Lets see...where to start. I gotta rack my brain for ten things interesting enough about me. One is hard enough but ten!?
Ok so here goes.
1. Since everyone has one on fighting heres mine: A kid in highschool picked a fight with me. He was at least two times my size and everyone respected him (the wanker). He came up behind me, punched me in the back of the head and I turned around and beat the living snot out of him. Didn't hold back an inch. It was in a stairwell at Amherst highschool, he fell down it. His friends all split and he took off shortly after. The 5'8, probably 100 pound soaking wet girl. He never messed with me again. He got suspended I got a detention. I also punched a guy in a bar. He thought I was his friend and did the crotch grab at me and my first instinch was to whallop him one in the side of the head. It knocked him down. He looked up and said "Woah, you got my respect but I thought you were someone else!" Moral of the story, don't mess with this country chick.
2. When the hay is being baled I am the first one to be called. I'll be there on time, in the right clothes and ready to work. Then they call the guys. Funny eh?
Darn it this is hard.
3. I never got rid of my horse toys/barbies (I only kept the ones with the bendable legs because they could ride XD) My moms best friend Souix told me when I was young a horse girl never gets rid of her horse toys because some day they can be passed on and many more memories can be created. I have over 50.
4. I love art, braiding, painting, drawing, CREATION!!! Writing is art. Recently I have taught myself (yes!) how to braid horse hair. Nope not on the horses. I have been doing that for years but rather making bracelets, hat bands, necklaces and earrings. Check them out my gallery You can check my other art and photography there too. I do commissions. Want a bracelet from your horses hair? I can do that.
5. I have a weakness for cute puffy nose nickers my horses do. You know the ones you can barely hear but their nostrils are all a flutter when they see you. I just melt. Indigo does it every time and Naigen used to do it but louder when she seen me. I just want to grab their cute noses and squeeze them. I love them.
6. My horses have to know some sort of trick. Indigo can bow, smile and turn her head left and right on command. Keebler does target training and will touch any object I point to in the arena. Naigen, well she just touched so many hearts she didn't need a trick. Her trick was to put her head in your hands and let all your worries fall off you and onto her. I miss her so much.
7. I like shiny things. No I am serious. If people have earrings and they are talking to me I find myself looking at them. I honestly can't help myself XD. My descision to buy things is often swayed by their shinyness
8. I have a woopee cushion. I laugh every time someone farts it. I also laugh at real farts. Yeah I am like that. I can hang with the best of them and laugh with the worst.
9. Guys make better friends. You can be yourself and do crazy things but no one can replace the girls best friend. I am glad mine came home for the holidays.
10. So I am running out of ideas. Oh, I know. I am not normally a shy person, except when I know someone likes me, like you know boys. Yeah. I become a total avoider and try and avoid that person which sometimes drives them away. Dammit!
So I tag all of you who read this, which probably isnt many but thats ok. Happy new year!
Name 10 things you couldn't live without in your live with horses. It can be clothing, saddles, tack brushes etc. Something that you would recommend to anyone who has a horse or may have a situation like yours. Add a picture when you can.
1.Well worn Blundstone boots.
They are ungodly comfortable. When mine started to fall apart on the soles I contacted Blundstone Canada. The lady replied to me "They are too old you just need to buy a new pair because the soles are melted on and you can't fix them" Screw that! So I guess the head guy in Australia got a hold of the customer service. He was unsatisfied with the letter so today I got my free pair in the mail!! SQUEE!! I can't wait to tromp around the barn and everyplace else in them. They aren't broken in yet but next to my old ones they are still the most comfy pair of boots a person could buy EVER.
I've had these boots for 8 years! They have been through mud and ice, rain and especially horseshit. They have carried me miles on the ground and in saddle. I absolutely love them. The leather is in wonderful condition other than the faded toe and the insoles are a little rubbed down. They aren't discipline specific and will NEVER hurt your feet especially if you have wide BIG feet like mine.
2. Slotted kitty litter scoop from the $ store
Not only are they good for scooping ice from frozen buckets (winter anyone?!) they stand up a lot better than metal strainers from the dollar store. We use them for ice, hay in buckets and the water trough which gets gobs of green algae that are really nasty to grab by hand. Done it, the scoop is worth the 1$
3. Leatherman multi purpose tool
I live by this thing. Leatherman makes the best multi tool ever. You can cut bales of hay open, cut wire on fencing, open feed bags and more. It folds all up into a convenient belt holster. I've had immitation multitools and none meet the quality and long years a leatherman does. When you got a multitool get leatherman or just go home. Nuff said.
4. Shedding blade For four reasons. 1. Spring when they shed. It takes off more hair easier than any curry comb. Even the ever expensive furminator didn't work on my horses like this thing does. 2. Where there is mud there shall be mud covered horses. It's a known fact and this again, easier than any curry comb. 3. No need to buy a sweat scraper. Out of all the ones I have bought or used this one (the flat edge without the teeth) Just works better. You un attach it and scrape away. You can get more intricate with it than the other two ones. 4. They are like um...3-6$ thats cheap and you get 3 good tools out of it and save money too!
5.Jelly scubber
I like the soft small nubby side. I use it to do legs and all over the place even the face. I found they are more expensive to buy like on average $6 but I use it the most out of all mine. It's like a combination between a rubber curry and a stiff brush. It gets a lot of dirt off but has the softness to do dirt on legs. Plus I use mine to bath and scrub real deep.
6. Riding helmet
Kind of self explanatory but I found I hate the ones with a dial. Especially the cheap plastic helmet ones. However I got a nice International riding helmet, velvet and vented and it fits like a glove just like my old velvet international did (but it's cracked due to a riding fall bareback). I hate how troxels fit. International velvet ones are the way to go, western or english. They save your head.
7. Hamilton halters
Sure they may cost 40$ for a horse size but they come in a BAZILLON different sizes so you can forget about those hard to find halters for horses. And they last forever. The only thing I have had to replace was a snap that my farrier sewed on for 5$. Now they make them with better snaps. The hardware is really durable and I've had horses haul back on them and they don't break.
8. Santa fe coat conditioner
Won't make the saddle slide. Totally worth buying a bottle if you horse has a long mane/tail. Gorgeous hair but not slippery. Plus it smells SOOOO good. I use it on my hair once and a wile.
9. MTG
Does exactly like shapleys says. Smells bad but works. Grows manes, makes them silky and grows hair back in half the time. When you have a cut on a horse and it starts to scab over I use it. Scabs become soft and fall off and the skin is moistureized and hair grows back in record time.
10. Cowboy magic/any product by them Particularly the green spot remover (waterless bath), detangle and shine and the yellowout shampoo. Green spot remover works better than any waterless bath. I had two white horses (now one very dirty), believe me! I live by this stuff at a horse show and winter. The detangle and shine is just like baby oil only it does not attract dust like baby oil and smell bad. Plus a little bit goes a long way but it IS very expensive but very worth it because you don't use a lot. I use it for manes and tails every other day. No knots here. The yellowout, well white horses but it brings out the shine and opaque hairs any horse has for that really deep down clean look.
So what are your top 10 favorite things?? Reply here or post in your blog and link me. I love to read your blogs.
We do have some resident barn cats that have been around for a wile and a few that were around for not long but their impression lasted a lifetime.
We don't really ever name the barn cats. Theres a lot of them and most of them run away or die or they have more kittens so we run out of names.
Fluffers. Shes got a permanent name. All the other kittens were cute and mewed and played. Fluffers looked like a gigantic frazzled cotton ball. All you could see was eyes and a mouth she was that fuzzy. Cutest kitten ever. I thought I had a picture of her, I guess I don't.
Anyway Fluffers is the queen of the barn. If any unruly kittens come to close they get a taste of her paw and a very growly verbal lashing. She is the first to eat out of the bowl and the first to get scritches and shes got the softest coat I have ever felt in a cat. Shes truely the queen.
Second is this damn cat. As soon as she figured out how her girly kitty parts worked she started pumping out kittens for a few months like there was no tomorrow. The first litter of kittens she had 2/3 died. She was having them behind some bales of hay and heard me pour the food and came out WITH A KITTEN HANGING OUT OF HER REAR because she wanted to eat. OMFG as if we don't feed them enough!! This cat is really annoying. She will only let you pet her when shes eating. Other than that she just bitches at you when you haven't fed her quick enough. Like last night I was feeding the horses and I hear this MMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEAAAARRRRRRRRRRR........MMMMMEEEEEAAAAAARRRRRRRRR I am like "where the hell is that cat!?" I look up and shes peeking out of the very top window in the hayloft and scolding me for being in the barnyard and not the barn to feed her. Then there is this un f-ing believably cute kitten. I named him Ozzy, because well he looked like my friends cat Ozzy. This kitten had the cutest soft belly and he would literally just sit in my arms and chill for hours. Unfortunately he got hit by a tomato truck just a few days after I took this picture. He was a darn cute bugger. Can never get too attached.
About a year ago this mama cat lost two of her kittens between a wall. They were only three weeks old, cold and hungry. My first thought "they are barn cats theres going to be 15 more to replace them in a month" well a boarder where I work came in, heard the mewing, found the kittens and "we just couldn't leave them!" So I took them home.
I couldn't keep them. Savanah would kill them or at least maul them with enthusiastic dog love.
So they came to my ex'es moms house. She nurtured them and they became rocky and rambo. Rocky and rambo had an odd fascination with christmas light bulbs. They would chew on them or scale the tree and gnaw on the lit ones. I think they liked the clink, clink, clink noise they made against their gnashing teeth. They also broke an assortment of plants and ornaments and other things. We had to barricade everything. One thing they never got over was their ability to scale the patio window in one leap; claws out and into the screen door. There they hung until ex'es mother beat them down with this big tube of rolled up paper.
Anyway it came time they were making too much of a mess in the house and they needed to go back out to the barn. They were TERRIFIED. All the other barn cats rubbed against them in warm welcome and they hissed and hid. We didn't see them for a few days. Well I didn't.
Marilyn was making lunch one day and had the windows open in the house. She heard his forlorn meowing, as male cats often do. Then she hears a horrible shredding noise.
Rambo was on the window screen looking in at her like a long lost love. He missed being a house cat. Marilyn didn't think it was quite as funny and threw a pail of water at the screen, soaking the cat.
After a couple weeks of the two cats meyhem Murdo's brother, Dennis from down the road needed new barn cats so he threw the terrible twosome into the back of his truck and thats the last I heard of them. Well until his wife was cooking supper and a cat climbed up the screen window.
I picked up a bale of hay and three sleeping kittens split in three directions. The fourth launched strait at my face and firmly attached itself to my eyebrows.
Yeah, all in a days work right?
I don't think it realized what was going on and either did I except there was a cat hanging off my face. Before I had time to think about beating it off it took off too and scrambled up the hay chute. I stood there for a moment wondering what just happened. Then I laughed and inspected my face for new holes. I don't know how the hell it did it but theres not even a mark on my eyebrows.
Oh that cat picture there, thats Squeaky. The cutest non-meowing (hence the name) barn cat EVAR!! He was totally in love with my dad. He died though as some barn cats do. He was damn cute though.
They say that having to put a pet to sleep is the loneliest feeling in the world. I couldn't agree more.
Naigen Blaze 1988-December 4th 2008
The best, most trustworthy little horse to ever trot on into my heart(and wallet as horses do)
I am glad I had to work today. I knew something wasn't right. I put the ol' girl out in the paddock and she lie flat on her side right in a big puddle and lay there. I got her up and put her in the arena and Chris walked her while I drove into town in a panic trying to find Audry.
Audry and I were there with her from 11:15 till 3 pm when Dr.Bob Featherstone, our wonderful vet came out and determined she had a twisted bowel and needed to cross the great rainbow bridge. Chris and Audry's husband Ronnie were there too. Even though she was sick she ate some carrot and a banana(her favorite) which Ronnie brought for her.
Audry and I cried for a long time. I still feel like crying. I never cry. Not at funerals or anything but this little horse had a very special place in my heart.
I got a big chunk of her tail so I am going to make a few things out of it. To think when I first got her that tail was one big impossible deadlock. I worked real hard to make her tail as thick and beautiful as it was.
The saddest part was hearing about my friends granddaughters who ride her weekly. Cassidy(3) and Olivia(2). I could hear Cass on the phone as I talked to her "Why Siddy? Why? Why is Naigen gone? Isn't she coming back?" It made me want to cry all over again.
I've been doing freelance and just for fun writing for almost ten years now. I enjoy it almost as much as I do creating art. In fact writing is art. Instead of a paint brush and canvas I have letters and a blank word program...It's still blank.
Now, blank.
Damn. So I have this paper due. I am outlining braiding for shows and how to maintain long or short manes. It's got to be no longer than 1500 words. I have about 700 so far and so many ideas it's just one of those topics I could write a book on.
What can I say. I LOVE to braid and groom. I could braid manes and tails until the cows came home (which they do just around supper time, I love a good burger). I was just thinking, perhaps I should write a book on grooming and braiding. I love to teach, people love to learn. Braiding is art, writing is art, teaching is art why not have a book on art!? Braiding is a very old form of art. it's so intricate and requires patience, practice and skill. How many of you could use a practical hands on braiding and grooming guide? I can braid every style under the sun on a horse I can.
Heres something I whipped up in a minute on Indigo. Shes a little wind blown don't you think? It's a dutch braid or underhand french braid.
Every winter she grows this stick uppy layer of whiter hair over her mane. It kind of sticks up all over the place until about May of the next year when it starts to lie flat.
So anyway my canvas is still blank. I need words stat. Maybe i'll go braid tomorrow and get some inspiration. I hate winter. It's too cold but it's coming weather we like it or not. Maybe i'll migrate to Florida lol!
I write this because although I tell the story frequently, I have never put it down in text.
This is about my little old rescue, Naigen. Shes old, a bit arthritic, going blind and too short for me to ride much. She offers something to the world no other horse in the barn can. She has the words to speak to adults and children the kindness and forgiveness many of us will never understand. It was three years ago in July. A lady I know named Robyn took the $250 and saved more than a life. The farrier explained there was a cute little horse just wasting away on this run down farm that someone should pick up. He didn't say another word about her. Later that week she was inspected.
The man and woman that owned her had moved to tokyo and left her and her pasture mate at the farm. They were renting the house and the condition that the horses were fed. They didn't have hay or water but thank goodness they had regular farrier care or we would have never known about the events to come.
Naigens pasture mate had died a few years before. Probably starvation which was the road she was on too. The little paddock looked like a swamp. No buckets for water, not even a scrap of hay. We called out and heard a throaty nicker from inside the barn. Upon inspection was a filthy grey old horse standing on top of a mountain of manure. Her mane was rubbed out where her body hit the rafters. Bones poked out at every angle painfully but yet there was a little spark in her eyes that was the tiny glimmer of hope we had come to give her what she deserved.
We were told very little about her. Mostly ignorance like she was old and couldn't gain weight and that up until two years before she was ridden daily and she was registered in Canada in 1988 with the arab cross registry with the name Naigen Blaze. She was 18. $250 was her price. She was too small for us and we didn't even know if she was going to make it but at least we could give her a humane end.
She willingly lead down the slope in her stall and stepped into the trailer, looked back once at the hell she had lived in for who knows how many years. Everything was to be up from there.
Once we arrived home all the horses turned out nickered in anticipation when the tailer rolled into the driveway. They stood at the fences waiting to see the new arrival. Naigen stepped of the trailer like a real lady. With all four feet on the ground she shook like someone had shot ice down her spine. I don't know if she was nervous or the fact that she hadn't seen another horse in god knows how long but she was home. Putting weight on her was no easy feat. She would only eat a quarter of a flake of hay at at time, a side effect of vitamin E defficiency common in anorexic people. Grain was often left for the first month but surely and slowly she got her eating habits back
We didn't turn her out the first day. She spent the day eating as much hay as she could in a clean quiet stall, looking out the door to the pastures of horse friends she was to meet.
The next morning I was turning out the horses. She was to be turned out with two other ponies. I lead her out of the stall. She was a ball of excitement. As soon as her front feet hit the grass she tried to drag me to the paddock with all the strength left in her bony body. She was home, she had food and friends were on her mind. With minimal squealing and introductory sniffing she setted right in.
By January of the next year her back bone was only visible. We put a saddle on her and I started longing her to see what she knew. She was perfectly behaved for tacking up and longing. We had a bit of trouble with the bit: she hated it! Once it was in her mouth and she was strong enough to hold me (feb) I jumped on her bareback to see what she knew.
First she jumped away from me and the mounting block. I managed to scurry onto her fuzzy back. She walked and listened to leg very well and even knew how to neck rein. Two times around the arena and my friends came with their big newfoundland dog "kodiak". Kody, who adores horses gave a big hello WROOOF! that eccoed on the steel siding. Naigen picked up a canter right away in response to the terrifying bear dog and stopped four strides short, planting her feet and quakeing with terror. That was the one and only time I have ever seen that mare spook. Kody promptly followed her around the barn for the rest of his visit there, ensuring she was not scared of him next time.
She moved on to teach a few kids to ride in the next time span and is bitless due to a breathing problem and her happyness. Only two people have fallen off her and both times were not her fault. I recall her star pupil she taught having a tack malfunction. The cheap cinch's buckle shifted and suddenly swung out from off the saddle. She planted her feet the second it happened as I ran to the rescue. You couldn't have asked for a better teacher.
Today she teaches a two and a half year old and a three and a half year old to ride. Shes patient, spook proof and never minds anyone bouncing around on her back or kicking her in the butt when we do around the world.
So she speaks the language of forgiveness. She forgives the last owners for leaving her to starve. She forgives the person in her care for his ignorance. She forgives us for not finding her sooner and forgives the mistakes young kids make wile handling her.
Best of all she thanks me each and every day by meeting me with a happy welcome nicker and a chorus of neighs when it's hay time. This is one horse that will never have to find another home. Even when she is unable to be ridden and goes blind but still trusts me she will be loved by everyone around her and even when she is gone I will have the memories of returning the most gentle, well trained and trusting horses back to health.
Have you ever been to a livestock auction and had a horrible experience?If you have -we invite you to join equine advocates all over America in Project Shake-Up.
Here is what it is about:
You send out your story (complete with graphic photos/if you have them)of your worst experience of equine neglect/abuse while at a livestock auction. You can also participate if you have been involved in helping a friend who had such an experience firsthand even if you did not. There are many advocates that have turned to their friends for assistance in trying to get law enforcement/A/C to these auctions to enforce the law. Because of such involvement -you will have a story to tell,too.
We are trying to get national media attention to expose the greedy,non-compassionate,and neglectful auction dealers. We want to really put the heat on them to stop all this constant equine neglect/abuse. We have been getting so many stories this past year on auction dealers selling horses that were dying,injured,starving,etc. The conditions for these animals are absolutely abominable! Stories like empty water troughs, no food provided, knee deep in manure, horses sitting out in direct 90 degree heat for weeks at a time, handlers whipping the horses, horses crying out in severe pain w/broken limbs left unattended. Dealers selling abandoned horses w/out paperwork. We wonder how many of those horses may have been stolen. No medical attention is ever administered. There are vets at some auctions there for Coggins that just turn their back on all the abuse and look the other way. Dealers hauling horses across state lines w/out coggins/health papers. Animal control officers won't even bother to come out and help,etc. The list goes on and on...
Well,now is a chance for all of us as advocates of the horse to strike back! On Friday November 7th (lucky#7) - advocates everywhere will be emailing their most horrible livestock auction experience to all 3 media news networks. We are hoping to totally bombard the national media-convincing them that there is a real crisis going on in this country with what auction dealers are allowing at their venues all across America. If enough advocates will take the time to do this -we think that even if they don't do an immediate story that it might at least pique their curiosity. That may produce a story at a later time. We invite all equine advocates everywhere to post this on your blogs,websites,forums,etc. Send this message out to anyone who might want to participate.We need everyone to have a chance at success.
All you have to do to participate is on Friday,November 7th - email in a word document your story/photos to :
Naigen, Spring 2007. She was still ribby, but enjoying eating the dandelions in the back riding ring.
Because the frost has set in it is an extremely dangerous time for horses prone to founder.
I hope this can benefit someone. I got 100% on it. My instructor was very impressed and it is something that has stuck with me ever since.
Grass founder
Fact sheet by Sydney Kotow
Twelve little ponies graze contentedly in a hilly green pasture during a perfect spring day. It may seem like the dream image to a little girl or horse lover but where the green grass grows, disaster can strike.
Founder, right next to euthanasia is a word horse owners hope will never be associated with their equine health record. We go to every precautionary measure from muzzles to grass less paddocks but do we really know the villain behind this menacing disease?
Founder, the aftermath of laminitis. It can start innocently enough; a horse eats the wrong grain, reacts to medicine, is worked on hard ground or in our case, eats grass.
Laminitis and founder are often used interchangeably but they are two very different diseases closely related to one another.
Laminitis occurs when blood flow is interrupted (short term, constant or infrequent) to the sensitive and insensitive laminae (the tissues that connect the coffin bone to the hoof wall) of the horse’s hoof, causing them to separate. When the horse develops laminitis the laminae experiences decreased blood flow, nutrient supply, oxygen, edema, and death of the tissues in the laminae. Causes for the edema in the laminae are blood clotting, swelling around the blood vessels, and restriction of the veins, that in turn cause the blood to be deterred away from the capillaries in the laminae. (Beadle, 1999) There are two main types of laminitis, acute and chronic.
Founder and laminitis are often confused, founder cannot happen without the horse developing laminitis first and the laminar tissues weakening. When the horse founders the coffin bone tears away from the lamina and rotates. From there the bone can tilt downward until it penetrates the sole of the horses hoof. Generally, severity of rotation in the coffin bone is measured in degrees. 10 beingmoderate and 40 being severe. Beyond 40 degrees the bottom of the coffin bone will become vertical and penetrate the hoof sole. Over time a vertical coffin bone can deteriorate and the toe portion of the bone can become flat. When the coffin bone begins to rotate, pressure is placed on the toe of the hoof creating the “elf shoe” deformed look in the hoof if veterinarian and farrier care is not called upon.When the coffin bone detaches itself from the laminae it never completely regains it’s former attachment and allows the horse to become prone to founder again. (Avisar, 1996)
Founder almost always occurs in the front feet and it’s easy to see why. A horse’s body was built front heavy with a long thick neck and big head. At adulthood the horse typically carries 60% of his body weight on his front limbs, putting pressure on sore feet with founder.
Founder can be thrown upon a horse in many ways. As caretakers we should know what the signs are and when to call the vet. Any case of laminitis or founder is an extreme emergency. Without a hoof you have no horse so take preventative measures and call the vet early. The horse will usually come in from the pasture or out of the stall lame.Digital pulses on each foot will feel as if they are pounding, heat can be felt, and the horse will be extremely sensitive to hoof testers in the toe area. The horse might shift his weight from one leg to another and walk with very stiff limbs. In extreme cases the horse will not stand square and will attempt to put more pressure on the hind legs by leaning in an attempt to find relief. Some horses lie down on their sides as this is the only way they can relieve the constant pressure being placed upon their sore feet. A horse that has developed chronic laminitis will have rings parallel to the coronary band and bleeding or an enlarged white line area on the sole of the hoof. If the case has been left long enough the coffin bone may drop and penetrate the sole. In cases of neglect, death can be quick to follow.
Grass founder is a very puzzling disease, there are still holes in research today. It is essentially the same as grain founder but with different ingredients. Easy keepers are thought to be more at risk for grass founder as well as overweight, under worked horses. Do not exclude very fit well fed athletes, any horse is at risk.Numbers of grass founder cases increase in the spring and fall; right when growing starts and stops with temperatures fluctuating.
There was a time when grass founder was thought to be caused by very rich green grass. Now we learn fall grass can give horses even more of a risk as it starts to brown and attempts to store nutrients to keep itself alive before the winter frost sets in. Research has shown a starch like carbohydrate to be the delinquent. This carbohydrate is known as fructan.
Fructan is stored by grasses and hays for times of need like anovercast or sunny day with cool temperatures. The carbohydrate is used by plants when photosynthesis of their cells slow or cease. Cloudy days or temperature drops make growing conditions for grasses less ideal so they store fructan for these times. When the sun comes out from behind the clouds or day breaks fructan production commences. Since the weather in spring and fall can change from warm to cool rapidly within days or hours the levels of this carbohydrate are highest to help the plant survive. (Christie, 2007)
Cutting hay during times of environmental stress such as anovercast day orwhen photosynthesis is not optimal will leave your hay with very high levels of fructan. When the hay is cured the levels stay consistent.
It is almost impossible to test your grazed grasses for levels of fructan because these levels go up and down during the day and vary day by day depending on the weather and where the sun is in the sky.
Fructan is digested in the hindgut, fermenting rapidly and causing an excessive amount of lactic acid buildup. The lactic acid kills the bacteria in the hindgut, which releases endotoxins into the blood.Endotoxins are essentially the dead bacteria. When fructan ferments the bacteria multiply so rapidly that they die off quickly because of the increased acid content in the hindgut. (Thomas, 2003)
Endotoxins effect the cardiovascular system, which in return shuts off the run of oxygen and restriction to the feet. This results in laminitis, the weakening of the hoof structure, and ultimately the rotation of the coffin bone or founder.
There really is no proven way that will help all horses recover from grass founder. However, first removing the foundered horse from grass and any grain or concentrates altogether, is a good method until he is sound. Cool season grasses such as timothy, fescue, and clovers are at a higher risk of larger fructan levels. Although fructan levels are lower in warm season grasses it does not mean the horse cannot founder off them or that they have no fructan in them. Keeping previously foundered horses off grass during spring and fall when temperatures fluctuate is a must as well as never turning a horse out that foundered in the same paddock that gave him the condition in the first place; he will likely founder again. If that paddock is the only one accessible to you, grazing muzzles are an inexpensive way of preventing grass founder.
Some farriers can apply corrective shoeing and others are experienced in the areas of the natural trim, which has recently been shown to work in some cases even better than shoes.
Take the horse or pony off all grain and call the vet immediately if you suspect any signs of laminitis or founder. X-rays of the foot can be taken to determine if the coffin bone has rotated and what treatment should be applied. Some pain medications can be applied to temporarily relieve pain but they only cover up symptoms, not treat them.
It is recommended to feed hay with 10% of fructan or less. This is one more reason it is very important to get a hay analysis. Alfalfa is a good alternative by itself or mixed with grassy hay to make up the protein and calories the grain once supplied to the horse.
Some supplements on the market today help the horse keep the weight on without the risk of too much carbohydrates, starches, or sugars added to the diet. They could be added if the horse has a hard time keeping on weight without a concentrate or grain. Too many calories can be counterproductive in the healing process. Once the horse has healed it is recommended to put him on a low starch, high fat diet to help prevent a repeat episode.
Founder Facts
For prevention avoid letting horses graze in the late afternoon/evening, when temperatures drop below 40 or the morning to follow a temperature drop. Overcast days also pose a threat.
Brown grass in the fall poses a very high risk, as fructan has saved up high levels in an attempt to live out as long as it can until the winter frost. Wait until grass has browned all the way down to the roots before allowing horses to be turned out on it.
Putting grazing muzzles on horses that are high risk or have foundered before are very good and safe precautionary measures. Also turning out in a paddock without any grass is a good preventative choice.
When hay is cured fructan levels stay the same.It is possible your horse may have foundered off the hay instead of grass. Local feed stores usually can send samples of your hay to test for levels of fructan.
Every case of founder is different. Every case will require a different treatment. Some work, others don’t. Ask your vet and equine nutritionist what nutrient requirements your foundered horse will need and any special things you should be adding to his diet.
Research, research, research! If your horse founders, chances are you are in for a long and heartbreaking battle. Do as much research on methods of treating founder as you can. Talk to other people who have had foundered horses, contact specialist farriers and veterinarians. The more you know, the more you will be able to help your horse.Any little bit can help but when it comes to your horse’s feet, take all precautions.
Gradually introducing your horse to grass can make the risk of grass founder smaller. Start with 10 minutes and add 5 minutes each day until the horse can be let out to graze for the desired amount of time. Remember, once horses are let free in a grass filled paddock it can be hard to coax him to come back inside. Hand grazing initially is a good insurance plan.
References
Ralph E. Beadle, DVM, PhD 1999 Professor of Veterinary Medicine
This is something cute I found in my research. I did not know if it was appropriate to place it in my assignment because I did not write it but it is very cute and helpful.
The Fructan Jingle by Katy Watts
When you wake at crack of dawn
Graze your pony on your lawn
But sugars rise in afternoon,
For foundered ponies, this spells doom
When frosts cause fructans to increase
Your ponies grazing now must cease.
Hold off a day, or maybe more,
Or else your pony may get sore.
Despite the many disciplines and wacko ways people have discovered they can make a name, living or horse work there are actually only two types of riders.
Those who can ride and those who know how to ride.
Those who can ride. They are dictated to quite strictly and learn from another accomplished rider. They never take the horse out by themselves without first learning how to do the task on hand. If they never jumped they take lessons on jumping. If they never chased a cow they go in pursuit of a western saddle and a cowboy. Basically before they do it they must learn how. You see a lot of them at shows. Even though I've never taken many lessons I realized this year I don't feel so bad about it. The judge does not know who has what trainer and who's horse is better bred because it's about how you ride and your horse moves. I didn't go to as many shows this year as I usually do but I sure as hell got a lot of ribbons. It kind of makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Knowing how to ride is something totally different. Maybe you started out with lessons, but either way this is something that is rarely ever taught to someone, if ever. You are born with it. A sense inside of your very being. Even if you don't know it right from birth it is inside of you waiting to get a knock on the door of horsemanship. Some people get that knock when they get on their first horse to others it may come late in life.
A lot of us who know how to ride never even had riding lessons. We got on the back of a horse and they taught us what we needed to know. In a bad situation we can answer our own questions, solve the problem and get on with our day. If we never jumped before we try it. If we like it we take lessons. I want to see more people like this in the world.
Those who know how to ride rarely know what to do in a scary, new or difficult situation. They look for help and ask other people. Even though they may not know what to do now, someday they may get that proverbial knock on horsemanships door and open their eyes to a whole new way of riding.
