I am writing this blog very tentatively in case I am completely wrong and read the whole situation wrong.

But, today, I think Brá and I turned a corner.  We had a special moment.

Somehow the silly horse had got herself stuck.  Not in a I-can’t-move-so-please-help-me way, but she was standing by herself in a small sheep pen with the rest of her small herd on the other side of the fence.  Nearby but not actually with her.

When I saw Brá there, I thought she wasn’t actually stuck as she could very easily turn around and walk down the side of the field, around the fence that funnels the sheep into the pen and join the others.

It was only when I got back from feeding Delia that I saw that Brá hadn’t moved and there were quite a few piles off poo.  I wondered if she couldn’t work out how to get to the others.

So, I went up with a headcollar, which she happily let me put on (hmmmm… – there is usually apprehension if possible) and I led her all the way down the field talking to her about whether this counted as part of my 1000 miles walking.  The rest of the herd followed on the other side of the fence and then galloped round the end to join her.

It was then I thought to myself “here we go.  She will pull back and start playing up” but no, Brá stood there patiently while I undid and took off her headcollar.

Her eyes were much softer.  Normal.  No apprehension or tenseness.  I gave her a stroke and told her she was fine now and walked away.

I looked back over my shoulder a few times and while the youngsters bounced around her, Brá just looked back as well at me.

Most odd.  I think we had a moment.

This year, I have started a new regimen – to walk 1000 miles in one year – that is about 2.7 miles a day.

Today’s walk was at Leradale, walking Loki and BeAnne, as well as incorporating the usual headcollar dance with Dreki……

….. and Lilja (yes, still no joy but I determinedly keep at it).

Before I started my proper walk, I also had to feed Delia as well as being entertained by the starving!

Once fed, I put the headcollar on Vitamin and led her, with Delia’s now-empty bucket around the boggy part of the field on my dog walk.

Once I did my special “Minion” call, the others followed.

Up and up we all climbed.

Even Delia, who got a bit left behind but still determinedly came along.

(I wish I was counting it was altitude + miles = effort + calories!)

There was method in my madness.  Yesterday, I had put a new lick bucket at the top of the hill where there is more grass around.

Storm was the first to notice.

One bee-line was made.

Soon everyone realised why I had brought them to the top of the world.

Once I knew they were all happy, I got on with my 1000 mile walkies.

I had BeAnne and Loki as my companions.

It was very pretty.  The ice on the loch had created interesting patterns.

So we did that walk and then I did a bit more at home just to keep the miles topped up – a few in the bank really.

Who knows, this might also be good for me!

A little film from today…

On January 1st, Efstur from Thordale was officially two years old (though his real birthday is on the 21st June) but thems are the ways of some breed societies.

A friend was asking how Efstur was doing.

I replied that he is going through his fugly phase.  They all do.

There is an old breederʼs adage, “three days, three weeks, three months, three years.

Also, Efstur is not an easy horse to photograph.

Mostly because he is always “there”, ie at the end of my camera lens.

I don’t think you can really judge conformation (ie, the degree of correctness of a horse’s bone structure, musculature, and its body proportions in relation to each other) just by a close-up of a kissable nosey.

Efstur has put on weight, he is growing all the time but beginning to even out now.  Rugging and extra feed has helped and we will keep going with this throughout winter.

As for temperament, I really can’t fault him.  Efstur has matured so much and nothing is too much to ask.  He is easy, kind and very helpful!  Almost too helpful, if there is such a thing, but in a very kind way.  Never nasty.  I don’t think he would want to be horrid.  It is not his nature.

Everyone in the herd is his friend.

Of course, he has the best mentor.

I am feeling better today – thank you for all your kind thoughts and messages – hugely appreciated.

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My day started with the sheep and the hens being fed.  Four bowls for three sheep in their little field – once our vegetable garden.

Once they have their four bowls of food to argue over, Lambie comes running out behind me as I leave and shut them in. He has his own food separately.

That’s because he is Mummy’s precious woolly lamb and he likes to eat in peace and quiet.

On my way back to the feedshed, I meet Wussums who is out and about trying to find unsuspecting wildlife he can bring down.

Lambie, of course, comes racing over to see if there is anything more going begging for a poor thin little sheep.

I swear if he could beg, he probably would!

Here is today’s sunrise.

The horses are fed by Daisy.  We have them all up in a small paddock where she distributes the silage into defunct fish-boxes.  This is an attempt to stop the precious silage being wasted but some (Kappi) are mucky eaters.

First of we thought we would put a couple of fishboxes outwith the paddock so Newt and Albie could eat without being bullied.  *** cough – Haakon – cough ***.  He can be horrid.

But, so far, we haven’t needed to.  The horses are actually on hard-standing.  It is a bit muddy but not nearly as bad as it would get without it.

There are many more piles of silage in boxes than horses/ponies so everyone gets enough.

Then all the horses are chucked out of the paddock and they can wander about in their two fields.

This is the view from my front door.

Not bad, eh?

I don’t want to whinge but last night I had an allergic reaction (not anaphylaxis, I hasten to add) to cephalopods – squid to be precise.  Dammit – I love squid.

I have been wiped out all day though I did manage to crawl out of bed this morning in my jim-jams putting waterproofs over the top to feed the sheep, though I was a few minutes late so Daisy had already given the Boyzens their hard feed. I just distributed silage in the usual places, managing to bang my head on the low beam to add insult to injury. So you can add a headache as well to my list of ailments.

Feeling very sorry for myself, I announced to the family that I was going back to bed, where I have stayed ever since.

So that’s me.  Daisy has been holding the horse fort magnificently.  Flossie has been running up and down the stairs while OH cooks so everyone has been fully employed in my absence.

Tomorrow, hopefully, I will back to what I consider is normal.

The nursing staff have been fully attentive.