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 | Posted On: Dec 20 2008 At: 6:19:51 PM |
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I am not sure whether to post under Hayburner (winter weather) or Merry Christmas from...or update on the girls. Our weather, like that for many, is making the news: snow, building winds and sinking temps and dangerous windchills. We tend not to have power outages or ice storms in winter as it is too cold.
the power outages go with the tornados.. In any case, this is when I really appreciate how well the horses get along as the barn is small and there is a lot of inside time and built up energy. I just turned them out while I cleaned and because I know it will be very cold with wind tomorrow. Leah did something she hasn't really done before and which tells me she is home: she wandered back in and just moseyed around while I was cleaning stalls. It usually takes them a while to realize that they aren't doing something illegal by wandering around and in and out of stalls...She has never been standoffish (all the good care and contact at rescue and with Hayburner) but has definately softened recently. Riva is Queen and inspires respect and affection by all 4 leggeds and 2. There is no work: what can you do in such weather? and it is too slippery to walk over to the neighbors and turn them out in the arena but the pasture they go to in winter is large and they can stretch their legs and frolic.
So I hope, as do the horses, that everyone has safe and healthy holidays.
I am thinking that once the bad weather is history (here windchills in the minus 30-40s) it would be helpful to discuss strategies for power outages, (no water, electric etc)ice, heavy snow and cold..) How do people cope? what are ER strategies? and the like. the solutions will be different for those of us with small set ups and a few horses. One of mine, on a minor scale is that I always wear a blaze orange vest over my winter duds. My husband is not focused on howlong I have been outside and I out before daylight and after nightfall. If I were to fall, I figure someone would spot me.
I am hoping that hayburner and everyone else is safe
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| [ Edited by: deborah on Dec 22 2008 3:25:27 PM ] | |
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| Posted On: Dec 20 2008 At: 8:20:36 PM | | | Reply Link |
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That is a really neat observation. I echo what you've said too, on wishing everyone a safe and healthy, hoping even happy!, holdays.
Jeanie in arctic Nebraska (temperature is supposed to be 5-8 degrees below zero F with dangerous wind chills tonight, "A wind chill warning is in effect for southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa until midnight Sunday. The combination of strong winds and very cold temperatures will result in dangerous wind chills from -25 to -35 degrees")
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| Posted On: Jan 08 2009 At: 5:44:14 PM | | | Reply Link |
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I thought that you might get as much of a kick out of Riva's " smarts" as I do. A few logistics: 1: I usually do not halter and lead the horses out in the middle of winter as they have direct access to their field and it is icy/snowy/and next week wind chills in the minus 20-30s... they know their stalls and go in and out one at a time.
2: Riva's stall door is hung on the wrong side and she has to go around it to go in and to go out 3: there is a slight incline into her stall and the mat can get slippery especially with snow balls on her feet. Now she knows all this and tried to solve the problem by hustling but yesterday figured it out differently.. instead of a right turn to her stall she turns left into Ringer's stall, makes a u turn and heads directly across the aisle to her stall. Clever .
you might think that I am nuts to not lead them but I have had too many slips on wintery surfaces so I set it up with a small paddock area between the field and barn so they can come in one at a time....
you could see her studying the situation to come up with a good solution.
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| Posted On: Apr 05 2009 At: 05:52:04 AM | | | Reply Link |
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I have an update on Riva and Leah..now that we can do something other than moan about the long icy winter. Leah is looking forward to new shoes as she has been barefoot for winter which turns out not to be good for her: she needs the support and protection of shoes on a previously foundered foot and has had a series of abcesses.
so we have had some mini starts and setbacks and should have shoes on very soon. Riva and I had a great ride yesterday, the second of the season and she rode smartly through all the hubbub at the boarding barn (everyone is so eager to clean up horses and get going again), made a tour through the indoor and trotted smart and strong to the large outdoor arena and back home.
The best news however is that there is a new instructor in the area who is also a certified equine massage therapist. She worked on Leah last week and there is a remarkable difference in her: she is just freed up! she looks more relaxed and just moves more freely.
Yesterday was
riva's turn. I just knew that what we might call "crabby" or
"mareish" is really discomfort. She had so many knots and sore spots and they all make sense if I put the information together with how she carries herself, flattens her ears at the sight of the girth etc....It was wonderful to see her relax and even yawn as these things got moved around and out.
Danielle said she needs the chiropractor as she is out in the sacrum.
I think we might be on the way to helping her with her cycles which are difficult (and hard on stall walls as she bangs her hips for release).. I urge anyone who has an older sore rescue and access to a competent therapist or chiropractor to think about a session. I have read all the postings about how helpful they have been for others but
have not had anyone qualified and local to call on.. These horses are so stoic and will just keep on going without this but we can make them happier.
It will take a few more sessions, especially for Riva but I think we are on to something good.
antonio doesn't know what he has in store for him!
I hope you all are able to start getting out with your horses and that spring is coming to your area soon. It is snowing again this morning and there is a blizzard south of here but it will all be history very soon.
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| Posted On: May 31 2009 At: 7:49:37 PM | | | Reply Link |
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This is an update about Leah as well as an ode to my ineptitude: I may or may not have posted that went through a transition with her feet. We had to take shoes off for winter which was particularly icy here and then wait for freeze and thaw to end before shoeing her again during which time she developed bruises and abcesses on a previously foundered foot. I think I posted about this under the natural hoof trimming .... in any case during all the time off Quicklee came back and I just couldn't get it together with her.. and was I feeling stupid.
She seemed disconnected: a goosey wiggle worm in front and fairly solid behind and when in doubt:
the go fast thing.. so I asked a rider across the way who has schooled many horses to help both of us get more solid and together. this woman is a dressage rider and has now ridden leah (not Quicklee) 3 times.. She is really responding to the slower no pressure work and learning to listen to the leg and pressure rather than just blurt out.. She is making nice serpentines etc it is fun to watch.. You can just see her listening and trying to figure out what is being asked of her ....
It has been a big horse weekend here in te north woods.Now if it would just rain!
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| Posted On: Jul 04 2009 At: 4:03:53 PM | | | Reply Link |
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OK folks, I have a short story that is worthy of fireworks: we took Leah to the 150 x 300 arena in the back of the neighbors boarding barn.. which is no ordinary trip as you go through"gelding alley".. large pastures of geldings on both sides and other spooky stuff.. did a couple of circles and then into the obstacle course: logs to cross, a bridge, a "car wash" with hanging stuff and some plastic noodles that touch the side as the horse passes through..Molly was riding her and I was the ground person/security blanket and tramped on the bridge and crossed over to show her things were safe. she was fantastic ( and this was a bit of a surprise and she notices everything). then we went into the woods (oooooh scary retired farm implements in the brush) and she just set up and went on.. she was definately drawing some confidence from her people but was listening and steady. on the way out she got a tad big but still always listening....I am going to ride her during the week and have Molly do the initial trail rides as she is skilled and competent and has introduced much more reluctant horses to the woods and I don't want Leah to pick up any hesitation on my part. this is enough to send me out for a cheapo anyone can use digital camera (finally).. If anyone out there has suggestions please let me know. has to be easy on the pocket book and the mind of a computer simpleton...happy 4th of July from Riva, Antonio ( who were both great rides today) and Pincess Leah
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| Posted On: Jul 04 2009 At: 5:23:40 PM | | | Reply Link |
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That sound like fun Deborah, I like the idea of having a human ground person for the trial run. I may do that with Grace. Lonnie said yesterday that he would come and make me get on her and make sure that she is not spooky, so I am going to have to get brave and do it. 
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| Posted On: Jul 04 2009 At: 7:00:13 PM | | | Reply Link |
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I think it gives them confidence,Anne to have someone look for trolls under the bridge. you might remember Nealia and Pat's stories about her experiences with photo shoots.. stop drop and thankfully not roll, if I remember. I have been giving her a calming supplement: vitacalm by animed.. who knows if it makes a difference .. good luck with your ride.
any suggestions about a simple camera out there?????then I could post photos
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| Posted On: Jul 04 2009 At: 9:11:39 PM | | | Reply Link |
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Kodak Easy Share, several different models, I've had two and loved them both. And? I'm considered technically challenged  My pics are pretty good if you haven't seen them in my thread.
Nice to hear you are getting your horse into the woods, it's a great thing!  Way to go!
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Amy
Proud caretaker of SBR's "The Main Man", aka Big, now over the Rainbow Bridge, and "The Checkered Flag" aka Hank now residing at Briar Patch Farm.
Saddlebred Rescue...where horses are saved, and happy hearts are made! |
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| Posted On: Jul 04 2009 At: 9:28:21 PM | | | Reply Link |
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thanks, Amy. I will look into the Kodak. this means photos!
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| Posted On: Jul 04 2009 At: 10:03:55 PM | | | Reply Link |
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I have a kodak easy share & love it. I downloaded the software to upload the photos on comp... only 1 cd that took about 10 minutes. You can use the deck (I lost mine during the move) or use the USB cable & the program pops right up. I love it because you can choose to delete the photos from your camera SD card after you upload to the comp & you can also easily chose which ones you want to upload to your comp. I will never get any other camera!
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| Posted On: Jul 05 2009 At: 05:09:32 AM | | | Reply Link |
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thanks again...and good luck with Maggie
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[ Edited by: deborah on Jul 05 2009 05:15:47 AM ] |
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| Posted On: Jul 05 2009 At: 08:48:04 AM | | | Reply Link |
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I bought a bigger memory card and use a little jump drive to upload my pics, that is very easy and it didn't gunk up my computer by downloading the CD that came with the camera. Having IT support in the household, I have to listen to all the "criticism" about external programs and how they slow you down, yada yada yada......hahahaha. 
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Amy
Proud caretaker of SBR's "The Main Man", aka Big, now over the Rainbow Bridge, and "The Checkered Flag" aka Hank now residing at Briar Patch Farm.
Saddlebred Rescue...where horses are saved, and happy hearts are made! |
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| Posted On: Jul 06 2009 At: 11:04:15 AM | | | Reply Link |
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Deborah,
There are several Kodak Easy Share models.I have one and it takes pretty good pictures. Brooke also uses one we got with our computer and it works great, too, even after being dropped a few times!The softwear is easy to use as well. Good to hear things are going well with Leah.
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| Posted On: Aug 12 2009 At: 8:18:16 PM | | | Reply Link |
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someone suggested equine leg magic somewhere here way back and I have been using it for some months with this girl as she had an almost non existent sole and a slight rotation on the front right foot. (repeated abcesses etc) so the farrier applied equithane and shoes to the front feet and when the shoes came off 2 months later she had a foot. equithane promotes hoof growth too so I am not going to say the leg magic is responsable but today when he came after another 2 months of just the natural balance shoes she had even more sole; in fact her foot almost looks normal.. one more 2 month cycle and the funky part will be grown out. We decided to keep with another order : who can tell but the results of the whole process are very noteworthy...now we need to make some progress in the riding department . Even though she has been getting a lot of attention as well as rides from someone more talented than I am she still feels like riding a piece of cooked spaghetti. wish I were as flexible..
PS. thanks for all the camera advice and I recognize that posts are boring without photo updates but several other $$$$ somethings came up and no camera yet.
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[ Edited by: deborah on Aug 12 2009 8:20:53 PM ] |
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| Posted On: Aug 12 2009 At: 10:16:41 PM | | | Reply Link |
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Oh no, Deborah, not boring at all!I think it is great that she is doing so well. I have to tell you that I have received results I would not have believed with Equine Leg Magic (on a horse chronically lamed with abcesses and navicular). It is surely not a cure-all, but I am a believer. I remember Amwrider was the first person I remember mentioning it, and I tried it in a sort of desperation, 'well, we've tried everything else' but now all my horses are on it, at least on a maintenance dose. Good luck and please keep us updated, pics or not!
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| Proudly owned by SBR Willow (formerly Whoee). All those who wander are not lost--Tolkien |
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| Posted On: May 26 2010 At: 3:40:30 PM | | | Reply Link |
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Leah an Riva both coliced this morning.. Riva quietly uncomfortable and Leah a major big deal.. I think that the unusual 98 degree weather and the onslought of bugs, especially gnats/no seeums types put them over the edge... everything is ok now but I am putting this out there to suggest the importance of a plan, banamine on hand an maybe to keep an eye on things when the wether changes so dramatically....Antonio just went about his life, thank goodness
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| Posted On: May 26 2010 At: 7:26:43 PM | | | Reply Link |
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Glad to hear both girls are okay, now.
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| Posted On: May 26 2010 At: 9:27:42 PM | | | Reply Link |
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thanks Doug...
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| Posted On: May 26 2010 At: 10:15:55 PM | | | Reply Link |
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Thanks for the post. I didn't know horses could colic with an extreme change in the weather. Glad the girls are ok!
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| Posted On: May 26 2010 At: 11:09:47 PM | | | Reply Link |
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Hope they are doing well tonight. This weather has been crazy for May.
I was just thinking about trying to arrange to get some pictures for you!
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