I have worried for a while about my horses and ponies eating from haynets. It is not the best method – the knots erode their teeth and gums, while being at totally a bad angle.  Equines eat from the ground and they develop the wrong neck muscles pulling away at a head-height haynet.

My friend and neighbour, Monika, invented and built these boxes for haynets for her horses and ponies.

I have coveted them from afar.  Last week, I asked her to make me two.  Included were four haynets without knots (better for teeth) too.

Each box has two metal rings (one each side) at the base and the haynet is securely tied down.

My new haynets (without knots) were full of hay and on soak.

These are Nibbleze haynets – made without knots.

It is wise to slowly introduce this new concept of eating slowly so I started with the old haynets in the box.

And then I wondered about the chippie-chipmunk syndrome and I was shocked.  Albie, really!

We had words about eating the new haynet boxes on Day 1.

Storm promised me it would never be him! Hmmm…..

This morning, I saw that the boys had been eating their hay from the boxes with no problem.

But…. there was evidence of chipmunkery.

I introduced the new no-knot haynets and showed the boys how they work!

No problem, they said and happily tucked in!

And I also went to town for more supplies. I bought an anti wood-eating spray and quickly squirted it all over the boxes – oh yes!

The boys get the left-over hay in one box and a fresh haynet (one of the new ones) in the other.

I love these hayboxes and the haynets. The whole system works beautifully.  So a huge thank you to Monika.  Bloody brilliant.  This is perfect.

I lasted 48 hours. I did try, honest.

But I am hopeless about diets. I hate them.  I hate watching animals suffer (it shitted with rain yesterday) so I let everyone go out together because they miss each other and never stop shouting. No one settles.

My reasoning is that the field is not brilliant – well, that was what I told myself.

And they were so happy all together – lots of rolling, little bucks of happiness and general smiling. They are a close herd.

Meanwhile I am holding firm on the three ponies with laminitis.  Even I can see the point of that.  Is it sad that when I was moving Vitamin and Fivla back to the field, Fivla went to Albie’s stable and he was absolutely thrilled to see her.  Someone kill me now.  The guilt is intolerable.

A couple that hunts together, stays together ….. apparently.

Some photos from yesterday when I was lurking about with my big camera.

The Great White Hunter stalked his prey, yowling and whining on about how dirty he was going to get by going outside.

Oh, it is tough being quite so visible.

I tell him “Cat? What cat. I see no cat!” to cheer him up.  A marshmallow? Yes, I definitely see one of those!

Pepper was in a mean, if playful mood, though.

Don’t worry, Monster always gets his revenge. There will be a squeak and some Terrier umbrage.  Usually when she leasts expects it.  Revenge is a dish best served cold behind a curtain with some claws.

There’s white and then there is WHITE!

Ted, who has turned overnight into a greasy-whiskered Muppet was busily keeping his distance. Possibly a wise move.

He has an appointment with the dog groomer in early December, which cannot arrive too soon.

So there was much running and bouncing.  Monster was on good form.

Note the millimetre between tail and electric fence. That cat is not stupid.

Weird, yes, but definitely not stupid!

I brought Klængur home this morning.  It was time he came back.

I would like to say the Old Men were very pleased to see him and, to be fair, they did sort of canter up to say hello, but I think Klængur just wants to eat grass and make up for lost time.  The field is pretty well eaten down, so he is not going to get very far on that score.  Certain fatties got there first!

My waters have been churning these past few days as a thunderstorm was forecast tomorrow night.  I don’t want the ponies to get burned again and as it also nearly Bonfire Night too (fireworks planned in the village), I decided to bring everyone home….. again!  I think the thunderstorm has disappeared on the forecast, but even so.

Vitamin and Fivla are in the bigger, less eaten field while Newt and Tiddles went into the next door already-eaten electric fenced off bit.

They were not impressed.  Tough.  I also let Silver back out as he was going nuts in the stable. He is very sound and definitely doesn’t have laminitis.  It only seemed fair.  He was starved as a foal, so to starve him again for no good health reason does not sit well with me. A good Shetland winter will hopefully sort out his waistline.

So, that’s the plan …..  for today.

I know, I know, I keep changing my mind. That’s where I am at the moment – just feeling very uneasy about things.

And these three stay in the stable. Now that is definite!

Upon my return from feeding the ponies, I found the Old Men having a morning nap in the old tattie rig (potato field).  It is beautifully enclosed in the valley with high drystone walls all the way round. Luxury ensuite with running water and waitress service.

Filling my pocketses with carrots, I went down to see if everything was alright. This time of year, I am here to serve.

Yup, everything was fine.

Iacs

Haakon

I was asked politely to empty my pocketses.  Watching these two, I decided there was absolutely no doubt that they are related.

Cousins, to be precise.  There is a definite family resemblance.  You can’t miss it.

And then, as they were fine, I climbed back up the hill and went to serve some other animal that wanted something.

Waitress service only!