Tag Archives: Icelandic horses

Rug Season

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I was hoping I could put off rugging for a while now and everyone would grow their thick winter coats. But the weather forecast is basically rain, rain and more rain in copious quantities for the foreseeable.

However, no one is thin and I am glad for that.

It’s been quite the struggle since the old horses and ponies came out of last winter looking very bleak, thin and angular. But I like to think I have triumphed.

Some have triumphed possibly a little too much.

After a day in the shed, nervously looking and re-looking at the weather forecast, whilst consulting another 4 in the hope the original one might be wrong, I decided that the old horses and ponies would need their 0g rugs on.

So, OH and I loaded up the Eggbox and I drove over the hill carrying everything we needed.

OH held onto the front ends, while I fitted each rug and I am pleased to say that without exception, they all had to be let out quite a lot.

I hope everyone now stays dry wearing their state-of-the-art rugs that some might say are snugly fitted.

But it’s better to be fat than thin this time of year.  We all know that.   Fat is fine when you’re over 30 years old and are determined to live outside in all weathers.  Wish us luck, it’s going to be wet. Very wet.

(And of course I had brought carrots!)

Back to Reality

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I left London first thing on Thursday morning.  Door to door on the way back it took me over 14 hours – because Loganair’s Edinburgh to Sumburgh “went technical” and I had to fly home via Orkney.  A stressful day because the cancellation wasn’t mentioned on any airport flight departure board until the gate (that was never called) was closing…. and I had to make a run for it.

So I am rather thankful to be home again away from everyone and everything.  It was a good holiday but one week is enough.

And I also have a very large order of sheep to fulfill.

So it is back to the grindstone with my usual help.

The Shetland ponies are now officially off their summer track and on their winter grazing.  It is the field that has been eaten all spring and summer by the others so perfect for them.

They are currently sharing with the sheep who are not impressed but coping….. so far (remember, Lambie hates the Shetland ponies – they chased him (hereinafter known as “The Incident”) many years back when he was a little lamb).

As for the old horses and ponies, Flossie and I spent the morning lugging 20 litre containers of water over in the Eggbox and filling all their troughs.  Plus we left full ones by the gate for later. It took 3 trips.

Then we led the Icelandic horses (Haakon, Kolka and Iacs) while the Shetland ponies (Fivla and Vitamin) followed along nicely – they trotted enthusiastically in through the gate.

I doubt anyone has lifted their heads yet.  There is grass enough for all, at the moment.

Meanwhile, Lambie would like it to be known that he is not that happy with this new plan.  He has not forgotten The Incident.

A Perfect Day

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It’s been a glorious day.  Total calm and the sun has shone.

I am trying to be organised because I leave for London tomorrow.  If I see something I should take, I grab it as I go past and quickly put it by my bags before I forget again.  Carpe diem because in the next second I will have forgotten.

Pepper has assured me she will behave and not go visiting or looking for me.  I believe her not.

And because it was so nice, Floss and I fed the ponies a little early giving them all their hay in a big heap to munch through.

Please can everyone pray for no dramas during my absence as Floss is (very capably) holding the fort.

So I shall pack my bags with vaguely clean clothes but not ironed because I can’t find the ironing board and fly off south.  I’m not sure if I will write the blog or not. I’ll see how I go.  This is my holiday, after all.  A break from everything.

Back soon!

Definitely Autumn

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It is definitely Autumn now. It smells like Autumn. It feels like Autumn and the garden has quickly departed from it’s hanging-onto-the-last-of-summer mode and moved swiftly to Autumn. There will soon be dead leaves everywhere too.

I used to say Autumn was my most favourite month in Shetland but I think I am changing my mind. These days I prefer Spring.

In Shetland dialect, the word Hairst is used = n – the harvest; the work associated with that season. Da hairst’ll shön be comin on, wi aa hit’s wark; autumn. Dey mairried ida hairst.

Anyway, I had finished my afternoon chores (sheep coming home, haynets out for the ponies and giving the ducks and hens their tea-time grain), when I saw someone lurking and looking hopeful – Iacs.

So I turned around and went to the kitchen for some carrots.  Five, to be precise.

I mean, I couldn’t exactly walk away and give that hopeful little face nothing.

Everyone had one carrot and that was the ration.

But the little face refused to give up. Ten out of ten for perseverance.  The others had looked slightly surprised but grateful.

I went back inside the house hoping Iacs won’t starve to death over night.

A Huddle of Horses and Ponies

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Today was much calmer, weather-wise.  Phew.

It makes a huge difference to everyone when the weather is nice. Everyone can regroup from the past few days.

I was on dog-walking duty this morning, so decided to incorporate an electric fence check as well.  I like to know there are no bad bits or problems as there are a certain five Shetland ponies who will know in an instant and then take full advantage.

Upon my return from the fence-check-dog-walk, I found all the horses and ponies together, which was interesting considering the big ones have absolutely no interest in the little ones.  I know this because the minute they were all in the same field together when it snowed earlier in the year, Kolka, Haakon and Iacs behaved about as badly as anyone can.  Rotten dinosaurs.

Luckily for everyone at the moment there is a fence separating both herds.

I won’t lie – I am dreading winter. I hope it is kind to us and all the animals get through it. I am trying to be prepared as much as possible and thinking ahead with supplies and stores.. It can be very tough on the animals, especially if they hate going inside.

(though Vitamin and Fivla love going inside.)

As it was now a flat calm, I gave the Shetland ponies a treat. They had their two haynets emptied out so they could stuff their little faces.

No one needed asking twice if they wanted this.

And there was a lot of shovelling accompanied by happy munching sounds. Very satisfying.

We are reaching the time of year when we take every day as it comes and adapt accordingly.  That’s all we can do.