Its time.....I guess for a horse

[popeye]

<font color="blue"> Horses are no more fragile than any other animal or ourselves for that matter. </font>

How may animals or humans do you know of other than horses that if you change their feed can colic and die sometimes overnight?
Mike

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Yeah, but knowing that none of use would change our horses feed like that. You go slow and keep and keep an eye on them.

Also some horses are more prone to colic...I know a 5K surgery will make you aware of things like that /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Horses have there particular problems just like people or other animals, they have their strengths too. I know plenty of dog(me as well) and cat owners who have spent mucho $$$ on their animals particular issues.

How many pets/domestic animals can stay outside with just a shed for cover last winter with multiple 20+" snows and sub zero temps. I know I couldn't /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Also when you think about it the cost to feed and care for isn't that bad. Imagine the cost to feed a 1200lbs. dog /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I think my 80lbs bulldog already costs as much as a horse to feed!


P.S. our colic was brought on by medication/anesthetics causing digestion too get screwy. SInce then we have changed feeds for other reasons, but we do it with care.

 

[HunterdonPaul]

Thanks guys.

I appreciate every word that you wrote. My wife and I have some thinking to do. My daughters birthday is on the 19th of June so we don't have much time.

Another question (or two). I currently have a pasture with an electric fence. I guess it was the cheap way out for the former owner. Is there anything inherently wrong with an electric fence? Should I consider investing in a post/rail fence? There are currently just wires strung on insulators attached to posts. When I first moved here there was a yellow weaved electrical tape wirey thingy (???) which actually was what was wired. Since then, the deer broke it up every time they jumped over it (and missed). I just removed it. Do I need this same stuff or can I just wire the actual wires? (I hope this makes some sort of sense).

Also in terms of a shelter for the horse(s), I have a 12 x 24 barn. The barn is just basically two attached 12 x 12 stalls (complete with two doors). Do I just leave the doors open and let them wander in when they want? Should I add another shelter (I guess it would help me rotate them between pastures)?

Thanks again.

Paul

 

[Anonymous Poster]

It sounds more like the fence is set up Ok and just need work. Some people just have electric wire for horses but most have some other fencing supplemented with electic wire. If you want to go just with electric you could just string it with several rows of the electric tape stuff you described it is safer and more visible than wire. If you get white 2" tape it kind of looks like fence. Do a web search on horse fence and you find a zillion soulutions. If time is important just do a section of the pasture and open it up when you complete the entire area. 2 horses don't need the entire property.

Regular fence would be fine but it is very expensive and requires upkeep. To do 6 acres of wood or other material fencing from scratch is going to be hugely expensive. Star putting 4" x4"posts every 8' with 3 or 4 rails of at least 1" x 4" and you will see what I mean. I have a similar setup and it was 15k?? over a decade ago

The barn where the walk in fine as long as they get along at least OK and there is abig enough ebntrance/exit so one horse can't trap the other in case they brawl.

With that much acreage 2 horses aren't even going to keep the grass down so I don't think you need to rotate them. It would be nice to cut asection out to ride in so that the other horse is separated. Also good to have a small area sectioned off so that you can keep the horses in there when you are expecting the vet or farrier. Sometimes catching the horses in a big field can be ...well let's say interesting /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

My wife and I have made several "Americas Funniest Home Videos" trying to catch them before a violent T-storm

Don't be worried you can do it. I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and knew nothing of horses until I met my wife. You could even consider letting someone board a horse on your property in exchange for helping keep your horse(s). This way you could learn from them. This way you would get the companion horse for free and only have to buy one. Just make sure you get insurance if you go that route

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Paul,
Electric fence would be fine if the deer don't take it down every other day. We tried to put up a temporary electric fence to give our horses some extra pasture last year. We actually had wood posts about every 30 feet in preparation for a woven wire fence. We put up a few metal T posts in between and ran 3 wires with flags on them. The deer took those wires out at least 4 times before I finally gave up and quit fixing it.
Now we have it finished with 2" x 4" woven wire and one electric strand along the top. Posts are every 15 ft. Luckily the horses were never in that pasture when the deer took out the electric fence.

Kevin

 

[cowboydoc]

Colic is certainily an issue with horses but every animal has it's health problems was my point. Just changing a horses diet won't automatically cause colic. Nor will it cause colic on a regular basis either. Is there a related incidence to colic and change of diet? Yes there is. That's why I said we keep our animals on the same feed and routine all the time. I know many people though that feed when it's convenient. Change feeds all the time and never have one bit of colic. Then I know other people that take every precaution and they still have colic.

Cows have their problems, goats have their problems, pigs have their problems, etc. etc. I have the vet out way more for my cattle than I do my horses. And if you want to talk about humans well that I can do, LOL. I would have to say that humans have way more health problems than horses do. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Thank goodness or I'd be out of a job. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

As far as electric fences they are fine as long as it isn't barb wire. I would rotate your pastures though. It is healthy for your horses and for your pastures. Your run-in should be fine.

 

[Boone]

I would take a horse over anything but my family. I'd rather have one good horse than any number of friends, tractors, cattle, land or anything.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

I lost my painted quarter horse a couple years ago from cancer, still miss him a bunch. He was just wonderful to ride and have around the place. For years just a piece of twine stretched across the drive was all I needed and the lawn was clipped by the paint and his wild and crazy arab partner. Now I have this young mule to train and he is teaching me a lot.

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> As far as electric fences they are fine...</font>
Speaking of electric fences...my wife always thought our electric fence was kind of wimpy, i.e., didn't provide a big enough jolt. BTW, our horses do not have the same opinion about the fence! They stay away from it.

My response was, stand in your bare feet, or better yet, bare feet standing on horse shoes and touch the fence. (This was good natured kidding /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif)

Well, last week she was gardening near the fence, started to stand up and somehow managed to touch the tape with her head. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Her opinion of the electric fence has changed. She was not hurt in any way, although having a jolt enter at your head and exit at your feet was a concern, particularly the entrance point.

 

[dourobob]

I have found that deer are much less likely to run through aluminum electric fence than the stranded, coloured style. I read a while ago that for some reason they see it better.

FWIW

Bob

 

[edt]

Hi pborsetti Just my two cents i have owned horses for about 20 years started with a quarter horse 800. dollars great ride never spooked we baught a house just for the land 6 acres all wooded had a 24x36 foot barn built we now own 5 horses 2 from race track and two of their babbies hardest part was carrying 5 gallon buckets 200feet throught 1.5 feet of snow big reason for tractor put in water line plowed area mutch better
during summer horses are in lean toos 3 sides and roof in winter more work to clean stalles 5 of them early morning feeding before work late night stall cleaning hay food fencing
clearing land it is some expense limited week end retreats it is some work but too see kids wife myself riding at the beach/ trails family fun and seeing babbies born trips too school for show and tel it's priceless and would not change a thing /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif edt good luck and enjoy just rember when was the last time kids walked the dog they promised too walk
try buying two will ride more with family and freinds and will be companion for each other
enjoy edt