Many years ago, I purchased on a whim an antique wicker basket saddle from Fleabay.  It was subsequently stored in a corner of the shed for ages.

BeAnne has sat in it a few times and today I discovered that her bottom was not as big as I thought and again she fitted a treat.

Waffle was volunteered as he is the kindest and least devious of The Minions.  He was interested in this new career development as BeAnne’s noble steed.

I started slowly, so Waffle could get used to the feeling of the basket saddle and saddle cloth on his back.  I will do the crupper up, or take it off, another day, if the basket saddle and BeAnne need it.

Her Maj, aka BeAnne, sat with all the aplomb of someone who regularly rides Shetland ponies in basket saddles!  To the manor born.  She is such a natural and Waffle is the perfect size.

So that is what I did today, this filthy rainy windy, as in gale force, day.

Dearest Waffle – I feel there is a career here.

And now poor Hetja (pronounced Hett-ya – Icelandic for hero) has come down with a hoof abscess too.  She is hopping lame and so has started the standing-in-hot-water and poultice method.

Hetja hates being indoors but this is now a necessity.  We were told not to put her in a stable when we first met her in Iceland.  Needs must, though, with an abscess and Hetja doesn’t fret if she has a friend with her.  Today it is Fákur’s turn.  They are both living together in a huge double stable so can walk about and Hetja won’t feel trapped or anxious.

Hetja has also been confirmed as pregnant, though it is anyone’s guess where she is keeping it.  That is not a pregnant looking belly by our Shetland pony standards – they are usually square by now.

Poor Hetja.  I hate it when anyone is not well.  Please do not think these hoof abscesses are due to total lack of care and mismanagement.  They are not.  Usually we have had a few hard frosts  and/or snow by now but it has been consistently too warm and all the bugs in the soil are affecting hooves.  We are not the only stud to have hoof abscesses occur out of nowhere.

Hetja is not shod at present so it is not a case for the barefoot or non-barefoot brigade.  We tend to shoe a horse according to its’ work requirements at the present time.

Anyway, as well as having Fákur for company, Hetja has the two hens from obviously from Abba  who are insiting on practising their old dance routine in case they have a comeback!

You can see Hetja is entranced – a true Abba fan then!  I never knew.

Oh well, it will keep her mind off her painful hoof.

What do you do if you are the smallest and you can’t reach the hay bales that everyone else thinks they are secretly stealing?

(we all know I don’t mind, really)

Why?  You clamber/jump onto a set of benches and help yourself from a far more advantageous angle.

And you get to steal much, much more than everyone else!

Now, this ladies and gentlemen is the face (and hair-do) of grim determination!

Nothing gets in the way of the smallest little boy in the herd.  He means business so you had all better watch out.

Tiddles may be dinky and cute but under all that hair is very tenacious little chap who will do whatever it takes to get his own way.

Woe-betide anyone who under-estimates Tiddles because he really does mean business.

This is Iacs’ version of grim determination.  Behind that door is the feed container.  Iacs can, and has, opened the shed (note the Taktur’s teethmarks where the air-vent used to be).  Now, thanks to Thordale’s Patent Pending Anti-Iacs invention, no one can get into the shed.

Iacs’ chosen method today was to stare at it into submission by using the Power of His Mind.  Can you feel the rays burn you?

Mwahahaha!

Bjørn was training my daughter’s Icelandic stallion, Taktur, last night in the indoor school.

For a five year old horse, (six, this summer), Taktur is doing very well and we all adore him.

Taktur is our perfect stallion and, while he was in training, I had to bring Iacs in to keep Haakon company.  There are some herd politics going on – Haakon and Kappi are arguing so Haakon now lives separately in the indoor school at night with Iacs and I had to bring Iacs in before it was completely dark outside and everyone started to be either unhelpful or exploit the situation (I told you it was complicated)

BeAnne, on the other hand, likes riding too.  She begged and begged so I threw her up onto Iacs to shut her up.  She quickly settled.

With everyone now happy, we all stood back to watch Taktur train. It is a completely different and educational world to the one I am used to and the Taktur/Bjørn together were awesome.

BeAnne and Iacs together, however were not even faintly awesome but they did watch with interest at the professionals.  You could see Iacs thinking he would never do that and BeAnne agreeing!

And so they went, round and around the indoor school, while we all picked our jaws up from the floor.

Meanwhile, Haakon gave his complete attention to a pile of hay.  He was neither interested nor impressed.  That hay was not going to eat itself.  Someone has to do it and Haakon was happy to selflessly volunteer.

And to those that want to whine on about Bjørn not wearing a hat – I reckon Bjørn is old enough to make decisions for himself.  I have told him so don’t bother telling me (I may have had wine as I write this!)

We have in our house a thing called “Lovely Sharing”.  I can hear the echo of my two daughters groan at the thought and yes, they did lovely sharing after a fashion.

Even though the girls are far away at university, “Lovely Sharing” is still encouraged.

Loki has to share his house with Wussums.

Now this is a first – Wu feels he can walk very slowly through the sitting room.  It has only taken 18 months, but, for us (and probably Wu), it is a huge achievement.

Haakon’s hooves alternate between which one is lame every day.  I am hoping we finally have everything sussed now. I have kept him off the wet ground and Iacs offers daily to keep him company and they manage to force themselves to eat hay.

Awww, bless them for trying. Such troopers.

Haakon is so used to being in the shed now, he doesn’t even mind doing “Lovely Sharing” with the hens.

Iacs is really enjoying Haakon’s illness.  He is playing a supportive role with a hopeful Academy Award nomination.

There is even “Lovely Sharing” with The Minions, who are hanging around (they keep asking to come in).

This lot have free access to the silage bale too.

It is a little known fact that the silage bale is bigger than Tiddles.  He has made it his own personal mission to eat his weight and height in silage.  No one is stopping him.

It doesn’t dawn on any Minion to get narky with each other and to not do “Lovely Sharing”.  They think as one and are one when it comes down to food, housing and, well, anything really.  I have never seen four ponies just get on without question or discussion.

Haakon, on the other hand, sometimes forgets about his “Lovely Sharing” ability.  Occasionally he has to be reminded.