Horses... It's always something.

[ponytug]

Thanks for the kind words, Actually the Horse was my moms originally, my sons are stepsons but consider them my boys as well as my nephews, she gave the horse to one nephew, but he lives several miles away and has no barn so we took care of the horse after mom passed. He is coming over to pay respects this afternoon.

I am more worried about the other horse- she was the follower of the older one that was an alpha.

Sorry for your loss.

Time for a pasture buddy?

My retired trail horse, who lost his dominant buddy at almost 38, adores babysitting the calves and running the cattle herd. I think it is funny to watch the cattle jump to attention and move if an equine ear gets pinned or nose pushes their way, but happy to have him stand over them while they snooze. When the moms want to leave their calves to wander off and graze, he babysits them for the moms.

That's a painful lesson your 550. My sympathies.

All the best,

Peter

 

[QRTRHRS]

Thanks for the kind words, Actually the Horse was my moms originally, my sons are stepsons but consider them my boys as well as my nephews, she gave the horse to one nephew, but he lives several miles away and has no barn so we took care of the horse after mom passed. He is coming over to pay respects this afternoon.

I am more worried about the other horse- she was the follower of the older one that was an alpha.

Sorry for what you are going through. I have found one dead that apparently dropped in her tracks, no thrashing, etc. I have also found one that must have injured her spine and spent the night thrashing, trying to get up. Never easy.

You mentioned a hay delivery. Did you introduce the new hay by blending with the existing until the horses got used to it?

Horses typically do not do well solo. If the plan is to keep the horse, you may want to look into rescuing one for a companion. An option that my neighbor utilized was to take one in and care for it until yours passes and then return the loaner.

 

[ultrarunner]

A friend had a stray dog that bonded with his horse and they became best buddies.

Doesn’t always have to be another horse.

A real problem with livestock getting out is liability from traffic accidents… at least here it is.

 

[John0829]

Horses typically do not do well solo. If the plan is to keep the horse, you may want to look into rescuing one for a companion.

My horse was solo for the last 3 years of his life, well kinda solo. I or the wife were usually out at the barn several times a day and he was always "helping" or "supervising" whatever it was we were doing. He was happy and alert right to the end, in fact he seemed happier after his companion was gone. Had less stress to deal with when the constant nipping and crowding his space ended.

 

[NoTrespassing]

My horse was solo for the last 3 years of his life, well kinda solo. I or the wife were usually out at the barn several times a day and he was always "helping" or "supervising" whatever it was we were doing. He was happy and alert right to the end, in fact he seemed happier after his companion was gone. Had less stress to deal with when the constant nipping and crowding his space ended.

Same here, the Thoroughbred ex race horse my ex wife had was a schizophrenic accident waiting to happen. He always thought a lion was out to eat him or something. My spotted saddle horse/Tennessee Walker was a level headed dude. After the Thoroughbred left I was able to ride my horse off the property without that Thoroughbred screaming bloody murder. D was pretty happy by himself with the dog around.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I have limited experience with horses, but enough to know that they were pretty much the boss. After falling off into a thick patch of goat heads, I was even less a fan.

My dad was raised on a farm, and worked horses until they got a tractor in the mid 30's. He told stories about his horse; riding it to school when he was in grade school; friends with skittish horses, etc. One time when I was maybe 10 years old, I made the comment "It must have been fun in those days, working and riding horses all the time".

His reply "Hell no! Horses are dumb, unpredictable, and a lot of work. If you aren't smarter, they will kill you or mess you up! Tractors are the best thing that ever happened to farming!".

Come to think of it, the old daily paper in this town used to re-publish editions from early statehood; made interesting reading...and it seemed like every edition had something about a resident being killed or injured by a horse falling with them, kicking them, or otherwise involved in some kind of accident.

 

[EddieWalker]

Biggest financial mistake I ever made was agreeing to rescue some horses from a couple that my wife worked with. I thought they would eat the grass and look nice. I had no idea that they NEVER STOP EATING!!!!! They quickly ate all the grass in the pasture, and then I had to buy them hay. This financial mistake on my part has become a never ending expense that will never go away. My only hope is that they eventually get old and die. Other then eating, there isn't any benefit to having them. Neither of us ride horses. I tried to give them away, but that just about destroyed our marriage. She was all for it until somebody showed up to get them, then she fell apart and lost her mind. If you don't have them, don't get them!!!!!!

 

[gsganzer]

I remember the time I tried to put fly spray on my daughter's horse, the loving mare that eventually I took to the exotic cat rescue.

I mixed up some fly spray in the 2 gallon spray tank and tied her up (obviously not tight enough) to our pasture pipe fence. She was pretty seasoned and docile, so I really didn't expect any issues. Anyway, I pumped up the sprayer and then sprayed off to the side, so she wouldn't get startled, and we had no issues.

As soon as I directed that spray at her back, all heck broke loose. She turned and head butted me. Did I mentioned I didn't tie her tie her tight enough? She connected with me square on my forehead and sent me flying backwards. I left my shoes where I started and landed about 10- 12 feet back on my shoulder blades, nearly knocked unconscious. My wife was sipping a morning bloody mary, watching the whole saga unfold and she said when I hit the ground, I started clambering around trying to get out of the way. She was afraid I was going to clamber into something else and really hurt myself. In my dazed state, I didn't know if I was under a bucking/kicking horse or what, I was just instinctively trying to get away. My wife ran out and pulled me to the side, forcing me to lie down.

I had the biggest egg on my head you could ever imagine. All I wanted to do was crawl back into bed, but my wife wouldn't let me. She put a giant bag of ice on my head and wouldn't let me lie down for the next 4 hours. I couldn't even think straight for the remainder of the day. I think I obviously had a concussion.

 

[lman]

Spend $100k on a tractor just to ride around the property? It would be cheap compared to getting into horses as a hobby.

We don't financially spend much on our horses, just wormer and vaccinations. We have pasture and hay ground. Guy down the road bales our hay and we get what we need, he gets the rest to sell to Amish.
I maintain hooves and wife helps stack hay. Beats sitting around watching TV or pounding a keyboard.

 

[gsganzer]

I thought they would eat the grass and look nice. I had no idea that they NEVER STOP EATING!!!!! They quickly ate all the grass in the pasture, and then I had to buy them hay.

Eddie, you're not kidding. The thing with horses is they don't snip off what they eat, they pull it up by its roots. It's especially hard on bermuda and the runners.

Between the horses and the freeze/drought, they've wiped out my 6 acre pasture.

 

[lman]

Rotating pastures is necessary with horses. They graze like sheep. Overgrazing without rotation is hard on pastures. A corral area is necessary to use in the spring after snow is gone until grass is growing good.

 

[NoTrespassing]

We don't financially spend much on our horses, just wormer and vaccinations. We have pasture and hay ground. Guy down the road bales our hay and we get what we need, he gets the rest to sell to Amish.
I maintain hooves and wife helps stack hay. Beats sitting around watching TV or pounding a keyboard.

They must be "easy keepers". Mine was, hers wasn't.

If we didn't keep hers shod his hooves, what little he had, would fall apart. I forgot about the hock problems he had, probably arthritis. And, she was riding him in dressage of all things, jeeze, I'm having flashbacks now. I tried so hard to talk her and her instructor out of buying that animal.

 

[gsganzer]

Rotating pastures is necessary with horses. They graze like sheep. Overgrazing without rotation is hard on pastures. A corral area is necessary to use in the spring after snow is gone until grass is growing good.

I agree completely and it requires a lot of diligence and work. In our part of TX, you need at least 2 acres per horse. Double that, if you're not up to the work.

 

[gsganzer]

They must be "easy keepers". Mine was, hers wasn't.

I think the term "easy keepers" is a fleeting fallacy. We had stretches where all was good, but they never lasted. And that's with having vet friends and having a farm vs. pet mentality. It seems you end up paying the piper at some point.

 

[NoTrespassing]

I think the term "easy keepers" is a fleeting fallacy. We had stretches where all was good, but they never lasted. And that's with having vet friends and having a farm vs. pet mentality. It seems you end up paying the piper at some point.

I'm sure, and that's why I wasn't sad to see mine go.

I think I got the same out of him that I paid for him $1,500, but he was you and unbroken to saddle when we got him. He went to the daughter of our vet and was shipped to Florida.

 

[BravoXray]

Years ago, I had a friend who's wife badgered him for years to get a horse. He finally relented and she bought a horse and boarded it at a place several miles away. After a couple of years, all the tack, grooming, stable and vet fees got to be a drag on their finances, but she wouldn't sell the horse, even though she rarely ever rode it. Finally, after a stretch of over two months of her not even going to the stables, unbeknownst to her, he found a buyer for the hose and tack and sold it. Never told her until she finally said she was going to the stables for a ride after three months. Big argument followed, but he showed her how much it was actually costing to have the nag, and she cooled off. He let her get a dog though.

 

[ultrarunner]

When my brother bought his place it came with a 25 year old horse put out to pasture.

The pasture consisted of a full 40 acres and all my brother promised was the waterer would always have water…

8 years with no care other than the sellers sent a vet once a year… and placed a salt block.

The kids would go up with carrots and the horse would come down to them and was easy to pet…

Maybe being the 40 acres was home was the key…?

No injuries and hoofs good and Maggie was always in motion as in walking elevation.

I can say 40 acres is enough for a single horse and the only place trampled was ground at the waterer.