Today Anna had a go on Kappi, Bjørn’s Icelandic gelding (I think she looks like an illustration from the lesser known children’s book, Pippi Longstocking Rides an Icelandic Horse!)

Someone previously asked me to show them tölt on film – so here is a slowed down version (without the sound).  You can see the actual movements and foot fall of Kappi as he does a medium/slow tölt around the indoor arena.

[KGVID]https://myshetland.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/TOLT.mp4[/KGVID]

Here is the same film at its correct speed, with Bjørn’s commentary and yes, he does say Hallelujah!

[KGVID]https://myshetland.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/TOLT-2.mp4[/KGVID]

Anna said “Tölt is (and this word is banned in my house) AWESOME! It is amazing to experience it, especially on Kappi, who has such a lovely tölt. I hope to ride horses with this special and unique gait more in the future.”

She had a brilliant time, using every muscle in her body, including the cheesey grin, and is perhaps aching a little now.  Kappi went very well for her.  He doesn’t have to and he certainly isn’t automatic.

They also did some trot as well as walk, turn on the forehand and some leg yield.  All good riding experience and I got to practice my arty-farty shots too.

I am sorry this is a short blog post, but I am exhausted. We spent the day in Lerwick and my legs have stopped functioning with my brain shortly following……

I woke up this morning and bounced out of bed for the first time in ages.  With masses to do and the energy for once to do it, I put on the first load of washing, stood on my head in the deep freeze to find supper ingredients for 8 diners and then removed a small dog from one batch of washing on its way to the riding school (a chicken had shat on it all previously).

Meanwhile the girls, Anna and Daisy, had driven down to Bjørn’s house to bring back Brekki and Kappi.  A friend had come over, spurred on by my offer to let Shetland folk come and have a shot at trying tölt.  This is her third go at riding an Icelandic horse, I think.

Brekki is a darling Icelandic horse. He is just starting out and his heart is in the right place – he just wants to listen and learn.

Everyday, I see him change and I think he is going to be the perfect family pony for someone.  Carol loved him.  They looked very settled together.

Afterwards, Daisy had a quick go on Kappi.  Learning to ride Kappi will help her to understand and ride Taktur better.  Both horses are very similar and it is all good practice for Daisy.

And then I went all arty-farty.

And so had Anna…..

There is a standing joke here at Thordale to say to the person who is acting groom “please can you plait my horse up for me?”  The usual reply is of the two fingered variety.  This time we were in for a shock –  Haakon’s manes quite something, though Anna bottled out of attempting anything with Iacs’ silly frilly.

So, trying not to feel jealous, I sent them on their way for a nice trek – you can see Anna donated her hair bobble to impress us with her braiding as they call it over there.

We went to see the bebbies today.

There was a different vibe in the field now they are all together – the boys, the girls, the mums and their bebbies.  We have to watch ourselves very carefully and read every situation too.  Little “Dingo” decided she wanted to talk to Fakur who was having a bit of a sit. Fakur is a very old man now and you can see by his body language that he is aware of her and this could be an awkward situation.

There is huge potential for her mother to come up and beat the crap out of him for just sitting down and being investigated by her little baby.

Luckily for him, Dingo is just gently removed.  This is Melinda’s Dinosaur impression when her little Zoot goes a-wandering.  We all get out of the way quickly when she comes charging through to remove her very errant bebbie..

Poor love, spends most of her day fielding Zoot out from everyone else’s business.

Bad Zoot, Naughty Zoot who doesn’t give a damn and always returns to cause more trouble.

She is very persistent and takes an interest in everyone and everything.

Despite her strong will, I do think she is a very smart little filly.  Very nice indeed.  Holds herself well, has immense charm and is very eye-catching.

Dingo (aka Arg Lucky Charm) is still aloof but letting us nearer and nearer.  Always watching but still not quite brave enough.

She is very cute though.

Zoot got her first kiss on her nosey today from Anna.

She went all silly afterwards (Zoot, not Anna!)

Whiffy has taken on the role of baby-sitter to anyone who asks.  I gave her a bit of a tidy up and we had a little chat too.

(I must sort out something with my hair next)

Well the happy helpers today are my OH, my daughter and her two friends who kindly offered (read asked, even guilt-tripped) into becoming a production line for my dvd compilation, Reflections of Shetland which needs to hit the shops soon.  I have orders already.

As they are intent (except for OH) on watching the Star Wars sixology back-to-back, there was a certain amount of space zooming going on in the background (I think this is the bit when Darth Vader’s mother dies – does anyone know who his father is btw?)

Anyway, I thrashed the whip, promised chocolate and they all worked very hard compiling the dvd’s ready for distribution in the summer months for the tourists. OH has offered to distribute them to the shops which in turn means fewer cardboard boxes outside the bathroom.  My Hobbit Hole is tiny.

Obviously, I was in the way, so I left to take photos of other members of the family, ie play with my new camera.

Jack is still not himself – he is now a professional old man. He likes to wander about aimlessly and ask to go out every 10 seconds all evening.  Deaf and blind, he can hear the opening of a packet of ham from two rooms away.

BeAnne, of course, is almost perfection.  After a slight discussion about some behaviour, ie she didn’t see things my way, she is now the model ciitizen.  So much temptation around and so many people shouting at her.  It is a bad time of year to be BeAnne.

And  then there is Wussums.

Well, Wuss has found his place in our family.  We are used to him now and he, us.  He likes what he likes and he is quick to say when something is not up to standard.  His preferred method of communication is to bite.

If you read the signs, then you are fine.  He will even tolerate a tummy tickle and offers the best nose-kisseys if asked.

Sad for some, I know, but it is Bunny Armageddon out out there in the fields – headless corpses everywhere so he is obviously doing his job.  He sleeps most of the day and eats very little, going out at night for a buffet from nature’s trolley.

I am quite fond of the little sod really, though.

Bjørn Roar Larsen, our Icelandic horse trainer, has had a bit of a riding accident on a training weekend south last weekend.  He returned to Shetland with broken ribs and a trodden on ankle (ouch, the bruises are worse than mine, not that we are having a competition).

Yesterday, he asked Daisy and Anna whether they would be interested in riding his two Icelandic horses – Kappi (a more experienced gelding version of Taktur) and Hekki (a newly backed and trained Icelandic gelding).  They happily agreed.

Both horses and riders went like the wind round and round the school with Bjørn perched on a stool instructing them.  I was so proud of them both. I know Anna is not mine but I just felt that here were two incredibly talented  and capable riders in my midst that were having fun riding Icelandic horses.

So, I took a billion photos trying to catch their hard-working faces and their horses’ unique actions.  Kappi knows it all and Daisy had to get used to learning how to ask the right question, to find the right answer and then remember how she achieved it.

This is Daisy’s concentration face!

The girls took it in turns as they seemed to be going at different speeds.  One would stand in the middle of the ring while the other one hurtled round.

And then it was Anna’s turn.  Her horse, Hekki, was a totally different type of Icelandic.  He is just beginning his journey and Anna had to work very hard.   Hekki had to find his tölt as an even four beat gait which he is only just discovering.

This is the face of someone who is loving these amazing little horses – The Icelandic Horse Cheesey Grin!

And this is Anna’s face of pure determination and focus.

Anyway, they both achieved hugely and I am very proud of the pair of them.  I think Bjørn was impressed too.  Hopefully this will be a regular thing, while Bjørn is out of action, so his horses will learn and so will Anna and Daisy.