It has got a lot colder recently – 5℃ today with a bitter north wind which brings it down to -1℃ so I opened up a bit more of the track for the little ones.  They spotted me doing this and came rushing over en masse.

Silver was kindly waiting for Vitamin who didn’t want to leave the haynets.  Frustrated with her lack of speed, he gave up and cantered up the hill, along and around to join the others.

And then there were 8, when Vitamin realised she was on her own.

I think my current plan is to keep everyone at home for winter now.  The Shetlands will remain on the track and I will open up small areas of grazing each week so they get more fibre and still have access to the containers.  I am not rushing out to put on rugs either.  That’s what the containers are for.  The Icelandics are fat.  The no-ribs-kind-of-fat so they can stay out, rugless, in their field for a while too.  It has masses of shelter (old buildings) so they will be ok.

Anyway, finishing that job, I walked up the hill and mucked out the container area and track.  Grubby ponies, I thought to myself when I looked up to see a beautiful rainbow with the pot-of gold end landing on Clothie, my croft where the Icelandic horses currently live.

After lunch, I went to Turriefield to weigh, pack and label vegetables.  On my way home, I stopped to take this photo of Foula, just because it looked like a painting.