Tag Archives: Icelandichorses

Give me Strength!

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Apologies for radio silence yesterday.  There was an unexpected hospital-type emergency which is still ongoing.

Anyway, my morning started as it meant to …… ie, badly.

  • I could only find 5 sheep – Maggie was missing.  Dahlia and Gussie had vanished too.
  • ‘Bert and Barrell were at war and wouldn’t go into the sheep shed for breakfast as they were too busy beating the crap out of each other.
  • Pepper vanished.

So I ignored all of that and continued as normal hoping I wouldn’t find any other awful messes along my way.

  • I decided I would find Maggie et al on the dog walk later.
  • I gave Bert and Barrell their breakfast anyway and noticed someone ate it as the bowls were empty later. I also gave both of them free-rein with the TurmerAid box in the hope they would be too drugged/relaxed up to fight! I hate it when there are arguments in the flock.
  • Pepper turned up, just I was about to find the car keys and go round all the neighbours apologising.

My day continued in this disastrous theme when I broke the washing machine and Monster’s timer bowl (for his very early morning snack).  At that stage I just decided I would not react to anything the world was going to throw at me.

Later, on the dog walk, I found Maggie who was in the wrong field (just why?) I brought her home and she very gratefully rejoined the others. Dahlia and Gussie were at the furthest point of the field possibly gazing at a newly arrived hill-ram. I gave them the breakfast I had brought so I knew they were moving and eating fine.  Oh, yes and then it started to rain and I got home totally soaked through to the skin.

And then I discovered my Advent Calendar, which I thought I had been so clever about was showing all the pictures despite me trying to only show the one for the right date like a paper advent calendar.  Hopefully I’ve put a stop to that and I hope no one’s peaked.

Give me strength!

Quickie Blog

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A quickie blog today. I have given myself the day off and am going to go and see Wicked: For Good this afternoon on the big screen at Mareel, the cinema in Lerwick. I am very excited as I loved the first film in this series.

Anyway, everyone is fine and well and enjoying their space and freedom.  My horse and pony care is going by the theme of “less is more”.

The ponies get their freedom and daily breakfast and that is it.  They have shelter from the contours of the land and the drystone walls and 35 acres to find food in.  They seem happy enough and don’t miss track life or their containers.

The old horses and ponies are over the scattald (open hill) in a 5 acre ungrazed field with old buildings (sadly no roofs) to use as shelter.  They are doing well and don’t seem bothered by the bad weather.  No one has a rug on.

I went around everyone to feel for ribs and can honestly say this part of anatomy does not exist.

So, that’s me. I’m off to be a normal person who goes out and has a life accompanied with my weight in Haribo to munch quietly through all afternoon.

 

Pastures New

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I have figured why the Shetland ponies didn’t want to run around yesterday – they were depressed at their miserable living conditions.  The track has become increasingly nastier by the day.

So I made a decision, one that I have been thinking about for a while.  I caught four of the ponies (Tiddles, Silver, Albie and Waffle) while Newt followed like a good boy and led them all into the back field which has been grazed right down by everyone else first.

The transformation was immediate.

The ponies couldn’t believe their luck.

And off they rushed.  Tiddles stopping first for a quick roll.

He quickly caught up with his friends.

And I left everyone to explore and graze praying to all the Gods that I’ve done the right thing.

Next it was the turn of the big ones.  I decided that Iacs could follow and OH and I led the everyone over to Clothie, my 5 acre field.  But Iacs had other ideas and buggered off at a stonking trot down our track heading for the road.  OH offered to take everyone while I went after Iacs but I said (knowing his little ways) that he would soon be back and concentrated on getting Haakon, Kolka, Vitamoobag and Fivla into their field.

I was right.  Iacs soon realised he was on his own and we heard the sound of galloping and he quickly appeared, putting himself through the field gate to rejoin the others.

Silly boy and stupid me for trusting him.  I should’ve known better.

So this lot are all happy too.

Later, I returned to see how the Shetland ponies were getting on.  I had a word with Tiddles about staying well this winter.

I also told them this was all they were getting (and their morning minerals/vitamins)

Tiddles said he would try to not to be ill again.  I hope I haven’t made a huge mistake.

I Made my Decision

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I took this photo first thing this morning.  The sun made an appearance. It was brief.

I duly dished out my buckets at breakfast-time and then I went round feeling each horse and pony.

I was looking for the semblance of ribs, or even a rib.

Breakfast finished, Haakon’s hoof treated, I went to the Shetland ponies’ field and made another grassy bit for them to munch on. It just involves relocating the electric fence freeing up another bit of the field and then calling them there.

Again, I prodded and poked about for these mysterious ribs.

And I quickly came to the conclusion that none of my equines actually have any ribs whatsoever so, with this new discovery, I made a decision – no rugs.  They are all very well covered and don’t need them.  Also, when anyone wears a rug, they just stand there and don’t get around much which is not great.

I told them this so they know where I stand on rugs.

Monster said ribs were overrated anyway.  He may speak from experience.

Rug Dithering

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It was a beautiful morning – still, no wind with a winter beautiful light.  There had also been a frost from last night.  There was even ice on the water buckets – the first this winter.

But the horses and ponies were all on good form and pleased to see me.

I even got a smile off Tiddles!

But I am still a-dithering about putting rugs on the old horses and ponies tomorrow and, if I do, I will become that person who I hate most – she who asks for advice and then does exactly the opposite because it wasn’t really advice that was wanted but confirmation that this was the right thing to do – ie, put the rugs on!

I have looked ahead at Accuweather and it is going down to -11℃ (real feel) tomorrow night or as OH just said, when I told him, “Blimey!”

So I will keep on dithering for the time being and see what like tomorrow.