I have heard mounds of horror stories regarding taking care of horses in the winter… that even as far south as Tennessee, one would end up spending hours breaking up ice in the water troughs with a sledgehammer. That water lines freeze and horses get dehydrated.
Anyone who’s ever perused the “horse treatment” aisle knows that although there is a fortune to be made in this industry, almost every ailment listed on those bottles can be soothed with a handful of common household items.
At the Green Barn, we always try to go the most natural route possible, and so therefore I am ALL OVER home remedies, especially when it comes to treating horses for all the crazy things they need treatment for…
In the past, I might have said – WHO CARES why they kick?! Just stay out of the way of the flying hoof! (Easier said than done, by the way!)
But now that I spend as much time around horses as I do, it’s absolutely essential to be aware of the reasons horses kick, and try to limit those reasons when they are within reach of a human :)
Ask my friend Becky, she is well-aquainted with one of the reasons… an annoyed horse due to improper past training and while Becky was attempting to retrain a behavior… you fill in the blank…
Boo!!!
All Tennessee horse people dread the winter for 1 main reason…
WINTER = MUDDY HORSES
We are seeing LOTS of this at the Green Barn and we haven’t even reached Turkey Day yet!
Sighhh…
So, in preparation, I am reviewing my protocol* for healthy horse winter grooming:
The horses have told me it’s time for hay in their pastures…
…and I wasn’t terribly concerned about this because I have a FANTASTIC hay supplier with great prices. :)
However, i’ve changed my tune a bit as in 4 SHORT DAYS we went from this:
to this!
I tend to write from my own experiences… meaning, when I learn something – YOU learn something!
And this week, i’m learning about manure… how to manage it, where to put it, what to do with it… lol
One thing is for sure, with 12 horses on the property, there is no shortage of manure.
That is the question!
It’s getting to be about that time… blanket time.
I’ve been in barns where nobody wears a blanket… EVER…!! “they’re horses! ummm, hello? they’re used to the weather!!!”
…and i’ve been in barns where we have bunches of blankets… i.e.
I have always been a firm believer in the benefits of massage therapy for MYSELF… oh yes… but for my horse…?
Yes!
Equine Sports Massage Therapy is the therapeutic application of hands-on massage techniques for the purpose of increasing circulation, relaxing muscle spasms, relieving tension, enhancing muscle tone, and increasing range of motion in horses.
Colic in horses is an umbrella term which specifically refers to “abdominal pain,” more specifically an obstruction or twist within the GI system…
…and if you look at the picture, there is quite a bit of GI system to get twisted!
It doesn’t take a genius to tell when a horse is downright angry… his ears are pinned, nostrils flared, eyes wide and crazy… just basically looks like he’s about to trample you, and just might!
But just the other day my husband asked me “why is Serenade standing like that?… Continue Reading
A little bit of preparation and a LOT of stress goes into introducing new horses to an already-established herd. Just like the new kid at school, many thoughts are present… “will they like me? …accept me? …try to eat me?” The answer is maybe – to all of the above!
Although The Green Barn prides itself on natural and holistic horse care, the mantra is EVERYTHING IN BALANCE. We firmly believe in allowing our horses to enjoy their natural habitat as much as possible, although recognize that many of them require an extra layer of blanketing on cold winter nights and a warm, fluffy bed of pine shavings. … Continue Reading
