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Hot Mash

February 4, 2012 – 3:57 am

Sundance, the reason that ScratchnAll was invented, is my 33-year old mustang who can be classified as a back-yard horse. He and Ted, the donkey, are nearly inseparable. Being with them always boosts my spirits and lifts the weight of the world from my shoulders. They are my joy and therapy.

I prepare a hot mash for them during the cold winter months by mixing the same amount of feed (low-starch, low-sugar), a large handful of bran and 1/2 cup of whole flax seed. To this mixture I generally add cut pieces of apples. Often, however, I will give them bananas, carrots, garlic cloves, stems of kale, swiss chard or collard greens. They get the stems because my dogs get the leaves which are cooked.  I place the combined ingredients in a small bucket, cover it with hot water, put the lid on and let it steep.  After steeping for a few minutes, the mash is divided proportionately and some additional hot water is added again.  They go gaga over it!

As an added note, they adore watermelon in the summer and I dig up dandelions and wild onions/garlic from my lawn in the early spring. I need to mention to my readers that I use NO chemicals.  Dandelion cleanses the liver.

Sundance and Ted have music 24/7, fresh water from the automatic waterers and can come in or go out as they please.  Of course, ScratchnAll pads are placed in many different areas for their added enjoyment and enrichment. I suppose you could say that they are spoiled.  So what?  Isn’t that what love of animals is all about?

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Caring for Your Pet Pig

January 31, 2012 – 1:26 am

Caring for Your Pet Pig

What kind of general health care do they need?
Males will grow tusks. The ivory tusks generally need to be trimmed every couple of years. This usually requires a vet visit. Hooves usually need annual trimming. Pigs that spend time walking on pavement or concrete are able to keep their hooves trimmed by themselves. Hoof trimming can be done by a vet or, with patience, and the pigs permission, by the pig’s family members. Pigs do not get fleas, but they can get ticks! Although ticks have a hard time dealing with the tough hide of a pig. Biting insects can be very bothersome to a pig. White pigs are prone to sunburn and need protection such as children’s sunblock (fine mist sunscreen spray is easiest to apply). They have naturally flaky skin and generally shed their bristles once per year, usually in the summer, on the average (sometimes less). They have virtually no odor (males will if they are not neutered!). Obesity is one of the greatest health problems potbellied pigs face. Lots of roughage (grass, greens, fruits and vegetables) is very important to their health and well being. In Vietnam they subsist on water plants and whatever else they mange to forage. They are not fed “high density” corn and soybean containing feed! An additional problem is that over the thousands of years of domestication, they have been bred to be passive and lazy. In other words…they have a tendency to sit around and get fat! Unfortunately, this is not healthy for the pig! What is their personality like? Pigs are highly intelligent, social, affectionate herd creatures. They have been called sly and devious and have been compared to a 2-3 year old child as far as emotional maturity. Because pigs are very intelligent, they get bored easily. A pig confined to a house all day may (but not always) amuse itself any way it can; eating wallpaper, rooting up linoleum, tipping tables, opening kitchen cupboards and the refrigerator. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that all pigs have regular access to a yard or grassy area and ScratchnAll pads for self-enrichment and enjoyment.  Apply the ScratchnAll pads at several different areas. Rooting is an essential part of a pigs behavior, therefore a manicured lawn and a pig don’t co-exist well. They will use their considerable brain power to get to whatever food might be available. Gardens and flower beds must be protected from the might of the porcine snout! Experience has shown that, in general, pigs that live outside with other pig companions tend to have fewer behavior problems as they mature. Many times problems don’t surface until the pig is 2-3 years old (which is the age a potbellied pig reaches maturity). Although some potbellied pigs have successfully been kept as “only” pigs, it has been found that generally pigs are better socialized when living with at least one other pig. If possible, adopting pigs as pairs of siblings is desirable. “Only” pigs have a greater tendency to be aggressive and assertive. It is actually easier to care for two well-adjusted pigs than one spoiled, demanding and possibly aggressive pig. Pigs are generally very social and affectionate creatures (unless pretty much left alone most of the time, then they can become very unsocial and independent). They need and love all the attention they can get. They will flop on their sides for tummy rubs and love having their tough hide scratched and brushed. Given a lot of attention, they generally enjoy just being close and seem to prefer lying on their human companions feet.

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Winter Care for Horses Part 2

December 7, 2011 – 11:27 am

WATER  …

Watering horses in winter is a little more difficult than in summer. A stock tank heater keeps the water above freezing. I have the Nelson automatic heated waterer. The ScratchnAll is just next to it. Having boarded my horses previously, I knew that I didn’t want to be breaking ice in the bucket as extremely cold water can cause colic.
Some people believe horses can get by on snow. “Get by” they might, but so could we. Horses require a lot of water to digest dry feed. How much snow would they have to eat to provide the 5 to 10 gallons of water they need? If you’re not convinced, ask your vet about the greater risk for impaction colic.

Winter Riding

Riding outside in winter presents some additional challenges. Dressing warmly can take care of the weather, but there’s not much you can do about the footing. Stay off icy patches, and remember that frozen ground, even if it’s not icy, can be as hard as concrete. Don’t go any faster than a walk unless there’s a good cushion of snow on top and you know for sure there’s no ice underneath.

Just as we need proper footwear to walk safely on winter ground, so our horses need special provisions. If your horse is shod, talk to your farrier about pads and caulks. If he’s barefoot, spraying the sole with a nonstick cooking product, or even coating it with old fashioned vaseline, can help prevent the snow from balling up. In any case, don’t expect your horse to walk on high heels. Carry a hoofpick with you and be prepared to stop periodically and pick out the icy build up.

Be careful bringing your horse into the barn after being outside. Snow ball feet are very slippery. Preferably, dig out the snow at the barn door. If you can get the hoofpick under the snow pack at the back of the foot, you can often pry it all out at once, especially if you coated the sole as suggested above. Be careful you don’t dig into the frog, though. If you can’t budge it, chip off the snow until it’s even with the hoof wall and then wait for the hooves to warm up before removing the rest.

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Winter Care for Horses Part 1

December 4, 2011 – 2:43 am

Winter Care of Horses

Horses are well adapted to cold weather. As long as they have shelter from wind and wet, horses can stay comfortable when the temperatures plunge. A south-facing three-sided shelter with comfortable bedding will see a well-fed horse through the roughest winter weather. However, make sure the shelter is wide rather than deep or you’ll find horses low on the pecking order afraid to go in. Also, make sure your horses have lots to do by providing them with enriching ScratchnAll pads. They are stable at very low temperatures. www.scratchnall.com

Blanketing

Stabled horses need blanketing when they’re turned out during the day, but the best blanket for an outside horse is his own full winter coat. If you do blanket your horse, make sure you take it off and brush him often. Also, realize that a blanket that is not warm enough is worse than no blanket at all. In cold weather, the hair coat stands up to trap additional warm air close to the body. A blanket keeps the coat flat.

Feeding

When temperatures dip, the best heat source for your horse is extra hay. The first step to winterizing, which you’ve already taken care of, is to get in enough good hay to last through until next year’s hay crop. To calculate how much you need, figure on half a square bale per horse per day then add some to cover for the occasional moldy bale or extra cold weather. It’s a good feeling to look at that stack of green, sweet smelling hay safely under a tarp and know that the horses won’t go hungry.

For most of us, winter means feeding in the dark before going to work and after dark again when we get home in the evening. To guard against accidentally feeding a moldy flake which you didn’t see in the dark, put aside any hay that doesn’t smell nice until you can inspect it in daylight. It’s also a good idea to shake out the flakes in case there’s any dust in them.

To make sure all your horses get their fair share of hay, spread out one more pile than the number of horses. That way, when the boss horse keeps thinking another pile looks better than the one she’s presently eating from, the other horses can move to new piles too.

A horse shouldn’t lose weight in the winter. In fact, a little extra layer of fat to fend off the cold won’t hurt. A thick winter coat can easily hide weight loss so it’s important to use hands as well as eyes to monitor winter weight. By the time you see that the horse is getting thinner, it’s too late.

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Raw Goat Milk

November 29, 2011 – 1:37 am

Raw Goat Milk
Remember the stories about Cleopatra bathing in milk? Well it’s true and since cattle were not domesticated it was more than likely raw goat’s milk, with raw sheep milk as a close second possibility. It was not pasteurized or homogenized and it didn’t come in plastic.

Did you know that Cleopatra’s goats used Scratchnall? Only “kidding.”

Cleo didn’t need government permission to drink raw goat milk either, everyone knew the health benefits of goat milk, goat kefir, yogourt & goat cheese. The world still appreciates the nutritional value of goat milk. Raw goat milk. 72% of the milk drinking world, drinks goat milk.

By Cynthia | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

A TIP FOR RUBBING ANIMALS

November 13, 2011 – 10:53 pm

While out in the back pasture checking on the big horses, two of them tried nipping at me when I was giving them rubs. They never do that. Then it dawned on me, the furry gloves I had on were giving them static shocks. Not only did I spot the sparks, I could even hear the bristling noise. No wonder they were annoyed. Took the gloves off and they were back to being themselves again. This tip would apply to all animals.

By Cynthia | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

PET PIGS – First Series

November 2, 2011 – 4:46 pm

MINIATURE POTBELLIED PIGS MAKE WONDERFUL PETS. THEY ARE CLEAN, THEY CAN BE LITTER-BOX TRAINED, THEY DON’T SHED LIKE DOGS OR CATS, NOR GET FLEAS LIKE DOGS OR CATS. THEY CAN DO TRICKS A DOG NEVER THOUGHT OF!!! THEY DON’T KEEP PEOPLE AWAKE ALL NIGHT BARKING LIKE DOGS DO, AND DON’T RUN THE NEIGHBORHOOD GOING POTTY IN NEIGHBORS YARDS. THEY CAN EVEN WALK ON A LEASH. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A PET THAT’S A LITTLE DIFFERENT, THEN A MINIATURE POTBELLIED PET PIG IS THE PERFECT CHOICE!!!

Training your pig to walk with you on a leash and harness makes your life as his caregiver easier as well as allowing your pig to be safer and a closer part of your family. A leash trained pig will be easier to take with you on family outings, summer walks, and cer-tainly to the vet.

Pigs that have already bonded to you or the family typically don’t have any trouble with harness training. If your pig doesn’t trust you, he needs to be better socialized before harness training.

Some key pointers to keep in mind…Pigs are prey animals and, as such, do not like to be restrained; it is very threatening to them. Care needs to be taken not to force your pig into a harness. Once they become scared of an object, it is very hard to relieve them of that fear. Their intelligence usually makes training them easier but it can also hinder pro-gress if they continually feel threatened. They don’t forget much.  They remember where the ScratchnAll (www.scratchnall.com) has been mounted because they enjoy using it for self-enrichment and stimulation.

To keep them from feeling scared, don’t immediately try to put the harness on the pig. Let them play with the harness first for a day or so to let them realize that the harness itself offers nothing of which to be afraid.

When putting the harness on for the first time, it can be useful to distract him by putting treats on the ground. Although he will still be aware of what you are doing, his mind will be fo-cusing on the treats rather than this new activity. If the pig fights, reassure the him that every-thing is OK and try again. Move slowly and speak softly and do not force this first experience (if you have problems getting the harness on for the first time, give us a call and we may be able to help you out).

Once the harness is on your pig, let him run around for a few minutes. Do this a couple times a day at first, increasing the amount of time you leave the harness on the pig. You do not want the harness to be tight (they will feel restrained) nor too loose (they may get caught in objects or even slip out of the harness).

Once he is used to you putting the harness on and taking it off, you can add the leash to your routine. This shouldn’t be as stressful, but I would recommend you let him play with the leash like you did with the harness and allow him to spend time running around without any re-sistance (being careful to not allow the leash to get wrapped around any objects that might scare or trap him).

At the point where your pig is used to the harness and leash, you can again get out your treats and apply a little pressure to the leash. Call his name and provide a little force. Once he looks your direction or takes a step towards you, give him a treat. It’s important that they learn to look at you for guidance when they feel pressure on the leash. Continue this practice for short periods so it doesn’t seem like a chore.

When they understand that pressure means “look at you,” start to teach him to walk with you at your pace. Go slowly at first. What you want to teach is that you want him to stay close to you. Walk slowly and when he catches up, give him treats and abundant praise. Don’t scold him for not following. Always provide praise and treats for staying close to you.

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Lesson in History: A True Story of Reckless, the War Horse

October 25, 2011 – 10:25 pm

Reckless, the mare.

This horse was a packhorse during the Korean war, and she carried recoilless rifles, ammunition and supplies to Marines. Nothing too unusual about that, lots of animals got pressed into doing pack chores in many wars.

But this horse did something more..during the battle for a location called Outpost Vegas, this mare made 50 trips up and down the hill, on the way up she carried ammunition, and on the way down she carried wounded soldiers.

What was so amazing? Well she made every one of those trips without anyone leading her.

I can imagine a horse carrying a wounded soldier, being smacked on the rump at the top of the hill, and heading back to the “safety” of the rear. But to imagine the same horse, loaded with ammunition, and trudging back to the battle where artillery is going off, without anyone leading her is unbelievable.

To know that she would make 50 of those trips is unheard of. How many horses would even make it back to the barn once, let alone return to you in the field one single time.

So here is a clip of her story and photos to prove where she was and what she did..

She was retired at the Marine Corps Base in Camp Pendleton where a General issued the following order.She was not to carry anything on her back except her own blankets. She died in 1968 at the age of 20.

P.S. How bad was the battle for Outpost Vegas? Artillery rounds fell at the rate of 500 per hour, and only two men made it out alive without wounds. Just two. And a horse, and she was wounded twice.

By Cynthia | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

How to Make Goat Milk Cheese

October 24, 2011 – 5:52 pm

I love this article on how to make goat milk cheese because it seems so simple. Enjoy!
http://blog.henrymilker.com/2011/07/how-to-make-goat-cheese.html

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Check out Acupuncture for Equine Facial Paralysis

October 21, 2011 – 12:26 am

This is such a great story that I felt I had to share it. I hope you are as inspired as I am.

http://holistichorse.com/Rock-Stories/acupuncture-treats-traumatic-facial-paralysis-in-a-foal.html

By Cynthia | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)