The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread 11

[HairOfTheDog]

You're right.... I want it to be spring so bad, but it really isn't. We had a late snow last April. I need to wait... I'm just anxious.

[HairOfTheDog]

Anyways, Ron and his Dad and FIL reassembled it, and did all the insulation, wiring, plumbing and carpentry work themselves. I was really impressed with their work. I think it took them most of last summer to get it done. But now that he has, it's filling up pretty fast. He's already got several boarders and a girl who gives lessons out of there too, so he should do pretty well with it. I think my cousin said that he only needed 7 boarders to pay the bills for the place, so that's good I guess.

All good for me to know.... thanks!

[FrogInABlender]

...How large is the arena?...

I just got back from meeting my cousin (I had left one of my bridles at his barn) and I asked him how big it was and he said 50'x80'. So I decided to try to draw the whole barn up from memory and this is what it looks like, to the best of my recollection...

I think there's actually 7 stalls on each side but by the time I realized that my drawing wasn't going to be big enough it was too late and I wasn't going to redraw the whole thing. The kitchen/restroom layout is iffy too. I didn't pay a lot of attention to that area. I was more interested in the stalls and storage.

[HairOfTheDog]

It's interesting use of the area.... only thing I'd do different is putting the stalls on the outside so they could have outside exits... for runs, as well as fire.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, it is yet another blanket-off day here... went out for a little stroll and check up out in the pasture.

Found a couplea dirty mares...

And witnessed this rather chaotic tangle of horses...

And this one... I ~always~ miss the bucks by > < that much.

Bay prancin' around... He seemed to feel pretty good on his new shoes...

And Cyn looked more in the mood for a nap than a run...

We found Bay's thrown shoe out there... it was bent, so he did step on it... not sure how, goofing off maybe... It was pretty worn out.

Becky, hope you can get the farrier out soon and get going again with Harley.

We're going to go out now and see if we can get the apple tree burn pile burnt that's been sitting in the back forty since last fall. It might be a little wet, but we'll see :~)

[FrogInABlender]

Yeah, I don't know that I'd've done it that way either, but I can't really say what I would've done different. He really didn't want a building that wide, but got a racehorse deal on it so he took what he could get. The equipment storage is nice, but it does kinda limit your options. They've got trucks, tractors and trailers under there, so it's nice to have a roof over those. The stalls are 12x14, as is the wash rack. The pasture fence starts at the back corners on the arena end. There's gravel parking areas on both sides of the barn and at the front door.

[tuffydoodle]

Becky, Tuffy is pulling shoes off left and right, too. I'm thinking of trying the glue-ons again. Those suckers ain't comin' off!

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, we went out and tried to burn the apple tree pile that is in the back forty...

But in the end, all we could get to burn was the paper... It's just too wet.

As the last flame died out we all felt a sense of failure and dispair...

Even Gidget lost all hope.

~sigh~ Another day perhaps...

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Love all the pictures:), especially the second one with all the flying mane....

Bay looks like he is doing great, did you post pictures of the new shoes...???I'd like to see them.

Chris has been here...you won't believe it, by the time he got here Harley had pulled off the other front shoe:\ What is that expression you use, "I'm gobsmacked"....also bewildered, puzzled, pissed. I'm going to talk to Debbie, the girl I feed horses for, she talked highly of her farrier, and she's pretty particular. If I can get him to come out when Harley is due again, I think I'm going to do that. I did misfigure about how long ago these shoes were put on, it's been 2 wks, not one...does that make a difference. Hate to say it but not to me it doesn't, not TWO shoes coming off. The weather is suppose to get nasty again tomorrow, so riding will be out again for awhile....I believe if this other guy will come and shoe for me, I'm just going to call Chris and be honest, that I'm giving someone else a try. If I still have problems I'll get back with him, but that I have to try.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Those suckers ain't comin' off!

But what if the problem is the horse is stepping on the back of the shoe...if the shoe doesn't come off, how will that affect the horse...trip him, pull something....I don't know, but it would be something I would have to consider with Harley. It's very possible that is what is happening. But is there something the farrier could be doing to help that???

I'm just having trouble figuring out why this is happening. I've had him now for 3-4 years, and it's just been the last 6-9 months that this has happened....

Farrier, or horse problem????

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Sorry about the fire:(

LOL, great pictures tho:)

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Hey, 24 is on for 2 hours tonight:)

Have you kept watching AI? I'm rather glad the auditions are over, they were getting a bit repetitious.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

So you think you're going to try the new shoer now, instead of at the next cycle? I don't know what to tell you about losing two. Up until this last time, Bay had never lost one.

My farrier thinks horses don't pull shoes unless they aren't moving right... But then he might just be defending farriery, but it might have something to do with the new angles too.

I posted the new shoes on the horse forum thread... I'll post them here in a few too if you want. He didn't roll the toe on these much, if at all... I don't know why and I didn't say anything... unsure of what to say to my farrier as ever, I guess!

Yes... looking forward to 24!

We watched all the AI auditions... but usually don't follow it after the first round.

Anything I didn't reply to? LOL

[HairOfTheDog]

Copying source from the horse forum... not sure if this works or not... let me know if the pictures choke when I hotlink them to here...

Farrier's been and gone, didn't get to see your replies till afterwards so I didn't bring up any of your points. I think I understand what you're saying with the heels being run forward, but I haven't mentioned it.   Not sure I feel qualified.  This same farrier's been shoeing Bay for most of the last 16 years.   I think the shape of his feet is probably about the shape it's always going to be with this farrier.  When Bay had heel pain three years ago, his heels were trimmed more than they had been, I think.  The angle of his foot changed and the pads were added (I do have those old pictures) Other than that, he's just done what he does, and along with the Isoxuprine, what's been done has kept Bay feeling pretty good, really. 

Here's the same foot trimmed and then reshod...  I didn't take closeup pictures of the other feet while the farrier was here, I didn't want him to feel like I was conducting an investigation or something, just taking pictures for curiousity. ;~)

Here's the trimmed foot, and then the shod foot to follow.    Sorry he had already set it in the dirt and it's not as clean as it could have been... Again, I felt a little awkward to interrupt the process to hose them off.  He uses Okum under the pad, no tar or other treatment to the foot.

Couple of more pictures... the foot on the ground, and one action shot with the smoke 

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I don't believe we changed the angles "that" much. But maybe with him level now, and he isn't walking lopsided he feels better and walking out. I've wondered if it was my hopeful imagination, but it's looked to me this past week that when he is walking up the fence next to me at feed time he is taking huge huge, long strides, which I want...but...:)

Yeah, I think I will try a new one. I've been putting it off every cycle, saying I'll give him one more chance...I just need to do it.

Becky

[estrogen]

OK kI have a question......I am ignorant about horse feed. I do know that come spring I can only put Waylon out for 15-20 minutes at a time in the pasture and slowly work him up to a couple hours so that he doesn't colic on the grass.
My question is when I move down south and he's on coastal bermuda grass do I have to start all over? I also need to get a companion for Waylon. Would I be better off getting another gelding or getting a goat or something. I'm the only one who rides in my family so not sure which way to go.
You guys know everything so I'm counting on you ,....lol

[HairOfTheDog]

Whether he's at risk for colic (or founder) with a diet change depends on a lot of factors including his age, condition, metabolism, and the richness and quantity of pasture.

He's young, and if he's not overweight, he's at less risk of founder than some... but it'd be good to give it some thought as you get to where you're moving him and know what the pasture is like.

There's a good book called "Horse Management on Small Acreage" that I have seen that might be good. There's also a lot of information on www.safergrass.org... but it tends to make me really paranoid, as it's written for high risk horses... ie... horses that have foundered before.

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm wrong on the title... it's HORSEKEEPING ON A SMALL ACREAGE

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

First lets ping some more people to get more opinions:) Everyone, see estrogens above post.

What kind of grass do you have where you are at now....compared to costal bermuda grass?

Do you stall him part of each day now?, or is he out on the pasture now all the time?

The way I've understood it is if a horse is out on pasture all the time, you don't have to do the 15-20 minute thing. If they are out there all the time, it won't be a shock to their system. Now if the horse is overweight to begin with or gets over weight you need to limit pasture time. But if the horse's weight is OK, and he is use to being on it all the time, I don't think you would have a problem.

About making the move south....I don't know what to do about that really, but I'd say you would want to transition him over a week or two to the different grass. Take some hay from the old place to the new. Or maybe get some hay from there to adjust him before you get there....not sure.

Becky

[ShakeNJake]

I think a large part of the problem on fresh, spring grass is the richness of it and high sugar content for horses have been on dry hay all winter. The sudden influx of high sugar content green grass sends their system all out of whack. How's that for a technical term?

From what I read, pastured horses get the gradual transition because they eat the new grass as it comes up and get used to it that way.

If I were transitioning from a different type of hay when moving, I'd bring along enough of the hay my horses were used to and gradually switch them over just like I would if changing their hard feed. It is the sudden switches that get you!