Hello everyone.  Did you miss me?

Well, after a few adventures, I am now back in my beloved Shetland.

The trip south was fairly uneventful.  I saw my parents for five days and then went to Oxford for the weekend to stay with my daughter who is in her second term (they call this one Hilary).  Oxford is beautiful and I enjoyed taking photos and bringing my credit card to its knees sobbing with exhaustion.  Suffice it to say WE SHOPPED!

I realise I should’ve been writing this blog by Monday telling you tales of how the bebbies et al were getting on but I had an enforced excursion to hospital.

Just before my return north, I was struck down with some southern plague and had to crawl home via every lavatory from Oxford – Heathrow – Aberdeen – Shetland.  I was not well by this time and ended up as a guest of the NHS these past three days.

Anywho, everything is getting back to normal now and I will recuperate fully.  Jo still has the bebbies living with her and, from what I can see on Facebook, they seem to be coming out of themselves and have more energy, even bucking.  They are often found lying down asleep in their stable or  “helping” everyone with any task.  Some might call it “getting in the way”.

So tomorrow I fully intend to go over and snog some little noseys.  I will report back.

(here are my Oxford photos)

Off tomorrow at the crack of sparrows, so I went over to check that Jo was looking after my bebbies properly.

I found the colts outside having a breath of fresh air in a small paddock behind her old croft house.  It is fairly well sheltered and the grass hasn’t been eaten for a while.  They were out not  so much for the nutrition but to let them stretch their wobbly legs, breathe some fresh air and allow their coats to fluff up a bit naturally.

I took a short film.

And with that the heavens started to threaten so we caught them all up and I led them, feeling like Miss Lovelace, the Trumpton milliner with her trio of Pekingese dogs (Mitzi, Daphne and Lulu), back to their stable.

The lads trundled very slowly inside, still wobbly and unsure and they were given some chopped up apple for elevenses.

The wind has fluffed up their fur nicely but they remain in themselves subdued and shut down.

I am worried about their urine.  They pee in very small amounts and it is still an opaque yellow.  I hope their kidneys are not damaged.

Sitting for a while with them, while Jo went to look for BeAnne who had vanished (she was found in the chicken shed eating scraps), the ponies remained aloof and cautious of me.  I gave them all a snuggle and kiss goodbye. We talked about the “what if” scenario and I trust Jo to make the right decision immediately, no questions, no suffering.

Anyway, I told my bebbies that I expected them all to be here upon my return and I trust they listened.

Daily updates will be on the Thordale Stud Facebook page and I will try to post them as well if I am able.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thordale-Shetland-Stud/158532937506465?ref=ts&fref=ts

OH fed them this morning at 09.00.  Everyone was standing up and fine.  I went in at 10.30 to find Torbjørn cast.  He was lying with his legs up against the wall and his head at right angles to his body.  He looked like his neck was broken, his eyes were shut and he wasn’t moving at all.  Feeling sick with fear, I rolled him over onto his legs and belly, he immediately opened his eyes, stood up, gave himself a shake and wandered off for some food.

So that was a terrible shock.  I was shaking with relief.  Only with me a few days and I totally adore my bebbie boys.

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Jo came over this afternoon.  She wanted to steal my bebbies away from me!

I threatened to chain myself to their shed, but it did no good.  They have to go because I am going south on Monday for a week.  The bebbies need constant attention and I won’t be there. I can’t expect my OH to look to them constantly.  As there was a lull in the weather today, Jo had to come over immediately (*** sulk ***).

I packed their spotted hankies, put the rest in the back of the car – special bowls, foal milk powder, mineral lick, etc…. Gave strict instructions on how to chop the apples properly, etc.

We caught the lads easily, put on head collars and led them into the trailer.

The loaded like pros.

And off she drove. (**** sniff ****)

So I decided to follow to supervise (or annoy).  This is their new bedroom.

Whilst being unloaded, the Icelandic horses came up to have a look.  It was very funny watching them trying to introduce themselves to these tiny ponies.

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Then we put them all in their new stable, which I will grudgingly admit is very nice, airy and spacious.

You can see just how thin they are, poor little loves.  Yes, that is his back bone.

I have been doing a little brushing.  I don’t want to annoy them but it needs to be done.  They need their fluff back before they can ever go outside.  Storm, the smallest of the three, the black and white one, has had the skitters (diarrhoea) and the underside of his tail, the dock, is bald from the hard crusts of shit that remain on his tail.  He hates me trying to clean it so we slathered Sudocream on the bald bit and Jo will work away at it slowly over the next few days.

The boys are very subdued still and I sit with them often.  They are very wobbly and weak on their back legs too.  BeAnne sits with me.  They are curious about her and she is very good, never reacting and tolerating their sniffs.  She knows that she can’t nip or bark so she doesn’t.  I am very proud of her.

I mucked out this morning accompanied by three little snuffly noses that got in the way, trod on and then sniffed everything, while insisting they were helping.

After mucking out and feeding Taktur, I drove over to the feed merchant to buy hay to eat, straw for bedding, Mare & Foal mix plus a bucket of minerals specifically made up for Shetland ponies.

The regular feeds are going down well and everyone piles in while sharing beautifully.  There is no arguing.  They are all very close friends.  Well, going through hell together tends to bring you all closer.

The mineral lick bucket was ignored at first and I was worried that no one would know what it was and so ignore it.

We have rigged up a better doorway and it is much more sturdy.

I popped over this afternoon after their lunch to find they had been lying down.  The bebbies are very pleased to see me now and the little white one, Storm, whinnies when he sees me.  It is probably because I am usually bearing some kind of food.

I brought with me a thinly sliced apple to see if they would like it.  The black one, TorBjorn and Storm (white one) ate it while Silver (edit: Chestnut going grey) ignored it.

I sat on the clean straw, letting them come up to me and get to know me.  It was lovely being investigated.  The smell of the clean straw and hay, the gentle sound of them eating and snuffling around me while I stroked them, the lovely smelling noseys which I got to kiss – it was the perfect way to spend a winter’s afternoon.

After that, they went back the important business of eating and ignored me.

I was pleased to see them investigate and enjoy the mineral lick.

Tomorrow I might try them out on thinly sliced carrots too.

I think I am in love!  It is the neighing when they see me that makes me go ahhhh!