If you have to have a horse and you have to keep it in a stable, get a stallion – that’s my only equine advice.

And I will tell you why – stallions poo in one spot and that makes mucking out much easier.

Mind, it will be one big giant poo mountain but it is at least in one place and not scattered to the four walls which is what geldings like to do.  Messy boys.

Walking into the stable this afternoon, I instantly knew that Taktur has spent his morning making a poo pile.

(That is Daisy’s competition horse, Kappi, in the photo eating his bucket of fresh air, just so you don’t get mixed up)

For eating purposes, we had parked Efstur and Taktur in the gelding’s stall and you can see the chaos.  Mucky boys, geldings.

And here is Dreki Dragon all goodly eating and then he will all goodly lead nicely to the field because he is like his father, Taktur, and is a gentleman in the making.

Really, upon reflection, Taktur is possibly Piers Brosnan in horse form.

We dropped of BeAnne, nil by mouth, this morning at the vet for re-test of her blood plus a possible re-scan and dental.

For two weeks now, she has been on antibiotics, liver aid capsules with a hepatic diet syringed down her twice daily.

We have slowly seen the results – BeAnne perked up, her normal appetite returned mostly (it started by stealing cat food and then she moved onto eating her own food).  There are mind games too – you have no idea at the hoops she makes us jump through.  It got to the point when she started to eat on her own from a bowl when The Blue Danube was playing on the radio so we decided en famille that we would have to sing it to her at every meal time.  Someone pointed out that we had become like the neurotic couple in Best in Show with Busy Bee!

So, anywho, we went back to the vet as requested to see what, if any, progress we had made.  We left Her Maj there, signed every Consent Form, left all available phone numbers and came home.

I have spent the day sat next to the phone, even phoning the vet twice to check our phone worked (yes, I was that sad and desperate for her results)!

The good news is that BeAnne has kept her weight on and the liver enzymes, although still high, are now not off-the-scale-high and have come down hugely.  Although not safe enough for a general anaesthetic at the moment, the plan is to keep doing what we are doing (ie sing the Blue Danube) and keeping her eating her liver-function improvement pills, finish the antibiotics and if, in a month, her liver enzymes are signficantly better, then she will have her teeth sorted out.

We’ve just got home. BeAnne ate a huge dinner and is asleep exhausted having “sung” continuously to the veterinary staff.  I have a migraine now from all the worry and the waiting.

This was my view first thing this morning.

The daily bucket consisting of interchangeable roughage for Iacs and Klængur. I leave them to bicker between themselves as they get the same diet.  Basically fresh air fibre.

As you can see, neither really need anything but they would hassle Haakon unmercifully who has to have a vehicle for his medication.

Haakon’s food is also the same plus the world’s smallest handful of mare/youngstock mix (using it up and it cheers him up as he hates the taste of one his meds) with a combination of Devil’s Claw and Turmeric which is working really well for him this winter.  I can see a huge difference.

As I stand with my old friend, deterring circling vultures if necessary, all I can think is “this time last year” and I am grateful for every day I have with him.

They all know my rules.  Absolutely no hassling, on pain of death or there will be words and leaping up and down!

This is their huge field – looking over to Stourborough Hill.  I almost think the Spring grass is thinking of appearing.  Only almost.

Because the grass is at its “almost” stage, we still put out hay.

There is enthusiasm for any calorific addition we make in their lives.

I love this photo of Iacs burying his nose in the hay!

Anywho, the weather will be vile for the next 48 hours so all food eaten is going to help stoke the very efficient Icelandic horse central heating.

This afternoon, having done all horse/pony/sheeple chores (feeding buckets, hay nets put up, checking, counting legs, feeding carrots, second breakfasts….), I took BeAnne to my shed for some peace and quiet.

Monster said he was already comfortable and wasn’t joining us.

Lambie was flouncing around outside so I invited him in too.

BeAnne took up her spot (my old Icelandic lopapeysa (gansey) on her comfy-wumfy bed)

Lambie was in a bit of a mood – I have no idea why but he spent most of his afternoon staring resentfully into the middle distance chewing his cud.

After a while, he sat down while I stabbed away.

(There was a faint, actually I lie, a strong smell of pee – it’s that time of year. Lambie has a thick fleece and he can’t help it.  He is not peeing in my shed just carrying the smell about with him. As his Muzzah, I forgive him totally).

Meanwhile I optimistically put on the aromatherapy essential oil diffuser and made my sheeple.

I used Blue-Faced Leicester for the fleece – smaller curls which are rather lovely and obviously Shetland wool for the rest. I liked him.

He happily joined the others. I wonder what they talk about when I’m not there?

Leradale consists of two fields – the nice green bit around the derelict house (I promise you it was green once) and the fenced in hill over on the other side of the wire fence that runs down the middle.  Usually the Minions spend their winter in the hill park but we opened it all up so they could live together when we weaned Sóley-the-Foalie.

Yesterday, they were mostly living in opposite fields.

It was a calm afternoon so I accompanied Floss down to see the chaps.

Tiddles looking so very gorgeous.

Waffle – as wide as he is not very tall

“What do you mean wide?”

Sóley-the-Foalie and Lilja were together and actually Vitamin was nearby too, which was good to see.  They are integrating.

Everyone was given their daily carrot.

And Fivla had her daily dose of TurmerAid which she loves. It has helped her hugely this winter.

She even whiffles when she sees Flossie and knows the bowl is especially for her.

Leradale is a big enough croft so that everyone can have the space they want.

Or not, if you’re Newt who is still determined to come home with me.

Though Albie might miss his best friend.

The boys (ie Storm) had a thorough search of Floss’ pocketses.  She was thoroughly frisked before leaving the field.

They are such funny little ponios and seldom fail to make me smile.  Good therapy.