Saturday, March 24, 2007
|
| I am trying to get some pics of Estrella and Dulcy and not having a digital camera doesn’t help!! We only have Mom’s phone, and since she got a new one, we have been having trouble sending pics. Today, I was laying on the bed and Caleb came up there and sat on my back. He then proceeded to pretend I was a horse. So I bounced up and down like I was one, then I stopped and then he started hitting me. I didn't know why at first, and then I realized it was b/c I was a horse. He wanted me to bounce again, so he was smacking me like you would a horse. It was soo cute!! He then neighed for me!! It was precious and sweet!! Caleb and I danced today!! It was fun!! LOL!! The Chronicles of Narnia had just gotten over, and the end music was playing. I was holding him, and then we just took off in a ballroom style dance!! He loves to dance. Especially like Tevye!! I LOVE to dance now too, since TN. But Caleb is my favorite partner!! I thought I would share what we do with the horses. Schedules, what we feed, caring, ect. FEEDING: I am not an early riser, so I try my hardest to get up early to feed them. I usually get up around 7:30am-8:00am. I feed them Nutrena Safe Choice Feed. Which is only $10.34/50#. It is a little bit more than the other feed. According to my vet, they need about 3# of feed and 3# of hay per day. So I give them 1 1/2# - 1 3/4# in the morning. Dulcy is more underweight than Estrella, so I have been feeding her more. About 2# in the morning and the 1 1/2# - 1 3/4# at nite. I try to feed them around the same time at nite as I do in the morning. So about every 12 hours they eat feed. Now during the winter I will feed them more, b/c they will not be able to go to pasture. They usually go through 50# a week. Which is right b/c 3# a day each for 8 days would be 24# each. So I don’t usually let the feed get all gone by the time I get more. I feed them first cut hay. I usually have to give them about 2 bales for both of them every 2 days or less. Depends on when they get outside to eat pasture. I occasionally feed them 3 cut alfalfa. It is not good for them in excess, but since they are underweight it is ok to give them a little. I have 20 gallon tubs for their water. I make sure they have plenty of water. I have found that Estrella drinks more water than Dulcy. So I usually have to fill her water every other day. MEDICATIONS: They are off medications now, so that is alot easier!! I don’t have to soak or bandage Estrella’s foot either. Thank God she is healed!! I was administering Tucoprim for their respiratory virus. I was applying Ichthamol for drawing out the infection in Estrella's foot. The way I did bandaging for her abscess was: Iodine, cotton, Iodine, gauze with Ichthamol, then the wrap. Before bandaging I soaked her foot in Epsom salt water for 20min. STALL CARE: I don’t clean their stalls everyday. I do shovel up the big piles everyday. But I completely clean out their stalls every other day, shoveling out all the dirty straw and laying fresh. PASTURE: Since they are not trained very much, we let them out to pasture one at a time. I usually clean out their stalls when they are outside. That is what works best. We do let them out together, after they are calmed down some. They play off each other, so we let them run and buck by themselves first. BATHING: I have not given them a bath yet, b/c I don't know if it is warm enough. But I will use Mane and Tail Shampoo and Conditioner for them. I have yet to tackle that task. But the definitely NEED it!! BRUSHING: I only have two brushes now, and need to get a shedding brush. I have a Body brush and a Curry like brush. We found the Curry brush in the barn while cleaning it out, it works better now b/c they are shedding, and the Body brush just gets too full. I can only get about 2 brushes with the Body before I have to clean it out. I plan on getting a Double Shedding brush as soon as I have the funds. HOOF CARE: They need to get to a Farrier too. The vet said Dulcy's needed to be trimmed. He gave me a few names, I have yet to call and get an estimate. That is waiting on funds also!! I don't really know anything about hoof care, like if I need to put special lotions or such. BITS and TACK: The vet tech told me to start them with a Snaffle bit. My grandma has a bridle, saddle, reins, and other tack, so we will see if I have to buy this bit. TRAINING: I have been working with them on standing still, and being "good girls". When they do what they are told or are good, I give them sweet feed. They really like it. I had tried apples, carrots, and molasses treats, and they didn’t care for any of them. But they enjoy the sweet feed. The vet told me not to feed it to them in their feed, b/c they need to get good muscle, not fat. So I just use it for treats. Ok, so I think that is all. If you have an suggestions or questions, I would greatly appreciate them. Love  Thanks for stopping by "Daily" at the "Planet" Give SuperAngel your thoughts on The Daily Planet's lastest post: Interpret It Right!! ©AmandaDixon2007 |
| Post A
Comment! ::
Send to a Friend! ::
|
Comments
Sunday, March 25, 2007
forgot to say...
 Posted by branded4Him |
| Rue, my appy, got an abcess in her hoof last fall. She had cut the lower back of her leg and it just grew from there. I had to pop it, real tecnical term huh lol, drain it then wash it out.We tried soaking it in salt water but she would NOT stand for it. But it finally cleared up in about a week and a half. Then a day or so later she was lame agian. Ended up she got thrush from the abcess draining down into her frog. I called the fella that trained Rue and asked what to do. He asked if the frog was loose, and it was, and said to pull out the frog. I never knew their frogs came out. Thought I was going to mame her for life! But I guess loosing their frogs is a natrual process. Who knew!(not me. lol)
Kate |
|
Permanent Link
|
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
FYI
 Posted by Jonash2004 |
| One thing you might consider for the future - if you give treats when your horses are good, they might start demanding them! You want to make sure that if you don't have a reward, they don't turn into snots because they didn't get their reward. Does that make any sense? I wouldn't use rewards to train, anymore, although I have, and that ends up being the result.
I used to give a treat after rides, but then my mare started getting really snooty at the end of rides, and I realized that's why. Or she'd stand until she felt like she deserved a treat and then start nipping me for it - the time she would stand still without a treat became shorter and shorter. Check out this link: http://www.perfecthorse.com/sample/control.html You want to encourage your horse to move one thing at a time, her feet, her nose, ect. To teach her to stand still, I would walk her, stop, walk, stop, walk, stop, until she *wants* to stop for a min! Let her stand there, but if she starts moving again, make her move, kiss at her or give her a command, and have her stop when YOU want to stop, not when she does, even if you just have her go another couple of steps before you let her stop. I'd try to get moving again before she does, actually. If she's really wanting to move, walk her until you think she would like to stop. Don't try to fight her to a stand still, just work with her mood for right now and *stay in control*. So if she wants to walk, let her walk with short stops (more like pauses), and if she isn't chipper let her stand more, ect. Same with eating grass. Give her a signal, maybe tug her halter downwards. This will help in the long run, like when you are riding! You want to give a signal, I used to lay a finger along her mane and press down in an area I could reach while riding or tug down on the halter when walking her. You want your horses to give to pressure and move towards the pressure, not resist it. It is very, very natural for a horse to pull back, but you want to work patiently to condition that out of them, so that if they step on a lead rope, they drop their head, not jerk it up and panic, trying to get away. This will also help them when you tie them somewhere. I assumed my horse knew this because I tied her often, but she stepped on her lead and broke two halters!!! If your mare runs into you, try getting a stick and poking it gently into her shoulder and encouraging her to step away. With training, you are trying to help your horse make the right choices and make running over you or 'bad choices' uncomfortable or annoying. I taught my mare to move forward when I kissed at her by making the 'kiss' sound, then lightly tapping the point of her hip until she moved forward. It didn't hurt, and it took a while, but it was enough to make her want to figure out what I wanted! If you have specific things you are working on, let me know, 'cause I might have ideas . . . . :) Sorry this is soooo long!!!! Blessings, Ashley |
|
Permanent Link
|
Come Join Us!!
|
Entry
81 of 90 Last Page | Next Page |
Sunday, March 25, 2007
do you mind if I add you to my friends?? It's kinda nice having someone to talk to that's my age on here. lol Most are either younger or way older.No offence ladies. I love all of your comments and such. :-)
Kate