Firstly, I just want to say thank you for all your messages/comments/emails of support and advice about little Jack (et Potato).  They are hugely appreciated and it is lovely to know that you are out there thinking about him.

As today’s weather was good, ie no rain or wind, OH and I went over to Sandness (4 miles away) to collect more silage bales – ok, OH did all the work, I just watched.

Afterwards, we went for a walk on Norby Beach with Loki and BeAnne.

We were the only ones there and it is always nice to have the beach to ourselves.   I always feel resentful if anyone else arrives, like it should be my private beach.

BeAnne did some paddling, which she loves…..

And Loki did some too out of necessity, which he loathed.

OH and I had an in depth discussion about coastal erosion which mostly consisted of him saying this beach would make a fabulous project for someone as it changes shape daily.

And then me saying that I should have listened a bit more in Geography lessons as I could’ve bored him with endless information about this.  But I hadn’t, so I didn’t.

Meanwhile, the dogs had a good time running around and OH walked throwing some driftwood while I took photos.

And it was good to have a change of scene in slightly calmer weather.

If you are wondering about the boys.  Everyone is fine.

This is my poor little crofthouse surrounded by what was once grass and is now a vision of mud.

Depressed muchly but it will recover in spring. It always does.  I am beginning to forget what long grass looks like.

Today the snow was in the process of thawing, helped with alternating drizzly and pouring rain.

The boys were all together in the Minion field.  This field is about the only one that is not pure mud and, as they seem to get along fine, I thought they could spend the day out there.

To begin with, they all disappeared and as Taktur was going to be trained, I felt unenthusiastic about traipsing across this huge field looking for my little herd.  As I watched them vanish over the hill, I could see Klængur had drawn the short straw and was babysitting Storm and Tiddles.

Afterwards Charlie took over.   He can’t decide if he is a big boy or a Minion.  I am encouraging him to be a big boy as I think, once he had wedged himself into the Minion shed, there wouldn’t be room for anyone else!  His BFF is Taktur.  They are having a lovely bromance.

So that is the herd.  It has taken me some time to trust Taktur not to hassle Tiddles and I probably could’ve put them out together sooner, but it was not a risk I was willing to take.

They still all come in at night.  The big boys separate from the Minions and go into their shed while the little ones are put to bed!

Everyone can go out into a field if they want but they are not left together.  Maybe in Spring.

It has been snowing on and off today and we had a good pile last night too.

OH went into town so I held the fort at home.  These days, with Jack being so doitin, someone has to be at home to keep an eye on him.

Last Saturday night it was raining with a northerly wind so OH let all the dogs out by the front door for their last pee/poo before bed. He noticed Jack heading off down the hill and went indoors for his wellies/coat/blinkie so he could go outside steer Jack home if needed.  Jack will follow a light beam.  When he got back, now fully prepared for the vile weather, there was no Jack.  He had vanished.  Shining the torch around, he caught a flash of white down by the burn which is approx 50 yards away down a very steep hill.  OH sprinted down through thick mud and grabbed the mad ungrateful black gargoyle before he was lost forever.  Jack could never have got back up the hill on his own.

It was a real shock to us all and Jack is not the same now.  If he could be even more confused, he is.  He walks round and round in circles all evening, sometimes take ages to settle.  While he is almost continent, he can forget when he is indoors.

So what to do?  Keep going or call it a day.  The thing is Jack is not distressed and he is not in pain.  We are distressed watching him but that is not the same at all.

Anyway, I took the dogs out for a walk in my fields to think about all of this (Jack had his short trundle later).

I didn’t reach a conclusion.  I just don’t know.  I should know and I don’t.

(sorry for long ramble)

Jo brought Charlie to Thordale this morning.  He is a little on the large side and we thought some exhausting company and a lack of food might get his weight down.

**** cough **** Fat Chance!

The Minions happened to be out and about keeping Iacs company.  Iacs’ hoof is still pouring black smelly guck so he can’t go out in the mud/field.  He isn’t lame though, which is good.

A perfunctory hello from the swarming Minions and then the games started.

Note the back hoof but there was no kicking or fighting.

Charlie deserves this.

He has made many ponies’ lives a burden to them over the years.

Charlie didn’t stand much of a chance, but he does have weight on his side and much more experience from years of being very very irritating.

So wherever he went, he had a happy little attachment!

After a few hours, they did stop and just eat.

I had thrown out some of yesterday’s leftover hay for them to finish.  They weren’t that keen so no one was hungry.

And, of course, little Tiddles stayed well out of the way.  He doesn’t like hassle.

But Charlie won’t stay with only the little ones.  Tomorrow I plan to put them all out together in the hill field and they can get on with it.

I let Kappi, Haakon and Iacs stay with the Minions in the big shed.  They all seemed to get on very well so I thought “why not?”

Taktur (and Klængur) joined them later.  They had been down in the bottom field just standing in the intermittent snowfall and I called them up, feeling sorry for them.

I warned Taktur that if he did not behave, especially with Tiddles, I would put him straight into a stable on his own.

So, apart from a perfunctory sniff, he didn’t really notice Tiddles or consider him a manly threat.

They were all sharing their hay very happily.

(I gave Tiddles lots of little piles that he could go to if he was bullied off).  He does have victim written all over him.

I think this photo describes the Minion/Icelandic horse relationship.  Storm stands on the hay and Taktur (stallion) and Klængur have to eat around him.  No one minds.

Luckily for Taktur Silver remembered his role in life – which is to make Taktur’s life a living hell.

He even brought Waffle in to help with a well performed two pronged attack.

And this is the sum of Taktur’s defence.  He raised his back leg trying to evade Silver’s teefs.  He is a very nice stallion.  Lesser chaps would not have been half as nice.

Taktur did to a bit of playing with Silver who was over the moon to find someone up for a good game.

I think they have all missed their little friends.