It didn't go quite as quickly as I'd hoped, but we did get all of the hay unloaded and stacked away. 170 bales in the barn loft - which is not nearly as full as I thought it would look - and another 28 in the granary for quick access (and cat insulation).
We started unloading Saturday afternoon after T got off work, and with H home from college even had an extra set of hands for the first couple hours. Which was a huge surprise and a lovely gift, considering she's not at all interested in the horses. And given the fact that she only weight about 30 lbs. more than the bales do, I was seriously impressed that she stuck it out for that long.
We had the first 60 or so bales in the loft when the skidsteer started acting up. Resolving that problem and a break for supper took a couple hours, and by 5:30 it was too dark in the loft to see to stack. So call it 85 bales on Saturday.
And of course, for the first time in over a month, Sunday morning's forecast called for rain. It started to spit as the last 25 bales came off the trailer, and probably would have poured had we left some on, but we didn't end up getting enough to even settle the dust.
I guess I'm in better shape than I thought, as other than my hands I'm not terribly sore, and I sure thought I would be. Tired, though. I slept really, really well Sunday night.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Amyra, on the fourth day
The camera was in my pocket on Tuesday afternoon when Amyra got herself stuck. Guess I'd never make it as a reporter, because I didn't stop along the way to document the untangling process. But I did get one picture after I had her all undone and doctored.
Here's the same foot this morning. The black stuff mostly dust stuck to the wound spray and feet wet the from dew/heavy fog we had overnight. There's some scabbing at the back, but she completely ignored my prodding at it, so apparently it's not sore.
Still can't believe how incredibly lucky we were!
Here's the same foot this morning. The black stuff mostly dust stuck to the wound spray and feet wet the from dew/heavy fog we had overnight. There's some scabbing at the back, but she completely ignored my prodding at it, so apparently it's not sore.
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| From the left (outside, same as above) |
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| From the back |
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| From the front |
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| From the right (inside) |
What's on your gift list?
What's on your horsey wish-list this year? I'm guessing like me, you probably have a running list of necessary, would-like, and when-I-win-the-lottery tack room & horse gear tucked away somewhere in your brain. Here's hoping some of those items will end up under your tree or decorating your four-foot (or you) after the holidays.
Me? It's no secret around our house that horse-something is always appreciated. But every year about this time T announces, "I don't want anything for Christmas. Nothing. Christmas is too commercialized." (He does this for birthdays, too. And of course I get him something anyway.) And before you start thinking, oh, he must just really like surprising me, or that he really hates shopping in general, nope. That's not it.
I suspect in his mind, if I don't get him anything, he doesn't have to shop for me. To be fair, it's more likely the trauma of past gifts given: jewelry (I've never worn any of it), the new cell phone (it went back), the perfume (made me sneeze, reference jewelry above)... see where I'm going with this?
For my birthday this year, we got a new coffee maker. I picked it out. As copious amounts of strong black caffeine help keep other people safe (from me) in the pre-dawn hours, it was the perfect gift. Although we agreed it was my birthday present after our previous one died the morning before my birthday....
But really, I'm not that hard to shop for, honest. The perfect gift doesn't have to be expensive, sparkly, or even require braving the mall or that store, initials VS, full of lacy things, that shall not be named. I'm even okay with gifts of small power tools - or would be, if T didn't already own most of the ones I can name and more that I can't! But you be the judge; here are a few items that made my Christmas list this year, several of which can actually be found at the local lumberyard:
(We won't mention the gorgeous saddle rack I spotted on Pinterest that I know he's more than capable of making for me. And yes, I hinted. Well, actually, I came right out and said, "Hey honey, look what I found! Why don't you build me this, with wheels, for your next project! It would be a perfect gift!")
So anyway, this year when he started bemoaning the shopping aspect taking over the spirit of Christmas, I called bull. "You just don't want to shop for me. Because you and I both know you'll get the kids and your mom something." LOL! Yep.
T's right, of course, it's not all about the presents, but this list is going up on the fridge. :)
Me? It's no secret around our house that horse-something is always appreciated. But every year about this time T announces, "I don't want anything for Christmas. Nothing. Christmas is too commercialized." (He does this for birthdays, too. And of course I get him something anyway.) And before you start thinking, oh, he must just really like surprising me, or that he really hates shopping in general, nope. That's not it.
I suspect in his mind, if I don't get him anything, he doesn't have to shop for me. To be fair, it's more likely the trauma of past gifts given: jewelry (I've never worn any of it), the new cell phone (it went back), the perfume (made me sneeze, reference jewelry above)... see where I'm going with this?
For my birthday this year, we got a new coffee maker. I picked it out. As copious amounts of strong black caffeine help keep other people safe (from me) in the pre-dawn hours, it was the perfect gift. Although we agreed it was my birthday present after our previous one died the morning before my birthday....
But really, I'm not that hard to shop for, honest. The perfect gift doesn't have to be expensive, sparkly, or even require braving the mall or that store, initials VS, full of lacy things, that shall not be named. I'm even okay with gifts of small power tools - or would be, if T didn't already own most of the ones I can name and more that I can't! But you be the judge; here are a few items that made my Christmas list this year, several of which can actually be found at the local lumberyard:
- A saucer. Not the teacup kind, the outdoor, fun in the snow kind you can tie a nice long rope to. Given snow, I think Sunny would be a perfectly lovely saucer-towing pony. At least, I'd like to give it a try.
- Weave/pole-bending set of 8 poles. Admittedly, a more time consuming present, but with a few empty coffee cans - we have those (!) - some quick-set concrete, and a few lengths of PVC, not overly spendy.
- A pair of large C-clamps. My own set, for moving the trailer mats, that way I don't have to dig through the tool box (and remember to return) a borrowed set from the workshop when I deep clean the trailer.
- A trailer mat. A new one for outside the barn, one under the loft door for dropping hay out onto. Yes, this is on my to-be-purchased list anyway, but it would be a lovely early gift, and he'd definitely get credit.
- New lead ropes. Several of the old ones are really ratty, and I'd love a couple more of the long, thick, cotton kind with bull snaps. Not available at the lumberyard, but I'd take an IOU in my stocking.
- A battery-operated portable radio. For the granary/barn/orchard riding. With good speakers, and maybe a port to plug in my MP3 player if I wanted to ride to a particular playlist.
- Flavored coffee. Not horse related you say? But since it's lovely, lovely caffeine, or the promise of it when I come in, that propels my butt out the door to do chores in the morning, and I'm the one that drinks the flavored stuff, it counts. And that's grocery shopping.
- Horse treats. Always acceptable. The (Sunny-approved) gift that keeps on giving.
(We won't mention the gorgeous saddle rack I spotted on Pinterest that I know he's more than capable of making for me. And yes, I hinted. Well, actually, I came right out and said, "Hey honey, look what I found! Why don't you build me this, with wheels, for your next project! It would be a perfect gift!")
So anyway, this year when he started bemoaning the shopping aspect taking over the spirit of Christmas, I called bull. "You just don't want to shop for me. Because you and I both know you'll get the kids and your mom something." LOL! Yep.
T's right, of course, it's not all about the presents, but this list is going up on the fridge. :)
Friday, November 21, 2014
Review: Bandage Cutter/Hoof Pick
Combo Bandage Cutter/Hoof Pick: After a week of trying not to stab myself or Rufus with short, pointy-ended scissors, while attempting to remove firmly adhered to itself Vetrap, I was thrilled to find an inexpensive dual ended bandage cutter/hoof pick.
At less than $3, it was a bargain, and it really worked, at least initially.
It ended up costing about $1 per month. Because after the third month of twice daily use, the blade is very, very dull. And unfortunately, it isn't replaceable. But still not a bad deal, especially if you don't intend to use it as frequently, or only intend to need it frequently for a short time.
The hoof pick is... sort of okay as long as you're not attempting to dislodge packed dirt, gravel, or dried on mud. Or gooey mud. So basically it works well on anything soft that falls out easily. Like horse manure. Otherwise, the end bends. I haven't broken it yet though.
The cutter is far, far better than scissors for removing Vetrap, it was much harder to stab Rufus accidentally. It is more difficult to cut myself (although I can still manage), but also amazingly easy to separate myself from a stray lock of hair. Yes, my hair has gotten that long, and no, I don't always have it tied back when I do chores. Probably not an issue you need to worry about if you're more attentive, remember a hair tie, or have short hair.
I'm going to try a Multi-Cutter next - maybe it will be a bit more durable.
It ended up costing about $1 per month. Because after the third month of twice daily use, the blade is very, very dull. And unfortunately, it isn't replaceable. But still not a bad deal, especially if you don't intend to use it as frequently, or only intend to need it frequently for a short time.
The hoof pick is... sort of okay as long as you're not attempting to dislodge packed dirt, gravel, or dried on mud. Or gooey mud. So basically it works well on anything soft that falls out easily. Like horse manure. Otherwise, the end bends. I haven't broken it yet though.
The cutter is far, far better than scissors for removing Vetrap, it was much harder to stab Rufus accidentally. It is more difficult to cut myself (although I can still manage), but also amazingly easy to separate myself from a stray lock of hair. Yes, my hair has gotten that long, and no, I don't always have it tied back when I do chores. Probably not an issue you need to worry about if you're more attentive, remember a hair tie, or have short hair.
I'm going to try a Multi-Cutter next - maybe it will be a bit more durable.
Yay, hay!
Upwards of 15,000 lbs. of small squares trailed me home last night.
The big round bales have been here for a while, but having some small squares stored in the barn is never a bad thing. Especially given how cold the weather has turned this fall! We stacked 60 up in the loft this summer, and another 200 will be joining them on Saturday. Really nice grass hay, averaging about 77 lbs. a bale, and decently priced, too.
A bit of cushion if winter hangs around into spring.
One of the guys at work puts it up, and he does a fabulous job - nice, tight, evenly packed, sweet smelling bales, all stored under cover. The horses loved the ones I bought from him last year. Not to mention how super-convenient it is to have to-work delivery - last year I only got 50 bales, so I just picked it up in the horse trailer. This time since with the larger amount, he loaded it (he has a bale mover attachment for his skidsteer that will grab 12 bales at a time - and boy howdy, would I love one of those!) onto his big flatbed and pulled the trailer in to work. Much easier to just hook on and drag it home from there.
He ran the whole shebang across the scale on the way into town: his truck (1 ton Dodge dually, same as ours) & loaded trailer weighed in at upwards of 33,000 lbs. Which was kind of fun to pull. I haven't driven with a load that heavy on before.
Out of curiosity, what's hay running in your neck of the woods? We paid $50 per net-wrapped, big rounds of prairie/mixed grass hay - not sure what they weigh in at, but I'm guessing somewhere in the 900-1100 lb. range based on how tight they're baled & how hard the skidsteer works to move them. That's about average for here. The small squares were $4.50 a bale, which again is about average based on what's listed on the HayExchange for Kansas ($3.75-$5.00/bale for grass hay).
(Stay tuned for further adventures as we actually get the bales stacked in the loft!)
The big round bales have been here for a while, but having some small squares stored in the barn is never a bad thing. Especially given how cold the weather has turned this fall! We stacked 60 up in the loft this summer, and another 200 will be joining them on Saturday. Really nice grass hay, averaging about 77 lbs. a bale, and decently priced, too.
A bit of cushion if winter hangs around into spring.
One of the guys at work puts it up, and he does a fabulous job - nice, tight, evenly packed, sweet smelling bales, all stored under cover. The horses loved the ones I bought from him last year. Not to mention how super-convenient it is to have to-work delivery - last year I only got 50 bales, so I just picked it up in the horse trailer. This time since with the larger amount, he loaded it (he has a bale mover attachment for his skidsteer that will grab 12 bales at a time - and boy howdy, would I love one of those!) onto his big flatbed and pulled the trailer in to work. Much easier to just hook on and drag it home from there.
He ran the whole shebang across the scale on the way into town: his truck (1 ton Dodge dually, same as ours) & loaded trailer weighed in at upwards of 33,000 lbs. Which was kind of fun to pull. I haven't driven with a load that heavy on before.
Out of curiosity, what's hay running in your neck of the woods? We paid $50 per net-wrapped, big rounds of prairie/mixed grass hay - not sure what they weigh in at, but I'm guessing somewhere in the 900-1100 lb. range based on how tight they're baled & how hard the skidsteer works to move them. That's about average for here. The small squares were $4.50 a bale, which again is about average based on what's listed on the HayExchange for Kansas ($3.75-$5.00/bale for grass hay).
(Stay tuned for further adventures as we actually get the bales stacked in the loft!)
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Stay Calm and Locate the Channel Locks
Stayed home sick from work yesterday, only the second one I've used since April of 2013. I made it through morning chores with a splitting headache and one emergency run to the house for the bathroom, and decided crawling back into bed was the wisest course of action. I hate being sick. Divine providence at work, though.
Because when I finally crawled out of bed at noon feeling much more human and less like body parts above my neck were going to fall off, I counted only three horses clustered together in the orchard. Thunder, Sunny, and Rufus. Hmmmm.... Not the normal trio (Sunny, Amyra, Thunder) plus one (Rufus) that's the usual make-up of the afternoon sun worshipers. But the boys didn't look fussed so, I thought, she could be over eating hay at the feeder by herself, which has been known to happen.
About 1 o'clock I went out to hang a load of laundry and again counted the same three horses. And there was whinnying, which I hadn't been able to hear from inside. Okay, the whinnying was Sunny, who does whinny pretty much whenever the house door opens because, hey, there's a slim chance it means he's going to get fed. But still. And when I looked, Amyra wasn't by the feeder, and she wasn't drinking. A quick survey of the orchard didn't turn her up; she wasn't hiding behind the pecan tree or dozing by the barn.
When I did finally spot her, my stomach flipped over. She was up in a corner of the creek pasture, not that far from the barn geographically speaking, but definitely not somewhere she would stay of her own volition with the boys down in the orchard. And in that stationary horse position that screams, "I don't want to try to move, because I can't move."
All four feet were solidly on the ground, she was alert and looking my way, so my first thought was she'd somehow found a tangle of old wire to get stuck in. (Despite my best efforts, every now and then one seems to roll magically out of nowhere.) But no, it was better than that, at least marginally. She'd managed - in that incredibly how the H-E-double-hockey-sticks??? fashion that horses do - to get one hind foot stuck in a loop of wire cable. You know, the thick kind that gets used to anchor power poles? Yep. That kind.
Stapled to a big fence post just below dirt level, and why it was left on, I haven't the faintest. I didn't see it when I walked the fences earlier this month (or last year, either, 'cause it surely didn't just now materialize) and Amyra caught her foot in the very end of a 15' stretch of it. She must have stepped into it somehow, and then like a rabbit in a trap, pulled, and the twist that formed the loop tightened down until it wouldn't slide back down over her hoof. And of course, right in the corner where two sections of barbwire meet. Yes, I know, barbwire + horses = bad news, but it's a COW pasture I keep being told. Sigh.
She wasn't panicked, thankfully, just ticked to be stuck. And not best pleased at being deserted by the boys. I ran back to the barn after a halter & lead, channel locks (because no way were bare hands or light pliers going to do the trick), and the wire cutters just in case she decided now was the right time to back into the fence, start kicking, and get tangled up in it, too.
Oh, and treats and the clicker. And that proved to be the trick. Once she determined that standing still while I untwisted the three-times-wound-around end, one twist at a time, with the channel locks so she could step out got her a clicker-reward, she was stationary. No kicking, no fussing, just the occasional butt-sniff to see what I was up to.
Five minutes - that felt like 50, let me tell you - and she was loose. I led her back, let her get a drink, tied her up and examined the damage - completely superficial, thank you, thank you, thank you! - and applied some topical wound spray to what basically amounted to a rub mark and one scrape on the opposite leg from the cable end. Tolerating me poking and prodding got her some more clicks/treats, which she definitely didn't mind. When I put her back in with the boys she had another drink and headed over to the feeder without any more fuss and no trace of soreness.
And THEN I spent the next five minutes sitting on the well house with my head between my knees until my stomach decided to behave. So grateful I was home sick. Not to mention that:
Because when I finally crawled out of bed at noon feeling much more human and less like body parts above my neck were going to fall off, I counted only three horses clustered together in the orchard. Thunder, Sunny, and Rufus. Hmmmm.... Not the normal trio (Sunny, Amyra, Thunder) plus one (Rufus) that's the usual make-up of the afternoon sun worshipers. But the boys didn't look fussed so, I thought, she could be over eating hay at the feeder by herself, which has been known to happen.
About 1 o'clock I went out to hang a load of laundry and again counted the same three horses. And there was whinnying, which I hadn't been able to hear from inside. Okay, the whinnying was Sunny, who does whinny pretty much whenever the house door opens because, hey, there's a slim chance it means he's going to get fed. But still. And when I looked, Amyra wasn't by the feeder, and she wasn't drinking. A quick survey of the orchard didn't turn her up; she wasn't hiding behind the pecan tree or dozing by the barn.
When I did finally spot her, my stomach flipped over. She was up in a corner of the creek pasture, not that far from the barn geographically speaking, but definitely not somewhere she would stay of her own volition with the boys down in the orchard. And in that stationary horse position that screams, "I don't want to try to move, because I can't move."
All four feet were solidly on the ground, she was alert and looking my way, so my first thought was she'd somehow found a tangle of old wire to get stuck in. (Despite my best efforts, every now and then one seems to roll magically out of nowhere.) But no, it was better than that, at least marginally. She'd managed - in that incredibly how the H-E-double-hockey-sticks??? fashion that horses do - to get one hind foot stuck in a loop of wire cable. You know, the thick kind that gets used to anchor power poles? Yep. That kind.
Stapled to a big fence post just below dirt level, and why it was left on, I haven't the faintest. I didn't see it when I walked the fences earlier this month (or last year, either, 'cause it surely didn't just now materialize) and Amyra caught her foot in the very end of a 15' stretch of it. She must have stepped into it somehow, and then like a rabbit in a trap, pulled, and the twist that formed the loop tightened down until it wouldn't slide back down over her hoof. And of course, right in the corner where two sections of barbwire meet. Yes, I know, barbwire + horses = bad news, but it's a COW pasture I keep being told. Sigh.
She wasn't panicked, thankfully, just ticked to be stuck. And not best pleased at being deserted by the boys. I ran back to the barn after a halter & lead, channel locks (because no way were bare hands or light pliers going to do the trick), and the wire cutters just in case she decided now was the right time to back into the fence, start kicking, and get tangled up in it, too.
Oh, and treats and the clicker. And that proved to be the trick. Once she determined that standing still while I untwisted the three-times-wound-around end, one twist at a time, with the channel locks so she could step out got her a clicker-reward, she was stationary. No kicking, no fussing, just the occasional butt-sniff to see what I was up to.
Five minutes - that felt like 50, let me tell you - and she was loose. I led her back, let her get a drink, tied her up and examined the damage - completely superficial, thank you, thank you, thank you! - and applied some topical wound spray to what basically amounted to a rub mark and one scrape on the opposite leg from the cable end. Tolerating me poking and prodding got her some more clicks/treats, which she definitely didn't mind. When I put her back in with the boys she had another drink and headed over to the feeder without any more fuss and no trace of soreness.
And THEN I spent the next five minutes sitting on the well house with my head between my knees until my stomach decided to behave. So grateful I was home sick. Not to mention that:
- We've done rope work, so she didn't freak out when her foot wouldn't come loose
- If she had to get stuck in something, the cable was nice and thick and left a few surface scrapes, but no worse damage
- We've apparently established enough of a rapport that even though every time I pried on the cable it dug into her, she tolerated it because she trusted that I was helping. Well, that or she just really liked the treats...
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
From Old Junk, New Dust Catchers
My bucket of rusty bits & horseshoes...
With the addition of some ribbon, a few tacky Christmas do-dads, jingle bells & buttons, cord, some thread and a touch of craft glue, turned into...
A pair of Christmas door hangers, and a couple of very heavy Christmas ornaments.
My kind of crafts - inexpensive, easy to assemble, minimal clean-up, and difficult to screw up, lol!
With the addition of some ribbon, a few tacky Christmas do-dads, jingle bells & buttons, cord, some thread and a touch of craft glue, turned into...
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| That one of the right was a really ugly bit. It makes a much better door hanger. |
Pinterest... It's a dangerous place!
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Old junk?
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| Today's finds |
Saturday, November 8, 2014
All Wrapped Up: Review of the "Hoof Wrap"
Injuries are seldom positive, but looking on the bright side Rufus's has provided some husband/wife/horse bonding time.
Along with that, I've also gotten the chance to use a few products on a long term basis that I otherwise might not have encountered. On the off chance that my experience might be helpful, I thought I'd review a few of them over the next few weeks.
I mentioned the Hoof Wrap in my last post, as the final layer of protection that allows Rufus to be out and about with the herd. He's been wearing one 24x7 for the last going-on-four months - a pretty fair test of usefulness and durability.
Horse approved? From the first, Rufus had no objections to wearing the wrap. It provides decent traction, at least on dirt and pasture, and doesn't cause rubs or irritate his skin. (We do wind on a layer of Vetrap, both to prolong the effectiveness of the Corona as well as to provide a buffer between horsehide & the stiffer fabric of the wrap.)
Another reason to like the wrap? Unlike most of the boots I looked at, I didn't have to know what size shoe Rufus wears, or take measurements, or order different ones for front and back. Hoof Wraps come in one size, which they say will fit 80% of horses. Just looking at one, I would not expect it to fit drafts, minis, or small ponies.
On average, wraps lasted 2-3 weeks before the bottoms wore out. I did have to do some restitching on the front tabs of a couple of them, and I started reinforcing the toe area with bright pink duct tape, both for extra wear and for better visibility in case of loss.
I've been so pleased with how well the wraps have preformed I even wrote the company, to say how much I like them, which I almost never do.
If I could make any changes, I would:
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| Soak, soak, soak |
Along with that, I've also gotten the chance to use a few products on a long term basis that I otherwise might not have encountered. On the off chance that my experience might be helpful, I thought I'd review a few of them over the next few weeks.
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| New wrap |
I mentioned the Hoof Wrap in my last post, as the final layer of protection that allows Rufus to be out and about with the herd. He's been wearing one 24x7 for the last going-on-four months - a pretty fair test of usefulness and durability.
- What it is: the name actually describes it well. It's a soft, easy-on, plasticy/canvas wrap with hook & loop fasteners and a removable pad.
- What it does: protects the sole and hoof (and any injuries) from the ground.
- How to put them on: Remove the backing from the velcro squares, attach the pad to the wrap, and then just follow the numbered tabs. After multiple applications, I found actually found it faster to pre-fasten all but the last two tabs on the wrap, then simply slip the wrap on and do up the last two tabs.
- Where to get them: you can purchase direct from the company's website, but I've been ordering from Valley Vet : quick shipping, reasonable prices, super helpful customer service, and a slight discount when you buy two or more at a time.)
- In the mud: some wet does seep in, but cleaning the wrap isn't hard. Either wait until it's dry and let it slough off, or if it's stuck on, it soaks off easily. The fasteners do collect some gunk, and they don't stick closed as well when they're covered in muck, so having a second clean wrap on hand to change out doesn't hurt.
After a few wears - On extremely hard ground: when it's super dry - it's drought-stricken northwest Kansas out there, so there's never a shortage of dry - the interior pad compresses faster. Rufus would walk a hoof-print shaped depression into a pad in a day. In dry conditions, I could use the same wrap until it fell apart, but the pad needed to be swapped out at least every other day. Pads do puff back up enough to reuse several times before they stop recovering.
Interior of the wrap with pad after several uses - While turned out: the terrain in the big pasture (10 acres) is uneven and brushy. Initially I was worried the wrap would catch and pull right off. I wasn't completely wrong, as he come in sans wrap more than once. But hey, those hours I spent walking concentric circles gave me a chance to work on my tan, right? And overall he lost his fly mask a lot more frequently. The wraps actually stayed put much better than I predicted.
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| Bottom of the wrap after about a week of use, without duct tape |
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| Toe view of a well used wrap - this one I retired, but you can see how the outer reinforcing layers had worn through. The velcro fasteners were shot on this one by this point. |
On average, wraps lasted 2-3 weeks before the bottoms wore out. I did have to do some restitching on the front tabs of a couple of them, and I started reinforcing the toe area with bright pink duct tape, both for extra wear and for better visibility in case of loss.
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| Reinforced, for visibility and longer wear |
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| Still in use, but showing some wear. |
Rufus in the wrap, walking - very brief
- Use stronger thread to attach the fasteners. (Those were what I ended up sewing back on on a couple of occasions).
- Make the fasteners and/or the wraps in bright colors to make locating lost ones easier I never would have guessed basic black would be so difficult to spot!
- Supply additional velcro stick-on squares with the replacement pads, because I always ran out of those before I exhausted my supply of pads. (Velcro does make a stick-on product that will adhere to flexible vinyl, but it can be tough to locate around here.)
Friday, November 7, 2014
July: an injury
A hot, mid-July Sunday. Middle of the day, and too sticky to ride, so I had the radio cranked while I cleaned out the tack room and granary entry way. The horses were dozing in the shade of the barn, stomping flies.
In the length of time it took me to run up to the house to use the bathroom and re-fill my water jug, Rufus somehow managed to split the inside of his right hind hoof clear up to the coronet band.
To this day I have no idea what he connected with, but he was three-legged when I got back to the barn. I called the farrier, of course. Repeatedly. No answer.
We both called around to several area horse-owners for other farriers with no luck - either they weren't taking new clients, were not traveling to our area, or didn't want to deal with Arabians.
Tuesday we ended up at the vet, who trimmed the hoof back pretty radically and recommended Bute, soaking, booting, & restricted movement.
A week later the farrier finally returned my call. After a visit during which he confirmed too big a chunk was missing for a shoe to help (and called the vet a hack), he said what we were doing was probably going to work as well as anything else. So there we were...
In the meantime, I'd gone online hunting for long-term horse boot solutions, and stumbled on Hoof Wraps at Valley Vet (love that place). For weeks we soaked Rufus's foot twice daily in warm water & Epson salts, followed by applications of Vetericyn wound spray (recommended by our previous vet from SD) on the exposed lamina and Coronoa hoof dressing along the coronet band, Vetrap and a Hoof Wrap to cover.
No Bute at all, as amazingly, after the vet trimmed the ripped triangle of hoof away, he was barely off, and progressed speedily toward completely sound. I hate medicating if it's unnecessary, and the padding provided by the Wrap allowed him to walk, trot, and even lope without soreness. Needless to say, he hasn't been ridden at all. But he has been able to go out in the big pasture with the other three without any ill effects.
As his hoof grew out, we ceased soaking. By late September, the lamina was no longer exposed and we transitioned to once daily changing of the cotton pad coated with Corona followed by Vetrap & the Hoof Wrap.
His hoof continues to look better. He's on a hoof & joint supplement, which I think is helping, and I'm cautiously optimistic that he won't have a long-term crack running down from where the split went up into the coronet band.
 |
| Not the same day, but you get the idea. |
In the length of time it took me to run up to the house to use the bathroom and re-fill my water jug, Rufus somehow managed to split the inside of his right hind hoof clear up to the coronet band.
The pictures of the initial injury are on my cell phone - can't figure out how to get them transferred.
To this day I have no idea what he connected with, but he was three-legged when I got back to the barn. I called the farrier, of course. Repeatedly. No answer.
We both called around to several area horse-owners for other farriers with no luck - either they weren't taking new clients, were not traveling to our area, or didn't want to deal with Arabians.
Tuesday we ended up at the vet, who trimmed the hoof back pretty radically and recommended Bute, soaking, booting, & restricted movement.
 |
| July 17, 2014 |
A week later the farrier finally returned my call. After a visit during which he confirmed too big a chunk was missing for a shoe to help (and called the vet a hack), he said what we were doing was probably going to work as well as anything else. So there we were...
In the meantime, I'd gone online hunting for long-term horse boot solutions, and stumbled on Hoof Wraps at Valley Vet (love that place). For weeks we soaked Rufus's foot twice daily in warm water & Epson salts, followed by applications of Vetericyn wound spray (recommended by our previous vet from SD) on the exposed lamina and Coronoa hoof dressing along the coronet band, Vetrap and a Hoof Wrap to cover.
No Bute at all, as amazingly, after the vet trimmed the ripped triangle of hoof away, he was barely off, and progressed speedily toward completely sound. I hate medicating if it's unnecessary, and the padding provided by the Wrap allowed him to walk, trot, and even lope without soreness. Needless to say, he hasn't been ridden at all. But he has been able to go out in the big pasture with the other three without any ill effects.
 |
| August 3, 2014 |
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| August 31, 2014 |
 |
| Oct. 12, 2014 |
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| Oct. 26, 2014 |
 |
| Oct. 22, 2014 Rufus, second from left |
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
(Still) Not liking the time change
Did I really last post November of 2013 (!) Don't ask me how it got to be that long ago, I have absolutely no clue. Good grief!
First things first: all is well on the home front. We've had a couple minor catastrophes and there is a bevy of new critters underfoot, but it's been a relatively quiet year all-in-all.
A quick recap, with more detail to follow:
First things first: all is well on the home front. We've had a couple minor catastrophes and there is a bevy of new critters underfoot, but it's been a relatively quiet year all-in-all.
A quick recap, with more detail to follow:
- T came home safe & sound from foreign parts.
- Rufus lacerated his right hind hoof, resulting in the year's only equine vet-visit.
- We now have a flock of chickens (and one - remaining - duck).
- And 7,
8, 7 cats. - I once again did not show at the county fair. I did, however, attend a 3-day Buck Branaman clinic. Wheee!
- The ponies are sane, healthy (barring Rufus, who's amazingly sound, but still sporting a hoof-wrap) and remain as round as ever.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Not loving the time change
Fall is my favorite season, it really is. The leaves are crispy, the sky is extra blue, and the heat finally fades off. And the days get short.
I haven't posted much lately, primarily because this is supposed to be a blog about riding, and hours spent on top have totaled zero for way too long. I've missed it, and felt guilty about not checking in - although not as guilty as I have about the four-foots going unridden.
On the plus side, I may have finally found someone to at least contact about lessons. On the downside, the drive will be longer than ideal. Still debating whether to take the plunge now or wait until spring....
At any rate, my new goal is to get back to posting. With that in mind, a quick recap of the missing weeks to follow shortly. For now, having morning chores done and supper in the crockpot, it's me for coffee, shower and the drive to work. Because paychecks are good things.
I haven't posted much lately, primarily because this is supposed to be a blog about riding, and hours spent on top have totaled zero for way too long. I've missed it, and felt guilty about not checking in - although not as guilty as I have about the four-foots going unridden.
On the plus side, I may have finally found someone to at least contact about lessons. On the downside, the drive will be longer than ideal. Still debating whether to take the plunge now or wait until spring....
At any rate, my new goal is to get back to posting. With that in mind, a quick recap of the missing weeks to follow shortly. For now, having morning chores done and supper in the crockpot, it's me for coffee, shower and the drive to work. Because paychecks are good things.
Friday, October 11, 2013
In the spirit of giving...
The barn cats presented me with the back half of a rat yesterday morning.
So thoughtful. Now that I know they give a rat's a--, if I could just convince them that coffee is a MUCH better way to wake up... lol!
Off to feed the ponies.
So thoughtful. Now that I know they give a rat's a--, if I could just convince them that coffee is a MUCH better way to wake up... lol!
Off to feed the ponies.
Shoo Fly!
While I haven't been riding, the ponies have been enjoying their pasture time. So have the flies.
Maybe this is normal for KS, but the flies have been really miserable this summer. Poor short-tailed Rufus is particularly plagued. And for whatever reason, he more so than the others was getting crusty, fly-irritated eyes. I had a couple fly masks left over from when I tried using them up in SD, so I thought I'd at least see if one would fit him, and if so, if it would help.
Unfortunately, both were sized for slim-headed Arabs, and didn't span his broader face well. (No, I did not just call him a fathead - lol! Although... There have been occasions!) At any rate, I ordered a two more in horse size, not being entirely sure what he would be comfortable in, and figuring if he was going to wear one I might as well torture them - er, that is to say, make them all comfortable.
After two months of wear, here's what I learned:
Fly Masks
Arab-sized Farnum without ears: Sunny and Amyra
Price: $14.99 and up
The two I have are the older style, with the soft fuzzy binding around the nose part, but the single hole for the horses' ears is made from a stiffer cloth. (The ones they sell now look to be about the same, with the exception of the softer binding around the ears.) They have a broad elastic band that runs under the jaw about where the throatlatch on a bridle would hang and velcro closed on the lefthand side.
Sunny wears one very comfortably and doesn't object at all. It fits him well, and he's only rubbed it off once. Amyra is less pleased about hers. She tolerates it being put on, but I think the binding around the ears chafes. She's learned she can roll and rub her head on the ground and scrape it off, and quite often, she does. (And I spend the evening wandering through the pasture playing "find-it".)
What I like: the mesh is semi-opaque from the exterior which helps it double as a sun shade, and they seem pretty durable. I've hand-washed them a couple of times and nothing has come apart. I also like the single, broad hole for ears & forelock. It makes putting them on in the dark much easier. What I like less: On both horses, they gap around the nose, which means sneakier bugs like mosquitoes just fly right up underneath.
The verdict: I'd buy one of these again for Sunny, but not for Amyra - although I think the newer style with the fuzzy ear-hole binding might be an improvement she'd find more comfortable.
Horse-size Cashel Fly Mask, Standard without Ears: Rufus
Price: $19 and up
This is a softer mask than the Farnums, with smaller, lighter mesh and a soft felt-like binding at the noseband, around ear and forelock openings,and around the jaw line. I ordered horse size, and it's plenty big.
Rufus has a wider head than the other three, but not a long one. Length-wise, the mask comes further down his face than the Farnam's do on Sunny and Amyra, which is fine. Width-wise, the mask is a little large; it would comfortably fit a much wider-headed horse, but I don't think it would adjust down any more for one with a narrower head. It doesn't have an elastic closure like the Farnums. Instead, the two sides overlap under his jaw, with an overlapping velcro closure. It would still pull off easily if he snagged it on something, so no worries there.
Rufus doesn't appear to have any objections to the fit, and his eyes are MUCH better now that he has some protection from the flies. What I like: The forelock hole and the softer mesh.
What I don't like: I'm not completely crazy about the closure design. While it sits in the right spot, when it's adjusted to fit him correctly, the velcro tab overlaps poorly, and Sunny has grabbed it and provided hands-free assistance in removing it a couple of times. The verdict: Despite the closure, I've ordered a cob-size with bright orange mesh inserts for Amyra from Smith Brothers. (At $21.99 it was a tad more expensive, but I wanted something in a different color so that I could tell the masks apart easily in dim light, especially since she'd take a smaller size.)
Professional's Choise Fly Mask without Ears: Thunder
Price: $17.95 and up
With soft, breathable mesh panels across the top of the nose and forehead area, and the attractive black piping around the lighter, gold & black flecked mesh, this mask takes "most attractive" hands down.
He still looks bug-like, but at least he's a prettier bug-headed horse - lol Thunder hasn't managed to lose it once, either. Like the Cashel, it closes by wrapping under the jaw, with a single wide velcro tab that overlaps and sticks to the loop-pad sewn to the left cheek side.
Initially I really liked this mask - the label said machine-washable (although I haven't tried that and probably won't). And from the outside looking in, it appears to provide really good visibility (I can see Thunder's eyes well), and he seems to find it comfortable. He hasn't managed to lose it or knock it askew yet. What I don't like: It has a two ear-hole design, but no opening for a forelock to go. I generally tuck Thunder's out one of the ear holes, but it's not an ideal solution.
Repellents & other stuff:
I've been using Pyranha spray, for the last couple years, but may investigate other options next summer. I think Rufus may be getting sensitive to one of the ingredients :( I don't like putting it on their faces, either.
Which brings me to Mug Balm Face Shield, by Mane Tamers, it's a horse-specific sun screen and bug repellent in one. Since I've been slathering Water Babies SPF 50 waterproof sunblock on Amyra and Rufus's noses almost all summer (is it sad that I've used almost three bottles on what's really a very small area of two horses, and haven't yet gone through 3/4 of one on me?), and it does nothing for flies, I was excited to run across this product, and decided to give it a try. At under $9 a bottle, it's actually cheaper than the Water Babies stuff, too.
The bad news is, they (all) strongly dislike it. I think because of the smell. I think it smells pretty good - very fresh, but strongly peppermint/citronella-y. Personally, I'd happily wear it rather than the human stuff since it's not sticky or tacky after it's rubbed in. It does, however, have a somewhat gritty feel. At first I thought I was just picking up dirt off of their muzzles, but it's actually something in the lotion itself. It also has a much lower SPF.
I've been applying it liberally to all four, given it's purported fly-repelling properties, and I've noticed that both of the pink-nosed ponies are pinker nosed than usual at the end of the day. Sigh.
As long as I'm hitting the highlights of fly deterrents, I might as well cover the Fly Predators, too. I placed an order for 5 months worth, with the first order to arrive in April. (It arrived just in time for the last snow of the year - lol!)
Anyway, in a nutshell, while they might work really well if I ONLY had four horses, but the 75+ head of cows that share a fenceline also have to be contended with. No way can I afford Fly Predators to cover that number of critters, so I can't really say how effective it was using them. They probably made a dent in the face/heel fly problem, but I didn't notice a substantial uptick in the fly presence after the last shipment.
Much more visibly effective (and economical - T says they use them around all the dining facilities on the bases in Kuwait to keep the bugs down, too) are insecticide-free fly traps - the kind where you add attractant & water? Those suckers really stink, but they sure do fill up with flies quick. I started with a handful of the disposable ones, but ended up picking up the refillable kind and a bottle of bait at Orschlen's, and I sure haven't been sorry.
Would love to hear what you all do for fly problems where you are - do you fly sheet? Use feed through products? What works & what really doesn't?
Maybe this is normal for KS, but the flies have been really miserable this summer. Poor short-tailed Rufus is particularly plagued. And for whatever reason, he more so than the others was getting crusty, fly-irritated eyes. I had a couple fly masks left over from when I tried using them up in SD, so I thought I'd at least see if one would fit him, and if so, if it would help.
Unfortunately, both were sized for slim-headed Arabs, and didn't span his broader face well. (No, I did not just call him a fathead - lol! Although... There have been occasions!) At any rate, I ordered a two more in horse size, not being entirely sure what he would be comfortable in, and figuring if he was going to wear one I might as well torture them - er, that is to say, make them all comfortable.
After two months of wear, here's what I learned:
Fly Masks
 |
| Models left to right: Rufus, Sunny, Thunder, Amyra |
Arab-sized Farnum without ears: Sunny and Amyra
Price: $14.99 and up
The two I have are the older style, with the soft fuzzy binding around the nose part, but the single hole for the horses' ears is made from a stiffer cloth. (The ones they sell now look to be about the same, with the exception of the softer binding around the ears.) They have a broad elastic band that runs under the jaw about where the throatlatch on a bridle would hang and velcro closed on the lefthand side.
Sunny wears one very comfortably and doesn't object at all. It fits him well, and he's only rubbed it off once. Amyra is less pleased about hers. She tolerates it being put on, but I think the binding around the ears chafes. She's learned she can roll and rub her head on the ground and scrape it off, and quite often, she does. (And I spend the evening wandering through the pasture playing "find-it".)
What I like: the mesh is semi-opaque from the exterior which helps it double as a sun shade, and they seem pretty durable. I've hand-washed them a couple of times and nothing has come apart. I also like the single, broad hole for ears & forelock. It makes putting them on in the dark much easier. What I like less: On both horses, they gap around the nose, which means sneakier bugs like mosquitoes just fly right up underneath.
The verdict: I'd buy one of these again for Sunny, but not for Amyra - although I think the newer style with the fuzzy ear-hole binding might be an improvement she'd find more comfortable.
Horse-size Cashel Fly Mask, Standard without Ears: Rufus
Price: $19 and up
This is a softer mask than the Farnums, with smaller, lighter mesh and a soft felt-like binding at the noseband, around ear and forelock openings,and around the jaw line. I ordered horse size, and it's plenty big.
Rufus has a wider head than the other three, but not a long one. Length-wise, the mask comes further down his face than the Farnam's do on Sunny and Amyra, which is fine. Width-wise, the mask is a little large; it would comfortably fit a much wider-headed horse, but I don't think it would adjust down any more for one with a narrower head. It doesn't have an elastic closure like the Farnums. Instead, the two sides overlap under his jaw, with an overlapping velcro closure. It would still pull off easily if he snagged it on something, so no worries there.
Rufus doesn't appear to have any objections to the fit, and his eyes are MUCH better now that he has some protection from the flies. What I like: The forelock hole and the softer mesh.
What I don't like: I'm not completely crazy about the closure design. While it sits in the right spot, when it's adjusted to fit him correctly, the velcro tab overlaps poorly, and Sunny has grabbed it and provided hands-free assistance in removing it a couple of times. The verdict: Despite the closure, I've ordered a cob-size with bright orange mesh inserts for Amyra from Smith Brothers. (At $21.99 it was a tad more expensive, but I wanted something in a different color so that I could tell the masks apart easily in dim light, especially since she'd take a smaller size.)
Professional's Choise Fly Mask without Ears: Thunder
Price: $17.95 and up
With soft, breathable mesh panels across the top of the nose and forehead area, and the attractive black piping around the lighter, gold & black flecked mesh, this mask takes "most attractive" hands down.
He still looks bug-like, but at least he's a prettier bug-headed horse - lol Thunder hasn't managed to lose it once, either. Like the Cashel, it closes by wrapping under the jaw, with a single wide velcro tab that overlaps and sticks to the loop-pad sewn to the left cheek side.
Initially I really liked this mask - the label said machine-washable (although I haven't tried that and probably won't). And from the outside looking in, it appears to provide really good visibility (I can see Thunder's eyes well), and he seems to find it comfortable. He hasn't managed to lose it or knock it askew yet. What I don't like: It has a two ear-hole design, but no opening for a forelock to go. I generally tuck Thunder's out one of the ear holes, but it's not an ideal solution.
Repellents & other stuff:
I've been using Pyranha spray, for the last couple years, but may investigate other options next summer. I think Rufus may be getting sensitive to one of the ingredients :( I don't like putting it on their faces, either.
Which brings me to Mug Balm Face Shield, by Mane Tamers, it's a horse-specific sun screen and bug repellent in one. Since I've been slathering Water Babies SPF 50 waterproof sunblock on Amyra and Rufus's noses almost all summer (is it sad that I've used almost three bottles on what's really a very small area of two horses, and haven't yet gone through 3/4 of one on me?), and it does nothing for flies, I was excited to run across this product, and decided to give it a try. At under $9 a bottle, it's actually cheaper than the Water Babies stuff, too.
The bad news is, they (all) strongly dislike it. I think because of the smell. I think it smells pretty good - very fresh, but strongly peppermint/citronella-y. Personally, I'd happily wear it rather than the human stuff since it's not sticky or tacky after it's rubbed in. It does, however, have a somewhat gritty feel. At first I thought I was just picking up dirt off of their muzzles, but it's actually something in the lotion itself. It also has a much lower SPF.
I've been applying it liberally to all four, given it's purported fly-repelling properties, and I've noticed that both of the pink-nosed ponies are pinker nosed than usual at the end of the day. Sigh.
As long as I'm hitting the highlights of fly deterrents, I might as well cover the Fly Predators, too. I placed an order for 5 months worth, with the first order to arrive in April. (It arrived just in time for the last snow of the year - lol!)
Anyway, in a nutshell, while they might work really well if I ONLY had four horses, but the 75+ head of cows that share a fenceline also have to be contended with. No way can I afford Fly Predators to cover that number of critters, so I can't really say how effective it was using them. They probably made a dent in the face/heel fly problem, but I didn't notice a substantial uptick in the fly presence after the last shipment.
Much more visibly effective (and economical - T says they use them around all the dining facilities on the bases in Kuwait to keep the bugs down, too) are insecticide-free fly traps - the kind where you add attractant & water? Those suckers really stink, but they sure do fill up with flies quick. I started with a handful of the disposable ones, but ended up picking up the refillable kind and a bottle of bait at Orschlen's, and I sure haven't been sorry.
Would love to hear what you all do for fly problems where you are - do you fly sheet? Use feed through products? What works & what really doesn't?
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Seeing Stars
Wow! Can't believe it was the first week of August I posted last.
Not much that's exciting has occurred in the meantime - which is good from the perspective that excitement isn't always a good thing, I suppose. The ponies have been enjoying the last days of summer winding down. The nights are getting earlier, and the mornings are definitely getting darker. I'm dishing out cat food, grain and morning supplements in the granary with the help of a light, and on moonless mornings my headlamp sure comes in handy. Then it's out among the beasties in the dimness, distributing feed pans and velcroing on their fly masks.
Thankfully, the fly masks do fit under their halters so I can get those on while they eat.
Our morning parade is now made by the light of the moon - some days it's bright enough to cast shadows and Squeak looks almost yellow when springs out to attack my feet and risk squashing as I trip my way back to the barn. Not sure why, but I never seem to fall over anything on my way TO the pasture with my hooved escorts. So far the morning trips have been mostly uneventful. One morning we spooked several deer and sent them careering off into the brush. Another morning it was a cow and a brand new, still wobbly calf. We gave her a wide berth, but she was surprisingly unconcerned. The horses had all the native wildlife spotted before we started, apparently, because other than pricked ears they didn't bother reacting.
They aren't quite so blase about the newest potentially encounterable obstacle though, perhaps because it's of the equid persuasion. The cow folks have four small donkeys, which until very recently they've kept up at their home barn. For whatever reason, possibly because the (this year's) baby is getting bigger, they've decided to turn them out with the cows.
The initial spotting of the new "holy crap, that's not a cow!" critters occurred on a bright, windy afternoon. Mutual snorting and retreat on both sides of the fence. So far, we haven't met them in the dark, but we did encounter them coming up to drink last night as I brought the ponies back down. Again, much with the snorting. Thunder particularly grew about a foot. He's the only one that hasn't seen a donkey up close and personal prior to, and he was NOT impressed.
I'm not too concerned about them interacting through the fence, but am hopeful the "run away!" mindset continues, at least on the little guys' part - meeting them up close coming or going might be slide over into the bad kind of eventful, as I suspect one's an uncut jack - didn't investigate personal bits to determine for sure yet, though. (Only two of them are really interested in being friendly, but they do know about treats - lol!)
No riding to speak of - I keep resolving to do better, but so far it's been less riding and more other chores that need to get done. Fingers crossed that Mother Nature continues to provide us with a long fall, and maybe I'll get my list of have-to-do knocked down and get back to the fun priorities!
Not much that's exciting has occurred in the meantime - which is good from the perspective that excitement isn't always a good thing, I suppose. The ponies have been enjoying the last days of summer winding down. The nights are getting earlier, and the mornings are definitely getting darker. I'm dishing out cat food, grain and morning supplements in the granary with the help of a light, and on moonless mornings my headlamp sure comes in handy. Then it's out among the beasties in the dimness, distributing feed pans and velcroing on their fly masks.
Thankfully, the fly masks do fit under their halters so I can get those on while they eat.
Our morning parade is now made by the light of the moon - some days it's bright enough to cast shadows and Squeak looks almost yellow when springs out to attack my feet and risk squashing as I trip my way back to the barn. Not sure why, but I never seem to fall over anything on my way TO the pasture with my hooved escorts. So far the morning trips have been mostly uneventful. One morning we spooked several deer and sent them careering off into the brush. Another morning it was a cow and a brand new, still wobbly calf. We gave her a wide berth, but she was surprisingly unconcerned. The horses had all the native wildlife spotted before we started, apparently, because other than pricked ears they didn't bother reacting.
They aren't quite so blase about the newest potentially encounterable obstacle though, perhaps because it's of the equid persuasion. The cow folks have four small donkeys, which until very recently they've kept up at their home barn. For whatever reason, possibly because the (this year's) baby is getting bigger, they've decided to turn them out with the cows.
 |
| "Egad! I think it's moving - what in the world is it?" |
 |
| Small, but incredibly cute |
No riding to speak of - I keep resolving to do better, but so far it's been less riding and more other chores that need to get done. Fingers crossed that Mother Nature continues to provide us with a long fall, and maybe I'll get my list of have-to-do knocked down and get back to the fun priorities!
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Slip & Slide
It really does rain in Kansas - who knew? The good: the seared brown pasture has turned completely green. The bad: the footing is abysmal. Good: it's cooler, hanging in the 80's. Bad: the humidity is also in the 70's and 70's.
Also in the good column, some of the seeds we planted when my niece was here this spring actually came up - no thanks to me, since I didn't water them at all. But the rain arrived in time, and they're gorgeous. No idea what they are, but I need to find out, because I want some more for next year.
I've managed two actual rides, one on Amyra and one on Sunny. Amyra continues to relax and get more settled, and we even managed a walk partway down the driveway without her eyes popping out of her head.
I laid the ground poles out for Sunny and must have gotten the distance right, because he trotted them without tapping a one. A solid evenings work, and in the new saddle, too. He seems to like it, and it's pretty comfortable for me, too - have yet to test it on steepish hill (I'll bet it slides), but just the fact that it's not so long is an improvement.
It's getting darker in the mornings. Not a good sign, since it takes me at least a half hour to get everyone fed and moved around. I'm thinking soon I'll be getting horses shuttled over by headlamp-light.
I picked up 50 small square bales a couple weeks ago, and I've been giving them a few leaves in the evening - even with the grass coming back, they're happy to see the hay. And it means when I holler for them, they come running.
Well, usually. Sometimes it means the bugs are extra bad, and sometimes it's just that edgy feel the weather gets that sends them running. Tonight it was the latter. They raced up, slid to a stop, stayed just long enough to be praised, and pounded off again.
On the second pass I managed to collect them and skidded our way back.
Also in the good column, some of the seeds we planted when my niece was here this spring actually came up - no thanks to me, since I didn't water them at all. But the rain arrived in time, and they're gorgeous. No idea what they are, but I need to find out, because I want some more for next year.
I've managed two actual rides, one on Amyra and one on Sunny. Amyra continues to relax and get more settled, and we even managed a walk partway down the driveway without her eyes popping out of her head.
I laid the ground poles out for Sunny and must have gotten the distance right, because he trotted them without tapping a one. A solid evenings work, and in the new saddle, too. He seems to like it, and it's pretty comfortable for me, too - have yet to test it on steepish hill (I'll bet it slides), but just the fact that it's not so long is an improvement.
 |
I picked up 50 small square bales a couple weeks ago, and I've been giving them a few leaves in the evening - even with the grass coming back, they're happy to see the hay. And it means when I holler for them, they come running.
Well, usually. Sometimes it means the bugs are extra bad, and sometimes it's just that edgy feel the weather gets that sends them running. Tonight it was the latter. They raced up, slid to a stop, stayed just long enough to be praised, and pounded off again.
On the second pass I managed to collect them and skidded our way back.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
No Obligation? (a.k.a. "Free" Horses)
It's twenty 'til two and the thermometer says 106'. Too hot to be outside, although the horses seem happy enough to be out where there's a breeze, eating. I'm sitting here going through pictures....
I had an interesting phone call from an old friend yesterday: the lady who bred Sunny, Amyra and Thunder. We stay in touch - I send her pictures periodically, and we exchange cards and phone calls. She had some news and a question. Back in 2010 she'd decided she was done breeding, but she still had 6 mares and Thunder. She ended up selling three of the mares to a gentleman up north who liked their breeding. Sadly, word through the grapevine was that he passed away early last year.
Recently, she received a call from a women who inherited two of the mares: Sahara and Foxy. Sahara had never been ridden. Foxy had been started as a three-year-old, but based on how she reacted when I saddled her and rode her, she'd not gotten much beyond 30 days. Very gentle, no buck, but basically clueless....
So, this lady has been boarding them, but now she's wondering if my friend would possibly like the mares back. It seems that she hadn't realized that horses would cost so much money ($250/month board) and she doesn't feel comfortable riding Foxy without her getting a refresher from a trainer (another $250-300/month) and having Sahara started would be an additional expense (!!!!).
I wasn't in any position to take on any of the mares when they were sold, but I've always said I'd like to know what happened to them, and if they were ever for sale I'd take them if I could, so my friend called me. "I want to stress that you're under no obligation to take them," she said. "I just didn't want you to find out they were available later and have you say you would have wanted them." My heart sank. While I'd love to take them, with the drought here, four horses is stretching our available pasture as it is. Honestly, four is probably more than we need. Because as the lady with the mares now knows, there is no such thing as a free horse.
It's no consolation that my friend isn't taking them back either. (Thunder was her last one, and he came with me.) She's passing on some names of folks that might be interested, but that's all she's able to do at this point. If wishes were... enough money, more rain, and the ground to feed them all on....
These are two nice, handle-able mares, at least last I was around them. They're both past the young-horse sillies, but neither of them is elderly. They're both papered, sound, have good manners, they're easy to catch, worm, give shots to and trim. They load. They tie. They both love to be brushed and fussed over. But...
If you aren't intending to breed them or just let them stand around in a pasture to look at, they're going to be a very tough sell because they don't ride. Makes me sad...
I had an interesting phone call from an old friend yesterday: the lady who bred Sunny, Amyra and Thunder. We stay in touch - I send her pictures periodically, and we exchange cards and phone calls. She had some news and a question. Back in 2010 she'd decided she was done breeding, but she still had 6 mares and Thunder. She ended up selling three of the mares to a gentleman up north who liked their breeding. Sadly, word through the grapevine was that he passed away early last year.
Recently, she received a call from a women who inherited two of the mares: Sahara and Foxy. Sahara had never been ridden. Foxy had been started as a three-year-old, but based on how she reacted when I saddled her and rode her, she'd not gotten much beyond 30 days. Very gentle, no buck, but basically clueless....
So, this lady has been boarding them, but now she's wondering if my friend would possibly like the mares back. It seems that she hadn't realized that horses would cost so much money ($250/month board) and she doesn't feel comfortable riding Foxy without her getting a refresher from a trainer (another $250-300/month) and having Sahara started would be an additional expense (!!!!).
I wasn't in any position to take on any of the mares when they were sold, but I've always said I'd like to know what happened to them, and if they were ever for sale I'd take them if I could, so my friend called me. "I want to stress that you're under no obligation to take them," she said. "I just didn't want you to find out they were available later and have you say you would have wanted them." My heart sank. While I'd love to take them, with the drought here, four horses is stretching our available pasture as it is. Honestly, four is probably more than we need. Because as the lady with the mares now knows, there is no such thing as a free horse.
It's no consolation that my friend isn't taking them back either. (Thunder was her last one, and he came with me.) She's passing on some names of folks that might be interested, but that's all she's able to do at this point. If wishes were... enough money, more rain, and the ground to feed them all on....
These are two nice, handle-able mares, at least last I was around them. They're both past the young-horse sillies, but neither of them is elderly. They're both papered, sound, have good manners, they're easy to catch, worm, give shots to and trim. They load. They tie. They both love to be brushed and fussed over. But...
If you aren't intending to breed them or just let them stand around in a pasture to look at, they're going to be a very tough sell because they don't ride. Makes me sad...
Slipper Feet
 |
| Shetland pony toes... |
We were talking about how hard the ground is - he asked if we had rocks in our pasture because Sunny's feet were so chipped up. Nope, the ground is so dry it's like concrete, though. They've all been wearing the edges off, and stamping flies sure doesn't help. Taking a breather between horses, he pulled these hooves out of the truck for show & tell. He'd trimmed the pony the night before - poor little thing was walking spraddle-legged so she wouldn't hit her belly with her feet...
He said he had to use a hacksaw to trim off her toes before he could even start to make her hooves look right, and would be making several trips back to adjust angles so that she wouldn't continue to walk on her heel bulbs. The owner wanted to know why he couldn't make her feet pretty immediately. Some people should NEVER own a horse of any size!!!!!
With the new goal of riding at least one horse per evening, I rode Thunder Wednesday after work. He's got 'whoa!' down cold, that's for sure. I'm thinking he's going to make a great trail horse, as he seems happiest when he's exploring new territory. I rode all over the yard and up around the tractor trail out to the cow pasture. The other three stood at the gate, Sunny whinnying occasionally, but Thunder paid him no attention.
I wrapped up in the orchard where I could do some circles and worked on walk-trot transitions. He wasn't real enthused, and I'm thinking I may get the bumper spurs out next time. I need to reinforce my heel enough that he doesn't fall out of gait whenever he feels like it.
Thursday was an exceedingly long day at work. My brain was mush, and getting focused enough to direct four additional feet just wasn't in me. I retrieved the horses, did my chores, took a shower, spent some lap-time with Nu-nu and fell into bed. Day two and no horse ridden. Yeah, I'm a great goal setter, but apparently not so great in the carrying out department... sigh.
With the new gate into the pasture I've been able to go from leading all four of them at once up the road and back, to leading two at a time cross country. (I'd take all four, but the creek bed crossing is narrow, steep, and not really safe for more than three of us to navigate simultaneously.)
While my folks were here we experimented to see what the reaction would be if I took two and left two behind, and while there was some whinnying, nobody tried to climb the fence or push the gate down, and some hollering from the ones left back has continued to be the extent of the fuss. I expect it helps that once they have their halters and leads on, they know they're going. Well, that and the fact that it's been too hot to want to race back and forth.
I've been round-robining the pairings so that nobody always gets left behind and they don't have a designated "partner". Considering that the pair leaving is completely out of sight for half the way - it takes about 5 minutes round-trip for me to get up and back - none of them have even thought about charging the gate or dragging the human on their way to catch up to the other two, I'm giving them a gold star for manners. Even Sunny.
Friday night we hit 104' again, and the fly hatch from Thursday morning's token sprinkle was vicious. Once we'd navigated back through the herd of cows that had decided the creek pasture with it's shade trees would be a cooler option the horses headed into the barn immediately. Between the heat and the bugs, I couldn't justify dragging any of them out to torture. Today's supposed to be a repeat, but tomorrow's forecast is for 90's, so I'm thinking maybe I'll load up and head in to the arena in town, ride all four, and get back on track.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Dust
I asked Jennifer over at How did this happen? how she stays motivated to ride. Even with the temps and humidity she has down there, she rides. Regularly, and with intent. Sigh.
And her answer makes a good point - several, in fact. These are expensive critters, and since they're all able and so am I, they should justify their presence by more than looking pretty. Not to mention, despite what the uninitiated may say, riding is good exercise, stress relief (mostly) and just plain makes me happy, darn it.
With all of that in mind, and cooler temps still hanging around, after supper we collected Sunny and Thunder, brushed and tacked, and hopped on.
When I really stopped to think about it, Thunder's had maybe 20-25 rides. Eric said it took the first two weeks for him to get Thunder to the point where he'd built up some trust (strange man issues), and then I know the horses got at least two days off every week, so... And I'm not counting my few in the pasture last year. Last night was my second on him since we got down here, and when you consider all the riding he hasn't had in his life, he did great.
To give us something to do other than just shuffle around in the dust in circles, I set up the ground poles in a square with one extra leg, and put out two orange cones.
Mostly I wanted to work on forward, since the last time he had those balky moments. He still had a few, but this time I was more prepared and less worried about giving him a solid bump with my heels. And since I had to bit the bullet and leave the safety of slow sometime, we trotted, too.
In both directions.
After Sunny, who love him to death, but that doesn't fix short-coupled does not have the smoothest trot ever, Thunder's like floating.
And the ground poles phased him not at all.
Did he want to go stand by the gate to the barn lot? And was he far more content to stand still than go? Yes. But he was also pretty darn calm and he listened.
It probably also helped that we had company.
And yes, there was a LOT of dust.
And her answer makes a good point - several, in fact. These are expensive critters, and since they're all able and so am I, they should justify their presence by more than looking pretty. Not to mention, despite what the uninitiated may say, riding is good exercise, stress relief (mostly) and just plain makes me happy, darn it.
With all of that in mind, and cooler temps still hanging around, after supper we collected Sunny and Thunder, brushed and tacked, and hopped on.
When I really stopped to think about it, Thunder's had maybe 20-25 rides. Eric said it took the first two weeks for him to get Thunder to the point where he'd built up some trust (strange man issues), and then I know the horses got at least two days off every week, so... And I'm not counting my few in the pasture last year. Last night was my second on him since we got down here, and when you consider all the riding he hasn't had in his life, he did great.
To give us something to do other than just shuffle around in the dust in circles, I set up the ground poles in a square with one extra leg, and put out two orange cones.
Mostly I wanted to work on forward, since the last time he had those balky moments. He still had a few, but this time I was more prepared and less worried about giving him a solid bump with my heels. And since I had to bit the bullet and leave the safety of slow sometime, we trotted, too.
In both directions.
After Sunny, who love him to death, but that doesn't fix short-coupled does not have the smoothest trot ever, Thunder's like floating.
And the ground poles phased him not at all.
Did he want to go stand by the gate to the barn lot? And was he far more content to stand still than go? Yes. But he was also pretty darn calm and he listened.
It probably also helped that we had company.
And yes, there was a LOT of dust.
So - what motivates you to get out and get on?
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