The National Stud Farm (NSF) seems like an unlikely place to de-stress, as one might wonder ‘what goes on there?’ A total of 18 BCWA volunteers accepted the offer of a treat for their good work done through the year. The trip was open to those who volunteered for the weekly prostheses sewing sessions and the Patient Support Team as well as in the recent Pink October campaign.  

The bus left Kuala Lumpur at 7.30am. The ladies, dressed in cowboy style attire with hats, denim jeans and boots, created an atmosphere of excitement and eagerness. Catherine Leong started off the day’s jokes with the seemingly innocent query of “Is your cap a French cap?” As the bus made its way along the north-south highway, small groups of members caught up with the events of the past week. We made a stop at the Tapah rest area for snacks, coffee, a toilet break and a chance to purchase guavas and other popular local fruits. Lilly Lee then took out her knife and got busy peeling the guavas to feed everybody on the bus, including the driver. Now awake after the coffee, the members got Catherine to share some jokes. All were reduced to fits of laughter during Catherine’s joke-athon session which lasted until we reached Ipoh where two more members joined us.  

Upon arrival we were awed by the lush green undulating hills and valleys with horses in the fields and stables as we drove into the Farm grounds. We were greeted by the staff of the NSF. The members were really surprised to see an ultrasound scan being performed on a mare. As many of our survivors are nurses, they kept the veterinarian busy with technical questions and learned some useful facts about horses, e.g., that the gestation period of a horse is 11 months. Then we hopped onto a hay truck and made our way to the upper stables for some snacks and coffee. Mr. Ross Dorman, the GM of the Farm, gave a briefing and we then headed for a trip around the Farm to see horses of varying age groups, including scores of foals still being nursed by mares and yearlings. Several prize yearlings intended for sale in November were also paraded for us to see. Ross went on to explain the background and details of these yearlings which are potential prize winners for race horse owners. The members were then invited to a light lunch hosted by the staff of the Farm. Just before departure, gifts and souvenirs were exchanged with Ross and his staff. We appreciate in particular the time Dawn Dorman took to host our visit. Their warm welcome and kindness will always be remembered by the BCWA volunteers.  

After the visit, we drove into Hospital Bahagia where we were led by the hospital’s security guard on a drive through tour of the huge hospital grounds.  

We then headed for Woolleys Food Centre for some delicious Ipoh food. While tucking into the food the members talked about their experience at the Farm. After a full day on the farm, the ladies had learnt some horsey terms and could differentiate between a foal, colt, filly, gelding, stallion and mare. 

The excitement continued all the way back to Kuala Lumpur. There were jokes, exchanging of information and relating of experiences. The bus finally reached the BCWA premises at 7.30pm. 

It has not only been a unique experience but one that brought about fellowship, togetherness and most of all, tons of laughter. All in all, it was a day well spent; there could not be a better way to de-stress oneself than to experience closeness with nature.