Having the horses “at-home” has allowed me to get deeper views of their personalities and to share moments with them like some of the following that happened over the last week…
Husband had scrubbed out the water tank and I was refilling. The weather had gotten abnormally hot – over 90, and Z came over to stand by us when we were working. Actually she followed us about everywhere! I wondered if she would let me hose her down – she was standing without halter or restraint of any kind. It was so hot she stood still for it and even turned so I could get certain parts of her body. It felt good to have this type of no force or pressure interaction – just sharing.
The second day, Z decided it was time to race around - up and down the pasture. She would come up to the corner and do a humped back and little rear – just enjoying herself. It was fun to see her excited and enjoying herself.
Horse and pony have no fear of traffic! We had plenty of trailers, motorcycles and trucks pulling boats going by us all weekend.
I never realized how truly CURIOUS Z is! She wanted to know what we were up too all the time! If she heard the front screen door, she usually came over to the gate looking for us.
Also, how JEALOUS she is! She did not want pony getting any of our attention! That was a personality trait of Dear One also.
Sitting on the back porch of the house you can look over and see the back part of the horses’ pasture. We called ZZ’s name and her head popped up but she couldn’t make the connection of where we were. It will be so fine to sit there, having breakfast and watch MY horses at MY place.
The first day of being in MO, alone, I had a mission. The most important thing was to locate a feed store. Feed stores are the hub of a farming community and in my previous trips, I had not located what I was seeking. Some of my journey was quite funny so I’ll relate it to you.
The first feed store I went too with husband on a previous trip. It was a nice new building located off a major highway in an area I’m told is the “horse country” of the region. Probably because there are large rolling pastures that have been cleared of the trees and the bigger rocks.
Entering the store, I was disappointed not to see a wipe board list of the feed offerings and when I went to the horse area, which was skimpy, found they were offering a low grade feed that you see at stores like Atwoods, Orscheln, etc…not “real” feed stores. Hm…
At the counter, the guy asked me if I needed help. I told him I was new to the area and wanted to know the horse feeds they carried.
“Oh, we want to please our customers! I can special order anything you want!”
From my experience this was doubtful. Feed manufacturers want to have regular custom in the thousands of pounds delivered, not drop off one or two sacks!
“Well, I really like Triple Crown.” This received a blank, non-comprehending stare.
After a moment, he said, “I can’t get that but I can order any special feed.”
I mention a second feed and he finally admitted, “I can order any special feed that we carry right now.”
(!!!!!!)
We got in the car and couldn’t stop laughing!
A small feed store very close to our home carries oats! Whoopee! and chopped alfalfa and one of their homemade feeds that is “as good as Strategy.” Well since I didn’t like Strategy, I don’t think I would like someone’s rip off formula of it either.
Next feed store, I still didn’t see a list of feeds, but there was a backup for truck loading and there were some brochures. It also had a nice collection of horse barn management stuff such as meds, equipment, fencing etc… An older guy came out from the back and I asked him what horse feeds he carried.
Blank Stare. Wheels trying to turn but not getting any speed…. I was tempted to add, “Horses, you know, four legged animals that carry people about…? as opposed to cows, swine, or goats….?”
Finally. “We carry Patriot. That’s a good feed.” Hmmm Admani makes some good products, but they were not as successful for me as I would have liked. I settled for a bag of Nutrena’s Safe Choice (low carb feed which is “okay”) as I was growing desperate. BTW I prefer Triple Crown Low Starch and I love their Senior product!
Third feed store reminded me of Stillwater Milling as it had the more obscure farming ointments and tubs of mysterious old-timey cures. However, again, it had no specialized feed and carried the same old crap that Orscheln would have carried.
I called Molly and told her I was reaching desperation level. She told me of another place (close to me BTW) that her vet recommended but she hadn’t been by yet. I had passed by this place but thought it was only tractor supply stuff.
Going in I was very encouraged. It had the environment of a place that knew something. At the checkout counter, a trim, older lady asked me if I needed help. I explained I was new to the area and was looking for horse feed, specifically something low carb.
She knew what a horse was! She brought forth a copy of the horse feeds they carried! She told me that this brand of feed is from Kentucky and it is Guaranteed Analysis! She told me other stuff too but I was too busy thinking THANK YOU LORD!
Z will be going on Legends, Carb Control with a cup of oats (this will most likely be cut back, we’ll see). Pandora will get 1/4 cup of Carb Control, plus AniMed Remission (the two main ingredients, Chromimum and Magnesium, I once manually compounded for Dear One during her Cushings at a time when these products were not being offered), and JointCombo.1 Tbsp salt a.m. and p.m. for Z and this same, halved for Pandora.
The MFA also had a huge covered barn full of hay. Husband will be making me some slow feeders and I’ll have to supplement hay during the summer - the pasture is just too poor (which in one way is good news as I won’t have to worry about Pandora foundering once I see improvement in her hooves).
I also found a feed store for the dog’s food (Natural Balance or Wellness brands) but found out that the cat food will have to be bought from the vet since it is a prescription diet (here I can get it through a pet supply store that has a vet service as I provided a prescription from my regular vet).
I’ve also got the name of an equine vet, with another for backup. I’ve got to check in at the vet I’ll most likely be using for the dogs and cats. The cats have been acting badly – peeing on a rug and I suspect that all the changes in the house are disturbing them and the dogs.
The next day after the trip, I noticed that Z had body swelling on her ribs and behind her shoulder, on the left side only. This edema could have been due to the trailer ride if she got bumped (that was the side of the swinging interior door on the slanted trailer), or it could be due to rolling in something (i.e.biting ants which happened to Dear One long ago) or rubbing in something that caused an allergic reaction such as the cedar logs (horses are allergic to cedar and Walnut) that make up the round pen corral that we will be removing.
I put her on two days of a.m. and p.m. bute and it cleared up. The second day she showed me she was clearly okay by taking off and running the small pasture, bucking and rearing. Pandora stood under the big shade tree and watched.
For the next two days I monitored them to make sure Z and Pandora would get along. In the past they were in separate areas that adjoined andwere rarely put together due to Pandora needing restricted grass. Z is the aggressive one in charge, but Pandora knows how to dance out of the way. Z is clearly jealous and protective of her time with the Humans – and has followed us about and chased off pony any time she came about.
By the third day, I caught them grooming (no camera darn!). By the fourth day they were nice enough to stand quietly beside each other for treats.
Because the pasture is so poor it might be possible to keep them together during our stay and forgo getting companions (a pony companion for pony and a trail riding horse). The new place has a thin layer of sandy soil over a layer of rock. Grass has shallow roots and two weeks of unusual heat has baked what remained. Supplemental hay will be needed soon.
I’m teaching them to free graze in the front area of the lawn on a long lead rope and to come when called. My original plan was to fence this area in but for several reasons I’ve decided not to do so.
The basketball hoop will be removed and an outdoor farm light installed.
There was a roundpen corral built of cedar logs that was falling apart. We are removing it completely. This will remove a dangerous eyesore (stinging ants, splinters, nails hanging out willy nilly, and rotting cross rails) and free up more area for the horses in the pasture.
As it was, Pandora already got a nice long splinter in her shoulder from rubbing on this piece of crap. These “hedge posts” made as a rough cut from local Cedar trees are all the rage here… give me nice lumbered cut, log designed as a fencepost that is pressure treated any day.
Using the landowners’ existing corral panels we made an enclosure off the one stall that is open to the pasture. I’ll buy three more panels, mark them as mine and make it more uniform (removing the three oddball panels). Capped t-posts are used as anchors.
I like having an “airlock” between the main pasture and the final exit.This allows me to catch up one horse while the other is in the larger field and makes that procedure safer. It also allows me to pen-up horses in bad weather or to keep one up due to illness etc… I put a water tank into each area.
The next project is converting the stall which opens into the drylot paddock, now a 10×10, to a 10×15. A remaining 5×10 will store a riding mower and garden tools. This area is right across from the tack room which has been the primary project right now.
The tack room has an issue with wasps which I’ll be taking care of and needs a fan as there is no ventilation whatsoever. I will be building a counter for supplements and mixing, which the feed cans can roll under. I’m still undecided if I’ll attach saddle racks to the wall or go with a free-standing one. As you can see horse and holiday stuff has been moved.
After the stall situation is settled we are going to enlarge the pasture at the back of the property. This would probably double the size but it is rough land, with stone, trees and brush. The back area of the property has 60 acres of private woods and is quiet.
After staying at The Hermitage (my current name for the place) over the three day holiday it’s obvious that the traffic into the horseback riding trailhead across the street is heavy on holidays. I must have counted over 30 gooseneck trailers heading into the National Forest park over two days -no joke!
The front half of the property, along the road, feels very public. Many people see your activities, and during the course of my weekend, people sat in their trucks watching us – or two were on horses, watching and chatting. I’m sure the majority of this activity was perfectly innocent- for instance, some people were waiting to flag down late arrivals.
However, never underestimate the cadginess of the thief or the malaciousness of the weekend partier fueled by beer and little common sense. By reading and keeping an eye on the local Craigslist, there someone operating in the area that is stealing horses. For instance, a branded Warmblood was stolen out of a pasture of horses – he was the only one taken. I have seen other posts in re: to stolen animals, and the first line of defense is to remove temptation.
Once you go past the corner of the barn, it becomes quieter and more private. At night I would rather the horses be penned up or at the back half of the property. If I go with a pony companion for Pandora, I will put them at the front in 1/3rd, and keep Z and a horse companion at the back 2/3rds.
Call me paranoid but I do not want the horses, especially Z who is an eyecatcher, to be consistently at the road over the weekend.
I went up to MO to drop off my car and came back the next day with husband. Today, I go out to get Z loaded and moved to MO and will be up there til at least Saturday. I’ve got to get her moved or I’ll end up paying for more board which I simply can’t afford now that we have the house.
We don’t have internet set up yet at the MO house so bear with me for awhile til we get it.
The next two weeks, I’ve got to get critters packed and moved, as well as the extra bedroom set up for our paying guest.
This weekend, I need to get down to see the Big Guy, pay his board, check his feet, and look at his feed barrel.
Pandora is doing well but I am worried about her feet. They were let go too long when we were distracted and I won’t feel better about them til I see some substantial improvement. This is a constant worry nagging at the back of my mind.
Some neighbor horses showed up next door and that is another cause for worry. I have to get electric up before Z and the neighbors get too interested across the insubstantial, wire and t-post fence. What a disaster that would be!
Right now the two geldings appear to be young (maybe 2-3?) and have been friendly to Pandora but not pushy even when she showed she was in heat. Hopefully, they will remain nice when Z shows up and starts her Queen of Everything production.
That panicked, frantic screaming is just me – ignore…. ARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!
Saturday we went to the local Renaissance Faire. Not historically accurate – just a big dress up party with fair food, crafts and comedy shows.
I generally miss the jousting because the arena is so crowded it’s difficult to see the action. I did get some photos of one of the horses being prepared. Either a full draft or more likely a draft cross, that was extremely fit and shiny.
And we saw this amazingly hairy bunny (among other things)…
