and the big boys got shoes. John the Mule tried to escape when I went into the house while we were waiting. He *thought* that I was going to load them up and go somewhere. Silly old man. Wormy asked if I wanted to sell John because he’s got a fellow up in the Carolinas wanting a good mule. Of course I told him no, then I told him that if John WERE for sale, the guy couldn’t afford him.
Buck has some goopy stuff coming out of his left eye, I’ve got to hunt up some ointment for that. I’ll probably teach Casey how to treat him and let her handle it since she’s still feeding every day. I’ve got to hand it to her, she has been faithful about taking care of him! I think it’s good for her to have something to be responsible for.
The goat herd is doing good, we now have 7 babies, 4 boys and 3 girls. I’ve already picked out one of the girls to keep. LOL I sold 3 of the 4 meat goats left to a hispanic lady for the Christmas holiday. She’ll pick them up on the 22nd or 23rd. That will put me down to just one buck left that I’m selling from the last round of babies. We’ve come full circle, lol. I’m expecting 4 or 5 other nannies to kid within the next month or so, fun in the cold.
Saw something really strange flying over when I was out filling water troughs a little bit ago…
It flew right over my house – VERY noisy. By the time I quit gaping and got out the phone, it was almost out of shooting range. I *think* it was a plane refueling another, but I’m not sure. I’ll have to show it to Jim and see what he says.
and I have to say I was SHOCKED at the difference in the way the blanket fits Buck now. Last spring when I pulled it for the final time, it still sort of hung on him. Sort of like a little kid with his Dad’s suit jacket on. But yesterday when we blanketed him, he has filled the blanket out really good. To the point that I need to actually see him in daylight just to be sure that it’s not too small lengthwise for him now!
As Martha says – It’s a good thing.
Casey has been faithfully coming every night and feeding him for me since I can’t pick anything up. I think it’s good for her, she is learning some responsibility, and I’m grooming her for what he will need when they get a place with a pasture and he is at home with her. She was totally convinced after the buck off that he hated her. Just let her keep being the bearer of food every day and we’ll see how high she climbs in his esteem.
Somebody remind me to go to the feed store tomorrow, ’cause I am pretty sure it’s time to stock back up.
Was bound to happen sooner or later. Casey and Buck are to the point now where Casey needs to be the ‘boss’ in their relationship and Buck still thinks that since he’s older and wiser that he should be the boss. The end result today was Casey getting bucked off for slapping his butt with the reins. I didn’t witness the event so I really don’t know what happened, but her confidence in him and herself was badly shaken. I got her to put him into the square pen behind the barn and work him really hard from the ground for about 30 minutes and then get on him and ride him for about another 45 minutes. She said she was glad she had her helmet on, even though she didn’t come close to hitting her head.
So, she’s got lots of ground work in her future with him. Obviously I can’t do this for her, for several reasons, and we’re going to make this a learning experience for her.
Photo from today
In thinking about reasons for the Buck, he’s really sassy now because he’s getting so much alfalfa cubes. So the new rule is to work him into a sweat before she piles on for a while – especially if she’s riding alone.
Long time no blog -eh? I’ve been pretty lazy lately and this blog is the least of the things I’ve been letting slide.
Here’s the latest on Buck. Good news to report!! Ok, so I don’t think I came back and gave the update about the blood work. Or maybe I did, I forget. Anyway Dr. Adams has me giving Buck antibiotics twice a day to fix the problem with the tick borne illness. Buck seems to be picking up a little weight, maybe just me wishful thinking, I’ll try to shoot some photos this weekend for comparison. Anyhow, he is an EASY patient with the meds. I just melt them in about a half quart of hot water and pour over his feed. He gobbles it up like candy. (good boy!)
My niece Casey is a horse crazy teen without a ride so to speak. I’ve been telling her to come ride with me, and finally this evening she came. (maybe she thought I was gonna bite?? I dunno ) ANY way, she caught Buck, I helped her figure out the way to saddle him and she rode in the ring behind the barn for a while tonight. He was happy to be put to work I think. She really likes him and I told her if she will come help me every now and then with the chores, he’s hers. I’ll keep him here and keep taking care of him, if she ever gets to where she can keep him on her own, he can go home with her. (they live in an apartment right now)
I think it’s a win for all of us, she gets a horse, he gets his own person and I get a riding buddy.
I can remember those days of wishing and dreaming of having a horse to ride very well, so I’m VERY glad to make somebody else’s dream a reality.
I guess maybe I’m a bit slow sometimes. It takes me a while to get around to thinking about stuff – especially when it’s so infernally hot outside, all I can think of is icebergs and cold cold sweet tea with lemon! *wink*
Earlier this week, the thought hit me out of the blue – WHY on earth is this horse NOT an elephant with as much feed as I am pouring into him daily? He is getting approximately 4 gallons (GALLONS!!) of the best feed I can find a day. He is on very lush bermuda grass that I have been cutting to the perfect height for his lack of teeth (yes we mow his pasture for him!!), and has been wormed so many times that he should be glowing by now from all the chemicals. Any other horse on earth would be the size of a hippo if not an elephant on that diet. My next thought was, I wonder if he’s got a hyperactive metabolism? You know, some people (like my son) can eat and eat and eat but never seem to put on a pound. I began to turn this over and around in my mind and wondered if maybe just maybe there could be something in this direction that we haven’t checked – thyroid, etc. SO, I called Amanda and had her ask Dr. Adams if it is possible. He told me that we could do a blood panel and start from there.
This morning I got up bright and early and hauled Buck to Dr. Adams office. A blood sample was pulled, and they also did a fecal. The fecal was absolutely negative for any type of worms. (yeah I knew that! lol) But the blood work showed some interesting numbers. He was just a tiny bit dehydrated, sodium and calcium levels are a teeny bit low. Nothing to be terribly worried about or very surprising considering the heat, but something to keep in mind. Red blood cell numbers were good, enzymes and other body function numbers were good. BUT his white blood cell count was really low. Strange – huh? Dr. Adams thinks that it is probably that the horse has a chronic tick born blood illness – not Lyme or spotted fever but another one that I hadn’t heard of before. He is going to take the numbers and do some research this weekend to figure out the best form of attack. Most likely antibiotics, but we want to be absolutely sure that they will be the correct treatment. So now we hit a fork in the road to his recovery. I don’t know which way we will take, but I’m putting my trust in Dr. Adams that he will figure out the best course to take. I am SO relieved that it didn’t show up to be something major, although this is bad enough, I don’t think it’s short term life threatening.
So all of you who have been rooting for him along the way, keep your fingers crossed that we will finally have an answer to the question of WHY and will find the correct treatment plan that will put some weight back on him for one and for all.
I’m planning to take him with me on our camping trip next week, can’t wait to see how he does in the water.
I am in no way an expert at this, but I thought I would share it with my friends who aren’t so well acquainted with how a horse in good health should look.
This chart shows the body condition score system that is widely used in the horse industry.
This second graphic shows the most common areas that you see the changes in a horse’s weight. Like people, they seem to have certain spots in the species where the pounds pack on easier. These are the points that we focus on when looking for weight gain or loss.
January 2, 2011 – Buck arrives at my farm.
He had absolutely no fat on his body at all. When patting him on the barrel, he sounded hollow. I would rate him at a 1 according to the scale. If I had shaved all that thick heavy coat off, you would have been better able to see just how desperately thin this horse was.
On the other end of the spectrum, I would rate Dusty the sofa pony at around a 6 maybe a HIGH 6 after a month on lush grass and no exercise
Well, as they used to say, he’s come a long way Baby. But the war is not won – yet. His weight is to an acceptable point, (in my eyes barely – but I’m used to riding a horse shaped like a sofa!). The heat of summer has brought his appetite down some, and the weight gain has slowed drastically. Perhaps with exercise, he will regain that top line, but I am not exercising him for a couple of reasons. Number one being that I think it’s too hot on him, and number two being it’s too damn hot on me too – even early morning breaks me out in a sweat if there is effort involved!
We’ve still got a couple of July days and then the dreaded Dog Days of August. Honestly, I don’t see how August could get much hotter than we’ve already experienced this year, but I digress….
He is eating between 3 and 4 gallons of good feed daily (milled locally just days before I pick it up – usually 6 bags at at time), free choice lush grass and an occasional heel or two of bread.
I’m planning to take him with me to Buffalo River in late August and ride him lightly then (depending on the heat). So for now it’s just hang out, eat, swat flies and poop…..
Adding this to make my husband happy:
Buck is looking for his forever home. I will give him FREE to the right person. Please notice that I said RIGHT person. References will be required and checked thoroughly. He is suitable for a rider with a secure seat who is not afraid of a little bit of go. He is all business under saddle and the perfect gentleman. He has been extensively ridden and although I don’t know his past, I believe someone put a LOT of time into his training. He’s broke broke broke – the right way. He rides out confidently alone or in a group. He enjoys being alone in the pasture or with a non aggressive pasture mate as he is the lowest of the pecking order. He ALWAYS comes when called, nickers to the feed bucket and ADORES anyone who will take time to scratch all the itchy spots.
Broke to cows, goats, dogs, etc. His ONLY downfall is that he is aged (17-19) and he is smooth mouthed in the back. He can NOT eat normal hay. Soaked chopped alfalfa or soaked alfalfa pellets are fine. He can eat grass that is up to about 4 inches or so tall, anything longer he will chew up like a wad of tobacco and spit out. He just can’t process it. Please know that this is NOT a horse who can just be turned out and survive, I don’t care how good your pasture is, he will starve again. He MUST be fed a good complete feed, and it takes a good bit of it.
SO, if you think you are the right person for Buck, and think you can pass my scrutiny, contact me and we’ll talk. I don’t care if he lives out his life here, doesn’t bother me a bit.
Cross posting this everywhere – please pass on to friends who are horse people. Thanks
I am looking at ways to cut monthly costs. Right now I’m spending roughly $100 a month on feed alone for him.
Ideally, I would like him to go to a home where he will have his own paddock area, because as low man in the herd – he will let anyone else get his feed. He MUST be fed a good feed daily, he does best on a complete pellet because of his teeth. Right now I have him on a local feed and I am seeing major improvement. He can not chew or process normal hay or long grass.
I will give him to the right home, BUT I have to KNOW that he won’t be starved again. If I can’t find a good home, I’ll have him put down rather than see him starve.
He is a gentleman both in hand and under saddle. He has a very forward swingy walk, a nice trot and a canter that doesn’t let your butt hit the saddle. He likes to go and has a TON of heart. He is tall enough for a man, and I think that with some more filling in, would be just fine for a husband horse. In his current weight, he is ideal for a woman or up to a teenager. I don’t think he would be good for a timid rider, as he has a good bit of GO and likes to move on out.
IF he goes to someone I don’t know, references will be required and checked. Sorry, but I have put a LOT of money and effort into saving this horse and like I said before would rather him be put down than to see him starve again. I know that’s harsh, but that’s just how it is.
Contact me by email for more information or photos.
tricia dot gilliland at gmail dot com
Here is an album on facebook of his photos since he came to live with me:
Please share all around to your friends and help this boy find his final and forever person.
Saturday morning, I loaded Dusty and went to ride in the Relay for Life Benefit trail ride sponsored by the Cowboy Church of Marshall County. I *almost* left without a camera, but decided to try out a new harness that I bought from Amazon.com.
The general idea is good, but being of the female persuasion, I had a bit of difficulty with fitting this contraption around my anatomy. When I loosened it up, I struggled to keep it in place. So back to the drawing board.
Anyway, I wasn’t feeling my best. The blood pressure is all over the place again. I did manage to get some pretty good shots.
It was a beautiful day for riding, and I got to see lots of folks who I haven’t seen in a while.
When I got home, I took a long nap and felt a bit better when the pressure finally went back down.
I put Buck in a different pasture with Dusty, John, Wiley and the heifers. He wasn’t happy about being in a different pasture and kept testing the fence until he got shocked HARD. This blew his mind and he raced around like a maniac for a solid hour and a half until I finally decided he wouldn’t calm down until I let him go to his “safe spot” in the other pasture. After opening the gate and letting him go there, he instantly stopped the running and was happy again. Crazy old man! I don’t know what it is about that place in the pasture, it’s like his safety zone.
Sunday morning, Chris and I decided to de-worm and trim the goats. Amanda and her Chris came to help. This is usually a mini rodeo because 1. most of my goats are ok with ME touching them, but are very suspicious of anyone else 2. they object quite violently to any type of medication and 3. we were trimming feet too which normally involves being laid down. BUT, Over the winter, my Chris built a ‘milking stand’ similar to this:
This cut the physical human labor and stress on the goats down by at least half. What normally takes us several hours just took two hours. Of course part of the speed may have been the two guys wanting to get done so they could go to the river. LOL
After they left, Amanda and I decided we would go riding. She rode John the Mule and I rode Buck on his first REAL trail ride. He was a firecracker when I first climbed on, that old man likes to GO. His walk amazes me – it almost feels like I’m up on a gaited horse or a giraffe – I can’t decide which. So far he doesn’t seem to be bothered by much on the trail, other than my dogs. He hates them, evidently he decided sometime within the last few days that they are the spawn of satan. Anyway, it was a nice ride of about 2 hours I guess. I never thought I would have another animal who could out walk John the Mule, but Buck does. I’m not sure that Chris will ever be able to handle him, because when you first climb on, it’s Katie bar the door. I guess that time will tell with more riding and work, he may settle down a bit.
I gathered up the 4 bull calves and a couple of cows that I’m hoping to send to the auction today. Hopefully the storms that we’re expecting will hold off until we can get them sent off.
3rd ride on the Yeller Feller tonight. His personality is truly starting to come out.
I’ve got to work him on standing still to be mounted. As soon as he feels you lift your right leg off the ground, he wants to walk off. I want him to stand still until the rider is firmly in the saddle. I think part of it is probably training, and some of it is that he just wants to GO, come on let’s get outta here attitude.
He’s got a few other tricks up his sleeve, nothing nasty, but he *thinks* he can bluff me into letting him out of work. Silly old man, I’m WAY more stubborn than you’ll ever be!! lol I rode him around the neighborhood, up the road and back. He’s quite forward and has a nice swingy walk that is comfy. When we topped the hill out in front of the house, he put on the brakes and decided he wanted to go back to the house. After a short conversation about who was actually in charge, he resigned himself to that long forward walk again. He tried it a couple of times on me until he figured out that tactic didn’t work. We went up and down the road and back, passed mailboxes, big garbage cans, strange dogs, and vehicles with out problem. Climbed a hill out at the end of our road that the 4 wheelers keep torn up. Found out that he thinks he’s supposed to RUN up hill. #2 thing that I’ll have to work him on. I don’t want him thinking that he can just lunge himself up a hill, that’s just dangerous. Came back to the house and he wanted to keep on going. We went out to the pasture, and he decided it was time to quit. NOPE, didn’t I tell you that I’m in charge Old boy?? LOL He pulled the old “well I’ll just back up until you let me have my way” tactic. Then I got the “throw my head and act mad” tactic.
Ok Buck, you don’t scare me. LOL Go ahead and be silly and get it out of your system. When you get done, we’re going in the direction that *I* want to go.
So off we went to the cow pasture for a while. Took him up and down some pretty steep stuff out there, JUMPED the creek (#3 thing that will need work), sloshed thru the huge puddle out in the far pasture, over lots of fallen logs, over rocks, ect. He did really good, and I’m quite pleased with him.
He is a thinking horse, which I guess is the reason he thinks that he knows best. When we got back, he got two large carrots for his efforts, and that made his world perfectly perfect again.
