Pregnant Pony...

Okay, so my little Welsh pony mare, "April",  is pregnant and due to foal some time between April 8th and April 26th, according to the various calculators I've used. (If someone has a foolproof method of figuring it out, she was bred on may 17th, 19th, and 21st, 2013.)

 Here are a couple pictures of her taken this past February. She is of course engaged in her favorite
activity, eating...




I was recently talking to my mother about my anxiety over the impending birth, especially since I've never had a mare in foal before.  She tried to reassure me by saying, "At least with ponies, you don't have to worry about them eating their babies."

She later clarified that she remembered when we were children, and the trauma of litters of gerbils, hamsters, and even a couple ferrets disappearing to a nervous mother's infanticide.

Practical Plants

Here is a nifty permaculture wiki that I just found.  You can browse by the location where you want the plant, or by use.  Some of the uses listed include medicinal, edible, basketry, windbreaks, containers, wax, string, and soap.  I planted some willows last year (or maybe the year before? I don't recall...) specifically for future use in weaving baskets and garden edging.  Most people know of using thorny shrubs to discourage intruders (for example, around first-floor windows for home security) or hedges to contain livestock (much more common in Europe, actually, but still).  But there are some uses here that many people might not typically think of.  Practical Plants

DIY Home Fodder System

DIY Home Fodder System - from threemealsfarm.

There are also some interesting books on the subject, such as Homesteading 101: The Fodder Method and Fast and Easy DIY Fodder System.

Interesting idea for growing your own fodder.  They use it to feed chickens and goats. I'm thinking it could also be used for horses, although I don't know how much you'd have to grow to make a dent in the horses' diet.

Horses in Snow

A couple photos from last week.... our first snow of the year!

From left to right:
Brandy, Teddy, and Atticus

Where is the snow?

So here we are, January 17th, and no snow yet for the year.  Actually, I'm not really complaining... we've had some downright spring-like days this mild winter.  Quite a few in the 60's.  But I would like one or two snow days a year... here are some photos from years past of the snow-covered farm.

Horse and Pet Podcasts

I recently discovered a new site... Pet Life Radio.  It has podcasts on numerous subjects regarding all types of pets, including horses.  It's nice to listen to while doing chores around the house.  Here's a good one I listened to the other day concerning horse agility: 
                     Equine Agility

Vets approve international health passport for Santa’s reindeer

Posted by Editor

December 21, 2012

 

Today, December 21, 2012, the president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) returned from a health check-up at the North Pole, declaring Santa’s reindeer to be healthy, free of disease, and ready for their Christmas Eve flight.

“The deer are in great shape, they’re healthy, and they’re ready to fly,” said Dr. Doug Aspros, upon his return to the United States.
In addition to supervising all of the business affairs of the association, the AVMA president serves as the official veterinarian of the North Pole. In this role, Dr. Aspros is charged with providing the yearly health exam for Santa’s reindeer.

The reindeer’s annual exam includes ensuring a health check about a month prior to their Christmas Eve flight to make sure they’re healthy and not showing any signs of disease, such as brucellosis, tuberculosis, or chronic wasting disease, that can be transmitted to other animals.

“It’s important that they don’t have any diseases they could give to other animals during their trip around the world,” said Dr. Aspros. “They also need to be healthy, so they’re less likely to catch any diseases themselves on that long flight.”

Once he determined the reindeer were healthy, Dr. Aspros filled out the official “North Pole Certificate of Animal Export” that provides Santa with the documents he and his reindeer need to travel.

 

Dr. Aspros will make a follow-up trip to the North Pole prior to Christmas to make sure the reindeers’ feet and legs are in good shape to take off and land on the rooftops and that they’re still ready for the flight. He’ll also perform a nose-check on Rudolph to make sure it’s good to glow.
During the flight, Dr. Aspros will be on call in case any emergencies arise. When they return to the North Pole, the reindeer will get one final exam to make sure they didn’t injure themselves or get dehydrated on their voyage.

Dr. Aspros’ next trip to the North Pole will come in the spring, when he and AVMA President-Elect Dr. Clark Fobian will provide the reindeer with their annual vaccines and perform any blood tests or other procedures that are necessary.

For kids who want to help the reindeer on their journey, Dr. Aspros recommended leaving a plate of graham cracker reindeer cookies, their favorite snack, for Santa to feed them between stops.
Dr. Aspros’ role as official veterinarian of the North Pole is similar to many veterinarians around the world who work with livestock and other animals that travel across borders and around the world (even if they do so in a less flashy way than Santa’s reindeer). Veterinarians play an integral role in insuring all of the world’s animals are healthy, free of disease, and pose no risk when traveling.

For more information about the role veterinarians play in global health, or to schedule an interview with Dr. Aspros about his role as North Pole Veterinarian, contact Michael San Filippo, AVMA media relations assistant, at 847-285-6687 (office), 847-732-6194 (cell), or msanfilippo@avma.org. For more information about the AVMA, visit www.avma.org.

Sunrise at the farm

Sunrise

I took this photo yesterday morning,when for some crazy reason  I was up at  5 a.m.!  (I work evenings now, so normally sleep a lot later than that!)

Atticus eating supper

...yes, very exciting, I know!  But tonight is the first night he finished his dinner without deciding he was bored and wandering away before it was all gone.  I brushed him all over and picked up all his feet, and he's just as sweet as can be!  His mane is so fluffy, I was thinking of putting it in pigtails.   But I wouldn't want the other horses to laugh at him.

The new colt has arrived!

Atticus, my new colt (3/4 Friesian, 1/4 Quarter Horse) arrived yesterday from Wisconsin!  He will be one year old come August. I could not be more thrilled with him!  I bought him based on a video taken over the winter, when he was 5 months old and quite fuzzy, and now I see that he is very elegant and will grow up to be a gorgeous horse!  He has a very floaty trot, and that lovely upright Friesian neck.  He's black with a star and snip on his face.  I can see already that he will have the lovely long, thick, Friesian mane.  He also has little baby feathers on his feet!  I'm very excited to watch him grow up.

Grazing calmly

Teddy seems to have adopted him!

Mom came over to be here for his arrival... here are her Facebook posts on him!

A New Horse is Coming....

He is a Valentine's Day gift from my husband Greg.  He's 5 mos. old in these pics... born August 2011. He is 3/4 Friesian, 1/4 QH. His sire is an imported stallion, Redmer fan Unia-State.  His Dam is a Quarter Horse / Friesian cross. (Her sire is Danny).  He's from the same farm Magnum came from in Wisconsin, so I'm still working out the shipping. We need to come up with a name for his registration papers, and right now we are leaning towards "Atticus".

Springtime on the Farm!

The weather has been lovely, and we are all enjoying the respite from the cold.  The horses like to take long naps stretched out on the grass in the sun, the ducks have taken to wandering farm from their pond to search for tasty bugs and such in the grass, and the dogs are running around with glee.  The horses are really shedding their winter coats in earnest now, and although Teddy will still usually walk away from me if he sees a halter and lead rope in my hand, he will come up to me if he sees a hairbrush!  I've been using it to scrub him all over and get that loose, itchy hair off.  Maybe I should build a scratching post for the field... just a post with broom heads screwed in all over it!

My fruit trees are all starting to bud, the drakes are chasing the ducks, and the songbirds are busy singing and thinking about nest building.  I drained the pond (about 16,000 gallons, I believe) last week, shovelled out some of the accumulated muck and silt on the bottom, and refilled it, with the plan to get some koi.  After the flood last September, I didn't have any fish left... just a whole bunch of frogs and toads!  I'm still not certain if the ducks will eat the koi, but I think the fish are a lot faster than the ducks.  Besides, the ducks also spend time in the neighbor's pond and all around the farm looking for tasty snacks.

The daffodils are blooming, as well as the tulips.  The dogwoods are not yet in bloom, but probably will be soon.  I also need to clean up the vegetable garden and get ready for spring planting.  I'll probably do tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, strawberries (they are everywhere!), carrots, snap peas, and maybe lettuce.  Any requests / suggestions?

The Nokota® Type

Nokota Horses

From http://nakotahorse.org

 I became interested in this rare breed because I'm reading the book Flying Changes by Sara Gruen, in which there stars a Nokota sport horse.  Apparently they frequently come in blue roan, which is one of my favorite, albeit a very rare, color.  Because they are descended from Spanish Mustangs, the horses are Iberian in type (other Iberian breeds include the Lusitano, Andalusian, Lipizzan, and Friesian).  Here is a good link with a lot more information on them:

The Nokota® Type

Posture and Performance – by Duncan McLaughlin | EasyCare Inc.

Posture and Performance – by Duncan McLaughlin EasyCare Inc.

This is a good article on exercises you can do from the ground to help a horse develop proper muscles to aid in self carriage. I particularly like the Lumbar Tuck... it's great for stomach, back, and hindquarter muscles. Click the link to read the entire article... below is an excerpt.

The Fan


Place four or five poles so they fan out and away from a central resting point on a half 44 gallon drum, stack or five tires or similar object (Figure 1). Begin by leading your horse in a larger circle which includes only the outermost edge of the pole fan. Gradually decrease the size of the circle towards the center of the fan. As the circle decreases the poles become closer and higher. If your horse becomes anxious or starts knocking poles, increase the size of the circle until he can easily cope with the pole distance and height. Be sure to work in both directions.

Cavaletti and the Climb Through/ Stretch Through



Walking through cavaletti is an excellent way to develop your horse’s core strength and flexibility. If your horse is not familiar with cavaletti begin slowly. Start by walking over one cavaletti set at the lowest height. When your horse is comfortable walking over this, add another. For most horses the comfortable distance between cavaletti is around 90cm: adjust as necessary for longer or shorter striding horses. Add cavaletti until your horse is comfortably walking over seven or so. Next, raise the fourth cavaletti to medium height. Then raise the sixth cavaletti to medium height, then the third, etc. Raise the cavaletti one at a time and only as your horse develops confidence. It may be necessary to shorten the distances between these raised cavaletti by 5-10cm. For advanced horses you can gradually set all the cavaletti at maximum height or, better still, create a Climb Through/Stretch Through.
You need two rows of cavaletti to make the Climb Through/Stretch Through (Figure 2). The first row consists of four cavaletti set close together (80-90cm) at maximum height. The second row consists of three cavaletti on the lowest height and set far enough apart that your horse has to lift and reach with his front legs (95-110cm).
The Shoulder-In



In this lateral movement your horse’s forehand travels on a path inside that of the hindquarters, with even bending along the spine. The degree of bending is the same as you would expect on a small circle. To introduce the shoulder-in begin by having your horse walk a small circle (6-10m in diameter) around you (Figure 3a). Keep a soft or loose hold on the lead-rope and point a dressage whip or carrot stick toward his quarters. After three or four repetitions allow him to take a few straight steps along the side of your work area before bringing him back on the small circle around you. Repeat this process until your horse anticipates moving onto the circle after a few straight steps. Once your horse is familiar with the procedure you can ask for a step or two of shoulder-in.

The next time you allow the horse to move along the straight side simply step toward his shoulder and bring the whip toward his flanks (Figure 3b). Initially it may be necessary to ‘gently feel’ the lead-rope to keep him looking toward the center of the work area. Ask only one or two steps before resuming the circle. Gradually build up the number of shoulder-in steps between circles as your horse becomes more familiar with the movement. The shoulder-in is physically and psychically demanding and must be developed harmoniously and with trust. Merely pushing or pulling your horse into the required form will have no gymnastic effect. Horses and riders with necessary equitation skills should practice the shoulder-in under saddle.

Stretches

Perform the following stretches during breaks between the above exercises. This allows your horse time to catch his breath after the metabolic demands of strength training. To be effective each stretch needs to be held for three minutes. This is the time it takes to effect ‘muscle memory’, where the muscle cells come to recognize the stretched position as normal. Initially this may be difficult for your horse. Take time and develop the stretches over several weeks. Remember a gentle stretch held for a long period of time is more effective than a stronger stretch held for a short period of time.

Wither lift. Stand level with the girth facing the side of your horse. Bend your legs and apply the fingers of both hands to the midline of his undercarriage, directly behind area of the forelegs, in an upward direction. The withers should rise up noticeably. ‘Stoic’ horses, those who are desensitized to touch due to pressure from the saddle and girth, may require a very firm upward pressure. Use your fingernails if necessary but remember to use the least pressure possible – don’t you do the work for him.





Lumbar tuck. Only perform this stretch if you feel confident your horse will not kick. Stand to one side of your horse and at the hindquarter facing toward his head. Place one hand on each side of his hindquarter, level with and around 10cm to the side of the point of croup. With firm and increasing pressure slide your index or middle finger back to the point of buttock. The lumbar area will rise and the hindquarters will tuck.

Male Model, Country Style

Okay, so I realize that the road in front of the farm is busy with all kinds of traffic, and people are inclined to stop by if they see us outside (especially on the weekends), but this was a new one!  A very nice male model by the name of Kevin Alexander stopped by to say that he thought the horses were beautiful, and wanted to know if he could possibly use them in a photo shoot he was doing for his portfolio.  So I said, "no problem!", and he came by with his crew and took some nice shots... here are a few examples.

Side Saddle jumping

This photo, taken in 1915, shows Mrs. Esther Stace, from Yarrowitch, riding sidesaddle and clearing a record 6'6" at the Sydney Royal Show.  It is from the Walcha Historical Society.

Pretty impressive, I must say!  Although from what I've heard, riding side saddle is actually pretty secure.  The saddle has something called a "leaping horn", which the lady can grip with her legs.  I have always been interested in riding side saddle, although I've never been able to come up with sufficient justification to buy one.  Other than dressing up in fancy costumes and riding through the park, of course. Which would really impress the birds and deer, I'm sure.  I'm kinda odd that way... I have a lot of mismatched, raggedy clothes for working around the farm, but when I go riding, I like to have a top that coordinates well with my breeches.  Go figure!

Park Police Mounted Volunteer Wins Award!

Gail Joyce has been with the Park Police as a mounted volunteer since 2006. We are very proud of her and her Lippizan mare Anaverta!

Mid-Atlantic Lipizzan Association Ambassador Award for 2010 Gail Ann Joyce and Anaverta

Congratulations to Gail Ann Joyce and Anaverta for receiving the MALA Ambassador Award for representing the Lipizzan breed with honor, beauty and integrity. Below is a little about them:

Anaverta successfully completed her bomb proofing training with Sgt. Rick Pelicano of the MNCPPC Park Police. Anaverta is now the only Lipizzan fully commissioned to perform MNCPPC Park Police Volunteer Mounted Patrols and Details. Anaverta and Gail went to Washington DC to honor fallen Police Officers on Police Memorial Day. They stood stirrup to stirrup with the sworn officers who were protecting the Capitol’s perimeter as president Obama provided the keynote speech. Together they greeted the families of the fallen officers on the day of remembrance.


Anaverta and Gail participated in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics and were the honor guard for the start of the torch run. As Park Police Civilian Mounted patrol members, Gail and Anaverta have logged numerous hours patrolling their local parks and acting as the eyes and ears of the park police force and providing a visible mounted presence.


In their first show season together they have won TL Reserve Champion high score with Pennsylvania Dressage Association (PVDA) Sugarloaf show. Anaverta also earned Champion high score TL at the Celebration Farm Show and TL Reserve Champion and High Score award at the PVDA year end awards. Together they have also participated in several large, organized trail rides and the Potomac Hunt Sponsored Clinic for “ Hopeful Fox Hunters.”;

http://malalipizzan.net/index.php?p=1_6

Learning to stop « Life at Pretty Pony Pastures

Learning to stop « Life at Pretty Pony Pastures
(The following is a page taken from the above blog)

Possible Colic in Horses- Change in Disposition or Behavior- Lathargic H...

"Colic" is a general term that usually has to do with stomach upset.  Horses have very sensitive digestive systems, and colic is a very common killer of horses.  Recognizing it early can save a horse's life.