In my little back garden are a black pony….

and a white pony.

I am so happy. I have missed my little ponies so much.  They always used to live here.

I love having my Shetland ponies home.

It seems, well…. just right.

The girls have scrubbed up well and are now dry so went outside first thing this morning to graze in the back garden.

Every time anyone goes past, Fivla whiffles hoping for a carrot.  I have a theory that Shetland ponies have developed this talent which is why they always look chubby!  Muchos carrots.

This is the view from my desk while I write this blog.

The dear old ladies.  I am just working on a Cunning Plan to insist that they spend the winter here, at home, because we have washed the essential grease from their coats so they look nice for tomorrow in their Fair Isle sweaters.  They have a very important meet n’ greet at the Shetland Museum.

Today, Daisy and Flossie have been loading the van with everything we need, plus the kitchen sink, in preparation for the big day.

Monster has been helping.

I’ve told him he is not coming too.  No one wants to see a cat in Fair Isle sweater……. do they?

En famille we went to catch Fivla and Vitamin to take them home and get them ready for Friday.  It’s a long well-thought out process. You can’t hurry natural beauty, you know.

The girls know the drill.

And finally home.

We had everything ready.

Water had been heating up all morning.  We also kept a kettle on the go too.

And so to work.

We decided to only wash the bits that will not be covered by the Fair Isle sweaters.  It is the wrong time to be washing ponies and not fair to take all the natural grease out of their coats with winter on the horizon.  We not fans of washing at the best of times.

Vitamin was getting stroppy about not being near her best friend.

So I tied her up to the van where she then quickly settled down.

Next up, it was Vitamin’s turn.

She also makes a good shelf!

Vitamin was easier as she was not as obviously filthy as Fivla.  White is a bad colour to be.

Once done, we put the ladies in the stable, gave them some hard feed to cheer them up and left them to keep warm.

They will be dry hopefully by tomorrow and then they can go out into a little garden/paddock to eat and stay clean.

Fivla’s legs are always black.  She was pure black when I got her and is slowly turning white.  Just some bits are still black.  I will have another go at her tail tomorrow.

Fivla, 19 years ago!  Amazing, isn’t it?

Snapped this morning….. two peas in a pod.

I know they’re fabulous, but it’s not all about the Minions and the ladies-what-wore-the-sweaters.

Sometimes it is about the others as well.

So today, three lovely Wool Weeker Ladies came to visit us for the day and I duly introduced them to everyone, even Lambie (who behaved appallingly and refused his Cheesey Wotsits – oh, the shame).

I proudly showed off my Icelandic horses as well as my idiot Shetland ponies.

If I had to make a decision, I would say that  I think I was most proud of my Icelandic horses.

They had good manners and behaved impeccably.  Especially Lilja – she was wonderful.

Storm, on the other hoof, was embarrassing.  He tried to unravel my visitor’s hand-woven scarf and was obssessed with it.  We had words!

It is always good to get a phone call (01595 809 432) asking if folk can visit the Shetland ponies, especially if I haven’t already had their daily check.

Today I introduced the little herd to four ladies who are in Shetland for 2019 Wool Week.

Newt, Vitamin, Tiddles and Fivla were in the top field happily munching away.

And I introduced the visitors to each pony telling them their story and character.

Newt is getting very good at posing.  Maybe it’s his new talent – being nice.  Who knew?

Poor visitors.  It became swiftly apparent that the other four ponies were not going to come up to talk so I asked if anyone minded clambering over a low fence to meet Albie, Waffle, Silver and Storm.

Of course they didn’t and it was well worth the effort.  Albie was especially thrilled to meet folk.

I even managed to leave the visitors photographing the chaps while I tied up a gate that needed to remain close – (*** cough *** leave it alone Storm, please!)

And then we went back into the first field for more photos of Newt, who everyone wanted to take home of course.  He would happily fit into anyone’s suitcase.

28″ of pure gorgeousness.  Why wouldn’t you?  No trouble at all, he promises.

And, by the way, so you know, Vitamin’s still got it.  Even as an old lady (25 yo), she is still beautiful.

So that was my afternoon.  Showing visitors to Shetland my little world and my little ponies.  Never a chore, always a pleasure.  I quickly did a headcount before I left just in case Newt had been smuggled out of the field.