This morning, I went out to look for Albie and Newt to give them a special hug and some carrots that I just happened to have about my person.

I was met by this pair of reprobates waiting at the gait from our garden to the field – Efstur and Hjalti

Of course I had to share the contents of my pocketses.

Albie and Newt were not far away.

They came up for a chat, the requisite hug and I gave them their carrot ration (now slightly depleted) as well.

Albie is still a bit fretful and hysterical (read, highly strung) and he would not let me walk further away to take a better photo.  I had a small needy equine attachment.

I think he really suffered over at Leradale.  I have no idea why Vitamin bullied them unmercifully.  It was completely unacceptable.  We are trying to work out if she had met them before last year or in the summer.  I am not sure.

Anyway, there is no fighting, arguing or bullying now.

Albie is not scared and nervous around the big horses and that is the most important thing.  He has a tenuous grasp on life and reality at the best of times so “normal” is what he needs.

This set-up is not quite what I intended this winter but we will manage.  I saw the horses and ponies all together – all 9 of them in one big herd on the other side of the burn (stream), eating happily together.  No stress, no teeth, no aggro – just heads down eating the last of the Shetland grass.

The daily visit to Leradale is part of everyone’s routine now.

I found the Shetland herd huddling in a little dip staying out of the bitter north wind.

Delia quickly spotted me and left everyone to walk/trot over for her bucket of Golden Paste and conditioning cubes.  The others know the score and understand Delia is not to be disturbed and there will be no sharing under any circumstances.

While I was waiting for Delia to come over, I noticed Albie and Newt were standing a little apart from the herd, which is not their way.

I also noticed signs of a fracas – skid marks.

And then I saw what was causing them.

Vitamin was making it her business to hate the newbies.

I will admit that these past few days, my waters have been churning about Albie and Newt.  Albie seemed fretful and nervous, rushing up to me for comfort and almost treading on me to stay at my side. I brushed it off as settling in time but now I realise Albie and Newt were being bullied.

I gave Delia her feed and the others came over to talk to me and I watched their interactions.  Vitamin definitely had it in for Albie and Newt and would make a point of sending them out of her herd.

This is not what I wanted for Albie and Newt.  They need a family, a herd, friends.  Not constant worry and being loathed.

So I went back home, fetched the horse van, two daughters and armed with head collars, we went and brought the two little boys home.   They were so pleased to see us – they practically put on their own head collars.

Conditions may not be perfect here (more mud, less thick grass), but they have friends.

Taktur was pleased to see them.

The others will be too when they notice.

I hate bullies.

The weather has closed in.  Day after day with no let up.  Yes, the sky has its dramatic moments but everything is falling out of it in intervals like a hail of bullets.

You can usually see it coming so can take appropriate action!  We hide in the car until it is quickly over.  Suddenly everything goes dark grey, the wind gets up and then large amounts of “weather” fall out of the sky.

Having visited everyone at Leradale, fed Delia, kissed noseys, distributed carrots, Floss and I went into town to have our hair done.  Needs must if you are a “natural” blonde!

The Street was just about deserted.  The wind was howling and no one was around.

In the interim of the gusts of horribleness, I managed a few photos.

In Shetland, wherever you are, apparently,  you are never more than 4 miles from the sea.

Floss and I now have beautiful hair!  So you know.

Tomorrow, the forecast is for another gale. It gets very wearisome this time of year but still the chores have to be done.  The winter skies are pretty, though, in a scary drama sort of way,

In Iceland during the Autumn, after the horses have been used to round up the sheep and horses bringing them home from their summer pasture, they are given a holiday for a few months.

Taktur is officially on his holidays.

He has worked hard for Daisy, training for a variety of shows.

Now Taktur’s day consists of standing by the gate at 10.00 (he has seen me feed the sheep), then wandering up and having his bucket of grub.  Then he stays in the field to eat or sleep – whatever grabs him.

Taktur’s shoes are off.  No one rides him and he has very little human input apart from the food and being put back in his other field in the afternoon.

A holiday is a holiday.  

Taktur has been ridden regularly all year – at least five times a week

And Taktur has always done his best for Daisy (and Bjørn).

This is Taktur’s time now to enjoy watching others do the work.

We are great believers in giving our horses a rest from work.  They don’t have to be ridden or trained or shown every minute.  That is not fair.  They need some peace from us too. 

We have always done this.  It is very good for their mental and physical development.

So Taktur sits by his favourite rock like Ferdinand, the bull in The Story of Ferdinand, sniffing the flowers in the lovely ladies’ hair (if we wore flowers in our hair, believe me Taktur would be sniffing – but not in a pervy way!)

Taktur is enjoying his holiday.

When we were leaving Leradale yesterday, having added two small Shetland ponies to the herd, we seemed to be minus one small dog.

Can you see her?

Her Maj went on a sit down strike.

So we left her to enjoy her sulk and went and took photos of the Icelandic horse foals instead.  They are always happy to talk.  No sulking there.

Brá hiding behind the wall – probably from her son, Dreki.  She is very bored of him.

Hetja, on the other hoof, loves her baby girl, Lilja.

The foals are both very happy in their new environment.

I think they probably spend many hours looking at the others.  The Shetlands are now wandering into the hill so that is good.  They will always find food if they leave the foals alone.

I enjoyed my time taking photos.  The ladies favoured the higher ground.  

And the foals are learning how to read the lie of the land.

This is where they get their education – where to stand when the weather is bad.

Meanwhile, Her Maj continued her sulk and only moved when we drove off!