So how is Tiddles, I hear you ask?

It has been eight days since I received the disappointing news that his blood sugars were off the charts and that his life had to change, bigly time.

I cut out everything. We went back to basics – 50g sugar beet with a handful of chaff divided into two of the world’s smallest meals, or so Tiddles tells me.  Nothing else.  No painkillers (hidden sugar), no TurmerAid (hidden Alfalfa), no other types of food (alfalfa and hidden molasses ffs) etc.  All stopped.  No more.

And I can see a change.

A huge change. My old Tiddles has come back – that would be the one with the silly-billy sense of humour.

He won’t let me catch him, he giggles and buggers off if he can and, best of all, he is playing.  This is original version of Tiddles, not the depressed miserable little chap who I have seen these past few months.

Tiddles goes outside to play with his friends during daylight hours and is back inside when it gets dark.  The field has very little – just pickings and this routine seems to be working. We have the farrier on Tuesday and repeat blood tests on Wednesday, so then I will know if we are really on the correct path.  I really hope so.

I have also put all the other Shetland ponies (except Fivla and Vitamin) on this harsh regime as needs must.  My plan is that the extra weight is off before Spring.  Meanwhile Newt remains determinedly in his woolly mammoth phase.  He may have lost weight. It is hard to tell.