After my appallingly lazy behaviour yesterday, it was my turn to feed the horses.  Luckily, they know the drill.

I put the buckets out in their right place and then each horse leaves the field, through the gate and walks up to his own, and correct, bucket.

There is also a certain little helper lurking.  She gets told “no” and “to leave Taktur alone”.

So she ignores this and ends up being dribbled on by Taktur with sugar beet water which makes the top of her head all crunchy and sugary.

(Note – for those that come in without a headcollar, I lay one on their back while they are eating so I can put it on when to lead them back to their field – it saves looking and also wandering)

Then there are the clearing-up chickens too.  They are excellent at their job.  At times a little too enthusiastic, though.  Taktur is easily put off and wanders away from his food.

Mostly it is the same chicken too – we only have two white ones (as well as two black and three brown – numbers have dwindled due to the Polecat Massacre of 2018).

But the hens are useful as the horses are messy eaters.

Taktur slurps and Efstur just plays with his bucket.  This is Bucket Mark II as the last one was trashed.

Once finished, the chicken departs for better muck-heaps and the horses go back to their field hopefully feeling full.

As I write it down, our routine seems strange, but it works and that is all that matters.