I knew tomorrow (i.e. today) was going to be a “day o shite”, so I went out last night (i.e. yesterday) with my camera last thing to see if the boys were all settled down.

It was a lovely calm and peaceful evening.  Red (ish) sky and no wind which makes a mockery of the saying “red sky at night, shepherd’s delight”.

Taktur is settling back in again. I am sure he enjoyed his summer holiday but is glad to see his old friends.

He is tolerating The Minions and I expect, and hope, them to all be firm friends by the end of winter.

So this is last night.  All quiet, peaceful and calm. Nothing moving.

And this is today.  As you can see the field is  flooded and you can imagine the weather is vile.  I am already on my second pair of trousers having taken the aged Jack out for his walk.  He can’t half shift when the weather is bad.  I was impressed.

The horses are ignoring what is going on.  This is still summer for them and it is not that cold so they are happily stuffing their faces.  I am worried that I cannot see Storm in this photo but he is very small so probably tucked under Iacs’ belly or something. (Update – OH says he saw him on Loki’s dog walk – phew, relief).

Oh yes, and if you have ever wondered how BeAnne gets through the fences…..

Well now you know!

The winter change-over happened today.

Hammy and Indy had to leave for another field miles away as Taktur was coming back to start his training again.  I know in my heart that Indy and Taktur will never live together in peace and harmony.  It is just not going to happen.

So, we put Taktur in the field and, once he had worked out how to go through the gateway (not bright, but achieved after a few attempts). he reacquainted himself with his old herd and, at long last, met The Minions.

This is Haakon’s very cross face.

I am keeping a very close eye on everyone as last seen, before we took Hammy and Indy away, was Taktur chasing The Minions in a rather bullying way….. not good.

But they seem undeterred and I won’t move them out unless I have to.

They have to learn how to behave and perhaps playing “Grandmother’s Footsteps” with a stallion is not the way to make friends.

After putting Hammy and Indy in their new field in Sandness, I went for a quick walk with Jo and Freyja out hunting (sadly Freyja was too fat and so we gave up).

Then home to see how everyone was getting on.

Haakon had a small cut under his eye and taken up with The Minions, which is most unlike him.  He usually doesn’t have any time for them.

My little boys were unhurt and seemed happy enough.

The field is big while they work out their politics and there is always a friend about.

Meanwhile, Taktur was away from the herd pooling on every pile and shouting for his lady but getting no reply.

Like I said, I am keeping a close eye on them all.

Well that’s it.  Summer is officially over and it was a good one.

Daisy, my eldest daughter, is on the boat tonight south to start her last year at St Andrews University (St Snotters) studying Biology.  She has been a real help to me this holidays and we had great times racing our horses, just sitting for hours in the field with the herd and trying to outdo each other with filthy looks or Kath & Kim quotes.

Floss, the younger, left last week for Beijing where she is currently doing her “year abroad” from Oxford University studying Chinese.  Yes, you heard me right – Chinese.  She has been there a week already and the last message I received was “Sitting in a Chinese cafe.  I’ve found they have an affinity for playing hymns. Recognised at least three from school.” – and that made me laugh so I think everything is alright.

I do worry.

It was lovely having the girls home this summer.  We achieved great things like riding together (a first), hugging the Minions and being a complete family.  I think it is only me that can hear that clock ticking now.  They are adults and I have a limited time of them wanting to come home.

Still, I always have their sister and she is never going to leave me!

We went to see Brangelina today – aka my lovely Icelandic mare, Hetja frá Skeiðháholti and stallion, Taktur frá Velli II.  They have been living together since mid-July and are a very happy married couple.

Hetja has perfected her come-hither look…

…. and Taktur is still utterly drop-dead gorgeous.

(I think she has been keeping him up late!)

Daisy was saying her good-byes – Taktur is her black stallion and she hasn’t seen much of him this summer as he was on holiday.  We believe holidays mean a rest from everything and everyone, unless utterly necessary.

Hopefully Hetja is pregnant with her first foal.  Exciting times ahead.

She was in training with Jo and will go back to being ridden until she stops enjoying going out.  She has a tölt, once she gets going, that can only be described as ‘stonking’!  It is amazing.  Jo has done wonders with her.

Taktur looks fabulous now.  He has filled out and looks more grown-up.  Still the same brain and thoughts, just an incredible body!

I think he has missed his people and will be glad to come home to his friends.  I wonder what he will make of The Minions in his field now? I will trust him to be the perfect gentleman until proven otherwise.  If he is horrid, we will re-think the situation.

When we saw him today, he seemed just the same as ever.  He enjoyed his scratch from Daisy.

We are worried about Raw Deal.  She is an old lady now, who was, in her prime, a fantastic  looking Shetland pony.  She won the Royal Highland Show in 1996 – Overall Champion.  Her foals are divine but….. she is losing weight and her coat is dull.

So Jo and I drove up to see everyone in the hill field and to specially look at Raw Deal (or Delia, as we call her).

I took photos of the others while I was there.

This is Delia becoming increasingly greyer.  The photos don’t show that she is losing weight but she is thinner than the others.  We are beginning to suck our teeth.

We brought with us the bucket of teeth rasps and tongue wedge and have a special small sized Shetland pony tooth rasp for just this job.  Jo knows what she is doing – she receives continuous instruction and advice from our qualified equine dentist.

Obviously the girls wanted to help.

Wormer was given afterwards and we shall continue to monitor Delia.   If she looks like she is still losing weight, we will get her over to Jo’s where she can have hard feed during the autumn and see how she fairs then.  She is old and we won’t prolong her life for the sake of it.  Winter is hard here and we would hate her to suffer.

So, see what like in the next few weeks.  It is warm and there is a lot of grass in their hill field at the moment.  If she maintains her weight then fine.  If not, then we will get her home.