I can live with many things.  Some might even say I was a very tolerant and laid-back person, (I can hear my family snorting with disbelief from here). If I thought for one minute that the boys were going to just live happily side by side then I would be content to let them stay in next door fields.

But sadly not.

Ok, I thought, get to know each other and then get back to eating, please.

But they didn’t, did they?

My poor, poor fence and Taktur was obsessed with the little ones.

I went up there to catch either Taktur or Haakon to ride only to find Taktur galloping up and down the fence trying to now jump it.  That really was the last straw.  The colts ran into their little paddock to hide.  They hadn’t actually anticipated the potential arrival of an Icelandic stallion.  Scary stuff.

I can’t let them in together yet.  The colts need to be gelded first or this could happen.

So, I moved the bebbies to a new-to-them field opposite the school.  It has a very effective electric fence and is large enough for them to run around.

The stallion poo-piles might also encourage the appearance of the necessary parts I want to get whipped off!  Two down, one to go.  Just Storm’s to arrive.

So I left the boys exploring.  If it rains and is suddenly cold, I will let them have Duvet Days in their little paddock with the shed.

And as for Taktur.  There are now two fields between him and his disciples so he can bloody well get on with the task of eating.

(Bloody horses.)

I bottled out yesterday (lost my nerve) and kept the bebbies in their small paddock as I didn’t want everyone to meet over the fence in the rain and hear screams in the night…… (yes, my imagination did run riot).

So, this morning, I wanted to ride and the horses couldn’t have been further away if they tried but were settled and stuffing their faces (all the more reason to ride as I don’t want some to get much fatter!)

I brought the bebbies out to be brushed, have feet picked out and do some nice leading.  I thought it would also tempt the big ones down to investigate and save me the long walk.

It didn’t.

So I gave up and let the boys eat the grass down around the house for a few hours, ever hopeful the big guys would come over.

Err, nope.

So, I let the little boys get used to having the dogs around.  I am fed up with the unnecessary chasing.

The babies investigated all they could.

Shall we place bets as to how long it is before someone comes inside? (perhaps when my OH is in Lerwick!)

Meanwhile, the Icelandic horses started to resemble cow creamers.

And the bebbies went one way….

And the Icelandics, the other.

***** sigh ***** I bet they meet tonight and all hell will break loose over the fence.

Maybe, I should bring the bebbies into my house tonight ………..

My exercise regimen at the moment is riding three of the Icelandics.

First I rode Iacs because he looked so miserable yesterday when I had promised and then rushed off.   He was very good and tried his best.

Next was Taktur – who has to Power Walk first on buckle-end of the reins to loosen up and then in a relaxed outline for 20 minutes (10 minutes either direction).  We listen to inspiring 80’s disco songs because they have a good up-tempo walking beat.

And then thirdly, Haakon who was on fabulous form and, having warmed up, tölted round and round the school like a demon (if demons tölt!)

Each had about 20-30 minutes and I felt very worthy afterwards.

I’ve also noticed that this last bale of silage is mostly being ignored.  No one is interested in it and the horses need energy.

So I made the executive decision to let the big lads into the next big green field for grazing.  They were very enthusiastic about my choice.

But, as you can see, its’ boundary is the bebbies’ hill park.

Taktur is very fond of the Bebbies…..

…. as they are of him!

Anyway, I have read Taktur the Riot Act, told him to behave or at least to not lose shoes on the fence or weight by fence walking instead of eating.

One hint, just one hint of shoe-losing, fence-destroying, fence-walking, bloody-mindedness, etc and I will either wire up the whole side (Icelandic horse side) to the mains or move the horses over to a field miles away.  Their choice.

Meanwhile, as it is raining (but warm), I gave the Bebbies, who happened to be hanging around their shed, a large pile of carrots that I threw into the straw.  Hunt the Carrot is a great rainy-day game.  Hours of entertainment.

All I could hear was crunch, munch, crunch, snuffle…..!

So here’s hoping.  It would be nice if they could all live side-by-side in peace and harmony (though, tbh, I am not holding my breath).

This afternoon, I looked at my lot (who knows where is Haakon) and said, right your turn.  With that the phone rang and a friend needed the Shetland Foal Milk Service.  He had a colt foal who had not sucked since he was born this morning.

I threw two carrots at Iacs, who was looking dejected, and rushed off with some Foal-Stim (Red Bull for foals) and The National Foaling Bank Emergency Kit to try and help.

We were faced with this beautiful little chap who just could not get the hang of sucking milk from his mother.  He was going downhill quickly, becoming more and more depressed and not trying.  He had not fed since he was born and it was becoming very obvious that the clock was ticking. So we quickly gave him 1/2 a tube of Foal-Stim, milked the mother for her colostrum and fed him all afternoon by bottle as well as trying to get him to suck from his mum.

He seemed to brighten and become less dehydrated but never sucked from his mum.   He passed meconium and urine, which was a very good sign.  Mum was brilliant.  She didn’t mind us massaging her teats to get her to let down or try and get her dim-witted foal to suckle.  She just stood there, trying to help as much as her instinct let her – but this was her first foal so she was no expert and neither, tbh, are we.  It is a huge learning curve.

After a good few hours of this, Mum lay down to sleep – you could see she was exhausted and so was her babe, but in a good way – he had a full stomach thanks to us, so we left them agreeing to re-group a hour and a half later when more expertise would arrive.

At this stage Jo joined in with a smaller teat for the colostrum bottle and we tried again to get the foal to latch on.  No success but he was more alert at really trying at this stage.  Eventually, he did it!  Yay and phew all at the same time.

I hope this miniature Shetland foal is ok because he is seriously cute and now wiffles if he sees me!  Jo says I can’t keep him even though he doesn’t belong to me.

(I think BeAnne weighs more than him and Loki is certainly bigger).)

Please send “sucking” vibes to him and hopefully he will get the hang of this milk thing.

A morning spent brushing the Bebbies (what is the next stage? – I refuse to call them Tweenies as they are yearlings now).

I went into their field armed with my bucket of head collars, ropes, grooming equipment, a hat and a camera.  I have come to the conclusion that is easier to go to them, than to make them come with me to the indoor school.

They liked my bucket of “toys” and so I quickly rescued my camera.

My hat was duly taken away to be investigated thoroughly.

The boys are like children.  They love playing with toys.  This rubber tyre was originally for keeping feed buckets upright – I have long given up that idea.  It makes a splendid thing to be bitten, stood on or in.

So I brushed out lots of winter woolly fur, put it into separate bags and then we had a lovely time in the beautiful Shetland spring sun, all together.  I was randomly taking photos of noses.

I had a great idea to take some “selfies” with my boys.  I am not very good at this and, to be perfectly honest, I think we were all having the same “bad hair day”!  I should’ve thought this through and prepared myself by actually brushing my hair first (ok, and the double chins and I need to do my roots too – depressed muchly!)

BeAnne was not impressed with any of us (read very jealous) but I think it is nice to regularly chat with the bebbies.  They are very tame now.