This morning I was planting squashes, pumpkins and courgettes at Turriefield.  It is almost the end of the planting now which is sad for me, as I really enjoy it.

And hundreds of little pots of potential veg later, we took our efforts down to the polytunnel where I got to see plants in the “here are ones I prepared earlier” category.  I love this bit.  All my hard work magically appearing with the potential to be real edible vegetables.  I get a huge sense of achievement every time I look at all the greenery shooting upwards.

And one of my rewards to myself is that I get to wander around the pretty herbs that grow in this tunnel

I find that very relaxing and harmonious.

And it is also nice and warm in here too.

I got home in time of lunch and resentment that I hadn’t taken Pepper with me.

And then out again to my shed to make a sheep and then after round the pony track with my bucket to collect the poo up to throw away into a heap off the track.   The Shetland ponies haven’t left their new corner of food yet as was evidenced by their efforts too.

I think I deserve a glass of wine for all of that.

I am busy trying to get the weight back on the old horses and ponies and it is harder than I thought but I am hoping the spring grass will kick in and start doing its job soon.   The daily breakfast bucket remains at the moment but I have stopped all supplements to see if there is any difference.  There isn’t.

And every Sunday afternoon, I open up a little bit more of the track for the Shetland ponies on a diet.  I think they know this and, while I was working away making a new fence, they were waiting, looking hopeful.

I opened up old fence for them and they rushed through.

They will get this patch, which will be all gone by tomorrow, for the next week and that’s it until next Sunday when I will re-evaluate.

This time of year, I watch them like a hawk for any sign of laminitis and so far, so good.  I am trying so hard to be vigilant.  They can eat their rocket fuel but it is severely rationed.

It was not the best morning today. Windy and rainy and very cold.

I couldn’t find the little ones anywhere until I looked in the containers.  Everyone was sheltering in there.  So, feeling generous, I gave them a couple of double haynets full of hay but I only counted four ponies – Silver, Tiddles, Waffle and Albie.

Where was the fifth – Newt?  I found him in “his” container alongside Pepper, who was also sheltering from the achingly cold north wind (it is -3℃ out there, apparently, and I can actually believe that).   At least it is not snowing….. yet, though it has been known.

Anyway, Newt and Pepper are very sweet together.

They are the best of friends and I don’t say this lightly, but I actually do trust Newt not to be nasty to Pepper.  He would be vile to anyone else – that’s his little way.

So while the rain shat down on all of us outside, Newt and Pepper remained cosy and happy in their container.

They were passing the time of day.

(You can see just how small Newt is – as Pepper is about the size of a large cat!)

I was sent home yesterday from Turriefield (the veg co-operative scheme place where I volunteer) with a large sack of celery leaves/tops and stalks for the ponies. A perk of my “job”.

As the ponies actually bothered to come up the hill this morning, which is not their norm anymore, I gave them their lovely reward.  They are now out 24/7 as they refuse to go to bed when asked – I gave up after chasing them up and down the hill 5 times and ran out of steam. There is no hay ration either.

Anyway, they were all very happy and enthusiastically munching grateful, I think, for real food.

And the big ones were watching on.  I could see Iacs thinking “I could like celery”, but I know that he doesn’t from previous form.

Not like Newt who is a keen fan.

So, as there was masses, I threw Iacs his own pile of leaves.  He did eat most of them to be polite and almost made a “clean plate” but I doubt he will ask again tomorrow.  The others steered well clear.

When I went back later on to poo-pick the track, there was not a trace of any celery leaves anywhere.  They had finished today’s ration.  There is more for tomorrow.

I’m still worried about ‘Ster.  He is not himself.

He’s finished his course of antibiotics and doesn’t smell of wee anymore, which is good.  But his back end is hunched up and he is walking stiffly which could be an indication of kidney stones (urolithiasis) discomfort.

I am giving him huge bowls of soaked sugar beet to up his fluid intake and have spoken to the vet.

A sheep friend suggested giving him ammonium chloride, which will lower the pH of his urine, making it more acidic, which helps dissolve the stone’s components.

To the best of my knowledge (and searching), there is no ammonium chloride on the island so sheep-friend suggested a recipe of red onion, garlic, lemon juice and vinegar – boiled until everything is mush and strained which apparently creates ammonium chloride.  It is evil-smelling.

I syringed the liquid down ‘Ster this morning, much to his total disgust but he was a good boy about it and then went out with his friends for the rest of the day, which was an improvement on his recent withdrawn behaviour.

I also gave him some painkillers too.

We will continue with this regimen and I will also order the real ammonium chloride off Amazon. I have also bought a bag of lamb creep (feed for lambs), which has ammonium chloride as standard and everyone will start eating that daily.

As long as I can keep ‘Ster eating, drinking and chewing his cud, then hopefully the potion will nuke the stones and make him more comfortable.

Poor ‘Ster.  On a plus, he still likes his hugs and is stealing chicken food!