Monika from Sandness Equine Services kindly popped by with her weighing scales.  She offers an invaluable service.

It is all well and good to hope everyone is losing weight but actual science fact is so much more accurate for me to make, hopefully, the right decisions.

We weighed all the Shetland ponies.  They were last done about 3 weeks ago and since then things have drastically changed.

Monika did a body condition check too.

It is so good to have a second opinion.  I don’t feel like I am alone in this endless miserable battle.

And the results are in.  Vitamin and Fivla are negligible – I didn’t want them to lose weight – but the rest have all lost weight and a good amount too.

Tiddles – 5kg (ok)
Newt – 4kg (he is determinedly hanging onto everything and should be trying harder)
Albie – 5kg (ok)
Silver – 7kg (good boy)
Waffle – 5kg (keep going)

So, I am pleased.  The new regimen for them all is obviously working well. I will remain tough and they will continue to lose weight.  And with this accurate information, it helps to make me even more determined to stick to their diet especially before spring arrives and everything changes again.

And Pepper weighs 9 very special kilogrammes of helpfulness!

I am leaving this here and not writing much (my back is twinging).

Just under two weeks ago, Tiddles’ resting insulin level was reported by the labs at over 300 (off the charts, apparently) with the recommendation to change his diet pronto.  I was shocked and very upset for Tiddles.  I was trying my very best so why was it all going wrong?

So, I stopped all his food supplements, even his daily painkillers because just about everything I thought was helping him to defeat his laminitis was in fact contributing towards it. I did a deep dive on what he was eating and found there were hidden ingredients everywhere of alfalfa, grain, sugar, disguised with many names, despite stamps of approval from authorities that should know better.

We have gone back to basics. Less is more, is my new motto and today, I received Tiddles’ latest blood test results – from 300 down to 14.5, which my vet said was considered normal.  I can’t begin to say just how relieved I am and, as you may be aware, the difference in Tiddles in immense.

It doesn’t mean Tiddles stops having Equine Metabolic Syndrome, it just means it is under control and he has the potential for it if he eats the wrong food.

Yay, Tiddles!

A baby photo, because he was so cute.

I went on a little solo road-trip. I didn’t take Pepperpot as I didn’t know if I would be visiting dog-friendly places.

We’ve had a run of a few days of calm weather, which is unheard of for this time of year.  Suspiciously deceptive.  This is a not a usual Shetland winter but it does make for beautiful scenery.

My first stop was Quarff (about 5 miles south of Lerwick) to collect two croft house planters that I had ordered a few months’ back from Greencroft Shetland.   I bought a red one and a turquoise one, plus a small candle holder croft house too.  I am very pleased.  I have always wanted one of these planters for many years and now I have two plus the little one.  My treat to myself.  Now to decide what to plant in them.  I am thinking pansies.

Next to the other side of Quarff to have two silver 3 pence pieces made into earrings.  Long story short, OH gave a good friend a knife for Christmas and in return these two little silver coins came back.  I had never seen an old-type 3 pence piece and these were dear little coins.

I decided to turn them into simple earrings and put a message on a local Facebook page with a photo of the coins asking if anyone could do this.  I met up with Rosalyn Thompson at her workshop and she cleverly created my earrings.  Again, I am very pleased with them – I’ve always wanted coin earrings. I haven’t taken them off.

It was a lovely day travelling to places I wouldn’t normally see.  I am usually only down the “sooth end” when I am going to the airport.  So it was fun to go somewhere different for a change.

Breakfast this morning was a chilly affair. There had been a hard frost overnight which was beginning to thaw in the sunlight.  Yes, the sun, again.  Happy, happy.

This morning saw Tiddles and Waffle (along for company and moral support) and myself at the vet’s for Tiddles’ blood test again.

I won’t lie. Tiddles was not thrilled to be there but Waffle was a good, calming influence and between us, we managed.  Hopefully the results will come by the beginning of next week with better news.

On our return, I threw Waff and Tids out with their friends and left them to eat.  Time for the dog-walk – I will admit it wasn’t a very long one but I gave the Icelandic horses a carrot.

They were pleased with this and look, look, the sun again with barely a cloud in the sky. It’s been like this all day.  Perfect.

Even Monster was sunning himself, when we came back.  He seems to have given up on dog-walks.  Maybe he is waiting until it is actually warmer.

So fingers and toes crossed for Tiddles please.  We need some good news.

Pepper told me our farrier, Stephen, was going to arrive this morning.  She waited and watched until she heard his van coming down our track.

We did the Old Ladies first – just Fivla and they went outside to mooch around and find grass.

Then Tiddles, who was declared laminitis free!  I could’ve cried with relief.  Just the blood test tomorrow and soon I will know if we are really out of these God-awful woods.

We also discussed the possibility of putting on front shoes to lift Tiddles off his heels.  Work-in-progress was the conclusion and we might fit them next time.  Tiddles seemed quite keen on the idea but as he has never been shod he may not be sure of the actual process.  He gets emotional about the smallest things (blood tests = rearing), so I am not very hopeful.

And into the container we all piled.

I took a smaller headcollar with me which Tiddles had to play with – a good sign of happiness.

Waffle was trimmed.

and Newt.

Then Silver.

Then we walked over the hill to Clothie, where The Ancients (Icelandic horses) live and it was just Kolka who needed a trim.

Haakon was having a bit of a snooze and I noticed he was being forced into having a conversation with Pepper.   So sweet.  We took her home and left them to it.

After lunch, I went to Turriefield to plant seeds and I took this photo on the way home.

I am exhausted now and I think I will sleep well tonight praying to all the Gods that Tiddles is on the mend, please.