Belly aches and fence crashers

As I previously reported, some days are better than others. After a long 48 hours of dealing with horse "ordeals", I can happily report that all is well. At least for now... 


You see the nature of a horse is to spend their lives acting as if something is trying to eat them, harm them, or kill them. So in order to survive they must be ready to bolt, jump and/or flee at any given moment. If a person can remember this little tidbit, they will be a lot better off in understanding that complicated yet simple mind of a horse.


Another thing that a horse owner needs to remember is that horses are food driven animals that will do almost anything to get to their favorite food. So it is ALWAYS important to keep their oats and sweet feed securely locked away from horses. Horses won't stop when they are full. They will keep eating until they get so full their stomachs are literally about to explode. This is where the dangers of colic, founder and twisted gut come into play. All serious to life ending problems in a horse.


So when my quarter horse Lacey came down with a tummy ache I immediately started to worry. Stomach aches in horses are never a good thing. Determining the seriousness of her problems was priority one. Thankfully, luckily and blessedly her problem was minor and just a stomach ache. I have decided now that the problem most likely stemmed from gorging herself on acorns that had recently fallen from an oak tree. 


Generally it is not a good idea to let horses eat acorns, but Lacey and my whole herd actually, have eaten acorns all their lives without any problems. But this year we have had a bumper crop of acorns and apparently Lacey wanted to overindulge herself. Today she if fine and back to eating hay, being her usual self. If I had to keep her from the acorns it would mean either stringing additional fencing or putting a grazing muzzle on her. Neither option very good.


My other drama that played out at the same time that I was dealing with Lacey's stomach ache was my little 6 month filly deciding that she would choose the route of greater resistance to get to her food. 


Sometimes it is quite the ponderous thing to try and figure out what goes on in reasoning area of a horse. Maybe the wind blowing sent something into Chessa's nostrils that made her decide that simply going through a gate that she had entered numerous times wasn't the best path at that exact moment. Never mind that the other horses had calmly walked through it in front of her. 

Whatever the reason, Chessa decided that veering off the traveled path of her horse-mates and jumping head long into the almost 6 foot high fence was the better choice at that given moment. Again, thankfully and blessedly she wasn't hurt. The fence was not so lucky. The metal fence post snapped into, as well as the horse wire broke loose at the wooden pole. Repair work would have to be done and done quickly. Having a fence on the ground is not an option.


After giving it a temporary rigging the day it happened, we spent a couple of hours repairing Chessa's damage. We had to pull fence post, remove barb wire, restring horse wire and set new posts. Today, everything is back to normal, all of us a little more tired from the experiences we all shared. 








I had a friend on Facebook ask me why at my age was I not trying to make my life more simpler? I had to think about that one for a little bit. I guess that to me this is the life that I had dreamed of years ago and while it may be complicated at times, I am living my dream. If I have any common sense, I will try and learn from the experiences that I encounter along the way. Hopefully I won't mess up too much in the process and will remember that even dreams can have belly aches and fence crashers...

Sometimes the path of greater resistance isn't the best choice..

Chessa

Today in the pouring, blowing frigid rain, I had to go check on the horses. I hate days like this. I woke up with a headache and it lasted until lunch. Not a good start to a miserable day. 

As I was arriving at the front gate, the horses weren't anywhere to be seen. Drat! That meant I would have to walk to the back field and holler for them. First, I took the opportunity to set out their feed in individual pans so that I could avoid the near stampede that always comes from jostling for best positions.


I opened the round pen door so that Chessa and her mom Star could go in and eat without the others fighting them for the food. I was ready for the short trek. All the while bracing myself against the stinging rain.


As I went over the small hill, I saw the herd at the bottom of the field. I banged on the bucket a couple of times and the ears immediately went up and procession began towards me. I turned and sloshed through the mud back to the barn to wait for them. 


First came Miss Daisy, swishing her tail and head held low as she led the way. Following her was Cowboy, his long legs perfectly in step behind Daisey. After him was little Chessa, trotting to keep up, followed by her mother Star. Then came Codey, my massive paint, watching with wary eyes. Always on alert, ready for any action needed to protect his herd. A perfect line of equine beauties.



About the time they reached the top of the hill where the cross fence has a gate, the wind picked up and spooked Chessa. In an instant she veers to the right and darts down the fence line. The rest of the horses continue onward toward me. I watch in fear as Chessa decides that she will not be left out and takes a upward spring- straight into the fence. The fence is made of horse wire, topped with a single strand of barb wire, secured with metal t-posts. Great for keeping out predators, ie dogs and coyotes, but not so good when a horse decides to jump it. 

It was like a slow motion clip as I watched Chessa jump, land into the fence on her side and the fence topple over all in a smooth motion. I see she is clearly tangled and begin running to her aid, knowing how awful things can get with a horse flailing to get unstuck with weight and hooves on their side. I make it about 20 yards when she breaks free. She trots down the hill and straight into the round pen and calmly begins eating her oats. 


My heart is in my throat and I force myself to walk -not run- to the pen to shut the gate and check her out. Remarkably, she is unhurt. A few scratches to her nose, but nothing more. I take a deep breath. Or maybe I exhaled. I really can't remember, I was so relieved. 

As I take a look around at the other horses, it dawns on me that something else is amiss. Something isn't as it should be. Maybe because of the drama that just unfolded, it takes me a moment to figure out the problem. 1-2-3-4-5-...where was number six? A quick inventory told me that Lacey was missing. Oh crap! Lacey was always first in line for food.


I quickly jogged up to the top of the hill and scan over the pasture, wiping the rain from my eyes. I didn't see her anywhere. As I headed down the hill, the sense of dread spread through me to my very core. I had unfortunately been in this position before. It is not a pleasant place to be at all. 


As I searched in all the usual places, I was beginning to think that she had escaped the field, or maybe someone had stolen her. Nothing was adding up though. As I reached the far corner of the field, there she was. Standing stock still with her back to me. As I approached her, she looked at me but didn't move. I did a quick look over to be sure she wasn't injured. It is hunting season and my first thought was that maybe she had been shot. I usually have woven hunter orange into their manes and tails by now to avoid having some idiot mistake them for deer. I didn't see any blood.

Maybe she was lame or had foundered. We had just set out new bales of hay and had begun recently to feed them rolled oats mixed with some sweet feed. Small amounts but still it was new to their systems after

eating green grasses all summer. She looked sound and sure footed without any signs of founder or lameness.

I talked to her in a soothing voice that I really didn't feel. My heart was pounding. I tried to get her to follow me. She wouldn't. I broke off a switch and shook it at her and hit the ground to get her to move. She took only one step. Not a good sign.


I decided to go and get a halter and lead rope to see if I could lead her back to the barn where the other horses were. Still the rain fell and the wind blew. As I jogged through the slushy mud, I had real fear in me. I grabbed the halter, did a quick check on Chessa and the others, and headed back to lower field. Lacey was still standing in the same spot I had left her. She stood without protest as I placed the halter over her head and buckled it in place. Once I had the lead rope attached, I gently tugged on her to follow, which she did reluctantly. She walked slowly all the way back to the barn. 

When we approached the other horses, it was as if they knew something was wrong. They all started nickering at each other and they left their food bowls to come stand beside Lacey as if to comfort her. 

I took her into the stall and closed the gate. She seemed outwardly ok. But I could tell she wasn't 100%. I checked her gums; they were nice and pink. I listened to her gut; it sounded gurgly. She had been passing gas. That was a good sign.

I do not coddle my horses, but I do believe in taking swift action if they are sick or injured. So first I called my trainer/adviser to see what he thought before paying for the vet to drive out for something that may not warrant his attention after hours. My trainer came right over as he lives just a few short miles away. He looked at her and assessed the situation as I did. He walked her around a few times. We discussed any recent changes and came to some conclusions. 

It could be the wormer that I had given her a few days before. It could be the change in her diet with the addition of oats and sweet feed. It could be the change in the weather. The bottom line was she had a belly ache from something. She wasn't showing signs of colic-yet. She wasn't rolling or kicking her stomach or looking back at it. She was passing large amounts of gas. That in itself could be a good thing since that meant their probably wasn't a blockage. But we shall see. 

As time went on, she seemed to feel some better and perk up. My trainer left feeling that it didn't seem to be life threatening unless she exhibited more signs of distress. I agreed. She wanted back out in the field, so I allowed her to go and followed her. She immediately went to the hay pile and then back to her original spot at back of the field. I followed her out there, I realized that she was getting out of the wind. But along the way she stopped to nibble on acorns that fallen from the tree. Could this be the culprit?


While acorns are not good for horses, these horses have been in this same field for years without ever having any problems from occasional nibbling on acorns. But perhaps this year the crop was different...At any rate, time was going to tell. 


By this time I am soaked and chilled to the bone, a bug had flown into my ear during the whole fence drama, a mouse had run over my foot and took a few more years off my life, and I was mentally drained.


With everyone quieted and appearing to be in no imminent danger, I decided to head home to change into some dry clothes, grab something warm and return in a few hours to recheck the situation and if necessary call the expensive vet out.

I was contemplating suiting up for the 35 degree weather, when my neighbor who owns a horse herself called to tell me that she had gone out to check on the horses for me and that all was well. Whew! That means that I can wait a couple of more hours before I return to the field. 

Hopefully Lacey will only have a passing tummy ache and be well in the morning. And hopefully Little Chessa will not choose to take the path of greater resistance next time. Owning horses is not for the faint of heart.

Lacey

Chessa makes progress

For the last couple of days I have been working with Chessa, my little (almost) 6 month old filly. She has been very resistant to human touch. I decided that in order to change that she must learn to trust me and I her. So each day I have spent time getting her used to my sound, mannerisms, and methods. Each day I try and gain her trust as I feed her and talk to her. The ritual is that when I come to the barn, I open up the round pen for her and her mom Star to go in to get their feed. The rest of the herd stays in the outer perimeter and get theirs separately. Chessa and her mom picked up on this very quickly and without any hesitation. Now Chessa won't even wait for mom, she is in the pen before Star even has time to swish her tail.

After everyone has finished licking the last morsels of feed from their pans, I open up a stall inside the barn and Chessa and Star go in to get another handful of feed with the stall door closed behind them. I enter the stall and this is how I can actually get my hands on Chessa. Note: I would never attempt this unless I was absolutely sure of the horse that I am working with. Star had a very good trainer and she is very calm and trusting of me around her baby.

The stall is a 12 x 12 stall, so there is limited space for the horses to move about. At first Chessa will bob and weave to try and avoid me, but I won't give up. I must position her mom so that I can kind of wedge Chessa between mom and the stall wall. She will try and back up as I approach her and then once I actually have my hands on her, she will stop resisting. The first couple of times I tried this, she had the look of absolute panic in her eyes. I must say I was a bit nervous myself. However, I remained calm and assertive but gentle. Rubbing her down her back and neck, as well as her rump and upper legs trying to get her used to my touch.

Now after almost a week, the transformation is amazing. She actually approaches me in the barn. While we still have a long way to go, she is showing more and more trust. Today, her resistance was minimal and she lowered her head almost right away when I begun to rub her. Last week, she would not let me get close to her, much less touch her. Yesterday, I was feeding her from a bucket that I held. Today she was allowing me to put her halter on and off repeatedly without too much protest and let me give her a rub down.

The jubilation that I feel inside is so wonderful. I am employing techniques that I have learned through watching my "horse whisperer" daughter and seminars I have attended and books that I have read on horses. I think it is amazing how smart these horses are and I find it fascinating to watch them "get it" when you are trying to teach them something new.

It is going to be fun watching this spirited little girl take her baby steps in this journey that I plan for us to take together. I invite you to join us as I post updates on "our" progress.

The New Adventure Begins

     Chessa is our newest addition. She is only 5 months old and yet she stands almost as tall as her Mother Star. She is a Quarterhorse Paint Arabian Mix. Quite the smorgasbord of blood lines. When I first laid eyes on Chessa she was housed in an outdoor pen with her mom at our trainers farm. No green grass and limited space seemed like a sad environment as I am used to green pastures for our horses.
     The first five minutes that I encountered her I knew she had spirit. She was happily playing around Star, bouncing and dodging. She even tried to climb upon her mom's back at one point. Jubilant and happy she tossed her head and tucked underneath Star for a sip of milk.
     Last month she and Star came to stay at our farm. While Star is temporary, Chessa is home. After a bit of a comic escape while loading onto the trailer for the first time, she Chessa finally followed mom onto the trailer for her short ride to our place. She would be joining our other horses, Cody, Daisy, Lacy, and Cowboy. Plus a few other "farm" animals. A donkey, a few cats, some chickens, and cows to the south, another neighbor horse to the east, dogs all around, and a rather ornery neighbor to the north. As she followed her mom off the trailer into the paddock, she seemed to be at ease and ready for a new adventure. Star seemed to be a little more wary. But the unloading went smooth and quick. Youtube video of unloading.
     We decided to separate the other horses into the back field with a fence between the established herd and the newcomers to avoid any injuries. The hope was to let them all get acquainted over the fence before allowing them full access. Star was actually already acquainted with Lacy and Cowboy as they were herd-mates and relatives from their "childhoods".
      Chessa immediately zeroed in on the head mare Daisey only to rebuffed. Daisey has always been "pissy" with her Standard-breed blood and had to always been monitored any time a new baby was born around the farm. She was always trying to steal the babies for her own, so caution needed to be heeded. But Daisey seemed uninterested, much to Chessa's chagrin.
     Chessa and Star settled in for the evening with what appeared to be calm and happiness at having actual green grass to graze on and open space to run. There is nothing more mesmerizing to me than to watch a happy horse kicking up their heels in exuberance. Until I start worrying about a misstep that might lead to injury...
     The next day we introduced Lacy into the pasture with them. After some nickering, running and stomping of feet with a few nips thrown in for good measure, they settled into a peaceful coexistence. The next day we decided to introduce the rest of the herd together. All was going well as one by one they came to investigate up close and personal the new arrivals. At least at first...
     The very one that is usually the calmest and most easy going, the one that I assumed would be fine was the very one that exploded into a wild eyed monster. You know what they say about assume (makes an ass out of you and me)...Well old Cody boy-the head gelding-took out after poor Star biting and kicking unmercifully. He chased her until I thought he'd have a heart attack. Poor Chessa was terrified and I was terrified that she would be trampled in melee. Cody's meeting with Star
     After what seemed like forever, we were able to separate them into front and back pastures. Poor Star was chewed up pretty bad with superficial bites, Chessa was frazzled but uninjured. Wow, that was pretty intense. I knew that the hierarchy had to be worked out but this was scary to watch.
     A couple of days later we reintroduced everyone one at a time and with lead ropes attached so we could step in immediately if needed. Not even a hint of aggression this time. They all act as if that first encounter never even happened. The hierarchy has been established and all is well. Its been a month now and it makes my heart swell to see how peaceful they all are now. They have been so patient with Chessa as she tries to run rough shod over the whole herd.
     Daisey has taken her under her tutelage and allows her to follow her every hoof beat. Star is going about her business as if she has lived there forever. Cody is calm and lumbering again and Lacy is doing her own thing. Poor Cowboy, as the former youngest of the herd, has always been low man and is trying to make Chessa understand that he is older than her and dang it she needs to behave; but is unsuccessful. It's quite comical to watch.
     All in all we are having fun with Chessa, but now the real work begins in her training. I predict that we all have some learning to do. As she dances around with her little tail held erect, tossing and leaping, her Arabian spirit is evident. While she lifts my spirit just watching her, I recognize that she will most likely try my patience many times to come. I will keep you posted as to the progress. Both hers and mine....