Tag Archives: Icelandic horses

Autumnal Light

The sun tried to show its face this morning, albeit very briefly.  The mornings are much darker now. I am usually up and around by the time it appears.

This was my view from the feed container while I was getting everyone’s breakfasts.  Not too shoddy, I think.

The sheep are always first to eat, for obvious reasons.  The main one being they follow me zombie-like, trying to trip me up and the steal the buckets if I try to feed anyone else instead. So it is better to get them shut in their shed, eating out of their bowls, with Lambie in his Private Dining Room (because he can’t share and gets upset if asked) and out of my way.  That way peace can reign.

The light was especially lovely this morning.  I appreciated it very much.

After the sheep are fed, then it is the Shetland ponies and then the old horses and ponies in their field  That is the order, with the odd duck in between.  They never stop saying they have no food.

As you can see, everyone’s coats are getting thicker and ready for the real weather that will come soon.

Also, you may notice, everyone is very fat. I am not too concerned about this as I am going to follow a no-rug, stay outside policy for all, if I possibly can.  I expect I will last a minute with this lot and will be lugging rugs and putting them on everyone the minute the weather turns.  I always say I won’t and I always end up doing it.

But I must also remember that everyone is fat and built for this environment.

The autumn light on the dog-walk was special.  This is the time of year for impressive skies.  I do secretly love autumn the most.  It is when I think the most, which is probably not wise and mostly about rugs!

Icelandic horse

Faces

It’s been a day of faces (oh, Haakon!)

Or a sneaky side-eye (thank you, Vitamoobag).

Apparently, no one wanted to look pretty today.  Just silly so I gave up trying.

With the exception, of course, being ‘Bert who was my Sunshine Boy (always lovely).  I do love a good Winning Smile and that was a corker.

My breakfast was pretty much a non-event too.  Apparently Monster purchased something and I have no idea what it is but it will arrive some time next week!  I wonder what colour he chose.

And then I was back outside with the dogs for their walk and I found that Fivla and Vitamoobag hadn’t moved from their shed.  Apparently they were resting.  I felt slightly jealous.

After the walk, I drove over to Turriefield (community vegetable growing project where I volunteer) only to find they were having a power-cut so we all had to pack the veg as best as we could without being able to seal or label the bags.  Frustrating but at least the weighing scales worked (battery) until they didn’t so we could do some of the work.

I keep thinking to myself “this time yesterday, I was eating cake”. Yesterday was a lovely adventure and I also keep thinking that the bench looking over to Noss was a special place – a place to make life decisions (the sun shining helped hugely too).

Horses on demand

As I mentioned yesterday, I’m rather fond of Iceland, and, yes, the horses, the lack of which in my post some of you noted. So here is a selection of Icelandic horses from my various jaunts up north…

First up, from a tour of the Icelandic ring road in 2007, these chaps/ladies were ignoring the snow and the cold and just being generally waaay too cool.

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I returned a few years later with my family, and headed to the Western Fjords in the extreme north west of Iceland. At Hrutafjörður, where the road to the Western Fjords leaves the main ring road, these guys needed a bit of persuading that we were friendly…

_MG_1624…but I eventually got their confidence and one even posed like a supermodel.

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The leader of the herd, with whom I’d had a chat to arrange the shoot beforehand, kept a close eye on me throughout…

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On a visit in February last year, something in the snow brought the poser out in the locals…

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Who weren’t even bothered by a bit of rain

Hestur

Of course the horses share Iceland with their feathered friends, the puffins, who are just as good at posing.

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I mean, yeah, you can catch sand-eels in your beak, but can you tölt?

Nick