PITA – Acronym for Pain In The Ass, a major annoyance!

Jo went to fetch one of the girls (we needed some photos) and everyone volunteered to help, especially Madame Zoot, Melinda’s daughter.  The minute she saw Jo in “her” field, she came cantering over because everyone knows you can’t do anything without Zoot.

You can’t tell Zoot “no, thank you. Go away”. None of those words are in her vocabulary and why should they be?  It means nothing to her.  She knows everyone thinks she is wonderful.

Zoot’s purpose on this planet, like her brothers Cookie and Bozz-Bozz, is to help, or get in the way, as much as possible.  She has this down as a well practiced fine art.

In fact, now I think about it, this theory may be the whole herd’s ethos.  FFS, how can anyone get anything done?  They would not go away and let us get on with the photography.

So there I was, on one foot, propped up by the passenger door of the car, with the world’s heaviest camera, while Jo was being followed by her little furry disciple.  It was all hopeless.

I loved it when Zoot got the giggles and a little happy buck!

So, Jo lightly backed Zoot and scratched her belly, which she loved and made her elephant nosey face.

Zoot is very snoggable and very similar to her brother, Bozz-Bozz, in character.  She is definitely a people-person as his little-himself, who is being a delight in the Channel Islands.

Once a vaguely good photo was achieved, we had to go and I felt awful about leaving Zoot behind.  Surely there is room in my bedroom?  Daisy wouldn’t  mind. Look at the little face on that – deliciousness called Zoot (though, after today, she probably thinks her name is Go Away!)

We have two more Icelandic horses here at Thordale Stud.  The first is Cristal (?sp) a chestnut gelding, who is in training with Bjørn for a few months in Shetland.

We put him in with Iacs and Klængur in the Fat-Fighters-Field as he can be confrontational so perhaps not good with Taktur.

Now Taktur is back in training, he needs calories so he and Kappi, Bjørn’s Icelandic horse, have gone into a separate very grassy field to keep them happy.

Taktur immediately liked Kappi so all is good there.

I could hear gelding bellowing that is typical, I think, to Icelandics when they first meet.  Cristal was shouting hello at Iacs and then that was it.  All talk and no trousers.   Nothing more.  They appear to be friends.

This morning, I looked out on my travels on my scooter to see everyone was very settled.

So that was good and we will keep them like this for a while.  Haakon will be coming home soon too and will probably go into the Fat-Fighters-Field as he was rather rotund when I last saw him. I hope he gets on with Cristal.  They will sort it out between themselves.  They usually do unless it gets nasty and then we wade in.

This is the set-up.

I like having new horses here.  New subjects to photograph.  Kappi came over for a quick chat while Taktur got on with the job in question, eating as much grass as possible.

For the Shetland pony enthusiasts amongst you, I saw some in the distance who were lovely, if along way away.  They live next door but next door in Shetland means about 1/4 mile as the crow flies (yes, it is a very good lens and yes, I did have to balance it on my scooter handlebars to keep it steady).

Jo brought Hetja (Hetja frá Skeiðháholti, an 11yo mare) over to work in the school.  She is already trained but needs to be brought back into work again.

First Bjørn rode Hetja to see what makes her tick.

A quick conversation about saddles, gaits, etc and it was Jo’s turn.

She had a lesson from Bjørn and they were given exercises to practice over the week.

Hetja is a very honest mare.  She wants to do right and would give her all to her rider if she trusts them.  I adore her.  Such a lovely lady.

And then we brought in Taktur, our stallion and her husband-to-be and Hetja’s eyes lit up…

and Taktur lit up too!  He thought she was ♫ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ♫ luffley ♫ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ♫

So Hetja watched Taktur in the school.

    

Taktur kept an eye out on Hetja but never said anything.  Just watched from a distance.

Bjørn decided to take Taktur outside for his ride and Hetja watched from her trailer.

I asked Jo to film Bjørn and Taktur and she went up to the top of the track for me.

Although I was on my little scooter, it was easier for Jo to take the films.

Taktur came back having worked hard.  He still remembered Hetja was in the trailer.

  

He did a bit more in the school, looking fabulous.

He had his dinner with his usual chicken guests but he kept wandering off to gaze adoringly at Hetja.

We tried putting him the field with his food but he was too distracted.

He was showing off.

Phwoar! – it is very easy to forget that he is only 4 years old!

Then Jo drove his sweetheart away.

Taktur was very disappointed.

He went looking for her.

And then came to stand by me.  I told him she would return probably next week.

I think he is in love! ❤

Do you remember this dog?  Daisy and I travelled down to Elgin to collect Loki in the middle of July.

This is my first photo when we met Loki at Brumley Brae Cattery and Kennels.  He was an aloof little thing who was shut down and not listening.  He didn’t have much concept of actually wanting to please or be part of the family.  Why should he?  What had he seen?  We will never know.

This is Loki yesterday….

He has a grown a good winter coat, put on 2 kgs, had his bits off and is much better about the cat.  Best of all, he has fairly good recall and can be walked off a lead.

I will admit that we have had our ups and downs as well as some discussions about ‘haviour and disappearing.  There were a few unmentionables too like attacking Jack but we are putting that behind us now.

We trust Loki far more, but we set him up to succeed rather than take anything for granted.   Food is not left out anywhere.  Doors are shut. He feels safe in a routine and religiously comes upstairs every morning to have his daily crust from my breakfast of Marmite on toast.  He has lovely manners.

It has taken a while for Loki to settle.  He adores my OH and asks to go for a walk and then he runs and runs, always keeping OH in sight.  He listens (Loki, not OH) if you say no to jumping over fences and knows which ones are ok and which ones are boundaries.  He has caught and eaten numerous rabbits, which is what it is all about for a lurcher.

At the beginning, there was a moment when I seriously wondered what I had done but I am quietly confident that Loki is a good dog who is starting to feel like part of our family now.

Unlike Celt, who wobbled at the slightest whiff of Shetland weather, Loki doesn’t notice the cold or rain at all.

(and he has stopped chasing the ponies!)

WARNING – photo overload!

An old friend, Bessie, phoned me this morning.  She offered herself and her car at my disposal to take me for a drive with my camera.  It is something I used to do regularly and miss.  So I scootered quickly out to her waiting car and off we set, with me yelling “STOP” every minute, or “REVERSE” when I had missed an opportunity.  We must have been out and about for a couple of hours.  Shetland in autumn is glorious.  The summer colours have changed everything quickly and I doubt my photos show the true visual treat we saw on our travels.

Bessie calls sheep “Woolly maggots”.  Shetland sheep are everywhere on the open scattald (hill, or common grazing).  This photo is to prove her maggoty theory.

Then off to see my ponios.  It was the darling boys first and they were miles away in their enormous field so I shouted and they appeared!

Some faster than others – the galloping thud of hooves was wonderful.

They seem to be getting on fine even when there was jealousy over a stray brassica (where did that come from?)

Next, the ladies.  This is their field and it shows just how scattered about they are.

Zoot – “who me?”

Fivla was perfection, of course, ever the fairy-tale pony.

  

They all came rushing over when they saw us.

     

Bessie wanted to meet the ponies, while I sat in the car snapping.   She has known Fivla since a foal.

I love the faces of the ponies as they surveyed the mini version of BeAnne, called Mootie (Shetland dialect. adj – very small; often used for a child as a term of affection, peerie mootie ting.)

Zoot, of course, was happy to chat.  She loves people and her inquisitiveness for all things new never fades.

Mootie is enchanting, just very very small!

It was lovely to have a drive out and especially to see my ponies. They all look very well, fat and ready for winter.  I shan’t worry about them.

Lovely, lovely Shetland ponies.  I wish they could all live in my house!  Wouldn’t that be perfect?