Category Archives: Icelandic horses and Shetland Ponies

Everyone Bare Nekkid

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It seems odd that not 36 hours ago it was blowing a hoolie and snowing but now everyone’s rugs are off and they’re all bare nekkid.

The nicest bit of taking rugs off is seeing just how clean and beautiful they are underneath.

No one looks too thin, which is my main worry this time of year – with rugs on, you don’t know what is going on underneath.

Everyone had a lovely sleep lying flat out in the sunshine too.  I could almost hear them snoring.

And also they told me spring is here by starting to lose their winter coats.

I am lazy and don’t brush anyone until it gets until mid May/June as their winter coats might still be needed.  It could get cold again still.  You just never know.

I am particularly pleased with Vitamoobag.  She looks glorious for such an old lady (32yo) but it doesn’t take much for her to look like a hat-rack, I know that.  At this age, we all just go day to day with absolutely no expectations.

I climbed up the hill back to the house to find we had company!

Goodbye Flossie

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We knew the weather would be very bad at 8.00 when we usually go out to feed everyone, so Floss and I got up an hour early (plus the clocks went forward last night) before it all revved up. We wanted to get everything done while it was safe to be outside.

Floss is going back to her home, having helped me enormously over a hard winter.  Later on, when there was lull in the weather, we went outside so she could say goodbye to everyone.

(we also put a hand under everyone’s rugs to find them totally dry and warm, which was good, as some quantity of rain had fallen).

 

And then Floss went to say goodbye to the sheep and we decided to have a sit in the sheep shed, mostly because it was dry.

This is one of my favourite past-times.

While the weather was raging outside, we were dry, calm and peaceful.

And ‘Bert was very cuddly – there was a brief minute when Flossie imagined taking ‘Bert back with her but he’s not great on a dog-lead so that would be the difficulty.

(I ❤️ this photo so much!)

However, Lambie is great on a dog-lead but not half as cuddly.

And then inside to try and put a few things on Ebay – the job that is always waiting for the rainy day.

It was not made easy but I achieved and put a few things on.  We’ll see what happens.  I feel quite inspired.

So farewell to Flossie. Both she and Daisy have been an immense help and support when I needed it most.  I think I can do this on my own now.  I just need a system.

A Day Between Weathers

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Today has been a day between weathers or “atween wadder”, as they say in Shetland dialect – calm, warmer and even blue sky.  It was very spring-like but of course we will all be thrown back into constant wind and rain tonight. Everyone was making the most of the calmness and I watched Vitamin having a deep snooze lying down in her rug in the sunshine.

And thank you for all your comments about my failed minimalistic dreams.  I took all the “family jewels” out of their casket, laid them out on the kitchen table, tried to value some with Google image, messaged our local jewellers to see if they had a gemologist (they don’t and my mothers spelling made me laugh), made a decision about what I wanted to sell, laid it out to photograph, decided I liked everything, and finally put it all back in the casket thinking that, at present, I don’t want to part with anything because they used to mean something to someone in my family and therefore they should mean something to me.  So I failed again, today.  I feel rather hopeless at this.

Later, I went out with a few not-very-nice carrots to give to the Shetland ponies, who, apart from Tiddles, have had a very rough few days weather-wise.  They were grateful and hungry and told me all about it while I tried to feel for ribs.  Ha-bloody-ha – if I have a very good imagination, I like to think I felt some but honestly, it was a struggle with Albie who is a very fat little pony.  How they can get fat in winter on pretty much nothing is an absolute mystery to me but they do. The track beckons for them but not quite yet.

And I made this little chap.

Oh yes, and I saw my first celandine of the year which is another flower milestone in my constantly looking for signs of Spring journey.  For me, it is the little things.

 

Rugs Back On Again Chaps!

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The horses and ponies managed a few days without their rugs but next week’s weather forecast is looking horrendous and it looks like the snow will return.

I am not happy but at least I have Flossie until next Sunday.

So, we decided to put on everyone’s thicker rugs with high necks.

This is Fivla in her 4′ 6″ Horseware Rhino Pony Wug 100g Turnout Rug.  It arrived just in the time for this latest weather onslaught.

Vitamin’s wearing the same version, only in a 4′ 9″ size.

Again, the essential high neck and I know she is comfortable and will stay warm, whatever happens.

Bibble is sporting his new rug too.  Another Horseware Rhino Wug Turnout Rug 100g. He takes the “horse” version but this time in a rather sporty Irish Tartan so we renamed him “O’Bibble”.

Haakon and his wife, Kolka, have to wear last year’s model which I know is a good fit and perfectly good.

I went down later with needle and thread to sew a strap under Kolka’s tail flap as it had gone.. She was very good and stood quietly while I sewed.

So that’s them ready. I am glad I bit the financial bullet and made this investment.  Horseware rugs are absolute best in my book therefore I will sleep at night knowing I can’t do more.

Meanwhile, Tiddles is in his one new rug. Sadly, the 100g was not available in the UK and apparently this high neck will not be manufactured again, so panicking I scoured the internet and found one his size in the USA.  A friend is bringing it over in Spring for him.  So the 0g will have to do for now.

He was very happy to put his rug back on.

I wonder if they know the weather is about to get very bad.

d

The other ponies remain fat and don’t need anything.  So fat, in fact, we are thinking they won’t get any extra hay either, though I may capitulate on that.

Carrot Justice

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I’m not very good at injustice and Waffle not having his carrot yesterday was weighing heavily on me all night. I barely slept a wink for the worry.

So this morning after breakfast, I popped down to the sheltered bit of the Shetland ponies’ field to find Waffle and his friends.

I had counted out six carrots so that would be one for Waffle….

And then one for everyone else.

They always ask so nicely.

It was very windy.

(why does Albie look so tiny next to Silver? I always thought he was never that small. Perhaps it’s their positions and therefore deceiving)

    

And then I went back round and gave Waffle an extra carrot to make up for yesterday.

I don’t think anyone noticed as luckily as no one is very good at counting.  So please don’t make me go back down there and “settle up” again.  They’ve all had carrots now and they are all happy, even Waffle.