Had a very interesting conversation with one of my new boarders, as to who was in charge.  My theory is “My Barn, My Rules”.  Seems quite simple.  It was about grain. Really?!!!!

I find it extremely disturbing when a horse will not eat, especially when a horse is very underweight.  The owner was away, just for a long Thanksgiving weekend.  First time she was away in a long time.  She needed her time off.  She’d been taking care of this horse on her own for a while.  This mare has many issues to deal with.  Ninety days off of Colic surgery, Cushings, and Insulin Resistant.  Horse stopped eating.  Had a long talk with the surgeon and we both agreed to change the Senior Feed to an insulin resistant horse feed.  We backed off all the supplements she was getting, and we were going to start from scratch.  This is something we both agreed upon.

I didn’t want to call the owner and tell her, since she’d be home in three days.  It could wait.  Well according to the owner I should have called her immediately and discussed it with her before making any changes.  Okay, if she were home I would have, but I didn’t want to wait.  I wanted to get on this as soon as possible, and start getting food into this horse.  I explained to her that I usually will go with what a vet had to say as opposed to the owner.  I told her that she needed to trust me or move to a place where she would have total control.

Now with my other boarders, if you asked any one of them what type of feed their horses are on, and how much of it they are getting, they’d look at you like you had four heads.  They have no idea and leave it totally up to me.  After all, that’s what they pay me for.  Their horses are all fat and happy, and in turn the owners are happy.

As I was explaining this to the young lady she told me that she’s never had a barn owner who cared about what her horse ate or didn’t eat.  And I told her I’d never had a horse owner who cared or even thought about the reason their horses were fed what they are fed.  I then proceeded to tell her that I am ultimately responsible for the well-being of her horse.  I do research and talk to vets to make sure I am on the right track.  She said that it was not explained to her when she moved in, that I would be in charge of what her horse was given to eat.  Funny I never thought I had to.  I do tell them what I feed in the way of hay and grain, and she was no exception.  She told me about this horses special needs and I agreed to give her what the vet had prescribed.  Well at least the grain he prescribed.  The supplements were her choices.  That is until the horse stopped eating.

This caused me to rethink a lot of things.  Things that I never had any thought about.  All I know is that if I have a horse that is sick or not eating, I worry, I lose sleep until I solve the problem.  Whether it’s one of mine or a boarder, I take my responsibility very serious. Then I was thinking about what she had said about other barn owners.  I really started to think about how they would have handled this situation.  My close friends, I know, would have handled it the same way I did.  Others, I have no idea.

Bottom line is that this is my barn, not others.  The horses in my barn will be taken care of the way I determine they need to be taken care of.  If the owner has a problem with that then they need to move some place where they feel comfortable.  I feel very strongly about my beliefs based on too many years of experience, research, and veterinarian consultation.  I do accept input from owners, but my decision, after speaking to a vet, is the final say.  I will not tolerate abuse, or watch a horse die slowly.

If any of you board your horses, do you know what and how much is being fed?  Do you know why?  Do you trust your barn owner to make the right decisions?  Does anybody else do research and consult with vets?  Does anyone really care, or do you just assume, because your horse looks and feels great, that life is good?

Just something to ponder.

I know I spoke about my neighbors horse that I was using for one of my lessons.  The teenage girl who was his rider grew up and went off to college, and then got married. His best friend was killed last summer, she too was hit by lightning the week before my horses.  Welcome to Florida the Lightening Capital of The World.  Well he enjoyed the little girl coming and fussing over him, but he was a little too much horse for her.  So his weekly trips to my barn, the grooming and carrots stopped once again.  When he would come to my fence I would give him some of whatever I had at the time.  Some hay, some carrots, but I’d always say hello to him.  He grew very fond of my horses which were in the pasture up against his.  He was always a kind friend to whatever horses I had in that pasture.

As the summer progressed he spent more time in different parts of his pasture.  Even though I would always call to him and say Hi!, I stopped going over.  He was busy grazing and his old teenage person moved back with her husband.  I figured he was good.

I saw the flood lights on last night, but figured if they needed me they would call.  I don’t like putting my nose into other people’s business unless invited.  This morning I did get a call.  They were trying to treat him all night for multiple problems internally.  This morning he crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

The guilt came flooding in.  I never got to say goodbye and thank you.  Just one carrot and 10 minutes of my time, once a week, or once a month would not have been too hard to do, but I just kept busy doing the things that had to be done.  Just one carrot, just a kind word or a pat on the neck.  I walked away from him too.  How can they understand why a person stops giving them attention?

Other memories came flooding back.  The first horse I fell in love with.  Oh I couldn’t wait to be a good enough rider to ride this big beautiful black mare.  I finally was, and I loved her.  Then I learned how to jump and had to move on to another horse.  My beautiful Black Diamond didn’t jump.  I would usually go see her and give her a carrot.  Another young girl fell in love with her and she took over the love exchange.  I stopped going into her barn as often as I had.  Once day when I got to the barn her new young friend was standing by the office.  I wanted to speak with the owner and gave the young girl a carrot and told her to go and give it to Diamond for me.  She looked at me and said “she’s dead”.  It was a punch to the stomach.  I never got to say good-bye.  I’d stopped going by to see her as often and now she was gone.

I look at my old dog laying by the barn in the morning.  The young dogs are all happy to see me, jumping all over me so that I can’t even bend over and pat my old friend, at least not until they calm down and get involved in doing something else destructive.  Then I try to give the old girl a belly rub.

Old friends, older relatives, yup you mean to call them.  Perhaps you were going to give them a call on Thanksgiving, but you were too stuffed or tired to do it right then.  Oh I’ll get to it tomorrow, or on the weekend, but did you?  I didn’t.  But I must.  I don’t do guilt well.

It’s just a carrot and ten minutes of your time.  What will you do?

A woman called me several weeks ago to board here.  I couldn’t take her so I sent her to my neighbor.  She was going to move in the first of the month, but she called me this week to say her horse was dead lame and needed to move her now.  The barn she was boarding at was no help to her or her horse.

She explained to me what the symptoms were and that the owner of the current stable told her the horse was probably drugged with bute when she bought it and that it was probably navicular.  Her blacksmith had not picked up on anything unusual so nothing was said to her.  I asked her how long she had the horse and she said three weeks.  I told her bute does not last three weeks.  She called the blacksmith and he told her to put the mare on bute and see if that helped.  From how she was describing everything, how it went from perfectly sound to holding the foot in the air, I told her it might just be an abscess.  This horse went from a very wet property to a sand lot.  I also mentioned that if it was an abscess, bute would not help.  She said she had asked her farrier to come back and check it out.  Well even if it is an abscess, it still might not react to a hoof tester.  I learned that with my Clydesdale.  I tried to comfort her and told her to wait for the farrier and let me know what happened.

Well I just saw her moving her horse into my neighbors so I stopped by to ask how the horse was doing.  Her comment, the farrier never showed up.  She was frantic.  So back to my just sitting back and watching this horse.  First on the cross ties, heel up, and then walking in the pasture, walking on her toe.  Didn’t want to put her heel down.  So I asked if I could look at her foot.  Well when she went to catch her the horse did trot off on her toe again.  We got her and I checked out the foot.  Her heals were cracked, soft, and didn’t smell just right.  I told her my findings.  I asked her if she’s ever had cracked fingers in the winter and how much it hurt?  Of course the answer was yes.  Well that’s what your horse has.  She asked how sure I was.  I said about 90%.  I told her that treating it for a week should show great improvement.  The only reason I stopped at 90% is that once that is healed I don’t know if there is anything else going on.

These people, whom she trusted to be knowledgeable horse people, told her the worst case scenario.  You bought a crippled horse and now you’re stuck with it and the possibility of large vet bills.  I was taking a guess over the phone from a description. Looking first hand gives you a better idea, but once again it’s like an onion.  You have to peel back each layer and see what you have.  But if you want to start simple and cheap, a little medication to dry the area is a good place to start.

My old vet, when looking for a cause of a lameness, always said start at the foot and work your way up.  In this case start with the obvious and then proceed.

Well the hoof healed, but the problem is still there.  So the call went out to my vet.  She said the heel was dried and looking good so she worked her way up and it’s the hip.  So off tomorrow for a xray or ultrasound.

Don’t you just hate pealing those onions, they always make you cry.

I have a love hate relationship with my computer.  I guess most people do.  When they work they are the greatest thing in the world.  When they don’t……….

Didn’t have time to prepare what I would have liked to, but this is on my mind so I’ll go with it.

The beautiful fall days are here.  Some further along than others. Great riding weather after the long hot summer.  But are you ready for what comes next?  Are the blankets washed and repaired?  Are all your other winter preparations done or in the process, or even thought of.  We always say “Well I’ll get to that next week”, and that was three weeks ago.  I’m just as bad.  I only cleaned my blankets three weeks ago.  But down here it’s not that much of a rush.  No matter where you live you coast along thinking you have more time than you do and Bam!!! the temps drop and the snow arrives.  Winters have been unpredictable the last few years.  Sometimes you get to Christmas and wish it would be colder so you could get in the spirit and other times you have snow before Thanksgiving.  You just never know.

So take the time today to think of your pre-winter to do list and get a move on it.  Winter will be here before you know it.

I was just thinking that my friend Nancy and I have Birthdays coming up.  I haven’t seen Nancy in probably 25 years or more, but we keep in touch via Facebook and this web page.  We live 1300 miles away from each other, but if we got together tomorrow it would be like nothing had ever changed.

We had many great years hunting together, and doing clinics every Saturday morning when we weren’t hunting.  How time does fly.

I know more horse people who are still active into their Senior years.  It’s almost like time stands still.  We think and act like we did 20 years ago.  It’s only looking in the mirror that we can see the difference.  Just don’t have mirrors or certainly don’t put your glasses on when you do look.  “Freaky!!!!!”

When I went to the drug store yesterday the woman said “are you a Senior today?”  “A…yeah, I’m a Senior everyday.”  She said “No, it’s Senior Discount Day.”  So of course I said “Yeah, I’m a Senior, sign me up.”  I used to love when they would “card me” when purchasing tobacco for Bob.  They stopped doing that.  Some senior got agitated.    You would hear.  “We’re old, leave us alone.”  “Do we look like teenagers to you?”  “Are you people nuts?”  So now I think they card under 40 years old.

So where am I going with this.  I have no idea, after all I’m a Senior.  Only kidding.  Bob’s favorite line is.  “Who are you and why are you in my house?  Age is not important.  Not for us or our horses.  I see people at restaurants who look like they are waiting for the Funeral Home to be picking them up any minute.  Their bodies are failing and there is no life left in their eyes.  The scarey thing is that they are younger than I am.  I look at people at the feed stores, who I know are my age or older, and they are doing fine.  Maybe a little hitch to their gait, but life in their eyes and energy for the stuff on their agenda.  The key is – they have a reason to get up in the morning.  More commonly known as “feeding the horses.”

My vet was telling me about a horse that she was called out to put down.  Now the story is that his owner was put in a nursing home and the people who took the horse wanted him put down because he was losing weight.  The horse is 30 for Pete’s sake.  My vet couldn’t find any health reason why this horse should be put down.  So true to form, she took him home, and now wants me to take him because of my love for old animals.  Now here you have the perfect example of old does not mean finished.

Then I had a woman call me with a horse she wants to board here that is 12 yrs old, and according to the vet, is finished.  I’ve had several people lately who have called about retiring young, permanently injured, horses.  I just shake my head and wonder why so many younger horses are being pushed beyond what their bodies can handle, thus bringing them to the end of their usefulness this early in life.  At least they are not looking to end their horses lives because they do not want to support them anymore.

In their mid to late twenties or thirties I can understand injuries catching up, but the younger ones……well it’s just wrong.  Someone dropped the ball on their care or conditioning.

Age doesn’t matter, attitude does.  If we are going to sit on the porch and watch life slip away, it will.  If we do not keep our horses bodies moving, all the old injuries will come creeping in.  You just got to keep out-running old age.  It will eventually catch up, but don’t sit idle and wait for it to pounce on you.

Horses keep us young, in mind, body, and spirit.  Let us do the same for them.

After thought –

I’ve probably written about this before.  Probably around my Birthday last year.  These things do happen.  And yes, you will all reach this point in your life, there’s no avoiding it.  Bob and I never believed it would happen to us.  Surprise!!!!!!

I don’t know if it’s the moon phase or what, but the last two posts and this one are kind of deep (sappy).

When I was a kid I’d go with my mother to the Butcher Shop.  Every time I went, the butcher was happy to see me and he would give me a slice of bologna.  It wasn’t my favorite but my mother would always tell me to say “Thank You”, because it was a nice gesture, and he didn’t have to do it.

Have you ever noticed that rescued animals, after they realize you’re not going to hurt them, are the most grateful in the world.  Well most of them.  Some do get bitter and can’t move beyond the hurt and the abuse (can’t say that I blame them.)  But most are the happiest, loving animals you could ever have.  They celebrate everyday, and love unconditionally.

You see on Facebook, and sometimes meet in person, animals that have been injured so bad you can’t believe that they are still alive.  Someone said to me the other day, “Can you believe that someone could pour gas on a dog and set it on fire?”  My reply was, “Can you believe a mother can kill her newborn baby and discard it in the trash?”  We are living in a very sick world.

But the good news is that there are still people out there that do care, and will go out of their way to save an animal.  Whether it be a horse, dog, cat, squirrel, or whatever.

I just had an experience this afternoon that made me cry.  I think I mentioned that I was pet sitting my neighbors two horses and two dogs.  One of the dogs had gotten hit by a car the night before she left.  Now this dog didn’t know me from Adam, and I was planning on handing them both a biscuit when I arrived there to care for them.  It’s harder to bite a leg when you are busy chewing on a big dog biscuit.  But the accident had broken his pelvis, and now he was to be kept in a crate.  I was going to have to reach in and pick up this hurting dog and carry him out.  Okay the first time he growled at me.  I didn’t blame him at all.  I don’t think I would have been nice if I were in his position.  But for four days, four times a day, I did exactly that.  I apologized to him every time, and spent time loving on him both before taking him out and put him back in.  I hand fed him his meals, and pushed pills down his throat.  Figured we’d never be friends, but I still had all my fingers at the end of our time together.  Well it’s been a week since his family came home, and even though I called to check and see how he was doing, I stopped by today to return the key.  Neither dog came through the doggie door when I got there.  They looked out the window and agreed that I was okay and could be in their yard.  When my friend came out, sat and talked to me and my husband, the Golden mix came out first, got his cookie and a few pets and scratches and went on his way.  I really didn’t expect the one with the broken pelvis to venture that far out of the house, but lo and behold he came through the doggie door and came right to me.  I stroked his head, looked in his eyes, and asked how he was doing and he snuggled and sat up against me.  I was amazed that he not only didn’t hate me for all I had done to him, but he actually loved on me.

I can’t begin to tell you how much that meant to me.  It touched me so much that as I thought about it hours later, it made me cry.  He really did understand that I was trying to help him, and it was his way of saying Thank You.

My rescue horse Shadow celebrated every morning.  After breakfast she would come out of the barn squealing, leap in the air, buck and pounce around with happiness.

Their mothers never taught them to say please and thank you, but if you really look, listen to the nickers of your horse, and look in the soulful eyes of your dog, you are fully aware that they are so thankful to you for the love and food that you give them.

If I were very wealthy I would rescue every animal.  There would be no more shelters.  No more starving abused horses.  But I can only do good for the ones that come into my life.

Spay, neuter, and don’t hesitate to call when you see something wrong going on.  We can make a difference in animals lives, no matter how small the effort is.  Even if you only save one animal,  that’s one less to suffer and one more that will be waiting to great you when you cross the Rainbow Bridge.

If you listen very closely, you will hear them say Thank You for loving us enough to care.   It will touch your heart, it did mine.

I remember as a kid the cartoons on TV where they were showing a bottle with a skull and cross bones on it indicating that it was poison.  Basically we were taught growing up, what could possibly harm us.  Animals on the other hand use the trial and error process.

Did you ever wonder how humans found out that things were poison?  I remember the old westerns where people were dying of thirst and found a water hole.  If there were dead animal bones by it, you had a pretty good idea that it wasn’t something you should trust.  I guess one person in a group would try a new berry or plant for food and if that person died, no one else ate it and the word was spread.

Now a days we have problems with small children eating the new detergent pods.  I’ve got to admit they look like something fun to eat.

There are so many plants that are poisonous to our horses.  Are you aware of what they are?  There is a book out that shows what plants should not be around horses.  I was amazed at plants I have been around all my life that are toxic to horses.  I think I’m more aware of it here in Florida.  You have to learn horse keeping Florida style when you move here, and plants, bugs, and snakes that are not horse friendly either.  I told my grandchildren that everything bites in Florida, ants, little green grasshoppers, fuzzy caterpillars.

Now Wild Cherry, or Choke Cherry as most horse people refer to it, is both here and up north where I came from.  When we were kids the horses would always grab a mouth full when we were out trail riding.  I never gave it a second thought.  However, when the leaves are dying, they become extremely toxic.  This I found out years ago, but it hit home yesterday.

Readers Digest version – my friend and I were riding the other day and found an old dog, overheated in a hay field.  We picked it up and my friend has been caring for it, she’s doing fine and we found the owner today.  She’s blind and wandered, quickly, out of the yard.  The woman was house sitting and the dog didn’t know the area.  Anyway, in my search for the owner I drove door to door (doors are very far apart here in the country) and spoke to neighbors that I don’t usually speak with.  We were talking about her older animals and she told me that her little mini bull had just died.  I was sorry to hear that since he was cute and always by the road when we rode by.  Turns out that the tree company that has been trimming trees for the electric company, and had left some Choke Cherry branches in her yard (under a certain size they are not required to pick them up) and the little guy ate them.  When she saw him down she called the vet but it was too late to save him.  I told her she needed to call the electric company and let them know before this happens to other people’s animals.  But I’m really thinking I’ll call too.

So my point is that some plants require a lot to be consumed before they become lethal and some don’t.  Are you aware of what plants are toxic to your horses?  Do you know if they are anywhere near where your horses can reach them?  Do you know how much of a particular plant a horse needs to eat before it kills them or does permanent damage?  My neighbor goes with the logic that if it blooms and has flowers, its poison.  Not necessarily so.  I love Hydrangea.  My mother in law had horses and had tons of them (not near the horses).  I didn’t know they were poisonous.

Plants do not come with a skull and cross bones, but horses, especially if their pasture is sparse, will eat weird stuff.  Check it out, you may be surprised at what you find.  You can go on line or there is a book available. Don’t wait to find it out the hard way.

There is just always something to worry about, isn’t there?

With horses, nothing is simple.

Last year we talked about how to decide if the person we’re asking to take care of our horses was qualified, but this year we’re going to find out if we are.

So my friends were going away for five to seven days.  They asked me if they could bring their four horses here.  Sure no problem, that’s what I do for a living, or something like that.  I told them that the horses would probably be happier to stay at their home farm and I would go there to care for them, but they felt better if they came here.  Well that would be more convenient for me, so I agreed.

Let the games begin.  They were going to Pennsylvania from Florida, no big deal, they do it all the time.  They were taking their four horse trailer loaded with watermelons.  Okay.  BUT!!!  They had two blow-outs and had problems with the transmission.  So five to seven days turned into two weeks.  They brought extra grain, and I didn’t have any plans so everything worked out just fine.  Of course I fell in love with their horses and didn’t want them to leave, ever.  Well maybe the Alfa mare.

But if you go to do this make sure that you have all the information you need.

• Names, ages, descriptions of horses  (These were paints, a lot of spots.)
• Allergies, likes/dislikes, health issues  (Yes, which ones)
• Do they tie/cross tie, load easy, clip (One escape artist)
• Special problems or medications (Yes, who?)
• What they eat and how much (Different than what I serve)
• Who is in charge of the herd, what is the pecking order (Very important when you are trying to catch and move the herd in a lightning storm)
• Are they up to date on their shots, Coggins, worming. (Why do you ask?)
• Who to call in an emergency, if you can’t reach them? (Or get permission to make a decision)
• Who is their vet?  (In case you need history)

You may think I don’t need all this information, they’re only here for five days.  Or I know these horses, I don’t need to know this.  What if, the people were to be severely injured or killed.  You may have these horses longer than two weeks.  It’s a horrible thought, but it can, and does happen.

What happens if the horse is really sick or injured?  Are they going to load in your type of trailer, for you?

We always hope that nothing will go wrong, and the owners will come back in time, but always be prepared, just in case.  You can always forget too much information, but when it’s needed, you’re on top of it.

Be a good Girl Scout, Boy Scout, or Horse Scout, and Be Prepared.

Happy Hot Summer!

Down here we have evacuation plans and Hurricane Emergency kits for our pets, horses, and family.  You don’t have to live in Florida to be prepared for other emergencies.  There are many other types of emergencies.  Floods, fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, snow and ice storms…. each comes with its own set of problems.  What does a horse owner do in any of these situations?

I was just reading an article about being prepared for an Equine Health Emergency and I thought I’d pass it on.  These are guidelines from the American Association of Equine Practitioners.

1. Keep your veterinarian’s number by each phone, including how the practitioner can be reached after hours.
2. Consult with your regular veterinarian regarding a back-up or referring veterinarian’s number in case you cannot reach your regular veterinarian quickly enough.
3. Know in advance the most direct route to an equine surgery center in case you need to transport the horse.
4. Post the names and phone numbers of nearby friends and neighbors who can assist you in an emergency while you wait for the veterinarian.
5. Prepare a first aid kit and store it in a clean, dry, readily accessible place.  Make sure that family members and other barn users know where the kit is.  Also keep a first aid kit in your horse trailer or towing vehicle, and a pared-down version to carry on the trail.
6. I would like to add, that if you don’t have a trailer, leave a number of someone who can transport your horse for you.

First aid kits can be simple or elaborate.  Here is a short list of essential items.

Cotton roll, Cling wrap, Gauze pads in various sizes, Sharp scissors, Cup or Container, Rectal Thermometer with string and clip attached, Surgical Scrub and Antiseptic Solution. Latex Gloves, Saline Solution, Stethoscope, Clippers.

I like to add Disposable Diapers and either Masking Tape or Duct Tape to the list.  These are great for a quick pressure bandage where a lot of blood is involved.  The Masking Tape can also be used to bind the tail to keep it away from an injury and swatting you in the face while you are trying to work.

The AAEP does have a brochure titled “Emergency Care.”  This was created by them in partnership with Bayer Corporation Animal Health.  You can request one either from your vet or contact them direct.  (End of article)

In case of evacuation situations, it’s not always easy to get your horses out in time.  To be reunited you should have proof of ownership.  They now microchip horses.  In your evacuation planning kit, keep a copy of your Coggins (most have pictures now) or pictures of your horses so that you can show them, when necessary, to help find your animals.  Breakaway halters are a good idea instead of nylon.  If a horse gets caught with a nylon one it will either break it’s neck trying to get away or not be able to escape.  In Florida a lot of people take spray paint and put their phone numbers on the horse’s side.  Some people put tags on the halters with the horses name, your name, and a phone number, but also put one braided high in the tail hairs in case the halter does break.  Putting numbers on the hoofs can wear off in excessive water or tough ground conditions.

We have horses.  They are born suicidal.  Emergencies will happen.  No more said.

As you are sipping something cold or iced this summer, don’t forget your horses.

Make sure they have plenty of fresh clean water to drink.  If you won’t drink it, don’t expect them to.

If you are working them hard, keep some paste electrolytes on hand.  Yes we can buy powdered and put it in their water or feed, but will they eat it or drink it?  It doesn’t do any good if they won’t.  It’s easier to just syringe it into their mouths.  This way you know exactly how much they are getting, and that they are getting it.  But by no means give it to them if they don’t need it.  You can overdose them and throw their whole system off.

Keep a salt brick or block out there for them so that they can lick it whenever their bodies tell them they need it.  No Margaritas please, just salt.

Watch their pulse and respiration.  If they are blowing just standing around, make sure they are sweating.  It’s common here in the south that a horse will shut down.  What ever you do, do not assume they are just not that hot.  As you would take a quick dip in a pool, hose them down with cold water.

AND don’t forget that if the humidity is higher than the air temperature, they can’t cool themselves.

Just my normal Summer Public Service reminders.  Have fun in the sun, but be safe.