Hjalti’s Hoof

Thank the Gods for Hetja.  She is the best mare ever – kind, considerate, gentle and easy to work with.

BN2A5295

Therefore, her son, Hjalti, who is not particularly sociable, follows his mum everywhere and lets me dress his infected fetlock.

BN2A5300

We have a routine.

I catch Hetja,  She makes wuffley noises when she sees me (ok, I have a carrot) and then I lead her over the hill to the stable with Hjalti bouncing along beside her.

BN2A5298

I would have no chance of catching Hjalti in his field – he is very uncooperative but Hetja is amazingly helpful.

BN2A5304

Once in the stable, I put out two buckets of something and leave mother and son to relax while I boil endless kettles.

BN2A5307

Once Hjalti has lost interest in his bucket, I sidle up to him and catch him.  He tries everything not to be caught but in a stable, there is nowhere to run and I succeed.

Hetja watches and does not interfere.

BN2A5309

My OH then come in to help.  After I have tied Hjalti to the gate, OH entertains and diverts the front end, while I unwrap the bandages and remove the dressing.  Then I put Hjalti’s foot in the bucket to soak in the hot water for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, OH is introducing Hjalti to the hard stuff – carrots!

BN2A5312

The abscess has burst but the area is still inflamed and smelly.  I redress the fetlock with animalintex, vetrap with a covering of gaffer tape.  Then there is the antibiotic injection.

BN2A5332

OH leads Hetja and I lead Hjalti back to their field, over the hill.  On some days, Hjalti leads nicely and on others, I am flying a kite.

BN2A5324

So thank the Gods for Hetja.  Without her, Hjalti would never let this be done.

BN2A5338

It is good for him.  Hjalti has learned to be tied up, caught and to not make a fuss about his leg being dressed.

BN2A5322

7 thoughts on “Hjalti’s Hoof

  1. Rebecca Final

    they are both truly beautiful. Momma’s face is positively angelic. Although it is awful baby hurt himself, it is wonderful that he is learning these lessons.

    Reply
  2. Terri

    These two are especially beautiful horses….Great news that Hjalti is improving, as well as learning how to accept humans. Aren’t you glad that he didn’t injure himself when he was a new foal and his mama might not have let you near him? (I recall how protective she was.) Any clue as to how he got punctured?

    Reply
  3. Linda

    Well done! What a beautiful “lady” and terrific mom Hetja is!

    (Loved that comment about being led by Hjalti like a flying kite. Have had some dog walks like that…)

    Reply
  4. Sumiko Keay

    What a lovely mother-son pair. I’m glad that Hjalti is being a (mostly) good patient. Heal quickly little boy!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *