Planning for 2011

We experienced 2 days of temps in the 50s last week, so Winter blankets got to come-off. Everyone rolled in the mud almost immediately. It reminds me of how I feel at the end of the day when I take off my workboots. AHHHH! It seemed that no sooner were the blankets off and the horses were all muddy, when we got a terrible rainstorm, with thunder, lightning, and high winds. Mark and Tom dashed outside to get the blankets back on the poor horses. Even though I was born and raised in New England, I still have this odd belief that on March 1st, the weather will get warm and sunny. Well that date is only one week away, and I guess its time to be realistic--it ain't getting warm anytime soon. So, what do you do during your winter "down-time". This assumes you don't travel south in the winter. I try to catch up on paperwork,research, and correspondence I also try to spend some time enjoying my hobbies other than horses. Mark has reffed a couple of arena polo games at UCONN. He's also taking some classes at the local community college. He must be planning to someday have a job that is non polo related, like something that pays real money.

Dressage Anyone??

We have had an unusual amount of snow this winter. The top rail of the riding ring is 5 ft. off the ground, and there are 5 rails. With 3 feet of snow in the riding ring, it looks like I'll be changing my discipline to dressage!

Missing Horse

"Left for college in the fall of 2009. Gave my Morgan mare to someone with the agreement that she would be taken care of, and would not be leaving that location. Horse is no longer at that location, and information as to her whereabouts will not be given." Read on this blogsite, Sept. 27, 2010 "Where has Your Horse Been?"
As a lawyer once told me, even with contracts and agreements on the sale of your horses, once all the legal steps are taken, and the legal fees are paid, your horse will be long gone, or dead!

For Sale

I can't help it!!! Saw this ad on Craigslist. Horse needs attention, and an experienced rider. Bet the phone is ringing off the hook!

Giving Your Veterinarian the Winter Off!

I know I had promised to write about "Horse Safety" this week, but an event occured this past week that made me change my mind. I suppose since this is my blog, I can write anything I want, so long as I keep it legal! Last Saturday was the first time since my accident in August, that I brought the horses in, from the back paddock. Its a bit of a walk, through the snow and ice, to get to the gate. When I got to the gate, I noticed that there was a layer of ice on top of the water tank. After I brought the horses inside for their dinner, I got my "trusty" hammer, and went to break-up the ice. To my horror, the water was solid ice!! The heater in the tank had died! I was sick-to-my-stomach thinking about the poor horses not having water. The only thing that calmed me down was knowing that they had water at night, while in their stalls. As a result of this incident I have decided to write about a couple of health issues that may occur in the winter. Colic: A horse consumes about 1 gallon of water for every 200 lbs of body weight. Ideally, the water temperature should be between 44 and 65 degrees. Without sufficient water a horse may develop a blockage in its' bowel, that could lead to colic. In the winter, when your horse is less active and water temperatures drop, there will be a decreased desire to drink. Use bucket/tank heaters (working, of course). Also, try to provide as much turn-out time as possible. Rain Rot, and other skin conditions. If you don't blanket your horse, and he is outside during cold, wet weather, be sure he has a chance to get dry. Rain Rot and Scratches(Mud Fever) are caused by bacteria. These organisms become trapped under a wet coat, or on the horses pasterns from standing in wet mud. Both conditions can be very painful, and are difficult to get rid-of. I blanket my horses, and they have outdoor shelters that have good drainage. I still remove the blankets on a regular basis to groom them, and check their skin/coats This also gives me a chance to make sure they are not losing weight, or as in Fancy's case, gaining weight. At least her butt will be wider than mine this Spring! I hope!!

Safety Check-Part One

Our main barn is not fancy. It is what one would describe as "functional". When we moved to our current address, the barn was a workshop. Initially we had 2 stalls, and gradually have increased the number to 4. Before my accident in August I spent most of my time outside with the horses, and in the barn. Big surprise! After the accident I was house-bound for 4 months, only occasionally getting to the barn, using a wheelchair. Now that I am back to doing barn chores, I am noticing lots of things that would be considered unsafe for a barn housing horses, especially if they are accident prone like my horses. Some of the things I noticed were screws and nails starting to loosen, wood that had splinters from being chewed or kicked, too many heater cords plugged into outlets, halter and lead rope hooks that were jutting out into the aisle, bucket hooks that were too low and grooming items on the floor. Remember, horses chew, rub, paw, lay-down, rear-up, and are wide and tall. It made me think about safety measures that need to be made when you have a young child. I once read that you should get down to the level of the child, and look at the world from his/her perspective. Maybe we should look at our barns in a similar manner, looking at things from a horse perspective, or have a "horsey" friend critique your barn. Checking a barn for safety should be done on a regular basis, or like batteries in a smoke detector, maybe do a thorough safety check when the clocks are changed twice a year. Next week I will write about safety issues when handling horses, and checking the horse's outside environment.