So, today was the day.

We had finished the silage and there is one big field with grass.

I opened the gate and Hjalti, Efstur, Iacs, Haakon and Klængur walkied into Kappi and Taktur´s field.

Efstur took an instant likeing to Kappi.  Oranges together.

There was lots of running.

And eating!

Hajlti turned into an Arab stallion.

And Taktur did some showing off.

But, all in all, Taktur was fine with everyone.

I love the way Haakon and Iacs don’t move while everyone else is flinging themselves about!  I suppose it is a matter of priorities.

So, as everything seemed to be going well (read, peacefully), we put Albie and Newt into the mix.

Newt and Taktur were an instant hit.

Albie struggled a bit.  We found him outwith the hill (after dropping Delia off in Lyradale) but he was very happy to go back.  He must’ve jumped out and given himself a gluff by accident.

Newt was in his element.  So many friends.  So little time.

My money is on Newt.

In about ten minutes time, all these big Icelandic horses were his friends (read, servants).

He wasn’t remotely phased.

There will be games, endless games.

And so, after watching for a while, we left them to get on with it.

So, basically, Taktur, in Spring, has been put out with three colts.  That says something about him.  What a nice guy.

(he is teaching Efstur how to poo-sniff – an essential stallion skill).

The oldies are very happy to be together again.

Newt is a very happy Newt.

But he still has time for his BFF, Albie, who needs convincing that this is a good idea.

Daisy and I are just back from our weekly flute lesson, town and then we took Kappi and Waffle to the vet for their last injections (tetanus and flu) so they can go south for the Icelandic Horse British Championships.

Not much to say, but here are some photos from yesterday.

Bjørn Roar Larsen (our local Level 3 Icelandic horse trainer – we are very, very lucky) was training Taktur.

First there was free lungeing with elasticated side-reins in walk, trot and canter to encourage self carriage and the back end to work.

Next, Bjørn removed the side-reins and long-reining instead.  With long-reins, Bjørn could ask for tölt too.  Taktur is not a natural tölter, ie you would never see him tölt in the field, but still, he knows what to do when asked.

I could watch these two all day.  Over the years Bjørn and Taktur have forged a good relationship and so Taktur shines in his work.  He also shone because I brushed Taktur properly  (a body brush and curry comb job) while Daisy was having her lesson on Kappi.

BeAnne was very enthusiastic too. She would’ve watched with interest but she was busy.  I didn’t brush her.  She will have summer fur strip soon now the weather has warmed up.

I have been worrying all weekend about my pregnant Icelandic ladies – Hetja and Brá

They are due to give birth very soon.

So, with Daisy’s help, we went to fetch them from Lyradale and all my hard work with Brá paid dividends.  Previously, she had been a cow to catch, but now, because I had worked with her daily, I could walk up to her, put her headcollar on and lead her anywhere I wanted.

…… that would be into the van.

(I will admit that increasingly I have wondered whether two pregnant Icelandic mares would actually fit because they are both very, very wide – but, phew, they did!)

And now they are home and living in Clothie, for the time being.

I drove home very carefully and they travelled well together.

When we got home, Daisy and I led them into the indoor school, tied them up and gave them a pre-birth spa morning.

They loved it.

We brushed away their winter coat, trimmed tails, gooby ears and generally made them feel special.

So, in two weeks, it will be Hetja’s due date, if Taktur was on form.

Brá is a week later.

Hetja and Brá probably won’t stay in Clothie long – I will move them nearer to home and then start Foal Watch.

The grass is growing now (huzzah).

There is fresh water in Clothie (for the time being – it does tend to dry up if there is no rain).

And a certain person knows his girls are home.

Oooh, exciting times ahead.

From the Shetland Amenity Trust website

“Da Voar Redd Up is the UK’s most successful community litter pick, with over 20% of Shetland’s population volunteering their time annually. This annual spring clean makes an invaluable contribution to Shetland’s natural environment and wildlife, clearing Shetland’s beaches, coastlines and roadsides of litter and the debris washed up by winter storms.”

Voar = Spring (Shetland dialect)
Redd Up = to clean up (old Norse/Middle English dialect)

So OH, Daisy, me and Haakon, complete with kishies to carry the bags and went to redd up the roadside we ride along almost daily.

We also went far into the hill for our litter.

I was on horse duty as picking up litter is a back-killer.

Haakon was a very good boy.  He carried full bags and he didn’t mind them flapping behind him or lurching unevenly on his sides.  He is used to our mad schemes and I had a pocketful of munchy-crunchies which he was happy to relieve me of.

Haakon was a bit surprised by the noise of this iron grill when OH pulled it down the road but he didn’t run off.

Some of the time, I would let him go while I disappeared into a ditch after rubbish.

His reward was all the roadside thistles he could eat.

There was some litter we left – silage bale wrap in barbed wire is impossible.

Why are folk so revolting?

Haakon took an interest in everything we picked up.

He had the occasional nose-kissey as well.

Everyone worked very hard.

OH even pulled a dead sheep out of the drain.  It would be polluting the water downstream.  The birds will finish it.

Once we had filled a good few bags (8, I think) and left them on the side of the road for collection, we went home.

Rewards for all.

Mostly Daisy or OH walk the dog – Loki.  BeAnne refuses to go with either of them.

Today, OH was working off-shore and Daisy had hurt her knee (excuses, excuses), so I took on the mantle of The Dog Walk and BeAnne accompanied because today it was me.

Obviously, I took a camera.

The oil is rising in the soil – time to cut peats if you have your own peat bank in the scattald (open hill).  Hard work at the best of times.

Today, I took the dogs round Lyradale – 50 acres of hill and in-bye pasture.

It is lambing time so dogs have no place anywhere, even well trained dogs.

I love Lyradale.  This is the most perfect place ever.

Everywhere, the grass is trying to grow.

Currently, apart from the Shetland ponies and Icelandic horses who live there, Lyradale is home to three caddy (bottle raised) sheep belonging to my neighbours.  One is called Colin, which I think is possibly one of the best names ever for a sheep!

Loki and BeAnne were very happy on their walk.

BeAnne even took herself off for a little swim.

She adores swimming.

Loki is not so keen.  In fact, now I think about it, I have never seen him swim.

Dip his toes, yes, but swim – no.  You can only ask so much.

The statutory roll in god-knows-what, possibly otter vomit or worse.  Whatever it is, it will linger like nothing else.

It was a good walk and lovely to see plants starting to grow.

Happy days.