Darling little Fivla is doing brilliantly.

Every morning, while Daisy is feeding Albie his breakfast and Tor her snack, Fivla and I run around the indoor school to workout music for 20 minutes.

We have moved onto trotting poles now to get Fivla’s shoulders up, loosened and those little legs working fast.

Fivvie spent many years in the riding school and has perfected the art of using the least amount of energy for any task and if you are not watching, she just potters to a stop.

She could trot round and round the school for eternity with her feet barely lifting the ground expending very little energy.

She has had many years of practice wearing small children.

Sadly we can’t let her do this.

Exercise = calories burned = thinner (hopefully).

So, this is Fivla’s morning workout.  She only trots over the poles a few times in both directions and the rest is a walking warm-up and a walking cool down.

Fivla knows precisely when she has done her 20 minutes, down to the last second because she immediately turns in…..

….. for her reward.

She spends the rest of her day in the paddock with Tor and Albie with a 30 minute brisk walk to Watness gate and back.  She trots along while I walk fast.  At 18:00, it is back to the stable to wet hay in a small haynet.

I think she is losing weight.

Fences only seem to get in the way when you want to meet new friends.

Little Albie is very keen to meet everyone.

Fivla has become a good second step-mother.  She is slightly more of a motherly friend to Albie than Tor who sees him as her meal ticket she should look after.

Today was the day we have all been waiting for.

And so we let Silver, Storm and Tiddles into the small field containing Tor, Fivla and Albie.  Waffle joined them later. He was busy on the horizon being mysterious.

Silver was sensible – he introduced himself to Tor first and then was allowed to make friends with Albie.

Little Albie was keen to meet everyone new.

He tried to play “Nibble” with Storm who put his ears back.

With that, Tor waded in and gave him both barrels.  No one can speak to her Albie like that.

It was all very interesting to watch.  So much communication and such good behaviour.

Albie was intrigued with Tiddles.  He had met him very briefly (but probably didn’t remember) when he first arrived at Thordale.

I think this could be the beginning of a good friendship.

I hope so.

Tentative little games.

Brave introductions.

Lots of foal mouthing (as it should be).

And Silver discovered Albie’s rump makes a good chin rest!

Well that was easy.  Albie is now a fully paid up Minion.

Well, here we all are.

‘Bert is beginning to fill out in the right way rather than the wormy-belly way.  He comes up for scratches and chats and he is definitely my Monkey.

BeAnne is coming along leaps and bounds.  She jumped up onto my bed this morning and that, for her, is a huge achievement.  She even went on today’s dog walk with Loki and Daisy.

Storm and Tiddles have joined the others in the big back field.

Tiddles is much quieter since his ordeal but he still loves being hugged.

Delia is enjoying being home.

Waffle has decided he is “a big black” (Shetland).

It is an exclusive club and he is very happy pretending.  It is all perspective.

Fivla is lives with Tor and Albie in the little field.  She works hard twice a day and the weight is slowly coming off.  She is stabled at night.  Anyway, she spends her time outside cantering up and down the fence waving her bottom at Klængur and squealing if anyone looks at her.

Albie is lonely.  I played with him in the field this afternoon but I am not who he needs.  Tomorrow we will put Tiddles and Storm in.  They should make him smile.

He likes Fivla but she just does more squealing.

I keep telling myself I am so glad Albie did not go to the Sales.  That was the original plan, when he first arrived.

I could never let him go away now.

I went to the annual Shetland Pony Sales in Lerwick because I happened to be in the area and not because I wanted to buy.  Yes, I did register in case but I didn’t buy anyone.  I sat on my hands.  I was good.

This is behind the scenes – the pens where everyone waits to go through the sale ring.  Each pony has their own sale number glued onto their rump.

First, there was the sale of tack and various Shetland pony miscellanea.

Then it was the ponies’ turn.  Ponies are traded in guineas.  It is a tradition from way back.  The five pence (the shilling) was the auctioneer’s fee.

The sales weren’t as busy as they have been in previous years and prices were non-existent or low, despite being on iBidder as well so folk could bid over the internet.

Many ponies were left unsold with no bids and reserves were not met.   A few went for good money.

And quite right too.  It costs money to breed registered Shetland ponies.

To register Colt/Gelding Foal (including passport) – £20.00
To register a Filly Foal (including passport) – £40.00
To license a stallion costs £168.00 (including Voluntary Vet Examination, DNA kit and microchip)

and that is just the paperwork.

So I fully understand why a breeder wouldn’t sell a registered Shetland Pony for pence.

There were some gorgeous ponies too.

Big

And little.

So I sat on my hands and came home with no-one mostly because I didn’t hear any little pony call me.  It was very difficult but I managed not to shop!

But I thought you might be interested to see how the set-up works.

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And in other news, ‘Bert is most definitely back.  I know it is him.  We have had long chat and he came stood in my arms while I stroked and talked to him, wagging his little tail with happiness.

My little Monkey is home.  I am very happy.

Most odd.  Most, most odd.

‘Ster has been missing for two days and nights in the hill.  Usually he comes home in the evening but there was no sign and I was about to mount a search party when he walked through the little gate I always leave open.

He brought someone with him.

I couldn’t believe it and there was a very strange atmosphere.  I am trying very hard not to anthropamorphise but there was a definite air of “I have brought him back for you”.

‘Bert looks very thin and rather bleak.

He tucked into his breakfast of Ewe Nuts (Lambie’s favourite – he just won’t look at anything else and it has to be served in his special bowl and not on the ground, thank you very much) and stayed with ‘Ster and Lambie all day.

No one minds the new addition.  It is as if Lambert never left.

It rather begs the question – is this Lambert or just some random moorit sheep who followed ‘Ster home?

I have to say I think it is ‘Bert.

Just a rather thinner, more worldly, version.  He is tame-ish, and will come up to me and let me stroke him.  A Shetland hill sheep wouldn’t do that.   Update:  He has just followed me into the stable by himself when I went to feed Albie his last meal before bed.  I easily caught him and wormed him and gave him some extra food as a reward. 

Anywho, the Boyzenberries are back together.

And I think ‘Ster is wonderful for bringing him home to me.

Here are some old ‘Bert photos.  I am hoping you can see the resemblance and it is not Martin Guerre.  Whoever he is, I think he needs us and I really hopes he stays, even just to get fat again.

Tiddles is coming out as they say here and he had a large multi-vitamin injection in his bum.