I drove the horsevan to town first thing this morning to get the new supply of feed for Tiddles while trying, and succeeding, from not buying something else which might have added sugar or alfalfa.  Finding the list of ingredients on the back of a 20kg sack is not an easy task. But succeed I did.  I stuck to  my list and I am feeling immensely proud of this ridiculously small achievement.

I then went and bought a tonne of builder’s sand and drove carefully and steadily home.  The van felt very heavy.

Lunch, and it was peeing down outside and everyone looked wet and miserable.

So I let the Old Ladies inside while OH and I were working.

We had to redistribute the sand to freshen up the stalls which were very “tired”.

Once we had moved half the tonne into the stalls with the help of Skippy (a ruddy godsend), the Old Ladies said they were bored of watching us work.  I let them out in the pouring rain to graze.  They were perfectly happy with that arrangement.

This is the view from my shed.  I am wet and sandy now but glad the stalls are a bit nicer now.

While I was busy tidying up my feed shed, trying to make some order to all the stuff I have in it, I had some visitors.

Vitamoobag brought her friend, Fivla, to see if there were any freebies.

I said no, sorry, please go away.

And then instantly felt guilty for being so mean and gave them a small bucket of hay replacer so I could drive the car in and unload it, without them both trying to escape.  It has happened before.

I wanted my shed to be easier to work in because I am changing everything.  Less is more is my new motto.  I am a feeder. I like to feed animals but this has to stop.  Tiddles’ glucose levels from his last blood test were off the charts and Waffle’s only slightly better. This is not good and it has to change.  The vet said to stop everything as something was obviously contributing to Tiddles’ ridiculously high glucose levels.

So I spent my morning making a list of what Tiddles actually eats and looked at the ingredients. I was shocked.  Every single thing had alfalfa (a known glucouse spike for Insulin Resistant ponies) and even molasses, despite being labelled as low sugar and acceptable for ponies prone or with laminitis.  So no more.  All sugar is out of everyone’s diets and maybe, just maybe, we can get on top of this.   They get zero chaff and a tiny measure of unmolassed beet.

And I am weighing everything for the Shetland ponies.  Everything.  Plus all hay will be soaked.

The old ladies are exempt from this regime, much to their relief.

But I just have to sort this out before the spring grass arrives.  I feel awful that I have got it so wrong for Tiddles all this time when I thought I was doing the right thing.

These are a little know breed of small horse, called the Icelandic Bog Horse.  They are mostly known for their ability to stand in a bog up to their fetlocks while thinking this is quite a nice place to be.

Some of them also have great camouflage.

Out of the 5 whole acres, there is one boggy bit in this field so that’s where I found the Icelandic horses today when I went over with a bit of carrot each.

Kolka quickly heard the word carrot!

It was very windy and they are very hairy.  Another trait of the Icelandic Bog Horse.

Or possibly Woolly Mammoth.

Anyway, the horses all seemed happy enough, so I scrambled over the fence again and continued with my dog-walk.

Back at home the Old Ladies wanted in, so I let them eat the grass around the house.  They appreciated the extra and the grass needs eating down.  When I went later on to my shed to play Flute Duets, I did wonder if Fivla and Vitamin were listening as they stayed around, albeit in the small paddock I had to put them in as the oil tanker arrived.

Ever the critic, ladies!

It was a lovely sunrise this morning and look, look blue sky!  We haven’t seen that in a while – it is a most welcome sight as well as that yellow thing in the sky.

While the Icelandic horses ate their breakfast, I sat on a rock waiting to leap up in case anyone went a-thieving.  Kolka finishes first, pushes Iacs off his bucket who in turn pushes Haakon. I make sure this doesn’t happen.

I always try to put a little distance between everyone and Pepper likes to come along so she can hoover up anything that falls.

So, I was sitting on my rock, checking my emails, etc (the best internet connection anywhere is in this field) when someone appeared on my shoulder!

It was an ambush.

And I was Pepper’s prisoner.

There was no escape.

Pepper is full of character and my funny little girl.

And I took this photo later on after a glorious day of sunshine and total calm.  Now we have a week of storms ahead.  It was brief, but it was nice. No, it was wonderful.

Today has been revolting.  Perpetual rain, a vicious northern wind (F8 gusting F10), everywhere is waterlogged and we are all miserable.

I battled over with my three buckets thinking I must be mad but I have to do this as the old Icelandic horses need fuel for their internal central heating.  I couldn’t rug them earlier as I was waiting for them to dry out first and that never happened.

But they all seemed ok about the lack of rugs and were just getting on with their daily lives.

(my constant companion came too)

Monster continues to swallow his antibiotics which are in liquid form and thank you to everyone who has given me invaluable advice on tactics.  We have resorted to a large towel, gauntlets and speed (not the drug, just me being quick with a syringe).  Anyway, today was successful (ie no blood) but Monster is barely talking to me now.  Let’s hope it is helping him.

As it was so vile outside, the Shetland ponies left their grazing to stand in the containers so I put out extra haynets, which were very gratefully received.  Fivla and Vitamin were eating the grass surrounding the house.

Albie got kicked out, as per usual – ever the victim – but he did not starve.  I would never let that happen.

And Newt said he does not share.

Not now, not ever.  Wee hippo.