Yes thats right....The importance of poo. As you all may have gathered I am a great believer in horses being kept as naturally as possible. 'Tucking the horse up in bed' goes against all its natural instincts. Horses only sleep in 15 minutes burst, for four hours a day. So in a stable they do not sleep peacefully all night, but get bored. They cannot satisfy the natural urge to wander about. As herd animals they rely on other members to alert them to passing lions. Its no good telling them their are no scary lions.....Unless there actually are where you live. So in a stable, alone, they are probably on full alert all night. Anyway I digress.
So, our horses live out 24/7. That being the case all the poo is in their fields, not churned up amongst straw. This gives us two major benefits. One, we get to hang out in the field with the herd for longer each day, which increases our bond with them, and allows us to observe their natural behaviour. At a glance we can tell if all's well. Two, we are intimate with their pooing habits. Poo is a great indicator of health. We can see if its a bit loose, a bit hard, sandy, wormy etc. We also know exactly how many poos there should be.....Yes I have counted them many times!!! This gives us an advantage in managing their diets. We are on sandy soil, so at the first indication of sand in the poo, we feed bran mashes with pysillium in.
In so many bigger yards, the actual yard managers rarely get their hands dirty, so can't possibly know whats going on with the horses health. When I ran a bigger yard, I always did the poo picking myself for this very reason, and am proud that in 10 years I had no laminitus and only one colic (and that was a new pony that I wormed as you do, without knowing she had never been wormed and the vast amount of worms that died caused a blockage).
And so to the weather report!! Its finally turned milder....although we are still expecting a cold Easter. Anyway we have been taking advantage and have started to work the ponies. All except the Shetlands have been out on various walk-outs, either ridden or in-hand. My former partner-in-crime, Tess came and rode Daisy, who was like a cat on hot bricks....full of the joys of spring, including showing how well she could rear!! The only drawback with milder days is going back in the evenings to put rugs back on. Although the sunsets are lovely and its nice to have a goodnight kiss from Charlie.
Charlie has also resumed clicker training. He may be a surfer dude with his laid back attitude, but he doesn't forget a thing. Especially when carrots are involved. We are practising him standing glued to the 'target', while I move around him, and he has been an absolute star.
And this Winter never ends!! The snow went, the sun came out....And Then....The Beast from the East sent its little cousin. Thankfully no snow this time, BUT, the 50mph Easterly winds have been bitter. Face numbing!!
At least we can use the tractor, but its still hard work, working against the Wind. I am fed up with the amount of layers I am wearing. And worn down by the bloody wind. Not helped by Facebook reminding me of last year....and the year before, by showing pictures of us riding in tee-shirts!! If the summer isn't really hot I Am Going To Complain!!
Princess Polly, who is let out every day to have a feed and graze, has discovered that we don't mind if she goes into the hay barn, so now heads that way every day. The others have lost a little weight, but went into winter as fat as pigs so its all natural.
Jo has entered Lu for the Suffolk Show again, so we really need to get her working again. Hopefully this year she can stay sound. If only Spring would appear soon...But according to the forecast The Beast is sending some long lost Aunt over to give us a white Easter.
Watch this space to see if we survive the longest Winter ever!!
Officially fed up with Winter
Polly in the Hay Barn
Charlie at the 'All You Can Eat Buffet'
The novelty has definitely worn off. With more snowfall and a cracking East wind straight off the sea, things have taken a downhill turn. No more pretty pictures or snow angels. The last couple of days have been hell!!
Battling through snow drifts in Jo's 4WD, (My pretty car is useless atm), we have got through to the yard. Obviously we have had no choice and would have walked if necessary.
Of course the hose-pipes and taps froze. And the drifts were too big to get the tractor through. Yesterday was the worst. You know its cold when your hairy cob has icicles on his beard and snowballs on his mustache! Thankfully Rob (Nancys Dad) came up with 60 litres of bottled water. Rob lugged water, while I struggled with several wheelbarrows of hay through the drifts against the wind.
Jo meanwhile, ingenious as ever, managed to rig up water from the tack room with a shower attachment. Its amazing how long it all takes in the snow!! After 3 hours, they all had water, hay and feeds.....and 2 very knackered mummies.
Today was actually better. Or are we adapting?? No actually the temperature rose to -1c. The wind had blown some of the snow away and where we had walked had flattened to a compact ice rink. Charlie had lost his icicles and snowballs. Over night someone (LU probably) had destroyed the fence and Lu and Daisy were in with Polly and Dora, and had finished their hay. Charlie had stayed put and was calling somewhat pitifully even though Dora was attached to his tail. Feeding them soon restored them painlessly to the right fields....and as I reassembled the fence, I told them that they had to wait for the hay as I was somewhat busy.
Once again I left Jo wrestling with getting water to all, and I decided the tractor may get through with the hay. It didn't get up the hill without both of us pushing, but I discovered going flat out worked.....and was rather fun.
Only 2.5 hours today!!! We must be getting good. I have no idea how people cope in countries where it snows for months on end!! I have officially seen enough snow now thank you.
Ok Still not a weather channel.....But we have some weather at last!! The so called Beast From the East has hit us with the first real snow of the Winter. Ironic that its nearly March.
Having been prepared for this, we had rugged the tractor, and stabled the hoses. (Presumably the British Train Network were also forewarned, but it didn't stop them cancelling all trains to London from here in the East. Made me wonder how the Trans-Siberian Trains operate???).
Happily the tractor started.....Being rear wheel drive it struggled on the hills though!! I know its only a lawn mower really, but surely it should be 4WD??
Anyway with a bit of shoving here and there we were able to take a lot of hay out, and poo-pick. The hoses, despite being stabled, were still frozen in the joins. Just goes to show...a warm cozy stable really isn't that warm or cozy!
Some hot water, and patience later, we finally managed to top up all the water butts. The horses also all had a feed. Clots of ice were removed from hooves, and they all felt warm and happy. This is probably the first real snow Charlie has seen in his life, as we haven't had this much for a few years now.
Polly, who eats free-range every day is not dumb. With no grass to be seen, she made her way into the hay-barn, where I found her happily helping herself to a round bale.
The dogs had fun....Prudence in particular was happy to run after snowballs. Scrumpy couldn't see the point. I just had to make a snow angel.....despite being 51!! It just has to be done. Photos galore of this pretty landscape.
But that will do now. Its amazing how long it takes in snow just to do the basic jobs. And how tiring. So come on Spring, its time.
Polly caught in the act.
Sharing Feed
Happy Bulldog
And so. On Tuesday the Vet and the Farrier were meant to coincide at 2pm. I arrived at around 11.30am to find the Farrier had already arrived and Jo, caught on the hop had to leg it to catch in Daisy, Polly and Lu, as the Farrier wanted to get the shod ponies out of the way. Turns out it was a good thing, or we may have been there till midnight.
Although Charlie had Dora in the next field he was apoplectic at being without 'his' mares. He raced around in the mud and rain, got hot and rolled....and was absolutely caked in wet mud when I went to get him. Luckily he had enough time waiting in a stable to dry off a bit, and I rubbed him down with handfuls of straw and apologised profusely to the Farrier for his wet muddy feathers! I know a lot of people struggle in the Winter with Mud Fever in Hairy Cobs, and clip their feathers off. Believe me though, it is better to leave them on. They are natural protection against any bacteria. Constant washing of clipped legs causes the skin to weaken and the pores to open, which allows bacteria in. Scruffy as wet muddy feathers look, if you part the hair you will find nice clean, healthy skin underneath....so please leave them be. Lecture over.
Eventually the Vet arrived and started the ex-ray procedure with Sweet Pea. She was not too keen on standing on the blocks, and apparently at one point reared right up. She is very good at rearing vertically! I had buggered off to do the hay and water. When I came back the verdict was in. No arthritis at all and the feet were perfectly aligned with the Pedal Bone. And so.....back to soft tissue damage in the Fetlock. Mmmmm....thats what I suspected in the first place.
Box rest was advised. So after a long tiring day with the light fading we bedded down the biggest stable and popped both Shetlands away for the night. Sweet Pea would have had a nervous breakdown without Mini. They are surgically attached. Initially they seemed thrilled to be having a night out of the persistent rain, at a 5 star Shetland Hotel. I guess the mini-bar ran out too early......
The next day, we were met with very grumpy Shetlands. Sweet Pea refused her breakfast with pain-killers in. The only answer was to set up a very small pen outside again. It could be a long job!
Shaved Shetland leg after nerve blocks. As you can see she is not putting her foot flat on the floor.
Sweet Pea temporarily enjoying the 5star Shetland Hotel.
Happier in an outdoor pen.
Yes, Its not a weather channel....But Yesterday was glorious.....9C, sun and no wind. Positively tropical. Meg and Rob were there with little Nancy. Ruby and Teddy from the barn turned up. Suddenly there were more poo pickers, than equipment. After a quick assessment, I dispatched Meg and the kids to catch in and groom Polly and Dora, (Sorry Meg, but you are a mother), leaving Rob, Jo and I to peacefully clear the field.
My somewhat ambitious plan was to have Ruby ride Dora down to the Barn to see her parents, and Teddy ride back. Ruby already rides, Teddy doesn't. Dora hasn't been ridden since we got her, so seemed like a sensible plan.
Until Teddy said he wanted to be the first to ride Dora, and Ruby asked if she could ride Daisy!!!! And so we went with it. Ruby looked like a pea on a pod on Daisy, but rode very nicely. Dora behaved amazing well, considering she hasn't been ridden or off the property since she arrived. We are very pleased with her. A Unicorn she will be!
Once home, Teddy decided to stay, so Ruby rode Dora back and I hopped up on Daisy. Much easier to keep at a steady pace from up there. We had been following Polly all the way....at a very sedate pace!!
That was it. Our one day of Spring. Today was grim....grey and wet.. The forecast says more grey and wet followed by colder weather, with sleet and snow! Bye Spring....Maybe see you in a couple of weeks.
So today we had the Vet back to check Sweet Pea, who is still mildly lame on her near hind. Initially it was thought she had locked a stifle and pulled a muscle, but nerve blocking has ascertained that its lower. It could be side-bone, in fact at her age i would be surprised if she doesn't have some sort of Arthritis, but it came on suddenly. There are several ligaments and tendons around the Fetlock that can be pulled or strained. Tomorrow she will have an x-ray which will coincide with the Farrier visiting, so the experts can have a con-flab.
More news to follow....
Strange title.....but then its been a strange couple of weeks!! We have had snow, 40mph winds....and sunshine. And sometimes all at once!
Anyway as I may have mentioned, I have been on a drug trial for my dodgy lungs and dicky ticker. Having spent a week in Papworth ( our number one heart and lung hospital in this country) I found out I have been on the Placebo! So Phase Two begins....the real drug. OMG the side effects have knocked me on my ass. Each time they up the dosage the side effects kick my butt. A few days of blinding headaches and sickness. It only lasts our hour or two, after the dose, but that means for 4 hours each day at the moment, I am confined to the bathroom floor!! Taking Co-codemol helps, but it also mongs me out, so I am next to useless at the moment.
This has coincided with the bad weather and an influx of children from a nearby barn conversion to "help". While they are lovely children, its a little like baby sitting and hope that they don't get bowled over by a pony! Still yesterday I brought Dora down for them to groom and plait etc. Slightly worried that she may be over-whelmed by four of them crowding around her, I still left them, desperate to take advantage of the nicer weather and do a little clicker training with Charlie. Thankfully Dora loved the attention, and Charlie remembered everything he has previously learnt.
Jo went to take the kids home, and I started filling the water. I noticed Lu scenting. I thought she was smelling the water. But she continued to do it. I then noticed she was standing uncomfortably. Alarm bells started ringing as the pieces clicked together in my somewhat slow brain. She wasn't eating the hay. She hadn't mugged me when I brought Charlie in. As I watched she pawed the ground. That was enough. My Colic Radar went off loud and clear.
I had just brought her in when Jo got back, possibly somewhat surprised to find me holding her pony down by the tack-room. Everything screamed colic, except the constant scenting. She refused a bran mash. I half thought she had something stuck up her nose, so had a good poke around.....the fact that Lu just accepted my rummaging fingers was a bad sign in itself. Jo phoned the vet. Apparently scenting constantly is a sign of colic!!!
I have seen many colics in my many years. I have a highly sensitive colic radar, but I have NEVER seen a horse scenting when it has colic. So I have learnt something here. Jo too had never seen it like that. Something else to add to the knowledge disc in the brain.
Luckily there was no impaction, and a shot of Buscopan did the trick. We put it down to the frozen grass, coupled with sunshine. So, if you see your horse constantly scenting, now you know it IS a sign of colic. A rare one maybe, but added to the other symptoms......Definitely worth knowing.
Poor Lulu
Dora Having a rest after all the attention.
Target.
