Chew on This

We all know that horses can colic because of the nature of their digestive tracts, but did you ever think about the advantage of not having to rest to chew cud? Horses have an organ called the cecum which allows them to digest plant foods quickly, while the horse is on the move or on the run. Talk about a great way to survive.

In one of my favorite books, "Why Horses Do That" by Lisa Dines this further explains the clear advantage horses have over cows and over sheep for survival. Goats, sheep, etc. hold their food for hours and therefore obtain more energy from less food, making them for favorable as meat animals.

So Mother Nature knew what she was doing when she created the horses digestive tract. Its quick, efficient, vital for survival, but definitely more easily disrupted than the digestive tracts of their farm buddies.

Happy Trails, Kathy Horsedrivensite.net

Muddy Puddles

We take special pains to be sure that our horses have a plentiful supply of fresh, clean water. It's puzzling then when they drink from mud puddles. I found the answer recently in my copy of "Why Horses Do That" by Lisa Dines.

If you think about it, drinking out of a puddle is a more natural neck extension to drinking out of a trough or out of a bucket. It simulates drinking out of a stream or a lake. In the wild, horses paw up their own mud puddles which also provides them with important minerals. Fresh water after a rain may be more appealing than the water that has been in the bucket several hours.

I trail ride with a woman whose horse periodically will stop to paw and to nibble on what appears to be plain old dirt but which may have a mineral that he's seeking. Horses know instinctively what they need and what they like, even it it doesn't make sense to their owners.

Happy Trails, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

My Waterless Week

Periodically, and we still haven't figured out how or why, our Springer Spaniel breaks through the invisible fence. His favorite "go to" place is a pile of fresh manure. This happened three times last week. The second time he went manure diving, when I brought him back to the house and asked "what did you do?" he grinned at me (yes he's one of those rare dogs that smiles). He knows this makes me laugh enough to forget about the offense.

After going to the trouble of a full bath the first time, we resorted to our waterless shampoo for the other incidents. Surprisingly he smelled fresh enough to hop onto the bed at the end of the day, confident that his smile helped to erase his latest escapade.

Happy Trails, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

For Peat's Sake

Now that the pastures have recovered from winter and the horses are able to be outside more, there is much less need for stall cleaning, thank goodness. We've been through several trials of stall bedding to place upon the stall mats. Hay just did not seem very absorbent, and wood shavings of various types were not ideal when spread in pasture because of the length to decompose and the possibility of too much acidity for the pasture.

We use sawdust pellets in our trailer because they are compact and easy to carry. Our best solutions for stalls was suggested by a friend. We now use peat moss for the "wet spots". Peat is incredibly absorbent, a little goes a long way, and it made great material for composting winter manure. When we do spread manure, we feel good about putting this material back on top of the land. The combination of composted manure and peat made a fantastic addition to my gardens this year.

Go green and give it a whirl.

Happy Trails, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Gnats So Nice

Every season has it's flying pest challenges and riding today on a beautiful spring afternoon was no exception. While grooming and tacking up for our ride, I suddenly realized that I was tasting little tiny gnats and not liking it very much. My Fox Trotter was shaking gnats off her ears and I was remembering that we go through cycles of various aerial bombers throughout the riding season.

I came across a recipe for a repellent in my Horse Council news letter. It consists of mixing 9 teaspoons of petroleum jelly with 1 teaspoon of concentrated (2.5%) permethrin and a half teaspoon of Camph-Phenique from the drug store. Apply a layer on and just inside of the ears, around the eyes and around the nostrils.

I plan to try this if I can figure out where to buy permetrhin concentrate. Will keep you posted.

Happy Trails, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Spring Fling

Western Reserve Carriage Association will be hosting an Arena Driving Trial in partnership with Licking County Park District. The event will take place at Infirmary Mound Park in Licking County, Ohio.

Andy Marcoux will offer lessons or you may pleasure drive on your own throughout the park. On Saturday there is a minimarathon and dinner. On Sunday clinic participants may compete in an ADT. Primitive camping is available.

Sounds like fun. For more information check out this website: www.lickingparkdistrict.com.

Happy Driving, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

United Organizations of the Horse

A friend introduced me to this organization. It caught my interest for many reasons, the first being that the name Dr. Temple Grandin caught my eye. Having read Dr. Grandin's book "Animals in Translation", I was even more interested in this organization.

This organization, based in Cheyenne, Wyoming, appears to be a more rational alternative to other animal rights groups. Their approach appears to be more rational and more realistic. They search to find humane ways to deal with unwanted and abandoned horses, and if none can be found they assure that there is a humane end and that someone in need is fed.

As difficult as it is for me to accept, this makes sense. "Animal rights are not the same thing as animal welfare" Let's face it, rescue farms are filling up and running out of funding. It's time to be practical. A fact quoted that there are more meals of horse meat served world wide than McDonald's hamburgers surprised me, but three fourths of the world considers horse meat a food source.

For more information about saving horses from cruel and prolonged suffering from starvation check out United Organizations of Horses.

Peace, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net