I am trying to avoid (read hide from) the horses and ponies. They have all become a bit too used to an afternoon snack when I gave Vitamin her injections and put the rugs on.  There are no more injections (the antibiotic course has finished and we are seeing how she gets on without analgesia) and it isn’t raining, so this morning I took off the rainsheets.  Everyone has moved off into their fields and my theory is that if they can’t see me, they can’t come rushing up for food!

So, I snuck into my shed to make my daily felted sheep.  I chose a small bag of wool that I hadn’t seen for a while but appeared after a massive tidying up from the other day.

As I worked with the wool, I realised it was incredibly soft and very definitely ‘Ster’s so obviously I made a ‘Ster.

It took longer than usual just because I was not used to the wool and the needle would bounce off.

And I used my new stamp/label combo so now my sheep is shop-ready.

And all this reminded me of when ‘Ster first came to us back in the winter of 2015 and so I had to go and find his baby pictures.

Oh, he was sweet as a little lamb.

This was Day 1 when he first met BeAnne and then a few days later, he talked to Flossie (his first human contact).

He was very wary of everything but it didn’t take long – just a couple of packets of ginger biscuits and he soon got the point.

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Well you would, wouldn’t you?

On a diet of other things apart from biscuits, ‘Ster grew and grew and is pretty huge now.  A dear boy.  He has separation anxiety and likes to be hugged all the time.

Looking at this lot today, I can honestly say they are never going to be show ponies.

This is mostly because I can’t be arsed to go through all the palaver of getting them show-ready – I mean, where would you begin with Waffle?  Bung him in the shower?

And partly because I know they would hate the whole show-ring thing.  This is not their world.

There is a certain type of pony that loves it and my lot are not that.  They are naturally muddy, wet bog-monsters

And Silver is actually white in colour rather than this rather unfetching mud-infused hue he is trying (and succeeding) with.

So that’s our show career over and done with in just one small discussion plus a few photos that have managed to totally talk me out of it.

And you have to get up really, really early!

I spent some of my morning digging through the pile of pony rugs, that had been neatly gone through, put away and a list made by Daisy a while back.

I found Vitamin’s spare rain-sheet and put it on her, discovering it was the nicest of all the rain-sheets – not too restricting at the front and it had lovely leg pleats too.

I might buy a few more (to add to my already huge collection of rugs) as I like the way it fits her.

And then I wondered if Fivla would like one or two too?  She always looks like her rug is far too long for her, especially at the front. It is very restrictive when she walks.

I went round telling everyone else they would not be getting rugs as they are all very “well covered” (read fat) and I am still waiting for them to shiver it off or to the track next it will be.

(Storm was sporting a rather fetching stick!)

I removed it.

Then I went back to my shed and went through all the rugs I had previously dragged out, consulted Daisy’s rug list, packed each into an irritating unhelpful rug bag, labelled it and filed it away in my fool-proof rug filing system (which equates, “now where did I put it, I know I have it somewhere”).

Obviously I had my happy little helper, always helping.

And this is how we dry rugs…..  Vitamin’s is in front of the Rayburn for the day, swapping sides at lunchtime.

And Fivla’s is hanging off the “Sheila Maid”.  There is a not-so-faint smell of Shetland pony in our house.

I’ve not got much to say except I didn’t get the sponsorship deal.  Everyone else did. Just not us.  Yes, I am very disappointed but I guess scruffy ponies are not the way forward for some.

My back hurts at the moment (whinge, whine…. ooh, wine!)  I am going to have an MRI to see what is going on as it’s been a few years since the last one.  I was also offered a consultation with a spinal surgeon but I said a very hurried no! I would rather find out what is going on first before I even think about that and I’m not thinking about that.

The weather is vile and we could all do with some nice days.

Ted is due his haircut next week.  He looks like a greasy muppet.

I hope he behaves (he has his moments).

And I am just feeling very meh about everything.  I think it is the time of year.

Sorry for the whinge. I will try and do better next time.

Apparently the 1st March is the first offishul day of Spring (and will end on 31st May).

In the garden snowdrops and crocuses are appearing and that make me hopeful. It’s been a grotty winter which is by no means over but has to end one day because according to the Meteorlogical Office today is the first day of Spring!  We can only move forwards towards better weather.

Yesterday was particularly exhausting and so everyone was sleeping.  I had three carrots in my pocketses and I gave them out to the Ancients.  Kolka was busy elsewhere trying to the get the Minions to come over to talk to her.  She has quite a thing for them.  No one else does very much.

I left the old men sleeping and got on with the dog-walk instead.

Once Spring takes a real grip, I can start worrying about laminitis again….. and so my world turns.