It is snowing, again!! Although the weather forecast offers us freezing rain tonight and snow during this Easter Weekend. I deal with it; this is the island spring. On a good note a flock of goldfinches arrived at the feeders. So much fun to see them interrupt the Blue jays, squirrels and juncos at the feeders. Last year when they arrived and perched on the tree across from my deck, it looked like Christmas with 100 yellow fluffs, one on each branch. This is my entertainment centre.
I embarrassed myself driving home in the snow from Monday lunch in Stanley Bridge.
I was coming home on St Patrick’s Road. Planning to turn right onto the Millvale road. At the same time, I was planning the afternoon chores at the barn. Multitasking at its best! I crossed Millvale road to continue on St. Patrick’s road. I got about 1000 ft. along the road and realized it hadn’t been plowed and I was about to hit a large drift. I cannot blame this on GPS, I don’t even have it. There was not that much snow, so I drove into a driveway, so I thought, to turn around. Bad thought, just a drift, no driveway, I was stuck. I got out and started to walk to Millvale road. A truck stopped, a young man got out, I hollered, he came to my rescue. He drove his 4WD truck to the car, attached a cable and pulled me out to the road so I was able to back up to the Millvale road under my own steam. In an embarrassing case like this, you kind of look around to make sure no one else sees the faux pas. But that is not fair to the good Samaritan, Gregory Simpson, the right person, at the right time. My thanks and Soul’s thanks too.
Free Fecal Water Syndrome is being well reported these days, lots of research going on.
We called it the Squirts. It happens, sometimes the gut is not working as it should. It happens to us and to animals. Squirts required some management, we would have the horse on a dewormer for a week, it was usually Artemisia and Garlic. Natural dewormers that expel parasites. They did not get the larvae as today’s medications do, but we got the job done.
The theory back then, blast the parasites, to strengthen the GI system. Then we would give them Raspberry or Strawberry leaves, ½ teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh. There used to be a people cure called Wild strawberry extract to bind us up. It was like Buckley’s, it tasted awful but it worked.
Venka is our Tarpan pony that started this conversation. Her squirts could hit the target 4 ft away.
Her gut was compromised when she was starved in vitro and also after birth. Her buns are pretty normal when she is getting the leaves. I don’t think we can cure her GI system, but we are helping the symptoms go away. Don’t confuse Squirts with the soft paddies that happen in the spring when the herd goes onto new lush green pastures. In that case, after a few days on pasture, the gut will adjust and the buns will become normal again. Squirts happen to newborn foals too. It is a worry because it doesn’t take many squirts to dehydrate a foal. I worked at one foaling farm that had the practice of making sure the mare was dewormed a month before foaling. Very little evidence of the Squirts at that establishment.
This storm is bringing all sorts of birds to the feeder.
A red wing blackbird has just arrived. I could sit and watch their antics all day, but I had better get this writing completed. There is always something at the Sanctuary that needs attention. Heidi bought trackers for the boots. The question has been how to attach them? I got that figured out. Prince did not cooperate. He came into the stable with only one boot again. Thursday, the barn heroes Helena and Sarah searched for an hour. Scott walked the fields, woods and the fences for another hour the next day. Nada!! It has snowed since then. The plan is to have all the barn heroes on a grid system walk the 25 acres. We need many, many eyes for black boots after the snow is gone. Next time trackers first.
At Handibear Hills we survive on a lot of laughter, kindness abounds, we are so lucky.
Love and hugs from Yogi and the herd.