I was dreading this morning, I really was.  I felt sick as I walked with my buckets to the field and Vitamin was far away at the back, which usually means the ill ones are on the outside of the herd for the tigers to eat first.

But, when I put her bucket in front of her, she put her head down, sniffed and then started eating.

I cried.  Yes, in the middle of the field, I howled my eyes out with relief.

I didn’t give Vitamin a huge amount, as I didn’t want to over-face her, but she made a clean bucket.

And as it was a nice morning, I took her rug off for a breather.

I was also nicely surprised that the rug wasn’t all ripped up like last time.

Later in the morning a friend came round and kindly did some acupressure on Vitamin.

Lots of bright interest in the whole process.

Afterwards, I gave Vitamin another small bucket of food, which she ate. She is not back to normal by any means, but she is certainly happier.  I think the antibiotics are kicking in and making a difference.

Another vet came out this afternoon, and worked on Vitamin’s teeth. He gave her more antibiotics (left me with a course) and painkillers.  Another bucket of food and she told me she also liked apples very much, thank you.  We agreed Vitamin probably had a low-grade tooth infection going on (she had a nose-bleed yesterday after the first vet left) which is very probably related.

So a way forward.  I am so relieved.  Thank you for all your prayers and messages of support. They mean the world to me – *** sniff *** and off I go again, looking for the tissue in my pocket.  I know I had one somewhere.

I am worried about Vitamin.

She’s stopped eating.  No longer barging through everyone with a full-on stonking trot to get her bucket a bit earlier than everyone else.  No pawing at the fence demanding food.

When I took her breakfast bucket to her, she tried a bit in a very lack-lustre fashion and then stopped eating.

So I called the vet and he came later in the morning.  Vitamin’s teeth were checked (ok for her age, nothing wobbly or obvious), her guts (good bowel sounds and a nice large normal poo).  No diagnosis so he gave her some antibiotics (IV) and a painkiller (IM) and the plan was to give her the weekend and see what like on Monday.  I was hopeful she would turn a corner and start eating again.

I checked Vitamin regularly, taking any snacks that might tempt her but she was not interested.  She puts her head down to eat and then doesn’t.

After lunch, I went out with her rug.

Plus Fivla’s, who was looking daggers at Vitamin (she has a Vitamin-in-a-rug-thing, remember?) in her rug.

And Fivla had to have a go at Vitamin and funnily enough, Waffle waded in to stop her and took Vitamin away, which was interesting.

I will leave them for tonight and I have booked for another vet tomorrow afternoon as I don’t think we have until Monday now.

I am praying for a miracle, or else I think I will put Vitamin to sleep because I don’t want this to go on and on.  She seems to have given up so maybe she’s had enough.  I don’t really know what else to do.  She is 30 years old.

Stephen, our farrier, visited today.  He arrived early while I was getting all the Minions inside, one at a time, hosing their legs and hooves down to get the mud off – clean legs makes it much nicer for Stephen and I felt it was a bit of a must as everyone was so digusting.

I would like to say the ponies behaved beautifully, so I will. They did and were all pretty easily caught, except for Fivla, Vitamin and Albie who were last on my catching/washing hoof list and managed to not wait politely and went on the rampage instead!  Fivla even did a little buck when I wanted to catch her as she trotted off to flirt outrageously up and down the fence with Haakon, which made me smile.  She must be feeling better.

Pepper was pleased to “help” and Stephen was very patient with her, managing not to rasp her nosey despite her best efforts to get in the way.

Minions all done (6 trims – the old ladies were fine), and onto the Ancients.  I brought Haakon in while the other two followed behind.

While Haakon had his hooves trimmed, Iacs and Kolka mooched around the shed.

Once finished and out they went back to their field(s) and I returned to the Minions to put them back as well.  They had made themselves at home in the sheep shed while having all the feed bowls down, that I had tidily stacked (thank you Silver).

Stephen said everyone looked well with no signs of hoof problems, so that was all good. I value his opinion.

I am exhausted now.

When BeAnne died, I never thought my heart could belong to another dog.  I really didn’t.  As far as I was concerned, it was broken and I was inconsolable.

But Pepper came into our lives and basically took them over.  She is a Patterdale terrier so her character traits are predominantly manipulative and ever willful.  A hardcore terrier, is the way this breed is described.   Not for the faint-hearted.  She took over the house and that was that.

Pepper has a tremendous sense of humour too, especially with her teefs – in my mind, she is still a puppy and she mostly makes me smile.

A little sweetie, though, when it suits.

And she always knows when I am talking about her.

Wherever I go, Pepper has to come too, no matter what.

Here she is waiting patiently while Edna has her second breakfast in the feed shed.

And a piccie of Ted so you don’t think he has been forgotten.  Ever the greasy Muppet but a happy one.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rowen Barbary Horse Feeds (@rowenbarbary)

If you don’t do Instagram, then there is a Faceboon version too.

The weather was, again (**sigh**) pretty revolting this morning so after breakfast, of course they all piled into the wee shed and I left them to it.

These two, honestly – you can tell they’re related (cousins, you know!)

But, not to be deterred by the rain, which finished mid-morning, I got hold of Fivla by her mane, as I had no headcollar, and told her to come on a dog-walk with me. Bless her, she did.  Fivla pottered along beside me, rather enthusiastically for her (obviously the new supplement is working) and the others left the shed to follow her.

And, of course, they all had an attack of the sillies.

Dear Fivla, so helpful, and unassuming.  She just (and later on with Vitamin) just got on with the job in hoof – enjoying the sunshine and eating.  Albie was with them too.

I do love it when the ponies play and it makes my heart sing to see them giggling with their friends.

(Please ignore the small brown dog that was winding them up – she just can’t help herself).