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The GREEN HORSE - sustainable horsekeeping

OCTOBER NOVEMBER 2009
Vol 31-3

In the Oct/Nov 2009 issue of The Green Horse you will find the following articles:

Weed Watch - Sweet Pittosporum by Nicola Field
Growing Equine Herbs- Mulberry by Fiona Adams
Organic Fertiliser: Chicken Tractors with Tom Moates
Hay Feeder Genius - Limestone Park
Phoenix Factor: Rising from the Ashes by Wendy Elks
Perennial Pastures for Horses by Amanda Carmody

The Phoenix Factor: Rising from the Ashes: Part 2: Eight Months On

By Wendy Elks

Eights months after Black Saturday, a cold and muddy winter hasn’t halted the business of re-building at Barry Malanczyn and Lesley Holme’s fire-scorched property near the tiny hamlet of Clonbinane. Colds, cold and some welcome rain have dampened spirits a little over winter, but the shed is functional, the grass is growing, and most importantly, the new house is really taking shape.

Winter can be a trying time for property-dwellers in fire-damaged areas where they are constantly surrounded by destruction and dreary, blackened bush. However lack of feed and no shelter from bitter winds are small concerns for the many people working long and hard to re-build their lives. Barry Malanczyn and Lesley Holmes lost everything to the fires except their horses and a couple of looseboxes, but since the last report in Hoofbeats they’ve made enormous progress on their 12.5 horse property.

Above: During the re-building of the property, Lesley and Barry have had to cram their lives into the shed!

No one could be more positive or philosophical than Barry and his partner, but Lesley reports that it’s been a hard slog the last few months with the constant mud, bouts of sickness and depressing realities of this ‘never-ending nightmare’ of post-Black Saturday – though she’s quick to add that many are doing it tougher. They are plodding along, with Lesley working full-time and Barry working part-time and working around the property during the week, with weekends full of work on the house and other buildings. With the constant stream of tradesmen and a steady supply of willing helpers among family and friends, there’s rarely a dull moment on weekends – or a private one, either, for boring chores like washing and cleaning in the site building, which is the couple’s temporary home. The sunshine is cheering, and both are looking forward to bringing some horses back into work when the days grow longer. Barry is keen to start a home-bred five-year-old racehorse on some hill work; and Lesley has two horses, an old faithful and a not-so-reliable handful, to test her fitness levels.

The shed is up and functioning; it’s still awaiting the installation of stables, but the tool shed and tack room are fitted out, with cladding and insulation next on Barry’s list. Despite the new shed’s greater size, the couple have realised they’ll need a separate hay shed, and plans for the new yards have changed slightly; with all the lush grass they now have, a couple of larger yards-cum-paddocks will be required for the ‘fatties’. All the lovely shade trees are gone, so shelters will be needed for the day yards, for which Barry is considering using steel (which doesn’t burn) rather than the previous red-gum sleeper.

Great progress has been made on the house which is almost at lock-up stage. Despite their cramped conditions in the site shed Lesley and Barry are determined not to move in until everything is finished, ‘otherwise it probably never will be,’ she says wryly. Working full-time, Lesley doesn’t have time for much else, so Barry has done most of the organising and a lot of labour, outside and in. Building everything up from scratch takes a lot of time, and the decision-making is exhausting in itself.

Above: The house is almost complete!

The paddocks, re-sown last autumn, have come up very well over spring, bringing welcome lushness and colour to the landscape. The many weeds that also came up are about to be sprayed. Most of the horses are still away on agistment, so the pasture has had a good rest and is really showing the benefit. The couple took the opportunity of start-over to re-configure their paddocks and include a laneway; so far, the new fence-posts are in place, with the wire yet to come.

Above: The paddocks, re-sown last autumn are establishing well, however the burnt trees at the end of the paddock serve as a reminder of just how far Barry and Lesley have come.

Nature recovers fairly quickly in some respects, but extreme traumatic events can fester in the souls and minds of humans. Black Saturday survivors are extremely supportive of one another, and also acutely aware that everyone is different in their approach to the practical and emotional tasks of dealing with the aftermath; because of this, pride and privacy are deeply respected. Lesley commented that she recently bumped into a CFA volunteer who is still deeply distressed that his team in their fire truck, surrounded by walls of towering flames as several horrific fire fronts bore down on them, could do nothing more than avoid the flames themselves while the bush and so many houses burned around them, and the lives of people were lost. The misplaced guilt and burden of grief carried by this veteran fire-fighter in his 70s hasn’t abated, yet he’s not received (nor asked for) any of the assistance or counselling available. Perhaps, due to pride or the common belief that someone else needs it more, this generous, wounded soul remains one hidden casualty. He should instead be feeling pride for the many times he’s done what volunteer fire fighters do - routinely put their lives on the line to save the lives and property of others.

There was nothing Lesley could do except listen; but then, she has enough to do already. Life is very full, with little time to reflect, which is possibly a good thing. Recently another Black Saturday survivor moved in, a Connemara mare with a stumpy, flame-frizzled tail, now owned by 15-year-old Megan from next door, who’s more a daughter than an agister. Both bring with them joy of life, a breath of fresh air, and the promise of fun times with horses ahead.