Last night there was some very strange goings on. My Mate Roger came and delivered hay as normal, then it got dark, then very dark and then all the lights in the humans houses in the village went off. We horses were minding our own business…
I heard a noise down at the gate, and we all wandered to the top of the hump in the field to take a look. Some shadowy human figures had appeared and were opening in the gate. It wasn’t My Mate Roger, or the Woman, or any of the other humans we know. And I wasn’t at all sure they should be taking the gate off it’s hinges like that! We all stared at them. I am not sure they could see us – humans don’t see too well in the dark. They started messing with the stable on wheels that we use when we go on our holidays. Big Fat Cob didn’t like that. He doesn’t like to go in the stable on wheels and gets very upset when humans mess around with it, especially when they start hitching it up to a vehicle, which was what these humans were doing by now.
Big Fat Cob snorted and galloped up the field putting in a buck on the way…he always does that. Its his way of saying “if you think I am going in there you’d better think again!”. If they were thinking of taking him as well as the stable on wheels they must have thought better of it at the point.
Me and My Mare Gydja stayed quiet and still.
Then they just drove off, taking the stable on wheels with them. As soon as they pulled away the light in the human house opposite came on, and our human neighbour came out. She seemed to be counting us “1, 2….3…” and then closed the gate. A white car with blue lights came and then went, and then it went all quiet.
I didn’t like all that business – strangers in our field. But then on the plus side, I began to think, if there is no stable on wheels then My Mate Roger can’t take us to boot camp at Helgi’s house at the weekend. Every cloud….
Then this afternoon, My Mate Roger turned up with the stable on wheels – blimey how did he get that back so quickly? He didn’t seem happy about it all. It seems to have a lot more locks on it now………and apparently we are going to boot camp after all.
My Mare Gydja has been relegated to 2nd favourite horse after her performance on Sunday. The Woman decided to practice some more tölting. You see even though MMG is older than me I am better at tölting *smug*
The Woman thought she would try out my tölt training run (otherwise known as a slight down hill on the way home). Bad plan. MMG lost all her collection and took off in fast trot and refused to stop until she had gone past me! What I cheek, I aways go in front! MMG was very pleased with her show of speed but I don’t think the Woman was impressed.
Apparently MMG is going to Helgi’s house this weekend as well as me. I’m getting a bit worried – it’s starting to sound like some kind of boot camp!!!
I have been thinking…… I do a lot of that. I have been thinking about food……. That’s what I think about most.
When I am trapped in the small paddock (apparently for my own good) I spend hours gazing into space thinking about food. At least that’s what I do when My Mate Roger is looking, in a vain attempt to give the impression that there is nothing worth eating in the sparse dusty, tiny enclosure that isn’t big enough to deserve the title “paddock”. When he is not looking I use my very versatile lips to tease out the tiniest suggestion of grass tips and paw the dirt to expose nice juicy roots hidden under the surface – and if all else fails I use my incredibly thick mane to insulate me from the electric fence and stretch as far as I can underneath to crop a short grass path that extends all around the enclosure.
When I am released into the big field it’s a whole new menu. Mostly I eat grass, and if that runs short I stomp on the nettles and eat those, or pick the tops off with my very versatile lips.
Some times I eat thistles and sometimes I go to the boggy bit of the field and eat reeds – Big Fat Cob can’t eat those being a Cob and not having a versatile stomach like me.
Sometimes My Mate Roger gives me chaff or hay and if I am lucky I can beg a carrot from the humans who visit the grave yard next to our field – but don’t tell My Mate Roger – he thinks he is the only human allowed to feed me. Apples – great, thanks very much.
What I have never eaten is a banana. And I have no intention of doing so.
Happy New Year Fleygur Fans. I started this year as I mean to go on – with a lovely ramble with My Mate Roger, My Mare Gydja came too – with the The Woman. Big Fat Cob was supposed to come but he had lost a shoe so got to stay at home and eat hay. Smart move I thought.
So, in 2012 I launched myself into cyber space with a Facebook page – a little joke to begin with, I mean who ever has heard of a talking horse! But I soon discovered there were lots out there – some just being cute or funny, some trying to sell you stuff. My mission? To promote myself and the Icelandic breed of horse – but mainly myself. Every year I find it necessary to launch the “Free the Fleygur” campaign as My Mate Roger accuses me of being fat and restricts me to a small paddock while Big Fat Cob gets to roam the whole field and….well…get fat(ter)! So I figured the more friends I could get the better chance I have of being freed while there is some rich grass left! It didn’t work this year – but hey ho.
So, after Facebook came Twitter where I follow lots of things horsey and lots of things and people Icelandic – a lovely reminder of the beautiful and challenging country of my origin. You will find there first some of my Little Viking Horse Wisdom and once I have tried it out there I may post it here on my Little Viking Horse Wisdom page.
And here on my Blog I hope to persuade lots more of you humans (as I don’t really believe in talking horses) of the wonders of the Icelandic Horse. I am not making any New Years resolutions as I am practically perfect already – but you humans should make them. If you never have, promise yourself a ride on an Icelandic Horse and experience the magic of the tolt. If you already have an Icelandic Horse of your own – get another. We are collectable you know!
littlevikinghorse.com 