Hot Mash

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?