Tag Archives: Weather

A Huddle of Horses and Ponies

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Today was much calmer, weather-wise.  Phew.

It makes a huge difference to everyone when the weather is nice. Everyone can regroup from the past few days.

I was on dog-walking duty this morning, so decided to incorporate an electric fence check as well.  I like to know there are no bad bits or problems as there are a certain five Shetland ponies who will know in an instant and then take full advantage.

Upon my return from the fence-check-dog-walk, I found all the horses and ponies together, which was interesting considering the big ones have absolutely no interest in the little ones.  I know this because the minute they were all in the same field together when it snowed earlier in the year, Kolka, Haakon and Iacs behaved about as badly as anyone can.  Rotten dinosaurs.

Luckily for everyone at the moment there is a fence separating both herds.

I won’t lie – I am dreading winter. I hope it is kind to us and all the animals get through it. I am trying to be prepared as much as possible and thinking ahead with supplies and stores.. It can be very tough on the animals, especially if they hate going inside.

(though Vitamin and Fivla love going inside.)

As it was now a flat calm, I gave the Shetland ponies a treat. They had their two haynets emptied out so they could stuff their little faces.

No one needed asking twice if they wanted this.

And there was a lot of shovelling accompanied by happy munching sounds. Very satisfying.

We are reaching the time of year when we take every day as it comes and adapt accordingly.  That’s all we can do.

Summer Was Brief

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The rain clouds were coming in thick and fast this morning and by lunchtime it was pouring down.

Obviously there is the world’s smallest shed for everyone to pile into but of course this lot only live in there when the weather is lovely.  Haakon and Iacs rarely go in.  It is mostly the girls’ domain.  Today I found Fivla had ownership.  She strategically blocked the door while she ate her breakfast.

After making another white sheep – this year’s must-have-from-Lerwick apparently, I went out into the rain to feed ducks/hens and put out haynets.  I decided to split each haynet in half and hang out four in the container instead of the usual two in the hayboxes outsid)..

It is neither cold or windy, which is good.  The ponies will come and go and do what they want.  It’s not up to me to make their decisions.

I found the sheep all piled into the wee shed waiting to come home.  Apparently they melt in the rain, according to Lambie.  I was closing up when I turned around to find Dahlia with me pleading hunger.  I gave her a secret bowl of food because she asked so politely.

Lambie had already gone to bed.  Of course he had.

Some of the others joined him. So that’s us, listening to the rain outside and thinking summer was brief but nice.

More Weather

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You know me and my obsession with the weather.

Well, it was on full force today confirmed by Gulberwick Weather’s forecast on Facebook.

And, according to Yr.no, it is never going to stop raining.  However, other forecasts are a little more optimistic.

Also a friend texted me that she was probably going to rug one of her horses “with a rain sheet, no fill tonight, weather is going to be grim tomorrow”.

Well, that was all I needed to know.  I hastily phoned Daisy and we had a discussion about what to do best.  I like a second opinion. It confirms that I make sensible decisions.

And then I looked around my extensive library of rugs (yes, another obssession) and found the ones I wanted, lugged them plus two headcollars, in case of uncooperation, to the field.  Five rugs of 0g weighs a good ton.  I carried the headcollars were around my neck.  I looked like a demented bag lady.

They all knew and behaved (I swear I heard Fivla mutter that I could take her rug off next June).

Bibble looked particularly happy.

While Haakon looked fed up that summer seems to be leaving rather rapidly.

And then I popped into Tiddles’ field and put his little dressing-gown on.  I know he has a container for shelter but if the others all go off to find grass, he will be left behind bare-nekked and miserable.  He also is a perfect weight with nothing spare to lose.

Here we go again.  The break was nice while it lasted.