I am not talking to BeAnne.

Yesterday, she stunk so badly while she sat under my desk in her bed, that I could bear it no more.  I took her upstairs and bathed her, much to her disgust.  But it had to be done and then she was fragrant and beautiful again.  Afterwards, I cleaned the bathroom from top to bottom.

This morning, Flossie and I were up at first light to feed the horses and sheep.  The wind was gaining speed and the forecast was grim, so we started two hours earlier than usual to be able to do our chores without being blown over or soaked to the skin.

We finished just as it began to rain heavily and guess who we met coming up the hill as went into the house….. a mud monster or perhaps a small Patterdale terrier who had spent her morning digging up baby bunnies down by the stream.  She was clarted in mud from head to toe.  My heart sank.  Her chin had dangles of brown squelch.

I dragged her back upstairs to the bathroom and back into the bath she went.  The mud was of the type that was half concrete and half superglue – solid and hard.  A good fight later and BeAnne, for the second time, in less than 24 hours was clean.  Again, afterwards, I cleaned the bathroom from top to bottom as the mud had been transferred to every wall, towel and now myself.

BeAnne is not talking to me and, as I type, is sulking under my desk.

Loki is almost a good boy, though he did tumble Wu the other day.

Wu didn’t care much but has been bitch-slapping Loki in revenge when he walks past.

I have banned BeAnne from going outside unsupervised for the foreseeable future.

I wormed everyone else today, after my worry about Klængur, who is fine, by the way and was just faking illness to get out of work.

Everyone was very nice about having wormer except for Brá, who was a complete and utter arse.  I will generously put this down to being pregnant, but she really tested the limits of my patience and sanity today – threatening to kick and refusing to be caught.  Ok, I will admit I had the wrong catching kit (too small headcollar) so I went home, found two big headcollars, caught Hetja, gave her a bucket of food, tied her up, and then went after Brá, who was galloping towards me in a panic looking for Hetja.  Brá skidded to a halt, saw the bucket of food and wanted it more than anything.  It was then we struck The Deal.  You want the food, I want to put a headcollar on you.  She let me.  Then she had her hysterics about the wormer syringe and I stuck to my guns.  You want the bucket of food, I get to worm you.  She gave in.

And I may have mentioned something about not trying to kick me too in my parting shot lecture about being a complete and utter twunt!

Thank the Gods that her son is a lovely boy who is everyone’s friend and would put his own headcollar on if you asked him to.

Nothing is too much trouble for Efstur.

When we went to worm Newt, we found him sitting in his nest (possibly trying to lay an egg). He never even stood up while he was wormed.  Bless his little cottons.

Because that is the kind of guy a Newt is!

Even Albie forgot to be hysterical.

He was very happy to help.

Bloody Brá.  Now a wormed twunt.

The horse and pony shows started in Shetland today with Serrang Equestrian In Hand Show held at the Lerwick Marts.

At the crack of sparrows, we drove a stallion to help out Bergli Stud (and I also wanted an excuse to see what was going on in the Shetland horse and pony world as I have been rather out of the loop recently).

Flossie came with me for moral support and helped with the brushing.  Bjørn had been up until 03:00 washing and drying ponies.

There were specatators of every kind.

Taking a real interest, too.

For both rings.

There was Ring 1 for the Shetland ponies and, alongside, Ring 2 for the big horses and ponies.

Everyone mucked in.  Even the judges.

Friendships were made.

And it was very special to see the Icelandic horses competing in-hand too.

Lauren brought Esja.

All good practice for the big bad world.

Kristall won his class.

Horse and handlers looked very smart.

And so they ran up and down…..

… walked round and round…..

…. while others waited outside for their turn.

While we had a break for lunch, the children played in the arena.

There was, of course, the ubiquitous and possibly mandatory raffle.

I am awaiting the results and ever-optimistic that the bottles, the pony or the chocolate is now mine!

Good behaviour all round and, for some, this was a completely new environment.

After lunch, there were more in-hand young handler classes as well as fancy dress (BeAnne will never be toppled from her throne).

I was feeling a bit fractious and over-tired so we left early and took some of the Bergli ponies (and dog) home for them.

Their standard black Shetland pony filly, Brunatwatt Madison Magic, won Junior Champion.  A good start to the 2017 Shetland pony show season.

Taktur is possibly the most handsome and nicest stallion to currently live at Thordale.  He is a gentleman.

Taktur is wearing a thin rainsheet because yr.no (a usually accurate Norwegian weather forecast site) promised it would rain today – so of course it didn’t.  I mean do they even know where Shetland is? I am beginning to have my doubts. </rant>

So, just before the imaginery rain began, I went out with my camera to take some Handsome Prince photos.

At night, Kappi and Taktur live inside and, after breakfast, they go out into their field.

Sometimes, while Kappi is busy stuffing his face with as much silage as he can physically fit in, Taktur goes off to talk to the neighbours.

And quite often there is a neighbour lying in wait.

Today it was Son-but-not-heir, Hjalti.

These two have never actually met without a fence between them but they know each other well.

The meeting will happen soon, however, as we intend to put all the boys together for the summer.

And I mean all – Minions, mini-minions and the Icelandics in one big field.

Our theory being that, as Taktur is not running with any mares this summer, he will be annoyed to distraction with every Minion or Icelandic colt and 2 year old gelding hanging off him!

And then he won’t miss the ladies.

Well, that is the theory.

It may or may not work.

Albie hopefully won’t miss Tor if he is busy playing, escaping or being sat on!  He and Newt have been in with the big boys before so they know the score.

If it all goes horribly wrong, we will rethink our summer strategy and split them all up.

I think, if it is a success, there will be some lovely games.

The ladies are large and lovely

I tell them that they are “cooking” their foals and, to make Brá feel a bit better about being pregnant, I always turn up with a present – an apple or carrot.

Brá would like to be feral if she could but a) she hasn’t the strength now and b) she only does it if I bring a stranger into her field and then all bets are off.  I never realised that I take our friendship for granted until I took someone she didn’t know into the field and then she wouldn’t talk to any of us.  It is all about trust with her and she is much worse when she is pregnant.   I don’t indulge it. If I want to talk to her than I jolly well will and I lecture her endlessly about no one actually dying having their eyes cleaned and if she wants this carrot, then she will have to “suck it up, Princess” and be nice.

They are both getting very huge and they are carrying their foals in very different ways.

Hetja is just large.

But they love their field and most of all, being together.  They are good friends and great support for each other.

Can’t wait. I just can’t wait!