Beautiful sunshine, shiny horses!

What a beautiful couple of weeks of weather we have had, blue sky, sunshine and temperatures high enough for the horses to be rugless in the field.  Chesney and Basil have been spending more time close together in the last 2 days, feeling the loss of Fidget, but I think that they are OK.  The sun on their backs must be wonderful and Chesney has lost most of his winter coat now.  Basil still has quite a lot to lose though!

I just love it when they can be naked and they both look well and have shiny coats!  Chesney still needs to put on some more weight but he is definitely improving which is great news.

  

 

They are both ready for mane trims and tail washes - so spring makeovers coming soon - I am just waiting for Basil to lose a bit more hair.

 Have you seen yesterday' video 'How to .... do a Tapeworm Test'  which will be Fidget's last video xx Horse Life and Love.   Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo

Fidget

My gorgeous darling, amazing pony Fidget had to be put to sleep this morning after a sudden colic attack.  There was nothing we could do.  I will love him forever xx

Feeding Garlic to Horses.

Last week I posted a blog about herbs and their uses for horses.  With the idea that I would try some of the easier to get hold of ones on mine.

I have decided to try Garlic first as it could help Fidget with his ROA and perhaps his Sweet Itch but also could help with repelling flies for Basil and Chesney too.  There are other uses ...

• It may help Chesney's body restore itself to good health and stimulate his digestive system. 
• May help destroy and expulse worms from the digestive system. 
• May help calm Chesney's nerves??

I grew some garlic last year and have some left so I thought I would give raw garlic a go.  Out of interest the first thing I tried was to see if they would eat a bulb out of my hand!  Chesney put it in his mouth but quickly rejected it, Fidget rolled it around in his mouth and I think ate it in the end.  Basil put it all in his mouth and then bit a section off, which he ate, the rest he spat out.

Next day I chopped a bulb up each and put it in their feed, which they ate with no problem.  You have to cut a little bit from the top and bottom of the bulb and then peel the skin off.  So the plan is to gradually increase the amount in their feeds.  1 bulb is about 1 gram but I think that garlic granules will be more concentrated.  This means they will need more than the 40 - 50 gms recommended below.  I am not sure then that I could grow that much!  However, as this is just to try I will see what happens.

Actions:
See last week's blog for the meanings of these. 
Alterative, Anthelmintic, Antibiotic, Anticatarrhal, Antihistamine, Antimicrobal, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Antiviral, Aromatic, Carminative, Cholagogue, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Expectorant, Febrifuge, Mucilage, Pectoral, Rubefacient, Stimulant, Tonic, Vermifuge, Vulnerary

Part Used:
You use the bulb of the plant.

Usage:
Internally ie: eaten - will repel flies and insects.  Helps with coughs and respiratory disorders, rheumatism, aids digestion and intestinal infections.
Externally - can be applied for bites, ringworm or boils.

Doseage: 40 - 50gms added to feed daily.

Did you see last weeks vlog?  Horse Life and Love
Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Fidget and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo

Do horses get used to living alone?

I have always felt sorry for horses kept on their own.  Horses are social animals, evolved to live in herds and so feel safer, more secure and gain comfort from each other.  See my Horse Psychology blog.

Wild herds are mostly female, the stallion does his best to keep his 'harem' from being taken by other stallions and there are often sub- groups within the main herd.  Once colts reach puberty they are driven away.  These colts will often then live in temporary bachelor groups until they are mature.  Once mature they will try to collect their own herd of females!  

Unsuccessful young males will be left on their own as will older stallions that were unable to fight off younger, stronger stallions and thus lost their herd.  In addition, some older mares will be left behind if they are unable to keep up with the herd.  Left on their own in the wild these horses are extremely vulnerable and will not survive for long.

In the herd horses will groom each other, play, communicate and generally be more comfortable and relaxed.  A lone horse will need extra attention to replace this.  When you are in the field they are likely to follow you around, they will need extra grooming to scratch the itchy bits.  Lone horses can become boisterous and difficult and may try to dominate their owners/carers.  

When a lone horses does meet another horse they often react in an 'over the top' way - they whinny, pose, prance and show off.  It can take the horse a long time to settle down.  Lone horses can become strongly attached to another animal eg: a goat or a sheep but they will not give the same social support as another horse.

So, the herd instinct is natural, keeping a horse on his own is unnatural and is likely to cause stress and thus disturbed behaviour.  They can become depressed and withdrawn - I am not sure that this is fair.

As you will know, I have 3 horses, simply because I don't want to keep one alone!  Fidget often seems to be the least bothered about being with the others, he is often at the other end of the field!  However, when I put him out in his special paddock (limited grass) last week he whinnied.  He is still in the same field and can see the others but he has an electric fence separating him.  I always feel a bit guilty separating him but his health means I have too.  I love watching them play (although sometimes they are a bit rough) and groom each other - they just seem really content and happy. 

On the other side of things, there is a horse up the road which is kept on its own.  She looks well, good condition and everything but when I ride past she walks or trots up to the fence to say hello and I just feel so sad for her!
So I think that horses can get used to living alone, but are they really truly content and relaxed?

What are your experiences?



Did you see last weeks vlog on my You Tube channel.  Horse Life and Love
Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Fidget and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo