I learned something new today.  Cheap unbranded rugs are a false economy.

Today I made the decision to put rugs on The Minions.

There seems to be no let-up in this horrid weather and they are suffering.

Storm’s rug from last year still fits him, just.  I reckon he will have outgrown it by next year and that is a huge shame as it was wonderful and fitted very well.  He is very attached to it and his little face lit up when I put it on him.

Tiddles has done lots of growing and I never really noticed.  I struggled to find a rug that would fit him.  His bottom hangs out of this one but it is better than nothing.

Silver is wearing a 3’9″ no fill rug that fitted well.  This was the best of all the rugs today.

You may remember this was the first rug I had for Storm.  It was a tad big then.

“Ride Up With Wear Sir”

I tried another rug that has never been worn and he was much too big for it.   Everything poked out. This is where I found out that cheap rugs are a false economy.  The neck was made for a whippet, the velcro was too thick to go through its buckle and the whole thing was nasty and badly made.  So Waffle ate it.

Waffle is sporting a fetching binder-twine number but it is warm and functional so it will have to do for the time being.

We will struggle through with these rugs, though I might see if Ebay have some good brands being sold (Masta, Rambo (Rhino or Wug), Rhinegold) or just sell a kidney and do a spot of shopping.

Now this rug is wonderful.

It fits, it is warm and Brá loves it.

The weather is unforgiving at the moment.  Gales and sleet.

Everyone is very fed up.

Wet and tired.  It is eroding to the spirit.

The only thing that cheers anyone up is the silage bale but I want the horses/ponies to go out in their fields for a few hours, if only to get some space and exercise.

Obviously, Les Grandes Dames and the Preggy Lady can stay around the yard.  That is a given.

Everyone has given up arguing – they are all too tired.  Even Delia will talk to Waffle, which is usually unheard of.

But the bale is the source of all happiness….

…. and everyone is allowed a good go at it.

I am desperate that no one is thin that shouldn’t be or losing weight.  All I do is shovel food in and shovel the manure out.  OH is a God-send and mucks out the sheds every day.

We just live day-to-day looking at every weather forecast and hoping they are mostly wrong.

The fields are sodden and not draining.  No one is interested in eating any grass they find.  They just stand and wait to be let back in.  At night, I put everyone in with a good pile of food just so they are warm and not endlessly shivering with the sleet and driving wind.

Gales, gales, gales.

We are all feeling very fed up.

Sorry for the whinge.  Did I mention we are fed up?  I haven’t seen Lambie and Ster bounce for a few days now.

I think it is that February Feeling.

Excuse  me, but I just happened to be in the area.

And I was wondering if there is anywhere with a good game on?

Folk the same height – so it makes life easier.  You know what I mean.

You do?  Really?  Yourself?  But how will I reach?

Oh, I see, you stand on a hill.

And then I can bite your face and you can bite me back.

Yes, yes, I think that works fine.

Oh, and you have a friend too.  Excellent.

Shetland ponies are very resourceful.

Pregnancy is tough on any lady so I am very aware of Brá’s condition and watch her all the time.  She is due at the beginning of May (ooooooh, it is so exciting) and I can’t wait.

Today, I had some cauliflower stalks and carrot peelings that needed a home and gave them to Brá.  She only ate the carrot peelings – fussy mare.  She does have extra feed for pregnant mares every day.

So I gave the cauliflower stalks/leaves to a grateful vulture who was lurking.

I read an article about the benefits about massage in pregnancy so I thought I would give it a go with Brá.  Since arriving at Thordale, she has been an aloof mare,  This may be because she is the only pregnant mare in the herd, or because she is like this normally.  We will find out later once the foalio appears.

But, at the moment, I am working on our relationship because it is important that Brá trusts someone once her baby is born.

I think the massage/back rub was a success.  She was leaning into me and relaxing into it.

Afterwards, as the sun was shining, I let Brá wander around outside without her rug.

(I love her goofy donkey-ear look – Brá is becoming more and more tuned into me being around and will follow without being asked.  She trusts me to help her, get her out of any potential arguments and will now lead with her chin hairs – a Thordale necessity).

Anywho, I am crossing everything (and please can you too) for a healthy foal and mare in May.

Yesterday I worried.

Mostly because the weather was beyond hellish.  I had a flute lesson in the morning and, having fed everyone a good hard feed, thought they would be ok outside until I got home at lunchtime.

They weren’t.

When I got home, I put my survival suit on and went out to fetch everyone in – boys in the big shed and girls in the big stable.

Everyone was shaking, soaked through and frozen.  The Minions, especially Waffle and Silver, (Storm and Tids having been indoors) were yawning weirdly, not normal tired yawns, more opening their mouths widely and looking vacant.  I put a rope around each horse or pony separately and dragged them into their relevant shed.

No one was particularly helpful.  They usually know the routine but had completely forgotten it – the cold wind and incessant rain had frozen their brains.

At one stage, I lost my wellie boot in the mud, tried to put it on again with a drooping wet sock, couldn’t so ripped of the sock and did the rest in bare feet in wellies with my sock in my pocket. I hated every minute.

Three bales of haylage were split between everyone and distributed around the shed, likewise with buckets of water.

I left everyone to rest for 20 hours inside.  They needed it.

Lambie and Ster stayed in their shed watching me like Statler and Waldorf (Muppets) everytime I went past.

Here are a few photos from the day before. Everyone was tired then.  Winter is beginning to wear a little thin.  My poor Minions.