This winter I said I wouldn’t lug hay.

So I lug buckets instead!

Ten to be precise.  All different too, depending on the individual dietary requirements.

The only two not to be fed in my flock/herd/whatever are Newt and Silver.

It’s not for the lack of trying, though!

It’s good to write these things down, so here we go….

Haakon, Kolka and Iacs = fattening food for the oldies including TurmerAid and boswellia
Klaengur = food that makes him think he’s had something including TurmerAid and boswellia.

Laminitic Minions:
Tiddles, Waffle, Albie and Storm = food that makes them think they had something including TurmerAid and dried nettle.  They also have soaked hay too.

Vitamin and Fivla:
Fattening food including TurmerAid and linseed.

Plus all the sheep have breakfast and Edna has an extra breakfast because she has no teeth now!

Maggie didn’t turn up for breakfast this morning, so after feeding everyone else, Pepper and I set off to look for her.  I took a bucket of rattly sheep nuts.

I love big fields until I have to walk them looking for someone!

And I found Maggie, right at the far corner, with her new love – a white Shetland hill ram on the other side of the fence.

He didn’t want to leave and neither did Maggie.

It was like the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet.

So I rattled my bucket of sheep nuts.

And Maggie left her Romeo. I gave her a few mouthfuls so she knew I had something nice with me.

And together we all walked back across the large field.

And I thought I was succeeding…..

…. until Maggie turned tail and ran back over the hill to her handsome prince.

I called and called for her and she almost came with us – she kept appearing on the skyline and then going – but no, I was left behind.

I let the other sheep into the field in the hope Maggie would see them and join back up with them, coming home in the afternoon, but no. Maggie is still out there with her ram the other side of the fence.  There is nothing more I can do.  We have a storm looming tonight and I would think the hill ram will go and seek shelter in the hill. Then maybe Maggie will come home. That is up to her. And, if there is a lamb(s) in a few months time, then so be it.  We will cross that bridge if or when we reach it.

This afternoon found Floss, me and Monster (and Pepper) in the stable sorting out rugs and tidying up. We are inheriting much of Kolka’s stuff so need to make space.

Daisy, at Christmas, always organised, wrote me a superb spreadsheet for all my rugs, their sizes, colours, make and who they will fit so it was now just a case of putting them in an order where I can easily find them.  Ok, I stuffed most into bags and shoved them where I could find space!

So, that’s what we did.  All tidy, swept up and note the wet Pepper paw prints everywhere. At one stage, I think I possibly swept her up. She is probably in a bag somwhere.

Then, being late afternoon, ie 3pm and the sun almost gone, Floss and I put the vampire ponies outside for the night.

For the night, they get a box of soaked hay and whatever they can find in their field.

And yet….. Waffle still will not lose weight.  I think that pony lives off fresh air.  He looks like a small side table.  The others have lovely waistlines now, which is encouraging.

We had some friends over for lunch – Chinese hot pot.  They brought their two dogs. Pepper was thrilled.

Monster was less thrilled but not going to back down or disappear. He is not that kind of cat.

So he kept an eye on the proceedings and made his opinions very clear.

His point once made, Monster then turned his back and walked away back into the kitchen.

Meanwhile Pepper was flying around the garden.

And the flying was reciprocated too, which is always good.

Monster came inside and said what he had to say about dogs and more dogs.  We all listened and then ignored him.

The hot pot was excellent. I may never eat (or drink) again.

Well, what can I say?

It’s like Kolka has always lived here (btw, she has a rare double tooth thing we know all about on her right side that Stuart, our equine dentist, treats and it doesn’t affect her eating).

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Haakon has got over himself. I think he is secretly relieved there is a strong mare here who will now take over the role of boss.

Three geldings living together never making a decision between them can be tiresome.  Kolka is happy to be their leader and they are more than happy to let her have this job.

Klaengur remains totally smitten and Kolka tells him what to do.

He loves that.

This morning, all four came up the hill for their breakfast. It was interesting watching them. Day 1 and no one bothered anyone for their bucket.  Kolka has fattening food because I want to keep her rug off.  Iacs and Haakon have semi-fattening food because they are ancient and need a bit. Klaengur had a token gesture of nothing.  And they all just got on with it.  No bickering, no stealing and no bouncy bottoms. Kolka made sure of that.

While the weather was pouring down last night, I was much calmer too. I just thought “well, they have Kolka so they will all be fine now” and went back to sleep.