This message is from: "plumg...@pon.net" <plumg...@pon.net>
Janet, of ja...@tamaracksheepfarm.com sent me the following explanation. She can read the list, but is unable to post. Her message clarified for me the real problem with trying to dig a hole in advance of winter. She also pointed out that she heard of a stallion who was kept indoors to help him get through the winter and who ended up pacing, weaving and colicking because he could not see his mares. Carol has said he was this type of stallion. See below Janet's post about digging the hole in advance of winter. Gail Russell one other thing not yet mentioned.... but this idea that one can just dig a hole in the northern climate and bury the animal later should it die in the winter just does not work. I run a sheep farm and have tried that approach. Everything is frozen hard, so you can't cover the hole back up until spring. You can only place it in the hole and at best cover it with wood shavings. Foxes, coyotes, crows, etc will scavange the carcass through the winter, and in the spring the hole fills up with melt water and you have a rotten soup contaminating the ground water long before the dirt pile thaws out enough to put back over the hole. Lets just say it is very sickening way to handle disposal of an animal you thought well of. I have gone to using funeral pyres and burning the body when we loose a dog in the winter, It takes a 'log cabin' of 6 foot by 6 foot by 8 foot high to burn a 100 pound dog thoroughly. Obviously this just is not feasible for a horse. If I had a 32 year old horse that seemed to be loosing his spirit (and thus his will to live), I'd put him down while I can still dig the hole. Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
