Tuesday, August 21, 2007

I'M BACK.........!!!!


If anyone thought I had taken a vacation, not so. My computer, on the other hand, finally decided to hang up & not work anymore Friday night. Saturday morning I called around & finally chanced on Computer Renassiance in Tucson, open not only Saturday but Sunday too.........!!!! John was going into Tucson anyway, so he dragged my computer to the shop. We went back in yesterday to pick it up, & I found out why it is imperative to be online every day. I had 358 messages in my mailbox............!!!!! That kept me busy yesterday evening. Now back to more interesting things like donkeys.

Cinder is now out all day, & really seems to be enjoying her freedom. When she is on the road, she is either in a trailer, a small pen maybe 10 x 10 or a real treat, tied by one foot, so she can graze. She figured out the routine in one day, & is really a sweet natured horse. She needed to be reshod, so I called a farrier I know & he worked on her Friday. Her Mom was shocked when I said my trimmers don't do shoes, but it all worked out OK. She's the only equine on the property with shoes on.

It's still hot & humid & the gang is turning their noses up at our lovely offerings of hay. John went over on the 20 acres the other day & found out why. There is an area that is just like pasture, lots of grass & green stuff. They are on the 10 acres during the day, but have all night to pig out on goodies over on the 20 acres.

I got a phone call the other day from the woman we got Molly the little mule from. She said it was a good thing Molly was here, she had lost 2 mini horses & a Haflinger in the last week. What could cause such a catastrophic occurance.........!!!!! Grazing on pasture that has poisonous plants in it. What a heartbreaking thing to happen. She said she now has some weed killer to use on the pasture to kill the weeds. We have a small book on poisonous plants, & it is really amazing how many there are besides locoweed & oleander. A lot of people think equines are smart enough not to eat something that will harm them or only if they are starving. Obviously that isn't true, these were well cared for animals & she said they were leaving their hay to go graze.

Our herd are all doing well, I'm only doctoring three right now. Sha'ba & Cisco both are dealing with habronema on their sheaths. I've about got them under control, so I just need to keep thunja zinc oxide on their sheaths until the fly season is over. Flies hate it & can't land. If they can't land, they can't drop their little stomach worm eggs........!!!!

I"m still working on the proud flesh on one of Jenny's front feet. It has to be doctored & wrapped every morning. It's not going to be fixed quickly, but we'll keep working at it. Katie will be here to trim next week. We're going to leave Jenny's heels longer this time. Last time she went lame after her trim, & is just now getting around without limping.


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