Nadia's BIG adventure

This morning, I decided to let the alpacas graze around the barn, partly because I am down to my last two bales of hay

and partly because I know how much they love to browse and explore outside of their stall and paddock. It's fun to watch Sophie Rose pronk around and jump in the air with her neck all twisted around and her head sideways.

I left them wandering around in the area outside of the barn and went to work. Midday, I called my son and asked him to water the animals and move the alpacas back to their stall and paddock. I also asked him to turn Nadia out with the other horses for some exercise. I usually keep Nadia separated from the other horses because she is such a slow eater and I'm trying to put weight on her.

A few hours later, I received a call from my neighbor, Lisa. The only times she calls me is when bad things have happened:
when my newborn foal went missing,
when Annie had a blowup with the horseshoer,
when the neighbor's horse was killed,
and now...what was wrong?

She said that Nadia was wandering around outside of the arena and in her yard, without any halter, so she wondered if anyone was watching her. I do let Nadia graze loose sometimes but I am outside with her, watching over her. I thanked her and called my son.
No answer.
I called my daughter.
No answer.
I called the house phone.
My mom answered. She said my son had gone out to the horses and then he had driven to town. She called my daughter over to the phone. I asked her to please put Nadia away.

I called Lisa back and thanked her for letting me know.

This evening, when I got home from work, I went out to feed the horses and, much to my dismay and apprehension, Nadia was locked in the barn, with her stall door wide open. (The stall door won't always latch if the door is slammed shut and Nadia is expert at pushing doors open.) She had had a feast! Every morning, I prepare a couple of cans of beet pulp with water for the next morning's feed. She ate the whole bucket full. I had a pound of alpaca feed and corn in a bucket, sitting on the chair. She ate all of it. I had several unopened bags and one open bag of complete horse feed leaning against the barn wall.

She didn't get into the unopened bags (Thank God!) but I don't know if she had any of the opened bag. She looked like a stuffed pig!  All I could think about was that I hoped she didn't colic.

Earlier in the day, I had thought about riding after dinner. Well, with a horse potentially busting her guts, I figured I'd ride her a while and see if that would help her digestion and maybe, keep her from colicking. I put her in a bridle and bareback pad and I added the pink jingle bell/rhythm beads I received as a gift some time ago. I put on my sweatshirt (it's cold at night- 39F most mornings) and my orange reflector vest and we headed out into the black night. We stayed on the gravel neighborhood roads and we walked and trotted, clip-clopping and jingling all the way. She is such a perky little mare when ridden. She pricks her little ears forward and moves out in a very animated stride. It's hard to believe she's 29! Back at the barn, Scout was trumpeting and Yalla! was neighing frantically, the whole time we were riding around.

I rode Nadia a half hour or so and I could hear her pass gas a couple of times. She was moving out well so I decided that she should be okay.

We went back to the barn and I brushed her down, picked her hooves, and put her away. Then I wandered over to the other horses to say "hi." In the past, when I presented the rhythm beads to Yalla! she didn't want them near her. Tonight, I pulled a trick from the movie, War Horse. I put them around my neck and let Yalla! sniff them. She grabbed them with her teeth and I was afraid she'd break the beads. I pulled them away from her, then I put them over her head, on her neck. I thought she'd take off and run but she never budged. Well, she did step back and they jingled, but she didn't seem to mind at all. I put them and took them off several times. She fidgeted, when I draped them over her side and swung them around her head to tail, but she stood. Good girl! I can see that she's growing up. During the time that I was with the other horses, I could see that Nadia was okay, so I hoped she would continue to do so.

I intend to sleep with my window slightly open tonight so that I can listen for any disturbances in case Nadia does have problems. Hopefully, all will be well. (fingers crossed)

update: all is well this morning. I gave Nadia a flake of hay rather than her usual complete feed pellets.

Happy 29th Birthday, Nadia!

My dear old Nadia turned 29 today. She gets hairier and hairier every winter and right now she's shedding fistfuls of hair so she looks really terrible. But underneath all that hair is a purebred Egyptian Arabian mare with one of the sweetest dispositions of any horse.

 A few years ago, we had a birthday party for her and Baby Doll, my neighbor's previous horse, who was celebrating her birthday the day after Nadia's. Check the link to read about that fun day. 

Since this birthday is in the middle of the week, I don't have any special plans besides adding cereal and apples to their regular horse nuts. I'm also hoping to go for a ride on the ol' gal tonight but I'll have to wear old clothes because this is what happened last time I rode her.

I couldn't Sleep Last Night

-I woke up this morning around four o'clock and couldn't go back to sleep again. I have too many things to worry about, I guess. I tossed and turned and then decided that I could keep trying to sleep or I could make good use of the time. It was a full moon outside. What could be better than an early, predawn ride on a moonlit night? I put on some sweat pants, a sweat shirt, ear muffs, boots, and a jacket and headed out the door. The horses were stretching, yawning, and peeing when I opened the barn doors and turned on the lights. I haltered Nadia and brought her into the barn aisle, looping the lead rope around the stall door pole, tying her up. Then I caught Scout and tied him up next to Nadia at the next pole. I gave both horses a quick curry and brush down and then I put the bareback pad on Scout. I put on my helmet and then I chose the snaffle-side pull bridle for Scout. Last time I rode him out back I had him in the curb bit and I think that was one of the reasons why he reared up and went over backwards on me. That was almost six months ago. I'm still recovering from my broken ankle.

I easily put Scout's bridle on, then I untied Nadia and walked out of the barn to the pipe rail fence, leading both horses. I climbed up on the rails and Scout sidled away from me while Nadia grazed on the other side of us. I thought 'great, I can't even get on my horse!'  But I manuevered him right up to the rail, this time on the off side, and, throwing my left leg over, eased onto his back. For some reason, all my horses prefer to let me get on them from the fence using their off side. They tend to step away when I lead them up on the near side. Gathering up Nadia's lead rope in my right hand and the end of Scout's looped roping rein in my left, we headed out into the bright starlit night. We rode around the neighborhood, to the back forty, staying on the gravel roads. Sandy joined us, sometimes trotting ahead of us and sometimes romping through the fields. I could tell the horses and dog were enjoying the ride as much as I was. Scout's head stayed low as he stepped out and Nadia pricked her ears forward, walking easily beside us. I love ponying her. Except for holding the rope in my hand I don't have to do anything to bring her along with us. It's the same way when I ride Nadia and pony Scout. They just get along so well together, although Nadia does pin her ears and nip at him occasionally. I thought about how much I love my horses, how well behaved they were. Even though I haven't ridden for several weeks and I didn't even warm them up or work them down, they were a pleasure to ride and pony. This is how I like my horses. Although they're half broke (not ready for the show arena or any sort of competition) they are easy going and ride with very little guidance from me. We even had an awkward moment when Scout stepped into a deep rut in the road, only to find that it was full of water. He just stood there, confused, and when I asked him to step out of it, he did, and then walked right into some very tall weeds that made him stumble. I had a fleeting moment of panic, 'were we going to go down again?' but he recovered and we walked on. I never asked for anything faster than a walk because I wasn't sure of the ground after that incident. When we arrived at the place where we had our accident in April, my heart pounded and Scout sensed it and seemed a little nervous too. We continued walking past however. I wanted to bring Nadia along with us for two reasons: to get some exercise since she is confined in her stall and run most of the time and also to comfort Scout and I in case of fear issues. I worried that we might see cows in the field, or coyotes, or, God forbid, the pack of dogs that took us down that fateful time we rode out. The only thing that brought any notice to Scout was a realty sign in the field. He looked hard as we passed it by but did nothing else. We even passed solar light sticks that glowed blue-purple in the darkness.

The entire time we were riding, Yalla! and her mother, Annie, were calling to us. I'm sure the neighbors, if any were awake yet, wondered what was wrong. Nadia only gave a low nicker once and I was proud of Scout because he never made a sound. There was a time, not so long ago, when he would trumpet his distress for all the world to hear. Probably having Nadia along with him helped ease his herdboundness.

We didn't ride very long because it was still dark when I put them away. I fed them their mash and their hay and then I went over to feed the alpacas. I hand fed them pellets and they nuzzled my hands. I snuck in some neck petting and then, making sure they had plenty of grass hay and water, left to go get ready for the day.


I couldn't Sleep Last Night - song: Sorrow, artist: David Bowie, album: Pinups

Just an hour or so to be safe from fear

I had my third physical therapy session today for my broken ankle. I actually got to pedal a bike and it didn't hurt! I have been doing the prescribed exercises, like stretching, writing the alphabet with my toes, and scrunching my toes, and I think it's working. In the last few weeks, I have gone from using a wheelchair to two crutches to one crutch to none. I've gone from a surgical splint to a walking boot to a reinforced ankle brace and now I prefer going bare. I push my ankle in all directions just to the point of hurting and try to maintain it for several seconds. Then I release and try again. I still have heel pain and my ankle is still extremely swollen and tight most of the time, probably from me always working at it. The only shoes I can wear are crocs, because they have cushy heels, or snow boots around the barn because the swelling and metal(?) in my ankle extends down almost to the sole of my foot. I hope that I can wear regular shoes soon.
I can touch my ankle all over but when I lean against things with my ankle, like laying against the bedsheets, it hurts terribly.

I made a personal goal of riding my horses as soon as I could and I did ride last week for a short time. It was hard to climb on board and even harder climbing off, but every day, I get stronger. The other day, I couldn't stop singing an old Chumbawumba song, " I get knocked down, I get up again, no one's ever gonna keep me down." I intend to get this experience behind me as quickly as possible.

More and more, I am taking back my life. Every day, it's getting easier to walk out to the barn and feed the horses. This evening, I brushed them all down. Then I decided to ride Nadia. I put the bareback pad on her and used Annie's thin halter, snapping on a set of nylon reins to the side rings of the halter. I put on my helmet and climbed up on the rails in her stall and scooted onto her back. We rode all over the neighborhood but I was reluctant to ride out back where the accident with Scout took place. It was a very pleasant evening and I wouldn't have been surprised if they were out walking their dogs. Instead, I rode along the gravel roadways in my little neighborhood and to the highway and back. We watched a fire truck go by and it never even phased Nadia. The next time I rode out towards the highway, there hadn't been any traffic for some time, so I decided to cross the road to a little grassy area and then come right back. However, Murphy's Law happened and as soon as we crossed, there was suddenly a car coming at us from each direction. I couldn't cross back before they arrived so we stopped and stood, waiting, with our butts to the traffic. I had wild thoughts that Nadia was going to freak out and run across the road in front of the cars. I could see myself falling off and hurting my ankle again. Where did that fear come from? Nadia has always been good along roadsides. Once, I had to ride her along a very  busy highway during a terrible thunderstorm for several miles. Now, she gave no indication of being stressed. Still, I was terrified for a few seconds. On another horse, I might have caused a negative reaction. They just might have gotten panicked from my thoughts. Why would I get so unreasonably afraid and how do I control my thoughts?

While we were riding around, Yalla! and Scout were running up and down the arena calling to us. He has a loud trumpet-like call and Yalla! has a shrill baby-like neigh. Nadia just ignores them as she walks along with her ears pricked forward, sometimes speeding up, sometimes slowing down. I went into the round pen and let her graze some of the weeds. Then she did the strangest thing. She stopped eating and stood still for a few seconds. Then she laid down. I was so surprised; I climbed off unto my bad foot- OW!!- and then she rose up again. I worried that she was going into colic. I walked her back to the barn, watching her, and put her back into her stall. Good thing I can walk better now.

Nadia went straight to her hay and mash and began munching. I have seen her do this before while eating. She just walks away, lays down, gets up and starts eating again, like nothing happened. Does anyone have any ideas as to why she does this? I don't see any signs of discomfort. I think she's getting senile. I wanted to watch her some more so I decided to ride Scout. He was still calling to us (me?) and was standing by the gate watching me. I really think he was feeling anxious that I haven't ridden him yet since the accident. He readily came to me and I haltered him. Then I led him over to the railing and carefully climbed up. I carefully stepped across his back. I am so careful at this point because I know that all they have to do is move away while I'm throwing a leg over and I'll fall and probably get hurt. Anyway, as I settled onto his back I could almost feel him sigh (with relief?) and smile. We rode around the arena and he was the perfect gentleman. My ankle doesn't hurt when I ride except for the feeling of the boot against the skin. I am still wearing my snow boots and the fleece inside should help, but it really doesn't. I even jogged him.

My neighbor came up to the fence to chat with me and his large dog came bounding up to Scout and I. I panicked, thinking, "Oh no! dogs are what caused Scout to rear up!," but at the same time I was glad for the test. Scout stood his ground and didn't even flinch. Of course, there was a fence between us. But, I have often ridden Scout with Sandy running alongside and she goes into the arena and 'bothers' the horses more times than I would like. I still ponder over the events that caused Scout to rear that day. I think a lot of the problem was the strange bit he was wearing. I had him in a low port curb but I usually ride him in a simple ringed snaffle. This is why, tonight, I rode him in just a halter. Yes, Sydney, I am seriously ready to go bitless on all of my horses. I never use the reins very much anyway. The dogs riled him up, but I think the different bit, combined with the uneven ground, caused him to lose his balance and go over backwards on me. Even though I didn't pull on the bit, he was causing himself discomfort by raising his head causing the bit to shift in his mouth.

The neighbor and I had a little chat and Yalla! came over to join in on the conversation. She never showed any signs of agression towards Scout, of which I was glad, and I rubbed her head as she lay it on top of his back, in my lap. Yalla! has become a terrible two year old, terrorizing all the other horses. I've seen her double barrel Scout AND her mama just because she wanted to. She needs a good put down and unfortunately, her doting mama doesn't seem willing to chastise her, rather, she backs off from the little monster's threats. Yalla! therefore, thinks she is queen of the herd now. Unfortunately, she also thinks she is above us, humans. She has kicked out at my son, daughter, and myself, on numerous occasions. My son smacked her really good on the head when she kicked out at him. I told him that was okay because she is exhibiting very dangerous behavior, but to "rub" it out afterwards, by petting her so that she doesn't develop hatred and fear of him. Then she will REALLY become dangerous. Right now, she doesn't know any better. Any suggestions? I almost always carry a crop around with me when I am on the ground, working around her, or a bucket, or something that can shield me or smack her. However, timing is everything. When I am most vulnerable, directly behind her, I will not be able to smack her because I fear retaliation. Especially now, since I am not walking well, I am extra careful around her, usually avoiding to go around her at all.

Anyway, after my ride on Scout, I carefully climbed off, using the railing, and gave him several head hugs, as I released him from the halter. He seemed extra content and I think that our ride was just what we both needed.


Just an hour or so to be safe from fear - song: Black Tie, White Noise, artist: David Bowie, album: Black Tie, White Noise

Ain't got no Hair, part 3

Saturday morning, the sky was again full of smoky haze from the Wallow Fire burning in Arizona, several hundred miles away.

But it didn't stop our plans to shear the alpacas. i got the name of a shearer during the East Mountain Fiber Tour last weekend and we had a date today.

It was good to see how they catch the alpacas using two lead ropes stretched out. When my son and daughter caught them the last time, it took them an hour to corner them. It took these guys about a minute.

 Louise tends to cush at all times. She wouldn't come out of the trailer when they arrived at my place and now she went down when they approached her.

For the first time since I bought them, the alpacas are being haltered. I found out the extra large halters I purchased at the Alpaca Show in Denver last month are a little too big but they are still usable. I should have gotten the large ones for a better fit.

 Once haltered, a quick tug on the lead and the reluctant alpacas led readily across the yard, through the arroyo and into the barn. I sure wish horses were so easily managed.

This gentleman is giving Thelma some "joy juice," an herbal sedative. I cannot remember the name of it but it might be good to have on hand.

 I think Trevor and and Thelma look alike here. Big dark eyes and snarly teeth.

It was amazing to see how gentle they became, once caught.

This shearer likes to shear them standing up. It's faster and easier. However, Thelma didn't agree. She immediately tried to cush.

 It certainly took a team to shear. Sheila was in charge of filling the bags: A, B, and C. This was the blanket, the finest fiber, bag A.

 I couldn't resist getting photos of the curious equines. Annie is the 'fraidy cat and wouldn't come any closer. Yalla! and Scout, like little kids, couldn't get close enough.

It was a lot of back breaking work to shear the girls. To avoid getting the shearer kicked, Trevor had to hold the legs really tight. Fortunately, there was no spitting happening here.

Here's Trevor hanging on to those legs. 

The shearer noticed a lump on Thelma's belly, like a hernia. He suggested that I call the vet out. You can just about make it out in the following photo. I'm glad the shearer noticed it.

  Just like Thelma, Louise immediately cushed. It made it very awkward while clipping the toenails.

 I was pleasantly surprised to find both alpacas reasonably well behaved during their shearing ordeal. They never spit at us and didn't struggle much, They have obviously been handled before.

 It's a good thing her neck is so long with all the hands holding her. lol.

Nadia had a different opinion of the little critters than Yalla!, Scout and Annie. Instead of curiosity, she had animosity

 and flat out charged at poor Thelma.

 Thelma spit at her over and over but it didn't stop the attacks. Nadia would go to the corner and charge the rail. She looks so innocent standing back there, doesn't she? So does Thelma.

 Poor thing! She looks like a cross between a rabbit and a camel.

Here they are the next morning, skinny and DIRTY! I never realized how much alpacas liked to roll in the dirt before. After their fleeces are off, it's a good time to assess their weight. They look just right.

We decided to leave the halters with the catch leads (5 inch straps left dangling for easier catching) on them until we can gentle them down a little more.

Whew! I'm glad that's over for a year. It seemed much less stressful than the shearing I watched up in Denver at the Alpaca Show where the poor things were screeching and spitting away.

The shearer said the girls' coats were shorter than usual, like maybe they had been sheared in the late fall last year. Hopefully, their coats will improve next spring.

Next step, felt making.


Ain't got no Hair, part 2- song: Space Oddity, artist: David Bowie, album: Space Oddity

But the Food is Cold

This post is for Lytha, especially. She asked how I make the beet pulp mash so I decided to give instructions on how I do it. "Your horses are so lucky to get such fancy meals! although i really wanted to see nadia's portion. do you drain your beet pulp? how do you do that?"


Nadia and Annie need it for weight management whereas Yalla! and Scout get it as a supplement and a treat.

Start with a sack of beet pulp pellets. I've been paying about $12 for a 50 pound bag at my local feed store. Then a couple of weeks ago I was charged $20 for one bag at the same local feed store. I was in shock and asked what happened. She said there was a shortage. The next day I went to the feed store across town and bought three  40 lb bags at $12 each. I basically got a bag for free with the old prices even though I sure didn't want to spend that much. I usually only buy one bag at a time. Jeez, I've never had anything go up that much in price before.

I've heard that you can feed them dry but they swell so much that I am hesitant to try it that way. I do give the horses a pellet or two as a snack sometimes. It's fun to watch them crunch them up.

I use a 2 pound coffee tin or you can use a feed scoop which is about the same measurement. I scoop out 2+ coffee cans of pellets into a bucket.

Then I add water to the pellets. I always add about double the water in proportion to the pellets. I figure it'll help with their hydration if it gets too wet. We do live in a desert, after all. I just scoop the water out of their water buckets because it's easier than using the tap. You could use warm water if you want but it still takes some time to break down the pellets so I just use cold water. Originally, I worried that the mash would freeze. It is really wet and cold, but so far, the horses don't seem to mind eating cold porridge. lol.

Never mind that the water looks so strange in my photo. This picture was taken in the morning with poor light and there is a layer of ice on top giving it a strange look. The white thing is my hand holding the can and dipping in the water.

Then I pour the water over the pellets...

 and set it aside for several hours. I find that by feeding the mash each morning and then starting the next batch at the same time works best for me. I've left it as long as 48 hours before and it doesn't spoil in the cold weather although high temperatures can make it go rancid. In the summer I make it in the evening and feed it in the morning.

This is not a fast feed. It must always be planned and made well ahead of mealtime. That is why it's taken so long to feed sometimes, if my son feeds for me, or something happens, because I won't ask him to feed it. It's too much work and then having to keep the horses separated is another issue.

Here is "tomorrow's mash" getting ready for tomorrow. I cover the bucket to keep mice out. Those are empty feed sacks that I need to throw away.

This is what it looks like when it's fully reconstituted, kind of like "shredded" bran meal. Sometimes, the last bit is watery but it's not too bad. I don't ever drain it. As I've said, I think it's good for them to get the extra wetness. The mush has an interesting smell, kind of nutty? My horses like it plain but, of course, they prefer it with grain added.

 I get all my feed buckets ready and then I scoop:

 1 scoop (2 pound can) each to Scout and Yalla!

Because I'm crazy, I use a certain mix of grains for each of my horses. I give Scout and Yalla! each 3 handfuls of cracked corn and 3 handfuls of sweet feed mixed grain. Then I add antihistamines to Scout's mix. 

Here's Yalla!s mix. Scout's is the same in the black tub.

For Annie, I'll give 2-3 scoops of beet pulp mash, 4 handfuls of cracked corn, 4 handfuls of Senior mix and a handful of sweet feed. Nadia gets the same proportions of grains and the rest of the mash which comes out to about 4-5 scoops. I like to add vegetable oil too. My vet said it was a great weight producing food and you can't ever give them too much. For Nadia and Annie, I'll add a cup of oil each and for Scout and Yalla!  1/4 to 1/2 cup. I also like to add Calf Manna or some other kind of vitamin supplement.

Here's Nadia's portion. It's hard to see but there is some corn and other grains mixed around in it.

I have been leaving Nadia in the barn by herself with extra hay so she can browse leisurely without the pigs other horses taking it all from her. She is old and chews slower than the others.  I hate keeping her in the barn because although she has a 24 x 48 run she doesn't move around much. After all, she's 27 years young.  I had hoped the big pasture would help her fatten up but she didn't seem to get enough to eat there and it was only for a couple of months until Annie hurt herself anyway. 

Here's a photo of Nadia a few months ago. Notice the bony points and loss of muscle tone.

This is from this morning.

I know, they're terrible photos, but I'm happy to say that she is looking much better now. Even though the angle is awful, you can see that her backbone isn't as prominent and her rump is rounding up more. Of course, she has a hay belly but she's always had that. I can really notice the difference when I sit on her bareback. She was getting kind of bony, now she's just swaybacked, like your favorite old chair: comfy but droopy.

But the Food is Cold - song: Repetition, artist: David Bowie, album: Lodger

Is Heaven any Sweeter

Today is Scout's birthday. Let's just say he's over the hill now. Since he's not registered, he'll never age past 12. Right? ;) And he looks and acts like an 8 year old anyway.

The night before he was born, my husband and I heard his mother pacing in her corral. I guess we should have slept outside but we didn't even have a barn yet. Because she seemed so restless, we woke up predawn, about 4:30 and went out to check on her. I saw a falling star on my way out to the corral so I knew it was a special day. There in the darkness we saw a little form standing next to Beighley. He was spunky already, and dry, so we figured he must have been born a few hours earlier. Beighley was only five years old so, as a new mother, she was very protective of her little one. We couldn't even get near him until we caught her. It was such a difference from Annie and Yalla!. Annie was practically asking us for help and I actually broke the sac around Yalla!'s head when she was being born.

Funny thing about Scout's markings, as crazy as they are, they haven't changed much from the day he was born. Because of the falling star, I actually considered calling him Dakota Morning, Kody for short. My husband thought he looked like a Scout so we called him Renegade Scout. Beighley was an Appaloosa Arabian and she was bred to a Paint. An accident? I think everybody hoped for a pinto. Well, he certainly was. But he was also a beautifully blanketed Appaloosa with the sclera on his eyes (one blue) and striped hooves. Since today was his birthday, what better present could I give him than several hundred acres of pasture for grazing? There is a HUGE field about a 1/4 to 1/2 mile from my house depending on whether I walked the fields or the roads. I made a deal with the owner to turn them out during the summer months last year and he was agreeable again this year. Originally, I was only going to turn out Scout and Nadia like I did last year but then I decided that Annie could probably benefit from the grazing and Yalla! would enjoy it too. So, I set up a water tank for them and then walked Nadia and Scout out to the field with halters and lead ropes. I walked them down to the water tank before turning them loose so that they would know where to get water. Then I let them go and they took off running.
I went back to the barn and haltered Annie and Yalla! Then I walked Annie and Yalla! together out to the field. I was sort of apprehensive walking the two of them but I didn't know how Yalla! would be by herself either. Annie seemed very calm and relaxed until she recognized Scout and Nadia in the distance. She knew right away where we were going but besides walking with her head way up in the air she was very calm and well behaved. Her daughter wasn't too bad, but she did make a few turns around Annie and I every so often. She never stopped and balked which I was very glad, of in spite of seeing strange things and being further from home than she'd ever been before. She tends to lean in on me sometimes which I don't like so I switched her from the offside to the near side and she walked a little better after that.

When Annie saw Scout and Nadia in the field they saw us too. They took off at a dead run up the field away from us. The neighbor nearest the field was doing yardwork and even stopped to watch them, wondering what got into them, I'm sure. I was hoping they were running for the gate knowing that we were coming, but no! mischievous horses that they are, they ran all the way to the very far end of the field out of sight. 'Great!' I thought. I'm worried about getting these two into the field and now I have to keep them in hand even longer. I did not want to let them loose until we found the other horses. The field is that big! So I managed to open the gate, bring them in, latch the gate, and walk up the field to Nadia and Scout. I should have known she'd head in that direction. It was her favorite grazing area last year.

Finally, we caught up with Nadia and Scout. As we came into view, Scout called and came running up to us with Nadia on his heels. I was relieved that the two horses I was holding were behaving and I undid Yalla!'s halter as fast as I could so she could be free to join Scout without getting me hurt in the middle of everybody. Annie was still being very calm and sweet on the lead even though I could sense how tensed up she was. I undid her halter and the four of them ran around me a few times in their usual pecking order: Annie, Scout, Yalla! and Nadia at the rear. I consider them to be Mom, big brother, and Auntie to Yalla! It's funny, even though Annie is clearly the lead mare, everyone defers to Nadia for guidance in uncertain or stressful times. Nadia decided they would stay in that area to graze, so they did. I watched them a while and I swear by Annie's eyes that she melted with contentment. Yalla! was fascinated. She gazed and walked around, looking at everything. I decided to check back on them in a few hours.

When I came back I brought the camera and took a few photos. They were still happily grazing in the same general area.

I wondered if they'd had any water. Nadia and Scout knew where the water was but I hadn't shown Annie and Yalla! So I haltered up Nadia and began leading her all the way down the field to the water tank. I knew that the others would follow because of that "everybody must obey Annie" but "Nadia knows best" rule. If I had haltered Annie, Nadia might not have come along. The way they drank I knew they hadn't had any water all day. Sometimes, I think Nadia is so forgetful. Can horses have Alzheimers? Scout wouldn't dare lead the herd even though he knew where the water was.

Unfortunately Scout has allergies as you can see from the bumps on his neck. Poor baby!

Is Heaven any Sweeter - song: Blue Jean, artist: David Bowie, album: Tonight

Worm, the pain and blade

A week ago Friday, I had the vet come out to my barn for a routine visit on all my horses. All the horses got their shots and Annie and Nadia both had their teeth floated. Since it cost so much (almost a mortgage payment!), I had a different vet do the work. My usual vets take payment up front whereas this vet was willing to do payments. I also got Coggins tests on Scout and Nadia in preparation for some planned traveling and trail riding. The blood tests came out negative, the same as my attitude towards the testing.

Coggins tests are required by most states (all?) when horses are in contact with other horses (events such as shows, trail rides, etc.) or traveling, on a yearly basis. The blood test is for Equine Infectious Anemia, commonly known as Swamp Fever, which is primarily transmitted between horses by bloodsucking insects. If the horse tests positive he must be completely quarantined for life which is nearly impossible to do. The more common alternative is to put the horse down. There is no known cure and we don't have a vaccine, although China does. Usually, horses that test positive don't even show symptoms. Frankly, I think it's served it's purpose. The test was developed in the 70's and eradicated all the infected horses at that time. I don't know if horses still test positive or not but it's always terrifying to know that a simple blood test can give your horse a death sentence.

Anyway, both Nadia and Annie had their teeth floated. Scout had his teeth done last fall although he could use it again already. I'm going to have to save more pennies or win the lottery really soon at this rate!

I also asked about Yalla's pot belly. He suggested three reasons: worms, protein deficiency, or normal growth pattern. See below for an example but please excuse the blurry photo. Also, she is still fuzzy with winter hair. It gets very warm during the day but last week we had a freeze.

I have been reading so much about too much protein and joint problems that I cut her back on her supplements, probably too much. So, I have begun feeding her Calf Manna (25% protein) about 1 lb a day, which is the recommended dose for growing horses (1- 1/2 lbs), along with a half pound of grain.

Although I wormed her last year, it's been several months since her last worming. Uh oh!! I know my other horses don't have worms, or very few, so I kind of forgot to keep on the schedule. (I am a bad horse owner!) The vet said that foals often have a lot more infestation than adult horses and should be wormed regularly. I asked which wormer to use on her and he suggested doing a fecal sample for analysis. So, I took in a fecal sample last Thursday. Waited until she pooped after the morning feed and scooped up an "apple" in a little baggie. I wrapped a paper towel around the baggie, foil around that, and then put it all on ice. Delightful! The vet called back with the results on the fecal sample and said she had no parasites. She did recommend worming anyway with a broad spectrum wormer and retesting her in three weeks.

I also talked to the vet about feeding options for Nadia and Annie because they appear ribby. Annie has always been tough to keep weight on and as Nadia gets older she seems to be losing her muscle and fatty stores. He suggested feeding them a daily ration of oil, a couple of cups, whereas I had only been giving her a tablespoon or so, daily. He said any type of fat was good, even bacon grease, because it provided the lipids needed to gain weight. Also, feeding beet pulp mash is a good addition to the diet because it provides calories without the energy and it has a low glycemic (sugar) index. I have read that beet pulp can be fed dry with no adverse effects but I am still reluctant, knowing how it expands and breaks up when water is added. However, I find soaking it beforehand to be such a hassle.

Tuesday morning, I noticed that Nadia couldn't reach the ground to eat! She would bend her neck so far and then quit. This is a dire predicament for a horse. After all, they eat off the ground and the water source is often low to the ground too. She appeared hungry and alert. I felt her neck and didn't notice any major swelling. I wondered if she had any infection around her teeth because the vet ground her molars down hard just a few days earlier. I didn't feel any fever either, so I thought it must be a reaction to the shots after all. I noticed she was a little dehydrated so I separated her from the other horses and placed a water bucket in her grain feeder so she could reach without bending. Luckily, there is a wall feeder in that stall so I threw in a bunch of hay so that she could munch at her leisure having to bend down. Then I gave her a big serving of soaked beet pulp with a little grain and decided to watch her.

She was no better on Wednesday and so by Thursday morning I called the vet when she laid down and then got right back up. She seemed alert and hungry but definitely not herself. She still had no fever and the vet thought it was a sore neck from the shots. He told me to come pick up some bute paste to give her for the pain which I did. I again left her in to eat by herself. She was hungry for the beet pulp mashes that I gave her both morning and night, well watered down so that she wouldn't dehydrate. Annie also enjoyed the mashes.

Friday evening she seemed to be improving. With thunderstorms in the area, I brought Scout in to share her pen and he happily cleaned up all the hay on the ground that she hadn't eaten. This morning, I again gave her and Annie beet pulp mashes along with their hay and left them in while I put Scout and Yalla outside. I plan on regularly giving beet pulp mashes with lots of corn oil to the ladies from now on. I have been meaning to do this. I had the beet pulp already. I've just been lazy, and there it is again- a bad horse owner! Sometimes, I think I should just sell my house, horses, and everything else and move to the big city. Yes, I have been very depressed lately.

Worm, the pain and blade - song; Voyeur of Utter destruction , artist: David Bowie, album: Outside