Uwe, our visiting equine physio came to see Haakon today.  He comes twice a year but not always to us – just when we need him and I have been thinking that Haakon needed him.

He gave Haakon a thorough going over.

Haakon participated too telling Uwe what hurt and what didn’t. Haakon is 29 years old so he has aches and pains and I have been seeing when he moves around.

And then Haakon had treatments to his stifles and back area.  Uwe said his back was particularly tight which confirmed what I was thinking.

Bibble, who had come along for the ride, watched on.

He didn’t have any treatment.  He is 100% fine and fluffy.

Then the leg wraps went on …..

…. and a back pad.

Afterwards, I loaded Haakon and Iacs into the horsevan and took them back to their field.  The wind was getting up so I wanted them “home”.

Kolka came trotting up.  Klaengur looked up, nodded and went back to eating.

Now, this is interesting and also lovely to see.

So I left them to it, knowing everyone was back together.  I hope Haakon has a more comfortable summer thanks to Uwe.

OH helped me bring Iacs and Haakon home today.

Haakon has a physio appointment first thing tomorrow and I want him nice and settled for it.

He is very stiff in his back legs and I just want to set him up for a good comfortable summer.

Iacs (aka Bibble) came along as company.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with him.  He won’t see the physio, apart to smile at.

The old men were both sort of pleased to be home but they wanted Mr and Mrs K to come along too, which is strange as they never stop arguing, all of them, these days and I was considering splitting them up if it continued.  But no, apparently they all love each other, deep down, underneath.

Luckily the new spring grass is just beginning to appear so Haakon and Iacs quickly forgot about their friends and are eating…..

…. together.

It is nice to have the horses home, even if it is brief – they will go back tomorrow afternoon.

I know Spring has finally arrived when my wall of primroses appears on either side of our burn (stream).

A truly beautiful sight and one I adore, every year.

The wild primroses grow enthusiastically either side of the burn on almost cliff-like banks.

This is probably why they grow so well because no one can eat or tread on them.

It was a glorious day today and the last for a while, I think.

A gale is on its’ way, accompanied with plummeting temperatures.

Snow or sleet is forecast next week too……

We are all very unimpressed with this weather forecast.

(but it was lovely to see Ted being a “proper dog” …..

…. while Pepper investigated the burn.)

So I hope the primroses will cope.  It seems very unfair since they’ve made a gloriously beautiful effort.

“Maybe it will miss us” – that’s what I always say when I look at a bad weather forecast.

You know when you start something and it grows into a mammoth task?

Yup, well that was us today.

OH and I took up our old Persian carpet in the sitting room.   It has been a job pending.

The rug is huge – 3.5 x 4 metres and weighs a tonne.

But we folded it up (I know, I know, never fold a Persian rug, always roll it), possibly along with the cat and two dogs – who knows!

And then we saw just how filthy the wooden floorboards were underneath.  The rug hadn’t been lifted for 20 years, I am slightly ashamed to say.

So OH and I spent the afternoon, vacuuming, scrubbing (a hands-and-knees job done by OH), while I found my dusty steam mop and spent hours looking for the instructions!  It worked very well too.

Anyway, we are letting the sitting room floor dry properly and will put our new-to-us Persian Kashan rug down on Friday, which we had picked up earlier in the morning..

It is equally huge and very beautiful.  We rolled it up and it is in the back of the van for the time being.

My back hurts a lot now.

I spent the afternoon with Stephen, our farrier.

First up, the Big Ones.  Only Klaengur and Bibble needed a trim and Haakon had a small bit chopped off where the results of an old abscess have finally appeared.

So that was nice and easy.

Then we walked down the hill to the Minions’ field.

Under there is a farrier.  Newt had him in a headlock.  Stephen didn’t seem to mind so I didn’t interfere.

Lots of help and advice, of course.

Storm and Waffle entertained themselves with my spare headcollar.

It’s not quite the same now.

And neither is my coat. When I went to go home I found I had very spitty soggy pockets.

Hoof verdict – everyone who had laminitis is looking much, much better. Their hooves show no signs of inflammation, bruising or rotation so I am much relieved.  The plan is to put them all on a mineral balancer specific for laminitis in a couple of weeks and to keep everyone where they are, possibly forever.

I am hugely relieved.  Hopefully, we can manage them all like this and keep laminitis at bay.

We finished up (only 5 done in this field) and climbed back up the hill, while Bibble looked magnificent, like a cave painting horse.

So job done. Everyone behaved…. sort of!