I hate weaning. I feel like the meanest person in the world.

It went fairly smoothly, though. First Floss and I went to fetch Brá, bring her home and put her in a stable with Kappi next door to keep her company.

Then we went over to Leradale to feed and distract Sóley and Lilja while we extricated Hetja without anyone realising.  Floss opened the adjoining gate, the Minions flooded in, occupied the girls and I loaded Hetja into the van and we drove away.

Back home and we put Kappi back in his field (thanking him for his help), loaded Brá into the van with Hetja and drove them over to their new field – just across from Thordale. There is not much grass but it will do for the time being.

We thought there would be a huge a reunion between Hetja and Brá – they barely lifted their heads.

So that was that and a few hours I went back to check on the Minions and the Icelandic sisters at Leradale. It was all a bit “us and them”.

This fence these three had managed to cower behind is not actually a real functional fence.

Lilja was looking out for her sister realising she was already missing her Mum.

Albie came over to introduce himself.

Albie got bitten for his efforts but took it well.

I gave him a big hug for trying.

I feel awful for Sóley but she has Lilja to get her through this.

The Minions are keeping well away until the girls settle with them.

So today I am the meanest person in the world.

Waffle was looking particularly gorgeous, though.  Interestingly, he was staying well out of the politics and that is unusual because he and Lilja were the greatest of friends last year.  Perhaps she’s realised he is not actually going to grow taller!

I remembered I have some horses and tomorrow we bite the bullet.

We are going to wean Sóley-the-Foalie.

She is a good size and it is very clear that Hetja has had enough of her.

Despite Sóley’s constant protestations, Hetja is not really wanting her daughter to nurse anymore. Usually when she tries, she just walks away.

(that has to be the longest tongue I have ever seen – is that even normal?)

When I mentioned this plan to Hetja, she brightened up at the thought.

And I can’t say I really blame her.  Most mares have their foals removed and weaned at just a few months old but I like the mare to say when she has had enough and Hetja is certainly telling me.

She has had enough.

Anyway, the plan is to collect Brá and put her in the stable with a friend (Kappi), then one person will catch Hetja and the other will open the gates to release the Minions. During the hubbub, we will drive Hetja away before anyone notices.

Sóley will have her sister, Lilja, and a whole new pile of friends while Hetja will have her freedom!

The time has come and that’s the plan.

Well, it has been a worrying day of waiting.  We dropped off BeAnne at 08.30 at a different branch of our usual vet’s (Scalloway) as they had the scanning machine plus the specialist vet there.

Afterwards, we drove over to Houlls Horses and Hounds to leave the animal transport container that the Muscovy ducks had travelled to us in.

We spent a lovely morning there being thoroughly distracted, which is exactly what we needed.

This is Esja’s home! It was good to see her.

Lunch and a few messages in town and we drove back to collect Her Maj and talk to the vet.  We were told that they had found an unidentifiable mass in her liver which they were not sure about because it was an area hard to see. It didn’t look the rupturing type (think Loki and Wu) and could well be benign or nothing but her liver enzymes remain high and her teeth are revolting.  The plan is she starts antibiotics and a specialist hepatic diet plus I have ordered Protexin Danamarin tablets (contains “natural ingredients which protect and repair liver tissues from the effects of toxins or drugs and so improve liver function”) – as recommended by the vet with a view to taking blood again in two weeks and reviewing whether her liver enzymes have lowered and she can have a dental.

As I type, BeAnne is utterly miserable, refusing anything and can’t get comfortable but she had a mild sedative and had been singing all day with her neighbour so I think she is exhausted and feeling a bit sore from the scan – the vet said she had to prod.

We will go day by day now and play the wait-and-see game. It’s all we can do. x

Well the vet phoned last night with BeAnne’s blood results.  Blood was taken yesterday to measure her liver and kidney function.

Her liver enzymes were high which has sent our heads spinning with worry.

I immediately booked Her Maj in for a liver ultrasound tomorrow.

This photo is from just now. She has just had a reluctant supper (fed by hand).

I am just praying that her liver enzymes are up because of the teeth – apparently it can happen (Daisy googled it) and not anything else.  So please keep everything crossed, pray to any listening deity and keep us in your thoughts tomorrow.  I am dreading this and can’t think (or write) straight.

Storm Jorge is just finishing up.  There are no words.  There are also no more dry waterproofs in this house.  They just hang and drip.

All the fields are flooded and the horses have been inside all day. We will let them out later on this evening.  I put the old men in the indoor school so they could move about more.

Anywho, to the vet I went (while OH and Floss heroically fed those that live outwith the homestead) with BeAnne.

We saw a new vet who was very kind, helpful and concerned while BeAnne did her best poor-me urchin impression until I had to admit that Her Maj was perhaps milking it and perhaps even over-playing her misery.

Anyway, blood was taken (test liver and kidney function) and a little “sheep” bandage was put on to ebb the flow of the depression.

Once home, BeAnne had her Thundershirt put on as she was in such a state. She is not a good traveller any more.

The verdict so far is it is probably teeth.  She had a few rotten ones and possibly infected too.  On the good side, BeAnne’s heart is strong so she could stand an anaesthetic to remove the bad ones.  We will see what the blood test comes back with first.

Meanwhile, Monster has taken up residence in, what is lovingly known in this house, as The Fortress of Solitude.

His cat flu has returned and he is feeling very rough.  Sneezing and sneezing.  Poor lad.  He is very quiet.

While I was in the surgery with BeAnne, I talked to the vet about his recurrent flu and we both agreed that there was not much we could do. I am increasing Monster’s own immunity with proper home-made meals and a tube of Gim-Cat “Immun-Booster Complex” which says it “strengthens the immune system and the body’s own defence mechanism”.  He likes eating it, which helps.

My animals are very hard work these days.  Off to let out the chaps now into the flooded fields. Yay!