Horse lovers offered 'stable cam'

Siarl and Mair Owen say the cameras reassure horse owners

A mid-Wales couple whose farm has been in the family for generations are embarking on a new venture using the latest technology.

Siarl and Mair Owen have diversified their beef and sheep farm near Aberystwyth by setting up a stables.

The couple are offering their customers an added extra by installing cameras so owners can keep an eye on their horses via the internet.

Mrs Owen said they wanted to sustain the farm by changing with the times.

Each of the 12 pens has its own camera, and owners are given a password to access the pictures of their own animal.

Mr Owen, 41, said: "People who own horses can check up on them themselves at their home computer, or on their web phone.

Their horses are their pride and joy, and their horse comes first Siarl Owen

He said for owners, their horses were their "pride and joy".

Mr Owen said the cameras were infrared, so owners could even check on their animals the last thing at night before they go to sleep.

"It's good to use cutting edge technologies with old fashioned stabling - the two are from opposite ends of spectrums yet go hand in hand."

The stables are available on a do-it-yourself basis, so owners look after their own horses at the farm in New Cross.

As well as a stable, owners are offered the use of a secure tack room, stable arena to ride their horse in, and fields for their animal to graze.

Each stable has a camera so owners can view their own horse

The farm, Penuwch Fach, has been in Mr Owen's family for at least four generations.

He said: "I remember my grandfather farming before my father took over in the early 1970s, and subsequently it has been passed down to me."

The couple also have a herd of pedigree Welsh Back cattle and a flock of Welsh Mountain ewes.

When one of the farm buildings became redundant, they decided to look in to how they could best make use of it.

Mrs Owen said: "I used to work for the council, but I wanted to concentrate my efforts in farm diversification.

"It would be a shame not to be open-minded and move forward by not changing with the times and making our assets a sustainable business in the long-term."

The couple received £25,000 from the farming connect scheme - funded partly by EU Objective 1 and the Welsh Assembly Government - towards the total project cost of £56,000.