I brought Haakon out of his field and popped him in the paddock while Daisy was finishing up in the school with Kappi.  I wanted to try on his new rug on him.

Before we started fiddling about with buckles and straps, Haakon had a chat with Kappi who was just leaving, having just finished a strenuous work-out.  These two have a bit of history – all about the hierarchy in the herd when Haakon was boss. It wasn’t pretty – so it was nice to see them say a cheery hello.  I think Kappi is fed-up of the “kiddy factor” – Dreki and Efstur can be tiring.  All that ruddy giggling.

Anywho, I tried the rug on Haakon. It has a high neck, dart at the shoulder and some fairly firm straps.  I am in two minds to send it south to have everything changed so he can break his way out of it rather than get stuck.  I think I will give it a go like it is first and see what happens.

Haakon gave me his not-very-enthusiastic look like a child trying on school uniform for the first time. He hates rugs but they do keep the weight on when the weather is bad so he will just have to put up and shut up. I told him this while asking him not to wreck it either.

I put the old man back in his field and said hello to the others, finding some carrots about my person.

I also took with me a salt lick and attached it to the gate.  Sóley gave it her attention.

So, when the weather deteriorates, the rug will make an appearance.  It won’t be long the way we are going.

Food is still an issue for Pepper. She says she’s hungry, you give her food and she just sits down and looks at it, getting thinner as I watch.

So these past few days, I have given up on prepared dog food and cooked up rice, carrot, chicken with a poached egg.  This she loves mostly because Monster loves it too!

They eat together and happily swap bowls.  You have no idea the sigh of relief I breathed when I saw this is obviously the way forward.  After 15 months of BeAnne saying no to everything, I know all the tricks of this particular trade.  Monster is a very useful as well.  He has taken on his supervisory role in exchange for freshly prepared home-cooked food.

So to town I went with a long shopping list.

It was a grey and windy morning.  No one was around so I pottered about.

I dropped in on my little Lerwick “field” which was looking a bit sparse.

So I gave the Sheeple some more friends and will keep on making them as they seem to be selling well.

I went to my Bank and was greeted by a lovely daffodil!

Possibly not what I was expecting but I had to buy nearly all of the chocolate gooey treats for those left at home.  Pepper-sitting, after all, is exhausting.

On to the Bookshop and there were the girls!

So a pleasant morning away spent buying all the food Monster and Pepper would like.   Whatever it takes is my motto.  I hate it when my animals say no, thank you to food. It makes me worry, especially a growing little puppy.

It’s a bit all or nothing at the moment.  Pepper is either awake and pinging off the ceiling or fast asleep. There is nothing in between.

We have progressed to walking off a lead, which is much easier on us all.

Pepper, so far, is pretty obedient on a walk but easily distracted. However she still looks for me to be around to back her up.  The hens and ducks are probably doomed but we will see how we go.  I would be sad if she killed the lot but I can’t say she would be the only dog who didn’t.  Everyone else has had history, even the sainted BeAnne (killing chickens and running through ducks to make the fly!)  If it looks like there is no stopping Pepper, then we will quickly find homes for the poultry rather than wait and watch the carnage.  The sheep are a different matter as they are bigger and today Pepper met them off a lead.  Maggie did not back down and that was good. She made Pepper run back to me.  I am trying to promote a healthy respect rather than constantly shouting “no”.  I think Maggie may be perfect for this job.

Saint Monster (beatification pending) remains a cool dude and very good at keeping Pepper’s enthusiasm under his control.

He puts up with a lot.

But he takes no prisoners, either, and Pepper knows this.

Today we went to the vet and Pepper had her first vaccination injections.  She had put on 0.3kg since her last visit and the vet was pleased with her progress.

I went to visit everyone up in their new hill field. Once we discovered Waffle and Tiddles’ ghastly predicament yesterday, we moved everyone as quickly as possible.  I am terrified of laminitis for the rest of the herd.

Much to Vitamin’s horror! She is not a fan of this field.

And is seriously unimpressed living on the side of a hill with really grotty “poor” unfertilised hill grass. She liked the lush stuff.

So I walked up to their field to see (and check) them all.

They will be here for a while to lose weight in the Autumn equinox gales.

Sadly, it is the only way. I didn’t even bring carrots. I can’t. Not now I am scared.  I may lose my job as their Muzzah, apparently.  Cruel to be kind.

Waffle and Newt are now on Day 2 in prison.  Waffle spends his days trying to look enchanting in the hopes I will let him out.

No chance. I brushed them instead. A poor substitute for freedom.  It’s going to be a very long haul.

The boys aren’t finishing their ad-lib fibre, but they do eat their buckets of anti-inflammatories and analgesia.  Today I picked my neighbour’s nettles as these improve blood circulation. I got stung through gloves.  I am going to dry the nettles, chop them up and put it in their food. The things I do for my boys.  Absolutley no gratitude either.

I am feeling awful. I am the worst Muzzah ever.  Tiddles and Waffle have laminitis from the autumn flush of grass.  I am totally bereft and have let them down.  How could this happen?

I have been humm-ing and aah-ing recently about both of them the last 2 days and today it was patently clear what is going on.  Bloody buggering laminitis.

I spend all winter wishing we had grass, and the rest of the year wishing we didn’t and now this….. It is too much.

Daisy and I looked at Tiddles and Waffle, sucked our teeth, went home and got the horsevan, painkillers and our hoof trimming kit.  We slowly walked them out of their field, trimmed their hooves for more comfort and loaded them into the van, leaving them with a bucket of painkillers.

Meanwhile, we each lead 3 ponies (with me telling them all to behave and lead nicely) to the hill field a little way away.  Less rich grass, more hill grass which is basically green and has no calories. Fibre. And watched and worried about them as well as they galloped, bucked and farted off into the distance.

Back to the horsevan, and the painkillers had kicked in so I drove my boys very slowly and carefully home (apologies to anyone behind us).  Then we put many bales of shavings down and told Tiddles and Waffle to say goodbye to grass and any fun, ever.

So that’s us and we can only pray with zero sugar, painkillers, anti-inflammatories, soaked hay and fibre blocks that they come out of this and not too much permanent damage has been done.  They will hate us for doing this but we may save their lives.

Off to sell a kidney – slightly used!