Category Archives: Icelandic horses and Shetland Ponies

Summer vs. Winter

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While the rest of the UK is basking in incredible high temperatures, Shetland is not.

I took this photo this morning – and we have enjoyed an ambient but overcast 13℃ all day, which is fine by me and my animals.  I am not worrying about anyone over-heating.

It got me to thinking, though, and I asked my OH this question. Which would you hate most – a bonkers hot English summer or a cold Shetland winter?

OH went for the bonkers hot summer saying that it would only be for a few days here and there and he could cope with that.  I couldn’t. I know – I used to live in London and the heat was awful and the pavements smelled of baked dog poo.  Gross.

I said I preferred a rough cold winter because, although it was difficult, it was much more bearable.  It is easier to get warmer than it is to cool down – both animals and people.  Though winter is very hard work.

Ok, this photo is of an extreme day in Shetland winter – Flossie and I were trying to convince our two new sheep to come home and have some food. It was Gussie and Dahlia who were being unhelpful and “lost”.

Having said all that, looking at the photos of winter, I am now not so convinced by my argument!

But Shetland summers are perfect – rarely too hot – and the wild flowers growing everywhere are beautiful.

All the animals are happy – no one is too hot and I am not worrying.  So I think I am saying that I can cope better with a Shetland winter because itis not as bad as an bonkers hot English summer, which would be unbearable for me.

Grubby Little Boys

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Last year I took down part of the Shetland ponies’ track and put all the plastic fence posts into a big tonne bag in case I needed them again.  The bag was left securely tied to the fence post. Since then, every time I walked past the bag, I thought to myself that those fence posts would be better off in the shed.

It was a big task so I split it up into doable bite-size chunks and every day (if I remembered) I would go down the hill and take up a few fence posts to put in the shed until it was empty.  And then today, I went down with a knife and a pair of strong scissors to cut the tonne bag off the fence post, dragging it up the hill to put in the shed.

The ponies spent their morning staring at the vacated spot from the tonne bag.

They knew something was different but they couldn’t quite put their hoof on it…

So far, the track is working well.

Everyone is happy if revolting. Tiddles will not let me brush him so I that’s his choice.

The farrier is coming on Thursday so I might have another go then when Tiddles can’t argue.

Newt is sporting his sleek summer look.

And Albie is also revolting.

Silver is the perfect little white dream pony.

And Waffle optimistically followed me up and down the hill after my tonne bag.

In other news, Little Herself is back on form.

And note-to-self, I must remember to check my brakes!

Congratulations to Daisy!

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I’ve been on tenterhooks all morning looking at my phone waiting for a text or a call….

Daisy was having her viva (short for viva voce – a spoken oral examination, typically used to defend a doctoral thesis (PhD) or other advanced academic qualification).

And, at 13.30, just as I was typing into Google, “how long is a viva?”, I received the phone call informing me that we must all now refer to Daisy as Dr Daisy!

Apparently, and I wrote it down, she has a PhD is Veterinary Research and Equine Nutrition.

I can’t even begin to tell you just how proud I am of Dr Daisy.  This is a huge achievement for her.

It has not been an easy path but she has succeeded due to all her own hard work.

The bit that really tickles me is that Daisy is the first female Doctor in our family, ever, which is bloody amazing.  I am incredibly proud of her.

(and am obviously wearing my proud Mum t-shirt).

And I hope Daisy is now celebrating her socks off!  Well done Dr. Taylor PhD, MSc, BSc.

No Poppy Film

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After breakfast, I collected up all the buckets – I usually leave everyone to get on with eating rather than wait around – and I noticed their big water container was half full or half empty, depending on your perspective in life.

Anyway, while everyone was snoozing as it was a big breakfast, I decided to wait around for the container to fill up.  I had Pepper for company.  She was unhelpful.

Depressingly, the field mud still hasn’t dried up but there’s nothing I can do about that.

Meanwhile, Pepper precariously perched on the wobbly drystone wall that “rumbles” (disintegrates) while you look at it.

At one stage Pepper decided to clamber on my shoulder, which was not helpful either.

Once the container was full and I knew everyone was in the right fields, I went into the house for my breakfast and to decide whether to continue with trying to film the poppies again.  But that choice had been taken away from me.  All the poppies had opened by themselves apparently earlier this morning.  I now officially give up.

So I contented myself with trying to take arty-farty photos of them instead.

So, again, here is a plethora of Monster photos to make up for another day without the poppy-opening film.  And that is that.

Sheep and Horses

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A few random photos from my day.

Some of the sheep.

I title this “the only thing holding you back, Lambie, is yourself”.

The Magnificent Three.  Rule the world, this lot could – a horse, a duck and a dog (sounds like some weird logic puzzle).

There was a potential intruder situation at the front door.  I had to pay a fee – apparently an apple core is the going rate.

Then again when I went into my shed to make my daily hand-felted Shetland sheep.  I heard the door handle rattle (Haakon’s one skill). I knew it was him and opened the door.

And, yes, I gave in and Haakon got a shortbread finger or three.

Later on, I couldn’t find anyone when I went outside to poo-pick around the place, but eventually located the horses standing outside the field-gate waiting to go back in.  Usually, I have to wave my walking stick and herd them all there but today they were already around.

So I opened the gate and waited…..

And waited (I love Iacs’ expression, btw).

And lastly, as they wanted to come home early, I let the sheep in.

Note-to-self – arrange for them to be sheared.  I think they could do with it now.

And I title this “Nobody puts Lambie in a corner” because he can do it all by himself!