A passion for horsepower in the blood

Gento, one of the horses Chloe Hynes grooms

It's hard to believe that school is already back. Where has the time gone. I feel August really flew by and to be very honest I was caught on the hop with the school supplies, thinking I had loads of time, but in true Hynes fashion, we rallied on and got it all done in a matter of hours. 

It was somewhat easier this year with all the schoolbooks and copies being supplied by the school. It will take some getting used to getting back into the school routine again with dropping and collecting, I always feel I spend most of my day driving around and then running around the yard like a headless chicken trying to get the jobs done. 

The show heifers are all still in being kept ticking over with the National Dairy Show in Millstreet in October. 

We also have Acclaim in to prepare her for the show and there are autumn-calvers ready and waiting to calve so it will be all go even over the next few weeks.

The girls love helping on the farm so they will be a big loss as they head back to their classes; we all had our routine going but it will be up to me to take up the slack.

Becky will be starting school later than normal this year as she is over in the UK at Panda Holsteins preparing Magic for the All-Britain Qualifiers. 

She is very excited about the prospect and returned over straight after the Tullamore Show. 

We have arranged with the school that she can keep up with the schoolwork online. She loved doing the work online during Covid, and we will collect her books and bring them over to her when we travel over for the qualifier. 

She is getting loads of experience clipping and prepping heifers and cows herself and is really buzzing with all she is learning. 

Georgie has been really inspired by her sister taking up clipping this year, and she now, too and taken it upon herself to try and learn the trade.

She started off with a jersey heifer, and to be honest, she did a really good job and was as proud as punch, sending pictures off to her sister to show her. 

She has been looking around at the other calves to see who she could attempt to clip next. She works hard and is always looking and listening to what her sister does and really learns from it. 

She told me her plan is to hopefully do the clipping competition with Becky at the National Championships next year - no pressure there then!

Pastures new for Chloe

Chloe has also been working away in the background, getting a new job that she loves. Pete and I worked with horses for over 20 years before we went farming; so it is only natural that one of the girls would follow down the horse route.

She is working with Madeline Allen as show groom and loving every minute of it. Specializing in show jumping Madeline has really taken Chloe under her wing and taught her so much already. 

They both get on well, and it's so refreshing to see Chloe beaming when I go to collect her from work. That's the only downside for me - having to drop her and collect her as she has yet to do her driving lessons. 

But as parents, we always go above and beyond for our kids, so we will continue to do it until she gets sorted. 

Having the new job has inspired her to get going on the driving, which I am really thrilled about, especially as there is a car for her sitting right outside the door, so she really has no excuse now.

Her first weekend working, they headed off to Hollypark in Limerick with Susie (Celah Sue De Rialfo) and Gento (Daroento VDL) a stallion.

She was apprehensive at first working with a stallion but soon fell in love with him and very quickly created that bond which is so important. 

She has travelled to Mullingar, Tipperary, and has plenty of competitions coming up in the next few weeks with one being a full week in Cavan. 

There is a great range of horses there from the young ones to the experienced, so every day is a learning day. Chloe has a relatively good amount of experience working with horses, but what I really love about her working with Madeline is that she is willing to give her the time and teach her the things she mightn't necessarily know. 

The day is so varied from putting horses in the walker to leaving the mares and foals out to picking the poo from the fields, no two days are the same and I think that really suits Chloe to a tee. 

I feel truly blessed that the girls have all found things in their lives that they are passionate about and that they get to experience them every day, my motto is do something you love, and you will never work a day in your life.

Everything is going well on the farm; the ladies are milking well and all in good form. The only thing I find is the weather is still bipolar, hot one day raining the next, but we can't change it so we just must get on with it. 

The third cut of silage was finally done, and it is a huge relief to see such a massive pit of silage there for the winter. I definitely feel more prepared heading into the winter now. 

The one job I hate is covering the pit - it's messy and dirty, but some of the lads stayed and helped us get the cover on so that really was a huge help and we got it done in no time at all. 

All the calves came in for a dose this week and got the once over to make sure they were all thriving and move them to a fresh paddock.

One little lady wasn’t really where she should have been, so she has been separated out and put with the other Jersey heifers I have so she can get more TLC, and to keep a close eye on her, she will bounce back in no time. 

The next plan is to mow and bale another couple of acres of red clover we have as soon as the weather permits and then all that’s left for this week is to try and get back into the school routine and back watching the clock.