Blanket Statement

Well, its that time of year again.  Time to bring in all the horse blankets to wash and waterproof them for next year.  I am not big into blanketing my horses.  I believe that horses are healthier when they are left the way nature intended.

Toby in full winter fuzz

That being said, my horses do have three blankets each, a cooler, a heavy winter blanket and a lightweight rain sheet. There are occasions when blanketing is necessary.   I use the cooler, or lightweight moisture-wicking polar fleece, when they have gotten wet in the cooler weather.  For example if they have been running around and worked themselves into a sweat  or they have been out in a light snow storm or cool shower.  The polar fleece keeps them warm but allows the moisture to escape.  I also use the cooler in the fall to keep Casey warm on those cool fall nights.  He tends to be slow in growing his winter coat and as a result I have gone out several mornings to find him with a case of the shivers.

Casey in his heavy winter blanket

Their winter blankets I use even more sparingly.  I only really break them out when it is going to be under 20 F for more than a day or two.  Even then I don't always blanket Toby since he grows an extraordinary amount of hair.

Toby and Casey sporting their lightweight blankets

The lightweight rain sheet is what I use the most.  They wear them mostly in the spring and fall when getting wet to the skin can cause a chill or when "rain rot" can be a problem. 

Rain Rot

"Rain rot" or "rain scald" is an anaerobic skin infection that causes crusty scabs and matted tufts of hair.  The bacteria love a humid,  oxygen-free environment which happens when moisture is captured under a thick winter coat.  Treatment requires baths with antimicrobial shampoo (usually daily for about seven days) until the infection clears, but it is easy enough to prevent if they just wear their raincoats.

Mr. Bluebird

I cleaned out my Bluebird boxes today in anticipation of spring nesting.  It is important to do so since Bluebirds, unlike my friends the Phoebes, will not use the same nest as last year. 

Eastern Bluebird

I built two boxes a couple of years ago, but only hung out one the first year.  I didn't finish them until May and by then it was too late in the season for Bluebirds since they start nest building as early as February.  I did, however, get some tenants that first year.

A pair of Carolina Wrens made a pretty little nest of small twigs and raised a brood of three.

Carolina Wren

 Last year I finally got a Bluebird pair to use the box.  They only had one brood and not until late summer, but they made a beautiful nest with soft moss on the bottom and pine needles on top.  I saw a group of five bluebirds early this winter sitting in the trees near the barn.  I thought they were just looking to see what houses were on the market for the spring, but it was probably my Bluebird family.  Apparently, if a pair hatches a brood late in the season they will stay together as a loose knit family unit through the following spring.

If you are interested in attracting Bluebirds to your property there are a mired of nest box plans on the internet.   I used this one  because it involved cutting up just one 1X6.  There are many "rules" about where to mount the boxes so be sure to read up before you start hanging them. 

They're Baack!

 Spring is finally here!  How do I know that?  No, not because March 21st has just past, but, because the Phoebes are back! 






We have lived here almost 7 years and each summer we have a pair of Eastern Phoebes that board with us and raise 2 or 3 clutches of chicks. 

Phoebes are one of the first birds to return in the spring and hearing their "fee-bee" song in mid-March makes me think warmer weather is just around the corner.  They mate for life, are loyal to their nests, and can live up to ten years.  I'm not sure if this is the same pair that returns year after year, but they head straight to the barn like they know where they are going.  They set up house in the rafters above Casey's using moss, mud, and a few horse tail hairs.

Momma sets for two weeks and the chicks are ready to fly two weeks after that.  They grow up so fast!  I love to watch the chicks head pop up out of the nest and see mom and pop relentlessly flying in and out with bugs.  I hope they don't decide to move out now that Owen has moved in!

Feelin' Groovy

Casey turned fifteen this past week.  I know that because I have his registration papers, but if I didn't I would still have a rough idea of how old he is by looking at his teeth.  Horses teeth change very distinctly as they age.  They start getting their permanent incisors (front teeth) around age 2 1/2.  The image below shows a horse who has probably just turned three.  The four teeth in the middle are the permanent teeth which have wider bases and tend to be more yellow than the deciduous baby teeth  on the sides.

http://www.ecmagazine.net/images/sp04/teeth3.jpg

The incisors erupt from the center of the mouth to sides from around age 2 1/2 to age 4 1/2, twelve in all.   These teeth have cups in the top that gradually wear smooth and lighten, then disappear, in a specific order age the horse ages.

image from www.vivo.colostate.edu

                                              

Age of disappearance of cups.

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An example of teeth at 7 and 10 years.

After age 11 all of the cups have disappeared so you have to use the angle of the teeth and Galvayne's groove to make an estimate.  Galvayne's groove is a dark groove that forms in the upper corner incisor teeth.

Image from www.vivo.colostate.edu

It starts growing from the gumline at about age ten and reaches halfway down the tooth at about age fifteen.  (This is how I would know Casey is fifteen if I didn't have his papers.)  In another five years, at age twenty, the groove should reach the bottom of the tooth.  At age twenty the groove also starts to recede from the gum line, is halfway gone at age twenty-five and completely gone at around thirty years of age.  If you can't find a groove, you can judge by the angle of the teeth whether the horse is ten or thirty.   The more severe the angle and longer the tooth, the older the horse!

So now you know where the terms "long in the tooth" and "never look a gift horse in the mouth" come from!

My new pal, Owen

Meet my new pal, Owen.  He is the newest edition to the family, the barn cat.  I adopted Owen from the MSPCA which has a "Barn Cat"  program that helps save the lives of cats who may not have other options.  These are cats that have been deemed "unadoptable" for various reasons.  Some are feral, some have litter box issues and others just don't adapt well to life indoors.   Owen, here, was said to be too frisky when left indoors, but I haven't seen any evidence of that. 

 So far Owen has been the perfect gentleman.  He comes to greet me at the door, loves to be petted and will even sit on my lap and purr.  Hes not just a pretty face though, he does have a job, unlike the three lazy cats house cats.

Owen's job is to keep the area rodent free.  This winter has been chock full of mouse activity in the barn.  They have chewed through anything and everything!  Toby's lightweight blanket has a two inch wide hole in it,  one of my riding gloves is missing a finger, two of my lead ropes have had the snaps chewed clean off, and they have left little "presents" everywhere.  It was high time to do something about the infestation.   That is why Owen has joined the family.

The MSPCA is a wonderful organization that really tries to match the animals in their care with the best possible home.  I am a repeat customer.  Toby and two of my house cats have been adopted from Nevins Farm.  If you have a barn and could use a little help with your rodent population, please check out the MSPCA's "Barn Cat" program.  Barn cats cost nothing to adopt and you can help a cat the otherwise would not have a chance.

Brain Teaser

We are all in the winter doldrums around here.  It has been a LONG snowy winter this year.  The horses are bored out of their minds!   I've tried some enrichment activities to keep them busy and they seem to enjoy it.  I have done a "carrot hunt" several days where I hide baby carrots both in the stalls and the pasture.  They catch on pretty quick and seem to have fun checking each tree and fencepost for the elusive carrot.

I have also taken two 5 gallon buckets (with lids) and cut small holes in the sides then filled them half full with dengie.   They knock them on the side and roll them around stopping every few steps to pick up whatever dengie has fallen out.  You have to do this once they have packed the snow down some or they won't be able to roll it.

Hopefully spring will be here soon and they can find other ways to amuse themselves!

Smile!

Toby is demonstrating the "Flehmen Response" for us here.  This action is used by horses and various other animals, including your household cat, to more closely examine scents.  The movement of the upper lip helps expose the vomeronasal organ and draw scents into it.  The vomeronasal organ is thought to be used to detect pheromones which would explain why the "Flehmen Response" is most commonly seen in stallions near mares in heat.

Horses may also grimace like this if they are in pain, usually associated with colic or other abdominal discomfort.  So, if you you see your horse smiling at you from the field make sure that he is just having a good sniff!