One of the many problems caused by the Big Freeze was the difficulty of keeping the horses supplied with water. With the stable taps and the streams all frozen, I had to carry water from the house every time I went to feed them. But they wouldn't look at the water until they had eaten all the food - by which time the water was frozen solid. And if I went back later, the horses would have disappeared down the valley........

    The problem was solved by Rab and Blossom - both eight months old - who set off to find the horses and bring them back to the yard to drink. This was entirely their own idea and was such a success that they did it several times a day until the thaw came - when they were very disappointed to find themselves out of a job!