Last night, I found four out of the six reprobates in the container.  Both are open but only one has bedding, but the ponies have choice if they get annoyed with each other.  There are also two soaked haynets outside for sustenance which are empty by the morning so someone is eating them.

And the new routine seems to be working pretty well for the time being. The ponies who can eat a “normal” diet are out on the new track from 7.30 to 15.30, when it gets dark. I open up little bits so they can get more scrubby grass when it gets bare.

The old ladies go inside for the night but come out in the morning to go onto the grass too.  They look forward to this but are more than happy to go inside when it’s dark.  More buckets.

The only one who is not thrilled by this is Fivla.  She enjoyed the 3 hourly waitress service of constant food buckets that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Around 12.00, I usually find her hovering trying to catch my attention (waitrees, I say, waitress…. yes, you!)

Today, I gave in and fed her a carrot and then she went back to rejoin her herd.  It is Fivla, after all and she is very special.

And these three quite like being outside now.  They have accepted they don’t have access to the grass like everyone else but spend many hours going in and out of the container, mostly to poo in it so I can spend many hours going in and out cleaning the container.  That is my life now.

I am just going to leave these photos here.

Please don’t judge me that there is a cat on the table. I know, I know. Shameful behaviour, but Monster insists and when I say no, he doesn’t really believe me.

Here he is sitting on my shopping list.

I am finding Wordle very difficult these days.

And this was from this morning.

(a short blog, sorry – I am knackered from mucking out for what feels like all my life)

But on a good note, the newly released three are enjoying the container, even Albie who has gotten over his fear.   I’ve noticed that a few of the ponies have bedding on their backs so they are lying down, which is good.

Today Tiddles, Albie and Storm went to live in the container paddock.

The others were on the new track that is around the paddock so they could see them but couldn’t get out.

There was a little playing.

I stayed firm despite pleadings.

This is the new track which will slowly increase in size as they finish their grass allocation.

Those in the container paddock get soaked haynets – one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

In the evening (well, 3.30 p.m.), Fivla and Vitamin go into their stall in the big shed for the night and everyone else goes into the container paddock for a soaked high-fibre bucket.  They also get two more soaked haynets for the night which they apparently share.  The old ladies get buckets.

So, that’s the new regime.  I have cut back on 4 bucket feeds as well as 2 soaked haynets and been given back some time.  Last night, I slept for 10 hours.  I am exhausted so this will hopefully be easier for me.  Let’s hope we’ve got through the worst now.

And was Storm pleased to see his friends again?  No, he stood twanging the fence at me in a rage that he couldn’t join them to eat grass. I waved my poo-picking stick at him and told him to stop or I would electrify that fence too!

I should’ve known when I saw this red sky that staying in bed and not getting up to deal with the day would’ve been the sensible choice.

Because later in the morning, I was met with this…….

And, while I was putting it all back together, Albie let himself out to explore a bit.  Luckily, he couldn’t get out any further because…..

We have a British phrase that is very useful – belt and braces.

(from the Dictionary )

(of a policy or action) providing double security, by using two means to the same end.

The belt……

…and the braces!  There will be no escaping here.

I put some new bedding (hemp) into the containers so the outside ponies could lie down if they want to.  I was told that the ponies wouldn’t eat it….. but yet…..

So while Newt and Waffle were busy stuffing their faces with this new bedding, I was frantically searching the internet to see if their new diet would kill them.

Apparently it is not good to eat in large quantities.  I told them this.

But luckily, I thought to myself, I have the vet coming to take Storm’s blood so if the ponies want to be ill from eating the container bedding, I have just the chap to deal with it.  The words “bloody ponies” sprung to mind quite a lot today.

I have been lacking a plan with the Shetland ponies.  I couldn’t see the wood for the trees, which is quite an achievement here in Shetland!

So my good friend, Monika, from Sandness Equine Services came over to help.  She could see my set-up and made an excellent suggestion to fence off a small bit of the adjoining field which could be increased as winter went on.  This means the ponies have access to the containers as well as a little grazing.

Newt, Silver and Waffle watched on with interest while we worked.

We decided on two strings of fence this time.  My trust in the ponies, like the last fence, is completely broken.

And then we let them out.

And then we got Fivla and Vitamin, as they are now fine.

There’s not a huge amount of grazing and the ponies will only have access to it during daylight hours.  Them’s the new rules.

And back in the big shed, I had to go and apologise to the last three – Storm, Tiddles and Albie who looked on or listened to the sounds of munching and complained bitterly.

So that’s the winter plan.  A huge thank you to Monika for giving me guidance.  I needed it.  As far I was concerned, everyone was going to stay inside all winter.

Meanwhile, a small wee dug managed to go a-visiting while we were fence building.  She came home eventually after I hollered and taxi-whistled (two fingers in my mouth which is useful for stopping London taxis) for her.