Special Mud Edition...

 

 

 

 

MY HORSE LICKS THE DIRT...

My 2, Tom and Henry, dig a hole in the grass, and lick the mud underneath.  Then, after it's rained they paw the ground to make it bigger and roll in it! 

This is a rare enough occurrence that I had yet to catch them doing it with a camera or phone in my hand until John snapped them tonight, but they do it often enough that the spots they choose can be easily spotted...one dent in each field.

 

The general thinking and subsequent advice about licking the ground is to provide a mineral or salt lick, since it is thought your horse does this to provide his body with trace elements he isn't getting in his feed...whether that is just grass or a high fibre, forrage based diet.  The chances of a horse fed on a preparatory horse mix or balancer, lacking certain minerals and salts would be very unlikely since they are designed with the whole nutritional needs of the horse in mind, and generally contain a broad spectrum of minerals and vitamins.

...we spend a lot of time worrying about our horses...but here's a thought... why not just let him lick the ground?  

It’s natural, it does them no harm and undoubtedly he gets more from it than just the taste, it might be something a horse likes to do, and has proved a successful way to add minerals and salts to their diets for thousands of years......long before mineral licks?  

When mine dig a hole to lick, often just after rain, quite large ones licking down to the clay layer that's not far from the top here in Essex, they’ll roll in them too once they’ve filled with water after the rain!

Let your horse be a horse, what possible harm can it do him?  He knows far more about the needs of an animal that’s been around longer than we have.  It worries me how we 'interfere' in our horses lives to the point where a simple learned evolutionary behaviour is thought ill advised by us humans.  let your horse be a horse.

I have mineral and salt licks available too, but if my horse wants to lick the dirt, I think that’s ok.



Lesson: don’t assume human involvement is better, and certainly don’t go filling the hole in like some have suggested in the many horse forums, you’ll ruin his fun!  Here is an old location, now has grass growing in it and this is where the cats like to roll.

 

TCJpart84 Diets

'DIETS' & 'NUTRITION':

As you know Tom and Henry have been on a diet since January this year.  All I have done is cut out all the willy-nilly treats, the 'I love you' treats especially, replaced them with a scratch, which they really enjoy. 

The rain this year has meant the grass has grown so they have more of that to eat...but eating grass, that's a moving about job so I take that into account!

They get half an apple each at weigh time after Sunday dinner, their usual feed because they need all that goodness still, bagged haylage freshly filled haybars....and they have lost a little over 100Kg's since the beginning of the year!

...but, when do I stop?

I don't have a target weight for them in my head.  They don't have a bikini they need to look good in, or a pair of amazing jeans to fit in before they stop. I can already use the girths 2 girths ago, is that the horse version of a sucessful diet? They look incredible.  They've modelled for M&S this year.  Perhaps because my effort has been slow and my reasons prevention rather than cure, I should just carry on with the 'diet', only now call it 'nutrition'?

So, that's the new plan:

Tom & Henry are off the diets, and now have a diet based on sound Nutrition guidelines as advised by Dodson & Horrell and me.

Tom & Henry don't do eventing or long distance riding, with the weather we've had recently their lucky to get out at all!!!  But, they do need nutrition.  They need minerals, vitamins, fibre, fibre, fibre and fibre,

I needed to be honest about the load I was giving them to eat.  Now I am happy with the results and believe this is the way to continue.  Plus, when you stop calling it a 'diet', it seems like you're under less pressure.

...yes....going forward, keep weightaping them every week, keep up with the no-treats philosophy, and I'll let you know how it goes!

Special Edition

FASHION:
THE 'TOM TOP'

This is a one-off development sample from Indigo Collection at M&S, and it has on the front a very gorgeous Trakehner who you'll instantly recognise, ...Tom.

 

 

 

 

 

...thank you Gail who designed the top and gave me this prototype, and with it I'm wearer trialling an M&S Woman brushed back premium jean for sale in October.   The jean is brilliant, will keep you warm in the yard on those cold mornings and stretchy enough to ride in too.

 

 

 

 

 

TCJpart83 The Spa

NEW RETREAT: AT 'THE YARD'
'The Yard' is the newest relaxation destination for weary horses, to kick off their shoes and get some well-earned rest and recuperation.

It's an exclusive 'members only' high-end establishment, with everything a horse could wish for.  A peaceful, tranquil environment with the calming sounds of birds song in the wind, and a personal butler for his every whim. 

A luxurious well-appointed bedroom with en-suite facilities and access to free flowing high fibre meals for that complete detox.

Our clients are free to go for long walks before breakfast and eat in the dining room, or they can have breakfast in bed, it's their choice completely.

Every bedroom has a 'yoga floor', for use whenever our clients wish to do their stretches after breakfast as one of our members is doing here. Or to simply zone-out to the relaxing sounds of the tranquil countryside.

At 'The Yard' we offer one-on-one treatments, everything you'd expect from a classy spa is here for the body and mind.

Tom & Henry often take a break at 'The Yard',  they can relax into a deep clean bed with the pleasant aroma of lemons wafting in the air.  Taste the freshly prepared luxury packed forage for their internal health and well being.

Learning to completely relax is something our clients are taught during their early stays with us.  And some of the techniques we teach them is to loosen their lower lips for a completely calming experience.

Fresh produce is delivered regularly for the totally organic vegetarian diet: low in sugar, high in fibre perfect for healing minds and feeling healthy and strong.

They can indulge in massage and stretching, body brushing and bathing.  Here one of our clients is learning some relaxation techniques from our most senior specialist: 'Rand'.

They can have their hair washed in herbal aromatic lathers and be pampered for as long as they stay. Their hair will be rejuvenated and the client will leave with the shiniest locks they've ever had.

We can offer yoga and Pilate's: We encourage our clients to stretch.

....and here one of our regular customers is doing some early morning tai-chi.

Nothing is too much trouble here at 'The Yard', your wish is our command.

We also offer top quality pedicures on a regular basis so your feet are pampered too, nothing is overlooked, we aim to be the experience your weary Trakehner body has been waiting for.

As members of this exclusive club, developed only for creative types and strictly vetted for membership, Tom & Henry feel they can really let their hair down here.  It's remote location also means they know that they stay here in the strictest confidence, and they can leave their fame at 'The Yard' gates and be treated to a pampering of a lifetime!

Unfortunately we cannot consider any new members at this time, sorry to disappoint.




...for anyone who likes the stylish life a friend of mine has a blog I recommend, it's how to live life gorgeously...or Opulent Scrawls.

Special Edition: Mud fever: Part Four

MUD FEVER FAILURE:
SOLUTION: CALL THE VET.

As you know, Henry has mud fever around his left fore pastern.  I have followed all advice, including my own, about how to tackle it, but all I have achieved is to move the sore patch further around toward his heel, and make him even more sore.  Henry's pastern is puffy (not warm), and has a combination of dry scabs which is the healthy healing skin where the infection began, and some thick mud fever crusts where it has shifted to.

 

I have washed the area in Hibiscrub, picked and dried, applied creams and potions, but this time I alone just couldn't shift it, and Henry was beginning to hate me too despite it taking at least a bag of treats each time I needed to work.

 

So, I called the vet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Henry had it before, you may remember back in February this year, the vet gave me equipalazone and a course of anti-biotics.  And I had concluded that this two-pronged attack was the only way I was ever going to get rid of this menace once and for all.  To tackle it from the outside with cleaning, de-scabbing etc. and with drugs tackling it from within.

 

Jess, the vet,  firstly sedated Henry a little. Remember:   Henry is allergic to the sedative so he can only have a 'donkey dose'. 

 

Then Jess washed the area using and already mixed Hibiscrub solution  of 1:100 parts pink:water, and pre-soaked swabs in a plastic container (only do this as you need it, you can't keep this mixed for a second time).  She rubbed the area gently whilst Henry pawed the air with his leg, and removed all the scabs with the Hibiscrub soaked swabs, it took about 5 minutes.  Henry's bare skin was salmon pink and clean.  Jess did all this wearing gloves too, because you must be very careful with mud fever, those spores of bacteria must not be allowed to spread or infect another part of the horse.  So everything gets destroyed afterwards, and hands are scrubbed.

Then the whole area, not soaking because Jess didn't use any water to soak the scabs like I did - just the swabs - was dried thoroughly using 'blue-roll'  the catering type of tough blue paper roll.  several sheets (all disposable) were used repeatedly until Henry was dried, and this seemed to dry Henry very well with marginally less fuss than a towel.

 

 

 

Next, Jess applied a cream to Henry's pastern, it's a must to wear gloves to do this, the cream contains steroids and prolonged contact with your skin could cause health problems...and you might notice from the box, there's a picture of a dog...this cream is for all animals, but not humans. Anyway, it obviously felt good because Henry stood perfectly still and shut his eyes and breathed a big sigh of relief.  The cream is a steroid and anti-bacterial, she has left me 2 tubes to apply once a day until it has gone.  Jess said I should only pick off the scabs if they return with a vengeance, otherwise, if it's just a little, just apply the cream and that should suffice.

 

Henry then was prescribed a course of bute (2 days worth only), and anti-biotics for 5 days.  This should sort him out!

 

 

 

Already he seams happier too.

 

Tom....well, he just looks on in his usual mildly amused fashion, calm and nonchalant.  Love those horses.

 

 

 

Henry was very good, he let Jess scrub his very sore area, made sore by me trying to rid him of the mud fever, and failing.

 

 

 

LESSON: don't let your stubbornness thinking you've got it handled stop you from calling for help, your horse will only have to suffer longer.  And actually watching a vet perform this sequence, and her technique varying form mine has taught me how to be more effective for my horse if ever it should happen again.

 

Henry is out now, wandering the grassy land with his best mate Tom, having eaten a second breakfast containing the drugs, as if this morning was just like any other.

 

I should have called the vet earlier, but being human means we can learn from our mistakes, and this 2 pronged strategy is what I shall be advising in future.

John, meanwhile, has already been on-line to order me a lifetime supply of all the dressings and swabs that Jess used, so I'll have everything to hand, he will also need to build me a larger first-aid cupboard, mine is already full....well you can't be too careful!

thank you Jess & John x


 

 

 

 

 

 

John Wayne Quotes:

TCJpart82 Balloons

HOT AIR BALLOONS:

...are we getting in a froth about hot air balloons or is it all hot air?

 
Recently letters have been appearing in magazines regarding balloons scaring horses when they land nearby, a number of horses have been injured during their flight from this perceived danger.   

Of course they are scared!  

Balloons 'sneak' up on you, they silently hover above, noislessly drifting until the pilot needs to land, then the blowers start puffing, and this can be the first you'll notice of these huge things, when they're right above you and there's no chance of evasion tactics, you are just forced to deal with it the best you can.

Having spoken to a balloon pilot this morning for Bristol, I learn that they look out for horses and livestock when they need to land and avoid them where possible.  Switching their hot air burners to 'quiet' too, approaching with short bursts of noise so the animals can become acclimatised during approach, and hopefully not be too scared.

But huge colourful strange sounding objects floating low over our houses and fields is going to be scary to most horses like it or not, and there's not a great deal a horse owner can do about it either, except remain calm and try to enjoy the view.

Speaking to pilots and being helpful might be useful too, they'll remember where your horses are and be extra vigilant, remember if you keep your horse in or near a wooded area the chances are the pilot can't see them from the air, but then he wont be landing on trees either, so you'll be ok.  We have a power line (which I hate and would like to bury underground as soon as we can afford it), but this means a balloon won't ditch in our field, a big phew!










Sunday Morning: 7.15am:  (slight wind, already 27degrees)

This morning I was in the yard giving the boys their breakfasts, it was shortly before 7.30am, I was sweeping totally unaware of the very large approaching object right above our heads.   






When I herd a strange blowing noise, very loud and very close.  My brain didn't make the connection, in fact it suggested I ignore it, and the boys were still munching thier breakfaste so what was there to worry about?  Then another sound, this time much closer, and I ran to the cottage to see a huge red Virgin hot air balloon hovering above my roof!  About 10 feet above and no more too! Blasting away at it's blowers to land in the field over the road. Lisa (Boob-Tube)'s land.

Tom & Henry decided although not terrified they weren't taking any chances so pranced out into the field and watched as the second balloon as it appeared from behind the trees.  Lisa's horses were watching too, trotting up and down the fenceline as far from the 'foe' as possible, but ok.

We often get balloons pass close over us here, because we are surrounded by farmers arable land and these make great places to land.  Then they have to get the recovery trailers to the downed baskets and deflated canopies and a bus has to take the joy-riders home.

Once the dismantled kit is on the trailer they drive out of the field with as little damage to any crop possible, the pilot is very aware of the crop as property and misses it where possible.  The old arrangement is to buy the landowner a bottle of whisky if his land is used, and this still holds true today, we suggested a bottle of JD since I may have consumed the last bottle!                                                             

This time the trailer got stuck and John was asked to tow them out of the field in his Landrover, which he was more than happy to do.  Our thinking is?  They know where we live now, know Boob-Tube and I keep horses here, and having spoken to the pilots about horses...conclusion, they'll be extra careful now they know horses are here.

  

Phew!

 ...of course if I'd been riding that would have been a different matter, but we wont dwell on the what-ifs!