Tag Archives: track system

The Constant Juggling

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I know no one wants to hear this at the moment, but it was quite cold today in Shetland.

I was forced to wear my coat when I fed everyone.

And again later this afternoon, when I put the haynets out for the little ones.

My latest worry is that the Shetland ponies are secretly putting on weight, even though I feel sorry for them and don’t think they are getting enough to eat.

They get a small handful of beet in the mornings with their vitamins and then share two not-very-full haynets in the afternoon – so barely a mouthful of anything when you add it up.

I guess there must be something to eat on the track, though I can’t see it.

Interestingly, though, Newt doesn’t ever really want hay or it might be a case of no one will let him near the hay – this is his very cross face, by the way.

But he is really rotund vengeful hippo!  Honestly, I am trying, I really am but these ponies live off fresh air.

And the reason it is so cold, apparently and I’ve just read this, is that there is currently 30mph north wind blowing (Pepper and I are now lying under an electric blanket trying to warm up!)

Meanwhile everyone else is very warm.

I Worry at Night

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Every so often I suddenly have a panic (usually at about 3 a.m.) that the electric fence is not working and the Shetland ponies will break through into the long grass.

Last night I had that worry so today the dog walk consisted of walking the track with the fence tester to check it was zapping consistently all the way round.  And it was going along beautifully.  OH had strimmed all the plants off the bottom wire and there was the same strength of zap at both ends.

However, I do feel sorry for the ponies. They have minimal grazing while on the other side of the fence it looks fantastic.

The other side is for the old horses and ponies in the winter.  It is perfect grazing for them but not for fat little Shetland ponies who don’t need to get any fatter.

This lot seem to doing very well on just about nothing and to be fair I found no evidence of Shetland pony fence testing.

The ponies could probably lose a bit more weight.  As I walked the track, it was interesting to see which plants they refuse to eat – always the marsh marigolds, the occasional orchid, and later the Devil’s bit scabious. They don’t touch it.

The dogs enjoyed their walk and started digging the inter-island tunnels that are planned for Shetland.

“Councillors have backed initial plans to connect some of Shetland’s islands with undersea tunnels, which could be in place within eight years.” – BBC

Ted did the feasibility study.

While Pepper did the actual work.

I can see why bridges are not an option.

My little chief digger was tired after her exertions.

Happy News Day

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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.

Gosh, They Were Fat!

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This is going to be one of those even more boring blog posts because I am exhausted and lying on my bed trying to gather up some energy for the next thing.

All is well in the land-of-nothing-to-eat.  Apart from a bucket of breakfast, the Shetland ponies only get a bit of hay in the evening and yet seem to be surviving.

I find it hard not to feed them all chocolate cake 24/7 but that little voice in my head says we are not going back to fat ponies.  No, not never, ever again.  I found some old photos of the herd the other day and thought to myself, wow, they were enormous!

Seeing those photos from 2022, I feel ashamed that I let them get like that.  It was a slippery slope.  I had forgotten just how bad they were.

Meanwhile, in the land of vans, OH got the pressure washer out to give my horse-van a quick once over as it is hopefully now sold and then started on his van too.  I tried to put the Suzuki “Eggbox” in the to-be-cleaned queue but it wouldn’t start.  I am beginning to hate all machinery now.

So that’s me – currently summoning up some strength to go and cremate supper (no, never the duck, but it’s a nice pic).

They go Lickety-Split!

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A little known fact, but when my mother was pregnant with me, she read a children’s book called “Susannah of the Mounties” by Muriel Denison.  This book was first published in 1936 and funnily enough, my Great Great Aunt Kate was also reading it in 1950.

Anyway, my middle name is Susannah because of this book and, of course, I have the family copy. The film was not what I imagined, though.

So, when the Shetland ponies trotted and cantered past me on my poo-picking walk this afternoon, the word that instantly came to mind was “lickety-split” – the first time I had ever heard it used was in “Susannah of the Mounties”.

I was being followed on my poo-picking rounds.

And then one by one, with Silver first, each pony went past lickety-split.

(though Newt threw in a little canter as well – he would)

Tiddles went lickety-split ….. (because he is a good boy)

And Albie…..

Then lastly Waffle.

And then Waffle and Albie had a bit of a tussle….. because they are typical little boys who cannot just trot down a corridor without pushing and shoving each other.

Anyway, it is funny where my memory can take me when I am walking around a track with rubber gloves and bucket.  I never read the book sequels, though.  I wonder if I should (edited to say, I just looked it up and there are three!  Who knew?)