Animals
- Tuiren Tuesday
I am admiring Mommy's nice clean floor, it is so clean I can see my reflection. Mommy says I should keep my teeth this clean. Many of you know I had a recent teeth cleaning. My breath smells so much better and it is so much EASIER for...
- Pushme-pullyou
Yesterday was the perfect day for horsing around. The sun came out in the morning and warmed things up considerably. After the last few weeks of rotten weather,I had seven equines that looked like nobody loved them. All seven dirty, shaggy equines...
- With Frost Looming....
Yesterday was the last of our temperate October days...says the weatherman. With temps in the low 60's, I took the opportunity to get some outdoor work done.Mowing for the last time, raking leaves and cleaning the pasture were the chores of the day....
- Who's Who....part 7
I often get the question..."Which animals take the most time to care for?" The answer to that is easy...no thought necessary.The horses! Cleaning up their manure three times daily...plus cleaning the pastures,feeding (in the winter time, they need lots...
- Pete And Repete
Today I would like to introduce you to a new horse."What? A new horse?" you say. Well, ok, then....not an entirely new horse,but a "remodeled" horse, let's say. Dear friends, I would like you to meet the new and improved Pete.If you are new to this...
Animals
Routine Maintenance
It's been the busiest of weeks for the horses...
they've had the works!
Hoof trimming, grooming, bridle path clipping, sheaths cleaned, teeth floated...
all in one week.
For those of you who are not a part of the horse world,
I will give you a family-friendly explanation of sheath cleaning.
Most of the time horses hold their man-parts drawn up inside their abdomens
in an area called the sheath....
basically as they draw their parts internally, the exterior becomes the lining of the sheath.
This area is very susceptible to becoming quite filthy.
As horses run, their front hooves kick up dirt and debris that hits their abdomen,
and works its way into their sheath.
Occasional cleaning can help to get rid of this debris...
a job that's most easily done when the horse is slightly sedated.
Sheath cleanser and water....sponge....scrub-a-dub dub.....rinse....and done.
No pictures.
Just because.
Trust me.
Yesterday Dr. Becky and her assistant, Anna, came to float the horses' teeth.
Sheath cleaning was done when the dental work was finished, while
each was still a little groggy.
As for floating teeth....
Horses' teeth continue to grow throughout their lifetimes.
Chewing helps to wear the teeth down and keep them from getting too long.
However, horses don't chew in a manner that wears the teeth down evenly.
Some areas may not wear down enough, and little hooks or points begin to form
causing rubbing on the inside of their mouth.
So, when a horse's teeth are floated,
the vet sedates the horse...
places a speculum in his mouth in order to crank open his mouth enough to work
and avoid being chomped....
and then uses a special file or rasp or "float" (if you're British)
to file down the sharp points.
Typically, depending upon the horse,
this needs to be done every year or two.
All five of our horses were done yesterday.
But not the donkeys...as they are still too young.
I am happy to tell you that all five of our horses/ponies were quite well behaved
through all of the mussing and fussing this week.
I'm sure they feel like a million bucks now!
Did you know?.......
Horses never get cavities.
Besides having enamel on their teeth, they also have a cement like substance that is
hard enough to never decay...even when they get sugary treats!
- Tuiren Tuesday
I am admiring Mommy's nice clean floor, it is so clean I can see my reflection. Mommy says I should keep my teeth this clean. Many of you know I had a recent teeth cleaning. My breath smells so much better and it is so much EASIER for...
- Pushme-pullyou
Yesterday was the perfect day for horsing around. The sun came out in the morning and warmed things up considerably. After the last few weeks of rotten weather,I had seven equines that looked like nobody loved them. All seven dirty, shaggy equines...
- With Frost Looming....
Yesterday was the last of our temperate October days...says the weatherman. With temps in the low 60's, I took the opportunity to get some outdoor work done.Mowing for the last time, raking leaves and cleaning the pasture were the chores of the day....
- Who's Who....part 7
I often get the question..."Which animals take the most time to care for?" The answer to that is easy...no thought necessary.The horses! Cleaning up their manure three times daily...plus cleaning the pastures,feeding (in the winter time, they need lots...
- Pete And Repete
Today I would like to introduce you to a new horse."What? A new horse?" you say. Well, ok, then....not an entirely new horse,but a "remodeled" horse, let's say. Dear friends, I would like you to meet the new and improved Pete.If you are new to this...