I am exhausted. I rode two horses today – Klængur and Iacs.  My back aches. I am cooking a Sunday supper (roast lamb, say nothing) while I type this.

This time of year, the sun shines all day only to vanish briefly in the night.  This was taken at 22:30. Still daylight. You could easily read a book, drive a car or go for a ride!

So here are some photos from today of around and about my croft in a hope that the beauty of Shetland’s wild flowers will somewhat make up for my lack of enthusiasm and writing. The wild flowers are just beginning to appear everywhere now in their full glory.

It is a stunning time of year in Shetland especially when the sun shines.  That blue sky is perfect.

(A wild patch in our garden – the colours are wonderful)

So that’s me and I am sorry for not writing much but horses came first today and they were the kind of rides that I couldn’t get my camera out as I was either busy staying onboard an enthusiastic tölt or trying to accompany while keeping the situation calm.  Both important jobs.

Well, all seems peaceful on the mare/foal front.  Hetja has resumed her reign with little Moonpie at her side.

We are feeding Hetja antibiotics in a handful of food twice a day.

So that Hetja can eat peacefully, I look after Lilja who would love the attention, the food and anything else on offer.

Moonpie is divine.  She comes up to chat and is made up of silky fur, nuzzly muzzle and total love.  We all adore her and are completely smitten.

She has not been allowed to talk to anyone but us hoomans so we feel very lucky.

Brá is coping and that’s about it.  I can see she minds hugely but there is little she can do apart from be a good aunt and babysitter if Hetja allows.  We talk, I can see the hurt in her eyes and I feel utterly useless to her.  I also know she is going on the mother of all diets come winter time.  I can’t split her from Hetja at the moment. I think she would lose her mind.

Anywho, the naming of Moonpie.  We translated her nickname into Icelandic only to get “Tungl Baka” which is not very catchy or pretty.  We cannot register Moonpie with the Icelandic Horse official stud-book (WorldFengur) as her name must be permitted by their naming committee (interesting Horse & Hound article about Icelandic horse names).  Foreign names or poor grammar are a no-no so, we need to think of a suitable name for our new little one.

Something along the lines of midnight sun, chestnut girl with a stripe, sweet chestnut, little chestnut, Shetland girl – but all in Icelandic, of course.  All ideas will be considered.  Moonpie will be registered (Icelandic name) from Thordale.

Over to you then.

Well, we had our fair share of worry these last 20 hours.  Hetja had a retained placenta.  This is a medical emergency.  You don’t muck about in this situation.  We put her and baby in the stable.

The vet visited last night, examined Hetja (and baby, now known as Moonpie because she is nummy nummy) and despite all his best efforts, the placenta was not coming out.  He started Hetja on regular, first hourly and then two-hourly injections of Oxytocin (plus daily painkillers and antibiotics) through the night.  Still nothing in the morning so the vet doubled the dose.  By midday a bit of placenta was beginning to show and I knotted it (vet’s request).  At 3pm finally it had fallen out.  It was gathered up and I took the bucket of now-smelly gloup to the vet for examination.  Hetja may need a wash-out in a few days.

So that was last night and today’s drama.  Hetja was a good patient.  Moonpie does not follow her mum (Daisy used her infinity scarf) but is very very tame and I could tickle her all day.  She has stretched out more and enjoyed being in the shed to dry and sleep last night.  However, the best place for a nursing mare is eating green grass.  Once the placenta had dropped out, my concern really was to get Hetja outside as she is not that keen on the stable and was not eating much.

We initially put her and Moonpie in Lambie’s little paddock that no one has used for a while but Taktur insisted on pratting up and down two fences away shouting and Hetja was very upset by this.

Add Lilja and Bra yelling as well over another fence and we quickly saw this would not work.

So, I led Hetja, Daisy with Moonpie and Flossie on gates, and we bit the bullet reuniting all the ladies.  It was tense to start with but Hetja waded in giving out “the look” and everyone retreated respectfully.

So it all seems calm again and hopefully we have done all the right things.

I need my bed.

After supper, I popped out to call the sheep home only to look over to the ladies’ field and count a extra set of four legs!

Clever Hetja.  So efficient and all well.  A lovely chestnut filly foal.  The spit of her Mum (and her brother, Hjalti – similar markings on the face).

Mother and daughter are doing very well.  Just the afterbirth to come out and I will check on them both before I go to bed tonight.

Baby is drinking too and had a little poo so all is good.

Lilja is allowed quite near, which is interesting. Brá did a little whinny and we’ve had a chat about all this.  She is ok and I am proud of her for being so nice and kind.   Hetja is allowing them to be close so they seem a peaceful herd.  The boys have not noticed. Last time, when Brá was in labour, they were very agitated.  Perhaps they knew something was wrong.

So there we are.  Well done to Hetja and welcome to little somebody.  Now for the great name search.

Something to do with the midnight sun?

A mercy dash to Lerwick this morning – there was a single sad little sheep on his own in the field.  So I came to his aid and brought him five more to keep him company.  So that is nine sheep sold in 3 days.  Brilliant but I can’t keep up!

I was told that there are four cruise ships in tomorrow.  Everyone will be very busy then.

Meanwhile, back at home, it is all systems go.  Hetja may foal tonight.  These were this afternoon’s bewbs.

So foal watch starts tonight.

We will stay up all night, watching and waiting.  The van has been put in position. It makes an excellent place to live with full view of the almost the whole field.

Please cross everything for a smooth and healthy foaling.

We know Hetja can do it (we have evidence – Hjalti and Lilja) but we also know it can all go horribly wrong.

So prayers, thoughts, incantations and invocations please.  Whatever it takes.