[CarolineJ]

Total You've Been Framed moment this morning.  The field the sheep are in at the moment has some old wooden fanks, which are partially collapsed, but when I got down there this morning and saw one ewe was slightly lame, I got her into them and shut the gate to the little catch pen.  Ewe promptly hurled herself at the gate, which disintegrated and shot out again.  Bribed her into the longer, thinner section, left her happily eating ewe nuts while I blocked the entrance with a thorough criss-crossing of a lunge rope across it - ewe went straight through it.  Untied it, got her back in, caught her under the chin (she's pretty tame) - success!  Tried to turn her on her bottom to check feet, ewe broke free (she's about 80kg, which is rather more than me), I ended up with one arm around her neck and one hand holding the front of her shoulder, being dragged down the field on my stomach until it struck me it might be sensible to let go, as we were heading for an old tumbledown wall and she was planning on going over it... 

Feeling a bit like Wile Coyote trying to catch the Roadrunner at this point, I decided to take them through into the little grass patch in front of the byres and hope that no-one challenged a fence as it probably wouldn't take it and they'd be straight out onto the common grazings.  After a few circuits, the ewe looking considerably less lame with every one, I finally got her with my crook and decided that rather than try and turn her again, I'd just pick up each foot horse-style and hope that if I kept a firm grip she'd decide the game was up, which she did, thankfully.  Found the problem, I hope, trimmed out the pocket (stabbing myself in the thumb in the process), sprayed it, checked the other three feet and let her go. 

She promptly came and mugged me for sheep nuts, so hopefully no hard feelings on her side - I'm feeling somewhat battered and bruised!

[harmony]

And did you say she was lame 


(Don't they say never work with animals or children)

[CarolineJ]

She got considerably less lame once she realised I wanted to have a look at her foot!

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Sorry but I found this a little funny, apologies, It reminds me of something similar which happened to me, except it involved a ewe running down a slope with me trying to get her to stop, as I had to walk her down the slope between my legs, I ended up falling onto her back and falling off; my brother was on the floor literally laughing at me, wasn't funny for me though I was stiff the next day with a bruised and twisted knee and hip, ouch! I hope that you're feeling ok now. Personally, and this is just my opinion, it might be worth selling the ewe onto a commercial sheep farmer for a good price. Is she very good at rearing lambs at all? What breed is she?

[Womble]

I think we've all been there at some point!

Mine was when I was leading a ewe across our yard on a halter. I hadn't realised that our neighbour's dog had come to see what we were doing. Our usually placid ewe caught sight of the 'wolf' and shot off with me hanging onto the rope and bouncing along underneath.

When my colleagues asked "how did you get the black eye?", they definitely weren't expecting me to say "a sheep stamped on my face" 

[CarolineJ]

WBF, she's a nice enough sheep temperament-wise, it's me who needs more handling practice  - and laugh away!  She's a North Country Cheviot, one of three pet sheep I said I'd look after when a relationship broke up, so can't really sell her on as technically she doesn't belong to me. 

[Lesley Silvester]

Who'd have sheep, eh?

[Fleecewife]

    Let me guess - no one was standing there with a convenient camera in hand 

[Penninehillbilly]

one of three pet sheep I said I'd look after when a relationship broke up, so can't really sell her on as technically she doesn't belong to me.

So maybe next time you could ask for some help when you need to hand,experience them  .

[CarolineJ]

One owner is now 600 miles away and the other isn't keen on setting foot in the village (probably wisely).  I've got some help for dosing and dagging at the weekend (assuming I can mend the gate!)