Tag Archives: Shetland ponies

New Fencing

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I would’ve loved to have stayed in bed today but I couldn’t.  Things to do, people to see……

And it was also a beautiful day, which helped hugely too.

Because I knew the weather was going to be good, I had arranged for two kind friends to come and help OH and I with the electric fence for the track.  A huge job.

The plan was to take the old wiring down and start again but this time properly.  It was easier now I knew exactly where the track should be.  Did the horses/ponies try and escape while we worked?  No, they just stood there and watched.

They said helpful things like “you’re doing that wrong”.

Ditto the Shetland ponies for whom all this work was for.  They were probably trying to work out where the weak spots in the fence were.

Firstly we took down all the old fence wire which had many joins and bodges and bits tied round and round and then we put up a new springy gate, keeping the old one as well (belt and braces) and I walked round the whole track with 500m of  jumbo heavy duty electric fence polywire featuring 6 stainless steel conductor strands (muttering words like “bring it on, boys. This is war!”) I took a backpack with me containing nore spools of electric fence wire and we used two in total = 500m of track – good to know.

So now the track is fenced off with just two continuous pieces of perfect brand new wire and it works.  No joins or breaks or bodgy bits anymore. No weak bits, boys.

That should stop their misbehaviour.

Because there is always misbehaviour.  They just can’t help themselves.

And a huge thank you to Alan, Andrew and OH who were invaluable with all their electric fencing skills. A huge job completed.  We made quite the team.

Carrot Justice

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I’m not very good at injustice and Waffle not having his carrot yesterday was weighing heavily on me all night. I barely slept a wink for the worry.

So this morning after breakfast, I popped down to the sheltered bit of the Shetland ponies’ field to find Waffle and his friends.

I had counted out six carrots so that would be one for Waffle….

And then one for everyone else.

They always ask so nicely.

It was very windy.

(why does Albie look so tiny next to Silver? I always thought he was never that small. Perhaps it’s their positions and therefore deceiving)

    

And then I went back round and gave Waffle an extra carrot to make up for yesterday.

I don’t think anyone noticed as luckily as no one is very good at counting.  So please don’t make me go back down there and “settle up” again.  They’ve all had carrots now and they are all happy, even Waffle.

 

Sorry Waffle

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This morning was a disaster, weather-wise. I know this when I took the dogs out albeit briefly and the sky fell on our heads with hail, rain, sleet together with a cruel biting wind.  It was a miserable existence for us all and we came home very quickly.

Later, I went outside again, when the weather had calmed down taking a few old carrots with me wondering who would like to eat them. I didn’t have to look very far.

Albie, Tiddles, Newt and Silver came up immediately. But one little black Shetland pony was miles away preferring to stay on the other side of the burn.  That would be Waffle and I kept his two carrots in my pocket waiting for him to come over, but he didn’t bother.

And it was good to see that Tiddles was making good use of his rug.  That ain’t coming off until July at the earliest, in his little head.

So far and yet…. so far.  Come on Waffle.

So I gave up and the others very happily ate Waffle’s carrots.

Sorry Waffle, I owe you (note-to-self remind Floss to tell Waffle that he’s had two carrots for breakfast).

Super-Duper Rugs Arrived!

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Most of my super-duper high-neck Rambo rugs have arrived now  and I’m just waiting on the ones with 100g fill (for colder days) and Fivla’s 0g.

Yes, I spent a fortune and do I think it was worth it?   Well, I will admit I was nervous when I tried on Tiddles’ new rug this morning but it fits beautifully and is exactly what I want for him.  The high neck will stop the rain dripping down into his shoulders and legs (he gets very depressed when that happens) and the high quality of rug means he could basically live in this until summer arrives, which of course he won’t.  I love it. He loves it.  It is the perfect rug for him – a proper waterproof rug.

In the package was also a 0g rug for Vitamin.  It is exactly the same rug (Rhino Wug Pony Turnout), but bigger, obviously (Tiddles is 4′ and Vitamoobag is 4; 9″).

And, again, a perfect fit.  Vitamin has spent her day happy she has a new rug that covers her neck whilst having the freedom to move around. I am not a fan of total neck covers – they can be very restricting.

Meanwhile, Fivla has to wear her older version (standard neck) of the rug and her’s should hopefully arrive soon.

Why did I buy them all new rugs?  Because I am fed up of economising and throwing good money after bad on not-very-waterproof rugs, that let the side down filling up with water and have to be changed.  I have worked out this is a false economy and kills my back too.

Then Flossie came down the hill carrying the Icelandic horses’ rain-sheets. Nothing is easy to carry in our world.

We quickly rugged them up.

So we’ll see what the weather brings next.  I was getting used to the calmer days.

Bedrest For Me

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I’ve been lying on my bed all day being waited on hand and foot by my wonderful Flossie (as I type this, she is cutting up vegetables to roast with a chicken). To fill my day, I have gone through my family tree looking at Data Inconsitency Reports trying to amend errors like having a baby at 14yo or 49 (which is apparently true and not that long ago – 1846).  Poor woman – Fred was the last of 11 children!

Meanwhile, Pepper has proved to be a rotten nurse (and I haven’t seen hide nor hair of Monster either). She has been totally absent all day and was driven home from the neighbours after tea (***sigh ***).  She wants me to apologise to her for being so boring today.  No one is talking to her now, again and she’s been sacked from her job.  And when I think of the undying devotion from BeAnne Duvet who never left my side and bed through 3 spinal operation recoveries, I told Pepper – can you see the bored look on her face?

Flossie also managed to escape, sorry, went for a walk this afternoon and I texted her to take some photos as she went as I had nothing for this blog.

Anyway, it is loveley to see the outside, even through someone else’s eyes.  I know it is not as warm as it looks, hence the rugs staying on as windcheaters.

  

They don’t seem to hold anyone back.

And everyone seems perfectly happy and comfortable so while I am stuck inside, I am not worrying about them.  Just the fact that Pepper is escaping.