Hay There, Jon!

Our hardworking Estate Foreman Jon is this month’s Hay There star. He is at the heart of keeping our site in tip top condition and also tells a fantastic dad joke. You may recognise him for his poems or have seen him on his tractor around the yard. We thought it was time to give him the spotlight and share his story.

Full Name – Jon Taylor

Job Title– Estate Foreman

Years of service– 7 years, joined on 1st August 2016 on retirement from the Met Police Mounted Branch

Favourite horse-
Favourite horse is a tricky one, I’m very fickle. Probably the last horse, pony or donkey that gave me a nice cuddle. Although I have a special place in my heart for the police horses as I understand their working lives. l love to see them enjoying retirement and I’m always especially sad when one crosses the rainbow bridge.

Best joke –
I’m a dad and my jokes tend to reflect that, but I did have a job once making plastic Dracula’s.
Unfortunately there were only two of us on the assembly line, so I had to make every second count.

A typical day-
My working days are seasonal and a winters day for me is very different from a spring or summer day. In springtime I’m busy repairing the winter pastures clearing muck and harrowing and rolling the fields. In summer it’s all about laminitis and worm control, topping (mowing) fields and paddock cleaning. Then in the winter my days revolve around hay. We have an average of 16 or so active fields spread over about 7 miles the majority of which are getting 3 or more large bales of hay a week. These can only be put out by the tractor mechanically due to their size and to keep costs down and reduce storage I collect it direct from the suppliers (we do make some of our own, but it never lasts long). The fences, vehicles, water troughs etc are ongoing throughout the whole year. And whenever it’s appropriate I still muck in with the horses. So yes, I’m blessed with variety.

Favourite part of job-
Of course, it’s all about the horses, but I do love a bright clear sunny day out in the fields. Just me, my packed lunch and the radio in the tractor. To look back across a beautifully tended field stretching off into the distance of the Chilterns is very rewarding.

Dream job if not doing this-
If I had to pick an alternative occupation, I should like to be a serious historian/author I love history and books with a passion, but I suspect that it’s probably a case of the thought being better than the reality. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a dream that you’re comfortable with. There’s no need to try and make them all come true, just enjoy the thought.