Category Archives: Icelandic horses and Shetland Ponies

Moved Them

2 Replies

This morning Vitamoobag and her not-much-of-a-friend Kolka escaped and went walkabout around the croft.  It was all my fault. I didn’t secure the gate when I brought the breakfast buckets and it swung open in the wind offering a lovely escape route.  Obviously, they took it.

Kolka was easy to catch (with a dog-lead attached to the world’s smallest Shetland pony/foal headcollar (so shoot me, it’s all I could grab) around her neck like a necklace) and I returned her quickly to her field before she had another independant thought.

Vitamoobag was not so helpful and had wandered to the house. She had no intention of being caught ever again but using the old “I’m not holding a headcollar and I don’t want to catch you” ruse, I got her and put her back too.

While we did the slow walk back to the field, I mused that as the weather was going to disintegrate, perhaps this herd would be better off in a more sheltered field, as well as having more grass to eat.

So using the now successful method (patent pending) of leading a horse/pony without the right equipment, I put  my teensy tiny headcollar/dog lead contraption around Haakon’s neck and told him to come with me, which of course he did (such a well brought up chap).

Everyone else followed.

And now this lot are happy in a field with lots of grass and shelter.

One problem, though, three of them are pretty much the same colour as their background.  Spot three horses!

There you go.  Two….

Plus one.

But at least I can see Fivla and Vitamoobag still.

Poor Little Newt

5 Replies

“Poor little Newt” is not a phrase I thought I would ever be saying but today was that day.

This afternoon, we were down to one haybox (the other is being repaired by OH) and so I stupidly thought everyone would share nicely.

I was wrong.  I should’v known.

I hung my second haynet in one of the containers and showed it to Newt so he could get his fair share.  He was being bullied off.

Newt quickly got the message and I smiled to myself when I saw him clamber into the container to have a good go at the hanging haynet.  And it also left space outside if anyone else wanted to share, like Silver.

So I was disappointed to return to find Tiddles in the container with sole ownership of the haynet.

I guessed where Newt was and I could sense his misery.  Tiddles had no intention of letting Newt have any haynet.  These days, these two don’t get on well.  Tiddles is the bully.

Poor little Newt!

So I went back and filled up another haynet for Newt and hung it in the inside back corner.

So Tiddles wanted it too.  Of course he did!

I told him to go away, and leave Newt alone. His behaviour was unbecoming.

Tiddles left Newt to his food (for once, he listened to me – a good idea!)

And then I left everyone to it.  I had things to do – poo to pick around the track, water to fill up, etc.  I also moved another haybox into the paddock – probably something I should’ve done in the first place now I think about it.  Duh!

Not Fivla’s Day

2 Replies

Today was not Fivla’s day.

It started badly when I brought her her breakfast bucket and went downhill from then on.

Fivla likes to eat on her own if she can because she likes peace and quiet and is always the first to be picked on.  She’s an easy target. One of life’s victims.

The others were eating by the fence so a little bit away.

And then Gussie sauntered up.  Ever the pig (in sheep’s clothing), he thought he would have Fivla’s breakfast. He had already eaten his own.

And, I was shocked to see, that Fivla let him!  I could see she was very unimpressed with giving up her breakfast to a sheep but as usual she didn’t put up a fight and acquiesced miserably.

So I distracted Gussie and told him to leave Fivla alone, it was not his breakfast.  He took his telling off well and let me distract him from thoughts of food by tickling the top of his head.  Hugging was out, though.

Meanwhile, the others continued to eat and I realised that I needed to get between Kolka and everyone else as she is also a huge thief and bully with other horses’ food.  My only imperative at breakfast-time is that Iacs should have his anti-cancer pills no matter what.

So while I was standing now protecting Iacs (and possibly Haakon) from the vulture-like circlings of Kolka, I looked over to see Fivla was still in trouble.  This time it was a two-prong attack.

But this time, Fivla held fast.  She had a new strategy – to not raise her head out of the bucket until every last bit of food had gone.  I don’t honestly think Gussie got any and, if he did, they were only the dregs anyway.

I need to have words with young Gus-Gus.  His manners leave a lot to be desired.

Autumnal Light

13 Replies

The sun tried to show its face this morning, albeit very briefly.  The mornings are much darker now. I am usually up and around by the time it appears.

This was my view from the feed container while I was getting everyone’s breakfasts.  Not too shoddy, I think.

The sheep are always first to eat, for obvious reasons.  The main one being they follow me zombie-like, trying to trip me up and the steal the buckets if I try to feed anyone else instead. So it is better to get them shut in their shed, eating out of their bowls, with Lambie in his Private Dining Room (because he can’t share and gets upset if asked) and out of my way.  That way peace can reign.

The light was especially lovely this morning.  I appreciated it very much.

After the sheep are fed, then it is the Shetland ponies and then the old horses and ponies in their field  That is the order, with the odd duck in between.  They never stop saying they have no food.

As you can see, everyone’s coats are getting thicker and ready for the real weather that will come soon.

Also, you may notice, everyone is very fat. I am not too concerned about this as I am going to follow a no-rug, stay outside policy for all, if I possibly can.  I expect I will last a minute with this lot and will be lugging rugs and putting them on everyone the minute the weather turns.  I always say I won’t and I always end up doing it.

But I must also remember that everyone is fat and built for this environment.

The autumn light on the dog-walk was special.  This is the time of year for impressive skies.  I do secretly love autumn the most.  It is when I think the most, which is probably not wise and mostly about rugs!

Wet plant in rain

Winter or Summer Track?

4 Replies

A wet dreich day and I have galloping TMJ pain so I am feeling very sorry for myself.

Wet field

After trying to play flute duets badly, I gave up (my jaw and neck hurt too much) and dragged Mandy out to help me poo-pick the track instead.  Luckily, Mandy was up for helping me with this grotty job, which was very kind of her.  I kitted her up in my wet-weather-grot-jobs kit.

Mandy helping me poo pick

Recently, I have been wondering whether to move the Shetland ponies onto their winter track or is it too early? I don’t know.

The winter track is all fenced off and ready to go.  All I have to do is open the gate and strategically attach the zappy energiser.

winter track grass

But the winter track is full of grass, some of which is quite lush still.  What to do?  I need to avoid autumn-flush laminitis at all costs.

Long grass

So I showed Mandy my dilemma and she agreed that the winter track is looking a bit too good at the moment.  We talked it all through and the conclusion was while the weather is still in double figures (ie grass growing weather), the Shetland ponies should stay where they are on – their big spring/summer track along with their two haynets a day (split into four small ones).

Shetland ponies eating

I told the ponies of my latest decision.  It makes sense and it was good to talk things through with someone who could see my situation in its entirety (that would be Mandy, not the ponies who refuse to see any situation helpfully).

Newt eating

Now I am off to look for painkillers for my jaw.  I am not enjoying this one bit.  I would like to curl up on the sofa with a hot water bottle and have lovely things brought to me.  Instead, I’ve got to go back outside in the near-dark, put the hens and ducks in their respective bedrooms, let the sheep back in from their field and kiss them goodnight.