Posted on 08/07/2007 7:33:14 AM PDT by HairOfTheDog
This is a horse chat thread where we share ideas, ask for input from other horsemen, and talk about our riding and horse-keeping. We have a lot of different kinds of riders and horses, and a lot to share, usually about our horses, sometimes about our dogs, gardens and other stuff we do. :~)
I have a ping list for horse threads that are of interest, and MissTargets will ping everyone most mornings. Let MissTargets and/or me know if you would like to be on the ping list.
So... like the previous threads, this is intended as fun place to come and share stories, pictures, questions and chit-chat, unguided and unmoderated and that we come together here as friends.
Previous threads:
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - thread ONE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread TWO!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread THREE!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FOUR
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FIVE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SIX
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SEVEN
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread EIGHT
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread NINE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread TEN
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread 11
New folk and occasional posters, jump right in and introduce yourselves, tell us about your horses, and post pictures if you've got them!
I’m hearing stories like that out here alot. Some folks a couple of miles away were begging people to take their pregnant mare - they were being evicted. And animal control has two horses found just walking down the highway, skin and bones. It really is heartbreaking.
The story about MT is back here. and the follow-up picture is here.
I have fed Horse Chow 100 to all the horses I have had for the last 15 years. The few colics we have dealt with were never in relation to the feed. Rocky’s cribbing is not related to the feed. He came to us already cribbing, I believe it started from boredom from being kept stalled, now it’s habit.
I do divide their daily ration into 3 feedings, but 2 will work also. I also try to keep a bit of forage growing in my pasture or give them tiny amounts of hay in the winter for mental happiness more then for nutrition.
IMO, feeding a complete feed will give the horse better “balanced” nutrition, and I have come to believe that balance is the key.
I meant to add in my last post, that the Horse Chow I use has almost doubled tho here this past year:(...I’m paying $11.50 a bag now...can’t imagine what it would be for you since it was so much higher there even when it was cheap here. That was one reason I sent Harley to my kids...cheaper to feed him there where he has pasture.
Well, the Festival is over, it was fun, but I’m glad it’s over:)
One interesting situation: You know we’ve had a lot of trouble with people parking in our lot that shouldn’t. We try to be civic minded and cooperate I allowed a semi-trailer to be parked at the end of a lot for a stage for bands, but the spaces along the curb that front Jenny’s and the newspapers business we keep people run out of unless they are doing business with them. Their customers need to be able to park there.
For the festival we had signs that it was a private lot for the businesses, we coned off spaces for my family, and for the people who work for the hamburger place. Needless to say given human nature we still had problems:) Yesterday morning when I got there at 7:30 in the morning the cones on MY space, LOL, and one other that was for my family.had been moved and a truck parked there. I was tried and a bit cranky, and I got pi$$ed. There was a marathon race going on that was just finishing up. Before I could phone the police, one of the runners, a woman, showed up that owned the truck that was in my space:)....
I told her she need to “get it moved”...she said, I was running....I said, I don’t care what you were doing, get it moved...a few more excuses from her, with me answering, I don’t care why, GET IT MOVED...she finally said, you could have asked nicely...I said I DID, WHEN I PUT THE CONE THAT YOU MOVED AT THE END OF THE SPACE, GET IT MOVED NOW!!!. LOL...I think my frustration at the whole situation showed up. She moved but that left one car still there. Fri. we had some idiot pull in with a 42 foot long RV and tried to park across the spaces by the curb in front of Jenny’s and the newspapers. They were the band that was going to use the stage that we had on the lot, so they thought they were entitled I guess, givev an inch they want a mile...gggrrrrrrrrrrrr....I let them use the lot for the stage which took up 4 spaces....
Anyway, then I flagged a cop down and asked if they could do something...since it was a private lot they couldn’t, but (this is what surprised me), the cops, several of them, was really pushing me to have it towed. They said, quote, “we hate guys like that”...that would move cones and ignore signs. I really thought the police would feel I was being petty, and that I should just ignore it. But they were very supportive and understanding of how frustrating the situation was.
I heard from the lady who owns the hamburger place that she heard a conversation between some people complaining to police about our coning spaces...the police said, it’s a private lot they can do what they want. So that was good to know that they would be supportive, altho they can’t do anything.
But it was a battle all weekend to keep the spaces for the businesses and ourselves open. People can sure be rude.
Oh, and the guy who runs the corn booth, cooks corn on the cob to sell...(and remember we’ve told this guy for the last 3 years he can’t park in our lot)...pulled into our lot in a truck and long flat bed trailer, and MOVED one of our cement bumpers that outline the back edge of our lot so he could park there and not have his trailer sticking out so far....I couldn’t believe it....that’s how bad it gets. LOL...just thought I’d pass this incident on too, in case anyone here thought we were petty or selfish:)
Thanks. We are going to gradually change everyone over, meanwhile, selling or giving away as many as we can. One of our vets came out yesterday to visit. She said her brother raises beef cattle but is now considering selling them all and switching his land to hay production. She’s got some pasture about forty miles away that she offered to put some of our horses on but since they’ve never had pasture, I think it would probably cause a lot of problems. We would’nt be able to introduce them gradually to it.
I don’t think you’re being petty at all. We have problems here (minor) whenever there is a horse show across the street with trucks and trailers parking on our side - horses eating our trees, driveways blocked. I can get really nasty about it - why do people feel they have the right to infringe on my property?
Suddenly putting horses out on pasture when they aren’t use to it could present problems...
But I will tell you, long time ago, when we brought in a new horse I did the feed change gradually, but now I don’t. They start getting horse chow immediately when I bring in a new one and I’ve never had a problem. I really believe that with complete feed, with all the roughage in it, it makes changing them over easier. Altho it’s not in it’s “natural” form it is more natural then a bucket of grain, and given that switching them too it is not a problem.
Well, our lot would just be torn up if we didn’t police it. It’s amazing the truck drivers of semis and dump trucks, knowing the weight of their trucks, and what that does to asphalt lots, will pull in to park across numerous spaces, in front of businesses just to go eat at the hamburger place. AHHHHHHHH...lol...it gets very frustrating, and mostly because when you try to be nice about it and explain, they get nasty, I guess because they see you as being weak...I’ve discovered it’s best just to go out, say, you can’t park there, get it moved, and walk away. I don’t owe them an explaination, or reason. I’m going to look like the bad guy to them anyway, might as well have the satisfaction of being as rude as they are:)
I took a fall on Tuesday.
Aw geeze. People! I like that “I did ask nicely when I put the cone up!” LOL!
When I was in college in Ellensburg, I lived just across the street from the rodeo grounds. The Ellensburg rodeo is a big one. I went home that weekend the first year and came back and my front lawn was completely torn up from people parking there.
The next year, I stayed that weekend and put up a sign and charged them all $5. :~)
Thanks - that’s good to know.
Yeh - my statement is move it or get it towed. I just stopped being nice.
LOL - that’s an idea, might pay for my hay :)
Well, that was about 1987 prices... it would probably be $10 now... :~)
A little far (about 75 miles) to haul hay for me, but if we get desperate, I will let you know.
You live in a very pretty part of the State. I have ridden at Mohican and Malabar. The OHC is working on a trail to connect the two parks. That will make it really nice, as Mohican does not have a horse camp and Malabar does.
Do you belong to any of the OHC chapters? Ashland County used to have a very active one.
Good for them. Too bad the rest of the people do not respect that.
Other then the parking trouble, did you enjoy the festival?
Bob would like to know if the feed is Purina, if you know off hand what the protein count is, and how much you feed to a 1000lb horse? Nothing like lots of questions first thing in the morning huh?
It is Purina, I believe HC 100 is 10% protein...HC also comes in 200, and 300 ...each one the protein goes up.
According to the package you feed 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of feed per 100lbs of horse...I have found it doesn’t take that much really, a lot depends on what the horse is doing. Even when I was conditioning horses, riding a lot, they very seldom need even the 1 1/2 ration amount. As you do, I believe a good worming routine is key to not having to feed so much. Worming properly saves money in the long run.
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