Horses Were There Too

This weekend we will be honoring all of those brave men and women who have severed our country throughout history. Not to take away from their contributions, I'm proposing that we also remember the many fine horses who served and who gave their lives in the service of their masters.

It is thought that horses were first used in war about 5000 years ago, most likely pulling wagons, then graduating to chariots, and then to horseback tactics. From movies like Ben Hur, to the many Medieval period films, one can see the importance of the horse in warfare.

After WWI Calvary horses were being phased out, but as late as WWII horses were being used to transport materials in difficult terrain. My Haflinger and I were in a WWII reenactment as the Haflingers were used to transport supplies throughout the Alpine regions of Europe.

Even today mules are being trained then shipped to Afghanistan to transport supplies in rough terrain.

There has been little recognition given to our equine heroes. Following WWII three horses were given the equivalent of the Victoria Cross for their service during the war. In London's Hyde Park there is a memorial in honor of horses and mules who have served.

So as we remember our soldiers this weekend, let's also remember their canine and equine equivalents, and the roles they have played as well.

Happy Memorial Weekend, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Trail Horse Hunting

A recent article in one of my horse magazines had me thinking about what I was looking for in a good trail horse. Trying to find a horse with a good temperament, courage, trail experience, and calmness can be a daunting task. In the age of Internet shopping for everything, horse shopping is no different, but you want to be able to be sure that you have the time to check out a horse fully. There are no serial numbers to tract for the horse's history.

We took several months to find my Fox Trotter, and in this time we created a folder full of contacts. Visiting farms, checking out the environment where a horse is raised or trained is a must. One contact led to another, leading us to my current horse. She was just four at the time which made me hesitate, but she soon won me over with her temperament.

You see her owner breeder had ponied her on trail from the time she was a baby, so she'd been exposed to trail. I think this is why she loves trail so much. Her owner had me ride her on a variety of trails, some quite difficult with river crossings and she performed like a trooper.

I came to the conclusion that I had not only been horse shopping, but I'd been trainer shopping as well, and all lived happily ever after.

Happy Trails, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

Buttercup, Buttercup, O, Butter....

My outdoor riding area is awash in yellow, with one of my favorite spring flowers, the buttercup. Remember holding them under each other's chins as children to see if "you like butter"? To me they are way too perky and cute to be a problem, but they may be for your horse. You see the buttercup, or the Ranunculus bulbosus,is toxic to horses, and most toxic when the plant is flowering. Symptoms of poisoning may include blood stained urine, salivation, depression,blindness.

There's nothing attractive about ground ivy and it apparently grows all over the USA, and this too can be toxic to horses, causing sweating, shortness of breath, salivation, dilated pupils.

The lesson here is to become familiar with where your horses are grazing and what they are ingesting. Some of the most innocent looking, like red clover, can be some of the most toxic to our equine friends.

Happy Trails, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net

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