Country Time Acres Blog

When Cheyenne was diagnosed with Founder, I was offered an overload of information. Unfortunately, much of the information was based on hearsay and not facts. The problem with this condition is there really aren’t a lot of documented facts to help people. Because of this I went through 3 ferriers and 2 vets. I spent a lot of money looking for answers and each time was left more confused than the last time. I was told to take my horse off the grass,  no grain and keep her in a paddock. Then I was told she didn’t have Founder but, did need weight management. Then there is the issue of sugar in the grass, long grass, short grass, in the spring, in the fall, after a dew, during a drought, who really knows????  And worst of all was being told “Once they Founder they always have it.  How can that be?”  I’ would ask.

      Thank goodness I was able to find a book that seem to have the answers I was looking for!  Founder, Prevention & Cure the Natural Way by Jamie Jackson tells us about the horses natural diet,  living enviroment and how the hoof grows. After reading this book I no longer felt it was the end of the world for my beloved horse.  In the pages of this book I learned how nature takes care of the horse and I began to try to care for my horses in a more natural way. Every year I would seek the help of the professionals and seed, fertalize and pasture manage my 2 acre pasture. I always wondered why my horses were fat and my neighbors who did nothing to their pastures and fed mostly hay had healthy horses. I also vaccinated, wormed and spent hundreds of dollars in medical care. Recently I have asked to who benefited from this, my horses or the vets, the ferriers and the supply companies?  One of the most bold and powerful statements in this book says ” The natural healing ahead will depend on your preserverance and loyalty to the natural healing program and by not yeilding from ignorance or fear to the terrorism of bad science”. As one who has practiced alternative medicine and questioned medical science for years I have to agree with this statement. Every horse owner should have this book.  In conclusion I can say that Cheyenne is improving. We still struggle with her weight and diet. She  gets very  limited time in the grass and I have replaced grain with fresh fruits and vegatables every night. In fact, all of the horses get fresh fruit and veggies every night and love it. I have even noticed their manes are growing much longer than normal.  I was told Cheyenne would not be able to perform but, on October 16 she did the opening of my benefit show “Wild West Round-Up” and was amazing!  Did you visit?  Leave a comment!!!

We humans learn things on a need to know basis. Of all the health issues I have faced with my horses, Founder has been the most complicated to understand.  Having gone through 2 vets and 3 ferriers  it has also made it a very expensive experience as well. My story actually began last summer, although I didn’t know it. Cheyenne began limping at a performance and I thought she had pulled something after jumping a barrel. After some rest the problem seemed to go away. However, I did notice that she was gaining weight and was eating like “there was no tomorrow”. When I asked the vet about it I was told that it is common for mini’s to be obese. It was suggested that she be taken off the grass. During the winter she did loose weight and I vowed to keep it off her. All seemed to be going well and then one day I noticed that she seemed to be walking a little soft on her front foot. I began soaking it thinking it might be an abscess.  During a visit from my ferrier I was told she had Founder and that she needed to be removed from the grass, no grain and keep her confined to her paddock. I felt as if my horse had just been given a death sentence. I normally am pretty good about handling these things but, I was feeling so guilty that I really couldn’t think straight. Founder, also called Laminitis  is a metabolic and vascular diease that involves the inner sensitive structure of the feet.  The most common cause of acute founder is the rapid consumption of excess quantities of carbohydrates similar to diabetes in humans. Symptoms include high fever, chills, sweating, diarrhea, fast pulse and rapid breathing. They also have a stance, where the horse is in so much pain it stands in a way to take pressure off the hoof. Cheyenne had none of these symptoms. By the fourth day of confinement my horse was out of control, bucking, kicking and biting. I thought, there is no way this horse is sick. On the eighth day I took her to the vet and requested an x-ray to see if she had any rotation of the coffin bone. After he examined Cheyenne, he told me the x-ray was a waste of money and the horse was sound. So, out in the pasture she went.  A few weeks later the limping started again so I called my vet. She did a block, this is where they numb a certain area, beginning at the hoof, until they can locate the exact area where the pain is. This resulted in an x-ray of the hoof which showed Cheyenne did have a slight rotation of the coffin bone on her right front hoof. The treatment was  corrective trimmings and weight management.  During the trimming my ferrier took off most of the toe of the hoof and as much heel as possible. An x-ray was taken which showed the hoof was now at an angle that would take pressure off the hoof. I  was told my horse should be better in a few days but, 3 weeks later she was still limping.  By now I am feeling pretty hopeless and then I found a book on Amazon called  “Founder, Prevention & Cure the Natural Way”.  Now, my husband says anyone can write something in a book and that may be so but, this book explained the horses nature enviroment, diet and needs.  Finally, I felt there was some hope for Cheyenne.  Continued on the next post.  Did you visit?  Leave a comment!

At what age should we wean our foals?

I love riding through the countryside in spring because of all the new foals grazing in the pastures. Nature is so beautiful! Now all of those foals are a few months old and many will ask “When is a good time to wean my foal”? The word wean means to discontinue breast-feeding gradually, to detach. Separation from the mare is one of the most traumatic events in a foals life, so let us focus on the word gradually. Most people like to separate the mare and foal at about 3 months old and then it’s done. Several studies have been done determining that growth of the foal is not slowed if weaned at 3 months or 6 months. Personally I feel a foal is like an infant, it needs that nourishment and time with the mare. Unless there is a medical reason to do so I think waiting till at least 5-6 months is better. The foal learns from the mare and should be introduced to their surroundings and socialized with other horses before being turned out without the mares protection. Make sure your foal is eating solids and is in good health. Weaning doesn’t have to be so traumatic.  When I weaned Cheyenne  I separated her from Gypsy for an hour at a time several times a day, each day making the separation a little longer. At night she stayed in a stall by Dakota. Mare and foal were able to see each other and that gave comfort to both horses. I really enjoyed watching Dakota teach her the ways of the herd and especially enjoyed it when Cheyenne would play games with him. He would be eating and she would suddenly run by him as if to say ‘Come on old man, catch me if you can” and the race was on!  Enjoy your foals while they are young, there is so much to be learned simply by watching them.  Did you visit?  Leave a comment!!!

It is a question that every horse owner will ask and something that most will face at least once in their lifetime. “How much can I afford to pay if my horse gets sick or seriously injured”? Owning a horse has become a luxury. With the high cost of feed, hay, bedding and routine veterinary, hoof and dental care, now more than ever many horse owners are becoming “horse poor”. It’s one of those things you don’t give much thought to until, one day it happens.

April 1st began as every other day did. I put the horses out in the pasture and started cleaning the barn. As I filled the water bucket I noticed Gypsy, one of my miniature horses was lying in the field.  After spending the night in the paddock it wasn’t normal for a horse to lie down, it was breakfast time.  I knew that this was a sign that something was wrong. By the time I reached Gypsy, she was down on her side. “Colic”, I said and I ran to the house to call the vet and my husband, Terry. About a half an hour later the vet pulled in and Terry was just minutes behind her. We worked on Gypsy, giving her fluids through a nasogastric tube hoping to clear any blockage. Terry asked the vet to check our other mini, Savannah who had been acting odd the night before. Sure enough Terry found her lying in the pasture. I couldn’t believe it, two horses with colic at the same time. What in the world was going on?  Savannah weighs only 95 pounds and had just turned a year old the day before. There wasn’t a tube small enough for her so, Terry made a quick trip to Lowes. He returned with a tube he had fit with a funnel that was small enough to get fluids into Savannah.

While Gypsy rested quietly in the paddock, Terry and I took turns walking Savannah. As the hours passed she grew worse. the vet suggested surgery, but the cost could be between $1,000 and $4,000. Even if we had that kind of money, there was no promise that she would survive. The only option was to send her to the animal hospital and treat her with intravenous fluids and medication.  Terry and I discussed how much we could afford to pay that was within reason. What ever decisions were made we needed to know there would be no blame or regrets.  But, I was still torn about what to do.  Savannah was so sick she could no longer stand up. As she lay there on her side I knelt over her crying.

“I don’t know what to do Savannah”, I told her. “Do I let you go and end your suffering or  we keep fighting?” At that moment Savannah lifted her head and put her muzzle on my face. I knew I had to take a chance and try to save her. We loaded her into the trailer and took her to the hospital.  I talked with the vet for a few minutes and then we left so they could get to work. When I left I thought it would be the last time I would see my baby. I had done all I could do, it was now in the hands of a higher power.

All night I tossed and turned, I cried and most of all I prayed. By morning I was mentally exhausted. I didn’t have the courage to make that call to the vet, I just wasn’t ready to hear those words “Your baby is gone”. Terry made the call while I tended to Gypsy. Awhile later he found us in the pasture. When he told me that not only had Savannah survived the night but, had improved 75% and was coming home, my knees went weak and I fell into his arms. I had gotten my miracle. But, we still had to get Gypsy better.

When we went to get Savannah we took Gypsy to the hospital to get another tubal treatment.  We took her back the next day for an intravenous treatment. The two horses seemed to have recovered their ordeal but, I noticed that Savannah was laying down a lot. Then, two weeks later she went down again. The vet returned and blood work was done. Savannah was suffering from stomach ulcers. She was put on medication for the next two weeks. All seemed to be going well. Savannah had finished her medication and five days later she went down again. By now we were running out of hope. The budget we had set was long gone. I called the emergency vet and explained the situation. I didn’t suspect colic but, felt the ulcers may be the problem. If I was going to spend the money it had to be on treating her and not an emergency visit. He explained that she might have to be on medication for the rest of her life. I picked up a two month supply adding another $200.00 to my bill. By now my origional budget had almost doubled. We had come this far and couldn’t give up now. I also knew I couldn’t keep putting money into a dying horse. For weeks I have dreaded going to the barn for fear of finding that my baby had passed. Fortuately, the medication seems to  be helping.

I hope I never have to go through anything like this ever again. To see my horses running in the field is an amazing feeling. Savannah has returned to training as an “Amazing Paint” and has returned to work as a therapeutic horse. The only thing more heartbreaking than the loss of my horse would be knowing I ended her life simply because I couldn’t afford to save her.

Many thanks to Dr. Anne Croken and the staff of the Brenford Animal Hospital for the outstanding care that saved the life of my horses, Gypsy and Savannah.   Did you visit? Leave a comment!

Bathtime for Savannah, she wanted to eat the bubbles!

Big sister, Cheyenne plays with Savannah.

Well, our little horse,Savannah is now 14 weeks old ( 3 1/2 months) and is now having playtime with big sister, Cheyenne. The two horses seem to get along great and Savannah really enjoys having a close relationship with another horse. I am hoping to start socializing her with other horses when she is about 6 months old. This week was bath time for Savannah. I don’t want Terry feeling left out so, I asked him if he’d like to help with that first bath. Needless to say he had some ideas of his own which included using a long wand to spray her.  The end result was me getting very frustrated and getting knocked on my butt!

 We have to remember that those first few baths are not about getting the horse clean but, introducing her to the bath experience. Any animal, human or other will be uncomfortable having cold water sprayed at them. I bath my horses in the back yard and don’t ever tie them. It is important to have room to work. The horse is on a lead rope and when spooked will run in a circle. The last thing you want is to get you or the horse tangled up in the hose or other objects.  What I noticed was Savannah’s fear of the sound the water made coming out of the hose. Once I played the friendly game with the spray nozzel and set the water on mist setting she calmed down. We played friendly game with the sponge, towel and scrapper. If you don’t know what I mean by friendly game, it’s taking an object the horse fears and playing with it by rubbing it on them and letting them touch it with their muzzle. This week Savannah received four baths, her pretty white coat was getting dingy and I had started calling her dirt ball. After her bath and a good towel dry I put her in a stall of clean saw dust to finish drying. I think one of my biggest challenges with her will be keeping my pretty little horse all snowy white.

For great horse frames, apparel, toys, books,  handbags, embroidered towels and figures, visit Country Time Creations. Did you visit? Leave a comment!

At only 9 weeks old, Savannah has already learned that the grass is always greener on the other side.

Savannah is a picture of perfect health!

     Well, Savannah has been with us for four weeks now and is 9 weeks old.  She is adjusting to life here and is a picture of perfect health. She has a nursery beside the other miniatures for now and a play yard just for her. We will be moving a small play yard into the pasture with the other horses so she can begin to socialize daily. When she first arrived she was drinking 12 ounces of foal formula every four hours. She drinks from a bowl and only I feed her so we can develope a mother-baby relationship. She is now drinking her bottle of milk every five hours. I do look forward to getting to sleep through the night but, that won’t happen for as few more weeks.Here is a record of her training so far.   Day 1: play with savvy string, play with legs & feet so she learns not to kick.  Day 5: learns first trick, the bow.  Day 6: porcupine game, front & hind quarters. Day 8: introduce halter. Day 10: introduce lead rope. Day 12: first grooming, feet too! Day 14: introduce yo-yo game. Day 18: introduce first obstacle, the pole. Day 22: walk out into smaller pasture, introduce other horses. Day 28: introduce circle game. Stay tuned for more on Savannah.    For great horse gifts visit   Country  Time Creations . Did you visit? Leave a comment!

Our new baby, Savannah.

Part two of our story:

       Before going to get our new baby, I made two quick phone calls. One was to my vet and the other my trainer. I knew that they would both offer two different pieces of advice, but I needed to have some idea as to what was ahead of me. If I took this little filly home, I wanted her to have a good chance of making it.

    We loaded the trailer with hay to serve as a bumper and off we went.  Loading her was easy, one of the boys just picked her up and put her in the trailer. I rode with her in the back of the trailer. It was a good thing I did, she got her leg caught in one of the strings of the hay bale.  She was able to get loose but, tried to climb out getting all four legs stuck in the hay bales.  As we rode home I comforted her and talked to her. Considering all that she was going through, she was pretty calm. Once we got home, Terry carried her to the stall and our new adventure began.

     The foal needed milk every four hours which meant a 3:00 a.m. feeding . I feed her from a bowl so, it doesn’t take long to feed her. The next day, Terry took down the old round pen panels and built a play yard.  Caring for her was important but, most of all I had the responsibility of taking over as her mother. I wasted no time in playing with her using my carrot stick and savvy string. If she kicked at me I had to discipline her just like the mare would. Most of all I had to keep her safe.

     It took two days before I finally named her, Savannah. I was so scared she would die I didn’t want to name her. She is a spunky little filly and I know she is going to bring much joy and just like Cheyenne, teach me many lessons. By day five she had already learned her first trick, the bow.  She is absolutely adorable!

For great horse gifts visit Country Time Creations.

 Did you visit?  Leave a comment.

      It all started with a phone call. My husband, Terry was driving across the countryside after a long day of work. “I just saw the cutest baby” he said. He had passed an Amish farm that had a herd of Miniature horses, a tiny little white horse with a brown face had caught his attention. I had been thinking about getting another mini, but I really wanted a black and white filly and that would be difficult to find. An hour later Terry, still wasn’t home. I called him to see if he had gotten lost. “No”. he said, “I went back to see that baby, she might be for sale.”

    The next day we went to se her. That morning another mare had given birth to a coal black filly with little white socks. The owner wasn’t sure which horse was for sale, as his grandson was getting first choice. We told him we’d check back in a week to get his decision. For the next week I searched the internet for foals that were for sale. The market was slim. I had found my dream baby but, she was in Florida.  A long ride for a horse that young could be risky. I also had concerns about age,  by the time the foal was weaned she could be four to six months old. I needed to be able to visit and bond with her. That could be a problem if she was to far away.

     The next week we stopped by the farm but, the owner wasn’t home. I kept looking at the two babies. I didn’t have my heart set on either for fear the one I wanted wouldn’t be for sale. I wasn’t sure I wanted another white horse, they can be so hard to keep clean.  The horses were all laying in the barn. Her little eyes spoke to me.  She looked lost and I didn’t know why. When I got in the car I told Terry that the little white one was growing on me. I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do about a new baby.

    The next day we stopped at the farm again. It was then the owner’s son told us the little white foal had lost her mother to colic two days ago. I was heart broken for her. Now I knew why she looked so lost. That poor baby, I thought. The son told us we could take her with us, “You don’t have to pay until we see if she makes it” he said.

      I didn’t know what to do.  The boys were doing their best to care for her but, I knew she would need more than they probaby had time for.  I told them I’d think about it over the weekend. As we drove home, Terry and I talked about the pro’s and con’s of taking this baby. If she died I wouldn’t take it to well. I get so attached. I sat there quietly thinking. I was at a point in my life where I felt I was always giving and never getting much in return. I was burnt out and just wanted some time to relax. Here was this sweet  little baby who needed someone to care for her. She could bring me much joy or break my heart. By the time we got home I told Terry to hook up the trailer, we were going to go get our baby and bring her home.

See part two of our story in the next post. Did you visit?  Leave a comment.

Makhi and Gypsy

     It’s one of those moments a horse owner dreads. You go out to bring the horses in for the night, but, someone is missing. Where is Gypsy, my eight year old miniature?  I search the darkness and start yelling her name. I see a faint shadow, something is wrong. Gypsy is moving very slowly. As she gets closer I hear her loud breathing and see her barrel is sinking in and out as she struggles to breath. A year earlier she had been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease, commonly known as Heaves. Heaves is a respiratory ailment that results in cough, shortness of wind and exercise intolerance. She had had spells before but, this was bad.

     I frantically headed to the house to call the emergency vet, who seemed more interested in scolding me for not having extra medication than helping me. Fortunately, I did have one packet of medication; I gave her a dose and called my vet the next day. Two days later I saw no imporvement and asked her to stop by.

     “She’s really working hard” the vet said as she examined Gypsy. I could feel myself working into a panic. What if she needed to be put down? I didn’t want her to suffer. The vet gave her a shot of high dose steroids. The treatment could have some serious side effects and cost $300.00. You start asking those questions that you don’t want to think about.  How much can I afford to put into my ailing horse and how much will I allow her to suffer? The next few days I watched over her closely, spending extra time with her, grooming her, walking her and just sitting under a tree watching her eat. Terry had bought Gypsy, at an auction. Nine months later she had surprised us with a beautiful foal who we named Cheyenne. She had given us so much, I just couldn’t lose her.

    But, Gypsy proved that although she was small she was tough. She experienced no side effects and the treatment seems to have helped. But, what about next time? I knew I had to find answers and a way to help my little horse. I recalled a catalog I had gotten called “Springtime”. A huge supporter of alternative medicine in humans I decided to see what it could do for my horse. I started Gypsy on two products, the Breather Powder and DMG 5,600. The Breather Powder improves oxygenation and heart and lung function. The DMG enhanced energy production, reduces lactic buildup, strengthens the immune response and supports oxygen utilization. I kept her stall dust and mold free and only use wood shavings. It has been almost a year since her last spell. Gypsy has put on weight and is a picture of good health. When I see her running with the herd I get a lump in my throat. I’m glad that I was able to find something that helped my little horse have a better life so she can just enjoy being a horse.

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This article has been featured in Horse Force Monthly. See more at       Horse Force Productions.

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