Fleecy Friends

Well - what have we been doing since LouLou last wrote? - not a huge amount its true except enjoying the sunshine and being out and about. Although the down side of all this sun is that the ground is very hard and the grass isn't growing as it usually would, which is of serious concern to me as I'm a hungry girl at the best of times! Still, as long as we get topped up with feed and hay I guess its all right. Everyone acts as though Louise isn't as fussed about her food but I watch her closely and I can see that shes just as interested as the next filly - ie ME!

Having had random men and dogs in our field - this week we have a sheep - now there is a perfectly good electric fence between us and the sheep but with that thick woolly coat this one seems not have noticed and is quite happy in with us. Two more tried it on later in the week but we sent them packing and are happy just sticking to our original 'friend'. She doesn't get in the way - and as long as she doesn't eat too much of our grass we're happy to have her here. Actually its quite nice to have someone to welcome us into the field when we come out. We have been out most of the time and have just gone in when its been extra hot or to catch up on our zzzzzzzzzzs as, when we're out at night, we have to keep an ear open for strangers and things going on - we never know who or what will appear in our field next!

Bye for now Thelma

summer days

So Thelma has her official name - well shes not the only one as I have one too and I think its really rather nice. From now on I can be called Fleur de la Vie - but as we're old friends you can still call me Lou!

Phew its been hot the last ten days or so and we have come in most days. The odd day though we have stayed our during the day and its been fun. A few days ago we had a whole family of hares running around our field - there were four of them haring around (don't you love the pun) and what fun they were having - round and round and up and down - they were so quick but I think that in a head to head I would edge it.

Then last week we had a dog in the field - the cheek of it! There was a cricket match on and this chap and his dog suddenly appeared in our field. Now a man we don't mind, but a dog is quite another matter. Thelma was having none of it and saw off the dog in seconds. The chap actually came up to us and we said hello which we really quite liked but no field sharing with canines. Our field is our field and we like it to stay that way.

love to all Fleur

On Show

Well we had our little parade - what a palaver. We came in from our field the night before so that we could have our beauty sleep. The Gaffer, The Mrs and The Vickter had us up early in the morning, did our stables and had us all buffed and polished all by ten o'clock - a bit early or what - we are used to a much more relaxed pace than that!

It was a gorgeous day and so I think we looked particularly lovely with our coats shining in the sunlight and we showed ourselves off in front of around thirty people - actually, I think that we both rather enjoyed being the centre of attention. It was quite funny as we were both so relaxed that in between being all ready and The Gaffer and The Vickster coming to get us from our stables to be paraded, we felt a bit tired and lay down for a quick kip - The Gaffer had to wake me up a bit sharpish and give me a rub down in order to get me out of the stable on cue. But we strutted our stuff and I think that people were rather complimetaty about us and liked what they saw. I heard someone say that I had a good shoulder and had presence, and that Lou was well proportioned - judging by The Gaffer's reactions these are all good things.

Since then it has all been rather dull - we have been turned out each night but have been in our day boxes quite a lot as it has been very hot.

We are waiting for the next parade - we could really get to like this!

Love Thelma - or should I now say Primacy which is my 'official' name!

out all hours

Well we're there - where I hear you ask - out all day and night is the answer! Its rather nice having been in for so long to be out all the time, although it is rather tiring. Instead of just sleeping all night we do have to be more alert and we do get up rather early. We are brought in now and again. It was really hot the other day and so we came in to our day stables after breakfast and went out again in the evening when it had cooled off which was nice. And although it all sounds nice - its not all fun, as with the warmer weather the flies come out which is a bit of a pain. We have to keep our tails swishing all the time and poor Lou Lou even managed to pick up a tick the other day which I have to say was dealt with by the team really quickly.

The other day though we were due to come in for the night as it was rather stormy and we had to sleep in our day stables instead as the swallows which have been sharing our stalls with us have hatched thier young and three of the fledgelings were out of their nest and hopping around in our stables - so not a place for us with our big feet. They've gone now so last night we were back in as usual for the night just to make a change. Well there was one BIG change - a fantastic new gazebo thing has appeared in the yard. Its covering the table and chairs and is really very grand - I rather fancy a sit under it myself; it would be perfect in the field!

Love Thelma

out and about

So we are finally allowed back out into the field now that Big T has had the 'all clear'. Even so we are only out for a few hours a day - it all started with 2 hours, and then each day we have had half an hour longer. Now The Gaffer says this is so that our tummies get used to eating the grass again, and so that we don't eat too much. Moi???? The only one who is going to eat too much is Big T (she's not called Big T for nothing!). But its just lovely to be able to run around and kick up my heels - the first two days I admit I was a teensy bit naughty as I didn't really want to come in - but when it looked like they were going to go in without me I decided that I had better co-operate. The weather has been gorgeous too - lovely and warm. In fact on a couple of days it was so warm that actually (just between you and me) it was quite nice to come into the day stables where it was lovely and cool and airy.

I've heard mention that we might be left out all day and night now that its getting warmer. I'm not sure about that as, personally, I like having a nice quiet rest in my stable - I mean will it be as quiet out in the field? After all there will be foxes, bats and the rest running about all over the place, not to mention the birds getting us up so early. I will have to consider this carefully. Personally why anyone needs to change our routine is beyond me.

Bye for now Louise

Free to Roam

So finally this week Charlotte the vet came and gave me the all clear - I can go out next week - yipeeeee! Looking at the sun from our stables is not the same as being out in it and to be frank we shall be quite keen to get away from those birds. Dive bombing is now a daily occurence and we're really quite fed up with the whole thing. It will be good to taste grass again as well although from what I hear we can't go out all at once - but however long it is it will be a welcome change. As Lou Lou says whizzing round the yard in the mornings is not quite the same thing at all.

We had Brian the farrier in this week as well to see to our feet - we are now sooooo good at having our feet done and Brian was very complimetary about how nice my feet were looking generally. They are really a nice shape now and so with perfect feet and my shiny new summer coat I've heard The Gaffer say that we are really starting to look like real horses (now I'm a bit miffed by that actually as personally I think I've been a real horse since day one!). But its a bit ironic really as just as we've gotten rid of our winter coats the weather has turned cold again and smart as we might look it has been very chilly at night.

Can't wait for next week when I can kick up my heels.

Love Thelma

A la Carte

As Big T has mentioned food, there has been a development! While we are in at the moment, in these huge new stables (I have the biggest,) we have been given a new treat - alfalfa. To start with I wasn't all that keen, it just seemed like some rather dry roughish, grassy stuff - but actually I rather like it now, as it makes a nice change from hay during the day. We get it at the end of stables in a large plastic bucket - this is quite fun as I like playing with mine a bit and move it around all over the place - only once I've eaten whats inside of course!

The other problem is the birds - now I'm as tolerant of immigrants as the next person (from what I hear a bit of a current topic) but these south african swallows just never stop talking!! Chat, twitter, chat all day, AND most of the night, as now that the summer is here it gets light so early and they are up and about at crack of dawn. We have at least three pairs in and out of our stables all the time - not only do they chat and twitter ALL the time, but they dive bomb us as well if you get my meaning! A girl really needs her beauty sleep if she is not to be grumpy in the morning, and then to be dropped on as well - it really is a bit much.

Thelma's tummy is looking good, so everyone says, and I know the lovely Charlotte (the vet) is coming to give her the once over next week so hopefully we can get back out and about - its all very well walking around the yard but by the time we've been round about six times I'm feeling a bit dizzy - now I know The Gaffer thinks I'm a bit of a dizzy blonde anyway .................. enough said!

Have a good week

love Lou Lou