Tag Archives: Haakon

Sheds and Hostages

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To town this morning – physio assessment for me and the annual horse-van service/MOT which I am confident it will fail. When OH and I got home, we were given a huge welcome by everyone.  This is Monster’s feed-me face.  He was two hours early for his tea but optimistic.

After poo-picking the track in a Force 9 – moderate gale – which can only be described as difficult, I had a quick glance at the weather forecast and decided to lug out the carefully put-away rainsheet rugs for the elderly.

As it was so windy, I thought the easiest method would be to open up the little shed and put the rugs on one at a time in there.  No wind = no flapping about.

I successfully did the big ones and thought I would leave it at that but Fivla and Vitamin turned up and looked hopeful.

So I put rugs on them too but just thin ones to act as windcheaters more than anything else.

Iacs quickly made the shed his home.  There is room for others but that can be a tight squeeze.

I decided not to rug up Tiddles. He has the container for shelter. But I also noticed a miserable brown little pony held captive.

Tiddles had stolen the haynet Newt had been eating, blocking him in.

So, being the nice person that I am, I went and got Newt his own haynet.

And I asked Tiddles to try and be a bit nicer to Newt.  He said that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.

So those were my good deeds for the day and can we all pray that horse-van gets through its MOT/service relatively cheaply and eventually passes without me having to sell a kidney or my first born.  I am not holding my breath.

Haakon’s Weight Loss

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Haakon seems to have suddenly lost weight almost overnight which is not like him. Usually it is Iacs who comes into spring a bit lean.  So now, of course, I am worried.

It’s been a long day packing Turriefield vegetables this morning, collecting fattening horse-food from a friend and lastly popping over to another friend to collect equine wormer which she had kindly brought back from Lerwick yesterday.

When I finally got home mid-afternoon, although the sun was out, there is a north wind blowing which made everything much colder.

I walked down to the field and put Iacs’ winter rug back on.  He was very happily surprised and both Vitamin and Fivla said they would quite like their’s on too please so I told them no, you’re fine.  We’ll see how the week goes.

Then I led Haakon into the garden and gave him a big bucket of the fattening food which luckily he really liked and happily ate.

The others were now pretty cross at this blatant favouritism so I went into the house and found some carrots to throw and to get them off the fences. It briefly did the trick.

And then they were back, watching.

I don’t like how Haakon’s backbone is sticking out and his bottom is thin on his legs.  I can also feel his ribs and there is no cushioning.  For a 32 year old horse, I wouldn’t want him any thinner and he must put on weight if he is to keep going.

So rug on, and Haakon will get two meals a day to fatten him up.

I hope the others don’t mind too much.

Oh yes, and this is the damage in Haakon’s hoof after that horrid abscess/stone made.  Poor lad.

So that’s the plan. Two meals a day and rug on while the north wind is blowing.

I will consider rugging the others up but, to be perfectly honest, they are looking fine and probably don’t need it.

Glad I’m home

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Golly, I am glad I’m home.Home

So, what happened….

Monday morning I went by air ambulance and was delivered to Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen.  The admitting doctor got excited about my ankle (I went over on it a few days back) so I hobbled down to x-ray (can’t sit, remember?) and they declared I had another avulsion fracture on the medial malleolus of my left ankle. I have had a few in previous years as I lack balance.  So my ankle was put in a blowy-uppy little cast thingy that annoyed more than helped.

Tuesday was the MRI scan and, as that was what I had come down for, that was what I was pleased about having.  With much undignified rolling on and off trolleys in a gown that sort of doesn’t do up at the back, I went through the machine hoping I wasn’t going to get stuck and have to live there forever.

After the scan, one of the spinal team (pain nurse) came over to me to say he could see nothing at first glance (but he did admit he had only been in the job some weeks) so then I spent the next night wondering if folk thought I was a complete fraud and asking myself if this was imaginary attention-seeking pain.  The ward staff were muttering things like normal airplanes and ferries to get home which left me feeling sick with worry as to how I would manage.

Then on Wednesday morning, I was woken by my pain nurse friend from the spinal team who said my surgeon had looked at the MRI and declared L4 was now bulging hence the pain and misery down my left leg and hip and back. This is the one above the original fusion.

The plan is that my surgeon wants me to have a nerve root infiltration with steroids and anaesthetic from the Pain Clinic in Shetland.  I have no idea what that is but I think it involves a big needle and my back.  I asked how I would get home to be told “air ambulance, of course” with which I gave an enormous sigh of relief.  Lumpy and bumpy but at least no hellish sitting.

So thinking happy thoughts, and finally understanding my pain, I was just considering getting up, etc when my nurse popped back to say the worst words ever – “oh yes, Mr Craig has just asked me to tell you that you cannot ride your horse until after the injections”.  I fought my corner but to no avail. I tried to explain that riding helps my back and mobility but it fell on deaf ears.  His parting words were that walking would help.

So now I walk with my Haakon. Even with my duff ankle.

We went for a couple of miles today – him, me and BeAnne in the spitting rain.IMG_7118  

It was lovely to sniff the Shetland air, not be hospitalised or base one’s day on when the tea-trolley is going to appear.BN2A8583 IMG_7126

Meanwhile, everyone at home was fine.  BeAnne was thrilled to see me. I moved the horses into another field and had a massive snog from Bozz-Bozz.  Klængur looked very relieved too, barged past everyone to put his whole head in my arms and just stay there while I rested my head on his and stroked him for five minutes.BN2A8610

I suppose everyone just has different priorities.BN2A8580