[jen judkins]

I compost as well. I have occasionally had a dog find a chicken leg or other body part, but pretty infrequently and usually because I did not bury it deep enough or turned something up when I turn the pile. Donn Hewes shared some photos of a percheron he composted a few years back. I have composted cats, hog parts and chickens successfully. I tend to haul the rodents and predators out into the woods for fear of disease…probably unwarranted, but we have fox and coyote very close by and I figure if I keep their bellies full, they are less likely to shop in my barnyard.

[jen judkins]

Marshall, my horses eat the whole plant…silk to stalks and love it. Though whether it would be a good substitute for normal forage is unclear to me.

[jen judkins]

I used the rocks and the spear to coax the coon on its back, then jabbed the spear through the left breast angling somewhat to the right. Then gave alittle twist. I thought about going through the neck, and believe that would have worked as well. I definately have some experience to yet attain, to be sure of the best approach.

[jen judkins]

Well, I was able to use my new spear today. Another racoon. Daisy (our young Pyr) was barking madly, even though she did not have a direct line of sight on the animal from where she was kenneled. I was very pleased with her acute sense of the predator.

Anyway, it took a few moments to find the right position and leverage to make my first jab…but I struck home. Its possible I missed the heart, but clearly I severed the aorta. The blank look of unconsciousness was evident in a few seconds, even though the creature moved about for a several minutes. I was pleased with the technique. I have to admit to ‘channeling’ Carl’s calm, assertive attitude. I never knew racoons growled so….intimidating little buggers when you corner them.

[jen judkins]

Thanks, Erika….this mesh is pretty pricey. I would be interested to see the quote for the canadian version as well though.

[jen judkins]

Wish this wasn’t in the middle of the week. Would LOVE to attend! Jean will you go and take notes or audio?

[jen judkins]

Peyton, I suggest you start working him single on something simple, like a log or forecast, and work up to the cultivator. Get him working with you and your cues as a single first, then move onto the cultivator when things are going well. That way you can better assess whether it is the weight or simply his confidence. As Donn said, working a horse single is not as easy as it looks…..they can rely very heavily on their teammate for confidence and you won’t see it until you separate them for work. Good luck. Jennifer.

[jen judkins]

Interesting Article, grey…no doubt written with the tender sensitivities of horse lovers around the world, myself being one of them, in mind. No horse’s death is pretty. I’ve put down several…luckily with a vet nearby with a lethal injection. Horses are just so different from other animals…to me at least and a whole different set of ethical rules apply in my own mind. That said, I stand by what I said. If my horse were down on the trail with a broken limb and was panicked in pain, I would go for the jugular with my trail knife. Nothing could be worse for a horse than to flail in agony for hours waiting for a vet to find us in the woods. Yeah, it would probably be traumatic for the horse (who is already traumatized and ready for death) and maybe more so for me, but that is the stewardship you speak of.

I actually saw a horse that bled to death once. A woman was galloping down the trail and her horse flipped a branch up in the air skewering himself in the neck. I was riding with the park ranger when the call came in and was there in moments. The horse was dead when we arrived. The woman was hysterical, understandably, and covered in blood, but her riding partner told us she could not believe how fast the horse died. He went down, groaned and was gone. I suppose the branch could have snapped his spine as well, hastening his demise, not really sure.

[jen judkins]

@near horse 35740 wrote:

Anyone planning to put down their horse with a spear when the time comes? Just wondering. 😮

Not planning, no….but if I had to, I know I could lay open the great vessels in the neck of a horse with a knife, with very little pain. They are so close to the surface. In fact, if my horse went down with a broken leg on the trail…that’s how I would put them down. Creepy thing to think about, but there it is.

[jen judkins]

Sweet… 😮

[jen judkins]

Fascinating turn of this thread and some really good reading!

Geoff, as a surgeon, I find it ridiculous that a bullet is better than a knife. The only benefit of a bullet that I am aware of is its penetrating ability with bone, in a head shot, for instance. But we all know that the head shot is not what kills an animal. Its the bleeding out that does, which is why we go for the large vessels in the neck. A knife (or spear) is well suited to the latter. And with practice, even the small heart of a raccoon is an easy target. And its no big deal if you miss and hit the lung as long as you take out the aorta behind them as well.

Besides, both are just tools. Similar to ones choice to use a D-ring harness vs a belly backer. If you understand how the tool works and are committed to using it, it will always work best…for you. Sure there are folk out there who think one style harness is 100% better than the other, but that’s a ridiculous argument as well.

[jen judkins]

@Robert MoonShadow 35704 wrote:

You say that as if “sanity” is important…:p

Sometimes it seems like the only important thing….:o

[jen judkins]

George, While I agree with all the comments made so far, I’d like to just add….owning a tractor is not that big a deal…karmically speaking. Like Mitch says, I work my horses because its important to my sanity and it always will be. But I have a thousand irons in the coals and sometimes getting something done in ‘x’ span of time is important to my sanity too:o.

I admire those who do it all with horses…serious admiration. I just don’t see how I could do that, the way my farm is set up. Maybe its a mental block, or a physical weakness (us girls have wimpy upper body strength) or maybe its because I owned a tractor before I owned my first draft horse, I’m not sure. But I run a small John Deere sparingingly. The big risk with a tractor, in my mind, is that when push comes to shove, and you are in a tight spot in regard to time, you will bypass the horses and put the key in the ignition. Happens to me a lot. Just last week, my nosey teamster neighbor caught me in the act of dragging my riding arena with the tractor. I’ll not live that down for some time.

[jen judkins]

@Robert MoonShadow 35665 wrote:

Is anyone else now carrying a mental visual of Jen in traditional Nordic wear, carrying a boar spear? …not sure if that’s an excellent reason to continue to stay on this side of the Mississippi, or rather an enticement to finally commit to attending the next Field Days. :confused:

I bought the elvish style spear…being a surgeon, I felt the precision of it would work well with my style..and haircut;) I like the idea of doing evening rounds with a weapon I can relate to. I promise I won’t bring my spear to the field days, even though I need the practice!

[jen judkins]

Happy Shopping Erika….hope everyone has a good time. Maybe I will make it out next year.

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