You know that feeling. You’ve been enjoying your nightly ritual. Check the horses, top up their water, give them their nighttime hay nets, give them some carrots and apples. It’s a lovely routine that brings joy to all who take part.. The horses enjoyed the fuss and attention, and of course the treats,whilst for Hal and I it’s an ideal way to wind down from the day. The fruit and veg, carrots for Leo and Flo, apples for Breeze,are all chopped up and placed in old plastic bread bags so it’s easy to carry and distribute them.

The routine goes like this:

Walk down to yard

Feed fruit and veg to horses

Hal tops up water

I replace hay nets.

Check everything is secure

Say a final goodnight to the girls

Return to house

At this point I normally hand my empty bag back to Hal so it can be reused the next day. So imagine my horrorwhen we got back into the house on Tuesday night, I put my hand in my pocket to fine no plastic bag!

Hal did offer to go and look for it , but it was pitch black and raining sideways, so it was unlikely he’d find it.

I spent a very wide eyed and sleepless night on Tuesday, imagining all the terrible things that could be for a horse who ingested a plastic bag. Was it in a water bucket? Had it become caught in a hey net? Was it lying on stable? Would it get chewed out of curiosity, or accidentally swallowed a drink? Would it cause choke or colic? I spent the night with my ears straining towards the stables. Every slight noise, and there were plenty because it was so windy, was a potential dying horse. I was so relieved on Wednesday morning, when I found three happy, healthy horses, all eager for breakfast. Waiting for me.

Hal found the bag just on the garden side of the gate. Thankfully no harm done – what a relief. I must be more careful