I have been putting off this job and I know it needs doing soon, so this afternoon I did it.

Sorted out the wool, threw away the nasty bits and put it into better bags (cotton pillowcases) for storage.

I laid a clean-ish duvet cover on the floor in the stable and unpacked ‘Ster’s magnificent katmoget pure Shetland fleece.

Wow!  It is huge.

A seriously gorgeous fleece with so many shades and colours.

Then it was Edna – this is her first good fleece with us.

So much better than last year, when it all just fell out from starvation, neglect and misery.

Edna is a pure Shetland.  There is some nice crimp too.

Next up was ‘Bert.

His is a gorgeous pale moorit pure Shetland fleece.

And then it was Edna’s turn.

She is a cross breed (Cheviot x Shetland) and has the most amazing dense fleece ever!  It is huge too and I had to split it into two bags.

And last, and probably very least, was Lambie’s effort.

A pure Shetland flekkit fleece (black and white).

“Carpet quality” is the disparaging (and I think rude) comment given to it by those that know their fleeces.

Lambie always has lovely curls, though. Like Caligula or Disraeli!

Anywho, if you or anyone you know would like any of these fleeces, please contact me via email – frances@fstaylor.co.uk – and we can discuss.  A donation to the “Minion Fund” is always appreciated and I am happy to post to anywhere in the world if you pay the postage.

First come, first served.

This afternoon our equine dentist, Stuart Huggan, visited.

We had four lined up ready for him to see.

First up was Efstur.  Dreki stood and watched.

We wanted Dreki to see that this was easy and non-panicky.

And then it was his turn.  Dreki has recently been bitted so we wanted to have his mouth checked out.  It is part of his health and training.  Stuart found wolf-teeth!

So, he took off the sharp bits and filed down the edges of the erroneous wolf teeth.

The plan is to remove them on Stuart’s next visit in October. Dreki was very good about all of this.

The boys were returned to their field and then it was time for the ladies.  First up was Fivla.  This winter there was evidence of quidding (spits balls of semi-chewed food stuff) when she ate hay which worried me.  Stuart found no sharp bits but she has a diastema (gap in her teeth) so that could cause this. There was nothing he could do and, as she is keeping the weight on now (she has a bijoux daily bucket), then we will just potter along.

Lilja watched …..

Vitamin, who has recently been losing weight, was seen.  Stuart, keen as a whippet, was in there and removed a loose tooth.  He said that should help.  Vitamin never even noticed!

And so Lilja kept watching and then it was her turn.

Never before with anything in her mouth and she was as good as gold.

The sharp bits were unsharpened and Stuart said she had no wolf teeth – phew!

Sóley watched, vaguely interested.  She has wolf teeth (FFS, what is the matter with my horses?) and they too will be removed in October.

And so, all done, Floss and I took the old ladies home.

(Newt)

And everyone rushed off, very pleased to see them again. Albie had been waiting by himself for his “mum” (aka Fivla) all afternoon.  Awwww!

We had some visitors today who came to collect all BeAnne’s food. I hated seeing it sitting there, waiting, and it was better that it now went to another dog who would enjoy it.  I don’t know when, or even if, we will get another dog. Too soon.

So our visitors (Kacey and her Mum and Dad) arrived and I obviously introduced them to everyone…..

First up was Harrel the Barrel who was very keen!

The boys looked on.

Sweetly, Sóley was first up.

Slight nerves…..

And then a beaming smile!  (I love this)

And Kacey’s Mum took this photo.

Then onwards to meet the Minions who were all in a very silly mood so, for safety’s sake, I took just Fivla out as she is the only Shetland pony I trust when they are like this.  A bit of brushing, lots of hugs and then off for a little walk.  Fivla knows her job and there was more beaming.

So a lovely day meeting new people. Always good.

This is who greeted Flossie and me in the morning – the three horses – well, that would be the one gelding and two mares – of the Apocalypse.

The Apocalypse being on its way if they didn’t get their buckets IMMEDIATELY!  So, no pressure then.

(Sadly, I had set my new camera to wtf-settings so the rest of the photos were crud – live and learn is the mot du jour today. Note-to-self, I must, I must watch Chapter IV but I have to have my head screwed on with my brain in gear and at the moment, that seems an impossible task).

Anywho, these are from yesterday when I was sitting with the sheeple telling them they were still beautiful even without their wool.

Taktur arrived….

But in a very handsome way, though.

He’s looking good now for the time of year.

Still, he’s always pretty against the skyline!

The sheep have been very hot so today our shearer, Morgan, came over and sorted everything out.

First up was Madge. She was surprisingly a very good girl.  Teeth checked, feet done, Heptavac given.

Next up was Edna – teeth checked (only two left now), feet done, Heptavac given.

Then Lambie – teeth checked (beautiful gnashers), feet done, Heptavac given.

Then ‘Ster – he was awful and wriggled endlessly – teeth checked (beautiful gnashers too), feet done, Heptavac given.

And lastly ‘Bert – teeth checked (beautiful gnashers also), feet done, Heptavac given.

This was ‘Ster’s fleece.  I rolled them all up separately and will go through them another day.  They were very, very big!

After the shearing, we went and caught Maggie and Harrell and gave them their Heptavac.  Maggie won’t be sheared until August otherwise Harry might not recognise her or the distress can make them lose their milk. That’s what they do with nursing ewes up here.

A bit later, I went down to see how everyone was.  I barely recognised them.

Madge!

So different (and *** cough *** so fat!)

Dearest Edna.  She has put the weight on at last. With two teeth, she is managing well.

‘Bert, so handsome.

‘Ster – ditto on the handsome!

They are all very itchy and getting used to having no hot heavy fleeces.

And then there is Lambie who always looks strange and spotty afterwards.

There was a bit of arguing but not like last year when they had full scale war.

This is the one day of the year when Lambie loves his Muzzah. He wants me to scratch him and he stood beside me after being sheared.

Everyone is on a diet. There will be no more breakfasts (apart from Edna and Maggie) and I am glad that ordeal is over for another year.