Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The War on Bugs!

There have been so many things that happened lately that would have made for great blog posts (our saddle club's horse show last Saturday - John was Ring Steward and we both got really sunburned! One of our cats killed a poor little hummingbird :( . The bareback riding session the other day), but I have been just too swamped by projects. But then came yesterday....

Here in the midwest you have got to be tough to take the weather extremes......it was about 90 degrees yesterday -- only 4 months ago it was below zero. The heat coupled with the rain we've had lately has cause a bug population explosion!! Our poor goats and horses are just being tortured.

We give them a feed through to help keep the flys in check, we have fly masks of course, and we use a bug repellant that our farrier uses (I figure it must be good if he uses it -- he really needs for horses to stand still while he works). Yesterday we tried something new that we learned from our new friend we met in the Dunes a few weeks ago (older post on my blog here). They are like fly masks for their legs. Hopefully these things will keep the girls from stomping because of the flies and cracking their hooves. These should help with their aggravation level, as they won't be getting bit by flies on their legs. Here are the photos.....................

I was unsure of how they would handle having these things put on their legs, but they both were just as patient as they could be -- even Divna! Of course I did her sighted side first so she would not be as afraid. They were so good.....

But when we untied them, and they took their first steps, it was just hysterical!! They could not figure out what was on their legs, and they were walking so strangely...John and I were laughing really hard!! They kept picking up their feet really high, and moving in slow motion....it was too funny. I took some video on the camera, but am not sure it turned out. I will try to post a video here, but no promises...


8 comments:

Anonymous said...

noticed today here bringing our horses in... they are insidious...

gp in mt where summer has FINALLY shown up

Callie said...

ditto on the heat + rain = bugs! I hate this suppressive hot miserable weather!

Paint Girl said...

I always get a good laugh when horses pick their feet up really high, when there is something they aren't used too on them!
I love your barn! It is so cute! Was that one of your goats walking by in your video? I thought my goats were big!! LOL!

Desert Rose said...

I have seen those before...keep us posted on how the work. Divna was too funny...the video was great!

John and Regina Zdravich said...

Paint Girl -- That was Marco, and he is the SMALLER of the two goats!!! Our barn is not real big, but it is nice. John designed it on a piece of grid paper, and he and the "Serbian Amish" built it top to bottom. (We have a friend who is Mexican who calls all of the Serbs we know the "Serbian Amish" because whenever anyone needs something done -- a roof, garage, sidewalk, etc.) they all go and help. Pretty cool!

Unknown said...

Hey Horse Talk Indiana!

I am a fan of your site, and am producing a horse show that I think you would be interested in!
It is from the makers of Cirque du Soleil, and features both humans and horses. If you are interested, I would be great for our company if you could post some info about Cavalia! It's great! A link to the wesbite, ticket information, a picture, anything!
Here it is:
Cavalia, the internationally acclaimed spectacular equestrian odyssey makes its Chicago debut beginning Tuesday, July 14. This multimedia extravaganza brings together more than 100 two and four-legged artists. The mix of horses, acrobats, aerialists, dancers, riders and musicians transports spectators to dream-like settings while celebrating the timeless bond between horses and humans.

Normand Latourelle, founder and artistic director of Cavalia, is the visionary behind the show. As one of the co-founders of Cirque du Soleil, Latourelle first brought Cirque to Chicago in 1988. Through Latourelle’s passionate vision, Cavalia revolutionizes equestrian and performing arts much like Cirque du Soleil revolutionized the circus. Latourelle has become renowned for adventurous, mammoth and innovative productions that transport spectators to new realms of imagination.

Cavalia has captivated audiences across North America and Europe and has been praised by the media and critics alike.

Regular tickets are priced from $45.50 to $98.50. Special pricing is available for children and seniors. In addition, special packages including an exclusive visit to the Cavalia stables are also available. Prices do not include service fees.

www.cavalia.net

http://www.beebop.tv/ST/Cavalia_Promo_FinalRev.html

Performances will run July 14 through July 26.

Cavalia will be presented under its towering White Big Top, which will be pitched in Chicago’s stylish West Loop at Racine and Jackson.

Thank you so much for your support!

LuLo Designs/Blue Eyed Tango said...

So funny how our horses respond to foreign things on their legs! Glad you enjoyed the Honest Scrap Award post on my blog today! What exactly do we have in common? Luanne

The Pink Geranium or Jan's Place said...

goodness.. never thought of feet mask.. good idea. You will have to update us on how it is helping!