About once a year, I take a really good photo.  So here it is.  Fivla at her most beautiful.  She is truly a fairy-tale pony.

Fivla of Finnister © Frances Taylor 2022

When I went up to see the Minions, I took Vitamin her daily bucket of food.  She needs the calories.

The Minions know they can’t have it. I have always made this perfectly clear.

Today’s hopefuls were Storm and his cousin, Newt – yes, they are related and sometimes I can really see the similarity. Those genes don’t stray far.

Storm was persistent.

He said he just happened to be in the area.

And could Vitamin please give him her bucket.

Asking for a starving friend.

I let Vitamin tell Storm what she thought of that idea.

And then, from another approach, Newt came to join in.  Poor Vitamin. I will have to be a better guard for her.

Ponies. They are very irritating. Both Vitamin and I agree on that point.

It was the perfect day to do it.  So we moved all the Minions and Old Ladies to their summer residence – the hill park in Sandness.

We fed Vitamin and Fivla first and then moved Tiddles, Newt and Silver who were fairly unhelpful to lead.

They galloped off, once they realised where they where they had landed.

Then we drove back and collected Waffle, Storm and Albie who were slightly more enthusiastic.

And then lastly the old ladies – Vitamin and Fivla who were waiting for us looking rather forlorn.  I wish animals could understand that I would never abandon them and that we would be back within the hour.  I did try to explain.

You can see in the far, far distance everyone was waiting by the gate for the ladies.

Lots of shouting from both sides.

It was a good walk for everyone (for Floss and I it was three times).

The boys all crowded around the gate while we opened it.

And the band are back together…. again.  Just splitting them up for a couple of hours for transportation worries them all.  They are a very close herd.  Hopefully the grass is not good enough for anyone to get laminitis.  It is not re-seeded or particularly lush or green. I will go on feeding Vitamin unless she balloons, which I doubt.  This should do them for the summer.

“What are you doing?”

“I need to know.”

“Can I help?”

(Stephen, our farrier, then put Pepper up on Klængur’s back.  Flossie and I held our collective breaths. So of course, Klængur did absolutely nothing.)

Pepper was intrigued.  She stayed around “to help”, following Stephen back and forth to his van.  The horses all ignored her.

Just because it is now spring doesn’t mean I have less to do.

The old ladies are still fed, watered with eyes cleaned and mouths washed out. I throw carrots at the furious (but slimmer) Minions.

I need to bring a brush along some time and give everyone a good going over.  I prefer the natural approach as it means their winter fur fall out when it are ready to go, which is plain English for they all look incredibly scruffy and need a proper brush!

And then I rode my horse.  Yesterday was a blip and today Dreki seemed better.  We are now just off the lead-rein, though Floss has to be in the arena for direction if required.

I love riding Dreki.  He feels “right”, if that makes sense – strong, happy and does his very best.

It is like having a black version of Haakon, but younger and much greener.  I backed and trained Haakon many years back so I remember the feeling.

Steering is coming, our brakes are good and every day we get a little bit better at this going around the school on the track listening to commands.  One day we might even break out of walk!  Who knows.