How to get rid of horses?

   / How to get rid of horses? #83  
And so sorry about your wife, my uncle is fighting leukemia right now. I've had four family members taken from breast cancer in the past year, it sucks, tell her she can kick its butt
 
   / How to get rid of horses?
  • Thread Starter
#84  
Thanks for all the support and advice. Karen just finished her second and last 96 hour non stop round of chemo and is dealing with the side effects right now. It's horrible in every possible way, except that it works. The radiation is even worse. Five days a week, for 30 days,she gets a focused blast of radiation directed at her colon where the cancer tumor is located. At first, it was just a pleasant warm feeling. Then it started to feel like a sun burn. Now it's a full blown second degree burn that is being treating with silver sulfide and some very strong pain meds, with little relief. She has 8 more radiation treatments to go. Fortunately, the cancer is dying and in the long run, this will just be a really bad memory.

As for the horse, I'm working on changing how we feed them. New fencing that will isolate them from the other animals, and humans. They killed a duck the other day, it's just mayhem right now, which is from my ignorance in how they behave when it's feeding time. That's half the issue. Karen loves them and enjoys being close to them when feeding them. I don't care for them and I'm sure they sense that, so it's more of a chore for me to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Training would be great, but it's just not going to happen. We both work full time. Karen is a professor at the university and working from home while she is sick, and I have a remodeling business. Our house is in a never ending state of remodeling which is leading to a huge addition and more remodeling. The land is a never ending project, and all my tractors need maintenance and repairs. We have two show dogs that are top 20 in the nation for their breed, and one has a good chance of making top five and getting invited to Westminster by the time she is two years old. The dogs are where our true passion is. The horses are more of a nice idea that for me has proven to be a bit too much. While we can afford them, it's still bothers me spending money on having those two horses that I don't care for, and really need a job, or something to do. I'm sure they are bored, and too full of energy without a release. Some times they just start running for not apparent reason.

When Karen is past this, we will find them a new home. She is very emotional right now, and all of you are right that now is not the time to add to her pain. Thankfully, you have given me some ideas on ways to do this, and find them a good home. They won't leave until we are both sure it will be to a better place then they have with us right now. Then that will leave us with 3 horses. One that is in her 20's, another in her teens, and then her daughter, who is two. In time, we will just have the two horses, which will make Karen sad, but at least give us some options on what we want to do down the road. Get more horses again if she decides that she wants to ride, or just leave them as grass eaters.

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   / How to get rid of horses? #85  
They sure do make for a pretty picture... and keep the grass in check... your pictures always surprise me with the amount of woodland you have.

Not sure how many acres you would need to be able to sustain by foraging in Tyler... I imagine the herd would take a lot.

Old Maggie is 27 and has 40 acres and is as happy as can be... and really helps with keeping the fire Marshall at bay...

Soon there will be two cows added to the mix for 4H... my brother is OK as long as they can sustain themselves... the last thing he wants is to run up feed bills...

Maggie is totally self sustaining... no feed what so ever and the annual vet visit gives her high marks... simply living as nature intended.

Eddie... what you have accomplished is remarkable... and to think it all started with an idea combined with your amazing talent...
 
   / How to get rid of horses? #86  
For some time now, I have thought there is a secret out there -- i.e. there are two Eddie Walkers. Every time I read one of his posts I become even more convinced that no one person could do all that he does. So c'mon Eddie, fess up -- are there really two of you?
 
   / How to get rid of horses? #87  
Something I do not think was mentioned yet and that is that being around horses can be very therapeutic. When Karen is well enough to venture out to the horsee's she may see that the two "problem" ones need a different caregiver. And, hopefully the more easy going trio will help her health improve. Just sayin'.
 
   / How to get rid of horses? #88  
The problem Eddie is that you spend too much time petting the pig. The horses are jealous!
 
   / How to get rid of horses? #89  
The problem Eddie is that you spend too much time petting the pig. The horses are jealous!

I know. Every time Eddie posts Oscar is getting his snout scratched again. :pig: :pig: :pig:
 
   / How to get rid of horses? #90  
Same boat different oar. I have got three here on the property. One is bossy and just a flipping nut case come feeding time and pasture time. I'd like to get rid of them and the daughter that brought them here. The wife considers it therapy when she is out and about. Of course I get the earfuls on what I should be doing. I consider that part of her recovery plan, so I keep my mouth shut. It's hard to maintain a homestead, animals, a job be a nurse and PA full-time. Then add an ornery 1000 pound animals on top of that.

What I have done is attempt to be the alpha of the group. I also started tie-ups at feeding time. I separate them all and bucket feed at the fence line. For turn outs, I use metal chain around the muzzles and walk each one out separately. When penned up, I got rid of the free feed round bale and went to flakes per horse at different feeding spots.

This has been going on since last November, and I *think* it is making a difference in their poor behavior. Unfortunate this new regiment introduced has cost me time I don't really have, so the day starts earlier and ends later.

Fortunately when the wife is out and sees the horses her pains and issues seem to go away. She is even giving them treats on occasion now. I see a change in both her attitude and the horses when they are together.

Guess I just will have to deal with it.

Good luck to you. Stay positive.
 

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