Tag Archives: Icelandic horses

Shed Blocking

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Breakfast this morning involved all the big ones outside the wee shed…..

….. while Fivla and Vitamin had taken up residence so I put their buckets in with them and they shared their space nicely, like two best friends.

Collecting the empty buckets later, I could see no one intended to leave.  Fair enough, I thought. You’ve made your choices.

That was until Kolka barged in.  She wanted the salt-lick that hangs just beside the door frame.

And so Floss and I finished up the morning chores, put the sheep out and went inside to have our well-deserved breakfas.  Animals before people is the motto here.

We were on our way out to go to my Saturday morning volunteer job at Transition Turriefield, when I noticed Haakon and Iacs standing around by themselves looking unmotivated and directionless.

So their leader, Kolka, was still in the wee shed then.

And so were Fivla and Vitamin who were looking a bit unimpressed and blocked in.

I went into the shed and told Kolka to leave, there were two old men who needed her guidance and direction.

Kolka understood her mission and left.

She knew that if she didn’t then Haakon and Iacs would still be standing by the gate wondering what to do next for the rest of the day.  They really would.

Eventually Fivla and Vitamin left the wee shed too, now that their way wasn’t blocked.  So all good but honestly it is Kolka who is the boss here but sometimes she can’t decide who to boss first.

Summer Was Brief

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The rain clouds were coming in thick and fast this morning and by lunchtime it was pouring down.

Obviously there is the world’s smallest shed for everyone to pile into but of course this lot only live in there when the weather is lovely.  Haakon and Iacs rarely go in.  It is mostly the girls’ domain.  Today I found Fivla had ownership.  She strategically blocked the door while she ate her breakfast.

After making another white sheep – this year’s must-have-from-Lerwick apparently, I went out into the rain to feed ducks/hens and put out haynets.  I decided to split each haynet in half and hang out four in the container instead of the usual two in the hayboxes outsid)..

It is neither cold or windy, which is good.  The ponies will come and go and do what they want.  It’s not up to me to make their decisions.

I found the sheep all piled into the wee shed waiting to come home.  Apparently they melt in the rain, according to Lambie.  I was closing up when I turned around to find Dahlia with me pleading hunger.  I gave her a secret bowl of food because she asked so politely.

Lambie had already gone to bed.  Of course he had.

Some of the others joined him. So that’s us, listening to the rain outside and thinking summer was brief but nice.

An Indian Summer

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I’m running late today with writing the blog. Apologies, but I was talking to two friends overseas – (they know who they are but it’s my fault for not being more organised).

Anywho, today was another beautiful day and it was my turn to walk the dogs. I took them out and visited the old horses and ponies. We call days like these “an Indian Summer”.

Fivla didn’t want to talk to me mostly because I had told her to leave her wee shed and go out and enjoy the day.  She grudgingly left, probably muttering but she had been inside for a good 3 hours first.  You have to make the most of days like these now.

Vitamin was already out and about and enjoying the autumn sunshine.

She came up for a chat and I admired her always gorgeous “teddy-bear ears”.

There’s still lots of grass and everyone was making the most of it.

Vitamin is looking nice and round, storing fat ready for the winter onslaught.

I don’t want Fivla to get any fatter and I told her this which added to her grump.

This lot will probably stay in this big field for another month or so, and then the little Shetland ponies will go in for winter because it will already be nicely grazed down.

The old Icelandic horses were further along in the field.  Again, they are all looking good now.

And everyone’s winter coats are starting to come in too.

Not going to lie, I am dreading winter.

Going Out

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There was a weird eerie light this morning, when I went to fetch the buckets in to wash before putting them away.

The “big” horses had let themselves out and looked very picturesque in front of Stourbrough Hill capped with low cloud.

(173-metre summit located at the center of the Walls Peninsula)

The sheep were also meandering their way out of the paddock and into the big field.

They remain wary of the horses for absolutely no reason.  Shetland ponies, well yes, I can understand, but not the horses.  They’re no bother to anyone.

All the sheep held their collective breath and went past the totally ignoring horses with their eyes closed.

“Don’t notice me, don’t notice me, don’t notice me” I am sure I could hear.

For some reason known only to herself, Dahlia had been left behind.  She soon caught up, though.

Meanwhile, in the wee paddock with the wee shed, Vitamin was busy offering a washing-up service on all buckets.

“No food too small” is her motto.

She did a very thorough job.

And I told her so.  Well done and thank you, Vitamoobag. You’ve saved me a job.

Fivla had just vacated the shed and was doing her own thing – more eating then.

And apparently I have still yet to be forgiven for being disappointed with Pepper.

Damned Midges

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Today was bad, very bad.

Outside was thick with midges because there is no wind, not even a slight breeze anywhere. We all wore full anti-midge gear.  No bare skin anywhere.

Some of the sheep went into their field but the oldest three – Lambie, Bert and Ster refused preferring to find a spot that they could spend their day.

Bert and Ster chose an rickety old shed with a dirt floor.

While Lambie hovered outside his bedroom, where the puddles are, because that’s where the midges congregate most and he could get more sympathy for any passers-by.

The horses were miserable.

The ponies were far away and miserable – trying to find the highest point in their field where they might catch a breeze.

And the dog-walk was short.  We brought back with us Barrel and Madge who joined the midge misery.

Lambie had not left his spot.

Later, when we were going around doing the afternoon feeds, there was a slight wind and everyone had visibly cheered up.

At last Lambie had found a purpose in his life.

And now the midges have all moved to the house!