Today I hate my ponies.

They had “the wind up their tails” and I couldn’t get near them. I did try. Having distributed my carrots (two each), I wanted to catch Fivla first to clean her eyes. She thought long and hard about evading me but, having known me all of her life, she realised that was a bad idea.

Vitamin, on the other hoof, was a different matter. I needed to catch her to flush her teeth/gums with water.  Usually this is a small, simple and uncomplicated job but no, today, Vitamin was having none of it and I have to admit that, after trying for a while to catch her, I could see the job was a bad ‘un and I was going to fail.  I hate failure especially with Shetland ponies.  They remember and exploit.

So I gave my catching-Vitamin carrot to Fivla while Vitamin watched on, looking petulant. I told Fivla to munch loudly and enthusiastically so that Vitamin would know that I hadn’t given up (which I had) and that she most definitely hadn’t won this battle.

For an old lady, Vitamin can move when she wants to.  She had a mad look in her eyes and there was no point going on trying. I told them all just how ungrateful they were, packed up my things and went home.  They neither looked back or cared!