CbarDHorsesBlog

EQUINE REPORTS

March 07

March Thaw

The sun is shining gloriously. It is 45 degrees. February was a very busy month. I worked a lot of overtime. I hauled a lot of water. I kept everybody fed and happy. I collapsed every night tired and slept well.

Today is a day of reckoning. I have all my water hoses operating. I filled Rusty and Rebel's water troughs without hauling two buckets in a sled. I also filled the bottom pasture water troughs with a hose. I didn't have to haul two water jugs down the hill in a sled. It is a day of celebration. Spring is on it's way.

Yesterday I moved Charity and Annie D into the Creekside/Middle pasture because I can catch them. It is a large open pasture along the creek/marshy tundra. I moved Elli, Hazel and Alice into the Northern Bottom Pasture. It is a smaller enclosed pasture built like a funnel. A few days ago I was able to get the gate out of the ice and hooked back up to the N.B. Pasture. This is where the sweet grass is that makes Annie too hyper. I'm thinking it will do the same thing to Alice. They have similar temperments.

So, All the girls are down below except for Pearl. I moved her to the Topside Pen where it is very warm. The sun reflects off of the shop and this is the first area to thaw out. This helps her arthritis. She got a little thin when she took all the fences down before the first snowstorm.

She spent all winter penned with Elli, Hazel and Alice in the top and lower pens. They push her out of her hay. The last week or so Alice was getting aggressive with Pearl so I am very glad I can separate them. Elli pushes her around but isn't agressive. Hazel mostly leaves her alone until Hazel runs out of hay and then she will push Pearl out of her hay. Hazel and Alice are joined at the hip and Alice is pushy to Hazel. I'd like to separate them because it causes Alice to be pushy with people and other horses. Elli gets after Alice which is good.

I'm going to wait until the fence is working better. There's a whole eastern stretch of the fence under drifted snow. Maybe on my day off I will dig it out before someone gets out. No one seems to be bothering the fence yet. Yet, that is. Wait till the grass starts getting green.

Annie doesn't get along with anyone but her dam, Charity. Charity is the boss mare and gets along with the other horses but gets mean when I pay attention to anyone else but her. Charity and Annie do best separate with each other. I can separate them for riding or handling. I separated Annie from the time she was born. Taking her for walks and handling her.

Happy Spring and God Bless.

2:12 PM GMT | Read comments(0)

January 18

Cold Weather Horse Care

It's been a tough month. The hardest part is wearing all the layers of clothes and heavy boots and trying to get around in the snow and ice. This year is better than last year. Because of the deep snow some of the horses aren't going very far from their watering and feeding areas. A few horses stocked up so I make every effort to get them out and walking. This week three of them had swollen rear ankles. The last few days the temperatures have risen to the 30's so the ground is thawing and freezing making for icey conditions.

I buted Annie D and moved her to the big pasture and locked her off from the other horses. I put Charity, her dam, in with her to keep her company. This fall I separated Annie because she was running Pearl (the blind mare) through the fences and wouldn't let the other horses eat. Because of all the snow she didn't have much area to move around. Which is probably why she had swollen rear ankles. As soon as I turned her out the swelling went down. I have to haul their hay and water down the hill. Sometimes the climb back up is a chore but is good for me. I make sure the horses have access to at least 5 gallons of water per horse. That means dumping frozen water tubs over and refilling. Annie got her hooves trimmed on Saturday, the 16th

I buted Rebel. Rebel has a history of stocking up. He hasn't for several years. I feed him a long ways from his water and grain him another length away so he has to move. I found a great blanket for him on Craig's List from a horsewoman nearby. Rebel never gets a heavy coat. The vet says it's his metabolism. He's very happy with his blanket. It's a tuff rider and it fits him like glove.

I've been trying several different feeding routines for Hazel. She just doesn't want to gain weight and any little stresser and she loses. Right now I have her by herself next to Alice, Elli and Pearl. I'm keeping hay in front of her all the time and I'm gradually increasing her grain. I'm giving her a hay pellet with vit and minerals, calf manna, electrolytes, and more vit and min supplements (they all balance each other). I may have to get a senior feed to give to her. I try to find the bales that have the finest hay and save those for her.

I'm working on catching Elli. We are making progress. I catch her to give her her grain. Then I catch her again to turn her back out. Everytime I catch her I work on getting her to drop her head, turn her head towards me, rub her nose and face (she's very head shy). Then when she relaxes I remove her halter, still holding her head towards me and step away first. Elli got her hooves trimmed on Saturday, the 16th.

Hazel can be hard to catch sometimes. So I use the same method with her. My plan is now to turn her out in the afternoon then catch her again to feed her evening meal.

Annie needs to start saddling this year. She needs her ground work refined. She's mature enough to start riding this summer.

Alice needs to respect space, move off of pressure, and start longeing. She needs to get her hooves trimmed so needs work with picking up and holding up her hooves for extended periods.

Rebel needs to be shod this spring. Something needs to be done with his quarter crack.

Charity needs more trail riding miles.

I want to breed Pearl this spring. Pearl got her front feet shod on Saturday, the 16th.

Rusty's left rear ankle that he twisted last spring is sore again. I wrapped it and gave him bute. Today I unwrapped it and gave him more bute. Hopefully he feels better tomorrow. I have never used so much bute in my life. I'm sure it's the lack of exercise and the icey conditions in the morning. Rusty is a good boy. I'm going to spread some stove ash on the icey areas tomorrow. I spent all weekend hauling feed, hauling hay, and having horses hooves trimmed and shod. Rusty got his hooves trimmed on Saturday the 16th.

4:45 PM GMT | Read comments(0)

December 13

Knee Surgery and Feeding Horses

My knee surgery (Thursday, Dec 10, 2009) went well the day after the great snow storm. Wednesday, December 9th, we were all snowed in. I think we got 20 inches after it was all done. Since I couldn't get the round bales on Wednesday Duke had to feed all the horses individually. It was frustrating for him trying to get the snow plowed out, the firewood hauled in and the woodstove stocked, answer his ever ringing phone, feed and water his cows, the chickens, the cats, the dog, work in the shop, and when he finally gets to 'his chair' to sit down Tyler, the cat, is purring warmly in 'his chair' and has to be put outside. That was almost the last straw.

So, now that I'm getting around better and most people are plowed out, Saturday we went to get round bales. He put one in Rusty's pen, one in Rebel's pen, and one for all of the girls. He rolled out the one for all of the girls because Charity and Annie D were playing queens of the Round Bale. The girls ate constantly until now. I see them all standing, basking in the hazy sun except for Hazel, she's still eating. There's still quite a bit left so hopefully it will last until Thursday when I can get some more.

Rusty nibbles at his bale with few breaks and Rebel eats, sleeps, eats, sleeps.

I can see all of this from my windows.

Needless to say they are all going to be blimps this spring. When I get my stitches out on Thursday I'm going to put Charity in one pen with her own round bale and Annie D in another pen with her own round bale then one to Elli, Pearl, Hazel and Alice, who all get along. Charity and Annie D will exercise themselves in their pens and can use the extra calories. The bales when appropriately placed will block the Northwestern wind.

10:52 AM GMT | Read comments(0)

November 26

The Herd on Thanksgiving Day

Rebel and Rusty are putting on weight and getting furry coats. They are protected from the rain and wind. They just want more to eat. But I don't want them to get too heavy. They are pretty plump right now. The girls are down in the bottom where they are protected from the Northern winds.

Charity gets nervous during windy times so I need to give her more hay. She paces a lot in the wind. Annie is doing well. She holds her weight well and has a very heavy coat. Pearl's eyes are bothering her so she needs her fly mask. Elli is happy and playful, friendly and loveable. Elli is a tall girl, but an easy keeper. She loves Pearl and is a good companion to her. Hazel and Alice are feeling good. They both were running and bucking, dancing and playing. Hazel is standing her ground better at feeding time. At first she would let Alice push her around a bit. Hazel needs more food than Alice does. Looks like it's going to be easy to keep weight on Alice even though she's going to be of good size. So, it's all working out well.

I can see in Hazel she might want to get her way and get it quickly. But for some reason she respects me and trusts me. April does too. They are both very attractive and loveable horses.

Oh give Thanks unto the Lord for His Mercy is Good.

4:23 PM GMT | Read comments(0)

November 25

Rainy Day Before Thanksgiving

The sky tried to spit out some snow with the rain this evening when I did chores. It's hard to do anything with the horses when the ground is greasy soup. So, I just fed them heavily three times today. Annie must be in heat because she's kinda snotty and the Stud Horse is wound up. Fortunately he backs off with the clap of the hands. Then he settles down.

Sooner or later I have to break the news to everyone. I brought home two more horses. Mares. I'll never be able to get this quality of breeding for this price again. I prayed about it and I felt it was the Lord's leading.

Hazel (April is a Savage) is a 14 year old registered liver chestnut Quarter Horse. She is too sweet to be true. Apparently she was broke to ride at one time. She's mostly foundation bred. I watch her trot and run and she's smooth and athletic. She's very sound. Due to the owners job loss, she was starving and headed to slaughter until rescued by Leasha. Leasha put 300 lbs on her. I ran across an add for a QH mare on an internet equine classified site. I can't remember which one or how I found it. I was intriqued by what it said and e-mailed through the site. Leasha sent pictures. I saved the pictures. There was a paint in the background. Leasha offered the Paint and Hazel as a package deal.

Back in my mind I thought it to be ideal to have a QH and a Paint mare to breed to Rusty. I can't believe I have them. Leasha and I communicated for several months. I kept having obsticles to even get down to S. WI to look at them. One thing after another would happen. In the mean time I kept looking at their pedigrees and pictures. They would match Rusty (Venture Redeemer) very well.

I finally made it down south to pick them up but the Paint wouldn't load and the QH mare was very nervous. So I came home with Hazel. When I brought her home she lost some weight with the stress. She looks like a Hazel to me.

Leasha brought the Paint up the next night. She looks like an Alice. So it is: Hazel and Alice.

I keep hay in front of Hazel all the time. She's put on another 75 pounds and is looking good. She's got big bones, high withers and a good slope to her shoulders and hip. Her legs are straight. She has a nice foundation/bulldog type head. She's kind, calm but energetic. She watches the cows. I bet she can cut a cow. At 14 3 to 15 hands, she should be about 1200 lb mare. She's about 1000 lbs now. Once her hooves are trimmed she'll have good feet. They are pretty long but still in good shape. I'll probably get her teet floated in the spring. Hazel is very well mannered and well trained on the ground, anyway, with a few tricks until she knows she can trust me.

Alice (Changes Seasons) is a one and half year old registered Tobiano black Paint. She has a black face, upper neck, back and rump. The base of her neck is white. Her chest is black. Her legs are white and her feet are black with black around her coronet. Which is ideal for a Paint. Her mane and tale are black and white. She's at an ackward stage but she's going to be of good size. She has a good slope to her shoulders and hip and good withers. She's prettiest when she moves. She has smooth gates and collects naturally. She learns fast and is already longeing at a walk both ways. She follows me around but I have to watch her cuz she's very curious and playfull and doesn't always know her limits.

All good things to balance with Rusty. Rusty is a bit mutton withered and finer boned but is more athletic than either of them. And, is he fast and quick. They all three have quiet calm level headed temperments.

Annie is jealous so I better take her for a walk in the next day or two.

4:48 PM GMT | Read comments(0)

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