"omnomnomnom, belly deep grass"
I really appreciate your input. Thanks! Please feel free to comment I would love to hear how you feed your horses.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
How 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!!
I really appreciate your input. Thanks! Please feel free to comment I would love to hear how you feed your horses.
I really appreciate your input. Thanks! Please feel free to comment I would love to hear how you feed your horses.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Pants + Pepe = ?
Maverick said my ass couldn't fit in his pants.
I think this proves him wrong.
Doesn't my ass look cute in these pants?
Sorry Pokey, Pepe wears the pants. ;)
Friday, June 8, 2012
I'll always have this in my first aid kit
If you haven't used Arnica or don't believe all us believers claims here's a photo to make you a believer.
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.
This was one day after it happened. It was sore but not unmanageable.
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!
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!
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.
This was one day after it happened. It was sore but not unmanageable.
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!
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!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Lookie 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.
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.
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.
He promptly came right up to see me, hours old.
(I look spaced out, I was talking to Maverick who was sitting on the footing of a beam in the barn)
He didn't have a name until a few seconds ago when "Moose" was suggested on facebook. Moose it is!!
Now to find what the heck Rocky was bred to before I owned her. Ugh!!!!
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.
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.
He promptly came right up to see me, hours old.
(I look spaced out, I was talking to Maverick who was sitting on the footing of a beam in the barn)
He didn't have a name until a few seconds ago when "Moose" was suggested on facebook. Moose it is!!
Now to find what the heck Rocky was bred to before I owned her. Ugh!!!!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
What does every horse deserve in it's life?
Every horse deserves once in it's lifetime to be loved by a little girl.
Indigo is lucky enough to have a growing army.
Here is her latest victim of spotty horse love, Blondie.
Who loves your horse, other than yourself?
Indigo is lucky enough to have a growing army.
Here is her latest victim of spotty horse love, Blondie.
Who loves your horse, other than yourself?
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Confessions
I have a confession.
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:
HGAFUIJVIUSBGYUIVNSUIVFGOISWNVBSHOIVSDUCKS!!!!
I love 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?
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"
Cue Sydney's very long list of reasons on why we do indeed, need ducks, combined with a lot of pleading and begging.
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)
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.
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.
I came to find them the next morning standing on their food dish (icecube tray) island.
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).
Then two became three.
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.
So came Quackmire to our duck family.
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".
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.
HGAFUIJVIUSBGYUIVNSUIVFGOISWNVBSHOIVSDUCKS!!!!
I love 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?
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"
Cue Sydney's very long list of reasons on why we do indeed, need ducks, combined with a lot of pleading and begging.
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)
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.
I came to find them the next morning standing on their food dish (icecube tray) island.
It's ok I forgive you, cute little webbed feet, quacking, fluffballs of cuteness.
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).
I also let them regularly swim in the tub. My excuse to Maverick was I needed to clean the tub more often, every day.
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.
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.
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).
Then two became three.
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.
So came Quackmire to our duck family.
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".
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.
So sreeeepy.....zzzz
Quackmire went outside with me every afternoon and followed me down the street to see neighbors, nesting at my feet when she was tired.
Then tragedy struck. Quackers, an indian runner known for panicking easily somehow got into the foot deep pond and drowned.
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.
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.
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.
Happy ducks and happy endings.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
What is this modern phenomenon....
they call internet happening on my computer?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Why I take pictures
Some people take pictures to capture memories they wish to remember, some to make money or get a reaction out of everyone else.
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.
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.
This accurately depicts Indigo's 15 foot personal bubble.
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).
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.
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.
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.
This accurately depicts Indigo's 15 foot personal bubble.
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).
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.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Sole thickness and heel height
What does the toe, sole and heel have in common?
Well first look at the previous post on hoof/pastern axis.
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?
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.
How many of you have gone out and looked at your horses hooves in relation to their conformation since the last post?
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
Well first look at the previous post on hoof/pastern axis.
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?
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.
How many of you have gone out and looked at your horses hooves in relation to their conformation since the last post?
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
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Hoof pastern axis
I hope everyone had a very happy holiday.
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".
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?
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.
(Images from google and all rights go to their original owners)
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.
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.
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.
What I am getting at is to start a debate of sorts.
What is the opinion of my readers?
Have you looked at your horses hooves in relation to how they are made and how they actually look now?
Do they match the angle of your horses shoulders/hip and pastern bones?
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)
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?
I would love to know.
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".
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?
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.
(Images from google and all rights go to their original owners)
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.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.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.
What I am getting at is to start a debate of sorts.
What is the opinion of my readers?
Have you looked at your horses hooves in relation to how they are made and how they actually look now?
Do they match the angle of your horses shoulders/hip and pastern bones?
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)
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?
I would love to know.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
