This morning the weather deteriorated and I gave in and fed the little hobbitses a second breakfast.

No one was shivering, which cheered me up, as we are still in double digits temperature-wise, but it was a mean gale-force north wind, which never helps.

Everyone was sodden and they huddled around their haynet stuffing their faces.

The hay was warming them and cheering them up too.

Silver had his own haynet. He doesn’t like sharing very much. It’s not his thing.  He’s not mean, he just likes some solitude (read peace and quiet) when eating.  And, oh the mud. The horrid mud.  It really is too much and it’s not even November yet.  Around the edge of this part of the field is hard-standing with mud on top.

After a well-deserved lunch for myself at the church café, I returned to see the ponies had discovered the new eating area that I had created by pulling the electric fence back a good piece.

As it had stopped raining (but still blowing hard), I made the decision to put Fivla and Vitamin outside to join their friends.  I am determined their life will not just be in the shed if I can get the balance right.

Later on, when I went out to check on everyone, Fivla saw me and came running so I hid hoping she would stay with her friends and eat the newly released grass, rather than wait at the gate to go back inside again.

Yes, I now have to hide from my ponies!

Up at at the crack of sparrows this morning.

I had to squeeze my usual morning routine into an hour and half.  I gave everyone enough food until lunch, although I know they ate it all immediately and then wanted more.  Tough. Things to see, people to do!

Driving the horsevan, I went to Lerwick to the Marts for the annual Shetland pony sales.

I tried so hard not to be tempted but there were some sweeties there.

Absolute sweeties.

Having seen the ponies I was supposed to look at and give an opinion on, I went “front of house” to sit in the centre of things. The bidding had already started.

Each breeder was asked to lead their ponies around the ring a few times and then to stand them up in the centre.

The bidding is live as well as onilne and you can see the camera in the corner.  There was good online interest and folk commented on the high quality of pony being presented for sale.

I can’t really comment on the prices realised because I have no idea what the market is like these days.

My friend, who I had come to give moral support, bought the pony she wanted – a gorgeous standard isles-bred black filly.

I am thrilled for her and there is something nice about not coming home with another but having all the fun and thrills of helping with the purchase.

I think OH was relieved too.  By the way, I only took the horsevan because I needed more hay!  I hope I didn’t scare you.

It’s a tough one, this keeping ponies inside 24/7 thing.  They struggle, therefore I struggle as well.

Fivla and Vitamin are losing the will, they are rapidly losing interest in all types of food as well as being noticeably down in the dumps. I hate seeing them like this.

So, as today was calm and relatively rain-free, I put them in with their friends, the Minions, after breakfast in the hope it would perk them up.

Fivla perked.  She was happy to eat but Vitamin just stood there and didn’t really bother.

At elevenses, I put out some soaked hay as there really is nothing to eat around here.

And I knew these two wouldn’t bother with it, so I gave them a ration of hay replacer (ie soaked mush) which they scoffed.

I opened up a little more of the track in the afternoon too.  It was a scrubby part.  Nothing nice.

And it was good to see Vitamin eating properly.

Everyone was happier and I thought I had it sussed.

But at 3pm, the old ladies were standing by the gate with the others miles away. So I opened the gate and they ran into the shed even without headcollars and started to eat all the food they’d left behind, much happier with life.

Farrier day is next Tuesday and I will make some decisions then based on what we find.  I don’t want to Fivla and Vitamin to give up because they are living inside but then again, I do want them to have some quality of life.  Mental health is just as important as physical health.

It was a lovely morning and everyone was fine.  All fed and watered.  How it should be.

So OH and I drove the big horse-van over to collect some willow tree cuttings that had been set aside especially for us.

We got home and laid them in piles along the old partially rumbled stone wall that surrounds my shed. I think it must’ve been the croft’s old enclosed garden once.

When the sheep came home from their day in the hill field, I told them there were willow trees waiting for them.  Now if there is one thing I know is that my sheep love willow because if they get into the garden, it is the first thing they aim for.  Not the grass, no, the trees.  Poor OH. They are his pride and joy so I try to keep the sheep out.

Everyone was looking very “Suspicious Aloysius”……

….. so I put one of the branches into an old wire roll that has taken root.

Bert knew what to do.

As did Maggie (which I am surprised since she is a hill sheep so where on earth would she find out about trees – there are none on the hill. Absolutely none).

But she tucked in looking at each pile as if she could make it her own.

Well done, Maggie.

So, pleased with the success of one strategically placed branch, I decided to “build” a whole tree, or perhaps bush.

The sheep looked on while I worked hard dragging my branches over.

I wonder if Maggie and Bert will convince the others that willow trees are delicious.  I noticed Bert was quickly stripping the bark.  I doubt it will take very long before they’re all at it.

The nights are drawing in now – this is the sun at 4pm.  It is almost dark by 7pm when I go out to do the last feeds and kiss everyone good night.

After making three sheeple – I started early today – I did afternoon snack buckets or haynets and then went to call the real-life sheep home.  They didn’t need asking twice.

We had a small chat and a few hugs – mostly Barrel, Edna and Bert.  Lambie was having a thing because I want to take off his fly collar, so of course I can’t get near him.

And then the sheep all went on their merry way again.  They cover a lot of ground during the day, which is good, I think.

After I’ve written this, I will go and find ‘Ster who, no doubt, has lost everyone to the bottom field.  I know my job.  Actually, I am surprised I can’t hear him complaining outside the front door that he’s all alone in the world.  He usually shouts very loudly.