While it was not a pea-souper this morning, it was certainly the worst fog of the year so far.
Going past Farmer Ted's I realised how far-sighted cattle breeders had been more ways than one.
The Galloway is a neat little cow, black as coal just like the Irish Dexter, but it must have presented problems when it came to Border farmers finding them in the fields after dark or before dawn.
Coloured like that, they simply melt into the night.
So they bred the Belted Galloway and solved the problem. With black head and shoulders and haunches and legs, its white back and stomach stand out like a flag when you see it in a field in the dim light.
Farmers were easily able to spot their beasts thanks to this colouring, and Farmer Ted has a couple in his field which illustrated the point perfectly this morning.
Similarly, I have heard the same reason for gypsies having taken to their familiar coloured horses and ponies. In their case, it was said, they were able to turn them out into a farmer's field if there was poor grazing on the verges. Of course, they wanted to claim them before the farmer found out and having the white and coloured blazes made it easier to separate them from the farmer's own stock in the early dawn light before they were harnessed up and on the way, possibly the farmer the none-the-wiser.
Next time you're passing Farmer Ted's, have a look out for the little Belted Galloways. You can see them whether it's a clear day or not!

Belted Galloways at Farmer Ted's

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