Red Pony Farm: A journey in motion

Pay It Foward

Henny Penny and the Stupid Chickens have been producing more eggs than I can eat--especially on the weeks when The Man is away. So I bring them to work to share. Lots of people are doing that these days. We get amazing baked treats (one woman who retired still sends in her lucious Irish bread for St. Patty's day!) beer samples, chocolates, fresh produce, fruits and berries. This is such a very groovy thing!! and sometimes you even get some notoriety. BTW follow the link for a yummy egg recipe and LOTS more great gluten free cooking.

Thanks Paleo Musings for the kind post!!

2013 February Blizzard

We got a couple feet of snow first week of february in one blast.

Old (15 this year) Bear getting frosted up on the front deck.

This is Merry Dog who helped me get the little bull calf in the barn for the night of the storm. Little Echo calf did not want to follow me once I got the halter on him--no way. I asked Merry to just walk behind him--I thought she would chase and bark and nip--but she carefully just walked behind him and guided him in. When I asked her to get really closeto help him along the little level ramp to the barn door she just did it and no more. She's a good girl.

This is Avalanche in his snow fort.

Av's version of snow angel.

Echo baby getting warm and dry during the storm in a pony blanket.

Back out again YAY!

 

Big Wind

This was the scene that greeted me from inside the Sun room on a day late in January 2013. Bleary eyed it took me several blinks to figure out what I was seeing. Then I realized that the shed in the distance was missing something.

That must have been some wind gust to remove that roof blow it ~100 feet and take it for a 45 degree turn over the cow fence (note cut poly / wire rope) and leave it smashed up against the Hemlock tree.

 

The Cow was not touched nor spooked much by all this commotion. Thank goodness. And yippee insurance covered it!!

The Girl in the little yellow house was given an amazing gift from the universe just before Christmas 2012. An Alpine God, my own personal Medicine Man, the love of my life, and the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I was completely swept off my feet and loving every minute of it.

 

2013 is suddenly lookin like it's holding a lot of fun in store for one lucky couple! More to come (if winter returns soon) as Avalanche (the great Pyrenees in my life) learns to haul a sled up to the mountain getaway and the girl learns how to use a life saving device called a sledaddle.

Scratches

The last time I had a horse with Scratches was somewhere between 2001 and 2002. But the first spring in my new place (June 2012) maybe due to the wet weather and maybe due to something in the soil and most likely due to both happening at once, all 3 horses got Scratches. Horse 1 got them on both of her white pasterns and it looked like this:

Horse 2 got them on his one white pastern and his looked like this:

Horse 3 got them also on one of his white pasterns and it seemed to follow an old scar he had there like this:

Now back in 2001 -ish I washed with betadine daily,treated with zinc ointment,  then tried blue coat (gentian violet) and then over the counter anti fungals (althletes foot meds) . The scratches resolved and healed in about 6 weeks.

This time I took a different approach. I did nothing. The weather was improving the ground drying nicely and one of horse 1's pasterns was already turning the corner towards healing when I first noticed it at which time the other 2 had not developed any scabs yet. Turning the corner towards healing looks like this:

OK, well, horse 3 did get a bunch of anti fungal cream because his just looked SO bad. I'll mention here that none of the horses felt any noticable discomfort from their scratches--I assume because it did not get down under the heel where it would contact the ground when they walked. Horse 1 was the first to develope the scratches and the first to heal. but with and without treatment all cases resolved and were completely healed in about 6 weeks.

So,  I just did a search on Scratches in horses and every article I read said that scratches MUST be treated. I was saying "you've got to be kidding me!" Then I came across These photos of scratches.  I have revised my definition of "SO bad". And  now I agree if I ever had anything that looked like THAT I would be treating it. Yikes! I hope the photos I have posted of my cases of scratches and those in the link will help you know when you have a condition that MUST be treated or one you can leave to resolve on it's own. I will reiterate a bit for clarity: my horses are pastured not stalled. It was a very raining month with lots of mud and little to no time for drying between rains when the scratches developed. When my photos were taken the rainy season had ended mostly and the days were sunny and dry for long stretches so that even when we did have a rain the horses could stay out of the wet. AND: At no time did my horses resemble the linked to photos.

New places to plant grasses YAY!!

Ethical and Green business worth supporting: RimTrue

Who knew you could just have those bent and dented up rims repaired?! You can, it's easy and you'll be glad you did!

RimTrue

A Point in Time at the New Farm: July / August 2012

While I was busy Splitting 4 cord of wood (a borrowed splitter from a good friend) I received a letter from insurance company telling me I needed railings on my front step (and warning signs on my electric fence) or they would dump me in 90 days. I came home one day from work shortly thereafter and was shocked to find --RAILINGS on my front steps. I am surrounded by angels!

Grandsons in the red neck spa! Yes there are 3 of them--one just happens to be upside down. Don't laugh at the idea-- fresh water left to set in the sun all day in July is a lovely bathe. Of course on this particular evening there wasn't much left for Grammy--but oh what fun!

The stumps are not out yet after the harvesting but so much grass was growing I had to fence at least some of it in!

The excavation team has me on the list for stump removal before the big freeze. Then real pasture will be planted--and lots more fencing.

I Have some moss to remove and shingles to bleach! I thought I was going to have to replace shingles because it leaked last winter--but I think maybe the leaking was due to the moss, and once it's scrubed off and bleached good it won't leak. I'll let you know.

Next up: Alternative roofing material, and 3 cases of scratches!

 

Home!

Horses, Dogs and Chickens all settled in. Getting my camera fixed and there will be more pictures. Had no idea life could be this good!!! More soon.

A long Time Coming

I'm glad I didn't know that it might take a year to move from the shock of the final betrayal, the beginning of the end of 26 years, and through the divorce process and close to the point of beginning my new life. I know it could be worse, I've heard the stories of folks who have gone through worse for a longer peroid of time. I have much to be glad for and I am. I am not bitter. I am not quite completely spent either. But it has been a trial for me. I am not the same person I was a year ago. I hope that my energy comes back. I hope that my joy in things I use to love comes back. I think it will once all the details are settled. And I have some truely wonderful friends who cheer me everyday!

I am 50 years young and not too old for this new beginning. I have picked out a home and property that would suite my new start just fine. I am close to knowing if I can swing it ( or rather if the bank agrees when I tell them I can).

I have managed to keep the horses, and the dogs and a few chickens. And they've all managed to stay healthy (knock on wood--praise God ect.) I think the horses believe they are officially retired to a life of leisure now though. I didn't lose my job. My old car is still running. I didn't quite lose my mind. My health is good.I think it's all gonna be ok. I will be back to working on the blog and keeping updated on this journey in motion-- soon.

Tomorrow I take back my maiden name. The name I had when I was such a dreamer. When all things were possible.

Quick Update

Avalanche (the new puppy) is growing! He s almost 7 months old now.

He's great with Baby Alex my youngest grandson.

I'm going through a tough divorce after 26 years of marriage. I will be leaving the little hill I suspect though details have not yet been worked out.

The horses have been very healthy and happy since our Strangles troubles this Spring. So not much to tell there. I have ridden a handfull of times this year. Training has been sadly neglected. I'm in hopes that 2011 will see me back on my feet with more to talk about and energy for new topics. Take care faithful readers and new friends. I'll try to do a better job and updating comments.

Versatility Trail Challenge at Piper Ridge Farm

Water Cat Productions took some lovely photographs again this year (and got more shots of our horse safe demo bridge from Maine Equestrian Trails Alliance Inc)

Apple Flavored Horse Treats: $6.00 a bag

A pair of peacock Irons: $35.00. Safety helmets: $50.00 a pop. Tack and grooming tools: $1,500.00. Feed and upkeep per year: $6000.00. Horses that do kids: PRICELESS!

 

Streptococcus Equi aka Strangles

Here is what the Merck Veterinary Manual has to say.

Stay tuned while I piece together our continuing drama that started in February 2010 with a visit to North Carolina to meet Cash cowboy, A 3 year old kid safe super quiet Tennessee Walker, who arrived in Maine 6 weeks later so sick and emaciated that the vet left us that first night with little hope that he would still be alive in 48 hours. Worst of all was that the suspected culprit that night was EHV 1 . Poor Cowboy was so ill he could not pass even the simplest of the round of neurological tests the Vet put him through.

 

He came with a health certificate (while on the phone with the vet later I noticed it was date 4 weeks before transport). I was appalled that they put a saddle on that spine. How does a horse loose 100 pounds in 6 weeks? It was shocking. Cash Cowboy stepped off the trailer from North Carolina to Maine weighing ~660 pounds, standing 15 hands tall, with a fever of 104 and barely able to walk. He was still eating though and drinking--but not nearly as much as he started doing once he had a dose or two of Phenylbutazone (bute) in him.  Besides the fever and strong neurological failings he had no other real clinical signs of illness, one moderately swollen lymph node under his chin. Everything pointed to EHV-1. We were devastated--we were in shock. For 24 hours we carried the burden of a very real possibility of loosing not only the new boy but our beloved Lucy and Spot within the next week. Cindy and I held each other in tears but quickly resolved not to give up before we'd even begun. The vet said that horses with neurological EHV-1 do not improve. They continue on a fast spiral from this sick to dead within 24 hours.

First thing the following day we out in the paddock putting a bit brighter eyed 3 year old through another round of the tests: if we cross his legs in front putting the left hoof on the ground on the right side of the right front hoof will he still just leave it there for 20 seconds? No not even for 2 seconds. The back legs? Set that left hoof back where it goes in less than 2 seconds again. We looked at each other beaming with hope. We put him through the walking with his tail being pulled one way then the other. we even asked him turn sharply on the steep sloop of the driveway. SO much more stable than yesterday. I was teary eyed again but because of the relief as the best news possible settled on me. we walked him slurping up his warm mash of beet pulp, senior feed, hay pellets and blood builder supplement knowing that Cowboy was going live and recover from whatever it was that was making him so sick.

It took a week or so for the test results to trickle in. Negative for EHV-1, negative for EPM, encephalitis, Lyme, rocky mountain spotted fever, and even rabies was ruled out even though we were told by the Heaven's Gate Farm in NC that they didn't vaccinate for rabies in that state (they said other goofy things too like TWH have to be kept thin or they loose their gate. No one I've talked to since has ever heard that--and at 200 pounds heavier than he was when he arrived--Cowboy could trot to save his life--those goofy legs of his cannot move in that fashion). Back to the story: We continued to monitor his fever and administer the SMZs and bute twice daily. We knew he had some sort of infection somewhere from the blood analysis. It wasn't until the week after the doses of SMZs ended that we discovered where.

About 4 days after the Antibiotics ended the lymph nodes under Cowboys jaw began to grow and become increasing tender. Now the vet strongly suspected Strangles. We began hot packing with Epsom salts and three days later the fist of three abscess drain openings appeared.

 

This is what the second opening looked like on the second day. It would completely open up in the next couple of days and the third would appear beside it. You can see in the top photo a small healing opening below and to the left where the first small one drained.

The hot packing continued, now with  Betadine added tot he Epsom Salts. The are had to be cleaned and the abscess tracks irrigated twice a day. Below is what greeted me every morning.

 

Swabb samples where taken and the results came back Positive for Streptococcus Equi. We had kept Cowboy segregated from the other horses and now we knew we were looking at another 4 weeks of keeping them all separated and handling all buckets grooming tools manure forks individually, washing boots between visits, always feeding and caring for non sick horses first. It also meant canceling feed deliveries ferrier visits etc. and having to tell all the horsey friends to stay away!

It was interesting the different responses we got from folks. Some were very much afraid of the infection, while others said things like,"strangles is everywhere, healthy horses don't get it, your being too overly cautious." we decided to ere on the side of caution. It was not fun dealing with this nasty mess, it was expensive, and the worry over whether the others would get was tiring in itself.

During this time we had gone out and found 2nd crop hay for our patient to consume at will 24 / 7, and the mixture of beet pulp, senior feed, hay pellets given three times daily was incrementally increased according to a schedule laid out by our Vet at Maine equine Associates, until Cowboy was eating  10 cups of Blue seals vintage senior, 16 cups of Forage extender, and 4 cups of beet pulp divided into three meals and well soaked every day.

Here he is in June above and below. He had gained a respectable 120 pounds by then.

  As of august 06 Cash Cowboy weighs in at ~875 and still gaining slowly. He grazes on grass all night, he eats free choice fresh first crop local hay during the day. And he still gets a one quart scoop of molasses free beet pulp crumbles from Poulin Grain and a scoop of Pormax high fat pelleted feed each day. We have been riding him and hope that he will muscle up some pretty soon.

 

And I will be adding pictures as I get them taken.

Stay tuned next for lesson in Streptococcus Equi and the story of the $6000,00 rescue horse

Well It's been Awhile

Lots has been going on and I will endeavor to catch you up. I'm not sure where to start, March--April--May--June?

Well, I'll start with Baby Avalanche I guess. A friend of ours who owns a fabulous female Great Pyrenees decided to have a litter of pups. I was instantly smitten just by the photo he showed me on his iphone of them when they were 7 days old--5 females and 2 males. He told me he was keep the largest male who he had already named Chewbaca. I told him I would take the second male and his name would be Avalanche after another wonderful pyr that I had known. This is very unusual for us because we always adopt stays or take dogs that are being given up. I can't say always anymore. I started visiting every Tuesday. This week Ave is 6weeks old. He will come home on August 10th. I can't wait. I will start with the newest photo on the top:

At 6 weeks: it was the first time Ave really looked at me and came to me for petting. This week they are playing and running without tumbling over--at least not until over taken by a sibling and pulled over.

Pony is feeding less now and the pups are on kibble already.

 
 

 
 

Versatility Trail Challenge

Here is a Video of 2009 Versatility Trail Challenge at Piper Ridge Farm. This year it will be part of a series of 5 maybe 6. And there will be an end of year awards banquet. And this year if I have to be interviewed I will have a spiel memorized, and hopefully will not freeze in front of the camera. Or maybe we can get an actor to donate the time for a filmed interview! Fun Stuff just the same

The August Piper Ridge Farm event is sponsored by META and all proceeds go directly to the Bridge Materials Grant Program which provides material to build horse safe 20 year life span bridges on Maine trail systems.

Pine Point Scarborough Maine

This weather has to be breaking some record or other at this point. Seventy degrees F,  plus in some places.

We took some horses to the beach today. Paid 10.00 for a pass that is good from Labor day 2009 - Memorial day 2010. We packed a camera and plastic bags to scoop up poop should it happen. There were 9 trailers in the parking lot and lots of cars coming and going. The non horsey people were great and even those who are not interested to see the horses were courteous to them and us.

It was Hot Spots first trip to the beach (since he's been with us anyway) and Raychell's first beach riding experience. Linda and Annie had been once or maybe twice before. Both horses did really well with all the people and dogs and kids with balls and assorted brightly colored gadgets. No kites today or wind surfers.

We managed to get the horses to allow the edge of waves to wash over their feet while leading them--but the bravery did not hold up after we were mounted and there was no one to go first. Maybe next time.

 



Spot was very curious to see me pick up his poop with a plastic bag.

Another All Rain Nor' Easter

February 25th 2010 the day after I turned 49. It is the first storm since moving onto the little Hill in Hollis that had wind strong enough to shake the cabin. I heard it gusted to 60 miles an hour. The rain was reported as being as heavy as 6 inches in 8 hours in some locations nearby. I do not know what they think Hollis received specifically but there was a bit of rain. It rain down the walls of the cabin on the east side where there is still a piece of Log siding missing from the top section where they had to decapitate the cabin in order to move it down the road.

As a matter of fact this is the East Side!  Click here to see more pictures of moving day 2006. 

Anyway the piece of siding has not been replaced yet for some reason. and a couple times a year we get slammed with an all rain nor' Easter and we get wet. Luckily we can catch it all before it gets below main level and blotches the plaster board of the lower level walls. It just makes interesting "character marks" on the inside face of the logs:

I always have to take down the paintings and then put them back. Anyhoo . . . I had to take a trip out on Friday to fetch my repaired chain saw (had a couple of trees down on fence lines to remove) in Buxton and I snapped some pictures while out and about and being re-routed due to downed trees and such. There was one spot that due to the traffic as I was swept along in a line of about 8 cars and wasn't able to get a picture. It was at the intersection of 4A and 112 where we had to drive under downed wires by going off pavement into the west bound lane of 112 just west of 4A (Low's variety store intersection). I fit in the pick-up truck but I don't think anyone much taller would have. Below is 160 Deerwander rd. Hollis

Below is the dam at Bar Mills on rt. 4A. I had to get a photo here for Dan's Mom Sarah--since becoming aware recently of how often she snaps pictures from this spot on her travels out to do the book keeping for Dan. I couldn't help standing there for a while just hearing the roar and trying to feel the power of all that water. It's impossible to image. I watched huge trees come over that damn like the twigs and leaves I used to sail on streams in spring as a child. Trees that must have been 20 - 25 inches in diameter and I have no idea how tall, stripped of branches from their tumble down river. Hugely powerful. Hard to draw myself away--but for the need to get back and get the work done.

"

  Hay field at rt 112 and Rankin Rd Buxton.

Hay field at rt 112 Buxton.

Same field a little closer.

Muddy Brook Rd Hollis.

Rt 35 between Haley rd and Moderation Hollis.

Brave Heart.















 

Vet Visit: Routine Dental, Vaccinations, Physicals

Lucy, Hot Spot, and the new pony: Sir Samuel Copper, all had a visit from the Rachel Flaherty D.V.M. yesterday.
We Started with the teeth. Spot and SSC both needed their teeth floated. Lucy is off the hook till fall. In case you don't know what it means to have a horses teeth floated I have gathered some pictures and links to give more information on the subject than you realized you wanted:

In this first photo taken from British Association of Equine Dentistry you see a technician using a mouth speculum, stand, lamp, and hand tools very similar to what Dr. Flaherty uses. 

This next Technician from East County Large Animal Practice in California. It shows a power float tool like the one Dr. Flaherty uses on my horses.

The illustration below taken from Valley Vet dot net  and it shows what the horses teeth actually look like. This is a revelation to a lot of people who do not know horses--that a horses mouth is so full of teeth, very long teeth that continue to grow throughout the life of the horse.

Also taken from the Horse Health dot net:

"A brief explanation to equine dental terminology:

• Floating: means "to smooth". More recently called dental reduction or dental equilibration.
• Points: Sharp tooth projections on the inside of the lower jaw near the tongue and on the outside of the upper jaw near the cheek from normal dental wear that can cause sores/injuries to the cheek and tongue.
• Hooks: Sharp tooth projections on the front of the upper row of jaw "grinding teeth" or on the back of the bottom row of jaw "grinding teeth" that can cause injury to the tongue and cheek
• Ramp: Sloping surfaces that can have sharp edges on the premolar/molars of the jaw that can cause tongue or cheek injury. 
• 
  
  

Wolf teeth are small teeth located on the top jaw in some horses. Sometimes because of their small, undeveloped root structure they "fall out" with normal chewing/wear. However, historically some horsemen have had concerns with the wolf-teeth causing problems with the bit. Have your veterinarian evaluate if your horse's wolf teeth are still present and they will advise you if extraction is recommended."

Below is a picture of the inside of a horses mouth showing some very sharp edges on teeth and the mouth sores they create:

This Photo was taken from Horse Health Network . Many other photos of this kind can be found at this site and also an explanation of bitseating a tooth.

Here are some pictures of dental tools: The bur on the end of the power floater:

 

And some hand tools. These my Vet uses for finish work.

I even found an Australian organization that claims routine power floating is not a humane practice and explains why they feel this way:  Equine Dental Association of Australia. 

NOW, when I tell you that Sir Samuel was found to have a wave mouth, and steep ramps on the teeth way in the back you will know exactly what that means. He was also found to have a broken tooth in the center, top left. He had a lot of scarring and sores on the insides of his checks from very sharp edges like the picture. He has been with me for under a week as a free lease for the next 6th months (you will hear more about him soon). I had noticed that he spills a significant amount of his grain when eating. I had been putting his bucket down in the middle of a swept 4x6 rubber mat so that he could spend time licking up after after himself.  This morning after his dental work he seemed much neater. 

This is his response this morning to my query " Now that wasn't so bad having your teeth fixed up now was it?" :

You can see that he is also relaxing and sleeping in his shed on his clean soft dry shavings pile. AND I am delighted to discover he hasn't once used his bed for a toilet!

Mr. Copper for the past 4 years has been a pony clubber. His riders has now outgrown him and perhaps he will introduce some grandsons to the pleasures of riding and horse care. He passed his physical fine, although has a small cataract in one eye and the Vet would like him to gain "some" weight. She also told us that he is not 9 as was stated by the owners. In her professional opinion he is "easily 20 but not younger than late teens".  

Well, we were disappointed but really a 20 year old pony in good health and with a good mind and good experience is quite suitable for small children. Only having recently met the owners I must tell you that I suspect his age discovery will come as a surprise to them as well.

Next Came Hot Spot;

His teeth were in need of floating as well. He also had some sharp edges that had caused some scarring. Spot, even though tranquilized (as is the habit of Dr. Flaherty for all floatings) fought at biting down on the speculum continually. I was advised to give him some pain meds (Banamin-which I substituted phenylbutazone or Bute for) for 24 hours to quell the likely sore jaw that would follow.

Spot passed his physical exam also. Spot is registered Arab and so his age is documented. He turns 13 this year. We discovered that he has a lip tattoo which likely means he raced or at least came from a racing barn / farm (?). I'll have to remember to ask. Spot has perfect eyes and has remained symptom free since his 6 week treatment of oral Doxycycline Hyclate for Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted fever in Sep. Story here.

Dr. Flaherty would still like to see Spot about 40 pounds heavier. Which is better than the 75 she was calling for earlier in the fall! He is on a mixture of beet pulp (the no molasses sort) whole oats and some senior feed tossed in for good measure. I always feed Spot and Lucy together and the same amount to make it easier and faster. But since Lucy got a body score of "perfect for this time of year, but if it were summer, I'd tell you she was a bit fat." from the vet, I have started to tie Lucy with her 1/2 scoop to let Spot lounge over his 2 scoops.

Spots body condition is hard to see through the winter hair coat. But you can feel your fingers sink between some of his ribs.
Lucy is a bit heavier, which you can see even with winter coat. Lucy Also passed her physical exam. Her cataract in the left eye has not grown, and the heart murmur is the same (nothing to be concerned with). Both of these less than perfect findings were discovered in the last two years and although rather unusual for a horse Lucy's age (coming 9 in the fall) they do not seem to be worrisome yet.
All three horses received vaccines for Rhino / Flu, Rabies, and tetanus. The vet left me with EEE/ WEE and West Nile virus vaccines to administer in May. These are mosquito born illness's and it's best to time the dosing with the spring mosquito hatch.