Tag Archives: Shetland ponies

Carrots and Celery

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It was a long morning at Turriefield, packing vegetables.  I came home and went straight to bed for a few hours and was joined by Pepper  who was feeling very poorly – not eating again.  My back was killing me.

Quite a few hours later, I emerged from my pit feeling slightly better and fed Pepper (who had said no to her tea earlier but suddenly felt much better too and ate her supper – phew!)

Then, remembering the incoming storm (Dave, I think), I lugged a sack of celery leaves and carrots from Turriefield and dumped them in the Minions’ field.

I was being watched from the other side of the field and then suddenly the ponies realised what I was doing and came rushing over…….

They bickered and shovelled it all in as fast as they could.  Tiddles wasn’t very kind to Newt but he managed to get his fair share.

So that’s everyone set up for tomorrow’s storm.  I hope it’s not as bad as it is threatening.

 

 

First Visitors of the Year

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Today we had our first visitors of 2026.

They brought carrots.

Everyone loves carrots.

First we visited the Shetland ponies.  They came running when I showed them the carrot bags.

Then we walked over to the field with the old horses and ponies.

Haakon and Kolka thought all their birthdays had arrived at once.

Iacs was not in a people mood so OH took him his fair share and he stayed far away.  His choice.

Fivla and Vitamin were very happy to see carrots.

Apparently Fivla is the one who is going home with my visitors – everyone always wants to take one away.

And Ted probably in the luggage too whether they want him or not.

After a glorious “picnic” lunch – which my visitors kindly brought for us (the best type of visitor in my book), we went to talk to the sheep who were coming home.  At first, everyone suffered horribly from “stranger danger” so I brought some food and Harrel quickly got over his fear.

As did his mother, Maggie.

Lambie refused to chat but Maggie, Bert and Harrel were very sociable.  The food helped but the sheep genuinely wanted to talk.  I always enjoy introducing them to folk – sheep are very under-estimated. Each one has their own character.  Maggie was enchanting.

And Lambie’s chosen character today was that of “standard idiot”.  His loss. He missed out.

Goodbye Flossie

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We knew the weather would be very bad at 8.00 when we usually go out to feed everyone, so Floss and I got up an hour early (plus the clocks went forward last night) before it all revved up. We wanted to get everything done while it was safe to be outside.

Floss is going back to her home, having helped me enormously over a hard winter.  Later on, when there was lull in the weather, we went outside so she could say goodbye to everyone.

(we also put a hand under everyone’s rugs to find them totally dry and warm, which was good, as some quantity of rain had fallen).

 

And then Floss went to say goodbye to the sheep and we decided to have a sit in the sheep shed, mostly because it was dry.

This is one of my favourite past-times.

While the weather was raging outside, we were dry, calm and peaceful.

And ‘Bert was very cuddly – there was a brief minute when Flossie imagined taking ‘Bert back with her but he’s not great on a dog-lead so that would be the difficulty.

(I ❤️ this photo so much!)

However, Lambie is great on a dog-lead but not half as cuddly.

And then inside to try and put a few things on Ebay – the job that is always waiting for the rainy day.

It was not made easy but I achieved and put a few things on.  We’ll see what happens.  I feel quite inspired.

So farewell to Flossie. Both she and Daisy have been an immense help and support when I needed it most.  I think I can do this on my own now.  I just need a system.

A Day Between Weathers

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Today has been a day between weathers or “atween wadder”, as they say in Shetland dialect – calm, warmer and even blue sky.  It was very spring-like but of course we will all be thrown back into constant wind and rain tonight. Everyone was making the most of the calmness and I watched Vitamin having a deep snooze lying down in her rug in the sunshine.

And thank you for all your comments about my failed minimalistic dreams.  I took all the “family jewels” out of their casket, laid them out on the kitchen table, tried to value some with Google image, messaged our local jewellers to see if they had a gemologist (they don’t and my mothers spelling made me laugh), made a decision about what I wanted to sell, laid it out to photograph, decided I liked everything, and finally put it all back in the casket thinking that, at present, I don’t want to part with anything because they used to mean something to someone in my family and therefore they should mean something to me.  So I failed again, today.  I feel rather hopeless at this.

Later, I went out with a few not-very-nice carrots to give to the Shetland ponies, who, apart from Tiddles, have had a very rough few days weather-wise.  They were grateful and hungry and told me all about it while I tried to feel for ribs.  Ha-bloody-ha – if I have a very good imagination, I like to think I felt some but honestly, it was a struggle with Albie who is a very fat little pony.  How they can get fat in winter on pretty much nothing is an absolute mystery to me but they do. The track beckons for them but not quite yet.

And I made this little chap.

Oh yes, and I saw my first celandine of the year which is another flower milestone in my constantly looking for signs of Spring journey.  For me, it is the little things.

 

Rugs Back On Again Chaps!

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The horses and ponies managed a few days without their rugs but next week’s weather forecast is looking horrendous and it looks like the snow will return.

I am not happy but at least I have Flossie until next Sunday.

So, we decided to put on everyone’s thicker rugs with high necks.

This is Fivla in her 4′ 6″ Horseware Rhino Pony Wug 100g Turnout Rug.  It arrived just in the time for this latest weather onslaught.

Vitamin’s wearing the same version, only in a 4′ 9″ size.

Again, the essential high neck and I know she is comfortable and will stay warm, whatever happens.

Bibble is sporting his new rug too.  Another Horseware Rhino Wug Turnout Rug 100g. He takes the “horse” version but this time in a rather sporty Irish Tartan so we renamed him “O’Bibble”.

Haakon and his wife, Kolka, have to wear last year’s model which I know is a good fit and perfectly good.

I went down later with needle and thread to sew a strap under Kolka’s tail flap as it had gone.. She was very good and stood quietly while I sewed.

So that’s them ready. I am glad I bit the financial bullet and made this investment.  Horseware rugs are absolute best in my book therefore I will sleep at night knowing I can’t do more.

Meanwhile, Tiddles is in his one new rug. Sadly, the 100g was not available in the UK and apparently this high neck will not be manufactured again, so panicking I scoured the internet and found one his size in the USA.  A friend is bringing it over in Spring for him.  So the 0g will have to do for now.

He was very happy to put his rug back on.

I wonder if they know the weather is about to get very bad.

d

The other ponies remain fat and don’t need anything.  So fat, in fact, we are thinking they won’t get any extra hay either, though I may capitulate on that.