, and set to pedal pushing for the time being but am finding the monotony to be something of a challenge; so after first trying to use a radio to kill the monotony I'm hoping to rig up an old laptop to play films whilst I pedal away.
Probably too much TV, bad news, and t'internet have not been conducive to good mental health, so the wife and I are trying to work to more scheduled days and stay active; as well as keeping up communications with friends and relatives.
Tup, do you not even have 'one' dog now?
It's a cool, but not cold, bright morning here and the sun has been up and about for some time; however I clung to my pillow for a while after first light forced it's way through the bedroom blinds.
When we first moved into lockdown I took to daily walking to chase away the cobwebs and knowing just how much the black dog hates a moving target kept a daily appointment with the outside world but unfortunately damaged the Achilles Tendon of my left heel two weeks ago and walkies are now off the schedule for the time being. I eventually broke our our old static bike, dusted it off, and set to pedal pushing for the time being but am finding the monotony to be something of a challenge; so after first trying to use a radio to kill the monotony I'm hoping to rig up an old laptop to play films whilst I pedal away.
Probably too much TV, bad news, and t'internet have not been conducive to good mental health, so the wife and I are trying to work to more scheduled days and stay active; as well as keeping up communications with friends and relatives.
Tup, do you not even have 'one' dog now?
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- Location
- Lincolnshire
Sunny. Everything looks and feels better.
It helps but also increases the potential field work load ( and hedgetrimming deadline creeping up )
.... but it doesn't bring back lives lost .
.... but it doesn't bring back lives lost .