March 29, 2022
March is leaving us in Lion mode, wind is wild on the hill today and according to the weather pundits it is going to be an all week joy. Of course it gives me an indoor day, so I cannot avoid my favourite (NOT) activity of bookkeeping to keep CRA happy. It takes me a mess of time to try and organize all the receipts. It is a lot of work to show the money gods that I spend all my money on the farm, to maintain the manner in which the horses have become accustomed. I am sure I could get rid of my money elsewhere. It doesn’t work that way when you have animals to care for. I do the very best I can for them and that is not an easy as they grow older. I have told myself that I will not accept aged horses 20 years or older again. I hope I can stick to that promise. I will check a gift horse in the mouth more closely if I do.
Thinking of teeth, brings me to the topic of hay. Yes I have been securing the hay supply for the farm. If you are buying hay, consider starting now to save the bills in the hay envelope. Fuel prices will be a major factor for the farmers. The way fuel prices are rising, there is no way they can give us a price quote. For my round bales I pay for the hay and transport to the farm too. Kaching kaching!!!! My square bale supplier has been supporting the Sanctuary for years. He drives the wagons to the barn from the field. Will that happen this year??
Our spring health clinic will not be open to the public. AVC has a Covid protocol. Still the herd will be dewormed and vaccinated. I will have them take blood for testing on some of the oldies. This is a time when the herd is on display, I point out all their chronic problems, I am brutally honest about conformation, soundness and body condition, I can do this because they are not for sale. This is truly hands on for the students. In the spring we deworm for parasites including tapeworms. In the fall we deworm specifically for the bot larvae. Usually we vaccinate with a 5 way vaccine. There are many available viruses to deal with if you are moving horses and going to different venues for competitions. Our herd does not go far these days. The important treatments for the herd at the Sanctuary is Tetanus and Rhino influenza. There have been documentation that Herpes, Equine Encephalitis, and Strangles have been found in Ontario and Quebec. That is not far away, horses are travelling all the time. The horse community has to be alert. No nose to nose meetings at competitions, there is a 10 foot rule. Yes! a horse can snort further than our Human 6 foot rule. In my opinion, I have always felt that any competition committee should ask for proof of vaccination before allowing the horse at the show grounds. Sales barns have been the worst, so many sick horses 10 days after the sale. You lose a lot of competition time, if your horse is sick with the flu. A minimum of six weeks!. as always ask your veterinarian for advice. They will know what is important and current in Eastern Canada.
PRODUCT ALERT: I use a heifer mineral. I chose this mineral because of the high content of Selenium and its companion Vitamin E. It has served me well through the years. This is an unmedicated mineral. The producer also does a medicated mineral containing the antibiotic Monensin. This medication is lethal to horses. 1 tsp is toxic. I was notified last week that they cannot guarantee that the unmedicated does not contain traces of the medication, because they run the production simultaneously. It is a worry. Did my bag of mineral come from the beginning of the run or the end of the run. There has been no problem for 20 years or so. But now I will worry. Ignorance was bliss. I now have to find a mineral that will suit the herd and is economical to feed. The mineral I fed free choice in the field during the summer. For 17 horses, it cost under $25 for the month. Another plus, it was a livestock feed, therefore not taxed. CRA does not believe that horses are livestock and are taxed severely. On a tight budget you avoid taxes as much as possible, by not buying processed horse feed. Be kind always. Love and hugs from Yogi and the herd.