Severe Gale, Force 9 out there, gusting 63 mph if my calculations and conversions are right.  Anyway, the horses are sheltering at the bottom of the valley, going out and looking for grass during the lull.

I went for a drive round to look at the waves which I hoped would be spectacular.  They were.  The took my breath away, though I stayed in the car as it was safest.

After that, I drove to Sandness to see “les boys” who were happily ignoring the outdoors and just eating as per usual.  Hammy saw me and came over for a chat.  For a wet and a weed (aka Fotherington-Thomas), he is doing very well this winter. I doubt we will have to rug him.

Charles Buttons Esq was committing the most heinous of crimes.  Leaning on the fence.  I shouted at him.

So, in return, he did his village-idiot face, which makes me laugh every time.  To think that certain folk were running after us at a certain show waving wads of cash at us to buy that pony.    Seems like an age away now.

I hung around for a few minutes taking photos.   They are all comedians in this field and I left with a huge smile.  I wish it hadn’t been quite so windy or I would’ve gone in and said hello properly but it was verging on dangerous outside so I remained in the car shouting ineffectually at Charles.

Indy is happy with his little group.  That is the most important thing.  No Thordale horses ever live on their own and, even if Hammy never achieves great things ridden or driven, while we have Indy, he can be his BFF (best friend forever).  So Hammy does have a purpose, just perhaps not the one we originally intended.

Jo is a farrier in her spare time.  She holds what are known as “grandfather rights” on the Farrier Registry which means she can trim and shoe our horses.  Having crawled out of bed this morning, I briefly glanced at Facebook to see the message “I will come over this morning and doo Pork meister’s shoes”, which literally translates to “I will come over and shoe Haakon”.  I was very pleased to read this as I have started riding again and he struggles without shoes. I would love him to be barefoot but it isn’t fair on him.  He has no clear gaits and I don’t want him to associate riding with pain.  Of all the horses we have, Haakon needs to be shod if he is ridden on any surface.  We just about manage in the sand school shoeless but he shuffles along without much interest or impulsion.  A set of shoes on and we are flying!

Klængur came in to supervise and to check Jo was doing it properly.

He did much supervising ….

and checking too.

I turned around and noticed Iacs was doing a very fair Donkey-from-Shrek impression.  This is his best-behaviour face.  The resemblance was uncanny.

BeAnne tried to sit in the forge.  I have no idea why.  She is a bit odd at the moment – very clingy.  I think it is the weather.  She hates the winter storms and change of air pressure (she is a sensitive soul).

But we quickly evicted her when Jo fired it up.

I find shoes in the forge absolutely hypnotic.

So Jo bashed away and put on a set of shoes for my fat boy.   Thank you, Jo.  Appreciated by us both.  Now we can fly again.

BeAnne and Snati playing in the school.  They had fun.

A few more photos from yesterday when Floss and I went to see the girls.

This is Fivla looking up to see her beloved Flossie.  They haven’t seen each other for months.

Little Madame Zoot who got everywhere.

Millhouse Verona with a freezing cold Floss.  Verona is a sweetie and we think pregnant.  She ran with PingPong this summer.  Always first up for a hug, Verona is a very affectionate mare.

Millhouse Vitamin, Fivla’s co-star.  We call her Minnie.  She is Lyra and PingPong’s devoted mother.  There is a huge family resemblance.  You can see where Indy gets his lovely character.

I am pretty sure that is Vitamin, again.

Fivla once more.  She is filthy (hangs head in shame) but the filth keeps them healthy this time of year.  There, I knew dirt is good for you!

Threapwood Velvereta – aka Hetty – with her long, long mane.  It takes hours to brush and goes into tangled ringlets every time the wind blows.  The Shetland wind bleaches the tips.  Some women pay a fortune for this look at the hairdresser. They could achieve this for free just by living in a Shetland field.

Hetty again.  Probably one of the most beautiful mares we have.

Little Lyra-Lyra-Pantson-Fyra (one for Daisy)

Zootuss-Tootuss.  Little minx.

She was busy hopefully reversing into Flossie for her bum scratch.

Zoot with Melly Melinda, her mum.  Zoot still luffs her mum and we are going to separate them shortly for a while.

Les girls – Thordale Carina and Thordale Lyra, I think.

“Bad, wicked, naughty Zoot”

And the local farmer herding his sheep.  Floss and I heard some apoplectic shouting in the distance and saw this wonderful demonstration going on in the nearby field.  Just like One Man and His Dog on the telly.

I won.  Yay.  I won.

Haynet Blogger of the year, 2nd time running.  Haynet is the UK’s No1 Equine Social Blogging Network.

http://www.hay-net.co.uk/

A huge thank you for all your votes.  Appreciated.  I get a hoodie and goodies!  Can’t wait.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

To celebrate, Flossie and I went to see the girls.  Everyone was doing very well in their newish field.  There was still loads of grass and shelter.  We were dutifully plagued by Zoot who just wanted her bottom scratched.  She would reverse into any victim in a hopeful way.

Flossie seemed to be the Zoot magnet but managed a quick cuddle from her Fivla.

Fivla was Flossie’s pony when she was 5 years old.  They grew up together and are the same age.  I always like seeing them together.  They have a good rapport and understanding.

But Zoot wormed her way back in and wanted more bum scratches.

She is persistent – I will give her that.

The others were far away eating and happily ignoring us.

Then Lyra, Carina and Gwendolinda looked up, saw Zoot getting all the attention and ran over.  Poor Floss was mugged by everyone.

They all wanted to be adored and Flossie was given the job, whether she had applied or not.

Meanwhile, I wandered about checking the rest of the herd.  Everyone was looking healthy and happy.  I don’t worry about them in the Shetland storms that are forecast (Yellow alert Saturday/Sunday).   They have shelter, food, company and a big field.  Everything a Shetland pony needs.

What I love most about Haakon is the fact that he is exactly the same whether I have ridden him all year or 6 months ago.  He doesn’t forget. He knows what is required – standing still, waiting for me to say go, going in a vague outline, the same arguments but nothing challenging.

I feel safe and at home riding him.  We have been a team for over 17 years now.  Nothing changes.  In fact if he were “different”, I would worry that something was very wrong and he was ill.  I sometimes imagine calling the vet because “Haakon is being nice”.  To me that makes perfect sense.  I doubt the vet has ever been called out for those sort of symptoms!

I had a lovely ride today.  My second since the plaster came off.  Nothing strenuous.  We stayed indoors and never broke out of walk .  Everything was just the same as it always is.  Just how I like it.  I hate change.  It scares me.

Flossie, my younger daughter, has gone down for Christmas – how can you go down when you travel 824.5 miles upwards to come home?  She arrived yesterday after the mother and father of hellish journeys home.  I let her have yesterday afternoon as a holiday and today, she helped tack up the horses and took some photos for me.

We started with some ineffectual brushing.

BeAnne adopted her usual position and refused to be moved.

So I let her do a spot of riding too.  She always asks.

I ❤ my horse.  He is always the same and that is perfect for me.  We know each other very well.  I expect he thinks I am still the same too.