This message is from: "Debby" <[email protected]>
I'd seen some of the barns in AZ, lots of metal roofs with metal pipes for
walls. My daughter lived there for 3yrs. I think. It gets very hot in AZ.
She said when you'd touch the pipes, HOT. Most paint them white because of
that. Here in Tx I'd seen some metal barns, similar to that but even ones
that were enclosed and pretty much all metal. We chose outside metal panels
but lined stalls with wood and of course wood in between the stalls and the
stall fronts. If it stayed 80 degrees here, we'd be in heaven I think, but
we rarely get any amount of days where the temps stay like that for any
length of time. It seems to go from cold to hot, with little in between.
My stalls in this barn, the one that use to be full of ponies, stalls are
12x15, with covered extensions behind them, same size, then the runs off of
them. My pastures are grass and of course the grass here is the bermuda,
which I think is the worse hay for horses. I think its higher starch, and
its been "reported" to cause more impaction colics. I'd go to Dallas and
get the alfalfa timothy mix or the timothy/orchard. Loved the brome up in
Missouri but hard to come by down here. I think they do well to get one
cutting of it. Alfalfa can be good or not good, for cushings or IR, it
pretty much depends on the horse and the amount you are feeding. When
Ambers teeth went bad and she couldn't chew grass hay, and very little
grass, we found good alfalfa and that’s what she got. You do what you have
to with what you have.
When my Amber was still with me, had been on the pergolide for 2 yrs., never
shed still, always clipping her, once a month, even through the winter. She
lost weight, her teeth were affected, she had tummy issues and eye issues.
And feet issues came her last 6 months.
Wish I'd known of the other medicine someone just recommended, I'd have
tried it first, but I do believe the inevitable. But if the other keeps the
immune system strong, that helps. We want to keep them with us forever.
I think too much salt is not good for them and I think they get bored, lick
drink lick drink. Would be different maybe for ones being worked a lot and
hard. I'd see mine sometimes finding a patch of clay and licking it, so
they were looking for something in their diet, so maybe that is what the
wild herds did.
I have Ynde in shoes all the way around, per the trainer and she knows of
what she speaks. You work a horse, any horse, in sand and you'd better have
shoes or boots on them, the sand will work like sandpaper.
I also would see thicker areas around the coronary bands of my fjords. Not
sure why. But bell boots seem to be important, so no knocking, especially
with shoes on. Maybe sometimes we think these fjords are smarter than
other breeds and tougher too, I don't know. To me they are horses/ponies,
and they are susceptible to all that horses are susceptible to.
They are special ponies. But not anymore special that someone who loves
their warmblood or their large draft or their miniatures. They are all
special and smart and we love them all. Not sure what makes us pick one
over the other. Can't beat those eyes of the fjords. But I saw a Dartmoor
pony and she had the eyes that would just suck you right in.
love your ponies all, and take care of them the best you can, for them.
Debby
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