And my other big black stallion, I hear you ask?

Well, Taktur is doing brilliantly. He just goes from strength to strength learning and reading situations all the time.

Bjørn is Taktur’s riding trainer and I am Taktur’s on-the-ground trainer.

Bjørn is teaching him his gaits – that is a good walk, trot, tölt and canter.  There may  be pace but we are not sure yet.  He is getting him to engage his back-quarters and Taktur needs more muscle and topline, hence the extra feeding.  Taktur moves naturally very well.  He shows this “willingness” that Icelandic trainers want to see and is essential for a good stallion with potential.

I teach Taktur from the ground.  I work on his manners and his attitude.  He likes me and trusts me which is essential but to be honest, Taktur has a lovely nature so anything I ask of him, he is happy to oblige without an argument.  If there is an argument (a rare thing indeed), he listens, takes it on board, thinks about it and then learns.  I have yet to meet such a nice chap.

He likes routine but he doesn’t pressure you into it.  Instead of loitering with intent for his food by the gate, he just “happens to be in the area”.

I call him, he comes wandering over by himself, having left the herd behind and I open the gate.  He walks through, does a perfect turn on the forehand, while I close the gate. He will then follow me over to his food, waits for permission to begin (sometimes at this point I will put his headcollar on) and eats.

When he has finished, he lifts his head up and lets me clip the rope on or put on a headcollar.  Then he follows me back to his field where I slip him and he wanders off again to find his friends.

I could not ask for more.  There is no barging, no attitude, no anything but peace and perfect manners.  My gorgeous gentleman with exemplary manners. Oh, and by the way, he is only four years old.

(and yes I do chop off everyone’s heads if I can, in a photograph!)

Yesterday we decided on which mares to put Indy out with.

First we collected Indy and drove him 4 miles down the road to Sandness where he screamed and belly-ached that he could smell his girls.

Luckily the trailer is divided into a front and back section. He was in the front so there was nothing he could do when we collected Millhouse Verona en route.

Millhouse Verona is a darling 10 year old mare who is the nicest of our Millhouse mares.  So off she went in the trailer with Indy shouting and we let them out together in a nice small(ish) paddock where they could reacquainted.  Verona has already had three lovely foals out of Indy including the gorgeous Sweetums and the and unforgettable Ermintrude.

So while Verona and Indy got to know each other, Jo and Fiona went off to fetch Threapwood Velvereta.  We thought since losing her foal, it might cheer her up to have another run with Indy this spring.  She always fancies him something rotten and makes it perfectly clear.

Indy was beside himself with happiness. Having lived with the boys for the winter, and not had a sniff of a girl for months, I think he was beginning to think we had forgotten about him and his “needs”.

He danced and pranced about for his laydeeeeeez!

You would’ve thought they would be impressed but no, they just lured him in like Sirens on the beach and then beat him up!

He loved it!  The best day he’s had for ages.  He was covered in mares’ squirt (there is no nice way of putting it, sorry) and he was happy as a pig in clover – look at the face on that!

Everyone has a wonderful sea view of Papa Sound looking over to Papa Stour, not that anyone is going to get much of a chance to stand still to admire it, if you ask me.

I think Indy will take Velvereta’s mind off her stillborn foal.  She did look very pleased to see him.  It was lovely to watch as she trotted enthusiastically into the field.

They were all beginning to get on well by the time I was leaving.

As long as no one sits down on the job, I think they will be fine.

(and lying down is not acceptable either)

Fiona and her kids came round today. Rohan, her eldest lad, had a guitar lesson with my OH and his 12 guitars (aka kindling).  I left them to it, having printed out the chords and tabs for Smells Like Teen Spirit when I heard Rohan play a riff (trendy Mum, me, I know the lingo) so they could have something to practice and work with.

Meanwhile the girls, Amber and Arwen, were put to work brushing and tacking up their noble steeds.

Amber’s noble steed was Iacs, aka Mr Bimble.

Together they bimbled around the school going brilliantly.

There was much concentration from both of them.

I think it was Amber’s first time off the leading rein and Iacs looked after his rider kindly.

And I think you can tell by the big cheesey grin that Amber had fun.

Meanwhile, after a difficult start, we found Arwen’s speciality.  Bearing in mind her mother, Fiona, is her qualified Gymnastics’ coach at Shetland Gymnastics Club, Arwen decided to do some gymnastics on Haakon.  Like I do so often!  This was the basics we first started with.

And then a bit of this (walking, look while walking)

Finishing with this….

Darling Haakon, he was so good and did everything required and Darling Bimble did his very best too.  Both got huge thank-you’s from their riders.  That is the most important bit if you ask me.

Snati watched.  I doubt he could do that but we all know BeAnne would!

I woke up with the mother and father of all migraines so I stayed in bed sleeping, while it rained and rained and rained.

When I woke up, I could see that it has made a huge difference very quickly in both the garden and the surrounding fields.

The grass will now get the kick-start it so desperately needs and grow.  We will then all worry about how fat everyone is getting.

OH’s garden is starting to bloom. I wandered about with my camera just taking the usual weird shots.

It is always lovely to see some colour after such a long dull and boring winter, except for those fab Northern Lights.

BeAnne is back to her usual self, if a little reticent about life in general.

Jo came over with some squeaky toys to cheer the dogs up.  In his youth, Jack loved a squeaky toy and he made it his life’s work to kill the squeak,  He used to be vicious to the point that squeaky toys were banned in our house.  But, today, he wasn’t interested at all.  He did try to be polite, though.

Usually, Jack would’ve ripped the squeak out of it in seconds.  So BeAnne took over because Jack didn’t want it or care.

This is not like Jack. I am worried about him.  If you had asked him if he liked Celt when he was alive, he would’ve said no, he was an old fool who got in the way and in his bed.  But now Celt has gone, Jack has no old fool to hate and he is lost.  I will buy some Zylkene next week and see if that helps otherwise we might lose him too.  I hate seeing Jack like this.  It is not his usual belligerent self where he contentedly loathes the world. He was such a happy Grumpy Old Man.  He even sat at my feet.  He has never done that.  He has daily Rescue Remedy.

And on Monday, I can drive! Woo hoo.  I can get out and about again.  Can’t wait.

All vibes for Jack now, please.  (sorry, you will have run out of vibes soon)

Your thoughts, words and deeds have all been amazing. It has helped to get the last few days into perspective. So, thank you.  A very humble thank you from me.

I woke up this morning with a huge sense of relief with the belief that we had done exactly the right thing. Celt was happy now.

Instantly, however, the pack dynamic has changed hugely.  BeAnne is welded to me or going around without guidance and committing heinous crimes because her mentor (for her entire life) is not here.

Jack is very strange.  He can’t cope at all.  I am not sure what to do about him.  He is a very lost soul.  He, too, is thought to be old but he wasn’t visibly particularly fond of Celt.  Apparently he stood guard over Celt’s body while we did the deed.  Just standing, watching.  I am giving him daily Rescue Remedy and we are making a special fuss of him to try and bring him back into our world.

Anyway today, we moved everyone equine into the big hill park.

I fed Taktur and put him in to rejoin the others.  Instantly Indy wanted a dust-up.

Taktur remained far away from everyone after that.

I have made the decision that Indy can go and join his ladies on Sunday leaving Taktur with the rest of the boys to enjoy a peaceful summer.

Oh yes, and it’s Haakon and Iacs’ birthday today.

Haakon is 19 and Iacs is 18 years old.  They are 1st cousins, I think.  I bought Haakon first for myself.

And then a few years later, we bought Iacs. They recognised each other instantly, which was very sweet.

Happy Birthday boys. xx