We are worried about Klængur. He is not his usual self  He was found waiting at the bottom of the hill when everyone else was eating their silage.

When Flossie rode him this morning, he seemed very sluggish and off his tölt.  Most odd.

So, Flossie brought Klængur up, to be around the house. I have wormed him (and the others in his herd) plus fed him a probiotic and some hard food.

Klængur is not off his food, so he can’t be that ill.  Tonight, he is spending the night indoors with Kappi and Taktur too.

It could be just be the change of silage or something else…..  Let’s hope it is spring appearing.  It can affect some horses.

Meanwhile, the little peoples are all fine.

Newt is delicious.

Albie is divine.

Delia is going very well.  Much better than previous winters.

Darling Tor is always the same.  A darling.

Standard and mini Shetland ponies – each have their uses.

Meanwhile, Klængur is working his way through every feed bowl he can find.  Lambie et al are less than impressed.

It was our hard-working Icelandic horse trainer’s, Egill Þórarinsson, last day – he is on tonight’s boat south for a connecting flight back home to Iceland – so today we took him down to the south end to see a different part of Shetland.

Yesterday was the spectacular cliffs of Eshaness, in the north of the mainland, but I was not the driver.

First stop, Fladdabister – an unusual Shetland settlement, with apparent Dutch influence created from very different Shetland stone and method.

I love this little hamlet in Shetland.  So very different from everywhere else.

(someone’s rhubarb is about to start – note-to-self, must check on mine – roll on the crumble!)

Then a diversion to the beautiful sandy St Ninian beach.

This tombolo leads to St Ninian’s Isle home of the famous St. Ninian’s chapel.  ~Twenty eight Pictish silver and silver-gilt objects, all decorated and made during the second half of the eighth century, were found in 1958 by a school boy. They were found in a wooden box buried under a cross-marked slab close to the altar along with a fragment of the jaw bone of a porpoise.  The silver is on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.  It should be in Shetland where it came from, in my opinion, not a copy.

And so on to Sumburgh Head.

Always a bit jaw-droppingly impressive, any time of the year.

The puffins are not back yet but the seabirds were around in their masses.  I think these are razorbills.

We walked around the outside of the lighthouse.  It was all closed until the tourist season officially begins after Easter.

I haven’t been down to the south end this time of year and it was nice to have it to ourselves.  Soon the migrant birds will flock in to nest, as will the twitching tourists.

Our guests (the horses from Houlls Horses & Hounds in Burra) are staying until tomorrow so we made the most of the fine weather and took them and their riders out to see our local countryside.

It is lovely to have other competent folk to ride with, especially on Icelandic horses.

There were six of us in total.

(I have missed my orange riding companion and I think his rider, Flossie, has missed her little orange horse).

We had some lovely tölts and trots.

I dropped back, much to Haakon’s fury, so that I could photograph everyone going up the canter track.

It was a bit of a there-and-back-again kind of ride as it is just still too wet to go up into the hill.  Maybe our visitors will come back when it has dried up a bit and then we can show them the view from the top of the hill.

On the way home I kept Haakon back again.

This of course made him then last, which he was furious about.  Haakon is never last.

And so Haakon sneakily made his way past everyone.

And yes, he did get home first never breaking into anything faster than his industrious walk.

We will be sad to say goodbye to our new friends.

And it was lovely having Esja home for a brief visit.

I am exhausted but I will do my very best or at least let the photos speak for me.

To be very honest, I never actually thought Egill Þórarinsson would come to Shetland for a training weekend but he did, and it was fantastic, beyond words.  Thank you Bjørn for asking him.

All ten riders and their horses did fantastically well under Egill’s tuition. They worked hard and achieved much.  Every standard was catered for – both horse and rider.  Everyone came out inspired to try harder and to do more with their horse.

The highlight of my weekend was seeing so many beautiful Icelandic horses at Thordale with their happy, willing and enthusiastic riders.  I sincerely hope this is the beginning of something regular.  It was lovely to see.  Everyone helped, inspired and supported each other.  We were a real working team with the same goal.

And so to bed. Zzzzz,,,,,,,

(I may have eaten my weight in egg mayo sarnies again, BeAnne is so exhausted (I had to send her indoors to warm up and sleep) while Lambie is not talking to me since he has spent two days in his little field (wifi and radio).

So, best training weekend ever in Shetland and here’s to many more!  Thanks you guys!

Egill Þórarinsson is here, at Thordale, training 10 riders and their Icelandic horses all weekend.

Today, having arrived fresh off the boat, he waded straight in.  Egill asked everyone to ride their horse and then, having watched them together, the rider dismounted and he got on and tried the horse for himself.  Then, mostly, everyone rode their horse again with instruction.  Tomorrow there will be individual lessons.  The weather was miserable outside so we were all thankful for the indoor school.

There was a strict timetable – five horses before lunch, and five after with a small break for coffee/tea and we introduced Egill to the Scottish staple, Tunnocks caramel wafers, as well.  Bjørn was on hand to translate and assist.

We all watched.

There was lots of chatting over horses.

We provided comfortable seating with occasional armrest.

I may have eaten my weight in egg mayonaise sandiwiches….

And then, again, in apple cake (eplekake)

Why am I not riding?  Because my back is not up to it at the moment.  Flossie and Daisy are participating, though, so that is all that matters for me.  I am happy enough eating egg mayonnaise sandwiches interpersed with taking the odd photo!