Prayers for Marko

Our goat, Marko, is really sick right now. From what we can tell, it is a neurological problem most likely brought on by a Thiamin deficiency.

It is a long story -- he had an ear infection recently, that I thought I had gotten under control. I checked online, have talked with people at a goat organization of some kind, and the vet. We have been treating him with vitamin B1 and ear infection medicine. I have also been giving him water with electrolytes and vitams, and also yogurt.

Today we get injectible vitamin B, penicillin, and cortisone. I hope it is not too late. So far he is hanging in there, but I am really worried.

He is our trouble-maker goat. So many times I just look at him and say, "Marko, you are an ass!" I wish he was feeling well enough to make trouble now.

Birthday Gift for a Year

My brother and sister-in-law are so thoughtful. For my birthday (in December) they got me a subscription to Horse Illustrated magazine!

Because I got into horses late in life (in my 40's) and did not grow up with them or around them, I am acutely aware that I am pretty clueless when it comes to understanding horses. I understand my mare, Divna, because we have been together for 11 years now. But still, I am aware there is a lot that I can learn which would make me a better horse owner for her.

I've received two issues of the magazine so far, and have really enjoyed them. It came as a real suirprise to find that I am actually doing something right! The article on training your horse to neck rein pretty much describes what I am doing, which made me feel great. There have also been some great articles on fly control, and ground work exercises.

So a big thanks to Terry and Leslie for this wonderful gift, which will last me a year!

The Answer to the Question

In my last post, I posed a question about trailering horses in the winter. John and I were considering going to visit my brother in the North Woods of Wisconsin, and taking the horses. From our home in Northwest Indiana, it would be about an 8 hour drive. Temperatures could be anywhere from 20 degrees to zero, and possibly below. In the end, we decided not to go.

I got some great comments from my blog friends, and it was suggested that I do a post with the responses, so here they are:

Desert Rose

i would have more than likely come up with the same decision as you did...my horses safety would be my fist choices. Did you consult a vet to see if there was criterea for winter hauling when it is that cold...plus wind chill factored in. maybe you can post again with everyones responses?

Canadian Cowgirl

I would have first checked the forecasted weather at both locations and the areas I'd be travelling in between. If the weather looked decent I probably would have hit the road.A couple things:A lot of people here have similar trailers and in the winter they use plywood or plexiglass (?) to cover MOST of those openings. Not all as you do want some airflow, especially if you don't have roof vents.If your horses have a good winter coat then use blankets at your judgement. You could always bring blankets/extra blankets along and add them if you need them.Also, if you're returning after riding give the horses a chance to get good and dry first.I haul in the winter and it can get very cold here! If its going to be really cold I don't load up but on those days I do I still crack my windows open a bit. (not all the way, just a crack!)

Jeni

I probably would have come up with the same decision just because of the temps being below 20 F. However, for winter hauling if you ever need to. I would cover the openings on your stock trailer. They do make plexi inserts for those open spaces. Leave a couple openings at the back of the trailer for some air flow.As for blankets - Do you currently blanket them? If not I would be hesitate to blanket them, it would depend. It gets pretty warm in the trailer, especially if it's closed up. Always take a blanket or sheet with you.Yesterday it was 30 something here in Cincinnati. I put a cotton cooler on Rosie because she was just a tiny bit sweaty when I loaded her on the trailer to come home from the clinic. It was enough to wick whatever moisture there was off her and keep the chill off. Once I got home I brushed her hair back up (against the grain) to fluff it up again as blankets flatten it.

Shirley

I pretty much agree with everyone's comments; avoid hauling in the really cold weather, but if you must, close off the sides and the gap in the back door, but do allow some airflow. I do blanket on cold hauls, because there is always some wind that gets in, and with a horse that's standing still, they can get quite chilled. However, check at regular intervals to see if they are sweating; you'd have to take the blanket off. A polar fleece cooler is a good option too, as they won't get too hot and it wicks the moisture away, but they are standing there with a damp blanket on in that case, so keep a dry regular blanket handy to use if needed.

Breathe

I wouldn't haul because I wouldn't ride! If it drops under 50, im looking for a warm blanket for ME. This is why i live in Texas...LolBut I have hauled in pretty cold temps, horses blanketed. Not -20 though. It probably is wise to take them on a training haul with blankets on. Plenty of hay, stops for water.But better safe than sorry, I say. Hot cocoa and horses in the barn. Spring is coming!

Ashlee Ashby

Do heated, closed horse trailers exist?

Endurance Granny

Our trailer is similar to your's and we live in SE Indiana. Not quite as cold as you guys, but plenty cold still. We blocked off the sides with exterior grade plywood painted the color of our trailer. It has worked very well. If it is below freezing I will blanket in the trailer as it is like a fridge in those steel trailers. I try to think what it would be like in their barn with a little breeze and use a blanket weight for that. Horses do move a lot while trailering to keep their blanance and that in itself can make them sweat, so it can work to your good or your bad! I honestly worry less about trailering than I do about road conditions. I checked the weather one weekend, hauled to the Clark State Forest and was ten miles out when it started snowing. I almost didn't get my horse trailer out of that park! The parks don't service those roads during the closed part of the season. Lesson learned. Thanks for stopping by E.G.

Thanks everyone for helping me out! I had to laugh at Breathe -- no riding under 50 degrees for her!

Also, loved Ashlee's query as to whether closed, heated horse trailers exist. I am sure they do, but for the Derby horses! Not for us poor folks in Indiana!

My blog friends are the best!!!

Question About Traveling in Winter With Horses

I've got a question for my more experienced horse-friends out there in the blog world.

This is as far as I got when I first started writing this post on January 21. It is now January 26, and we have changed our minds about the whole thing. But I am going to go ahead and finish the ost because I am curious to hear other horse-owners' views on this.

My brother lives in the beautiful North Woods of Wisconsin. He met some people up there who have horses. Of course he told them about his sister and brother-in-law living in Indiana with horses. Before too long we found ourselves in e-conversations with two different people up there who graciously and generously invited us to come up for some riding. They both offered their barns for boarding our horses (even had a little friendly competition between the two of them to try to "woo" us to their particular barn!). We were excited about the prospect of riding in the North Woods. We made plans to go up there over Memorial Day weekend 2011.

Then John got a temp job, and we could not go....it was disappointing, but the job was more important. So we put those plans on hold.

The temp job has come to an end, and we were toying with the idea of going up sometime in February to ride. We love winter riding, and it is just beautiful up there in winter.

Which brings me to my question......

It being about an 8 hour drive from Northwest Indiana to North Woods Wisconsin, and considering in February temperatures could be low -- anywhere from 20 degrees to Zero -- would it be too hard on the horses to make the trip?

Here are a couple of photos of our trailer. They are not the best pictures, but at the moment I am to lazy to go to the upstairs comptuer where there are better ones stored. But this gives you the idea.

We thought about blocking off the open space on the sides, and on the door at the back if the weather was severe. We thought we could also blanket The Girls.

But in the end we decided it would not be worth the risk. I would never forgive myself if one of them got sick from being too cold on the trip. Even though it has been a really mild winter around here so far (contrary to all the predictions that the Chicago area was going to have the worst winter ever in 2011-2012), it would be our luck the Arctic blast would happen right when we were making the trip.

So we will plan our riding trip for Spring.....

The Best Cowgirl Boots

My boots are absolutely the best.

I got them at least 13-15 years ago, when John and I caught the horseback riding bug while on a vacation in Mexico. We started taking lessons, rode friends' horses whenever possible, and started planning for having horses our own. Part of this plan was getting cowboy hats and riding boots.

We went to a western-themed chain store that sold all sorts of cowboy type clothing -- I cannot remember the name of that store to save my soul. But it was there that I bought these boots. I believe the salesperson called them "Ropers." I am not sure of the brand anymore, either. Any sign of it that was either embossed someplace on the leather or stamped on the sole or inside material has long since faded away. I do not remember what I paid for them, but I do remember at the time thinking they were expensive.

We have had our own horses; "The Girls," Zora and Divna, for eleven years now. These are the only riding boots I have ever owned, the only boots I have worn riding.

They have been on horses in Tennessee, Michigan, North Carolina, and all over Indiana in this country. They have been on foreign horses in Mexico, Italy and Germany.

From the saddle I have watched them disappear under water when trails have been flooded, and one time when Divna decided to lay down in a trail that went through a pond's edge. They are caked with mud each spring with the thaw, and in autumn when rain turns our pasture into a mucky pit. In the heat and dryness of summer they are covered in a film of dust where not protected by blue jeans. Only the laces have been replaced in all this time -- even after all the miles of trails, who-counts-how-many falls from the saddle, and how much distance covered chasing a loose horse....

They have been better to me than I to them. After riding, I come in, unlace them and toss them under the staircase, leaving them in whatever condition they happen to be in until the next ride.

But when cleaning tack recently, I decided to show them a little care as well. Once the dried mud was scraped off, polish applied, then mink oil, and a good buffing to finish the job I realized that these are boots to be appreciated. I thought about how they have been with me, literally, every step of the way on my journey to horseownership.

And I realize they are really cool boots.

And I realize I got my money's worth.

I love them.

Short Dunes Ride

We got a phone call from our equestrian friends on Friday evening about meeting at Deep River County Park for a Saturday ride. Sounded great -- we had only been there once (see my previous post), and I really like the trails. I've been sick for two weeks with bronchitis, and have been anxious to go riding again.

But this was one of those days when nothing went as planned. The problem with Deep River is that when it rains a lot, the parking area becomes too muddy for horse trailers to negotiate. And that was the case on Saturday -- we got a call from one of our fellow riders saying that the gates were closed. Some of the others we were going to meet were able to park at a nearby horse stable, and rode to the trails from there. John and I do not have a connection for that type of parking arrangement, so we knew Deep River wasn't going to happen for us. So we decided to go to The Dunes instead.

As usual, it was beautiful. The parks department has wisely added boardwalk beyond the ends of the bridges. The situation was becoming unsafe -- the ground at the end of the bridges would become mud pits at certain times of the year. Horses would be freaked out by all the mud, and I know of one woman who ended up with a broken arm when her horse spooked trying to negotiate the mud. You can see the extension to the bridge in this picture....

Unfortunately, I was not yet back up to speed from the bronchitis. After only riding a third of the trail, I realized I was not up to it. We turned back too early....

But when we got back to the parking lot, we met these two guys on absolutely gorgeous Paso Fino horses.......here are the "Paso Fino Dudes"

The man in the first picture raises, trains and sells Paso Fino horses. If anyone is interested, I have his contact info.

We were too soon back at our barn, and I rested while John unloaded the trailer....

I hope to be able to hit the trails next weekend, and get in a full ride.

Clearing Trails - New Trails- Winter Hay

Clearing Trails

As I recover from a particularly nasty bout of bronchitis, with a sinus infection thrown in for good measure, I thought I would update my blog on our recent horse-related activities.

About 2-3 weeks ago we had some really strong winds here in Northwest Indiana. We knew that meant the trails in our area and the abandonded railroad line where we ride would be in need of grooming. We were correct.

This is what greeted us at the entrance to the railroad line.......

We had our work cut out for us. We could not decide if it would be better to get thru this mess, or try to blaze a new trail around it. A new trail would require going up an embankment and around. Here is John, checking it out.

It was pretty steep, but we felt our horses could handle it. But with all the rain lately, it was pretty slippery, and since we wanted to ride later that day, we opted for going thru the tangle of trees on the railroad line.

In the end, we cleared enough to get under and around the tree trunks. What's a trail ride without a bit of a challenge on the way? Without that, you have nothing to talk about later around the campfire.

This is negotiable -- we rode this trail later in the day. You can pick your way around and under all this stuff on a good trail horse.

New Trails

Our riding buddy, Dee Dee, has been telling us for ages about some trails in a county park near here. So finally we got it together enough to get out there to ride, and boy was it worth it! I wish we had listened to her a long time ago.

Deep River County Park in Lake County (Hobart/Merrillville) Indiana has some very nice trails. Most people think of Indiana as flat land -- corn country. But the glacier that formed Lake Michigan cut through Northwest Indiana, leaving some irregular terraine (the "Valparaiso Moraine," I believe it is called).

The trails at this park have hills, some ponds, and the river snaking though which provides some fantastic views.

My photographic skills are non-existent, so these pictures do not do it justice.....

It was a great ride, but on this day my bronchitis was becoming full-blown. This is a ride I should not have taken. I paid dearly for it.

And then, we had to get the last load of our hay for the winter. There was no avoiding this chore....

Winter Hay

It had to be done. The last 70 bales had to be loaded into the loft. So with John doing 90% of the work, we got to it.....

Here is the face of misery.......

My only job was to sit there and hook the bales to the electric hoist. Note the small glass of "medicine" a/k/a rakija.

We got it done. I am hopeful that I will be recovered enough to ride this weekend.

Happy Trails to all.....Enjoy the ride!