I have started Klængur, my Icelandic gelding from Iceland, all over again.  I am treating him as if he has never been backed so that he can forget everything he plays in his head and work from a blank script to turn him into the horse I want and trust.

It is all going well and we are developing a good bond.

He is definitely one of the boys and is relaxed in the herd, who were mooching about outside the house after lunch waiting to be ridden.

My OH arrived back from a morning’s shopping in Lerwick.  Obviously Iacs offered to help.

In fact everyone offered to help.  I was keen to let Klængur investigate the car as these are not his favourite thing, especially going along past him on the road.   Because Taktur was happy nosing about inside, Klængur copied him.

Klængur is fine on the ground, he genuinely likes people and wants to do good but he is a huge worrier.

More helping and I let him take his time.

He remained relaxed and happy.  No one was scared so there was no point in him being scared either.

After removing my stallion from the house, as we often do, Daisy and I decided to go for a ride.  She rode Taktur and I rode Klængur.

We went on a calm relaxed walk/tölt, not very far but concentrated on calmness at all costs.  Two cars went past.  I tried very hard not to hold my breath, and Klængur just waited, as if he was used to this kind of thing, as they overtook.  This is definitely progress for Klængur.

While we were away, I left BeAnne in charge.

Her job was to keep the marauders at bay.

The Minions love toys.  I found an old fishing float that had been lying around the woodpile for years, put a piece of rope through it and gave it to the boys in their field.  They loved it.

Storm swung it around and everyone had a go at picking it up and putting it down.  Hours of entertainment ahead.  I am thinking of buying them a football too.

Then, as Daisy and I had finished riding, we let the lads meet Iacs again.  He is a 13.2hh Icelandic horse, so you can get an idea of scale in the photo below.

Iacs is always a dear gentle boy with others.  He hates hassle and so he made a polite introduction to the intrigued little ones.

There were the usual investigations…..

… that were reciprocated.

Lots of conversations – all respectful and polite.  The Minions “mouth clapped” (is that the right term?) in deference to Iacs’ seniority and probably size.

It is all good experience in Minion manners for when they go out with the big ones later on.

I need to know that these little boys will behave respectfully, know how to communicate with the group, not push and annoy or get harmed because of bad behaviour or ignorance.  They have only really known living with each other for the last 9 months.

The meeting seemed to go smoothly and we will continue to introduce the big boys if they can all promise to be nice.

I went to get my boys back from Sandness.  I have missed them beyond words and even went to visit every day so they didn’t think I had just dumped them, had their bits cut off and then forgotten them (sad, I know!)

Lots of hugs from The Waffle.

Storm nodded off and let me sit beside him while he slept.

Then Waffle annoyed him until he woke and got up (very rude).

Silver was not in a talkative mood at all.  He stayed away, apart from a little chat with Daisy.

Once Storm was up, he wanted to renew his acquaintance with BeAnne.  She endured it for a while, thought he was too overly and eventually lost her rag.

Anyway, there was much playing.  Waffle is still a bit stiff on his back right leg but I think he was put through the mill with this castration thing worse than the others.  Lots of gentle (ish) exercise and he will soon be fine.

Everyone is pleased to see the boys and I can tell they are very happy to be home.  Once Taktur is out with his mare, they can all go in the gelding field and join the big boys, though I will only do this if I think they are ready.  I might put it off a few more months.  We will see.

Anyway, I shall continue their manners training as they were stupid to catch this morning.  I hate that.  It is not rocket science and they have all conveniently forgotten.

I received a message of disaster and subsequent photos from Jo this morning.  So I phoned her and found she was waiting for the vet to come out.  I went over dashing over too.

Buggery bollox.  My poor Hetja.

God alone knows how she did this.  They are all very squirty (in season) and argumentative at the moment so it could’ve been a low flying shoe in an exchange of views.

Ho hum.  Once the vet had been, cleaned, dressed and made Hetja’s leg all green (Vetwrap), Jo and I decided to make their field smaller.  Firstly, to keep the wound dry and out of any boggy bits and secondly because some (no, all) horses are rotund.

So up went the portable electric fence.

We are not huge fans of box rest, to be perfectly honest.  We would prefer Hetja wandered about happy in her mind and letting her leg heal without the complications of standing still for hours on end.  We will see how it goes in the next few days.

Luckily, our vet agreed with our future treatment.

So we will keep a close eye, daily dressings and please send lots of healing vibes.  I am sure they will help my darling Hetja.  Tis a bugger because Taktur, my Icelandic stallion, was due to run with her on Wednesday. We will have to put those plans on hold now.

In an opposite field, The Minions were busy ogling Melinda and Verona, Shetland pony mares who have come down for the summer.

The boys need to be moved quickly mostly because I miss my Minions but typically – no Land Rover (service, MOT and new tyres and a steering wheel thingy that sounds rather important) plus no trailer (flat-tyre).

It never rains, but it pours.

I love foals.

So when Bjørn Roar Larsen of Bergli Stud asked me to come over and photograph his mares and foals yesterday afternoon, I was very happy to oblige.  I love requests like this.

Obviously I took all the “posh/official” photos for their website (to go up later when I am told who is who) but it was the unusual pictures that I liked best – the ones you take when the ponies think your back is turned and no one is looking.

Then Bjørn shouted for his girls and all the miniature mares and their foals came running over.

I think I am in love.  No seriously. I love miniature Shetland ponies.  I can’t think of a job for them but I could hug them all day.

They are just so deliciously cute and so so teensy. I have bigger dogs.

This is my little boy (below).  He is the one we spent all afternoon lying on the ground trying to get him to suck from his mother a few weeks back.

Bjørn and I sat down in the field and the foal came up to me.  You have no idea just how proud I felt of The Shetland Foal Milk Service.  We had achieved and obviously this foal recognised me and loves me most (yer, right!)

This just confirms to me that every foal is important.