Category Archives: Icelandic horses and Shetland Ponies

Exercises

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A spectacular sunrise this morning. It even made the muck heap look good.

And while that was going on in the sky above, everyone equine was totally oblivious and happily munching their breakfast having survived their first night outside in the snow.

Meanwhile, my back is terrible. I have intense pain/sciatica going down the front of my left thigh and I am finding life very rough.

So I looked up my symptoms and started to do exercises every 30 minutes that would help while lying in bed.  Walking is difficult and sitting impossible now.

Obviously, I had help.

And Pepper was not helpful.  Her legs are spikey and heavy.

I have phoned up the Pain Clinic where my name is always on stand-by and I have joined the list to be seen for spinal epidural steroid injections soonest. I can’t go on like this and am very worried.

On a good point, though, I might have found the photo to be made into Daisy’s next Christmas puzzle! 1000 pieces of varying shades of white.  She’ll love it.

More Snow Pictures

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My back is still giving me problems so, while I have Flossie here, I am making the most of it and lying in bed all day getting up only to feed the animals.

As Floss was going out to lug water (apparently it is called the “Farmer’s Carry” in the gym), I gave her my phone and asked her to take some photos of her surroundings and anyone else she happened upon.  I stayed lying on my bed.

The horses and ponies have had two fields to dig for grass in.  This is the stream which is completely covered over – something I have never seen before.

The drifts are pretty good too.

Everyone is pleased to be outside.

 

Except for Fivla and Vitamin who have taken up residence in their container.  I did show Haakon, Iacs and Kolka the containers.  Haakon thought I was actually mad expecting anyone to go inside.  Iacs and Kolka went in and came straight out.  Still, they know where they are if they want shelter.

Anyway, tonight we have left everyone outside having had two suppers, along with copious haynets hanging everywhere and fresh water.  The wind has died down and those that need have rugs.  Floss and I decided everyone needed to stop seeing us as their servants and start being horses and ponies again.

All Inside

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My morning was spent getting ready for the mother of all weathers.  According to the weather forecast, the temperature is going to dip hugely so I filled every container I could find with water for when the tap freezes, which it always does.

The stalls all have fresh water buckets, forage licks and haynets (except for Fivla and Vitamin’s – no hay eating teeth).

And Skippy is charged up, ready to go.

The sheep have haynets hanging, a lick bucket available and fresh water too. I even cleaned out their feed bowls just because.

Later on at 2.30 p.m., the weather started to disintegrate and I don’t mind telling you that no one needed asking twice when I opened the gates.

They all, to a horse/pony, rushed into their stalls, almost taking off their own rugs without rolling first and started to eat looking very relieved that they were not having to stay outside anymore.

So now I am going to spend my entire night lying awake thinking “thank the Gods everyone is inside tonight” while the weather rages around us.

But will I sleep?  Probably not, because Gussie and Dahlia are the only ones outside – I didn’t see them come home. I’ve wedged their field gate open just in case they remember.

update: they’re all home now. Phew!

Winter Storm Coming

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I think this will be us for the foreseeable future.  There is a heavy snow/storm arriving tomorrow which I am dreading.

I woke up at 4am this morning and started worrying so the minute it was getting light, I rallied the troops to bring the old horses and ponies home.

(‘scuse the bad photography – it was barely light)

Once home, we fitted each old horse and pony with a medium-fill rug, gave them their breakfast and sent them on their way into their storm field.

Also, after much deliberation and discussion, Daisy and I decided to rug up Tiddles as he is the only one with a smattering of ribs amongst the Shetland boys.  The others are fat.

I don’t want Tiddles losing anymore weight – he is just right as he is.  Tiddles is perfect.

I told him this and I also told everyone else that a) they were not point and laugh at him for wearing his very handsome blazer, and b) they were absolutely not to rip it either.  Tiddles does look very smart.

Anyway, we have the big shed all ready and tomorrow afternoon before it gets dark, I will call everyone home and put them inside for that night and possibly the next day.  It truly is going to be vile and I want to know they are all safe and indoors.  This morning I went to town and bought fibre/food for horses and ponies who can’t eat hay (no teeth).

So, hopefully  we are prepared for this onslaught.  I am also praying the electric stays on.

Winter Brushing

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We have a northerly storm on its way, along with the possibility of snow. It will probably arrive Wednesday and rev up for Thursday, dying out by Friday and then snowing from henceforth.

So, as I have help at the moment, Flossie and I went out armed with a bucket of brushes and we gave the horses and ponies a quick once over, concentrating mostly on the fur on their backs, which needed a good brush and floof up.

While Floss worked hard, I picked out feet.

Everyone behaved beautifully – they just stood there, no headcollars or anything and we brushed and picked while being investigated (read frisked) as we went.

 

Then it was the Shetland ponies’ turn in the other field.  They were very helpful though I did have to put a headcollar on Tiddles (which he immediately took off his nose) as he is not keen on being brushed and kept moving off.  I talked to the front end while Floss did the brushing.

 

The ponies were mostly very fluffy and needed little done, except of course for Tiddles whose coat needed a thorough brush.  He turned into a fluff ball afterwards.  So another job done.