Re: Fabulous Fjord Quadrille at the National Western Stock Show
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] You guys sound awesome!! I got goosebumps reading your mail on the Stock Show!! Great discriptions so we could really picture it! Sounds like something we're going to put on the calendar for next year. Thanks. Susan in snowy Minnesota
mineral/vitamin/salt blocks
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lynda in Texas asked: " As for vitamins/supplements, I noticed in a feed store the other day salt blocks that were labeled mineral/vitamin/salt blocks. There were also regular salt blocks. If I used one of the former, would it suffice for my filly (who will be two years old when she comes home) and a 16 year old mare w/foal? Or would "Winnie Cookies" be a better choice?" I would be hesitant to recommend a block such as mentioned above as a source for vitamins. The minerals and salt are fine, but vitamins tend to be more fragile and generally don't hold up as well to degredation by sunlight and time. I've read that a 50# mineral block generally lasts one horse for six months if it's protected from the weather. I don't know for sure that the vitamins would not remain potent for six months, but it sure makes me wonder. Since I think the recent post about Winnie Cookies said they come in a bag, that would seem to me to be an advantage in protecting the viability of the vitamins. The amounts and kinds of vitamins in each product would really have to be compared to help tell the whole story. Here's an interesting thought about minerals for horses. A representative for a feed and farm chain based here in the Southeast claims that mineral blocks are very inefficient ways to supply minerals for horses. He points to the fact that horses are not really "lickers". Now I know some of you just raised an eyebrow to that, because your Fjords like to lick your hands and arms etc. But what he means is that comparatively speaking they're not lickers. A friendly cow will lick the hide right off you if you will stand still and let it. (For those of you who have never been licked by a cow, you don't know what you're missing! If you think your dog slimes you, "you ain't seen nothin' yet!" Can I have an amen to that from Barbara Lynn on that?) The point is that it's not really natural for a horse to just stand there and lick something. Additionally, he maintains that a horse would have to lick for something like 3 hours per day to really get the minerals they need from a block. So what does he say is better? Loose, granular type mineral supplements given free choice. A horse can get what it needs much quicker and go about its business. I haven't seen any research to support his claim, but it sure challenges the time honored tradition of tossing the old 50# mineral block into the pasture for the horses. Here's another little tidbit. Horses cannot tell when they need more of such and such mineral. The reason they go to that mineral block (other than boredom and because the other horses are over there) is because their body is telling them it needs salt. Brian Jacobsen, DVM Norwegian Fjordhest Ranch Salisbury, North Carolina ___ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
Re: Lynda from Texas
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Nancy from NH! We are temporarily living in the panhandle of Texas, about an hour outside of Amarillo. Here, it is very flat and hot. A constant wind is always blowing. For example, we got here in August and the temperatures did not go below 100 until almost December, except for two days when it rained. Now, the temperatures vary from about 65-75+. As for Houston. All I know about that area is it is much hotter, and a great deal more humid. I have heard it is hilly country, but have never been there personally. I can tell you if you like winter, you will not care for Texas as it seldom if ever snows. Some areas, like Dallas, get occasional ice storms, but that is very rare. We are used to a much colder climate, and have found Texas to be miserable, for us. But I certainly cannot speak for everybody. Hope that helps! Lynda
Re: Feeding
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Arthur Rivoire) Good Day Everyone from Carol Rivoire at Beaver Dam Farm in Nova Scotia - Louis Bromfield is one of my favorite writers. He wrote "Malabar Farm", among others. There was another great one of his. I think it was called "Peaceable Valley". Anyway, he talked about an old farmer who had lusher fields, and fatter, glossier animals than any other farm in the area. Bromfield attributed the farmer's success to the fact that each Sunday, he walked every inch of his farm inspecting everything on it. Bromfield said something like this - "A farm is only as good as they eye of the farmer." I believe this, and try to keep it uppermost in mind. The fact is, unfortunate as it may be, that NOBODY takes care of your farm or your animals the way you do. When Gayle Ware talked about the "art of feeding", I think she was absolutely right. Brian said pretty much the same thing. There really is very little you can go by, and actually, to try and follow feed formulas found in books and on backs of feed bags, will get you into BIG TROUBLE with Fjords, and probably a lot of other breeds as well. You have to be a Hands On Owner. You have to examine and feel your horses all over their bodies every day. This is a real big job if you have a lot of horses, but to care for them right, it's a necessity. At our farm, we feed good timothy hay. We feed beet pulp mixed with whole oats and a very little bit of sweet feed and pellets. My reasoning for the addition of the mixed grain and pellets is to COVER MY BASES.Along with the beet pulp and grain, we use linseed oil meal and soy meal. I also use sea kelp meal. (A big thing for feeding horses in Atlantic Canada.) It's plentiful, supposedly it's very healthy for all animals, and it's inexpensive. I first learned about beet pulp from 4-in-hand international driver, Bill Long. He used it on all his competition and training horses. He swore by it. Frank Kinsella used it on his Lippizaner driving horses. We've used it for about 5 years now, and it's wonderful. We first started giving it to our stallion, Gjest, as he's the one horse in the barn who's not an easy keeper --- especially during breeding season. He gets 2 quarts of soaked, soupey beet pulp and a 1/2 qt. of the mixed grain and supplements. He gets this twice a day with lots of timothy hay. The beet pulp is great because you feed it wet (SOAKED), and therefore, any supplements you're feeding get mixed in and stuck to it, so they won't sift to the bottom of the bucket and not eaten. The beet pulp is extraordinarily economical and filling. Would you believe that two cups of dried beet pulp feeds twenty horses? Of course, the little bit of grain we use gets mixed in that quantity of SOAKED beet pulp. VERY IMPORTANT!!! Beet pulp needs to be SOAKED IN LOTS OF HOT WATER FOR AT LEAST FOUR HOURS. We do not consider our morning feeding done until we've put the evening's beet pulp to soak. -- In the winter, I always add extra hot water to the 5 gallon bucket of beet pulp. This gives the horses a warm meal. --- My feeding rules are" #1 - Always plenty of clean water available. #2 - Hay before grain #3 - Feed very little hard feed (grain). #4 - If in doubt about how much grain to feed FEED LESS! #5 - Growing Fjords up to two years, can take more feed. #6 - You can't go very wrong with low protein, good quality grass type hay. We have alfalfa available, but I've not often fed it, and don't like it for Fjords. Aside from being too high protein, it can also be dusty and moldy. Feeding horses is an art, in my opinion. I don't believe in a card on the stall saying 1 qt. morning and night. I think you have to watch and feel your horses daily, and vary the feed according to their condition, because the condition can change very quickly. We once had a mare in for breeding who had a foal at her side. The foal was big, and the mare very thin. We fed her 12 quarts of mixed grain throughout the day. Incredible, but this one needed it. Feel the shoulder, the backbone, the hips, the ribs, the crest. This will tell you to do the following: maintain what you're doing, increase it, or decrease it. WORMING - The best feeding program won't do the horses any good if they're not properly wormed. Worm every eight weeks for adult horses, and every month for weanlings up to one year. Some say every six weeks for that age group. Be sure to rotate the chemical base of the wormer. WARNING; Feeling your horses all over their bodies is especially important in winter. A long coat can hide a lot of things; such as poor condition, skin problems, and injuries. Feeding is, indeed, an art. Best Regards, Carol Rivoire Carol and Arthur Rivoire Beaver Dam Farm Fjords II R.R. 7 Pomquet Antigonish County Nova Scotia B2G 2L4 902 386 2304 http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/beaverdf
Scandanavia trip
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi All - this is Nancy from NH - my husband and I are planning a trip to Denmark and Norway - we just have 2 weeks - July 24 to August 4th of 99. We would like to see some Fjord Horses as well as the major sights of the countries- does anyone have suggestionson what to see and do - right now we are planning to see Copenhangen, Oslo and Bergen via train - thanks - Nancy from Foggy 50's NH
Lynda from Texas
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Lynda from Texas, this is Nancy from NH - my husbands keeps threatening that we are going to be moving to Texas - Houston Tx that is- because of his job. I never hear anything nice about Houston - it that where you are? I'm not cutting Houston - just heard that its really hot and flat! What do you think?
Re: Fabulous Fjord Quadrille at the National Western Stock Show
This message is from: "Mike May, Registrar NFHR" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> At 12:00 AM 1/23/99 -0700, you wrote: >This message is from: "Starfire Farm, L.L.C." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Steve M., > >Thanks so much for taking the photos. I can't wait to see them on the >site! We took also took shameless advantage of the professional >photographer who was there, and ordered an astronomical number of photos >from him. (Please don't tell our accountant!) We'll scan the best and >send them to you asap! > If you have some real good ones send them to me and I will put some of them up on the web site. Mike === Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry Mike May, Registrar Voice 716-872-4114 FAX 716-787-0497 http://www.nfhr.com mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
