The Red Hayflinger

Horse Hair Sandwich Anyone?

2011-03-05T09:44:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year when the days are getting longer and slightly warmer (And here lately at my place, wetter. Yes, lots of rain)
You know what means. You go out, reach a hand out to scritch your pony and come back with a handful of fuzz!

That's right, it's SHEDDING SEASON!

Now, while I haven't started to "blow my coat" as much as my mostly white counterpart, Gypsy, has...I've got my fair share of loose hairs.
It's itchy and we love to roll and scratch on posts and stuff, so take the time to go through your barn and fence and such and make sure there aren't anything like nails or sharp bits of wood your pony can impale themselves on. It's also a good time to just go ahead and de-worm us. Ohio-mom found out that we seem to drop hair quicker if she pops a de-wormer in us at the start of shedding season.

Grooming tools of choice here are rubber curry combs, metal curry combs, and Slick N Easy blocks. We've heard good things about Furminators, but have yet to try one of those out. Baths also work and help with the itch, but it's still a bit too chilly here in Ohio for that, and it's raining cats and dogs. But next month Ohio-mom promised us some good, scrubbing with the rubber curry while soaped up, baths if it's warm enough.

Do any of you have tips and hints on getting through shedding season?

Names

2011-02-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

So, Ohio-mom was talking to us and checking us over today while we ate our piles of hay. And it hit me. She calls me Sadie most of the time. As it's my name. But Gypsy, she doesn't get called Gypsy very often. Usually it's Mare or Pony. Sometimes Gyps. A few times Boo or Bug...but rarely Gypsy.

It makes me wonder though. Does Gypsy mind? I don't think she does. Her and Ohio-mom have a great bond and Gypsy seems to be over-protective of her at times when I want some attention too. But why would she be named Gypsy, and then never be called that?

Ohio-mom once told me how I got my name. She said the night before she went up to see a little blonde haflinger, that *gasp* was NOT me, she had a dream she went to see a short red plump haffy with a blaze named Sadie. She already knew she was going up there to look at a younger, taller, lighter mare named C-Connie.
Once she was up at the farm, she decided to pass on C-Connie and the gentleman pulled me out and said he was looking to find me a home too. There I was. Short. Red. Plump. Blaze...but my name was Precious. However, she knew I was the pony that was in her dream, and the name Sadie suited me. So, she said she'd take me!
Going home, she had to stop by the Dairy Queen she worked at to return a cell phone she'd borrowed for the trip from her friend that she boarded with at the time. Her friend also said she had a dream that she got a little red mare named Sadie.
So, the name stuck. I was meant to be Sadie! Kinda weird, yes. But the name suits me much better than Precious (which, by the way, is just part of my registered name--Precious Silk MJE)

But it makes me wonder--how do people know they have the right name for their horse or pony? Do they just pick one and make it try to stick, which seems to be the case with Gypsy. Or do they wait and let the name that best suits come to the animal and go with that?

Well, well, well...

2011-01-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

today is my 15th birthday! But, to tell you the truth, I still feel like a 5 year old ;)

Ohio-mom called me middle aged *snort* But she agrees, I'm in the prime of my life and feeling and looking GREAT!

Nothing much to post about today really. Ohio-mom is going to make me a beet pulp, hay pellet mash with carrots and apples and maybe some candy canes...Mmmm...peppermint! She says it still seems like yesterday when she was handed a leadrope with a scraggly looking 8, almost 9, year old red pony at the end of it with a "good luck". I don't even think I really knew how to lead at that time either. I didn't know much at all then. Ohio-mom helped me turn into a useful pony though, even though I'd rather just lounge about all day and do nothing. Which are my plans EXACTLY for today!

Acceptable Winter Wear

2011-01-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

and no, Ohio-mom. Shorts are NOT acceptable for January in Ohio. It's 17F out and you don't have a luxurious haircoat like I do!

So what is acceptable winter wear..for your equine pals that is?

For my buddy Gypsy and I, it consists of lightweight sheets that are waterproof. We both get a generous pony hair coat in the winter and don't even really need the sheets, but Ohio-mom likes to ride in the winter and we like to stand outside when it rains. And a soaked hair coat in the winter isn't effective in keeping us warm at all. Come January, Gypsy also gets a medium weight blanket added on top of her lightweight if she starts dropping weight. It is also waterproof and only goes on her when the night time temp is dropping below 15F. In addition to our hair keeping us warm, the sheets keeping us dry, we also get a TON of hay to help keep us warm. We have a barn, we just don't use it. Well, we use it as a bathroom and that's about it. If we were stalled at night, we would likely not have blankets put on us at all. We are more than capable of braving the winters here without one. Most healthy horses that grow a decent winter coat are able to in fact! Over blanketing can do more harm than good to us, so make sure that by wanting to "help" us, you aren't actually hurting us by taking away the natural means we have of keeping warm.

I know some of my buddies out there need blankets due to various factors--they don't get enough winter hair growth, they get winter hair shaved down in the winter, they are old, they are very young, they are sick or underweight, and so on. For them, a blanket or two probably is needed.

Just remember, feeding us yummy, delicious hay will help...Mmmmm..hay...and keeping us groomed and dry. Wet hair or dry mud caked hair does not do a good job at all in insulating us.

And if you are like Gypsy, you might want to toss on a hat too!

Hay...omnomnomnomnom!

2011-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

*hangs head in shame* I've really slacked off. Not my fault, I just didn't have as much access to the internet there for awhile. But I'm back now!

We just got a nice snowfall yesterday and it's still coming down. Ohio mom came out and fed us earlier than usual. I really liked that. She even snuck in some goodies--carrot bits, apple chunks, a few peppermint horse cookies...oh my! My mineral pellets never tasted so good! We also got big heaping piles of hay. Which brings me to my subject today.

If you are a chunky little pony, such as myself, and food is your main goal in life--you probably go through your hay like it's the last bits of it you'll ever see and some random hay eating monster or other pony may come and steal it from you.
Seriously, it could happen. I keep trying to tell Gypsy this, but she won't listen to me. She'll learn...one of these days, she'll learn.
Anyway. I was going through what my buddy Gypsy eats in a 4-5 hour period in less than 30 minutes. It's also caused me to choke once. Choke is no fun for a horse, let me tell you. So, Ohio mom and Michigan mom started thinking of making some slow hay feeders. That has yet to happen, but what HAS happened is they bought me a muzzle. You see, I decided that once the hay was finished, chewing the fence down was an appropriate behavior. I wasn't cribbing or eating the wood, just ripping it down and dropping it. Sure, they tried giving me more hay, but that just got me fatter, and I can eat an entire square bale in about an hour...so, not really an option unless they wanted to roll me around the yard for fun (there has been talk of painting the Goodyear logo on my blue blanket and calling me The Goodyear Blimp though...). Even putting up more of that biting, stinging wire inside the wood fence didn't help much, I just worked around it. The vet checked me out and said I was healthy as a, well, horse... So, they got a lovely breakaway halter for me in green to go with said muzzle as neither of them are a fan of leaving halters on. Not only did the muzzle keep me from ripping up the fence, but it has slowed down my eating drastically. It's not a grazing muzzle, it's just a normal ol' wire muzzle. But now I can stuff as much hay in my mouth as possible and it takes me 5 times as long to finish my hay! Oh, I don't wear it all the time, but I do wear it at feeding times and most nights.

This spring they are going to try to put together some slow down hay feeders of some type together for Gypsy and me...I'll be interested to see what they come up with.

Oh dear...

2010-07-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted much...but I've been one busy little cookie!
I'll try to keep this thing updated a bit more.

Ohio mom is teaching me how to jump (without her on me...she doesn't "do jumps" she says). I'm not sure if I like it or not, but it is something new.

The horseflies are horrible right now...thank goodness for flyspray!

And the grass is green and yummy! *nomnomnom*

I think I'll share a gorgeous picture of me that Ohio mom took the other day!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-27T19:42:00.000-08:00

Been super busy around here, getting in a lot of ride time. But just wanted to pop in and say Happy Holidays, whatever you may, or may not, celebrate! Me, I don't care, just keep those candy canes coming! Mmmmmmmmm!!!

I'll try to make a post with some more meaning next time...but it's late and I'm one sleepy pony!

Fa-la-la-la-laaaaaaaaaaa

2009-12-20T19:19:00.000-08:00

Hello, hello. I'm pretty much bedded down for the night, listening to some music before I doze off. Then I remembered, I hadn't updated! So...that is what this entry is about. Music.

Yes..Music.

Your horses probably really likes music. Some soft music in the barn can help lower stress and relax your horse a bit if they are into music. So give it a try! Think of the effect music has on you (music that you enjoy that is!) and imagine your equine counterpart enjoying the same!

It's better than my own singing, that's for sure, and a radio isn't that costly these days!

Being There When Your Human Just Needs You.

2009-12-19T07:54:00.000-08:00

Was a bit busy yesterday, so didn't get a chance to post...but it's snowing today and I'm hanging out in the barn with my hay and just relaxing.

But yes, being there when your human needs you. That seems to happen to me frequently, so I think I'm quite good at it. Ohio mom got me just a few months after she lost her first horse. She was quite overwhelmed with it still, but the opportunity came for me to be hers and she took it. Not only had she lost her mare, Libby, she had Libby's young foal, Riot, to raise too. Between myself and Riot, we had a lot of tears shed in our manes. We also were there for her to keep her mind busy, between teaching a young colt the basics, to teaching an 8 year old mare the basics! By springtime, she was ready to ride again and I was ready to be backed. I went easy on her and just went with the flow. It was fun and she was happy. During this time, Michigan mom and her mom and a few other people came to see me be backed the first time! It was exciting. We had Riot's first birthday party and then it was time to work with me! I had a lot of fun that day. That was also the day that Michigan mom and her mother told Ohio mom that if she ever needed a place for me, to let them know...they LOVED me :D

Michigan mom, Myself, Ohio mom

A couple of years later, Ohio mom took them up on their offer. Michigan mom and her mother had just lost their older Thoroughbred mare, and I was ready to go up there and help comfort not only them, but Michigan moms older Paint mare. We had several grand months up there! Much fun was had and life was good. And then it happened. Michigan mom made the tough decision to euthanize her Paint mare, Gypsy. I was there for her as much as I could be, much like how I was there for Ohio mom when she had lost her mare.

Things come up in life sometimes and Michigan mom needed to move me back down to Ohio mom's place. I met up with Riot, who was now towering over me, and the "other" Gypsy that I knew for a year or so before I moved up to Michigan. I arrived in November, and sadly, by December...Riot just wasn't well. Ohio mom was pretty tore up about it. Vet could find no reason for him to keep getting belly aches. He was a trooper though. The last day he was here was a tough one for Ohio mom. It was raining and cold and miserable outside, and she stayed out there with him the entire day. She let us say goodbye to him too...he really wasn't well at all. She made that tough choice to let him go. We didn't see Ohio mom for several days after that. Her mom would come out and feed us. But we were waiting for her when she was ready. She told us that he had tumors in his abdomen and that he wasn't in pain anymore. But she was. More tears in the mane, for many weeks. Gypsy also grieved and stopped eating. Which made Ohio mom fret even more. I was always standing near Gypsy and grooming her and just resting my head on her back to let her know I was here. Ohio mom found this sweet and told me so. Gypsy and I usually bite at each other and play rough, or challenge each other for lead horse position out in our little field (she usually wins by the way!). She is not a passive horse by any means, but she had to grieve in her own way too.

The 17th marked the one year anniversary of Riot's death. Ohio mom was pretty down in the dumps and she didn't really hang out with us much. We did get some hugs though and she told us how much she appreciated us. It's a long, hard road to being able to accept the death of a loved one. The most you can do is just be there for your human and fellow critters and not let anyone be alone in this time. Even if all you do is just stand there and let them cry into your mane.

http://www.themanestreet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13138
Liberty(1995-2003) and Patriot(2003-2008)

So...I wasn't the BEST behaved...

2009-12-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

So, yeah. Farrier was here yesterday. But, I was feeling my oats (even though my mom never feeds me any...*snort*). The wind was blowing, the air was crisp and I wanted to play and roll in mud and eat hay! I held it together quite a long time, but that last hoof, I just couldn't contain myself and I sorta had a mini meltdown from all the over stimulating things surrounding me.
Great farrier I have..he stuck with me and talked me down, along with my owner. Finished the last few bits of rasping and I was done.

I must say...my toes look dang nice now!

Nothing much going on today...Ohio mom is a bit down in the dumps today and she's not really hanging out with us much. Gypsy is feeding off of that too and she's acting a bit, sad I guess. So I'm going to go try and cheer up a human and a fellow pony and will post more on this tomorrow. Grieving is something we all do, and I've dealt with it a lot with my pasture-mates and humans.

Pedicures

2009-12-15T04:07:00.000-08:00

So, I've heard word that the farrier is coming out tomorrow morning. I can already feel the butterflies in my tummy. I've pretty much blocked it out, but I have a bad history with farriers from my first 8 years of life. Mostly too rough and mean or lack of. So it was a bit of an issue when I first came here and my feet were a mess, but I tried to sit down and roll over on this new to me farrier when all he was trying to do was help me.
It's taken about 5 or 6 years now and a few great farriers and a tiny bit of dormosedan at the beginning, but I'll now stand for the farrier. I tend to blank out during my trim experience, but my Ohio mom noticed the last two trims I haven't done that. She said that faraway look in my eyes is gone when the farrier is dealing with me...so I'm still making progress!

Hoof care is one of those basics for us equines. No hoof, no horse. They support our weight and when you are riding, they support your weight too! I get my tootsies trimmed every 5 weeks in the spring/summer/fall and usually about every 6 weeks in the winter, which is usually due to the weather and the farrier having to reschedule. But it's good, hooves don't seem to grow as fast in the winter.

A great farrier is hard to find, and I hope all of you have found one. He needs to know his stuff, as well as be willing to listen to your thoughts and concerns. He should treat your equines with respect as well. That is something I didn't have until my current home and it's really messed with me a lot. I still flinch whenever the rasp is pulled out. But at least I no longer have the total meltdown of a few years back. My farrier will also let me take a small walk and "re-gather my thoughts" time in between each foot if I need it. The first time he met me, I did rear up on him on the last foot he was doing. He stuck with me, talked me down and finished. Then gave me some scritches. That earned bonus points in my book and my moms.
Your farrier should be timely as well. We've been blessed with a couple of great farriers here the past few years that have been on time and not kept me waiting with all those tummy butterflies. And when they are late or can't make it due to unforeseen circumstances, they call. I know not every farrier does this, but they should. It's just good manners.
Speaking of good manners. Your horse should have them. I know I'm one to talk, but my mom is ALWAYS upfront with the farrier. Especially when we've had to get a new one due to retirement. She always reminds the farrier that I'm the pony that has farrier issues. So if your horse is less than perfect, release that information to the farrier so he knows what to expect. Also let your farrier know if your horse is arthritic or sore. But, aside from abuse and neglect cases, horses that are sore, and young foals who are still learning, your horse should stand calmly, pick their feet up when asked and not jerk their feet away. All of these are things you can teach your horse in your own time, it isn't up to your farrier to.

So, now I'm going to loaf around today and chow down on hay. My mom is gonna come out and give us a good grooming in a bit and just hang out with us today. And yes, she is going to work with me on picking my feet up.

Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink

2009-12-14T04:17:00.000-08:00

So, as I ate my slightly salty breakfast this morning, I figured, why not talk about that. Yes, you are probably wondering why my breakfast was salty. Well, it was because I have loose sea salt added in. Oh...why do I have salt added in? To promote me to drink more water of course! It's that time of year when some of us don't realize we aren't drinking enough water and then our owners have to deal with, at the least, dehydration, and at the worst colic. My own people had to deal with me choking. I was too engrossed in grazing on the last of some pasture, the day was warmer than it was supposed to get and had been in weeks, and I just didn't think to get a drink. I started scarfing down my evening hay and BLAMMO! A bit of it got stuck. A wonderful vet came out and helped me dislodge it and all was well.

The weather being cold or with huge fluctuations from one day to the next can sometimes trick us into thinking we aren't as thirsty as normal because it's not hot and we aren't sweating. Or we are too busy chowing down on the extra hay our people toss us to help us keep warm. Sometimes the hard, frozen ground hurts our feet and we can't walk to the water trough comfortably. Same goes with the older folks who have arthritis that flares up in the winter. Then the worst thing that is thinkable--our water is frozen solid and we have no way to drink it once we make our way over to it! And then sometimes, the water is just dirty, so clean your troughs and buckets, even in the winter!!!

So what can you do to help? Well, my salty feed is one way to encourage drinking when we are otherwise too busy to really notice we need water. It'll make us seek the water out and have a good guzzle. Soaking our feed is another option to get more water into us.
A tank heater suitable for your water trough helps keep the ice from forming--and if you have a curious horse who likes to chew cords, a bit of PVC pipe fitted over the cord to the heater prevents that. We've got a nifty water heater a couple of years back since my Ohio mom was tired of busting ice several times a day. It's got an automatic shut off on it that occurs when the heating element is out of water, so if someone flipped it out of the trough for fun, it doesn't burn up the heating element! It's going on it's 3rd year and still working great. Nothing is more disappointing to a thirsty horse than to wander over and find our water supply is frozen solid. And no, snow does NOT cut it for a water supply, I don't care if you have 4 feet of the stuff!
If you drag water out to the field for your horses because you don't have a water supply out there, or you are filling buckets for stalls, try to remember that hot water will freeze quicker than cold water.
For sore and arthritic horses, check out where they hang out the most and keep a water supply in that area for them. Working with your vet and farrier to make them as comfortable as they can be during the cold months and hard ground is also a great idea.
If anyone else has ideas to share on the subject, we'd love to hear them. Different areas of the country, and even the world, have different types of weather and tips that work for them. So please comment!
Above all else, knowing and observing your horse and the amount of water they are drinking is a big help. Some circumstances don't allow for this, but if it does, be sure to keep an eye out!

Now, all of this talk of water has made me thirsty. Or maybe it's the salt. At any rate, I'm going to go have a drink now. I heard talk of a trail ride later this morning and I have a feeling I'm going on it.

I do love a good massage

2009-12-13T06:35:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the clouds in the sky, the ride my mom and I were going to go on today was cancelled. RAIN! Now, I normally don't care for rain, and in Ohio in the winter months, it's downright miserable. I prefer to stand outside, so that was were I was found, anxiously awaiting my breakfast. Thank goodness for rain sheets!
Chowed down on some mineral pellets and hay, was groomed..and then....the massage! Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Lip curlin' and wigglin', sleepy eyed massage time. She knows just the spots to hit and what I like best. I know I don't work hard enough for weekly massage time, but she still gives Gypsy and me our massages. Gypsy for sure deserves them. She works a lot more than I do, but she likes to (that's her own fault..hehe).

I think every horse deserves to be massaged actually. A lot of people don't want to spend the money to have an equine massage therapist out, let alone someone to do acupressure, acupuncture, chiro work or other body work. But, if their horse is being worked at all, they should! It helps us out a lot you know.

I really love a good massage, some chiro work and Facilitated Pressure Release Therapy. Not as keen on the acupressure, but my buddy Gypsy loves it. Never had acupuncture before, but I was told it involves needles and was like acupressure.

Now most of you have heard of massage and chiro work...maybe some of you have even heard of acupressure and acupuncture...but not many have heard of the Facilitated Pressure Release Therapy (or FPRT since I'm typing with hooves here and it's long!)
I'm just going to yank some bits about it off my Michigan mom's website and link you to it so you can read more about it. I really do enjoy this, and my Ohio mom has had it done to her as well, and was floored by how well it worked. So that is what I'll give you a bit of info on.

First, a brief "what IS this???". Again, you can read the more in depth descriptions on her website which I will link you to at the end.

Facilitated Pressure Release Therapy can be described as a specialized pressure release therapy which completely releases abnormal tension in all tissues of the body to affect permanent change.
This is an indirect type of therapy and it is very gentle to the recipient. The practitioner is not pushing or forcing the tissues to release the tension and restrictions. There are no forceful or high velocity adjustments involved. No pain should be felt by the client and the practitioner will modify their pressure if pain is experienced.

Sounds great, huh? I love it!

Now you probably want to know some benefits.
The benefits of FPRT to your horse will be predominantly seen in three categories: performance, pain/illness, and natural preventative care.

Performance

· Improves Performance

· Allows the Opportunity to Reach Maximum Potential

· Release of Tension and Stress

· Improves Attitude and Work Ethic

· Assists in Improving Saddling Behavior

· Increases Freedom of Movement in the Gaits –

o Elasticity, Extension, Collection, Gait and Lead Changes, etc

Pain and Illness

· Relieves Pain - Acute and Chronic

· Assists Recovery from Illness and Injury

· Strengthens Immune System

· Releases Lingering Tension from Old Injuries and Scar Tissue

* Eases Arthritis Discomfort

Natural Preventative Care

· Body Balancing to help avoid injuries, arthritis and illness

· Helps Extend Working Careers

· Allows Better and Easier Breathing

· Assists in Balance

· Relaxes and Rejuvenates

if all of that sounds interesting to you, or you want to learn more, go check out her website: http://www.whitewillowtherapies.com/
As for me, I'm going to go have a nice bucket of water and relax. Those massages do that to me.

YouTube

2009-12-12T08:51:00.000-08:00

So, I briefly mentioned YouTube in my last post...my owners thought it would be fun, and I'll admit, it was (plus I got about a half of a bag of carrots afterwards!!! BONUS!!!!)

But, here is the video.

The things we horses do to amuse our owners and let them have a good laugh. Laughing is good for you anyway. Helps keep you healthy, so I'm glad they had a good time with it!

An Introduction

2009-12-12T08:24:00.000-08:00

I suppose I should introduce myself before I start to really post. Everyone wants to know the face behind the words, especially if you are as curious as the barn cats out here where I live.

There you go...not the best shot of me, as I'm starting to get a winter coat. But I look thin and, you have to admit, that is a GREAT smile on my face! My name is Precious Silk MJE, but I'm known to most as Sadie. I am a Haflinger horse(that's right, even though i'm 13.1hh on a good day, I'm still a horse!) and I will be celebrating my 14th birthday on January 19th.
I am currently residing in Ohio, but I have another home up in Michigan. And I must say, I'm quite spoiled! I've got a pretty great pasturemate named Gypsy down here in OH, who is a Spotted Saddle Horse (but also quite short, like I am). She can be a bit stingy with her food, but I'll admit, I try to eat more than my fair share of things. Other than that, she's a right nice mare and we get along quite nicely.
I enjoy massages, acupressure, chiro and bodywork, thanks to the skills of my fabulous owners and current farrier. Speaking of farriers--not high on my "like" list. At all. But this current guy is great. He is patient with me and knows when I'm not having the best of days and doesn't hold it against me. He is also my chiro and does a great job.
Up until I was 9 years old, I was just a pasture puff. Then my current home acquired me and turned me into a trail pony. I must say, it is quite enjoyable. And I didn't mind it so much, so I decided to be an easy horse to work with. I could have bucked and reared and bolted and such, but let's face it--that takes too much effort and I'm a laid back kinda gal.
I've had some great adventures with my owners--from working at a Boy Scouts of America camp alongside one of them, to gorgeous trail rides up in Michigan and down here in Ohio...and even a small taste of YouTube fun. I love my people and they love me. I think I'm quite the lucky little mare--I don't just have one "forever home", I've got two!