I like taking photos like this.  So dramatic and the track has two hills where it is perfect.

Tiddles on his ownsome

Silver and Tiddles

The scrunched up pink nose (don’t think like a pig), the belly, and the short little legs in the air …..❤️

An Abba moment – very Name of the Game!

Ditto.  Probably Verse two for the video.

Meanwhile, indoors, Monster made Pepper squeak for being too boisterous at tea-time.  They have this daily game where Pepper swings off Monster while he is asking for his tea/breakfast/supper/2nd breakfast, etc.  He tolerates her but today he didn’t and so he got her and then SQUEAK! 🐭  Someone said “Serves her right!” and no one was sorry.

And just when Pepper had recovered from her poorly paw too.  I have stopped the painkillers as all four feet where working equally and obviously the annoyingness is as good as new again.

I am not talking to Vitamin.

She has developed a terrible habit.

Not enjoying this enforced summer diet, Vitamin has taken to leaning over the fence to get more grass from the adjacent field.  I can see her from the house and it drives me mad.

She knows I know and she knows I don’t like it one bit.

I’ve given up having words with her about this as it does not good and falls on very deaf ears.

And the moment my back is turned she goes back to doing it.  The fence is slowly getting wrecked too.

So far….. the other ponies don’t do this.  Waffle would try if he could (I’ve watched him attempt to copy Vitamin) but he is just not tall enough.  The only other one would be Silver as he is the tallest but he has better manners for the time being…..

The only way to stop this heinous behaviour would be to run another electric fence on the other side of the track, almost all the way round, which I am very reluctant to do as I hate the idea of the ponies living with electric wire on either side of their track.  It seems mean but, watching Vitamin’s behaviour, I am almost tempted to do it.

And, to be honest, I don’t mind Vitamin having the extra grass (as long as she doesn’t get laminitis).  She is happy and doing well (aged 30 years old) and I would be being stingy to ruin what this fun she has in life.

I think I will hold off with the electric fence until the others start to do it and then all bets are off.  I have a fencer coming in August – I will see what suggestions he has too.

I’ve been busy making sheep, so many sheep and I possibly dream of sheep now.

But when OH’s friends-from-south said those magic words “is there anything we can help you with?”, my thoughts stopped thinking about sheep and went to all my hurdles stacked in the shed.

I quickly moved all the cars and vans outside and put everyone to work.  An offer of help is an offer of help – a wonderful gift indeed.

We built three large “stalls” for Kolka, Iacs and Haakon.  They are 10 x 15 feet each which should be ample for an over-night stay when the weather gets worrisome.  The gap between them and the Minions means no one can pull faces or get each other.  My Icelandics don’t jump either (famous last words).

Each stall has it’s own separate entrance and hopefully this will be a good thing for the Ancients. They can see each other and not be miserable that they are being inside.  And there is plenty of space for glaring at the opposition (Shetland ponies).

There are some nights, especially during winter, when the wind is howling, the wind-chill makes everything sub-Arctic, the rain/snow is pelting down and just I lie awake in bed and worry.  Now I can fire everyone into their respective pen, dish out plenty of hay and water, shut the door and then lie in bed and worry about them getting stuck, cast or colic in the shed.

Well, that’s the plan.  I am trying to make my life easier for winter.

Of course, we were supervised.

And checked.

So a huge thank you to the friends-from-south for helping me build my stalls.  These should be a game-changer this winter.

So far, Summer has been hopeless. It is a complete washout and far too cold to shear anyone.  I hate being this late and I am trying hard not to worry.  I mean it is only July but usually everyone is sheared by June and there seems to be no let up in the weather forecast.

Harrel-the-Barrel

Harrel-the-Barrel

Edna

Madge

Maggie

Lambie

Lambie, again

Ster

Bert

Bert

No one is complaining that they haven’t been sheared, except on the odd day when it gets slightly warmer and then they all lie around like beached whales.  But that is brief and one year, when we sheared them in June and it got cold, I ended up having to put coats on Lambie (who forgot how to think) and Edna (who left for warmer climes and got lost in the hill. I had to bring her home).  So we don’t want to go there again.

And so I am trying my best not to overthink this.  It is only the beginning of July.  Summer might appear, mightn’t it?  The Shetland ponies are still wearing their rugs.  I told you Summer hasn’t turned up yet.  I am fed up.

Yesterday, because of the three-legged walk, I made the appointment for Pepper to see the vet.  We got there nice and early and there was no waiting;  we were straight in.

Pepper is always very enthusiastic about her vet visits.  She jumped straight onto the weighing machine without being asked.

And her weight is good to know too. I shall write that down somewhere useful like at the front of my Farm Book.

I popped Pepper onto the examination table, as requested.  She didn’t object to being examined and bravely tried to keep her tail wagging all the time as she shoved her nose into my arm trying not to look or wiggle, though her poorly paw obviously hurt..  The conclusion was that she was A Very Good Girl and that her foot was not broken.  Painkillers were prescribed for the next five days and we were told no walks, just minimal activity.

While I was paying the bill, Pepper met a lovely labradoodle who she instantly liked.  Said doodle was not keen on the vet and refused point blank to go into the examination room when it was her turn, so I led Pepper first and, again tail -wagging, she walked straight back in with the doodle-dog now following her.  We left them to it.  I was very proud of my little girl.

As I write, the limp of course is now nearly non-existent but knowing the paw is not broken and just bruised is a huge relief for me.

Now, how to keep a small very active terrier happy with minimal activity for the next five days.  Answers on a postcard, please!