It has been a dreich day.  Dark and dismal.  We are all feeling a bit meh or mediocre.  Probably a virus or something.  Nothing we can put our finger on and not something we are shaking off.

I still went for my walk this afternoon.  Daisy rode Iacs and came too.  It was raining so afterwards, I divested myself of my wet clothes and BeAnne and I went to bed for a bit with the electric blanket.

I could’ve stayed there forever.

Hopefully tomorrow will be better.  The rain is meant to stop and we can do some proper horsey things.  Sometimes everything is just too soggy to touch.

(sorry a short one – but I hope I have made up for it with nice expressive photos)

This is Iacs before his amazing transformation.  Fat, wet and scruffy.

I gave Daisy, for Christmas, a leather headcollar, a personalised leather girth and a pair of  stirrup leathers.  All made by Jo – http://www.journeyman-leather.co.uk/. They are for Daisy’s Icelandic horse – Iacs or Mr Bimble as he is affectionately known.

Bimble was not too impressed to start with.  He looked like a small boy grudgingly trying on school uniform.

But once the silly-frilly was bouffed up a bit and he was made a fuss of…..

…. Iacs managed to summon up some enthusiasm for his new bespoke gifts.

Daisy and I even imagined that he looked somewhat thinner and more regal in his new headcollar.  The power of the headcollar!  Tis obviously majikul.

The stirrups were re-fitted with the new leathers and attached to the saddle again in the correct fashion.

Earlier, I pointed out that the girth had a little message on it…..

Daisy’s response – “Thank you so much for my new girth (even if it is for fat bastards), my new stirrup leathers which means I now have even feet (and initialed so certain people, Frances Taylor, can’t steal them!). Iacs looks very nice in his new headcollar, perked up and looked like a proper show pony. 

Fat bastard girth can be available on loan for other fat bastard horses. As they are not few and far between for us.”

We went for a lovely Boxing Day ride with more weather looming.  I spent most of the ride trying to work out what DT stood for – Dog Turds, Dirty Tribbles, Dunking Tables!  It was a superb ride.  Iacs was positively animated – this, again, was the power of the new girth with added equal stirrups!

I don’t know where Daisy thinks these other Fat Bastards are, though.  News to me.

Day 1 – Four ponies drinking – that would be Eggwubby, Rody, Nick and Fraser after the Tim Flach photoshoot.

Day 2 – Bozz-Bozz, of course!

Day 3 – Zoot running this summer

Day 4 – I think that is Velia and her son, Apollo

Day 5 – Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis or Merrie Dancers as they are known here.

Day 6 – Bozz Bozz rolling in the indoor school.

Day 7 – Indy looking incredibly, well, errr…. gorgeous?

Day 8 – Fivla or Whiffy Chicken’s eye close-up

Day 9 – Indy PingPong dancing for his laydeeez

Day 10 – Viola, a lovely old mare we had with the best mane.  She had terrible arthritis so we did the decent thing.  I miss her.

Day 11 – Muppet Chess – from the left Spring, Andy and Fraser!

Day 12 – Velvereta and Indy introducing themselves.  The result was Hamish!

Day 13 – Logo in the snow

Day 14 – Nick, Eggwub and Floyd in the snow.

Day 15 – Phyllis laughing

Day 16 – Erebus introducing himself to his father, Indy

Day 17 – Vitamin sitting down. This was the day she sat beside me 3 months after her 2nd foal had died.  I knew then that everything was alright.  She had been grieving terribly.

Day 18 – 3 foals – Hamish, Dougal and Ermintrude (can you see a Magic Roundabout theme here?)

Day 19 – Melinda grazing

Day 20 – Muppets – Rody and Fraser

Day 21 – Indy looking magnificent (front cover of the SPSBS magazine)

Day 22 – Kiki running

Day 23 – Indy and his harem, Gem and Melinda and the back end of Velia

Day 24 – Fivla and Vitamin in their Fair Isle sweaters that hit the media at the beginning of this year.

I hope you enjoyed the Advent Calendar. xx

Inspired by the Shetland ponies in sweaters, my clever friend, Outi Kater designed and made a beautiful jacket for BeAnne.  We tried it on BeAnne but decided it looked much better on Jack and he loved it.  A jacket of his very own.

Jack took to his new modelling career like a Patterdale terrier to a rabbit hole. Floss and I decided to do the photoshoot for Outi on his daily walk.  This pattern will be for sale and Outi needs some pictures to show just how beautiful it is.  So Jack was given the modelling job and he set off with a spring in his step and a song in his fart.   He was so happy.

I think he made this jacket his and no one else’s even if Her Maj sulked at the lack of attention afterwards (that is her resentment face in case you hadn’t realised).  Muchos resentment.  She may well put herself up for adoption as no one loves her now.   Worms for supper tonight, probably at the bottom of the garden too, I think.

Anyway, here are the rest of the photos from the shoot and Jack will be renamed “Blue Steel” from now on as that is his look!  I think you will agree he made a superb model – really made the job his own.  There was even almost-running, which he never does.

Outi is very clever.  Her knitwear is amazing –  Ravelry webpage is here – http://www.ravelry.com/designers/outi-kater – and the Jack’s Jacket will be put up shortly in a variety of sizes and you can knit it yourself for your own loved one.

Jo, with her Farrier Hat on, popped round this morning and put new shoes on Iacs for Daisy, who is home for the holidays.  Iacs struggles without his shoes when we go out for a ride on the road and this will make all the difference to him.

I asked Daisy to bring Klængur in too as I wanted Jo to just check on his progress.  Poor lad was hopping lame again. He could barely walk and we wondered whether he had hurt something far more serious.  A quick dig on the other hoof, which was hot, and Jo found another very tender spot.  She excavated a bit – there was as ominous stench .  Once cleaned out, the hoof was packed with cotton wool dipped in Oxytetracycline blue spray.

I felt very sorry for poor Klængur.  He could barely walk so, to help,  I gave him a Danilon in some food.  He wolfed it down.

Meanwhile, Iacs looked on outraged and disappointed.  He couldn’t believe that he was getting no food, despite having his feet done too.

Daisy had to give him a consolatory carrot to make up for being so remiss.  It was a token gesture and Iacs’ grief was not assuaged.

Jo brought her dogs, Snati (collie pup) and Beeble (black labradog) with her and everyone played lovely games for a while.  The indoor school is so useful for everyone.

After Klængur was returned to the field, Daisy brought in and tacked up Haakon for me.  I rode him round the school for the first time in ages  I even attempted a few short runs of tölt.  This is something we are both going to have to work on.  I am enjoying riding so much.