tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88752533075726821012024-03-13T13:19:18.587-04:00Bitless horse: Science VS traditionJust because your great, great (etc) grandfather drove a model T ford doesn't mean you will. The same concept can be applied to modern horsemanship. Time to upgrade our knowledge.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.comBlogger427125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-54340838551623624232013-01-15T18:31:00.001-05:002013-01-15T18:31:40.431-05:00Let me pay the vet bill with all this extra money, said no horse owner ever.A million things have happened. Some good, some bad.<br />
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First since many of you have asked about Moose. Moose is doing fine...At least now he is. He did try and die on me a month ago. It went from being very mild the end of November to frigid and freezing rain. For whatever reason he didn't go into the shed. It rained all day and when I went to feed him grain at night he was shivering. Shivering was ok so I went to get a blanket to put on him wile he ate and warm him up. I walked him to the tack shed; a place he normally makes a nuisance of himself if I leave him loose by knocking everything over. He started backing up at the door and backing and backing. Thinking he was being a pill and not wanting to come inside I kept tight on the lead rope. He backed and backed and at this point I noticed something was seriously wrong, he wasn't backing to be defiant, he was backing to stop from collapsing. He fell down with a great thud and began shivering violently.<br />
Now if you have ever been in a predicament with a horse that has gone into shock let me tell you he wasn't a far cry from this. I bolted to go find Maverick in the shop (who was unhappily plucking roosters with his dad). When I came back Moose was still on the ground. I managed to get him sitting back up and urged him to his feet. He reluctantly got back up and started following me (with 3 horse blankets on his back) but he only got another 50 feet before collapsing again. It was raining, blowing wind, frigid and a Sunday night. No vet would come out, I was on my own. We made a quick decision and grabbed the loader tractor and rolled him into the bucket to get him the other 150 feet to the shop so he would be totally out of the elements.<br />
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He laid on the shop floor with heating pads, two heaters and a heap of blankets for two hours without trying to get up or move. I rolled him over every so often to prevent nerve damage. He laid there, breathing and closing his eyes for long periods of time. I called numerous vet's, the university, anyone. I fed him Gatoraide and handfuls of his grain (as mush from his choking incident he no longer gets un-soaked grain). He ate slowly, sighed, slept. Finally he started to lift his head. He picked it up to look around as something loud was dropped (remember, Maverick and his dad are grumbling and plucking roosters in the shop this whole time) but then laid it back down and slept more. After picking up his head several times I made him sit up and stuffed his bucket of grain under him. He began to eat greedily but laid back down after a few mouthfuls. After several rounds of sitting up and eating we urged him to his feet and he stayed there, munching grain happily and sipping Gatorade. So we went and got a couple bales of straw and a bale of hay. Itty bitty spent the night in the shop, happily munching hay with Ginger's too-big pink pony blanket.<br />
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The next morning I opened the shop door and he tore out like someone lit a rocket under his butt, broom tail in the air before settling to eat grass by the driveway. Yes I let him loose, he doesn't have a terrible attachment to the herd, but he does have his favorite surrogate horse family members he sticks close to when with them. He eats grass and comes to find you on the property when he wants back in the pasture.</div>
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But he is fine now. For precautions and because foals don't have a lot of fat he got his very own (54 inch) foal blanket that is weatherproof and has a light fill. He gets it on when it is below freezing or raining/snowing.</div>
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Moose is ticked off. I called him to the hitching post and didn't feed him. He is the little master of expressive face making, right under Indigo. </div>
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Other than that he is great! I told him that night that he couldn't give up and die on me; I was going to ride him and drive him when he got older first.</div>
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Moose loves going for walks to new places, playing with the dog's and eating. Did I mention eating? Well this colt LOVES TO EAT. He's growing up into a well mannered, friendly little colt. </div>
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Indigo got some sort of mystery eye issue. I brought her to the vet because her one eye was weeping. Usually when her eye weeps I put her fly mask on a day or two and it resolves. No this one. It was in her right eye and she would barely open it and it weeped, bad! </div>
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Leopard print fly masks in December. Not the fashion statement I was hoping for. </div>
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Several vet visit's and a good dent in my Christmas gift money later and I still had a horse who couldn't open her eye and Three ointments I had to put in her eye four times a day, every six hours. I thought after a couple times of this she was going to (metaphorically) give me the horse middle finger and run when she saw me coming, but she didn't. She met me at the gate every time and let me poke her in the eye without a halter on, several times a day for a longer time than I wish. </div>
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Poor Indigo. The vet ruled she had a very light ulcer on the very surface of her eye but the next time I went it was gone. Her tear duct was clear but her pupil remained dilated and under her eye was swollen. You had to talk to her when you walked up on her closed eye side or she would jump then look at you with her head tilted sideways. <br />
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Finally after a month and a half, her eye getting better, then far worse. I was at whits end. What if she lost her sight? What if it never got better and she was forever squinty eyed. Finally after being told again by a vet to "just leave it and see what happens" I gave her a supplement. It's for people and reduces oxidative stress. I take it every day personally and have given it to Ginger for her fused back pastern. It did wonders for Ginger's inflammation, taking her from dragging her hind leg to picking it up and running across the pasture, what could it do for my horses obviously swollen and weepy eye. Well in a week it did nothing less than I expected. </div>
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A week later. What a difference. Lovely to see your beautiful brown eye again my spotty horse (the morning sun was right on her face she isn't squinty anymore)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-30862019853977888582012-11-26T21:44:00.002-05:002012-11-26T21:44:24.924-05:00White line diseaseDoes this "cracked" hoof wall look familliar?<br />
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The right hoof was trimmed but not completely finished and the left was untrimmed. You can see in the toe of the right where I rolled it the crack stops in the outer hoof wall. </div>
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They don't go down to the white line and the horse has no definite splits in the hoof so why worry, right?<br />
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They seem to be more evident in white hooves, which is just a wives tale (there's no difference in white/black hooves but the lack of melanin influenced by the skin above the hoof) but you see blemishes more easily in white hooves.<br />
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Farriers have different names for them, grass cracks, weather cracks, dry cracks etc.<br />
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The hoof wall seems more reluctant to chip off, thrush that doesn't seem to want to completely go away, falling apart frogs, lack of concavity, ouchiness on rough terrain, can't hold shoes without chipping off, persistent flares are just some of the symptoms.<br />
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There is ALWAYS a reason why hooves don't look smooth and shiny without someone running a rasp over them. A common and yet very unknown cause: White line disease!!!<br />
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White line disease (Hereafter known as WLD) is an inappropriate name because it actually originates between the pigmented layer of hoof and the unpigmented layer (AKA the water line as some people call it), not the white line. However it can go down into the white line in a severe case and cause it to die and become hollow (Seedy toe). The pathogens get into the hoof wall, be it by injury such as an abcess, cut hairline, compromised laminae (laminitis, founder) etc. or by neglect such as bad living conditions, long time between trims leaving flares and stretching the laminae, allowing the pathogens to invade etc. It comes from the coronet band and makes it's way down the hoof. This is where you start to see the cracks in the hoof wall. Sometimes the hoof will split and it is common practice for a farrier to either "score" the crack with a rasp, burn it or put a shoe on it to stop it from splitting. The problem is this only treats the aftermath of the issue, not the source so it never goes away completely. <br />
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Here you can see a black hoof.<br />
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The outer wall is black, the white next to it is the un-pigmented hoof wall layer and then the white line appears yellow. This gelding has had a crack for 5 years and was lame without shoes. So farrier after farrier put shoes on him and yet his hoof still cracked. I came along and told the owner about what was really going on. Notice the bad quality of frog and black between the layers of hoof wall were dead, necrotic tissue has been living. <br />
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Here's the hoof clipping. You can see where the split occurred, leaving the pigmented hoof wall intact behind it. <br />
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This horse is on his way to having nice, new feet.<br />
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This mare however the owner reports always flares, cracks and grows next to nothing for hoof wall. Can you guess what I seen when I rasped a little?<br />
See the black crap there, right between the layers of hoof wall? That is the white line disease. Atrophied frog, nasty.<br />
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So what does one do to get rid of this nasty, sneaky sucker? Well start by throwing away all those hoof dressings, thrush treatments and hoof ointments that have chemicals in them. If you have coppertox or have used bleach stop right now! Stop it! Stop it right now and say it with me: IF YOU WOULDN'T PUT IT ON YOUR OWN SKIN DON'T PUT IT ANYWHERE ON YOUR HORSES. PERIOD!!<br />
Chemicals like bleach, coppertox, thrush buster etc. kill good tissues and horn in the hoof. This creates a new buffet of compromised structures for these pathogens to invade and make a new home. Make sure you read labels, pick something that isn't going to harm live tissue. My personal favorite and most effective is Clean trax. It takes a bit more time but is far more effective than anything I have used (yes white lightning included which as I personally witnessed, ate a clients denim jeans. Yikes!).<br />
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So my question to you guys, have you witnessed these cracked hooves? What have you been told? <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-78859033126762921132012-11-19T23:55:00.001-05:002012-11-19T23:55:17.182-05:00never enough<div style="text-align: center;">
One simply does not</div>
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Have too many pictures of their horse sticking out their tongue. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-35852695612492525722012-11-01T00:36:00.001-04:002012-11-01T00:36:38.903-04:00I have a mascotThe business has a mascot.<br />
Or a new family member.<br />
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Meet Clinch. Well this was him in August.<br />
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Isn't he cute? He doesn't look much like this anymore, the little, cute, terror. <br />
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At one of the farms where we trim horses (they are all barefoot) the owner of the land's one dog had puppies. His mother is a white Pomeranian chihuahua cross and his dad was a heeler. How on earth that was possible is beyond me.<br />
All six of the puppies were born on a 115 degree day and one of the boarders thought they were all dead because they were under a stump and completely covered in flies. They were nursed back to health but not doing very good when we met them 6 weeks later, covered in ticks and fleas. They were extremely underweight and wormy too. Through our business we got them all adopted though and of course, kept Clinch for our own.<br />
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Savanah wasn't quite sure what to make of him at first. She stalked him everywhere and nipped at him, trying to instigate some sort of dominance fight. Eventually he wheeled around, growled, barked and charged at her with his evil little needle puppy teeth. She regarded him differently ever since.<br />
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The dog park is tiring. Clinch, never having seen a dog toy immediately discovered Savanah's for the thieving. Here they are playing "tug of prettiest".<br />
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Looking back on these pictures it's hard to remember when I first weighed him at the vet's he wasn't even two pounds!<br />
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Hose water is the best.</div>
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<i>"Roo roo roo!!"</i> </div>
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How could you ever get angry at that face? </div>
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He has an obsession with burying things he doesn't find tasty. He insists on a horse treat when the horses get one, but always buries it in soft dirt, if he can find some. Leaves or my sweater lying on the seat of the truck make a good alternative place to bury things. He shoves the "dirt" back over the treasure with his nose it's so funny.</div>
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Clinch came in the other day totally soaking wet and on a wet dog "rampage". It being super dry here I started to rack my brain thinking of what on earth he got into to soak himself...and smell SO BAD!! The sewer lagoon. YUCK!!!<br />
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He grew and grew and is now almost ten pounds!<br />
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Savanah is 19 pounds. I don't think he will be that big but he sure has grown like a weed. He was biting her paws and she was doing her best to be tolerant so she was biting the blanket.<br />
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His colours have come in darker as he aged. He had the werewolf face when he was younger but all the black is almost gone on his head other than around his ears. <br />
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<br />He has become my almost constant companion. He loves coming with me when I do farrier work and gets along with every dog I see on my rounds. Everyone falls in love with him because he usually makes a beeline for the first person he see's, tail wagging, happy bounding little puppy. Be definitely is a one person dog, insisting to sit on my lap all the time or cuddle up next to me on the couch or running to me for shelter when he aggravates a duck or rooster too many times and gets bit. Hes one saucy little bugger.<br />
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The saucy dog that licks the truck windows and bites and growls at the wind when the windows are down...<br />
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He is special. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-55132891408606661762012-10-28T12:31:00.000-04:002012-10-28T12:31:45.559-04:00Slow feedersThis year has been horrible for crops, hay included. Until September we had less than four inches of rain since May and it was dry, dry, dry, dry. The first cutting of hay was pitiful and the others simply did not exist. So I went to buy <s>gold</s> hay for the old ladies, who cannot have hay off the round bales due to their allergies. Alfalfa is what they were getting and it wasn't an option. No one had any and if they did the price was astronomical. We ended up getting some decent grass bales for a decent price. The problem is the old ladies are picky and spread their less appealing grass hay in a 50 foot radius, stomping, pooping and peeing on good hay that should be eaten. So I spent a great deal of time thinking about how to feed the ladies. We thought about putting the hay in a feeder so at least it was off the ground. Knowing horses they were likely to take a huge first bite of a flake and shake it all over.<br />
So I thought, I need a feeder that I can put hay in and they can't just take a flake out and stomp and poop and pee all over it. I have seen hay nets such as Lisa's from <a href="http://laughingorcaranch.blogspot.com/2009/11/horse-hockey.html" target="_blank">Laughing orca ranch</a> but I couldn't really hang them on the shed due to the shed being pretty old and probably wouldn't fare well against daily hungry horse abuse. If they were on the ground I was afraid of them or something getting wound up in it. So I decided to go with something not only portable but durable. I didn't want to be re-making this thing.<br />
So with my idea's and Maverick's carpenter skills (that is after all, his first trade before being a farrier) we made this: <br />
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It only has one coat of paint and no lid at this point. We built it completely out of scrap lumber. We literally only bought a hog panel for the sides because after thinking about the many we have on the farms they were all bent up and not worth the bother to try and straiten or fix them. I also bought barn paint for the lumber because I didn't want it to rot or have any harmful substances the horses could ingest.<br />
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We started with an old pallet for the bottom and built up from there. The pyramid for the middle keeps the flakes of hay against the sides. You can fit approximately 1 bale of hay in here. The first week I used it the ladies inhaled the hay in a couple hours. Now a week later they munch on it, pulling mouthfuls from between the bars (their teeth don't touch the hog pannel I made sure) they go away, graze, come back. There's always a little left when I come back the next feeding which is great, meaning their stomachs are never empty.<br />
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The old ladies are also eating hay together now, rather than squabbling at feeding time over who gets the hay pile they want (Indigo). <br />
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I have another idea using the hog panel to make a V shaped one but I have yet to see round bale ones that were not hockey net. Anyone have ideas?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-59820946560292914712012-10-27T19:01:00.001-04:002012-10-27T19:01:59.374-04:00Miniature horses and ponies...I want to make this really clear right now. I know other farriers feel the same as I do because I get called when no one else will come out to trim and fix the buggers.<br />
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Miniature horses are NOT big dogs. They do NOT cost less to keep and maintain than a big horse. Hoof care is no exception so when looking for a farrier don't expect quality hoof care to come half price, which is what most mini owners expect. <br />
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They still eat hay, the hay comes out the other end, hurt themselves on invisible objects and have four hooves.<br />
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There's only two types of ponies (and mini's); Foundered and gonna.<br />
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Having said that this is what happens when a mini's owner is denied farrier care by several farriers recommended by a local vet. These are his hind feet. His front's were not that bad and I forgot to take a picture.<br />
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It's a bad picture because he is standing on the grass but the bottom of his hooves are deformed and turned towards each other. His last trim was June of this year so it wasn't like it took years for his feet to become this way. The owner didn't want to attempt to attack the problem himself but was running out of options as no other farrier would answer his call or come out because they had mini's.<br />
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This is the after. This little guy was extremely cooperative, unlike many foundered patients. His feet are still turned a bit due to the hoof capsule being crushed dbut in due time he will turn around.<br />
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The owner and his brother were extremely pleased to set up followup appointments and despite having other farriers out before to work on this guy in better condition than he was when I worked on him they had absolutely no clue what founder was other than they knew a horse could get it from eating too much grain and it caused the hoof to grow weird. We had a nice long talk and now they understand what founder is, what causes it and what precautions they should take, especially in fall which is a prime time for founder.<br />
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Having said this mini's are the hardest horses to trim. I would take a draft any day over a mini. It doesn't mean they are any less important when it comes to hoof care. It means the little buggers ensure I will shed some blood and lose some skin. Not from them, although many owners assume mini's are big dog's and never take the time to handle them. Their feet are small and the mini's are wiggly. Fingers and hands plus a rasp do not equal trimmed mini feet. They mean I am likely to have to put a liniment on a horse later that evening (I love you absorbine liniment) and subject my hands to what feels like battery acid. I also usually walk a little hunch backed for the rest of the day.<br />
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I want to hire a midget. Anyone know a midget that want's to learn how to trim mini's? I'll pay them.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-67430160630363331292012-10-15T16:19:00.003-04:002012-10-15T16:19:43.158-04:00When it rains, it pours...And thunders, compete with computer, T.V and other electronic frying lightning.<br />
Yes the computer was plugged into a surge protector. A friend of ours had some things get hit too. It finally stormed. Wind and lightning and a bit of hail made us all believe we were finally getting some sort of rain. But it only amounted to 1/8 an inch, despite all the commotion.<br />
That was in July. It is almost impossible to blog on my phone and between traveling to Oklahoma and Canada, here, there and everywhere I just recently got around to getting a useable internet connection again.<br />
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Many things has happened this summer. Before I go on to those I'll tell you, because so many have asked. Moose is doing well. We had a little scare when he choked, strained a muscle in his neck and wouldn't eat. He now gets his grain all wet down and no solid grains.<br />
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One of my favorite of course is my farrier business. I never get sick of looking at horses legs and feet. I never get sick of the horses owners calling me and telling me how much better their horses are after I bring them back to proper angles or remedy a lameness.<br />
One thing I say often: Never judge another farrier for his(or her) work because you never know where they started.<br />
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So far starters here are some pictures. Today's blog subjects are all founder.<br />
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Becky, a foundered mule. </div>
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X-Rays of Flash. A 15 year old arabian gelding shod 3 weeks before by another farrier and x-rayed the Monday before I got there at the request of the other farrier. You can see where the toe isn't even touching the shoe.and there's almost no sole depth. </div>
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Flash. The foot in the x-ray is the left front (closest in the picture) the other hoof lost the shoe a day or two before. Note again how the toe isn't even touching the shoe. </div>
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Fancy, a foundered mule with an extreme contracted deep digital flexor tendon. This is why she appears knuckled over.</div>
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All of these animals are from different owners. Some kept putting it off, others didn't know there was any hope and some it was neglect on other farriers part. All are on a six week or less schedule for their feet being done to avoid them becoming the mess they were in these pictures.</div>
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Did any of them survive? How did they get this way? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvE443jlB65zvCcOuEyoxO7uGSF4kwW8gKExGZIOGydzdLkwiKWxHMiPVOFsuLO4aDJKydlsfYCsdp5sceUKvMez5-Xzc3wVXA053tn2_cYqSC3nS6nLdF_8h_1MXkCJay2Nqo7JbFNV54/s1600/beckyfounder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvE443jlB65zvCcOuEyoxO7uGSF4kwW8gKExGZIOGydzdLkwiKWxHMiPVOFsuLO4aDJKydlsfYCsdp5sceUKvMez5-Xzc3wVXA053tn2_cYqSC3nS6nLdF_8h_1MXkCJay2Nqo7JbFNV54/s320/beckyfounder.jpg" width="320" /></a>Becky. <br />
<br />She was once a mule in a pretty nice little driving team. She foundered and was out on quite the few acres and became pretty wild. We managed to trick her into an area and made a squeeze chute out of two panels, sandwiching her between them. <br />
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Then we broke out the big tools. Our Dewalt sawsall. <br />
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I kept the pieces of hoof it was pretty cool. The dogs all keep trying to steal it out of my shoeing trailer though. <br />
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When the whole deal was done. It was kind of a crude job but we didn't have a whole lot to work with when it came to her right front. The heel was so collapsed. Next time.<br />
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Fancy. Her owner acquired her not long before I came by. He said she spent many hours laying the pasture and not moving much or braying. I already hacked off six inches that had curled back towards her leg. <br />
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I was hitting a solid chunk of dead hoof so I went to the trusty hacksaw.<br />
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The finished product. Her owner reported her last trim as cruising up and down the pasture and braying at him when he comes outside in the morning. <br />
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Flash. <span id="goog_69008026"></span><span id="goog_69008027"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTHq4fclXZ4E81aZz3mwQdVnAz-uPqzeaLIW0_6a8DZswy72mslgrHumPuyeFIV4wYFzf4j6M2UmwGXjIcbS-kd2qN0CvYvPG1MGozP0U97CRtlMP14hqMNikzZE3iByXfptDEmFJQaQZ/s1600/IMAG0902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTHq4fclXZ4E81aZz3mwQdVnAz-uPqzeaLIW0_6a8DZswy72mslgrHumPuyeFIV4wYFzf4j6M2UmwGXjIcbS-kd2qN0CvYvPG1MGozP0U97CRtlMP14hqMNikzZE3iByXfptDEmFJQaQZ/s320/IMAG0902.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
He ripped the front right shoe off that had been on for three weeks by another farrier. The other farrier requested that the owner get x-rays. It doesn't take a vet to show me that about two inches of toe need to be taken off to maintain the hoof-pastern axis.<br />
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Front left, lateral. <br />
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Front right, lateral.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SOvXxnX6e1zVgVcJiQj0hR1NB9JhgHwwOZ3PYLYGVXoBdncBztTvZRxveptVKdhO75DIlcAypKolh31y8ooOZ3vWCwvv2V0P_Qx34HTNBbpK5bwgyphnUf4zLwCILKYDMnSwqoeKIJTl/s1600/flash+frontleft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SOvXxnX6e1zVgVcJiQj0hR1NB9JhgHwwOZ3PYLYGVXoBdncBztTvZRxveptVKdhO75DIlcAypKolh31y8ooOZ3vWCwvv2V0P_Qx34HTNBbpK5bwgyphnUf4zLwCILKYDMnSwqoeKIJTl/s320/flash+frontleft.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
After. Reduced the size of the shoe by almost two sizes. Removed the laminar wedge at the toe and returned the hoof-pastern axis to something more normal. Pad and silicon soft pour in packing material under it. Next reset more of the laminar wedge will be removed. The toe is off the shoe due to the pressure placed on the laminae and hoof wall previously. Next trim we should have something more to work with and hopefully nail a shoe to. Although I love most horses barefoot this horse's goal is to be comfortable. He came to me pretty darn lame and trotted off to visit his buddies in the pasture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULR2PoptA_i_qmLRkBOptinNjIa83lR9lGpZEG5SXKuJvHBMBqTRo6cRKfdmsddYr1y9IWv7N15LXAleMkA-dkCo35-i3jGg_jJf_Q0KN8Df1ijQfZOUOiIf4qE0y6PaxAl2JSM2SykcX/s1600/IMAG0906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULR2PoptA_i_qmLRkBOptinNjIa83lR9lGpZEG5SXKuJvHBMBqTRo6cRKfdmsddYr1y9IWv7N15LXAleMkA-dkCo35-i3jGg_jJf_Q0KN8Df1ijQfZOUOiIf4qE0y6PaxAl2JSM2SykcX/s320/IMAG0906.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So thats it for today. Feel free to ask questions. All the animals here are doing much better.<br /><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-30071601527827452632012-07-24T18:28:00.002-04:002012-07-24T18:42:39.426-04:00Itty bitty, Moose<br />
For all those who have asked about my little orphaned colt, Moose.<br />
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Moose is doing well. He has been affectionately nicknamed "bitty".<br />
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<i>Mmmm, nom time</i></div>
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The night Rocky died we left to get foal lac, a powdered milk replacer for foals. Unfortunately the only place open on a Saturday night that had it was a vet's office. Can you hear the dollars flying out of my pocket? It cost me twice the amount, as I found out later. I had bottle fed a baby before at a farm I worked at so this would be a piece of cake!<br />
WRONG. Moose strongly informed me that Foal lac is indeed poison. It tastes, smells, looks like poison. We tried everything and finally resulted in basically force feeding him the poison because he was obviously fading. Later around midnight for another feeding I was tired and at my whits end I decided to soak some grain he had received with his mom with the foal lac. As long as the foal lac was pretty much strained out of the grain he would get some of it down. I went to bed for what seemed like seconds before going back out to force feed him again.<br />
Moose obviously had started to lose strength. He spent most of his
energy on escaping several fences we had decided should hold ANY horse
as some were built with high tensile wire and telephone poles.
Apparently we never figured colt's into that equation because he managed
to wriggle right through with a few good scratches on his hind legs. We
would find him taking a stroll through the yard in random directions,
calling for his mama.<br />
Eventually he became too exhausted to escape
yet another pen (4 fences later) and fell asleep in a tired heap not too far
from the other horses.<br />
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Moose loved strait grain and ate it well because his mother and him had been eating it twice a day since before he was born. He resented people for a few days, evading
capture as best he could when it came to feeding time. He did have hay
to eat and did eat hay but it was a roller coaster for the first couple
days. He would be strong and fight then he would be obviously weak and
tired. He still called with his heart wrenching nickers for his mama. <br />
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I looked high and low for a goat that was milking to hopefully feed
him cheaper than the foal lac. No luck. I did not jump up and down at the
thought of milking a goat but hey, it was cheaper than foal
lac. Luckily a friend of ours has goats for milk and her son's 4-H. Shes
been giving us a couple milk jugs full a day! What a wonderful lady! We
have been helping her out as much as possible. I trimmed all her goats
hooves for the 4-H fair that night, in shorts with my farrier chaps over
them and cowboy boots on. I was sylin'. <br />
Finally Moose ate. I really wasn't sure if he was starving or if it was the goats milk. But he ate. Only if the milk was mixed with grain out of a bucket. Voila! I had to sit with him so the other horses didn't push him off it (PEPE!!) He ate slow at first but now he sees me coming and is at the gate before I come out of the shed with his bucket then proceeds to inhale it as fast as possible, which came to a sort of scary scenario.<br />
I am not sure how many of you have experienced this. As Moose proceeded to snarf down the grain at one point when we were fighting with him to eat the foal lac and he choked. Choke happens when something lodges itself in a horses throat in which they cannot a) Throw up, well because a horse cannot throw up or b) swallow. He had just taken a large mouthful of his poison <s>foal lac</s> grain and suddenly his eyes bugged out of his head, he stopped swishing his tail and had a sort of convulsion. I knew immediately having seen horses choke before what was happening. The lucky thing is that horses systems are designed so they do not breathe through their mouth so they will still continue to breathe, unlike a human who could quickly die from lack of oxygen. Each time he would try and swallow he would lean back and his whole body would stiffen and he would shudder violently. The sudden pain scared him and he took off across the pen at mach 5 finally stopping dead in his tracks with another scary convulsion. I got a hold of him and started massaging his throat and neck. I also called the university vet. Just a quick note here: If you don't have the number to the closest university vet, get it! Most will answer your questions for free and are very knowledgeable, especially when it's late and your vet may not be available for a wile. None of the local vets answered but the emergency line at the university was prompt and told me I was doing everything correctly and it should hopefully pass.<br />
Luckily as I was talking on the phone to a very nice lady vet and massaging Moose's neck his little tail started to swish and he relaxed, knowing the grain had dissolved in his throat. He smacked his lips and looked eagerly at the bucket for more. Scary for sure.<br />
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But as the days have gone by Moose has decided the reason I was put on earth; to feed him and to scratch his whole body, all over, all the time. He prefers his goats milk cold and his scratches after he has finished eating. Then he will wander on over with the rest of the horses and stretch out like a corpse on his side in the sun and digest. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2oU1M55xCaGPzc6vAfPlR-P4JbX9B-8SJocReiZV9BoPG0fkp07OjseKbULmnI05-vM2dFpc_9Q9w_CtzP190dweeC86HiBHLL-4eZgmi36g6CY1HvxLI-8LScW4pFi8VB3rjPvN8AmU/s1600/moosehat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2oU1M55xCaGPzc6vAfPlR-P4JbX9B-8SJocReiZV9BoPG0fkp07OjseKbULmnI05-vM2dFpc_9Q9w_CtzP190dweeC86HiBHLL-4eZgmi36g6CY1HvxLI-8LScW4pFi8VB3rjPvN8AmU/s320/moosehat.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<i>Moose, you are a pest. Let me finish my work. Here, wear this hat</i> </div>
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He doesn't mind being mauled by kids, the dog, cat's, chickens or all shorts of machinery like tractors and weed eaters. They have been part of his life from day one. He also had his feet trimmed for the first time a couple days ago and was a complete doll due to him being imprinted a few hours after birth. I held him and Maverick trimmed him. It's very important to trim a foals hooves when they are young, especially if they are toeing in or out. Especially before three months, when their knees will pretty much permanently set in which direction they grow. Moose was unfortunately a slight bit toed out when he was born. A toed out foal will wear more on the outside of it's hooves and less on the inside, allowing the inside to grow longer which will only accentuate and worsen the toeing out. The opposite is true for a toed in foal. So we have been lowering the medial (inside) and leaving the lateral (outside) longer to make him strait again and it has worked. In just a few days after trimmings you can see definite improvements. We take little, often to ensure he will not be sore and so his tendons and ligaments can adjust to the new position.<br />
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So for all those worried, Bitty, I mean Moose, is doing a lot better than expected. So much that when I was at a farm last week shoeing a horse the lady had a colt twice his age there that was his size. Moose is going to live up to his name and be, well a moose if he continues to grow like a weed. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-15463245801840338732012-07-14T18:32:00.005-04:002012-07-14T21:57:57.420-04:00life can be so, so cruelAs everyone knows when you own a horse it comes a time when tragedy will strike. You can either pull your big girl pants up and do the right thing or run in the other direction.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bitlesshorseblog.com/2012/06/lookie-what-i-found.html" target="_blank">Rocky</a> died yesterday afternoon.<br />
Maverick and I went from petting and playing with Pepe and Moose to scrambling to help a 1500lb horse that was bleeding to death in less than 30 seconds it seemed. <br />
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I won't go into the extreme details here. It was a freak accident sort of thing. Rocky was tied to a sturdy post wile we played with Moose and Pepe a short distance away, well within view. We have had horses, really rank, wild horses tied to this post before. It's secure and sturdy, made out of an old Osage tree. Rocky was tied short. I am really anal about tying horses short. I've seen more freak outs with people tying a horse too long so I knew better. She was a bit anxious but nothing uncontrollable. She pawed a few times, neighed. She was used to us playing with Moose and being tied up but before we knew it she had climbed the old five foot tall gate and was stuck somewhat like this cow.<br />
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<i>I had to add something to lighten the post. This cow makes me laugh. </i></div>
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Her being stuck on the gate was fine. She hung out for a few moments, pretty calmly I might add, as we came over to quickly determine what was to be done and she thrashed. Rocky has always been a pretty calm horse in situations others would have lost their marbles. Her sudden realization she was caught hung over the gate she flailed and broke the gate. When the gate broke she landed on a T-post I had no clue was even there, tight against the gate due to some tall foliage. But the damage was done and she began to bleed, very bad.<br />
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We had to do what I hope, and I sincerely mean this, none of my readers ever have to do. We had to get a gun and shoot Rocky to end her suffering. She was in shock and bleeding out fast, unable to hold herself up once she came off that post. The T-post hit a main artery, right off her heart and there was nothing we could do and no time to get a vet out there that fast to euthanize her.<br />
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<a href="http://www.murphys-laws.com/murphy/murphy-horse.html" target="_blank">Murphy's law of horses</a> should add another
one to the list: "Horses will
find it and they will injure themselves on it".<br />
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This is not the first time I have seen a horse get seriously injured on a t-post. This time it just happened to be my horse in a place horses shouldn't have even been. I cap most of my t-posts either with bike tire tubes folded over with electrical tape or commercial t-post caps. For anyone who has not yet seen a horse at the very least give themselves a good scrape with a T-post please think about capping them. The caps and time it takes to do that is a lot cheaper than a vet bill, or a life. <br />
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This left us with one 6 week old colt with no mom. Moose had his buddies with the other horses but he cried and cried and cried for his mama. He could smell where she was near the gate and spent a long time there. Then he proceeded to escape from 4 separate pens we thought to be escape proof (electric and a pretty solid round pen made of telephone poles, and one wooden gate he climbed like a ladder) and run around in a panic looking for mama. Finally he settled in at 10 pm with the rest of the horses and ate hay. He wanted little to do with the foal lac milk replacer but gladly ate his regular grain; if it wasn't mixed with the foal lac poison!<br />
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It's very unfortunate, but life can be so cruel sometimes. Rocky was a great mare. I really liked her and so did everyone else who met her. She had such a steady, easygoing personality she was a blast to work with for a horse who spent her previous 9 years totally wild. You never had to teach her something twice. I can only hope Moose will grow up to be like her. For now I shall spend my spare time feeding a rambunctious colt and loosing sleep for midnight feedings.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-32142418120664616852012-07-11T23:21:00.001-04:002012-07-11T23:26:06.659-04:00Arnicare winner!!We have a winner.<br />
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<a href="http://www.boironusa.com/blogger/products/arnicare-md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://www.boironusa.com/blogger/products/arnicare-md.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/01079444902318990074" target="_blank">NeighGirl</a><br />
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"Right now, I am struggling with tendinitis all through my arm:( The
worst thing that I can think of was being thrown over a corral when my
horse stepped on a bee's nest.<br />
Love,<br />
Neighgirl"</div>
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Ouch! </div>
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Please e-mail me sydney@bitlesshorseblog.com with your address and information. I hope Arnica can help you with your tendonitis.<br />
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p.s- There's another contest coming up soon. The product is for horses, and it has arnica in it. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-76218879418378571522012-07-10T17:43:00.001-04:002012-07-10T17:43:47.943-04:00Arnicare contest update!I'm extending the Arnicare contest until tomorrow (Wednesday the 11th) due to me being on vacation.<br />
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So if you would like the chance to win a tube of Arnicare gel skip on over to the <a href="http://www.bitlesshorseblog.com/2012/06/black-and-blue-and-bruised-all-over.html" target="_blank">contest post</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-15789158958570135652012-06-30T16:15:00.000-04:002012-06-30T17:29:59.041-04:00Black and blue and bruised all over! CONTESTBruises.<br />
Before I took my dive into the profession of hoof care I regularly bruised myself. Half the time I never realized how the heck I gave myself one but there it was in all it's multi coloured glory.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gmf6AaupmsDxVop9eev0G9XhmbtquBTr5G_z0E4nV0UGsMGofdjimDtWvwEHLvIGEW2v6TlAfuhMR64SvlwJPd2nZhOu95mwTPQ16kDdI5Ni-6nf1ULfuiC07ijQ6_cqs36ZoXpIbeFa/s1600/bruise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gmf6AaupmsDxVop9eev0G9XhmbtquBTr5G_z0E4nV0UGsMGofdjimDtWvwEHLvIGEW2v6TlAfuhMR64SvlwJPd2nZhOu95mwTPQ16kDdI5Ni-6nf1ULfuiC07ijQ6_cqs36ZoXpIbeFa/s320/bruise.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>This was a kick by a very spoiled, rude paint horse. Unfortunately my Arnica was several hours away from being put on, hence the big bruise.</i></div>
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Now that I am underneath horses on a daily basis as a profession I seem to bruise things more often. But let me tell you, it's never the drafts or warmbloods or over sized goofy horses that bruise you; it's the mini's.<br />
When one trims a mini one can almost guarantee to scrape a knuckle, pull off a fingernail or get thumped, bitten or tromped on. There's something about small hooves and your hand that don't mix well when stirred in a pot with rasp and hoof knife. People in our area have a hard time getting farriers to come and trim mini's so I get called. Not that I mind I just don't give discounts for "smaller" horses because they are ALWAYS more work. Hence why farriers don't come out for them.<br />
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If you remember the post about <a "="" href="http://www.bitlesshorseblog.com/2012/06/ill-always-have-this-in-my-first-aid.html" http:="" target="_blank>Maverick's foot and Arnica</a> and how wonderful it is. Well the Boiron company that manufactures the homeopathic <a href=" www.arnicare.com="">Arnicare gel</a> that I use? The Boiron company that manufactures <a href="http://www.arnicare.com/" target="_blank">Arnicare gel</a> seen that post and sent me a tube of Arnicare. The best thing about Arnicare besides it's amazing anti inflammatory properties? Well it's a homeopathic medicine, meaning it has no artificial colours, perfumes or parabens in it. <br />
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The question is, what to do with this Arnicare gel? Well I didn't have to think twice, I'm going to give it away to a lucky reader!<br />
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Here are some arnica facts!<br />
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<a href="http://herbal099.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/arnica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://herbal099.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/arnica.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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- <span style="font-family: tahoma,arial; font-size: x-small;">Arnica (Arnica montana ([Latin]),
also commonly called mountain tobacco or leopard's bane, is a wildflower
resembling a daisy that grows in the mountains of Europe and North
America. Arnica is commonly used in topical herbal medicines to
speed healing from bruises and other traumatic injuries. Arnica is
thought to provide the body with pain relief as well as anti-biotic and
anti-inflammatory benefits. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: tahoma,arial; font-size: x-small;">- </span><span style="font-family: tahoma,arial; font-size: x-small;">Arnica contains sesquiterpene
lactones, substances that are known to reduce inflammation and decrease
pain. Arnica prevents bruising by keeping stimulating the white blood
cells to disperse trapped blood and fluid from the site of injury.
Arnica’s effectiveness as a treatment for bruising, sports injuries, and
inflammation is well established and many commercial creams used for
treatment of pain, bruising, and swelling contain arnica as an active
ingredient. Arnica creams are also used to treat pain and inflammation
resulting from carpel tunnel syndrome and arthritis.
</span><span style="font-family: tahoma,arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<br />
- <span style="font-family: tahoma,arial; font-size: x-small;">Arnica can also be used externally to
treat tired, overstressed muscles. One study performed in Norway
showed that marathon runners who applied arnica to their skin before the
event experienced less pain and stiffness afterward. Arnica is a
relaxing addition to the bath, and has been shown to be particularly
helpful for soaking tired, aching feet. </span><br />
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<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I can vouch for how well this works. Wile just last night I had my foot stomped on by a mare. I picked her foot up to put it on the stand and she stiff-legged and STOMPED as hard as she could on the top of my foot and just kept her hoof there until I squalled and gave her a what-for. Rubbed Arnica on it and voila, no bruise. My back was also a bit stiff this morning from fighting a mare with arthritic hocks last night and as soon as I rubbed arnica on it not 15 minutes later it had loosened up. Great stuff. </span></div>
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The only bad thing I found about this stuff? Well the gel has alcohol/the gel/not sure? in it. I had some on me once and spent the day in the sun and it burnt me. I don't burn easily and it was in the area I rubbed it on and nowhere else. Just cover it up I guess. <br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So what do you have to do to receive this amazing homeopathic remedy? Well I'll tell you. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">1. You must be a follower of this blog.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">2. Post here in a comment with either a story (with pics? Please if you have them) or a link to your story of a bad bruise, bump, break, crack, tumble or otherwise unplanned bodily meeting with a substance harder than yourself</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">3. Tell your friends! If you have a blog I would love to see a mention of this contest and how wonderful Arnica is. I love this stuff, I am sure you will too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This contest will end next weekend! Get telling those bruise stories and please, no intentional bruising for the purpose of this contest hehe! </span></div>
<span style="font-family: tahoma,arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: tahoma,arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-12425968876987460482012-06-26T22:02:00.002-04:002012-06-26T22:03:54.778-04:00How do you feed your horse? Please help me out.Just a survey of sorts to help with another blog post. I would be very grateful if you guys could vote on the poll. If your answers are not up there I would LOVE comments!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSoLBKmd0RRmTIcvZ6X6MASC4Lp0IqIXcgUijKx777h3OC2OJPY7iVDfjC_Yzc_sHza69E7_3somT8hKZ4VfVddq7T0Mbtfg7mIe4q8o9ZqQNjWKIQnHBwC5zn57xi_jBUEOQcZLwAI8/s1600/DSC_5950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSoLBKmd0RRmTIcvZ6X6MASC4Lp0IqIXcgUijKx777h3OC2OJPY7iVDfjC_Yzc_sHza69E7_3somT8hKZ4VfVddq7T0Mbtfg7mIe4q8o9ZqQNjWKIQnHBwC5zn57xi_jBUEOQcZLwAI8/s320/DSC_5950.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>"omnomnomnom, belly deep grass"</i></div>
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<tr><td colspan="2"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>How often are your horses fed hay in summer?</b></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="mumy7answer1" name="answer" type="radio" value="1" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="mumy7answer1">Once a day</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="mumy7answer2" name="answer" type="radio" value="2" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="mumy7answer2">twice a day</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="mumy7answer3" name="answer" type="radio" value="3" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="mumy7answer3">They are on pasture/round bale/free choice hay</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="mumy7answer4" name="answer" type="radio" value="4" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="mumy7answer4">I have no idea I board my horses</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="mumy7answer5" name="answer" type="radio" value="5" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="mumy7answer5">Other (please comment)</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><center><input type="submit" value=" Vote " /> <input name="view" type="submit" value=" View " /></center></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" colspan="2"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">pollcode.com <a href="http://pollcode.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">free polls</span></a> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td colspan="2"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>How often do you feed grain/mineral supplement in the summer?</b></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="73cfanswer1" name="answer" type="radio" value="1" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="73cfanswer1">Once a day</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="73cfanswer2" name="answer" type="radio" value="2" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="73cfanswer2">twice a day</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="73cfanswer3" name="answer" type="radio" value="3" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="73cfanswer3">free choice</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="73cfanswer4" name="answer" type="radio" value="4" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="73cfanswer4">I have no idea I board my horses</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="73cfanswer5" name="answer" type="radio" value="5" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="73cfanswer5">I don't feed grain</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="73cfanswer6" name="answer" type="radio" value="6" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="73cfanswer6">Other (please comment)</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><center><input type="submit" value=" Vote " /> <input name="view" type="submit" value=" View " /></center></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" colspan="2"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">pollcode.com <a href="http://pollcode.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">free polls</span></a> </span></td></tr>
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<form action="http://poll.pollcode.com/s9kw" method="post">
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<tr><td colspan="2"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>How do your horses get water?</b></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="s9kwanswer1" name="answer" type="radio" value="1" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="s9kwanswer1">Automatic waterer</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="s9kwanswer2" name="answer" type="radio" value="2" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="s9kwanswer2">Buckets or tubs that are filled as needed</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="s9kwanswer3" name="answer" type="radio" value="3" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="s9kwanswer3">creek/stream/pond/other water of the land</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="s9kwanswer4" name="answer" type="radio" value="4" /></td><td><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="s9kwanswer4">other (please comment)</label></span></td></tr>
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<tr align="center"><td colspan="2"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>What is your biggest feeding fear</b></span></td></tr>
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I really appreciate your input. Thanks! Please feel free to comment I would love to hear how you feed your horses.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-13339460039322243982012-06-23T20:35:00.000-04:002012-06-23T20:35:16.683-04:00Pants + Pepe = ?<div style="text-align: center;">
Maverick said my <i>ass</i> couldn't fit in his pants.</div>
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I think this proves him wrong. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hWhJYmWPYxbXoThEgpw_G9JssM2f-sdXq7BPiDu1iJzfSe4I6F7qIZLoc09MQAOoe9OdBqUOg4weV0FDgz2qeE7DG5z5mJyXaLmRKY7H7DysWHpg-PO8m-v218SVNEFQbtjYAHrv9Eiw/s1600/pepepants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hWhJYmWPYxbXoThEgpw_G9JssM2f-sdXq7BPiDu1iJzfSe4I6F7qIZLoc09MQAOoe9OdBqUOg4weV0FDgz2qeE7DG5z5mJyXaLmRKY7H7DysWHpg-PO8m-v218SVNEFQbtjYAHrv9Eiw/s320/pepepants.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Doesn't my ass look cute in these pants?</div>
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Sorry <a href="http://janeaugenstein.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pokey</a>, Pepe wears the pants. ;)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-23828854677499804852012-06-08T17:43:00.000-04:002012-06-08T18:44:06.928-04:00I'll always have this in my first aid kitIf you haven't used Arnica or don't believe all us believers claims here's a photo to make you a believer.<br />
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This is a foot. If you notice the toes and side below the metatarsal area which you can't see well, is purple and bruised.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0ETNnZQjOKlnoE3Q3nQn5ZMEr0dJhD-pHEVaQAIk8FrBFFTFbkaN4Nn2um4n9zZqAf0R9AKlJJAJ0AWm1Le7wc5bj4kNLhzz_DDyGXrh8cvLLqR6yKCZmaeTugkHWAC3q2EJ1Gmk3lSR/s1600/foot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0ETNnZQjOKlnoE3Q3nQn5ZMEr0dJhD-pHEVaQAIk8FrBFFTFbkaN4Nn2um4n9zZqAf0R9AKlJJAJ0AWm1Le7wc5bj4kNLhzz_DDyGXrh8cvLLqR6yKCZmaeTugkHWAC3q2EJ1Gmk3lSR/s320/foot.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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This was one day after it happened. It was sore but not unmanageable.<br />
The injury was not shoeing related. Rocky had a bit of a meltdown about little Moose being haltered by me. Maverick was holding her when we should have tied her and she stepped on his foot and spun. I rubbed arnica on the metatarsal area. He had steel toed boots on and his toes didn't even get stepped on, the bruising is secondary. You can see the circular place where I rubbed Arnica and missed his toes, not even thinking they would bruise. Now four days later the bruising is completely gone thanks to this amazing product!<br />
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I've always used the gel. I find it absorbs better and doesn't leave a residue, heat or cooling sensation. The pain or swelling is just magically gone it seems. I've used it on horses, dogs and cats before too. It's something I have in both my tack box and the medicine cabinet. The best thing about Arnica is it comes from the plant, Arnica Montana, making it a natural product. Over here in the USA I seem to find it at walgreens consistently. So who has tried Arnica? Does anyone have any really neat bruising/swelling stories like this one? Please do share!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-84417599328591874902012-06-04T23:54:00.001-04:002012-06-04T23:54:11.249-04:00Lookie what I found!!So here's the story. In December I trained a young mare for a friend and she gave me this paint mare, Rocky.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSpnc1kKufVLYLeXiEm2qks546UZ8aFrrCrhcJRN0lUCROFOwaZ70L1dVMw1zHvbXoD2UWgYOSxnX6r70iLTxT5F_CM2icXskYEJuTRLVpXiw9BYLpJPM8lwF_cVdT7hxACOEehSGmctk/s1600/dirtyrocky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSpnc1kKufVLYLeXiEm2qks546UZ8aFrrCrhcJRN0lUCROFOwaZ70L1dVMw1zHvbXoD2UWgYOSxnX6r70iLTxT5F_CM2icXskYEJuTRLVpXiw9BYLpJPM8lwF_cVdT7hxACOEehSGmctk/s320/dirtyrocky.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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I know, Sydney, disliker of paint horses has a paint horse. Shes papered and pretty darned sensible minus one incident after first getting off the trailer where she drug Maverick, his father and his "big boy" brother in law on the end of a 40 foot rope at the same time and was gaining speed at a gallop. After a few "come to me Jesus" moments Rocky now leads and yields to pressure like a horse who's actually been haltered the previous 9 years of their life. She really didn't have a halter on until we got her let alone being caught, feet done etc. All of which she does well now. Shes one smart cookie.<br />
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Anyway I started to notice Rocky wasn't muscling up and thinning out like she should have been a couple months ago. Then she started bagging up a couple weeks ago. I knew what was ahead but she was sneaky and when I went out this morning I found this leggy little colt tottering around.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWw3Aooaha9l_sf5Ab9g45G_-Ym6M9CoXZvWhCmUkvTh8K0ctIszDgDISzaG-W1b1kLKG-6sLBMFtRSlmCES1WWksdxKNlpLVBchWjNzoA-boiRktw2e7Ei1GRKKbnNmny4TehEHYd9bGz/s1600/rockybaby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWw3Aooaha9l_sf5Ab9g45G_-Ym6M9CoXZvWhCmUkvTh8K0ctIszDgDISzaG-W1b1kLKG-6sLBMFtRSlmCES1WWksdxKNlpLVBchWjNzoA-boiRktw2e7Ei1GRKKbnNmny4TehEHYd9bGz/s320/rockybaby.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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He promptly came right up to see me, hours old.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9eeXWdw7V_kroK37ZCxx30ms4JrGKyW_TxxnwnuG-fTZTar-PPpxqyz05BO_A_w3D7ei6wMcqSTuUaVmlJDGFWRUsmtrSvYBdRF_A-BiJ0HJMOu-th3M241rqfejAHvUDenlYUG0Z_gk/s1600/moose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9eeXWdw7V_kroK37ZCxx30ms4JrGKyW_TxxnwnuG-fTZTar-PPpxqyz05BO_A_w3D7ei6wMcqSTuUaVmlJDGFWRUsmtrSvYBdRF_A-BiJ0HJMOu-th3M241rqfejAHvUDenlYUG0Z_gk/s320/moose.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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(I look spaced out, I was talking to Maverick who was sitting on the footing of a beam in the barn)<br />
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He didn't have a name until a few seconds ago when "Moose" was suggested on facebook. Moose it is!!<br />
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Now to find what the heck Rocky was bred to before I owned her. Ugh!!!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-91311301558885152992012-06-02T22:12:00.001-04:002012-06-02T22:12:15.109-04:00What does every horse deserve in it's life?Every horse deserves once in it's lifetime to be loved by a little girl.<br />
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Indigo is lucky enough to have a growing army. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUtrjrIz3l3sWSOLOE_BESUWR5O_W2dI1Tf-PcPNZSgMUdJ35fqYi09VZ_bmBwg8tFIwWI5ZeAr4_cfbEeQSuXmkWs9vPIE_cbWnGourSGiMkSsdxL5DV2JH4qDfr9UTSskTb8BSjZddd/s1600/indigobri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUtrjrIz3l3sWSOLOE_BESUWR5O_W2dI1Tf-PcPNZSgMUdJ35fqYi09VZ_bmBwg8tFIwWI5ZeAr4_cfbEeQSuXmkWs9vPIE_cbWnGourSGiMkSsdxL5DV2JH4qDfr9UTSskTb8BSjZddd/s320/indigobri.jpg" width="191" /></a><br />
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Here is her latest victim of spotty horse love, Blondie. <br />
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Who loves your horse, other than yourself?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-20201279975379895012012-05-29T19:21:00.002-04:002012-05-30T11:32:05.429-04:00ConfessionsI have a confession.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LqU5-fE7JcEo9pI1pYZmZjfou3dVMCg8iteVowKzSPCqO9iq4ip63HKQMNX4nriA_l6vzQjBtF_OSzv7FlwrJdfFoLpfu0PjAJGU3abUtvhMhD8bTELpExrNvRrQQVO_k3YwCottgNOX/s1600/ducks+tub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LqU5-fE7JcEo9pI1pYZmZjfou3dVMCg8iteVowKzSPCqO9iq4ip63HKQMNX4nriA_l6vzQjBtF_OSzv7FlwrJdfFoLpfu0PjAJGU3abUtvhMhD8bTELpExrNvRrQQVO_k3YwCottgNOX/s400/ducks+tub.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Every time I see this picture I want to scream. Not because I find it terrifying, which is a perfectly justifiable reason to scream, but because these are ducklings. These ducklings are in my tub. Maverick walked in upon me taking this picture and exclaimed "I have ducks in my bathtub..." and did an about face out of the bathroom, not because he was disgusted but because I was making some sort of babbling, incoherent, nonsense about how cute they were. It's perfectly acceptable wile reading this blog to make some sort of babbling, incoherent, nonsense, screaming noise wile viewing this post in which there are pictures of ducks. This babbling, incoherent, nonsense can only be translated into text as the following:<br />
HGAFUIJVIUSBGYUIVNSUIVFGOISWNVBSHOIVSDUCKS!!!!<br />
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I <i>love</i> ducks. Love, love, love, love, lovelovelovelove!!!! Their cute little bills and funny way of shooting through the water, comical waddling and happy quacking. Whats not to love? <br />
One day Maverick and I were in the local feed store and they always have baby chicks. We already have chickens which I also love (and call "the ladies) but that day they also happened to have a half a dozen baby ducks. Maverick seen me looking at them and said right away "no, we don't need ducks"<br />
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Cue Sydney's very long list of reasons on why we do indeed, need ducks, combined with a lot of pleading and begging. <br />
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We ended up coming home with two ducklings. One a peaking and the other a black indian runner. I named them respectively George (white peaking) and quackers (black indian runner) <br />
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I probably only slightly traumatized them between me taking pictures with the camera flash inside their box and my badly painted shiny blue fingernail polish.<br />
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Ducks, even as babies will find a puddle and turn it into a lake. I armed myself with the chick waterer, not thinking anything of filling it halfway full.<br />
I came to find them the next morning standing on their food dish (icecube tray) island.<br />
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<i>It's ok I forgive you, cute little webbed feet, quacking, fluffballs of cuteness.</i></div>
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So I only filled the bottom red ring as they drank it (not like they had even a drop left after flooding half the can in a few hours). </div>
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I also let them regularly swim in the tub. My excuse to Maverick was I needed to clean the tub more often, every day. </div>
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<i>It's ok I'll do more laundry too for the towels I use to dry them off so the shavings didn't stick to them.</i></div>
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After what seemed just moments they grew up and I tossed their quacking butts outside. Yes they were in the basement. I had ducks in the basement. It was a bit too cold and dangerous for them to live outside the first few weeks as they cannot generate their own body heat. </div>
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Quackers is an Indian runner, most popularized by the Aaflack commercials with the white indian runner quacking "AAFFLAACCKK!" obnoxiously. Indian runners have a different stance than most ducks. Their bodies are more bowling pin shaped. They stand upright and are characterized by their spooky, easily panicked nature. By then I knew George was indeed a boy (he had drake feathers which curl upwards on his tail) and quackers was a girl (no drake feathers and she actually "quacked" unlike george who made a sort of raspy farting noise).<br />
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Then two became three. <br />
Maverick and I were called upon to host a farrier service at the local feed store. I walked inside to use the restroom when I seen those cute little balls of fluffy feathers. OH MY GEE!! I had to have one, but not just any one, a crested one.<br />
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So came Quackmire to our duck family. <br />
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Quackmire is a magpie crested duck. The little pouf on top of her head is actually caused by a mutation in the gene and the pouf is part of their skull. The magpie is the colouring as she eventually would mature to be white and grey. Quackmire was not happy in the little box. Quackmire wanted out and happily perched herself on my shoulder, dubbing me "mother duck". <br />
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Quackmire spent lots of time peeping frantically when I went out of her sight. She followed me everywhere and would dash after me then crawl up onto my lap for a little nap.<br />
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<i>So sreeeepy.....zzzz</i></div>
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Quackmire went outside with me every afternoon and followed me down the street to see neighbors, nesting at my feet when she was tired. </div>
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Then tragedy struck. Quackers, an indian runner known for panicking easily somehow got into the foot deep pond and drowned.</div>
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Now tell me, how does a duck drown? Either way Maverick called me to tell me what had happened and how they left Quackers body waiting so I could bury her. George was beside himself. He guarded his Quackers for hours. When I finally arrived after dark I had to keep shooing him away because he simply couldn't let me take her and she be gone. He was lonely and very quiet for a few days. </div>
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Until I decided it was time for Quackmire to be socialized again. Quackmire was much too young to be put outside with the others at first. George did not like this new duck and I had to introduce them slowly to avoid the clumsy, fat George from flattening poor little Quackmire. </div>
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But there's a happy ending to this story! Maverick seeing how I was sad for my poor Quackers drowning in their previous pond went to wal-mart and bought the ducks a new "duck pond". There is nothing more joyful to a duck than a big rain, or clean water they can splash in and completely soil in 5 seconds flat. </div>
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Happy ducks and happy endings.</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-65797451938607253072012-05-22T23:58:00.001-04:002012-05-22T23:58:24.579-04:00What is this modern phenomenon....they call internet happening on my computer?<br />
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I have internet again. It works, it's wonderful! I can converse with friends again easily (phones are convenient for many things but not so much for others), look up things and listen to music.<br />
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Now that I have a reliable source of internet again I shall resume blogging. I have lots of stories and lots of pictures to share but for now I shall leave you diehard Indigo fans with a picture. This is Indigo and Ginger. Ginger is Mavericks first pony. Ginger has taught Maverick and many, many others to ride. Shes old and has one fused back fetlock but is sound and just about as ornery as Indigo. Naturally we put the two old crotchety bats together. This was a rare moment of them being within 10 feet of one another without making faces or threatening each other wilst consuming hay. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-53648758962469086742012-01-27T16:43:00.003-05:002012-01-27T16:54:39.827-05:00Why I take picturesSome people take pictures to capture memories they wish to remember, some to make money or get a reaction out of everyone else.<br /><br />I take pictures to show someone the world through my eyes. Although they may be there looking at the same thing as me I see things differently than you or maybe someone else.<br /><br />Sometimes I take pictures that in the moment away from the camera there was no emotion, only to look at the finished product and burst out laughing.<br /><br />This accurately depicts Indigo's 15 foot personal bubble.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcJ5wUOVy8wUCSkdrsjc5hVxMIJJTNt8Z6f-IYT9ef0Nz9vjeiWGC7klPv5Fh4UuFCikrCutnFTN4i-Om94zrwDpAvifn819kBMXuKCn8QhHqYj3ynzPswPqWNeXuU2_Y5Fsmm15mFFOr/s1600/untitled-9807.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcJ5wUOVy8wUCSkdrsjc5hVxMIJJTNt8Z6f-IYT9ef0Nz9vjeiWGC7klPv5Fh4UuFCikrCutnFTN4i-Om94zrwDpAvifn819kBMXuKCn8QhHqYj3ynzPswPqWNeXuU2_Y5Fsmm15mFFOr/s400/untitled-9807.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702433184957885746" border="0" /></a><br />Sebastian tried to touch her, she was furious. Theres your Indigo fix for those who have been asking. Shes as fat an sassy as usual, only a bit more wild than usual. She spends every morning galloping across the pasture and bucking at Sebastian and snorting and blasting off in other directions. It's the weather, or lack thereof (winter).<br /><br />Unfortunately picture taking has been a bit slow for me these days. My good, favorite 200mm lens has been sort of, sort of not working. It makes photographing anything that moves a bit difficult.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-18542783121704131252012-01-11T15:37:00.004-05:002012-01-12T20:31:01.008-05:00Sole thickness and heel heightWhat does the toe, sole and heel have in common?<br /><br />Well first look at the previous post on hoof/pastern axis.<br /><br />When it comes to looking at a horses hoof a lot of owners do not go beyond if a horse has flares and the proper hoof/pastern axis but have we looked at where the coffin bone is in relation to the ground?<br /><br />It is very possible to have a high heel and still have the same hoof/pastern axis. Is this the cure all for heel pain? Raising the heels? I believe not.<br /><br />How many of you have gone out and looked at your horses hooves in relation to their conformation since the last post?<br /><br />I leave you with this article, possibly one of the best I have seen illustrating how high heels affect all other parts of the hoof. If you have pictures of your horses hooves where we can go over hoof/pastern axis I welcome you to share them (anonymously if you wish) so others can learn from them. Please e-mail them to me sydney@bitlesshorseblog.com<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a herf="http://www.farrierart.com/uniform_sole_thickness.html">Uniform sole thickness</a><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-5091032250440528092011-12-29T11:38:00.001-05:002011-12-29T11:42:08.108-05:00Hoof pastern axisI hope everyone had a very happy holiday.<br /><br />Recently I was talking to an old friend of mine. We always seem to come up with ideas to pick eachothers brains. Her husbands horse was recently diagnosed with navicular and mild to moderate sidebone. Hes not always lame but warms up out of his head bobbing. I wasn't really interested what she said about the sidebone but more about how hes got navicular, in both front feet at that. She said she was not happy with the job a farrier in the area (a very well educated one that attends seminars regularly. Hes always up to par with methods used). Plainly she said "He doesn't have enough heel".<br /><br />This brings up the debate when we find a horse has a problem, be it lameness, problems with riding such as stumbling or wanting the horse to break over quicker; Should we set them up or down to change the way the hoof sits and breaks over when it touches the ground?<br /><br />Something my instructor Bill told me on the first day at school is to "trim/shoe the horse the way he is made" plainly this means the horses hoof angle should match the angle of it's shoulder (for front feet), hip (for hind feet) and/or pasterns.<br /><br />(Images from google and all rights go to their original owners)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.equipodiatry.com/images/equinefoot_trimming_quidelines/fig3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 381px;" src="http://www.equipodiatry.com/images/equinefoot_trimming_quidelines/fig3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The front hooves should be the same angle as the shoulder and the hind hooves should be the same angle as the hip. Although this picture is of a donkey who has a lot steeper hooves than a horse you will get the general idea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://longearsmall.com/mt/articles/guestcontributor/archives/GuestContributor/Vicki-DonkeyHoofAngles03.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 322px; height: 244px;" src="http://longearsmall.com/mt/articles/guestcontributor/archives/GuestContributor/Vicki-DonkeyHoofAngles03.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This is a relatively foreign term for a lot of horse owners. Maybe because they haven't studied feet in relation to their horses body or because they trust their farrier.<br /><br />When it comes to lameness and shoeing it seems to be a common practice to set a horse up to alleviate pain and make a horse break over quicker. Arthritis, navicular, founder etc . When we set a horse up and make a horse break over quicker they are more likely to land toe first, have contracted heels due to lack of pressure on the digital cushion or put strain on tendons.<br /><br />What I am getting at is to start a debate of sorts.<br />What is the opinion of my readers?<br />Have you looked at your horses hooves in relation to how they are made and how they actually look now?<br />Do they match the angle of your horses shoulders/hip and pastern bones?<br />I'm curious to see how many of you look closely at horses feet and what they look like (pictures if you can get them)<br />Have you had a horse that was set up or down that became lame and only became sound when it's angles were rectified back to the way it was made?<br />I would love to know.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-87927439760851754522011-12-24T05:00:00.001-05:002011-12-24T05:00:02.128-05:00Re-Post: Seasons WTF!? GreetingsA year ago I was driving home from doing some morning chores and came across this rather peculiar, festive fellow. I know many people enjoyed him I hope he can bring more joy and laughs this year. Merry Christmas.<br /><br />------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />(Please if you take offense please divert your eyes to another blog thank you. ps- Seasons greetings)<br /><br />So I love living in a small town, especially when I see things like the photo on this post.<br /><br />You know everyone.<br />Everyone knows you.<br />You go to school with the same group of kids and can still call them by name all these years later.<br />You can walk into the deli and the person behind the counter says to you before you even order "Lamb Gyro, no onions, bottle of white creme soda" yup. Mmmm.<br /><br />In a small town people need to find things to do considering the big city is a good distance away. Sometimes they entertain themselves by wreaking havoc but chances are they don't because your mom knows what you did before you even get back in the door. That is the kind of town I was born and raised in.<br />Once and a wile they give you the desperately needed dose of WTF!? (What the F***!?)<br /><br />Today in the early morning hours I was driving back after getting an E-test on my car (which has over 300 thousand KM on it and tosses out a test of 3/4 lower than the max allowed amount. Good car, good) and doing my morning barns when I see something on the side of the road.<br />I squinted and strained to see what it was. It was red and green and sticking out of a snow bank. As I drove by I realized it was this fellow, whom I came back a wile later to take pictures after nearly swerving off the road I was laughing that hard.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Rb3AW9cy5zWNvIXn6634QXePx21vSIicpFy2cHpOtkgqH_XWO4w7MayxtFaJ4UW-osF6UoaDhg9oIcV7pESUjuiXRxPl2HMxqibfPjZXdy72KXABuoatN94zzcJ6q1Q1147yhJp3IO4i/s800/None.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 560px; height: 375px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Rb3AW9cy5zWNvIXn6634QXePx21vSIicpFy2cHpOtkgqH_XWO4w7MayxtFaJ4UW-osF6UoaDhg9oIcV7pESUjuiXRxPl2HMxqibfPjZXdy72KXABuoatN94zzcJ6q1Q1147yhJp3IO4i/s800/None.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Do you think the people who ran him over came back trying to make peace with his vengeful soul?</span><br /></div><br />See this guys story. He is a raccoon. Raccoon's get hit by things and die at the side of the road. Sometimes they aren't so lucky and they are spread over several feet of asphalt. But this coon was lucky see because he died on the side of the road only mildly mangled to rot. That was until we got our snow almost two weeks ago. The snow plow came by and scraped him up, placing him neatly in the snow drift so he can perfect his T-Rex impression. Then by some random act of randomness someone put a pair of headband Christmas antlers on him. They didn't stop there they also put a nice shrine of candy canes around his taxidermy body.<br />So if this offends you I am sorry. If only all road kill could be so festive on the side of the road and not on my tires.<br /><br />I hope you all have a very merry Christmas or Happy holiday and santa didn't bring you too many road apples for your stocking.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-48558430686094459842011-12-15T21:45:00.003-05:002011-12-15T22:05:18.783-05:00Eleven thingsBecause ten is such an even number.<br /><br />1. Up until a little more than a month ago any rain here was the beginning of August. Talk about two inches of dust it was a complete mess.<br /><br />2. The sky has decided to open up and dump a generous inch or three on us at least once a week.<br /><br />3. The soil here is mostly clay. A little bit of rain means a lot of mud. The soil back home is sandy. Stuff dries up much faster.<br /><br />4. I hate cold but I have to say I would rather see the ground freeze than this mud. It's like a slip and slide. I almost broke my darned neck walking out to feed the horses on a very subtle incline.<br /><br />5. There were no inclines of any kind back home unless they were man made.<br /><br />6. Self explanatory<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZts7lmICp0llTzzTj3F_5k5CbSaclIzP5BsWtNv6JPtN3QHJxEJB_vATDwWnLCsd3reoxczRlAh6wWPUcqI1lrp6_tc0OvaFFY1NCwkTEvgwR5WC3Noyc4mAjMVt2MUapWtSS8LYA4C8/s1600/387762_292180584156987_100000951446733_772815_2144847432_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZts7lmICp0llTzzTj3F_5k5CbSaclIzP5BsWtNv6JPtN3QHJxEJB_vATDwWnLCsd3reoxczRlAh6wWPUcqI1lrp6_tc0OvaFFY1NCwkTEvgwR5WC3Noyc4mAjMVt2MUapWtSS8LYA4C8/s400/387762_292180584156987_100000951446733_772815_2144847432_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686553263074733234" border="0" /></a><br />7. The dirt on the spotted horse hindquarters in #6 has been rained on for two days before I wrote that. Rain, Y U NO WASH MY HORSE!?.<br /><br />8. Those dots in the background are cows. Angus, Herfords and black baldies. I love cows. They moo and spook at things and headbutt eachother and groom eachother with their slimy sandpapery tongues. Sometimes I come out to feed and I find Indigo and Sebastian standing at the back corner of the pasture with about 10-15 cows standing on the other side staring back. Not spooking or fretting or anything that would mildly suggest the cows haven't been there until a few days ago. Just having some sort of silent conversation between equine and bovine. I imagine they discuss what it is like to be brushed and ridden by humans and how wonderful it is to be turned out on a field to eat the leftover corn.<br /><br />9. Indigo routinely beelines to said field when I let her out of the gate. Sebastian has security issues, despite Indigo's regular attempts to thwart his company, he goes frantic the moment shes turned out in the yard and he isn't. Indigo could care less. He however follows her when I let both of them out to munch grass in the yard which makes the spotty horse, well, angry. She wrings her tail and trots off, nose to the ground. Sebastian follows, trotting sideways at his dangling lead rope. Hes not really scared of it he just hasn't figured out where that slithering noise is coming from when he moves.<br /><br />10. Roughly the number of days until I head home for Christmas.<br /><br />11. McDonalds hot beverages are more sugary than I bargained for like a lot of things in the USA. I might be up for hours now. It however makes me miss Tim Hortons that much more. I know the first thing I am doing as soon as I get over the border. Mmm iced cap.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875253307572682101.post-34579097607731813522011-12-11T19:27:00.003-05:002011-12-11T19:42:27.624-05:00Long time no see?Thank you followers for not abandoning me. I am here.<br />If you have abandoned me I understand and will not take it to heart. I am a bad blogger! I have not lost interest in this blog at all, rest assured it will be back and regularly posting in the near future.<br />I am in the USA, Missouri to be exact. Right between the place where you can get dialup internet and where no internet exists.<br />I've been shoeing/trimming horses and training lots too. I have a lot of stories as well. Humorous ones involving horses, donkeys, cats, chickens, children putting plungers on other childrens heads and mavericks getting bucked off of ladders and then getting in a fist fight with said ladder. Hi-lar-ee-ous!!<br /><br />Of course Indigo followed me here. Her and Pepe, my cute little ass met.<br />Lets just say Pepe met his match.<br />Normally he is king of the pen. Indigo was not buying his cheap tricks and let him have it. He got up in her face and well, the spotty horse is quite crotchety about other horses (or donkeys) getting in her 15 foot personal bubble let alone threatening her in such a rude and uncivilized manner.<br />The results were Pepe getting his ass (haha) handed to him. No burrito's were harmed in this picture (physically).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFHIf2CykQ6R-e5BN1L5CMBOIVcuYyc5Lo6k_We7HP4SlF9LFEdEV-zl5oDpM9t96fNRoXmHQLkA1agzMy4mXMmzG7JIqPffnHvObNttrMpLL8p67XjvnMvbEUxjY0gcpAQuCCsjM2PwC/s1600/339130_1573603597185_1748427134_796577_1971675726_o.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFHIf2CykQ6R-e5BN1L5CMBOIVcuYyc5Lo6k_We7HP4SlF9LFEdEV-zl5oDpM9t96fNRoXmHQLkA1agzMy4mXMmzG7JIqPffnHvObNttrMpLL8p67XjvnMvbEUxjY0gcpAQuCCsjM2PwC/s400/339130_1573603597185_1748427134_796577_1971675726_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685033776081210178" border="0" /></a><br />When she was finished with him he respected her wishes and cowered in the corner of the pen.<br />Other than making a taco out of Pepe Indigo (and Sebastian who has followed me here too) is fat and sassy. I'm doing well and keeping busy too.<br /><br />For now I am still alive. If you wish to keep in touch with me until I get regular internet again please contact me through facebook or by e-mail sydney[at]bitlesshorseblog.com or e-mail me for my facebook. Facebook is the only real thing I can get to every day on the cell phone. Blogging seems to fail every time I try on the phone.<br /><br />So what has everyone been up to? I have not been around to reading blogs as it proves to be far too difficult on the phone. Please enlighten me I would love to hear what people have been doing the past three months.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14523660446608394720noreply@blogger.com8