While Great Britainshire was being battered by Storm Hannah (80 mph winds down south – (that’s when we put our washing out, just sayin’), Shetland was, for once, being bathed in glorious warm Spring sunshine.

The boys were all fast asleep.  I don’t know what you call this collection – a heap of Icelandic horses?  Possibly.

There is always one a little further away – little Efstur which was a surprise as he, Hjalti and Dreki mostly go round like Cerberus (three-headed).  Taktur was on point duty.

In the next door field, Iacs was snoozing too.

Haakon was meant to be guarding his friend.  Yer, right.

I nipped through the garden as a short-cut to the field – I wanted to take better photos of the snoozers.

But I was quickly spotted.

And I missed my chance.  I love photographing sleeping horses.  They are just so relaxed and happy.

Spring is showing itself properly in the garden now.

So I gave up and went back to my shed to work. En route I could see everyone else had woken up too.

I am particularly pleased at how good Haakon is looking now.  His weight is perfect and he is, I would say very tentatively, back to normal (as normal as he ever is).  I am relieved. It has been quite the ordeal for us all.  He still likes his old-man routine and every morning he and Iacs leave the herd to spend the day with a couple of haynets, extra hard feed and no hassle.

I am still not sure if I will retire Haakon now or shoe him and see.  His hooves need time to recover, grow and strengthen from the abscess damage.  Nothing is written in stone.  I will ask him what he wants to do.  I am sure he will let me know.