Imaginative Horse Care

[Shammy Davis]

http://reataequinehospital.com/articles ... cracks.pdf

[Shammy Davis]

For those of you who think "Green," or like to save $$$$.

http://www.repurposedmaterialsinc.com/r ... boardtarps

Recycled billboard vinyls are typically 75% less than store purchased tarps. You can use them for equipment or hay tarps, windscreens, or even floor covering in sheds.

[Shammy Davis]

Funny foods for horses. One suggestion is to use wine to calm horses.

http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/funnyfoods.html

Herbal methods to calm horses suggested on another blog.

Here is some information for you hope it helps.

VALERIAN
Usages: Calms and relaxes. It is good for nervous over excitable horses and for stressful or anxious situations. Can be helpful in settling the digestive system.
Comments/Warnings: Regarded as a non-addictive herb without side effects. Does not adversely affect performance in competition.
It has been stated that some governing bodies are testing for the use of Valerian Root during competitions. Although it has been in regular use worldwide for a number of years.
For those concerned about competitions in the U.S.A. there are other calming herbs that can be used as an alternative.

RASPBERRY
Usages: A useful aid for the foaling mare. Ideally fed about one month before and after foaling. Tones pelvic and uterine muscles and enhances milk....Has been used as a reproductive tonic for mares. Can increase conception when given prior to breeding. Has also been given during gestation to prevent complications Can also be helpful in the treatment of diarrhea and mouth ulcers.
Comments/Warnings: A very good herb to assist in foaling and cleansing although it is better not to give it early in the pregnancy.

CHAMOMILE
Usages: Internally- Give for stress, tension and nervous conditions and those associated with digestive disorders. Also helpful for menstrual cramps.
Externally- can be applied in liquid form to wounds, bruises and skin disorders.
Comments/Warnings: Chamomile is best known for its relaxing qualities and can be helpful for both horse and rider for nervous tensions before competing. It will not adversely affect the performance. A bunch of the flowers hanging in the stable is said to help deter the flies.

My preference to any of these for a stressed horse is the Chamomile, however I would also be looking into why the horse is nervice/stressed.

Chamomile-
Give 1 handful in feed once a day and in or during times of duress, however it is not wise to rely on this long term as Chamomile has been shown to be toxic to the liver with long-term use.
It is best not to give chamomile for more than three months at a time and when you do, give your horse’s system a month’s rest at the end of the three months....during this month I would suggest you give your horse Milk thistles....this will clean out the liver....if dried give 1 handful in feed for 1 week.
Some horses can develop an intolerance to chamomile because of its effect on the liver, and if your horse gets itchy skin while on chamomile....take him off it. (this is very rare, so don't be to worried I just like to mention it just in case.)

http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com/ho ... 89681.html

[xfactor fan]

CHAMOMILE

There are two plants with this common name. They have different properties, so if you are using them for healing, make sure you get the correct plant.

I'll look up the scientific names and post the info later.

[Shammy Davis]

Thanks. You are always a "wealth" of good information.

[Shammy Davis]

LEATHER WORK GLOVES:

I wear leather work gloves almost all day and it seems that no matter what brand I get, they start to wear out in no time. It doesn't take but a few weeks and holes appear in the fingers and palms. Well, I've found the solution to make them last longer.

SHOE GOOP!

You can get Shoe Goop at Wal-Mart. I spread a thin layer of the gel on the fingers and palm of the leather gloves and allow to dry overnight. The protective layer of Shoe Goop is comfortable and extends the life of the gloves. When it appears the original layer of Shoe Goop is wearing off, you just spread another layer over the worn areas. A tube of Shoe Goop is about $4. A good pair of leather work gloves is about $15 to $25. I'm probably saving $300 a year on work gloves alone.

I've also repaired by old athletic shoes with Shoe Goop. I refused to pay $100 for a new pair.

SALT BLOCK HOLDERS:

Also, I'm tired of replacing salt block holders that don't work anyway, so I had some old chimney (cinder) blocks stored from previous construction work so, after measuring to insure they were the correct size, I placed one in each paddock and placed a salt block in them. As a base, I cut up tight woven green lawn carpet and placed the chimney block on that to keep the salt block clean. Believe me, the block is about forty pounds and horse aren't moving them anywhere. Now I'm not having to track down the plastic salt block holders (IMO a waste of money) when the weight of the salt block no longer holds it in place.

My New Year's resolution is to be frugal and save money. Happy New Year to everyone.

Happy New Year.

[aurora]

I bought a Recycled billboard vinyl tarp to cover round bales and it only lasted one seaon. It's on its 2nd season now and its full of holes and tears. Additionally, it weighs 400 pounds so the only way to get it on top of the stack is to drag it up there with a tractor. Forget trying to get hay out from under it on a windy day. I bought mine through e-bay and the shipping was not cheap either since it is so heavy. My main complaint with it is that it didn't last but one season.

[Shammy Davis]

I recall I was the culprit that posted that information to the board. I am sorry it didn't work out for you. I took the information on it at face value and I'm so glad you posted your bad experience with the billboard vinyl so that no one else gets shafted.

Again, I apologize if it was I that led you astray on this particular item.

[aurora]

No apologies needed Shammy! It looked like a great product and as you said it is much cheaper than a regular tarp. Since I'm always on the lookout for a bargain when I saw it on e-bay I thought it would work out. It was great for keeping the hay dry but only for one season.

[Shammy Davis]

I've had a rash of bad blanket tears this year and our winter has barely begun. I thought some of the information about blanket fix it yourself might help others. There are some new products on the market that might be useful also.

Stolen from another chat broad:

If you're not missing a whole section of blanket and only the shell is torn ... Here's what I do: Stitch the edges together. I stitch by hand to that I don't go through all layers of the blanket. Wipe most of the dirt away using a damp cloth and allow to dry. Then I cover the stitching with Goop (or something similar to that). It's a clear adhesive that's used to repair car seats, tents, etc. You can buy a big tube of the glue at Walmart or an auto parts store for around $3.00. The repairs aren't pretty but have lasted for years.

Here are some other comments from the site.

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/archi ... 83819.html

I'm not a big believer in using blankets, particularly because we have mild winters in VA, but I do use them during extreme cold, rain, and snow. I also search ebay regularly for old used damaged blankets on sites like Ebay and then make repairs myself. The horses are what you know as dressed to the nines, but the blankets moderate the effect of the cold.

[skywatcher]

just a note on the raspberry rememdy for reproductive issues...use the leaves, not the fruit.

I gather the leaves in the fall while they are still green, dry, crumble them to a powder and store in freezer

[Shammy Davis]

Slow hay feeder ideas!

http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/page/Slow+Feeders

http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/pag ... le+Options

[kimberley mine]

If you run out of bute and you can't get to a vet, naproxen (Aleve) is fine to give orally, 10mg per kilo of body weight.

Human sized tablets are 220mg each so you will need many, but the generic version is cheap. Dissolve into water or apple juice and pour over feed. Like bute, aspirin, or any other NSAID, you want to give with food so it's less likely to rip up their stomachs (that goes for you, too).

[Shammy Davis]

KM: Thanks for this information.

[madelyn]

So, to be sure about the dosage, 220 mg (human tabs) - if the horse dosage is 10 mg per kilo, and my horse weighs, say, 50 kilos, I need to give him 500 mg of naproxen, so 2-1/2 of the human tabs?