Today was a bit of a day.

My visitors were leaving (flights permitting) so I put them to work before they left. I like to get my money’s worth.

While they were doing lots of lugging (hay bales, water, stuff), I fed Gussie and Dahlia, who had appeared.

I cannot tell you just how pleased I am to have these two.  Such sweeties.

And in this weather, Skippy is a total godsend (as is the driver who has now left us, sob).

Everything is a family affair.

And we were pottering along ok today until Tiddles appeared at the fence (lunch time) and said he would like to go inside, please thank you. So I led him indoors and he said he was ok now. Then I noticed that he wasn’t eating despite four buckets of lovely little “amuse-bouche” in front of him.  I gave him some tummy stuff and then he lay down. At that stage, I called the vet because I felt we were rapidly entering Storm territory.

While the vet was on her way, I lunged Tiddles outside and, when he started to gallop, bucking, I realised he possibly wasn’t as ill as he said he was.  I put him back in his pen and he instantly started to eat.  A good sign.

The vet still came and examined Tiddles, while he farted liquid and poo.  She gave him a painkiller and said the bowel sounds were good.  We decided that his sojourn outside last night was possibly too much for him so now I am trying hard not to over-think this.  Fingers crossed we are out of this.

I am now indoors with a gin and tonic to recover too. My visitors are on their plane flying home and OH is cooking supper.

Fivla can’t eat hay – it gives her a runny tummy and that’s not good which means I can’t let her go out with the other Shetland ponies to eat hay outside.

So today I put her and Vitamin around the house to dig for grass.  They could stay outside for the day.  The others were outside in their respective fields/paddocks.

As a precaution, OH made me a barrier on the sheep shed door which would prevent ponies going in and I could keep up the haynets for the sheep as well as  their licks.  The sheep are now hysterical and refuse to go inside ever again.  I left them to think about it and dither.

Meanwhile Fivla and Vitamin were very happy eating what grass they could find.

I even met Fivla by the front door.

Kolka has an obsession about the Shetland ponies so spent her day obssessing in a creepy pervy way.

I diverted her with a haynet and didn’t kiss her nose – I know where it’s been!

However, I did kiss Tiddles’ lovely snowy nose and told him that, as he was looking and feeling so much better, he could stay outside tonight with his friends.   If I find him by the gate looking miserable later on tonight, I will obviously bring him in but his diet wouldn’t be any different as we can’t soak hay while it is this cold.  He seems to be coping well.

After lunch, while Floss and I were sorting out haynets for the night, etc, Fivla watched us and wanted inside quickly followed by Vitamin.  We said no, and left them for a few more hours to go and find some grazing.

I woke up to this and made a decision.

The decision was to let everyone into the shed for the day so they could rest.

When I opened the field gate, leading Waffle and Albie, Silver and Newt ran straight past and into the shed.  I think they were very pleased to be inside. Last night was hard.  Everyone is very tired.

Haakon, especially, as he spends most of his day either lying down or eating.  He seems content and happy so I am telling myself that he hasn’t had a good lie down for months as it has been too wet and miserable.

The Shetland ponies have two hay boxes and are finishing off Tiddles’ soaked hay, which is now frozen in the nets.  We have no water now in the shed so are lugging with the help of Skippy.

I saw Dahlia and Gussie on the horizon and shouted for them to come down and have a late breakfast.

As you can see from their fleece, they are refusing to use their shed but their wool is thick and dense and they are well insulated against this weather.

Also, they are hill sheep so they know exactly what to do. Well, Dahlia does and she will teach Gussie.  I did think of putting them both in the little paddock with its own shed but I think they would fret more from not being able to make their own choices.

Although pretty, I could do with a thaw now, please.

Last night was brassic but beautiful (brassic means very cold in the north).  The Merrie Dancers were out too but it took some strength of purpose to want to go outside.  I don’t think I have been colder.

And after that wonderful display, I ran out of resolve and internal heat, giving up to get warm again.

This morning we found there had been more snow overnight and there was also a bitter wind.

(when you have something on your nose, but no one likes to say anything).

But with huge resolve we threw everyone outside after breakfast.

Haakon went off to look for grass but the others just stood there looking hopeful.  He came back up the hill when I took carrots out for them.

The horses stood there all day and after 5 hours, Floss and I gave up and let them back inside.  They had eaten nothing, not moved and not drunk either, which I always find worrying.  So in they came and I gave them a big bucket of mint tea to try and encourage drinking and told them there were only haynets so stop being fussy and get on with it.

Otherwise, we are managing.  There is much lugging of haynets and buckets but everyone is alive and eating. Gussie and Dahlia turned up at lunchtime and had their breakfast and then left again.

Pepper wants to be a sheep.

Lambie, last night, in his bed.

Sunrise this morning was at 09.10.

Some of the snow had gone but it had been a very cold windy night.

Everyone has spent the day dishing out food to those that want it.

Or resting.

And then the sun went down at 15:09 (5 hours 59 minutes later, if Floss’ maths is correct).

Floss and I opened up the big shed and shouted “bedtime”.

The old ladies and Tiddles trotted inside without a second thought.

I would love to say they each know where their pens are, but it can be quite the circus at times.

Then I shut the other Shetland ponies into their paddock with the containers and opened up the field gates.  Kolka, Iacs and Haakon were also waiting to go indoors too.  To be honest, I was quite pleased as tonight is going to be beyond bitter (RealFeel -17℃) so being indoors with unlimited hay etc stops me worrying as much. Iacs was only slightly mad when he came outside this morning – he had an independent thought and wandered off and had to be brought back. ** sigh **.

Haakon is very settled.  He just takes himself off and eats.

These two – Iacs and Kolka who had wolfed their buckets – wanted to have the buckets Fivla and Vitamin were finishing.  They are very slow eaters.

Outside, the “container ponies” are fine.

They get unlimited hay in double haynets as now is no time to be on a diet and one large swede hung up as well.  They love the swede!