Bjørn, our trainer, arrived today with a new little mare for Daisy to ride.

He gave her a really good lesson.

Daisy always enjoys riding new Icelandic horses, especially “green” ones.

This little mare has not been ridden for a while.

But she is a lovely little lady.  Nice and soft.

Daisy was teaching her bend and to engage her hind quarters.

This mare is five gaited, which means she has walk, trot, tölt, pace and canter.

We all watched Daisy and the little mare with interest.

They made a very nice team.

They worked on both reins in four of the gaits – walk, trot, tölt and canter.  They did not pace because you need a large straight area to practice on and the school is too small.

I hope Daisy will be riding this mare again.  They both enjoyed themselves very much.

THIS IS NOT ANOTHER THORDALE HORSE.  REPEAT THIS IS NOT ANOTHER THORDALE HORSE…… REPEAT ad nauseam.

(But they do look very nice together!)

Happy, happy days. Haakon was shod yesterday so this morning I tacked him up to go for a ride.

Daisy came too on Iacs.  He was very happy to be going out with his cousin (and obviously Daisy was thrilled to be accompanying her dear old Mum!)

This is my “Happy Face”.  Iacs has started his scrounge for the carrots and treats I have secreted apparently all over my person.

And so off we went, like we always used to and nothing had changed.

Riding was great. I managed to get on and off fine and the bit in the middle of going along was wonderful.

I had no pain and I felt very safe.

Haakon went beautifully but he is very unfit and we only have two gaits – piggy pace and walk.

I don’t care.  I have decided to try and ride every other day and this winter we will both get fitter together.

As always, the views were the best.

And then, afterwards, I went out with my sheeple for my physiotherapy walk.

I thinking the daily walking has helped hugely.  I am nearly back to “normal” again.

It was April 11th of this year when Little Cattie ran away, having been with us just over a week.

We were distraught at her absence.  All our neighbours knew to look out for her but we only had one sighting in some shed down the road and that was all.  We went to search but found no trace.  Whenever we were outside, everyone always kept an eye out for her.

So it has been five months et voilà, Little Cattie has turned up at her old home two miles away.  You have no idea just how relieved we are.  Every day, I have thought about this beautiful little cattie and wondered where she was and if she was alright.

Meanwhile, Himself, aka Monster (who arrived in the middle of April) is very settled and has no intention of moving, ever, let alone outside for five months.  To him, that would be abhorrent.

Twice daily he worships his Tin God who lives in his temple, the fridge.

Monster uses telepathy for communication – “you want to feed me…. you want to feed me…. you want to feed me.”

He also has a throne – well and truly settled here.

We are considering calling Monster “Harry Potter” for his amazing invisibility cloak (not)!

But, I am very grateful, if briefly, that we were part of Little Cattie’s life but more grateful that she has found her way back to her original home all safe and well. I hope her little holiday with us has not changed her in any way.

We live and learn.

If you shout, (in a certain way), they will come!

This is Lambie yesterday, in a fit of pique over the flies and midges – he wanted inside and away from his vile flying demons.  Of course, I acquiesced.  

Yesterday, before the rain, we moved the Icelandic boys into their new field.  The time had come. Their field, as you can see, had been eaten down.  I am secretly hoping that now they have moved, the grass will do a bit of growing in our Shetland “Indian Summer”.

No one need asking twice.

Shout and they look up, assess and then canter over.

The little boys were the other side of the burn, while the oldies, who know the score, had been hovering around the gate all morning.

But enthusiasm is our middle name.

Dreki – or Tail-End Charlie, as he is known.

And you guessed it – today, it is raining so I had a little play.

So much for my Indian Summer.

It was my turn to check the Minions.  So I sat in their field on a pile of rocks and was instantly surrounded.

Not a bad view, really.

Everyone was very chatty.

I am sure these two are thinking up a Cunning Plan.

They lead each other on.  Always have.

Two by two the herd came over to see me.

All except one.

He grudgingly came over….. eventually.

Sort of.

Newt is a funny solitary little chap.  He likes people when he decides he likes people.  He may be the smallest of everyone in the whole world but he is the most stubborn and no one tells him what to do.

Having chatted with my friends, I walked back to the gate and was, of course, followed.

On the way home, Foula was looking very mysterious in the sea mist.

Half of it was missing.

Anywho, at home these two are getting on fine now.

A family photograph!