| Archive for uknhcp.myfastforum.org Natural hoof care resource forums for all those interested in barefoot horses |
| Sarah |
November 2008Well what a start to November, Fari on the front page of the Weekend section of the Saturday Telegraph in all his barefoot hunting handsomeness.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal...=/portal/2008/10/31/fthunt131.xml is the internet article but the picture isn't as good as the one taking up virtually all of the front of the paper.    . This one is in the barefoot community forum in 'Saturday Telegraph'.
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| Sarah |
Didn't go drag hunting today, miserable day so went for the cheaper option of another 10 mile fun ride in the squelchy mud. Neither Fox or his partner, Heather were particularily keen on the going today which was deep and heavy. Popped a few fences, mostly hunt type post and rails but really the going was so awful we just had a jolly and gassed.
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| brucea |
Ahh...I should not gloat - it was a lovely bright, clear and cold day up here in the North, and the kids and me took our lads out for a nice hack and had a bit of a canter in the fields. We had to be careful though - was a bit slippery under-hoof.
All the lads are getting very hairy now - and Bramble is like a wee sheep! Time for clips all round. Yesterday evening my mate the farmer had me chasing cows around with him - trying to corner a couple to inject with antibiotics, unforunately at one point one of the wee dexters barged me and my welly boot didn't come out of the deeper manure with me and I ended up, minus welly, lying flat on my back in the wet deep odure.  Nice... just as well I always keep a change of clothes in the car. Farmer utterly pissed himself laughing...well well it wasn't quite as funny as the time you fell backwards into the slurry pit sunshine.
Horses are much more reasonable - you can put headcollars on them, and "discuss" things with them and generally come to an amicable arrangement. Cow's just aren't very open to negotiation. Not these cows. 
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| hobnob |
Hah was just going to say I will send some of my mud your way for gloating. Until I read the manure bit - you've probably had enough of squelchy stuff !! I have always wondered what on earth goes on in a cows stomach to make grass come out so bloomin stinky and putrid !! Give me horse pooh any day !! | ||
| Dawn |
On this current topic, the farmer next door asked today if he could bring his cows and calves in for winter, and take a route through my field to save him taking them along the main road.
I was a bit worried as this is the field with the new track and all it's brand spanking fencing <gulp>..... I could just see it after a herd of marauding cows had trashed it!! So Kevin and I offered to help so we could keep an eye on things. Our job was to stand either side of a gate to prevent them actually getting onto the track. Sounds easy? Yeah....... until aforementioned herd made it's appearance and decided my route looked like the best way and all headed straight for me.......with a particularly large one at the front......... and nobody, at any time......... had mentioned there being a bull 
I am a complete cowphobe at the best of times and it was only the fact that they can run faster than me made me stand my ground. Kevin was no help........ he stood safely on his side and peed himself laughing at my dilemma. Erin and Magic had lots of smelly runny poo to sniff when they were put back in their quarters!! Eat more beef that's what I say
Dawn |
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| brucea |
In their defence, the beasts can be quite funny and playful. When we clip any horses we just throw the clipped hair in with the cows - they love nosing it and blowing it around - hillarious watching them. They'll play with the clippings for ages.
Mr Cow, as we call the large bull, is usually very gentle and bidable, and quite affectionate really. Needs his feet done sometimes and he will stand really well - putting some of the horses to shame! Dawn - those melly runny poos are what you're going to find when you are striding purposefully across your field in the dark. 
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| Sarah |
Sorry to be tedious chaps but can you stick to performance banter in this bit of the forum. Makes it easier when our guests read what our barefoot horses get up to.
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| rose |
I tried my girl out in the big field ovenight and she came in at 8.30 am with warm feet and pulses all round so back in to her fenced off bit again.
One day back in the small section and no pulses and cool feet!! Has anyone managed to get their lgl out on to grass yet? I am not sure when to try her out again. |
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| Sarah |
Yes all mine out but with a choice to come on to the tracks and eat hay. Even Fari who is very sensitive has shown no adverse affects. Think the crucial difference will be that my field was a hay field. The grass was thigh level when they went in, its about 6 acres and so it is still mostly long grass that has fallen over. Short cropped grass will possibly still be a problem for some sensitive horses particularily if the temperature is over 8 degrees and the sun starts shining.
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| Yann |
Tess is continuing with her regular annual improvement now the grass has faded away in the fields, flare growing out, concavity returning and all round more comfortable on rough ground in hand. Hind frogs have been crappy all summer despite lots of treatment, stabling won't be helping, but it will be interesting to see if they start to come right too. | ||
| hobnob |
Rose - my lgl girl on more grass though as Sarah said this grass is knee high and fallen over. Her track surrounds all this grass and I move the elec fence twice a day now unless it is frosty. She still gets 12 hour soaked hay which she is still clearing up so proving that she isnt having too much grass I suppose. I started moving fence once per day for 2-3 weeks and then twice per day but only enough so it is stripped by her and her mate in about an hour. I still would never dare to let her roam a field of grass as such as I know she wouldnt come up for air. If your grass is long and quite dead-ish you could try inroducing it gradually, say for half an hour at a time ? | ||
| Em |
Drum and Shadow are out on long half dead stuff and both seem to thriving and not putting on weight either...I think it also depends on where you are and if it was ever fertilised etc | ||
| brucea |
Cleaned up Link's feet tonight with the idea of giving him a tidy up - been 6 weeks since I last gave him a trim - absolutely nothing to do - zilch. There was a weeny raggy bit of frog and a slight hint of a scrape on one side of one hoof - so I just had to so something, anything, to justify the effort in removing all the mud!!! I somehow feel that it's unfair my own horse isn't giving me very much to practice on!!! 
A lass in our yard is struggling to get an abscess cleared up - front, right on the lateral quarter - really deep and very tender indeed now vet has opened up. Horse seemed to clear up very quickly so farrier put shoe back on (3 days, a bit too soon methinks). She's soaking in epsom daily and dry poulticing. Any suggestions for anything that might help his recovery and get him comfortable again? (not barefoot open minded...). One of the drawbacks of being one of only two blokes in a yard full of horse owners is that you end up getting dragged into doing all sorts of things - taking off twisted shoes, cleaning sheaths, horses that won't catch (read I'm scared of cows in the field and there's lots of poo round the gate and I'm wearing my work shoes), holding horses for the vet to get horrible wounds dealt with (I hate blood, why do they think men are tougher?), blocked drain in the shed, humping bags of feed, humping bales of shavings, humping tack chests, humping rubber mats - especially dirty ones because they are so heavy they just can't move them, broken exhausts, flat tyres, flat batteries, dead cars, cars in the ditches, cars stuck on reversed-over wheelbarrows, rats in the loo, loo not flushing, light in the loo not working, mouse in the loo, spiders in the loo, mouse in the feed bag, dead mouse in the feed bag, yard cat been sick, yard cat has fleas, earwigs in rugs, clippers not working, lorries not working, trailer wiring and breakaway cable wrecked by driving off while still attached and not wanting to tell hubby....... But every now and then.....there is a rather nice bottle of red wine left in my stable block with a nice message that makes it all worth while. Hic... |
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| SueH |
Jake on big paddock and the grass is about 6-8" high. He seems willing and able to move around on fresh crusher run (big sharp stones) with little discomfort at the moment BUT huge belly as we've been concentrating on ground work last few weeks and he's just not using up the calories. I am not rugging unless weather foul.
BUT I'm a little worried as my chum's pony has just gone down with severe laminitis in last few days. He's now stabled on deep straw and on bute and hay under the vet. He's perked up after 3 doses of bute over yesterday and this am. Thing is this was not, apparently, a 'laminitic pony' but the grass is abundant at our place, and he had gained weight over the summer and then the field was opened up so this must have been brewing and then the final trigger was an increase in grass, albeit in November. I am wondering whether I should cut the grass down for my TB and restrict him to paddock with short grass (he would be able to get to the shelter and hay ) even just during the day. Feels a bit mean but there is some grass in his long summer strip, just not loads. Big plus would be that he's be spending more time on his pea gravel area where the hay is. x Sue |
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| brucea |
Not surprised - we had a laminitis attack in December one year - all it takes is a sunny weekend... | ||
| hobnob |
It's so difficult Sue isn't it. Shorter grass is supposed to be worse as the sugar is concentrated in a smaller area I guess. The long old grass is normally the best but maybe not too much of it. If you read my earlier post you will see that my 2 are on long old stuff in moderation but it does give them a grass belly which goes down again in a few hours. Have been having quite a bit of grass lately and can still feel lgl pones ribs so I am hoping it's just rough fibre and not alot of goodness.
If all goes well I should have a great lammy paddock but the spring as the field I am strip grazing is turning into mud as soon as they eat the grass down. Sounds awful doesnt it but I am deliberately trying to wreck the grazing !! My dream will be an acre full of nettles and thistles by next summer !!! 
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| brucea |
Well Hobnob - you might be on to something - the best summer Bramble has ever had with absolutely no footiness at all was when he was restricted to a half acre that was absolutely full of nettles and thistles and almost no grass at all.
He had a pink and slightly tender muzzle for about 8 weeks, but him and little pal Squacko cleared the whole lot down to the roots. The owner of the little paddock was delighted! |
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| cptrayes |
Jazz had huge pulses in October but they stayed up even when I kept him in 24/7 for 5 days. I finally figured out that it must be his digestion, because he was on the antacid omeprazole to cure what we thought might well be ulcer-related behaviour issues. I think his hind-gut digestion must have been affected by the change in PH coming through from his stomach.
The pulses suddenly disappeared overnight after nearly 4 weeks of 4 a day omeprazole and haven't come back. Meanwhile, he's back on grass and his feet have concaved up spookily in just two weeks. It's always difficult to believe that they can gain concavity that fast, but they look super now and have been too flat all summer. He's rock crunching again too, which he hasn't been all summer. I'm hoping to hunt him this Saturday. It's not his feet I'm worried about, as followers of his story on my blog will know
Zippy has sweet little feet, very concave, with contraction from poor/no trimming as a foal growing out, and the deep cleft he had in his frogs opening out well as his feet get bigger. I fight to keep his heels short enough to get his frog in contact with the floor, but manage it by trimming every 2 weeks or less. It's taken 21 months so far, since he was two and a half, and they continue to improve. George has gone to a new home and passed the vet with flying colours barefoot, and will stay barefoot with his new people Closed minded vet did not believe me that navicular can be cured with barefoot, but I have challenged him by offering to show him Nic's xrays and MRI scans. He hasn't replied, confirming the opinion I've had of him since I've known him that he's an arrogant man who thinks he can't learn anything from a layperson. More fool him, but a pity for his clients.
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| Sarah |
Fari did extended trot on the road planings yesterday, tail in the air and snorting . I have not witnessed him do that since last year. Normally he prefers to walk albeit confidently even when the others are having a hoolie.
He has access to the hay field 24 hours per day from the tracks but the long grass has obviously not affected him at all. The pattern of him becoming more capable as November comes has now become routine. Makes me determined to kill all grass with a large flame thrower as Spring comes. It is also fantastic that track life and daily pooing picking can have a slight rest from September to March if I grow that field to its max through the summer. The horses obviously love the option to mooch down to such a big wide open space (6 acres) too. Certainly something I will do every year from now on. Happy days. NJH continues to make excellent progress, no lameness, trotted most of the three miles along the road and back to the arena I use for schooling yesterday. My instructor rode him for the first time in about 3 months, felt he had become straighter and much freer in his shoulders. I guess if you get rid of pain in your front feet that is inevitable. S x |
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| Terry |
Medraar and Abu are on a bit of a wind down after a busy and sucessful season, however, their wind down is still work 3 /4 times a week but much slower and mainly road work to keep those tootsies conditioned. Medraar doesn't like the idea of wind down and puts in the odd bolt when he sees a bike or different coloured road surface!!
Sakr is doing well, ridden most weekends, we have ups and downs with his feet abcessing but think we are finally getting there as the hoof wall is growing down and gaps closing, as I discussed with Sarah I think you can become complacent with not being as routine with foot spraying which I admitt I haven't now back to routine spraying to keep those bugs at bay!! The youngsters, Max and Bonanza are superb, perfect foot balance and hoof quality, it pays to grow your own feet!! 
Roll on xmas ride, are we having one Sarah?? I'll bring the hip flask!! Terry |
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| hobnob |
Starting 3rd week of applying zinc solution NAF Hoof and Sole to frogs - now every other night. Even though pony in really wet muddy field her frogs have started to really toughen up. Will still only stand in at night for an hour or so when eating hay. Seems to spend most nights out under a tree if the leaves on her back in the morning are anything to go by !!
Hurrah for Hoof and Sole !! Hurrah for dead winter grass. (Easily pleased) Good value for money aswell Bruce !! £9.95 for a litre and a free brush - will last ages !
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| brucea |
A FREE Brush???? What kind of tack shop do you have. Never would happen in Aberdeen!
We all went out for a nice hack in the sunshine with some friends and their children. 8 horses in all. Our barefoot lads tramped all over everything, and Apollo seemed determined to climb every single embankment and hillock and bray at the world! Dunno what got into him. Bramble never coughed once, and wasn't even wheezing really. And his feet were just great in his boots and pads. Hopefully he'll get over this little latest hump and get fully OK on rough ground again - no more haylage for him. Bramble's chest doing quite well on my home made herbal mix of elecampagne, coltsfoot, mullein, liquorice root, rosehip and nettle. 2 weeks since starting and it is taking effect. Our routine with the dry herbs is to soak them for 24 hours before feeding, keep 2 tupperware containers on the go and fill one up as it is used...makes them more effective...Thanks Cotswold Herbs! Unfortunately today one of the little pony mares were in season and had decided that Bramble was her man, whether he liked it or not! Poor Bramble, spent most of the hack trying to hide under Link! Mares....what are they like!!!
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| hobnob |
Bugger, bugger, bugger !!
Moved elec fence a bit too far this morning and tonight we have PULSES and stiffening downhill. ARGH - ITS NOVEMBER... And she only had about 4 square feet of the stuff to share with her mate. No grass for the time being and hay instead I'm afraid. We were doing so well. At least where the fence has been moved is only mud so her exercise is not restricted  What a sensitive little one she is - bless !!
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| Nic |
We now have 7 horses hunting as well as the rehabs - where does the time go?!?!?
Everybody well, but sick of the wet - inside and outside the barn, everything is damp. The tracks area godsend, providing drainage and good footing, but its incredibly wet out on the fields and moor. It looks as if our master will be getting her first experience of hunting barefoot horses this week - hers are all off work for one reason or another, so she is taking Felix on Monday, Charlie on Wednesday
As our ex master is out next week on our horses, we will be a quorum
I think the H&H article may be out this coming Thursday, but will let you know... N |
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| cptrayes |
Jazz has now hunted barefoot two weeks in a row and the field have just realised that this is the second big horse I have been out on with no shoes. The cogs are beginning to connect
And the bonus was that the most difficult horse I have ever trained turns out to be the most fabulous hunter
C |
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| Sarah |
Nice photo of Fox on his last funride
Can't come hunting this Sat Caroline but I am def. up for following Sat. Will get my subscription in next week me thinks. Well done with Jazz great result. S x |
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| Nic |
Gotta love the Fox Go pony go!!!
I am seriously loving hunting Hector, who has now made the grade big time, and has gone from eyes-out-on-stalks to hunting on a loose rein (but effing quick!!) despite only having started in September. He is now a master of our horrible terrain, and was unfazed by literally skiing on his hind legs down some very washed away paths yesterday. Everyone is fascinated in his story -given away free because he had navicular in July, but now hunting twice a week  It helps that he moves beautifully, and floats over the ground, and is now muscled up a treat. Must get some pics of him next week, when someone else will be on him
Our master was on Felix yesterday, and was loving the fact that he didn't slip when trotting down a glass-like road - her horses always slip, slide and prat about on the roads, so it was a novelty for her. She was also surprised at how fast F is (her usual horses are point to pointers)
A good day! N |
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| Sarah |
How cool! Gotta love navicular horses who come back fighting fit. S x |
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| Jane |
Max (nav rehab) burst an abscess after 24 hours of lameness - petvet then got very excited when I told her, that maybe the poor performance was down to something other than navicular after all.... although she still can't get her head round the fact that I intend to 'mend' him not just manage him!!
Magic on his hols so hairy muddy monster. Nothing to report except he needed enough dope to floor a rhino to do his teeth.
Dan - went to his first proper stressage party and after a grand total of 2 hours schooling since he's been back in work..... and got 62% Got jumpies lesson and combined training this weekend. He's flying the barefoot rehab/ex race horse flag very well!!
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| hobnob |
All OK with pulses now - 24 hours off grass. Now back on but not pushing it. | ||
| Nic |
Well, now not only the ex-master and master of our hunt have had the barefoot experience, today the huntsman went barefoot too Details on the blog
Nic |
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| Jo Mitchell |
Nic.... Flipping Brilliant!!!!! | ||
| cptrayes |
People at the Cheshire Farmers have noticed that I've had two different horses out with no shoes on. They seem quite interested and not at all defensive. But they're a very nice bunch, that hunt
And Jazz's feet, now the grass has gone, are losing their soles backwards from the point of the frog in chunks, and increasing in concavity like some kind of magic trick
C |
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| Nic |
Its a shame, isn't it - the people on the ground who see these horses day in day out without shoes just think its fascinating - I've never had a negative comment from th Exmoor - its only the H&H reporters who are totally disinterested 
Although after hunting him all day, our huntsman did remark on Wednesday that Charlie seemed to have "lost" all his shoes by the time he got back to th lorry
N |
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| brucea |
Click to see full size image We had a wonderful snowy weekend in Aberdeen - and as you can see, lots of fun with the ponies. Apollo was also ferrying children up and down - he can carry 3 children at once!!! (Ohhhh - hope no one from the BHS is reading this )
We are so fortunate to have such brilliant ponies! Bramble was absolutely exhausted after a whole afternoon sledging - but completely sound and no hint of a wheeze or cough. |
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| rose |
Still have not managed to get my girl out in to big field full time. I'm really fed up!!
She has been out overnight for three nights but in during the day but her pulses are gradually getting worse. Last night for instance before I put her back out she had mild pulses but I decided to risk her out and see how she went. This morning at 7am she had moderate pulses all round but no real heat but it was minus one. I think I will have to keep her in for a while longer. This is the latest I have ever had to keep her confined, but I guess this is the south of England (Oxfordshire). On a positive note I have been riding her out bare all round and whilst she is definately footy on the stoney tracks she is absolutly fine on soft ground and the roads. Obviously a bit of a princess!!! |
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| hobnob |
I am still having to be careful aswell Rose - so join the fed up club. Lovely pic Bruce - I want snow now !!
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| SueH |
Jake still sound and happy on winter grass. Rather forward going these days
Not rock crunching but not bloody bad for navic horse. Happy to much around on crusher run with only ocassional ouch and very happy on his pea gravel. Have to buy more of this as its fab. Negative is that he seems to have separation at white line on both front, and the wall chips more easily than they did. The separation/chips appears to be in the horn grown over summer. I can see def event line half way down hoof - corresponding with approx april when we saw sensitivity to grass, and he def flared in summer. The other factor might be that I did fed lower levels of Magnesium on at that stage due to advice from SS that Alfalfa would provide plenty. Seaweed was at max 50 ml. Mag was increased to 50ml scoop mid summer and will keep at this level. Seaweed now being incresaed to 2 x 50 ml scoop if I can get him to eat it. Some seaweed is bit wiffy. Will try Equus Health as that seemed not to be so smelly. I have gradually increased amount of unmolassed beet in feed cos it gets supplements down easier. I have reduced alfalfa to about 300 kg. p day while workload low. Just wondering if I should be soaking in milton etc to prevent further separation by crap getting in gap. x Sue |
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| brucea |
SueH - I do find that some kinds of seaweed can be stronger flavour/smell than others. I try to buy the SeaQuim Elite - Harbro £17 for 25Kg - it seems to have the nicest smell - but there is only so much of it they can eat!
Absorption of magnesuim requires adequate calcium. We use dandelion leaves and root alongside seaweed - dandelion is high in correct props of magnesium, calcium, potassium and vits A, B, C and D (more vit A than carrots!) We buy dandelion from cotswold herbs (about £4 a kilo) - we use it with our cob. He seems to prefer dried to fresh. |
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| evie |
hera's tendon now sorted, so she went mad on the lunge and fell over, so got her seen by mctimoney chiro and told to start work yesterday.
so NOW in her determined efforts to be retired she's decided to break off her inside heel on right fore following a manky abcess a while back her bar on that side was decidedly peely and i discovered a load of black ming trapped underneath it, so the bar's now gone too (was laid over trapping the ming in).
boots and pads while she's turned out, and boots & socks while she's in, with nekkid-feet time on the concrete yard when it's dry for the moment but will hopefully get nekkid-feet in the stable by the end of the week. hoping that in 2 weeks she'll have sorted some emergency growth out and i can start riding her. who knows what she'll think of next?! |
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| SueH |
Brucea - Very interesting about seaweed. I will have to try different types to find most palatable to J.
I did speak to Equus health who said they were now sourcing from Canadian waters cos UK sourced seaweed had too high arsenic levels! Thanks for tip about dandelion leaves - I did used to add mobility herb mix from Dodson and Horrel and this contains Dandelion. But Jake's been quite flexible around the hock so didnt add this winter. x Sue |
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| brucea |
I just don't buy any of the horse herb mixes any more - I get the individual herbs and components from CotwsWolds Herbs and Spices (www.herbsandspices.biz) and make up my own. Hilary Self's book is useful as is the modern herbal (Grieve). It is easy enough to make up extracts, tinctures and creams. | ||
| SueH |
Yes I've been advised about Hilary Self's book before - must get that one. I do know what you mean about herb mixes - I think that was why I was hesitant about going for the mobility mix again. I felt this winter I had got to grips with his diet, after nutritionist report and my own research. The just to fling in a pre-mix of herbs didnt seem very smart unless each was needed. I'll look into this more.
Laminitic pony had an hour out today for first time in 3 weeks. I'm going to adopt him as trial for having second pony as mate for Jake. The owners are just to busy to manage re-habbing him so it works for everyone, at least in short term. When he's better I'll work through the Parelli with him so he's a bit more manageable (he's got a bit wild due to lack of handling) Basically whole herd went ballistic when lammy pony out again - who buckerooed with delight also. Brill to see Jake with vertical take off tail prancing across crusher run. Not bad for navic neddy. x Sue |
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| brucea |
We have had crisp and beautifu;l weather here for the last few days - down to -7 last night where I was (so cold I was told the guinea pigs had to be brought into my daughter's bedroom or they would freeze to death )
Trimmed both Link and Bramble yesterday and feet all looking great. Linbk's cavity where the vet dug for the abscess has now grown out of his sole. Bramble's feet are looking good and the footiness that we saw as a result of the haylage has all gone now. He still has wimpy frogs and I am trying to give them as much ground contact as possible. Better than they were though, so little improvements all the time and I'm grateful for what we get. Had a fun job - a miniature shetland has appeared at the yard - one of the ladies who has massive 17hh jumpers for some reason has taken a soft spot for a wee miniature shetland (about 26 inches) - no idea what she is going to do with him. He's in with a couple of mares who are terrified iof him and poor little chap wants to make friends but they keep running away! But his feet are way too long so I trimmed him when I did Bramble yesterday. Very simple trim and he behaved beautifully, but there are unique challenges working with these little guys. It would be easier to just roll them over on their backs!!! Her farrier had tactfully declined (no time, in a rush)...now I know why.
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| cptrayes |
You could buy a sheep-turner Bruse - it's what htey do to trim their feet - I could just see a miniature Shetland in one upside down
C |
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| hobnob |
All tip top down here although very cold !! Everyones feet look great but lgl pones heels still need to get lower when she is ready. Nearly been trimming them for a year now and have learnt alot. Still strip grazing OLD grass and topping up with hay. | ||
| brucea |
Caroline - after the sheer effort of crawling around the floor doing that job, with all the girls in the yard peeing in their jodhpurs laughing at me - a sheep turner sounds just great.
I could set up a small business in a van with a slide out sheep turner - doing all the shetlands that no self respecting farrier would want to do! It would be like a scene from Wallace and Gromitt! The wee chap's feet are quite long though - took them back as far as I was comfortable, and recomended the owner gets him off grass, becuase I think he's a disaster waiting to happen. |
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| sarahh |
A quiet month here in Wiltshire due to me still being mostly out of use with damaged ligaments.
Boy has done some quiet hacking, Tyler has been backed with the help of my 11 year old sister (he is a quiet boy). Both still have v good feet despite doing nothing. |
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| Tally |
Looking for feeding advice.
My girl is doing well, feet and work wise. But I have noticed a sudden weight loss. She had lost ~30 kg from her "fatest" this summer over the last few months but recently over the last 3 weeks she lost another 20kg. I want to stop this as we are just at the beginning of winter ! She works quite hard but I think the problem is the field - too many horses on it / not enough grazing and getting poached... Have already complained to the YO! My girl is on soaked Alfa pellets from Dengie and Speedi beet morning and evening + ad lib haylage at night. I'm thinking of adding a small ration of conditioning cubes for afternoon tea when she comes in from the field. I'd appreciate if anyone could suggest something better. Tally |
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| hobnob |
Hi Tally - can they have haylage in the field aswell. All I can think of is the normal teeth and worms up to date etc and make sure each bucket feed is not any bigger than 2kg (supposing she is around the 550kg mark). I suppose it depends how you are with lgl and your ned, but if she can tolerate it conditioning cubes would be good I would think. Topspec do Fibre Plus nuts with linseed and soya oil which I supposed to be good for lammy's so maybe worth a try. Or you could add generous quantities of linseed - either cooked yourself or ready prepared !!
Could she do with an extra rug ?? |
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| Tally |
Thanks Hobnob.
I'm thinking on the same line as you - she is already double ruggeg at night and goes out in a 500g during the day (she is clipped mind you, otherwise she'd be sweating like a pig) - I'm going to give the extra conditioning cubes a go for ~ 1 month and see how the weight goes. I picked a veteran one that had linseed in rather than vegetable oil. She is not over sensitive to grass, but I don't want ripples in the feet... Hay in the field would be ideal as I suspect at night she wants to sleep not eat ! But the answer was NO. By the way if anyone knows a good yard with a decent indoor school and reliable livery service in North Newcastle please let me know ! |
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