Another week of updates!

Another weekend has come and gone!

New happenings around the farm.

Boy will be home from 30 days at the trainers this coming weekend. I have been thrilled with his attitude improvement, though I have unfortunately not been able to find the time to actually ride him while he has been gone. The reports and the regular video clips have been promising and I cant wait to get him home and get started working him myself.

A have a NEW addition to the farm - a 36" minature palomino gelding that Shelby has name PeterPan. He is a doll and a lover. He comes right to Sunshine when she calls for him from the pasture gate - and he stops and waits while she runs at him to wrap her arms around his neck in a hug. I swear that boy is going for sainthood already. But it very nice to finally have something her size that I can let her groom while he is tied in the barn aisle or lead around by herself. So far she is happy with leadline rides on him ~ but I know the day is coming soon when I find her on his back by herself with just that leadrope on his halter. She has already figured out how to turn a bucket upside down to get on him by herself if he is tied up. So we are strongly pushing to remind her that her helmet HAS to be on her head before she even thinks about trying to get on him.

Beyond that not much going on. Working on fences and rearranging panels to fit the new paddock designs. Boy will have his own paddock that is a portion of what was his sire's paddock that has been widened. Still need to take down the rest of the original fenceline, but he has two openings to access the alleyway that we created with the extension. Not looking forward to filling in all the holes that will be left when we pull up the original posts (telephone posts). Next agenda after I complete his pen is the individual catch pens and then the new arena that will be attached to those. Those projects all competed will let me have my round pen back as an actual round pen to use. Thinking that will be a "safe" spot for Shelby & her pony to "play" when she decides to start riding him solo (She says when she is 4 she will ride him by herself.... since that is 3 weeks away I am debating that one).

Just wanted to share this little tidbit of goodness that I found:

http://lopetx.org/blog/horsemanship/good-intentions-and-cruelty-to-horses/

Key paragraph:
"Spoiled horses can be dangerous and have the capacity to hurt more people than most types of snarling predators. What’s worse, they have been encouraged and rewarded for their misbehavior by their unsuspecting owners. These horses are frustrated, unhappy, and unbalanced — and they act out from a sense of insecurity and overwhelming need for leadership. "

Man can we all identify a few of those!

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine - News & Events

'via Blog this'

Heat Advisory for Horses

Spraying off your horse can be effective at lowering body temperature.

This Friday, Saturday and Sunday (June 7-9) will produce record hot temperatures throughout northern California. Many horse events are scheduled during this time. Here are ten important tips to prevent heat related problems in horses.

1. Heat can kill: High environmental temperatures and related heat issues of dehydration, exhaustion, and heat stroke can occur in horses and can produce illness and death. This is serious business and you must take steps to ensure your horse is protected when traveling in a trailer, being ridden on trail rides, or in competition events.

2. Drink water: Maintain hydration in your horse by allowing free access to water at all times during hot weather. It is a myth that a hot horse drinking water will experience colic or other medical problems. Never let your horse pass up a chance to drink water. Only horses that have been deprived of water for a significant time (many hours or days) need to have water provided in smaller amounts over time. Let your horse drink on the trail or after a class at a show. Hint- You can lead a horse to water . . . . this is true, so offer some hay and your horse will often drink after eating the hay. Soup-consistency bran or pellet mashes are another means of getting extra water into your horse

3. Shade: Provide shade as much as possible.

4. Limit what you do with your horse during peak heat: 

• Ride or compete with your horse in the early mornings when it is cooler.
• Have the ride or event management consider a change in the program schedule to limit afternoon activities during peak heat.
• Shorten your ride.
• Go slower and provide frequent breaks for your horse, in shade.
• Encourage your horse to drink whenever they want water.  

5. Ventilation: Provide open vents and windows in trailers which can open for cross ventilation (however, don't let your horse stick its head out while on the road).

6. Know signs of fatigue and overheating in your horse and stop before more severe signs of heat exhaustion begin: Persistent high respiratory rate that does not come down with rest over 10-30 minutes (normal is 20-40 breaths per min). Change in mentation, decreased energy level and reluctance to keep going. Dry mucous membranes in the mouth (they should feel “slimy”). Prolonged capillary refill time—Push on your horse’s gum. They should be pink to start, then it will blanch to white after pressure, and return to pink in approximately one second. Check this at the start of your day and frequently throughout the day. If it is prolonged, your horse is trying to tell you to stop, rest, provide water and if other signs of colic or muscle pain occur, you need to stay put and seek veterinary attention. Gut sounds—Listen at the start of your day (if you don't have a stethoscope put your ear on your horse’s flank- behind the ribs). You should hear gurgling sounds on both sides of the belly– that is normal and good. Quiet gut sounds are a warning that your horse may be heading for dehydration or exhaustion.

7. Fans: If in a barn with limited ventilation, try to arrange more air circulation by careful placement of a fan in front of the stall or in the aisle way. Keep electric cords out of reach of horses.

8. Hose (spray) off your horse or pour water from a bucket over your horse. Cool water is fine, normal temperature (not hot) water is good too. Evaporation produces cooling and continuous hosing is one of the most effective means of lowering body temperature.

9. Water source: Keep a supply of water available for your horse to drink. Obtain some clean 5 gallon cans and fill them up with water before you travel.

10. Electrolytes: These may be useful if the horse has been sweating excessively. Only use if they can be followed by access to water to drink. Have a plan outlined by your veterinarian if you have not used electrolytes before. Only use electrolytes specifically made for horses. 

Trailering Tips in the Heat
If you need to trailer your horse, do so in the cool early morning or late evening hours when it is cooler. Don’t leave your horse in a parked trailer, especially if there is no shade. Just as with a parked car, temperatures inside a trailer can rapidly reach 140 degrees and the horse can quickly develop heat stroke.Provide as much ventilation and airflow as safely as possible on the road.Be very careful with hauling foals – they appear to be even more susceptible to heat than adult horses.

Tips provided by:

John Madigan, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM, ACAW*

Gary Magdesian, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM, ACVECC**

W. David Wilson, BVMS, MS, MRCVS***

*International Animal Welfare Training Institute

**Head- Equine Critical Care- VMTH

***Director- Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH)

School of Veterinary Medicine University of California-Davis

Feel free to print and redistribute this advisory with credit to the authors and UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

New Beginnings... Current Players

I figure Summer is a good month to start over again. All previous blog entries were erased.
New start to lets see what happens this time around.

Lots going on that is for sure.

MGTS is starting to get settled into our OWN location. House & horses in one location is a super nice change after so many years of having an hour long commute to visit with them.
Herd has grown & shrunk, horses have come & gone over the last few years as well.
Current herd players are:
King (My Old Man) is still as ornery as ever and keeping an eye on things.
 
Mardi is still Alpha and as witchy as ever towards all other horses.

Spartacus (Ide Be Spartacus) - new OTTB mare that arrived straight off the track last fall. Super nice mare looking forward to getting her going under saddle with plans to breed her (hopefully) next year.

Cowgirl (Okies Smokin Cowgirl) - a sweet AQHA mare who has a heck of a history to her who has found a safe spot here and come a complete 180 in attitude since arriving. She is due this summer with Bull's last foal.

Missy (SwissMiss) - Shelby's pony, currently on loan to my good friend Erika up in Birmingham area. Missy is enjoying the daily work and riding time that Shelby is not quite up to tackling yet (don't tell her that).

Boy (IAmMyMommasBoy) - Annie's 2011 colt who will hopefully grow into Bull's replacement. He has currently started training, so expect to hear more about him to come! It has been hard to send him off to be started but I had to admit with everything else going on right now I did not have the time to commit to him that a 2 y.o. colt needs to be started. 

Caly (Calypso Love Song) Rose's 2011 filly is back. I am very blessed to have been given the opportunity to get this filly back after losing both Rose & Bull over the last year. She looks JUST like her dam and it takes every bit of effort I have to keep from throwing a saddle on her to see if she will ride like her mama did (she needs more time to grow up first) 

MJ (MaryJane) - Sugar's 2012 twin-filly. She is growing up with her mama's attitude, but her sire's willingness to learn. Ornery & too smart for her own good is the best description of this little girl.
 
We lost Buddy (our twin colt) to a pasture accident in April - best we could tell is that he was doing what he loved best, running full steam, out in the pasture and hit a slick spot. The decision was made to euthanize him as soon as we arrived at the vet. That was a very hard day for all of us as Buddy was probably the biggest farm pet we had and captured everyone's heart with his stoic behavior while he defied all lives odds.

Besides the horses we have added a start of a nice herd of Sannen Dairy goats with great appreciation to Valley Vale Sannens. We have Rhapsody our doe (she has a story I will tell another time), a companion whether in Bar-B-Que (who was intended to be Dinner, we shall see), and now the newest addition a nice buckling who will be a herd sire: Valley Vale Captain Kirk.

Our flock of chickens keeps us well provided with eggs on a daily basis.

Guarding them all is Walker - Sunshine's Treeing Walker Coonhound - who has become the best darn farm dog we could have asked for. And of course Tim's Dachshund, lil' boy, who thinks his life goal is to be fat and convince us that he deserves to sleep on Sunshine's bed.

That makes up the players in the current MGTS farm family! Let see if I can keep this updated with daily life (or weekly anyways). Lots in the works so maybe that will encourage me to update and be able to track it all.