Daisy is home from university (St Snotwort’s) for the summer holidays – yay!

Taktur, her stallion, was very pleased to her. We have agreed to share him between us.  I get his bottom and his left nostril and ear to kiss.  Daisy gets the rest.  That is a fair deal, I think.

BeAnne rode her horse for her.

Taktur and I had our regular work-out with our dynamic speed-walk to create some muscle.  It is all about stretching and speed.

BeAnne ZZZZZzzzzzz ed …… as did Iacs.

Then Daisy rode her Iacs.

He was so happy. and attempted his new-found tölt (though minimal) for her.  It will need work but she is up for the challenge.

Then I rode Haakon and Daisy took photos of us.  I seem to have “bitchy resting face” while Haakon is doing his very best. Ok, ok, we are never going to set the world on fire with our tölt but it is comfortable and has a good rhythm.

Next Daisy rode Bjørn’s Kappi round the school.  Kappi and Daisy are good friends from last summer.

As if not exhausted already (apparently she got up to come home at 05:00).  I dragged Daisy off to see the Bebbies and noted, en route, that the orchids are starting.  This heralds the beginning of summer for me.

The Bebbies were pleased to renew their acquaintance with Daisy.

Although utterly revolting from the last two days of constant rain, they managed to be in good spirits and happy to kill each other.

Tomorrow, we are going to attempt to brush them. To be honest, I dread it.  They look repulsive.

Tomorrow I am off to Aberdeen for an MRI of my pelvis (gynaecological) and spine (lumbar and sacral).  Hey ho.  It takes an hour.  I hope I don’t move.

Anywho, I wanted give myself some relaxing thoughts to take with me.  These photos were taken on Monday when it was hot, hot, hot in Shetland.

BeAnne was very hot so I took her swimming in our stream that runs through all our fields.

She was very enthusiastic and dived in after every stick I threw.  Not an easy task as there are few trees here.  So I threw in rotten pieces of redundant fence posts.

BeAnne loves swimming but I worry that she might take herself down to the stream without me knowing.  Supervised swimming is the only way.

Anyway, afterwards, the Vision of Canine Beauty and I went back up the hill to lie outside absorbing essential Vitamin D.

I lay in front of the house.  The Icelandic horses were about, eating and generally chilling around me.

There was the odd snuffle and wet nose investigating my comatose self but I felt safe and happy that there would be no low-flying hooves or teeth.  I trust my herd.

Just smiles and snuffles.  Perfect bliss.

I was thoroughly investigated by everyone and then mostly left alone.  Some returned but, while the grass is newly green, it held a bigger draw.

Suddenly, I heard a thud, tinkle, thud.  I got up to see Taktur had managed to fit into the world’s oldest knackered goat/chicken shed.  It is tiny but he was in there.

How?  I don’t know.  Perhaps he reversed into it.  He was very happy.

I suggested he came out but, nah.  That was not going to happen.

So I gave up and went back to my sunbathing.  Taktur’s problem.  He put himself there, he could get himself out.

It was fine, Taktur emerged a few minutes later to eat the grass I happened to by lying on.

Peace, perfect peace.

The omens were good.  The Frilly was looking perky!

So, after Jo had shod Iacs for Daisy (who is home for the summer on Friday, yay!), we set off for the beach for a good cob-web blasting.

Iacs was not sure about the waves (more like ripples) touching his feet and did his best not to get even slightly wet.  So much for galloping through the surf.

Sadly, we had to put up with just enjoying the scenery and tölting along the beach having the best time.

I have been working hard with Iacs these past few days and somehow, somewhere he has dug deep and found a secret trotty tölt that has been lying buried in the dark recesses of his pea-like brain for the last 19 years.

He is also much more forward-going now.

Poor Daisy – no more slobbing along at the back for her.

As we passed the boys (Hammy, Indy, Andy and Charlie), I said “oh dear, we seem to have black silage wrap in the fence.”

Jo assured me that the black silage wrap was actually my multi prize-winning Shetland stallion, Millhouse Independant.

So around the village we tölted admiring the view and enjoying the sun.

The kids at the local primary school were having playtime and begged us to bring the horses up to stroke.  We stopped for a chat and they admired our noble steeds.

Once home, the boys were untacked and plonked in the stable while we had a cup of tea and then I took them back home.

Definitely more beach rides, methinks, once Daisy is back.  I’m still sitting here with a silly grin about Iacs’ tölt!

I was told that horses cannot live in a garden – oh yes they can!  This is my OH’s sacred vegetable garden that he has given up on due to the vagaries of the Shetland growing season as well as the non-appearance of everything he planted one year.

Therefore, there is grass and I have some hungry horses.

I think equines suit the garden.  Much better than vegetables or flowers, if you ask me.

Having eaten down the veg plot, the horses all arrived, en masse, looking for something or someone.

To keep Her Maj out of any low-flying hooves or noseys, I plonked her on the back of Iacs.  She likes Iacs best.  He is used to being her chauffeur.

Captions needed for this photo, I think!

If  anyone takes the piss, she “has at them” fiercely.  BeAnne takes her riding very seriously, and rightly so.  Not everyone can ride, you know.

Haakon was officially told where to go and he didn’t care.  Been there, done that.

BeAnne settled herself down to a nice snooze on her favourite horse.  Daisy (who owns and rides Iacs) is now redundant.  He has a better jockey now.

Into the indoor school I go with a horse to work with.  I have followers who are not here to help but to mock.

BeAnne has jumped off Iacs, so I plonk her on Fakur who just looks, as usual, very, very embarrassed.

And off they go.  BeAnne has sat on Fakur since she was a puppy but he still is not sure of what he is supposed to do.

But BeAnne is not deterred by movement.  She rides better than most people I know.

(and, yes, she can even do a passable sitting trot)

I love foals.  I do.  I miss the fact that we are not having any (Velvereta and her foal died a few weeks’ back and Verona shows absolutely no sign of looking pregnant).

I was asked to take photos for a Bergli Shetland Pony Stud and there were such nice little bebbies about – both standards and miniatures.

This was the home of the one that we spent hours trying to get to suck a few days’ ago – he is now doing very well.

(I see him as “my little boy”.  So proud – sniff!  He is still lovely).

Look, look drinking!.  He’s got the plot.  At last.   Phew.

The others were enchanting.  All being fairly new, none of the foals were particularly friendly or curious to meet us.  In a few more weeks, I expect we will be climbed over.

Darling, darling little peoples.  Some were more inquisitive than others.  This gorgeous colt had the most beautiful head and eyes.

His movement also took my breath away.  I liked him very much.

I am lucky.  At least these foals are next door and I can spend time with them if I need a quick foal-fix.  Imagine living somewhere where there are no Shetland pony foals?  No, I don’t want to.  That would be my idea of hell.

And, of course, I have my own roly-poly thugs to keep me entertained.