Tag Archives: Icelandic horses

All Bare Nekkid

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I don’t think Tiddles is talking to me anymore. I took off his rug mostly because the storm is finally over and therefore he didn’t need it.

He was very unimpressed and walked off in a huff.  I hope he will be back chatting to me tomorrow.

I tell myself that Tiddles is no longer the ill little pony of last year. He is fat, fit and fine.

After that, I off-roaded over the hill with Pepper in the Eggbox (Jimny) to Clothie, where the old folk currently live.

And, again, I took off all their rugs.  I wanted the horses and ponies to feel the sunshine on their backs. I think that is very important.  Rugs are very useful when needed but then so is sunshine.

Like Tiddles, Fivla was severely dischuffed with this idea.  Vitamin just got on with her job of eating while Fivvie sulked by the gable-end.

So that’s everyone now “bare nekkid” and I hope they all enjoy the respite from the recent vicious winter weather.

Later, after making another hand-felted Shetland sheep…..

….. Pepper brought the sheep home (I love this photo).

And I saw that the old folk were up the top of the hill on the skyline, eating (and I can tell you that is quite some hill to climb – ie, not one I do willingly so it is good to know everyone is getting some exercise too, in their old age).

Perfect.

That Wee Shed

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That wee shed is proving very popular at the moment.

I think it is because I hung the salt lick in there.  ‘Bert loves a salt lick and always makes a point of stopping off to get his ration.

Today the sheep didn’t want to go out into their field because the weather was filthy.  That was all except for Dahlia.  I went to ask her if she wanted to join the others but she said she was fine with the ponies.  It was then that I noticed that someone else had taken up residence in the wee shed.  This is the first time I’ve seen a pony in there since they moved fields.

Newt had decided to install himself.  This was Newt’s Wee Shed.

Outside it was raging – a good Force 11 and everyone else (Tiddles) had to be make themselves content with using the high walls for shelter.

So, does anyone need a bouncer for their Halloween Party?  Newt will be available.  Reasonable rates too.  You can almost hear Newt saying “If your name’s not down, you’re not coming in!”

(just look at those short little hairy legs – oof!)

(And why don’t you let the old ones inside, I hear you ask?  Because they wouldn’t go even if I told them, is my reply)

 

Ok, So Far….

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I went out this morning with my buckets an hour late according to Newt who was tapping at his watch in a meaningful way.

The Shetland ponies in this field were all fine.  Tiddles was nice and dry in his little “dressing gown”.  He told me it was not coming off until next June.

And, as the sun rose, I could see it was going to be a nice day.

There was a lull in the storm.

In the other field, where all the old horses and ponies live, it was a different matter.  Everyone’s rugs were dry except for Haakon – his one was soaked through which made him miserable and tired.  I could see that.  So they had their breakfast and I took Haakon’s rug off to give him the day to dry out.  I carried it home so I could see why Haakon was so unhappy – it weighed a ton.

I scoured the internet, sold a kidney and bought Haakon (and Kolka because her rug is the twin of his and, although adequate, it’s not great) and Kolka a Rambo high-neck 0g rug each.  I like the Rambo brand because the ones I already have (Fivla, Vitamin, Iacs and Tiddles’) were bone dry inside after last night’s hellery.

We are due more appalling weather on Monday night for 24 hours, so I ended up putting Haakon’s heavier rug on for the time-being.  Again, a Rambo so I trust it will keep him warm and dry.

Anyway, Iacs was nice and dry (and perky).

And the girls were all happy too.

Kolka’s rug will have to do for the time being.  If it is wet tomorrow, she will have her heavier rug on instead.

I hate rugs that fail to be actually waterproof. I consider it very disappointing. Live and learn.

 

 

 

Ready for the Next One

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The rugs are not coming off for the time being and I hear no complaints from anyone.

We have another storm coming tonight – Storm Boelo, I think.

And then another storm on Sunday and possibly for what feels like the foreseeable future.  I think it is going to be coarse for the next few weeks now.  Tuesday looks like an eternal nightmare.

Luckily, there is a bit of a lull each morning so hopefully I will get out to check everyone and feed them their breakfast.   After that, it is every man, horse, and sheep for themselves.

This lot (the aged) have lots of shelter available so they can find the safest place to stand.  I have deliberately not brought them home to stand in the shed as it can get scarily noisy and very loud inside.  They hate that and become agitated, which can lead swiftly to colic and worse.

Everyone knows what to do in a storm – they have heaps of long grass, high walls to stand by and a very good built-in survival instinct.

I just hope the rugs don’t blow off – the green ones have leg straps and the blue ones have tail straps.  They seem pretty fixed on.

At lunchtime, I popped a rug onto Tiddles too because it is going to suddenly get very cold and what with his EMS, he is not very good at temperature regulation.  The sheep are home and they will also do their own thing.

So that’s us. Wish us luck (again).  If you don’t hear from me, it probably means the electricity went.

I hope not, though because that would be a bit much.

Flooding

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Dahlia had the right idea today when she asked if she could come inside.  Sadly I had to say no, because apparently sheep can’t live in our house.

Pepper also had the right idea. The fire was on, again apparently, and I felt nothing.  Not a joule.

So I made myself a nice cup of tea and ate my statutory two Tunnock’s, as is my right and felt much better.

I am glad I put the rugs on the old horses and ponies because we have had a huge quantity of rain all day.  All the bottom fields are flooded but luckily no one is living there so apart from the electric fence, nothing should be too damaged.  I will do a fence check once all the water has subsided.

I fear for the old bridge, though. It will have taken quite a battering.  I don’t think I have seen water this high before but never gets over the top of the bridge. Even so, it is pretty impressive.

The sheep are all mooching about looking for any food opportunity, especially the duck food.  We have had words.

The old horses and ponies, in their rugs, are happy enough eating on the hill of their field.  I have sewn extra tape into the tail flaps of their rugs to keep them on better in a high wind.  It is good to see everyone totally ignore the weather.  It means they are all fine. So I shall stop worrying about them.

Ditto for the little boys who are grazing next to their shed, which remains empty so obviousy no one needs it. I haven’t put a rug on Tiddles as he is fat now and there is plenty of grass.

So that’s us braving the filthy weather.  Coats and waterproof trousers are festooned around the kitchen, dripping water onto the floor.  The shape of things to come this winter.  Lerwick is flooded, apparently.