Yesterday, when we brought Haakon and Iacs in to try on hoofboots kindly brought by a friend, I saw the true state of Haakon’s front hooves and had a total panic.

OMG!  I had not realised that they had deteriorated quite so badly.  I felt very ashamed and instantly started imagining the hoof capsule coming off and having to put my dear old friend to sleep.  No horse can withstand that kind of hoof damage.

The abscesses from February/March have left huge scars and, although they are growing out, I was worried that Haakon’s feet were now not well balanced with any wrong pressure causing more harm.

Both fronts

So I put out an emergency call out for a farrier and luckily found there was one on the island – we have to import our farriers.  Best of all he was in our area the next day and could visit.

Today, I have been here, there and everywhere.

We started early, Floss and I by going to catch Storm and Vitamin to bring them home.  I had cheekily added them to the list but then felt guilty and owned up first.

The Shetland ponies have spent the day in the back old vegetable garden alternating between shouting at Hetja, Lilja and Sóley as well as staring at me creepily while I sit at my desk.

The farrier visited and did his work, sorting out everyone’s feet on his list.  I was most impressed and he was optimistic that we could, in perhaps a year’s time, shoe Haakon again and I could ride him once more.  My dream.  He said the hoof above the abscess was healthy, growing well and showed me how to rasp off the nasty bits as they grow downwards.  I am very relieved.

A busy day, but definitely worthwhile.

Two more feets to do today – first up was Storm as he did offer with his Winning Smile.

I had carted all my hoof-rasping equipment (rasp, hoof pick, two headcollars (small and larger) with rope and my axle stand) down to their field.  Of course they were at the furthest end.

After I had rasped his hooves (just the small battle of unhelpfulness), Storm decided to get revenge and upturn everything.  I think he wanted to make me smile again after our hoof row.  So he took the bag.  It was doomed.

I left Storm to his own amusements and turned my attention to Fivla.

With Storm scrushling through the bag in the background, Fivla duly had her hooves rasped.

He never gives up.  Hours of entertainment to be had from a Tesco bag.

Afterwards, I took my now-rather-soggy bag (can’t think why) away with me.  It wasn’t quite as nice as when I had arrived with it.

As the class clown, Storm has a huge sense of humour which keeps him and everyone around him smiling.  I do love him very much for it.

“”Painting the Forth Bridge” is a colloquial expression for a never-ending task, coined on the erroneous belief that at one time in the history of the (Edinburgh) bridge repainting was required and commenced immediately upon completion of the previous repaint.” – Wikipedia

Well, that’s how I feel about rasping small pony hooves.  It never ends. It never will end and I can’t leave it for any length of time as it always needs doing.  The Forth Bridge or Shetland pony hooves.

Today, I rasped the teensy-tinesy hooves of Newt (who was superb – he really has turned a corner about this).  What a guy!

Albie – who was moderately helpful.

Tiddles – who got a smacked bottom for stiff legs, refusing to help and generally being uncooperative.  I am sorry (I am not) but we had words. I won.  He gave up being a tit and his reward at the end was a very small bit of carrot which I grudgingly gave him.

And then, lastly, feeling very weak by now, Vitamin, who was ooooooookaaaaaaay.  Not brilliant, but not awful.

I ran out of steam after that but I know who is left to do.  I have a farrier coming on Thursday to check I am keeping on top of their hooves and doing it right.

Tomorrow, I will do battle with Silver….

Fivla and Storm

And Waffle – but I may have to go over and get him.  Today was an Alone Day (large black dot/lump in distance).

Althought blowy, it was nice to spend time with my Shetlands.  As I write this, my Painpod is on full revs and boost.  An essential piece of kit for this never-ending job – my very own Forth Bridge.

Everyone is very tired.  It was a long noisy night and of course I lay in bed worrying.

I wasn’t surprised to see lots of sleeping going on today.

As the wind slowly died down, all our animals were recuperating.  I left them all to it.  It is only fair.

Lilja, Hetja and Sóley were miles away in their correct field (phew!)  Sóley was hopping and skipping about so all is well there too.  The sheeple stayed around the house. They didn’t want to be in a field so I didn’t force them.

You can see the relief that it is all over.   Even the hens were enjoying their freedom.  They had been shed-bound yesterday.

I went over to check on the Minions and Brá – all very relaxed and had found shelter in their respective fields.

En route, I met this little chap trundling along the side of the road.  As you know, I do love a hedgepig.

He is not very big, so probably one of this year’s babies.

I made a quick detour to my local beach. Always good for spectacular waves.

So that’s us. All safe and well after the storm.  Everything looks a bit burnt and frayed around the edges now.

We had one casualty –  a concreted-in garden gate post that was pulled from its moorings by the wind and now lives in the middle of the lawn!

The weather has disintegrated all day.  It started with torrential rain and now we are heading towards a Force 8 gusting 12.

Hey ho. That’s the way it is up here this time of year.  The Equinox gales have arrived but just a bit early.  Hatches have been battened down, haybags for sheeple filled and we have a supply of hen and sheep feed in the house so we won’t have to struggle with any feed-shed doors in this wind.  As it will all get a bit violent and dangerous outside, we plan ahead while keeping everything that needs to be done outside to the absolute minimum.

There is shelter in the fields and the horses are not stupid (please not today, Sóley, and do whatever your mother tells you.  She knows best.)  The clever boys are situated on the other side of the already flooding burn where there is no wind.

So today was an inside sort of day and once chores were done, I decided to plan and set up my latest stop-motion film.  Lambie arrived.

And Her Maj.

Lambie wanted shelter from the rain, happy to leave his two friends outside – they swiftly went back to bed next door.

Lambie was a bit wierd about my wellies.

At least he didn’t have an argument with them like the office chair. The other day, Lambie decided to spend ages telling off (butting) my chair while getting crosser as it spun round, annoying him further.

Then Lambie asked to go out and then stood outside asking to come back in.  He dithered there for a bit so I shut the door and he rammed it. We went on like that for a while.

I am looking forward to getting to grips with my new film with or without my idiot sheep.