Showing posts with label horse health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label horse health. Show all posts

Sunday, 31 December 2017

Plan B.


Why do horses always find a way to make us go to plan B, or C?
Guys, my horse is going to be the death of me, or more accurately, the death of herself. You know how Savvy needed to be separated because she just wouldn’t leave Meyla alone and ended up constantly getting kicked and injured? Well, separation is not a success. It seems at night for whatever reason she tries desperately to get back to Shiraz and Meyla’s side of the fence.
Spotted pony has a few spots that don't belong.
I have considered that something real may be scaring her. We have a very high coyote population. I searched in the snow for tracks and saw tons of rabbit tracks and some older, slightly snow covered tracks that looked like it could be fox or coyote. It also could be nothing and Savvy just losing her marbles because she does not feel secure separated from the group.

New self-inflicted wounds trying to get through a fence.
Regardless of cause, wonder pony continues to get injured, making the whole point of separation moot. So back together they all go and I will have to try plan B which is nighttime shipping boots on her back legs.
When Meyla kicks, she is like a big old truck. She pins her ears and slowly starts to turn and aim that big old ass. You can almost hear the ‘beep, beep, beep’ as she backs in for the kick. So much warning time is given, but Savvy is so stubborn she just gets right in there and tries to kick back. Iceland must be one harsh place because an Icelandic’s coat is no joke. Her legs are covered with over 2 inches of hair and she just doesn’t get hurt. Savvy, on the other hand gets a lot of damage. Most of her cuts and scrapes are on her back legs, so perhaps shipping boots will help prevent some of these injuries?
So. much. hair.
As a side note, I have found an extremely useful topical that those of you in very cold climates might appreciate. In the fall I bring all of the freezable items in from the unheated tack shed to the house. However, I have been using this one particular topical antiseptic so much, it accidentally got left out in the cold and I have discovered it can tolerate this and still work! It has been -30 (and colder) all week and this spray can of Scarlex has continued to work at that temperature!


Manitoba winter approved.
I have found this antiseptic to be extremely helpful as a first-line of treatment like morning feeds when I first discover a small cut and do not have time or supplies at the ready to wash and do a full treatment. Being able to just grab this from the nearby tack shed and spray on the antiseptic I feel has made a difference in what these many leg wounds evolve into on Savvy. Finding a wound treatment like this that can handle -30 is gold to me.

For now, it is back to a herd of three. Horses. No, not horses, SAVVY. Man is she ever lucky I love her.