I helped my neighbour, trainer and friend, Bjørn from Bergli Stud, put one of his stallions out with their mares.

Today, it was Wulfert v.d. Groote Woerd’s turn.  Wulfert is Waffle’s sire.  You can see the obvious family resemblance – they are both black!

Wulfert was put out with three black standard mares, who all behaved beautifully. We found this out when we found we had run out of headcollars and ropes!  Thank the Gods for well-trained and handled Shetland ponies.  They walked into the field on chin hairs.

We were on the island of Burra – one of the Scalloway Islands (according to Wikipedia).

A beautiful part of Shetland.

Next up, we took Wulfert’s winter field-mates, Merkisayre Tactic and Alex v.d. Voshoek to a new field where they could play together.

Alex is a beautiful mushroom miniature dude with amazing hair.

I have a very soft spot for Alex. He makes me smile.

Tactic is an amazing mover – jaw-droppingly wow (my photos don’t show his incredible trot).

So, the stallions were dropped off, and then home to the first of the 2017 foals at Bergli Stud.

Mum is beautiful.

And her baby (a colt) is divine – *** swoon ***.

I love this time of year.  Little bebbies everywhere.

It had to be done.  They could stay there no longer.

So we brought Fivla and Vitamin home to go on their summer diet.

Daisy spent yesterday afternoon constructing a good electric fence across part of the scattald (open hill).

There is a triangle of land that lies between my neighbour’s field and Clothie (where the pregnant ladies now live).

Water runs through it too, which is useful.

Before we fenced this field off, I asked permission from my neighbour, his tenant, the crofter who has sheep on the hill and the Grazings Clerk to make this make-shift paddock, explaining why (dangerously fat pony and her friend) and I have their permission to do this. It is not a permanent fixture.

The girls will stay here for the summer.

The photos somehow make the fenced-off hill look better pasture than it actually is.  This is rough grazing with low calories and roughage.

Needs must.

The ones I feel sorry for most are Hetja and Brá.  Their faces fell when they saw the “baby bores” arrive.  Fivla and Vitamin had spent the winter in the next door field telling them endless stories of their pregnancies.   You know the type.  We’ve all met them!

The ladies didn’t even go over to say hello.

This is Precious – a miniature Shetland pony filly born on Thursday morning.

We are helping out the breeder because Precious was a “red bag delivery”.

From The Horse Channel – “Red bag delivery” is a layperson’s term for premature separation of the placenta prior to or during a mare’s foaling.

The mare is on a course of antibiotics (intra-muscular) and, as we are on site 24/7, we can administer them.  The mare was very unwell after the birth and nearly died.

The mare is not maternal towards her baby so we are encouraging bonding, nursing and pushing as much food, ie green grass and hard feed into Mum as possible, while getting as much milk into Precious as well.  This is the mare’s first and only foal and she is not sure what to do but she is an easy mare and Precious is very hungry.  We sometimes hold the mare as she tends to walk away mid-suck.  She has now discovered carrots and is easily bribed!

OH has very kindly (but is not happy) let them into his garden.  He was only saying the other day how he wished the grass was shorter.  Well, now it will be!

Someone else is very aware that there is a pretty lady-girl nearby so Precious and her mother can only have access to the garden grass if they are supervised.

The others don’t care at all.

BeAnne, however, is thrilled.

This is her new little family.

I have just measured BeAnne.  She is 13″ tall to her “withers”.

Anyway, this little duo will stay with us for at least a week.  The breeder wants to give the foal a chance.

We are all aware that Precious’ legs are not the best.

And please don’t tell me your opinion about them.  We are here to help, not to judge.

We are all doing our best for them.

We had some visitors, who came specifically to meet the Minions.

It was lovely to see them and, after a cup of tea and a good chat, I took them over to introduce them to the inmates of Lyradale.

And, of course, I put them to work!

Well, if would be rude not to.  There is winter fur to brush out.

Richard volunteered to brush Tiddles.

He had help.

Perhaps, at times, a bit too much help (note, Silver’s teeth).

But help they did – as is a Minion’s want.

Tiddles has not been brushed much (I cleaned his eyes with cold tea) and appreciated the time spent making him beautiful.

Richard and Tiddles developed a good working relationship.

“You brush, I sniff.”

Meanwhile, Liz had Waffle, amongst others, to beautify.  Previously, she also made a very good job of Silver and Storm.

I attacked Fivla.

Lyra didn’t want to know, though she let Roger talk to her and brush her face – I did her tail while she wasn’t watching.

She was happily playing with old headcollars left lying around.

So like her half-brother, Indy, our stallion, who spent most of his days in the indoor school picking up and putting down things he found. It must be a genetic thing.

Vitamin stayed well away.

As did Delia (though I got to do her tail).  No one minded.  Old ladies must be allowed to be old ladies.

And so, covered with horse hair (there was lots flying around), we left the Minions to enjoy their field with the knowledge of a job well done.

I love volunteers.  They work so hard to make my Minions beautiful and froo-froo!

Thank you for visiting.  Come again!  Please, any time! (I mean it!)

So, while the little boys were making new friends…..

…. we took Delia to join her friends over at Lyradale.  They were very happy to see her and so was she.

I think she had had enough of looking after little baby boys.  I don’t blame her. They were beginning to be annoying.

We had recently given the little ones access to the green field area (recently vacated by Hetja and Brá) and they happily showed Delia around.

It was lovely to see this little Shetland pony herd so happy to see their Delia again.  She has played an important part in everyone’s lives.

Again, everyone is still checked daily and I am now lugging water for 8 Shetland ponies in case no one remembers there is an adjoining field, with open gates now, that has numerous streams a ruddy great big loch in the middle!

Yup, they all crowd and drink the water I bring.  There are three big buckets filled.

But I don’t want Delia to have to walk forever looking for water.  So, family motto, “whatever it takes”.

It mostly takes my back.