Every morning I go out with three buckets for the old men.  As we run an Equine Restaurant, they obviously all have different choices and requirements.

From Left to Right…..

Klængur = TurmerAid to keeps his brain calm and on a level otherwise he will spook at a rock looking at him in a funny way. And a handful of chaff
Haakon = TurmerAid because he’s an arthriticky old man,  Formula 4 Feet (to makes his hooves strong), a wee handful of conditioning cubes (because ❤️), and a handful of chaff
Iacs = TurmerAid because he had near-death colic last year and it’s good for yer guts, and a handful of chaff.

Klængur always finishes first, plays with his bucket and throws it around a bit (I have no idea why he does this but he always has ever since he arrived)

Sometimes he even presents the bucket to me as gift but hangs on to it like he doesn’t actually want me to have it really.  Small children do this when they meet the Queen with bouquets of flowers that they have been holding onto for hours, and are now quite taken with them!

Iacs stands up the hill to eat.   Everyone has their spot.

He only lifts his head when he has finished his bucket.

And to see if the hay is on its way. I tell you, we are just an equine catering service here.

Same with Haakon.  There is no budging.

There is nothing better than a TurmerAid ‘tache and a happy smile!

I came home from the daily Minion Fight Club debacle to find Daisy inside with Efstur.  She has been teaching him “Target Training” and he loves it.

I did not know about this and I would be lying if I knew what it was all about but Daisy has decided Efstur would benefit from Target Training (she studies various training techniques in her spare time).  I just stood there and watched.

(edited to say – I found this on t’net and it makes good sense)

I was very impressed.  It was all so calm and Efstur obviously enjoyed himself.  I think sometimes it is very easy to get totally absorbed with just the riding side of things.

Then it was Dreki’s turn and with that the heavens opened. Our indoor school was very noisy.

Daisy did leading practice with Dreki.  Yesterday she rode him, while I lead (no photos – it is hard to be on the end of the lead-rope with a camera).

Dreki just did the usual “what are these feet things?” and happily walked alongside me, with Daisy on his back – saddle and stirrups.

I also think one of the keys to training is to read the signs.

And if Daisy says today is not the day to ride, then she is very probably right.  I trust her judgement.

Meanwhile outside, I snapped this photo.  I adore Lambie and ‘Ster’s daft Smile-For-the-Camera!  They look very fat and smug!

So a good day. Much achieved with the youngsters.

There is a lot of arguing going on in the Minion field this time of year.  I hate it and feeding time is not a peaceful experience.  It can all get very stressful.

As it is a two-man job, I asked my OH to help as I was on my way home from collecting him from the bus.

For his own safety, I wouldn’t let OH into the field as Newt has become an unpredictable lethal weapon.  We have words.

I didn’t manage to catch on film Newt’s worst crimes of today but you can see he goes round wreaking havoc/revenge on anyone he can.  He may be small but Newt will take on anyone.  Both Lilja and Sóley have learned how to defend their buckets.

And then Newt (and Storm) smile and of course I forgive him.

These two were good boys.

As was Silver in the background. Tiddles was twanging the wire fence to see if I would react. I couldn’t because it would put Fivla off her food and he knows that.  That is The Look of Knowledge.

Storm was trying to get into my pocketses.  All I could feel was his nose trying very hard.

It will be a happy day when we can stop feeding Fivla, Vitamin, Sóley and Lilja.

❤️ Sad news….. RIP James II. He went to sleep and never woke up. ❤️

Spring is starting to try now.  The clocks go back next Sunday and James II is still alive. So all is good.  We think James II has gone back into hibernation as he is always asleep, so we change his bedding when needed and put out fresh food and water, just in case.  Let’s hope he will wake up slowly and feel more like himself soon.  That’s all we can do.

Luckily the no one else is really interested in James II.

This is Monster’s very excellent Bitchy Resting Face!

And this is Monster looking a bit more cheerful.  A Cheshire cat moment.

The horses are all doing fine.

They are have started to look for the new Spring grass, apart from Taktur who wanted some alone time.

I found him standing by himself deep in thought when I came home this afternoon having taken the car to get petrol.

I told him he looked very gorgeous.

Such a Handsome Prince. Be still my beating heart. ❤️  I wish everyone was as nice as Taktur.

Feeling now worried about my sheep’s mineral and vitamin intake (something I just took for granted as they have unlimited hay, grass, Himalayan salt and a generous daily handful of “sheep crunch”), I was told of the 5kg Horslyx Smallholder mineral block I could buy – it would help.

So I bought online and the block arrived the other day.  Up here everything for sheep comes in large amounts for flocks of 50+.  I wanted one for 5 sheep and this is perfect – 5kg – especially made for “the smallholder situation where reliance on forages from grazing, hay, haylage or silage form the greatest proportion of the ruminants diet.” – well that describes our set-up to a tee.

Wherever I go, I have Edna with me.  She is forever hopeful I will feed her and is also my best friend. And so she found me opening the box and swiftly decided that lick was her’s.  I left her to it for a while.

Edna was one happy sheep!

We stayed silent, telling no one.

Didn’t we, Edna!?

Once she had had her fill, I took the block outside.  ‘Ster was next up and straight in.

Lambie was intrigued.

And a “suspicious Aloysius”.

Honestly, Lambie get a grip!

Soon they were all in.

Lambie even tried it. Oh well done, what a brave boy!

They sort of took it in turns.  Now everytime I meet Edna she still looks covered in lick but very happy, if slightly sticky.  She is following me around the croft less too. That Horslyx Smallholder mineral block has her name on it!