After riding this morning, I popped over to Sandness to visit The Minions and see how they were getting on as it is Day 1 post-op.  They were feeling understandably a bit sore.

The first thing that struck me (not literally!) was the sense of peace and calm in their field.

It was wonderful.  I sat down and enjoyed the newly acquired serenity.

Everyone was pleased to see me. I had forgotten to bring carrots but they individually came up to talk.  Waffle wanted lots of hugs, while Storm asked for his bottom to be scratched.  Silver sniffed my hands and let me stroke his velvet nosey.

You could see that they were walking very carefully and struggled a little to go up the hills in their field.

It won’t do the Minions any harm to slow down for a few days just let their wounds heal up.  We are lucky in Shetland because, as the wind almost constantly blows, the healing will not attract flies.

Poor little Storm has a sunburned nosey too just to add insult to injury.

Anyway, the ordeal is over and I am very  glad the Minions are still talking to me.  They can come home when they are a bit brighter.  Everyone misses them.  I keep looking out of the window to see where they are in the field.

(I don’t think the Icelandic horses miss them at all!)

The Minions had no idea what was in store for them when they came up to us this morning.

We put them in the pre-op stable and waited for the vet to arrive.

The first contestant was Silver.  He was given pre-med sedation.

The sterile instruments were all out and ready.

Silver was put under general anaesthetic.

Both testicles were easily located and removed.

While Silver was asleep, Jo went in with the clippers to remove his matted fur (the cloth is over his eyes to keep the light out and to protect them).

Once Silver came round, we led him into the post-op stable to recover.

Next up was Storm.

The same procedure again.  Jim, the vet commented that he could see fat around the tubes, so that was encouraging on the weight-front.

Next Jo and her clippers.  Storm was not so badly matted but these were the stubborn tats that would not be pulled off.

And then Storm was into post-op to get his land-legs back.

Last up was Waffle.  He had been sedated earlier and was very woozy.

His anti-social parts were taken away.

During the operation, he started to wriggle, so Daisy kept him safe and quiet.

Jo nipped in, while there was still time with her clippers.

Once up on his legs, Waffle was put into the post-op stable to join the other two.

The Minions will go back into their field in a few hours.  They all pee’ed and seemed to perk up by the minute.

We will go over and see them tomorrow with carrots and hugs.  I was proud of them all – they did very well.  Jim commented on how easy it was as they were all very well behaved (so proud!)  He said they looked good, well-rounded and healthy.

So that is one job done.  I must say I am very relieved.

The Minions are over at Jo’s for a few weeks so Daisy and I went to see them with carrots.  They were very pleased to see us, or the carrots.  Personally I think it was the carrots.

Tomorrow, the boys will be castrated by our vet.  While they are under anaesthetic, we are going to clip the rest of their tats off and get them ready for a stress-free summer.  They hate having their tats pulled off so it makes sense to do it while they are asleep.

Storm’s are under his belly, between his legs and his ears need a good seeing-to.

Silver is matted and he is beginning to stop talking to folk as all they do is pull his fur off, which he hates.  I know he will be grateful to wake up to find it all gone (perhaps not his balls, though!)

Waffle is in dire need of a good clip.  He gets very hot in the summer sun and he hates it.  He is always grateful to be groomed but a once-over clip will take the whole lot away.

They are still my dear little boys, though and Jo was sighing in exasperation when we popped by.  Apparently she had spent some time untangling them from the electric fence (not switched on) which they were determined to wear.

They are still very cheeky and very photogenic.

Daisy and I are missing them but they will be back soon and then be able to be introduced into polite society.  At the moment, this is impossible for obvious reasons!

A little known fact, The Minions are smaller than your average docken plant (or dock).

It feels like Gulliver’s Travels sometimes.

Moose (Right) is very helpful, just like her Dad, Indy PingPong (aka Millhouse Independant, and yes it is spelled that way and yes we do know it is wrong and no it was not us that named him).

She is probably bomb-proof.

….. back-end

….. front end.

Moose is a chunky lass considering she is only a yearling filly.

She likes people very much.

Very, very much.

Very, very, very much.

Very, very, very, very much.

Very, very, very, very, very much.

Although she couldn’t eat a whole one (human, that is!)

Moose will follow you anywhere and all the time.

Always there is The Moose. Never far away, just in case you need her services. She will always offer to assist in any way with leading or rope holding.   She is good like that.

She has been lightly backed.

And is not phased by other ponies.

She will always be by your side.

And she will always be waiting for you.

Our own dear little Moose or Zoot as she was formerly known!