Last night was spent here – Gilbert Bain Hospital’s Accident & Emergency Department (or GBH, as it is locally known!)

OH has a filthy cold and it seemed to be finally abating when he woke up with chest pain.  Luckily I was already awake so I drove him tout de suite to A&E.

I don’t muck around when I hear the words “chest pain”.  It is not for me to make a diagnosis and professionals are much better equipped to look after OH than me.

I have sat in many A&E’s over the years for various children, friends, relatives, even myself but it never ceases to cheer me up that GBH A&E is almost always empty.  No queuing with the great unwashed.

Just a mug of tea, two types of dunkable biccies and the remote control (I watched Highway to Heaven).

After some tests, they decided to keep OH in for the night and I drove home.  It was the scariest drive ever. I genuinely thought the car was broken.  I had no control at all and, calling on all my ancestors, I managed to drive slowly home at 20mph.  I think there was black ice everywhere and my nerves were in shreds.

Anyway, the upshot is that OH is now coming home on the bus having been discharged with nothing found.  He will go back for more tests.

Phew!

Oh yes, as we left at 03:00, I saw Iacs standing by himself eating the silage bale.  When I got home at 07:00, I saw Iacs still by himself and still eating the silage bale!

He looked like Ermintrude.

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.