Hoof loose

It was one of those days. Life seemed almost normal which is too good to be true in our books. I almost smiled, looked like a spasm I guess.

It is almost dangerous for me to relax. Everytime I even begin to think things are settling the worst happens. And everytime the worst is worse than last time.

Viba is a houdini. She managed to get herself loose. Not a problem really since she is quite smart one. Doesn't go far usually. Now she has a small foal, Venda. Didn't want Venda to go running around causing mayhem. Had to stop mother, grabbed her by the tail. Didn't do the trick.

In Finland we have things like sisu and perkele. Sisu is a word for tough character most finns have. No matter how bad things get, finns survive. Finns even won a war against Russia.

Perkele is the world's most sisuest word. It's a powerful curse and basically goes with everything. If you're not getting your way in Finland, just shout Perkele and everything will be like smooth sailing. Even travelling holding onto a horses tail.

So I had my strong perkele and a bucket lying on the ground in unusual place for a bucket to be. If the perkele wasn't enough the empty bucket was. Finnhorses are known for their never ending appetite. And Vipsu was no exception. She saw a potential dinner, who would miss that?!

It was a disaster avoided. But the morning wasn't much better.

Venda, the filly from this spring, had a dallmer laterall glue shoe mounted a week before. Farrier pointed out the shoe should not be on for too long. If it was kept on too long the hoof would grow to resemble a muffin. Three weeks was the absolute max.

Three weeks, three days, don't care. I looked at Venda's little hoof and saw a muffin growing. I had to touch it. It was moving. It looked like it was loose. Holy shit, her hoof was falling of!?!

Even tough Venda was running around without a care in the world I was getting into a full on panic. I called our farrier who ran to our rescue. It is not common but very possible to a hoof to break when glue is stronger than the young hoof wall.

The farrier didn't say much. He looked serious, scratching his head and mumbling. I coulnd't breathe. I kept thinking he's just trying to figure out how to tell me the bad news. He went closer and touched the hoof. I heard a cracling sound. "Jenny, come here and see." He was holding a piece of the hoof. "This is dirt and glue."

I've never felt so embarrassed. I wanted to dissappear. Run away. Turn back the time. The works. I should have been glad. Everyone else was laughing their heads off, but I just wanted to crawl into a dark hole and curl up to a fetal position. Didn't do that. Laughed a little. Cried a little and life did go on..


- J