Getting caught up

Since I last wrote about the January thaw...it has been terribly cold. Vegas handled the cold like a pro...no blankets necessary. I just keep 'stoking the furnace' with hay and they keep eating and stay warm.

Now it's getting warmer again....weather is so dynamic...as is the natural horse. Able to handle double digit freezing temperatures with changes up to double digit plus temps and back down again in flash freezes from rains to ice to ice pellets to snowing and blowing.

I did some night video for fun in a major storm. Most people are so worried about the horses going out at night or being in a storm. When I took the video...it had already been storming for over 12 hours. I personally love storms. Winter storms that is. Makes me feel so alive!

Veggie has been playing like never before all of January. He is happy and content to play with all the horses now. It's good to see. He tries to warn of his vicous kick but lately only popsup his hind end. Daas just scoots around to the front and Veggie starts playing with him again.

His feet are coming along...still a ways to go. They look light years ahead of where they started but still a long way to go to have 'beautiful' feet.

It makes me so sad to see his body and feet and know how they got that way. It's so sad to know that there are soooo many other horses in the world that are living his past right now. I wonder what it will take to induce a massive global change!? I wonder how many cases I (we)have to show and to whom...so that the conventionals will lend an ear.

Vegas...so far gone and under developed at such a young age because of what he was bred for. Color, speed..and money! He suffered because of it. Beauty turns beast!

Angry young horse, like so many others in pain and agony, in confined quarters and always hungry standing on hurting feet in soft bedding with toes pointed down and shoes on to squeeze to numbness, pads to rot everything under the guise of 'protection', and drugs and confinement to help with the pain?? I fail to understand why he and so many others are literally tortured under the hands of farriers and vets...the BEST in the land...and forced to endure. If they don't...they are beaten until submission or cast off and another more tolerant horse will take the place.

On the last day of January...the RF frog fell off again. It started to peel this time from the apex back and came off in one big peice again. I cut the rest of the big 'flap' off and was going to take a picture of it...but before I could...my dog ate it. :) oops.

I was able to take his heels back a lot more and uncover yet more hidden heel. Poor ingrown toenails are trying to come out and take their rightful place.

He has been doing great with his running and even plays when running now. He is really into rearing these days. Spends a lot of time on his hind legs...stretching up. He used to have an angry face when 'playing' but now has a consistent contented look. Finally he realizes that NO one is out to get him...he is sane! He answers to his name and is starting to come when called individually.

Here is Beta, Rico and Veggie playing with a stick.

January thaw!!

Well there is a saying that I'm sure you've heard. IF you don't like the weather in (fill in the blank Canada)...stick around...it'll change.

Change it did. It went from frigid cold to super warm, mild melting raining weather. All the wonderful snow we had melted right out from under me. :( I was afraid of the muck! and worried alot day by day to see how things would pan out for Veggie.

Turns out the trench we dug last fall helped tremendously as did the rock and gravel alley ways that I laid down last summer. Thank goodness. I don't fear spring quite so much now.

Rain is hard on winter coats and requires different management than snowfall. Rain leaves the coat very 'parted' to channel water off. Once dry it's very important to groom the coat to fluff it up again. Rolling is good too but you do a much better job grooming. After a rain or snowfall I always make sure to re fluff their coats. Veggie is getting less tense on his back and his muscling is becoming more normal...less tight!!

On a sunny day above freezing, I bring out the spray bottles to do a 'spa treatment' groom to the mane and tail.

Vegas likes head massages :)

Playing with Daas who is quite a might larger than he is...Veggie holds his own...and is getting used to incorporating his body to play rather than just the lips. There was a time not too long ago that this type of play initiated from anyone and he would go into his 'tazmanian devil' approach and basically freak out. He took it all as aggression towards him, instead of play. Now he is finally realizing how to spar with the boys and not fight to the death. ;) I see him playing so often now it warms my heart!

I call this type of play 'yoga for horses'...play pose. Good for the body, mind and spirit.

A couple of days pass and we get some snow again...yay.

One thing when it was muddy and then froze in ruts again...Vegas had No problem navigating them at all...he was looking just like the others and even ran across when it's play time.

I still try to run them daily...but when the footing is not good I don't. Then I just take a lot of care to where I spread the hay for them so they are keeping on walkin'. It's certainly never the same day twice for him...and that's good for the soul.

Here the 4 boys are running and playing and wrestling. Beta keeps out of this group play. He's too old for that rough stuff although he remains the herd boss and leader. He is well respected by all and befriended by them too.

Jan 1st 2008 Happy New Year

Well this year is coming in with a bang. Today we are having another snow storm...and the weather is quite cold. Tonight will go to -25 C. With the wind howling and blowing snow everywhere making for near white out conditions...and snow piling up in huge drifts.

Vegas is with NO blanket this time. He's doing great! I believe that he has finally caught up and his coat is taking care of him now. He was about 2 months behind in production and up here that makes a huge difference. The days are finally on their way to getting longer and I'm sure the rough part of this winter is over for him.
He is happy and content without blanket. His coat is parting properly to shed off the moisture and staying fluffed up to keep him warm...as are the others. He knows to roll and shake now too which is a bonus! Rolling in the snow takes moisture off the coat too and shaking throws everything to the outer hair and alot of it right off. He's feeling good lately for the running and is using his body well through the snow...good articulation of his joints.

I did some video today and took some pics...as best I could in the white out snow storm.

Temperament wise he is doing great.

Still getting used to being approached when I carry a bag flag or whip. He is a little tense and on high alert when I walk up...but with soft words he stands his ground and as soon as I place a hand on him he exhales and relaxes...then I tell him what a good boy he is and walk away. :) He watches me go.

Oh today I saw him play with Jet, Rico and BETA! I think I have some on video...haven't really looked at it yet....but that's a first. Just the lip grabbing game but it's awesome that him and Beta are now playing. What an honor for him to have herd leader initiate play without aggression and a milestone for Vegas to play back and not turn into the tazmanian devil boy! ;)

He doesn't seem to walk with any more 'limp' at all...hopefully his legs and muscles are evening out. Great workout daily to go through all the deep snow. Geez I love snow for that!! For that and feeding some oats and boss in nice Daas footprints. :) yummy! Stormy day delicacies.

Merry Christmas from Vegas aka Veggie

Thank you to those who have been kind enough to send some donations to go towards his recovery. It is VERY much appreciated! ...every single little bit helps! And thanks to those who have bought some hats as they also help Veggie.



Veggie has been very busy living in winter. He runs daily with the herd and he is finally knowing how to move as a 'flock' instead of banging into everyone in corners. He follows the herd around and sometimes leads them to the woods... and he's eating a LOT!



In the past few days...I have seen him actually PLAY with Daas, Rico and Jet. Amazing for him really. Instead of seeing the initiation of play as aggression and responding with his 'tazmanian devil' impersenation...he is playing. He only plays until it gets a bit 'boy rough' and then his fear factor kicks in and he stops playing. It's a great thing for him and I'm happy to see it in him...finally. Maybe the intense feelings he felt during the storm and bonding more with his 'brothers' he is feeling more like a horse should. He's exploring these feelings and overriding his learned responses towards aggression. I think he is finding his peace! Good timing.
Peace on Earth!!!

Weathering the First major Canadian winter storm

This would be Vegas’ first real winter storm. A storm with LOTS of snow , high winds, cold temperatures (like -27 C with wind chill) and lasting for a few days.
I had put his blanket on when I heard the warnings and weather reports. I knew that he’s not ready for a good ole Canadian winter storm. I went to feed hay in the woods the night before in a futile attempt to try to keep my path open. They have to walk back to the front and through the field and the gate to get to the water. It’s a lot less windy in the woods so the hay doesn’t get blown away and it's a great wind break. They prefer the trees over the man made shelters any day.

I did roll out 2 round bales in the front field but it’s so windy there that they will not stand and eat for a storm…but rather seek shelter and honker down…and not eat…if given the choice.
Colics can happen because of this. It’s important to keep them eating during a storm. Keep stoaking the fire so to speak.
Sooo this morning at the beginning of the storm I saw them eating the round bales and then things got worse. The winds grew stronger and plenty of new snow, falling and blowing sideways instead of down. The horses left the round bales and went into the back woods to seak shelter from the storm. I decided to go out to bring hay to them and I pulled (on my toboggan) 4 bales into the back woods…whew what a chore with about a foot of snow on the path. My 11 yr old son helped me…I couldn’t have done it in one trip without him. We joked and rested often to let our heart rates relax.

Here Veggie is behind Daas and the horse you see from the side is 24 yrs old.

The horses are covered in their own snow blanket. They look cold to our human eyes covered in snow and icicles in the mane and tail that clink and rattle together when they walk but when you touch them they are warm and dry on the belly and underside of the neck. That’s where it counts. The belly houses all the internal organs. The skin on their backs (and the hair) have been conditioning themselves for this for many months.
Contrary to popular belief the snow and cold is relatively easy for healthy horses to handle.
The snow should not melt off the back but be insulating…better than a blanket. No one was cold.

Before dark I had to knock off the snow from the roof of my hay shed before the shed collapsed. That’s how much snow we had today…and it is going to snow and blow through another night. The horses heard me banging and shaking in the hay shed and came up to see what all the comotion was about and then they went for water.

I took more bales to the woods and used some ‘nummy’ hay (second cut grass). All the paths were already blown over. It was hard this time by myself, the hay kept falling off the toboggan but I made it. The horses were still looking the same…warm bellies and dry with faces full of icicles.
I took a few pictures but you can’t feel the cold or hear the wind or feel the snow stinging your face but it was. I was bundled up in my best winter clothes.

Alisha went home for the weekend. I wish she could have seen what the horses do in a severe winter storm like this. I’m thinking she may see another one during the winter here though.
It’s incredible how the snow really helps Veggie. I love having snow to help rehab feet. It’s soft and clean and hydrating but not over soaking like water would be. It’s a real bonus in the feet department but also in the body. Walking through the snow requires more balance with core muscles and articulation of the joints. His body is changing rather dramatically right now and his mind is engaged in the intense feelings that winter brings about. He is focused on the others and learns from them how to maneuver around in the snow, where and when to go to the woods, to the water … etc. Winter is proving to be good for Veggie.

I've been away...the purple pony

I decided to leave the blanket on while I went away to do a clinic. The weather was not predictable and the hired help was only to feed and water and did not want to take on and off blankets...so I left it on.

First moment I got home...I took it off...and it's been off since.

He seems to have caught up some in coat production...but not totally there yet. Probably not until next winter. He was not out of the barn early enough and still had so many other issues to deal with. I won't keep a blanket on when I don't have to...but I'll watch the forecast and use if needed.
I would suspect, judging from other horses I have had in early transition to natural lifestyle that the snow is ok...the cold is ok...the wet is harder for them to deal with in their first winter if they got out late.

Vegas' coat for example does not have the same density and loft as the natural horses and also does not seem to have the water shedding ability. Added to that is that he is not used to shake and roll to clean himself...although he is learning these things through the others.

As far as his feet go...they are coming along nicely in the snow. I love snow for this!! He is getting great hydration to a chronically dehydrated, contracted foot which stimulates growth. He is growing bulbs now...he was 'bulbless' for many years.

He is growing an internal foot too by the looks of his stance and comfort level which keeps moving up.

The massive hole in his foot from the super abscess he had is staying clean in the snow...(thankfully this year is not like last year with all the muck) and doesn't seem to bother him much these days...although still looks odd.

Some Random Photos

Big Big bows....with the carrot stick! :)


Veggie...veggin' in the sunshine before the snowfall

November Course Week files...

The course week started out with very nice weather…nothing out of the usual. All was well and Veggie is still a bit limpy at times from the abscess blowing out and leaving that big hole in his foot.
I haven’t been running him but we are keeping him in the shelter with a person and then the others are able to do thier daily running. He gets pretty upset when he sees them run by but behaves well. We give him some 'yummy' hay that we keep just for the shelter visits.

It started to storm over night Wednesday and in the morning Vegas was shivering a bit. The rest were fine and not stressed at all. I ran them a bit and then fed a lot of hay. The others were fine and Vegas warmed up pretty quickly. By the time the sun went down he was cold again so I elected to put a blanket on him for the night. I keep a super winter blanket on hand for the rehabs…just in case. Of course he's not ready for winter this year....it’s to be expected when he is still one month behind in coat production…and still shedding his summer coat. I have taken many horses out of the barn and only sporadically used blankets on those crazy stormy nights.

I took off the blankie in the am…and he’s been fine. The temperature has been pretty nice. When grooming him he was still shedding, this means he is almost a full month behind the others in coat development. On Friday we just did a minor trim backing the toes all the way around.

Here he is running on his bleeding foot...

And...a bleeding foot print. By the time we saw the blood...in the foot print...and then picked up his foot...It was already finished. He's moving ok again. :) Saw lots of footprints like this but nothing worse than this. This one is right beside Daas' divot.

In sequence to the second last pic of the herd running...he is very fast and likes to overtake and race Beta...although Beta is not too fond of that idea. :)

BOOM...Nov 16th

Whew...sigh of relief. A MAJOR abscess blew out the toe.

After soaking in Borax and later Lysol...I cleared out some tissue around this 'hole'. It was exposing more and more dead layers. ewww.

After soaking, grooming etc...I wrapped his foot with a temporary bootie and sent him off. By tomorrow or the next day he should be able to hold his own. It's muddy out now and I don't like it. :(

He is walking almost 'normal' again. He is in good spirits.

Here is a pic of the bootie and of him...after the Boom.

The 13th...Lucky or unlucky day?

A lucky or unlucky day??!! Veggie is pretty 3 legged lame today…on the RF. Not wanting to weight any part of his foot this morning at all. I soaked him in warm water and borax as there is still some ‘rot’ in his foot that has yet to come out. I say 'rot' because there is the necrotic 'death' smell. It's mild...but every now and then you get a whiff of it . The ‘black hole’ is getting larger and more soft around the edges. I'm hoping this is an another abscess that is coming to the surface soon.

Although Vegas is clearly not wanting to weight his foot...he still wants to bow and walks with everyone else to and from the woods. He doesn’t give up or get depressed…just keeps on truckin’....tuned in to his 'instinct' and keepin' on. His vitals are normal.

Poor Buddy :(