Spring is on its way.  I know this because I heard a different sound on my daily walk today.  The sound of the shalders, or the oyster catchers.   They are back and going off in their pairs.

I walked with Taktur, my Icelandic stallion, today.  It is part of his training régime that we have agreed with Bjørn and part of mine that I was forced to agree with my surgeon (grumble, grumble).

We went for miles, plodding along together, high up into the open hill.

Not much sign of spring there, but in the garden the crocuses are trying to make the effort (against all odds, such as Celt’s clodhoppers).

Always lovely to see the snowdrops in their small clumps, as if they are making a quiet political statement about the end of winter.

While the daffs are just rent-a-mob all over the garden.

The boys seem happier.  The bale has made a huge difference as the grass is not growing yet.

Soon we will get our shedding blades and scissors out to attack the winter coats of the yearlings.  Their coats do not shed naturally and turn quickly into revolting tats.  I love them when they are all beautiful and fluffy like this.

Indy Ping Pong is practising his “come to bed” eyes for the potential laydeeez.  We are just working out, whilst considering the market potential, who will be running with him this year.

Come on Spring, hurry up.  We need some grass.  Don’t lull me into a false sense of security and then start snowing (done that before).

On Facebook just now ….

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Dear American Friends

If you love me, please send me packets of See’s Milk California Brittle – it is the most delicious thing ever and I am running out. If I run out, I will be unhappy.

I must not be unhappy, the doctor said so!

I have won my war against the chickens today!  I have finally trained them to stay away from my Icelandic stallion, Taktur, and his grub.

Taktur went out on the road this morning for his training with Bjørn while I traipsed along on foot with my camera and my faithful Hairy Patt.

Bjørn and Taktur warmed up first along the road, while we found a good spot to take photographs.

Eventually, they appeared over the brow of the hill, and I snapped happily away.

Bjørn was concentrating on transitions and containing Taktur’s energy in the best way possible – it is all very technical and, if pressed, I suppose I could explain it to you. I know it when I see it, though I doubt I could ever achieve any of it.  Taktur and Bjørn seem to work together effortlessly.  That is what comes from being a Level 3 FEIF trainer, riding instructor and sport judge for Sport Icelandic horses.  

It is amazing to watch and I take something away with me every time I see him teach Taktur that I want to try on my riding horses (but I can’t, can I Mr Surgeon-person who said NO RIDING? – cross, me?  Yes, bloody furious!)

It is not all about going fast.  Standing still nicely, quietly and squarely is just as important.

There was much praise and appreciation.  You can see Taktur glow with pride when he has done good.  Such a nice boy.

Taktur also met his first car on the road and that was a non-event as it went past.

And so we went home, after I had located BeAnne, who had wandered off.

Anywho, back to those pesky chickens.  When I put Taktur’s food out for him, I waited nearby and no one, not a dicky bird, appeared.

They all steered very well clear.

I did have my new anti-chicken device on standby, though!  She is very good.  If you say “chicken” she buzzes them and if you say “watch ’em” she gets errant furry pony bottoms off the fence!  There is some fine tuning to do but she has the general gist!

And then Celt (ancient 16yo doolally lurcher) wandered past and I thought to myself lesser equines would kick anything that happened to be in the firing line during mealtime but Taktur is generous and doesn’t do that sort of thing.  I can trust him.

Thank the Gods.  Celtie doesn’t know what day it is and so he wandered off again.

I am fed up with the chickens.

Every day I prepare Taktur’s special stallion food to make him big and strong and every day the chickens spy me and make a bee-line for it.  Obviously at over £15 a bag, I do not want the hens to eat Taktur’s lunch, so I keep them away usually by standing over Taktur with a dressage whip flicking hens out of his bucket.

This is not an ideal method as it means I can’t do anything else and it could make Taktur head-shy or whip-shy, which I really do not want.

So, I worked out a cunning plan.

I lured the hens with a small amount of corn (makes a good noise on a concrete floor) into the big shed and shut the door.

Thus leaving Taktur to get on with the business of eating his hard feed.

He is a slow eater and not a pig at all, often walking away half way through.

In fact, I think he gets quite bored of food.  It definitely is not his raison d’être, unlike some who live for it and are only happy when they are stuffing.

Anyway, Taktur has to be fed every day but it just annoys me that the hens turn into circling opportunistic vultures, even nesting in his bowl if they can and he is too nice to say anything.

So, today Frances 1 : Chickens 0

The others, btw, are not sitting starving while Taktur eats.  They have a bale which I am rationing.

Some share beautifully while some don’t.

There are more heaps of silage out than there are mouths so everyone always gets a good feed.  It is amazing that three stallions can share nicely…..

….. while one gelding can’t!

You may have seen this commercial on the telly recently for three.co.uk – a UK mobile broadband provider.

http://youtu.be/Ekr05T9Iaio

The star of the show is Benston Stud’s miniature 5yo 32.5″ stallion, Milday Socks.

Socks “moonwalks” his way across the majestic Shetland scenery of Eshaness cliffs set to Fleetwood Mac’s classic hit, Everywhere.

The bemused Highland pony behind the stone wall is Hugh, Socks’ best friend.  They know each other well.

The tractor is a lovely vintage red diesel engine “Fergie” (Massey Ferguson) driven by Merkisayre Stud’s George Tait.

Elaine, George’s daughter, trained Socks for two weeks before the shoot.  She said she taught him to paw the ground, rear, toss or flick his head and back up. She used Monty Roberts’ join-up methods as well as long-reining, whilst getting him used to ignoring a film and production crew whilst on location.  I asked her if she were to compare him to a celebrity, who would Socks be and her reply, after some thought, was a young Robbie Williams.  Everyone who met and worked with him said that Socks was a cheeky enthusiastic young lad with loads of character.

Socks even had his own internationally acclaimed hairdresser.  No, seriously, he did!

This picture was taken of Socks with his breeder at a show as a youngster.  It is known as “6 feet in the air………………….. well 4 hooves & 2 feet to be exact!”

If you want to find out more, I recommend you visit Shetland Ponies From Shetland where Benston Stud and many other studs are featured.

Shetland is proud of their ponies.  They can turn their hoof to most things!