Tag Archives: Icelandic horses

No Poppy Film

5 Replies

After breakfast, I collected up all the buckets – I usually leave everyone to get on with eating rather than wait around – and I noticed their big water container was half full or half empty, depending on your perspective in life.

Anyway, while everyone was snoozing as it was a big breakfast, I decided to wait around for the container to fill up.  I had Pepper for company.  She was unhelpful.

Depressingly, the field mud still hasn’t dried up but there’s nothing I can do about that.

Meanwhile, Pepper precariously perched on the wobbly drystone wall that “rumbles” (disintegrates) while you look at it.

At one stage Pepper decided to clamber on my shoulder, which was not helpful either.

Once the container was full and I knew everyone was in the right fields, I went into the house for my breakfast and to decide whether to continue with trying to film the poppies again.  But that choice had been taken away from me.  All the poppies had opened by themselves apparently earlier this morning.  I now officially give up.

So I contented myself with trying to take arty-farty photos of them instead.

So, again, here is a plethora of Monster photos to make up for another day without the poppy-opening film.  And that is that.

Sheep and Horses

12 Replies

A few random photos from my day.

Some of the sheep.

I title this “the only thing holding you back, Lambie, is yourself”.

The Magnificent Three.  Rule the world, this lot could – a horse, a duck and a dog (sounds like some weird logic puzzle).

There was a potential intruder situation at the front door.  I had to pay a fee – apparently an apple core is the going rate.

Then again when I went into my shed to make my daily hand-felted Shetland sheep.  I heard the door handle rattle (Haakon’s one skill). I knew it was him and opened the door.

And, yes, I gave in and Haakon got a shortbread finger or three.

Later on, I couldn’t find anyone when I went outside to poo-pick around the place, but eventually located the horses standing outside the field-gate waiting to go back in.  Usually, I have to wave my walking stick and herd them all there but today they were already around.

So I opened the gate and waited…..

And waited (I love Iacs’ expression, btw).

And lastly, as they wanted to come home early, I let the sheep in.

Note-to-self – arrange for them to be sheared.  I think they could do with it now.

And I title this “Nobody puts Lambie in a corner” because he can do it all by himself!

Happy News Day

3 Replies

I found this lot staring at me when I went back to pick up the empty buckets after their breakfast.  You can almost hear what they are saying – “let us out, let us out – open the gate”.

I did as I was told and they wandered off for the rest of the day to eat and hopefully put on weight.

Later I decided to check the electric fence which, since we re-strung the whole thing earlier in the year, seems to be going (touch-wood) very well.  I had my fence checker with me and there was the same electric pulse strength at the start to the very end of the track – huzzah!  The solar energiser is also now re-charging too which is very encouraging and means I haven’t had to lug a battery down the hill for ages.

While I was fence testing, the little boys followed me round playing Grandmother’s footsteps.  They refused to go past.

The ponies’ coats are coming out albeit very slowly still but it has got colder recently, so I am not brushing anyone very much.

I did a bit of Tiddles but he walked off and was unhelpful.

And then suddenly, the ponies all broke rank and cantered downhill past me.

And the best news of the day – Skippy is finally revived and fully functional.  A huge thank you to my neighbour who spent many hours taking Skippy to bits, fitting parts and getting it working. It’s been quite the long haul and I can’t tell you just how relieved I am Skippy is working again.  Mucking out the sheep shed this year without Skippy made me realised just how useful it is and how much I rely on it.  I am so relieved.

Asleep and Sheep

2 Replies

The old men took the weight off their hooves this morning.

And Iacs had a little snooze as well.

Meanwhile, I title this “The only thing holding you back is your mind”.  Lambie stood there for ages until I ushered him out.

While the horses were sleeping (and I didn’t want to disturb them having read how important it is for them to lie down and sleep properly), I went to spend some time with the sheep.

Gussie

‘Bert

Maggie

And lots more Lambie, as he was in a very good mood and wanted to be beside me all the time, which is very not like him.  I checked to see if it was my birthday but it isn’t. So I wonder what he wanted.  Hard cash, probably.

      

And back to Gussie again who looks huuuuuuuge!  Rotund, some might say.

It might be because Gus-Gus eats a lot.  It will be interesting to see what shape he is after he is sheared – note-to-self, I must find out when that’s going to be.

The Importance of Apple Cake and Deep Sleep

4 Replies

Under strict surveillance this morning, I made my usual apple cake – I’m trying to use up eggs.

The strict surveillance that I was under.

So now what to do with my apple peel and cores?  Who do I know who would like them?  Let me see.

Spotting Fivla and Vitamin, I gave them the apple bits.

They said nothing to the others and quietly munched them all up (I found nothing left when I was poo-picking later).  I doubt the others even knew there were free apple bits going.

I was in my shed after lunch and everyone was around and about.

I like to look out of the windows every so often to see who is close by.  Haakon came over and plonked himself down.  He wanted to sleep so I ended up leaving my shed much later – in fact I almost made a whole other sheep to go with the one I had just made – so I didn’t disturb him.

I didn’t want to wake up Haakon because I read somewhere that old horses really need to sleep and the fact that he feels he can lie down is good because he will get proper deep REM sleep which is essential to his well-being.

Once Haakon woke up and was standing up and grazing with the others, I packed them all off to their field.

I’ve given up walking them one-at-a-time with a headcollar as that takes forever and they can be stupid to catch so instead I herded them into a group and told them all to “go to bed”.

Mass movement is much simpler.

Luckily, they all know what I mean and they know I will let them out tomorrow to continue on the good grass.