It’s rained all day and it feels very damp both indoors and out.

When I got back from packing vegetables this afternoon, all the Shetland ponies were just standing around looking utterly miserable so I gave in. I opened up the small triangle of grass for them.

They can eat it for the evening and then I will try and lure them back into their padddock for the night – I don’t suppose for one minute they will come in, but I will try.

I also put Fivla back in her field.  She doesn’t eat when she is with the Minions and just stands there all day worrying me.

I was speaking to Iacs’ vet (south) and I mentioned Fivla’s depression and she told me about having a geriatric profile of bloods taken as well as an endocrinology screening. I have booked Fivla in for a vet visit next week.

If Fivla is not eating while she is on the track, then I worry she will get Hyperlipidemia which occurs when horses are in a negative energy balance due to decreased feed intake.  I could not nurse her through that. It would be too much for Fivla’s body to take.  Anyway, when I put her back in with Vitamin she started to eat and that cheered me up.  It is a constant juggling act.

So wish me luck trying to get the Minions lot back into their paddock and three haynets for the night!  I may well fail.

This is the best Winning Smile I have seen in a while from Lambie and possibly because I was wandering around yesterday evening with a large bag of Animal Cookies.

I was, of course, everyone’s best friend.

Today was brighter so I took the dogs to Leradale for a run.

I am still hoping Pepper will learn to swim though I think we’ve lost our warm weather window now and what we need is another dog who is a keen swimmer to show her.

Wednesday is Water Day so I spent a long time lugging hosepipes, buckets and brushes cleaning everything and refilling it with fresh water.  To pass away the time, while the huge troughs filled up again, I went to chat to Iacs…

…. who is on top form again.  He was keeping guard against the potential tigers for Haakon.

Haakon was having a zizz while Iacs did his job well.

Haakon has always made it perfectly clear that he is not the type of horse you sit down next to and I don’t.  He would hate it and feel instantly uncomfortable, while I would worry he would flatten me while he stood up.  We understand each other very well.

Kolka wandered up and that was nice too. She is a very social girl.

Buckets now full, I went off to find something else to do.

I was just thinking the other day that it would be very useful to know just how much the Minions weigh as I am about to worm them all.

And wouldn’t you know it, I got a message from my friend Monika (Sandness Equine Management) saying she could come and weigh everyone this morning.

So, five minutes before she arrived, I called all the chaps into their wee paddock.

Monika set up with some “help”.

First up was Vitamin, who was such a good girl and just walked straight on.

Nothing phases Vitamin.  Monika also looked at the body condition, sometimes known as fat scoring, of everyone.  Vitamin was spot-on and perfect coming into winter for a 29 yo old lady.

Next up was Fivla, who was deemed *** cough *** fat.  She has a cresty neck so we discussed this and decided she will have to go onto the track for 12 hours with the Minions and then back out with Vitamin at night, thus cutting down her calorific intake by half.  I didn’t want to do anything too drastic with her as she is old.

Then we weighed all the Minions boys, one at a time obviously.

For me, it is so helpful having Monika to discuss weight and condition. A second opinion is invaluable.  It keeps me on track and Monika reinforces my mantra that Shetland ponies can live off fresh air.

Everyone was mostly good. There were the exceptions, of course –  Storm and Silver were suspicious at first but soon realised they only had to stand on the scales and not perform rocket science.

So that’s the new plan.

Fivla on the track 12/24 while Vitamin is inside the track so she can see her best friend all the time.

No more guess-timating everyone’s weight completely inaccurately.   The weigh-scales are an incredibly useful tool and I am forever grateful to Monika of Sandness Equine Services for coming out to us. Her input and advice today has been invaluable.

My morning started with me meeting Monster sitting on top of the #4 Duckies’ house.  The one with Mother Duck sitting totally oblivious inside on her unhatched eggs.

Monster had some sort of hammock affair.

He looked very comfortable.

And my day had just started.

Later, I noticed that Monster had moved house.  He had now taken up residence on #2 Ducky House.

I was slightly fearful for the roof which is clinging on at the best of times but comforted myself that I had been holding it down with rocks anyway.

No one seemed to mind, which was all that really mattered.

Traffic in and out continued unabated.

We had a little chat about today’s choices.

I think it went in one ear and out the other.

I felt ignored.

I am telling myself that Monster is not interested in any new little tiny ducklings that will appear any second now.

I tell myself he hears voices in the wall, which is more likely, and he is biding his time.

After my ridiculous blog, wot I wrote at nearly midnight last night, while possibly a bit worse for wear, I went out this afternoon with my big camera (commonly known as Darth Vader) to take some piccies of the chaps on and outside the track.

Dear old Vitamin was her usual interested self.  She may not be living actually with the Minions on the track – this is because their lifestyle would not suit her as a) she doesn’t need to be on a diet and b) she hasn’t got the teeth to eat hay as it gets stuck and she spits it out (called quidding in horse terminology).

Fivla, who lives with Vitamin, seems to have slowed down a lot recently and I am not sure why. I wormed them both t’other day and have started her and Vitamin, on pink powder which is an equine digestive supplement (pre and pro biotics).  She eats and potters about, just slowly at the moment. She is quite fat so maybe it is that.

Today, Pepper was Fivla’s BFF.

This made me smile.

On the track, I am beginning to see some trim waistlines, which is rewarding.

Yes, mostly definitely some waistlines.  My mantra is “Shetland ponies can live off air!”  I tell myself this every day mostly when I think I should give them more food.

Newt knows which fence is “on” and which is not.  I lowered the wire today and, to be fair, he hasn’t told the others and he is still with them.  I’m not sure for how much longer, though!

And, for some reason totally unbeknownst to me, the wrens were out and were shouting at each other.

A Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe), I think.