Category Archives: Icelandic horses and Shetland Ponies

Back to a Normal Saturday

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I took this panoramic photo to show where everyone eats their breakfast.

From right to left, which is also the order I feed them:-

Kolka in the corner, with a touch more food than everyone else so she doesn’t got off to steal Haakon’s.
Haakon, who also has a sachet of boswellia added and is a slow eater.
Iacs – he has his four anti-cancer pills in his food at the top so if he is pushed off his food, at least I know he ate them.
Then Vitamin who eats very quickly. Wolfs it down.  She would only steal from Fivla, if she could.
And lastly Fivla who is possibly the slowest eater in the whole world (Haakon is a close second).

Once everyone has eaten and I have done all the remainder of my chores (put tomorrow’s food on to soak, put the sheep out in their field, swept up the sheep shed), I go back to the horses’ field and collect their buckets to take away and wash.

There was a soft light this morning and Iacs looked particularly nice in it.

He is very much an autumnal chap, I think.

I went inside and made a quick breakfast for myself, and then left the house, much to Pepper’s dismay.

Saturday mornings have gone back to being for Turriefield again.  There was lots of vegetables to weigh, pack and label.

I was particularly taken with the natural fractal geometry of Romanesco broccoli (I had to look that up).

It is extraordinary.  Nature at it’s cleverest.

And back home again just before lunch to my ever-waiting wee dug, Pepper, who has since followed me everywhere ever just in case I wanted to go out again without her.  That’s not happening on her watch.

A Special Place in Hell Waiting

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There is a special place in Hell waiting for me.

I did something you should never do.

In fairness, I had no choice.

I cut some of Silver’s mane off.  Ok, it was actually a large chunk.

But in my defence, Silver had a big “witches’ knot” and I couldn’t unravel it no matter how hard I tried so in the end I took the scissors to it telling myself it is only hair that will grow back.  And then I cut it off.

Witches’ knots are surrounded by folklore:-

A witches’ knot (also called a fairy knot or elf lock) in a horse’s mane is a tight, stubborn tangle that forms overnight:-

  • Midnight Rides: Old European legend says that witches, fairies, or elves ride horses through the night and braid or knot the hair to use as stirrups and reins (all I can say is good luck with that!)

  • Bad Luck: Folklore warns that untangling these knots brings bad luck or angers the spirits who chose the horse  (I didn’t untangle, I cut it out so I am probably double-doomed then).

  • Compliment: Some believe a knotted mane means your horse is a favorite of magical creatures (I doubt very much that Silver is a favourite of any magical creature!)

Actually witches’ knots are caused by the unceasing Shetland wind and are a real bore to get out.

I don’t think Silver was very impressed with me – he’s already lost his forelock to a greasy mat that I did manage to tease out.

Anyway, it’s not like anyone is going into the show ring very soon but I hope the others don’t point and laugh.

The Kolka Theory

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My friend, Monika from Sandness Equine Services, came up with this theory and I think this is very credible.

Basically, Kolka was calmly grazing at the far end of the field with the rest of the herd (Haakon, Iacs, Fivla and Vitamin).  It was nearly breakfast time and they all know to come home for their buckets and had started making their way.  All except for Kolka who looked up, saw everyone had vanished (to be out of eyesight does not take long as there is a small hill) and then panicked, jumping badly straight over the fence into the hill where she got caught up and into trouble.  Icelandic horses are not known for their show-jumping abilities.

Once released, Kolka recovered and she then cut her head slightly while living around the house.  There are old fencing wire rolls, etc lying around.  They went into a field.

The next panic was because Kolka was talking to Vitamin and Fivla over the fence at an early breakfast time when she looked up and noticed her beloved Haakon had vanished again.  He and Iacs were eating their breakfast around the corner.  This time she went into a blind panic not helped by remembering what had happened a few days’ earlier.

The terrible cut was probably from itching her head, which had been healing nicely but getting to that itchy stage, and she opened up the old wound making it much worse.

Monika and I discussed all this after she had given Kolka her second Jin Shin Jyutsu therapy session, which Kolka loves.

I can’t thank Monika enough for standing in the pouring rain working her healing “magic”.

BLOOD ALERT!

Look away now if you are squeamish because Kolka’s wound is not pretty but it is clean and dry and not bothering her one bit.  The vet and I are pleased with how the healing is progressing.

  

“It’s Got a Funny Taste”

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Because I let the old Icelandic horses have the stable for one whole night, the sheep refuse to ever go in it ever again. “It’s got a funny taste” (our family saying for anything different or new).

After the horses left yesterday morning, I spent a good hour cleaning that shed, letting the surface dry, putting down deoderiser powder and laying out a whole new straw bale and shavings too.  It was now pristine and perfect.

But no.  Apparently it’s different.

It is also pouring with rain and all the sheep are huddling around outside miserably in the rain….

… or standing in the world’s grottiest shed that is about to fall down.

So, in the pouring rain, already drenched as in I couldn’t get any wetter, I went back to the house for the ginger biccies and animal crackers.

“Did someone say biccies?”

I rattled my boxes enthusiastically.

And suddenly I had everyone’s attention.

Barrel  had already decided there were haynets to finish (and he got an extra biccie for being my sensible boy).

The others soon followed me inside too.

That was all except for Lambie and Madge who were still playing Suspicious Aloysius.

But Lambie could hear crunching. I went out and lured him in with a crunchy packet.

And then suddenly it was alright. The shed was fine to be in and oh look, Muzzah put up some haynets to finish.  Who knew?

I left Madge to her own thoughts.  She’ll work it out.  I know she just doesn’t like people in her shed – they have a funny taste, apparently.

Give me strength!

No Idea What is Going On

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I went out early worried at what I might find in the stable but Kolka, Iacs and Haakon were fine and wanting to leave. I gave them their breakfast and everyone was totally normal.

Next I led Fivla and Vitamin into the field I thought would be safest for Kolka so they could all be together again.

Everyone went in, again perfectly normally.

And since then I have been checking on Kolka every few hours and there has been nothing.

Her owner came to see her and he agreed, Kolka was the same old Kolka, except for the massive wound on her forehead, now stitched up.  He got not vibes either of anything being off and he knows Kolka very well.

So I wonder if it was just a series of unfortunate events – (falling over fence, superficial cut on forehead, panic attack and then major cut on forehead) ie. completely random events that have absolutely nothing to do with each other or is there something else going on?  I just don’t know and I have no clues either from Kolka herself.  She is so normal, like nothing has happened. She remains on daily analgesia and antibiotics.

We will see how things go in the next few days before we make any big decisions.  If I can’t keep Kolka safe, then ….. well, as my mother would say, “we will see”.