Fiona and her Icelandic mare, Hreyfing arrived today to use the school.

Jo and Tór came along for the ride as well.

Fiona was keen to teach Hreyfing how to lower her head and relax while ridden.  The poles are useful for helping with this.

And I think Fiona’s smiling face says she and Hreyfing achieved.  As we say, any fool can wind up a horse but it takes a better rider to calm one down.

Meanwhile, Daisy and I went out for a nice sunny day plod on Kappi and Klængur.  BeAnne came along too and was increasingly irritating.  At one stage, she managed a sit-down strike in the middle of the road, which always scares me in case a car turns up.  I think this will be the last time I will take her out on the road if she refuses to keep up.  She was very petulant today.

My little Klængur (pronounced Clang-gur) has achieved happy chappy status.  He is just the horse for me.  Slow if I want or speedy if I ask.  His brakes are impeccable and his manners are perfect.  We have achieved and have both benefited from the re-training.  I have learned how Klængur thinks and he has learned to trust me.  We are now communicating.

Before our flute lesson today, we had to speedily feed all the ponies. It turns out that Haakon is not lame (at least not today). Many times we have been fooled into believing our horses are old and knackered before we turn around on a trek and go home much faster than we ever have before!

Now they are in a field nearer to the house and shall “suffer” through the winter.

Life is hard.

After that, we headed over to Sandness to say hello to Lyra as it is Daisy’s last few days before she heads back to St Snotters (Andrews). On the way we stopped and admired the hill ponies. The Shetland Pony in its most natural environment.

It is amazing to see how they cope and adapt to such a rugged environment. And it makes for an amazing moment to capture from the camera lens.

(And to think…some people won’t even leave their shed *cough MINIONS!)

Afterwards, we arrived at Sandness and reunited Daisy with her favourite mare, Lyra aka “Pants” aka Lyra Lyra Pants on Fyra.

Charles Buttons is in very good form. Not a rib to be seen. Spare or otherwise. And Zoot was very happy to see human company. It was an effort for all to lift their heads up from the hay bale.

Hopefully this weather will die down soon. It has been a while since we have seen the sun and we all miss it.

Or maybe even a calm day? We aren’t fussy!

Up and at ’em early this morning – I even saw the sun rise which is not like me at all but I hate keeping horses in stables during daylight hours if I can help it.

A day where the usually very accurate weather forecast page (yr.no) had promised it would not rain – of course, it did.

The Icelandic horses were much happier and relaxed today.  They had had a good long rest, trashed my hay supply and rolled in the sand school until they were all beyond revolting, but I don’t care, they were back to their usual jolly selves and that is all that matters.

Haakon sadly is lame again.  We think it is the same foot but are not sure.  I am hopeless at telling which side.   Anyway, he is round the house (outside) with Iacs for a while on regular painkillers and we will reassess daily.

The other horses were let into the field and galloped down the hill to the bottom field where they went back to sleep with the rare winter sun on their backs.  They need this.

I let the Minions out early too.  They were dressed (those that need rugs), breakfasted and then they went back to bed.

They refusede to come out on this lovely sunny day.  It was even quite warm and I mucked out in a t-shirt.

This is the Minion field but they were not interested, preferring to loiter nearby waiting for more hay.

This picture is for you to compare Storm’s height with Wiggins, our black chicken and Taktur’s nemesis (she nips into his food bucket while he looks on pathetic and useless).  

Storm is not very big in real life.  Just in his head where he is at least 17hh.

A few more pics from today….

I love it when the sun shines in winter.

I went over to Clothie (5 acre croft in the hill) to feed Taktur his special grub.  Usually the others don’t bother him while he is eating, but Kappi and Klængur were in a state of agitation.

I could see Klængur was shaking with the cold and, as it was sleeting, snowing, hailing and raining all at the same time (the official meteorological name for this is Shitting Down), I made the executive decision to get the boys in to dry and get warm.

I hate seeing them like this – so cold that they don’t know what to do with themselves.  I am aware that they are built for this kind of weather and Klængur looks like a small Comtois, but we have had non-stop rain for what feels like months.  The poor chaps have not dried out properly for ages and it is starting to get to them.  I am not prepared to sacrifice Klængur’s mental state so that he can slim down burning his summer fat to stay alive.

I opened their gate and they all followed me without argument across the scattald (open hill) into the big indoor school.  I put piles of hay down and buckets of water out.  They can stay there for the night to relax and dry out.

Klængur looked immediately happier and was following me everywhere.  I will go and sit with them in a little while.

I have been worried about them and a day off won’t do them any harm.

When they go again ready to do battle against the elements, they will be dry, warm and happier.

Water, water everywhere and not a dry field anywhere.  So depressing. Squelch.

But this does not deter The Minions.  They were on fine form today, having been stuck indoors yesterday during the last gale.

I went into their field and they came running up to me.  Silver was in a very playful mood, picking on Storm who gave as good as he got.

Silver then spotted Tiddles who was by himself happily minding his own business and hoping he would not be noticed.

But Silver was in a silly mood and tried to play with him.  There was no playful reaction back.

Tiddles ran away …

…. and took himself to be with his Mentor and Best Friend.

I haven’t put a rug on Storm or Tiddles because yesterday Storm rolled until he was fully encrusted in wet sand.  I just couldn’t bring myself to put a rug over that, let alone touch him.  Instead, I decided the rain and wind could blow it off which it is now doing.  I also thought it would do their coats good to have some fresh air for a few hours and the encrusted sand plus rug combo was a potential breeding ground for rainscald.

Anyway, they all seem happy enough in the rain.

There’s not much wind so it is nice for them to be outside and to make the most of a few quiet days before the gales start all over again.