Bjørn on Taktur (my newly trained Icelandic stallion), Jo on Haakon (my 19yo Icelandic gelding) and Fiona on Iacs (Daisy’s 17yo Icelandic gelding) all went out for a ride with me following on foot (not jealous, not jealous, not jealous).

They tölted or trotted off up the track.

And quickly vanished over the horizon.

BeAnne and I pottered along behind at our own pace with a smile on our face (not) and song in our heart (even less).

Behind us, what had started being a fairly decent day suddenly looked revolting.  It resembled my mood!

On one side we were ok with clear sky so BeAnne and I stayed by the road waiting for the riders’ return.  BeAnne kept herself amused looking for pesky wabbits but staying nearby.  She never wanders.  I am always within sight or sound.

I pottered taking irrelevant photos.  You can see the ground is very dry. We haven’t had any decent rain for ages and the grass is not growing.

  

Takka-takka takka-takka and I looked up.  “What’s that coming over the hill. Is it a monster? Is it a monster?”  

No, it is Haakon in a vile mood because Jo has made him do some work for a change. He hates that. When it is just me and him, we slob along.  It is our way.

The “monsters” went past and I managed a quick chat with Bjørn.  He said Taktur’s tölt was coming along nicely, but he will let him take his time to develop it rather than force this gait.  Taktur has a strong rhythm and excellent “willingness”. So proud – I am very lucky.

And off they vanished, as it was beginning to snow.

Really snow, in April.   I don’t think that is very nice.

The horses were all put out into their field. Taktur happily played “crocodiles” with Haakon.  I think my mystery is solved.  No wonder they all have chunks of fur taken out.

Tomorrow hopefully this – the galloping track.  I can’t wait.

My usual dog walk.  2 miles every day with Her Maj, or BeAnne Duvet Soufflé Princess Chantelle Shaznay du Mezzanine (that would be her offishul Kennel Club name).

I know I harp on but every day, following me everywhere, is BeAnne.  From an advert in FreeAds, she never leaves my side.  This is her bed head look.

The weather is closing in on one side, blue sky on the other and, oh look, the galloping track gate is open.  We might have to investigate that while I still can.  This is the track that is about 1/4 mile long of pure gallopy happiness!  Jo once took Andy in his cart and managed the corner on one wheel as we raced her on our horses.

Anyway, enjoy the scenery – this is what I see every day on my dog walk.

That galloping track still beckons.  Sod the weather.  We go soon before the gate shuts again, please.  I want to race.

Foula in the clouds.

The weather consistently made its point but we were out for an hour and, amazingly, we came home dry.

I’m a bit partial to a pile of rocks.  Look, see, blue sky.  You wouldn’t know all that grey sky was behind us.  The weather in Shetland is very quick.  You can have everything in the space of one day, weather-wise.

Looking southwards down to Sumburgh Head.

The picture with everything – the pile of rocks, a dramatic sky and Foula sitting in a special pool of light.

Down by the shoreline are caves where I was told folk used to hide when the Press Gangs were in the area recruiting.  

There is also a natural “swimming pool” which is a perfect natural rectangular shape hewn into the rocks.  The sun shines and creates a lovely warm pool to swim in.  Full of barnacles, though, so swim in your shoes.

OH and I went down there once for a romantic picnic (chicken drumsticks).  Sadly I had forgotten to bring the picnic and spent the whole time worrying whether the cat was stealing it off the kitchen table. So much for romance.

Foula and the Loch of Sung.  I go fishing there sometimes. I have caught brown trout.  Nothing huge but enough to feed a cat.  One of my daughters caught her own trousers.

On the way home.  Golly, it looks like the intro to The Wizard of Oz.

“We’re all doomed, Captain Mainwaring”

So that was my daily dog walk.  Spectacular.

The big bad world outside is a very different place from the nice safe indoor school.  Hammy continued with his learning from where he left off yesterday.

We thought it prudent to take a friend along for moral support.

So with friend in front looking fairly non-plussed and Hammy following, we took Hammy outside to get him used to the dragging sound of the wooden plank on a hard surface.

It was going quite well until Hammy had a bit of a hissy fit.  There was rearing but I totally managed to miss that.  Jo quickly and calmly untangled him and, using the quick release knot, removed the scary wooden block from the equation.

To calm Hammy down (now a little hysterical), Jo took him back a stage in his education, and they went out for a walk up the track with just the traces dangling.

Moral support went along too.

Bozz-Bozz was, again, fascinated by the action.

He left the herd, who were happily chomping on their silage and ignoring everything, to go dashing off up the field to follow and watch.

They returned, with Hammy much calmer so IndyPingPong, having fulfilled his role of moral support, was returned to the field.

Hammy was attached once again to the wood block but with Fiona on “quick release” and taking most of the strain. Off they pootled up the track.

They went for quite a long time, this time.

I was very bored so I took lovely photos of the most beautiful thing around me.

Eventually, everyone returned in a very calm fashion with Hammy pulling the block all by himself like he had done it all his life.

Untacked, Fiona leant over his back to tickle his tum.

With her foot on a bucket, she sat on his back, side-saddle fashion.  Jo was on the front end acting as the carrot vending machine.

As Hammy didn’t react and his body language never changed, Fiona slipped her leg over his back and sat on him astride.

Hammy walked happily towards his carrot vending machine.

And off they all went for a circuit of the school.

One big congratulatory snog for Hammy plus all the carrots in the world….

…..and Hammy was taken back to his field where he could tell all his friends about his latest exploits.  I think he enjoyed himself.

 

Some “people” like to put their head over the fences.

And some “people” don’t approve and think they shouldn’t do that.

Meanwhile some other “people” are watching and learning.

So these “people” think it is a good idea too and start patrolling and watching.

and offering to “help”.

Then both “people” think they will join forces and repel all borders together.

BeAnne taught Snati all she knew (didn’t take long) and together they reckoned they could rule the world.

Indy sticks his tongue out and Arcturus surveys them with disbelief.  It is actually a very useful skill for dogs to learn as it keeps errant itchy equine bottoms off the fences.

So that was Lesson One of today.  Lesson Two involved you-know-who meeting you-know-what.

And we all know what is going to happen, don’t we?

Perhaps they will all just leave each other alone.

But no, Wussums got him and Snati slunk back to Jo to tell her what had happened.

Jo faired slightly better and came away unscathed.

So that was an improvement.

Four little boys came into the indoor school this morning to play.

Indy Ping-Pong….

.

his two sons, Thordale Arcturus and Thordale Borealis (Bozz-Bozz) and

Moelddu Gwynfai or Hammy to his friends.

We decided it was time Hammy had some more training again. He was tacked up, with help, and did some leading practice around the school with Fiona.

Hammy still remembers his tricks and does the full routine for food.  Some might call it begging.

But he has immense charm and we love him.

After wearing his tack, Jo put Hammy’s harness on and went back to square one, through all the training stages, for pulling a cart.  First, long-reining.

Listening to the log following him (and others) – the noise and something (or somebodies) behind him.

Getting used to the feeling of resistance or pulling, ie the feeling of a cart.

Hammy remembered everything very quickly, which was good.  We would never had just put the cart to him because he had done this training previously.  We had to know, by taking him right back to the beginning, that all the ground rules had been covered properly and to a safe standard.

Then Fiona got the cart out.  Well, Bozz-Bozz was fascinated.  He thought it was a wonderful invention with huge potential.

Meanwhile, Hammy was intrigued, amazed and fascinated all at the same time.

Now this is where having friends around, who don’t give a damn, is a good idea.

With the help of Bozz and Arcturus, Hammy could see that, as they weren’t frightened or running away, there really was no point in doing that himself and soon he was happily wandering around with Fiona pulling the noisy, squeaky, bumping cart.

There is method in our madness. Bozz-Bozz, Arcturus, Indy and Hammy are all very good friends. They do most things together and learn from each other, mostly Indy.  Indy is a dude, a cool dude who really cannot be arsed to use any effort in having a hissy fit about life.  That would involve movement and he just too lazy for that these days.

And all this winter, the little boys have been watching and learning from their Dad so they now don’t have fear of much because their big strong Dad, who they adore, never reacts to anything.

  

And so it continues and Hammy is learning to stop living off his nerves (he is very artistic and emotional, at times) and he learns that nothing we have done, training wise, has killed him yet.

We will keep going, get a little further and then give him a rest.  Hammy is that kind of horse.  It would never do to rush him.  We like everyone to be laid back.