A week with volunteering at the PTOP station.

This week we hosted several people at our field station for volunteer work.
In Podlasie, spring is not spoiling, blackthorns and mirabelles are already in bloom locally, but in the east, near the border, trees are just sprouting buds, people are wearing winter jackets trimmed with fur and the thermometer rarely indicates more than 10 degrees.
Maybe that is why we did not get a full staff for our volunteer work; we hosted 3 people this time, who worked alongside our regular staff.
Tasks performed by volunteers include:
- daily counting of horses – yes, sometimes one falls into the ditch and you have to help him out or ... new ponies appear – and now we have foaling season.
- checking fences – animals can break wires or break poles.
- repair of any damage to fences.
- feeding the ponies – they still get bales of hay because there is not enough grass in the pastures.
Well, and yesterday – April 28 – we had an evaluation of young horses for possible entry into the genetic resources conservation program. It is about breeding Polish primal breeds of horses and cattle. Volunteers presented the ponies – as seen in the photos, not only the appearance of the horse but also the way it moves is judged.
Several horses also had their hooves corrected.
Volunteers bravely brought the horses for all grooming and check-ups and later back to the pastures.
In Kalitnik there is always a lot of legwork to be done.