[OldKat]

@BachelorFarmer 7637 wrote:

How much grain are you feeding?

I have not had a “hard keeper” for a while, but I used to add a big handful of linseed oilcake meal as a topdress on any horse looking dull. It put a nice bloom on their coat and is basically a fat. I only feed whole oats as a grain – half a gallon twice a day as winter maintenance plus free choice 1st cut hay and they are all fat and sassy.

I suggest just bumping up the oat ration for a month with a handful of the oilcake. Weightloss happens slowly, putting it back on takes twice as long. So any noticeable weight gain ought to take at least a month.

Hobo, or ‘Bo as I call him is a just a hair under 15 hands and has typically weighed between 1,225 and 1,275 pounds during the 11 years we have owned him. I’d say he is weighing maybe 1,125 now (usually weigh them all in May).

I feed a mix of things; he gets 2 and 1/2 scoops (#2 scoop, which is maybe a quart?) of a Purina pelleted sweet feed called Equine Senior, 2 and 1/2 scoops of another Purina pelleted feed called Cross Road, 1 scoop of wheat bran and 1 scoop of rehydrated beet pulp. This is once a day. He gets no oats, because of his age (21). He was having a hard time digesting oats so I phased them out for him, but not the mares. He gets the wheat bran as both a laxative & coat conditioner. The rehyrdrated beet pulp was added to put bulk and fluids in his gut as he has tended toward having impacted bowel.

This is essentially the ration that he has been on for 4 or 5 years, with the exception of cutting back on the Equine Senior and replacing it one for one with the Cross Road when feed prices soared. The weight loss started about the end of November, about 2 weeks after one of the mares busted his chops. I did increase both of the pelleted feeds by 1/2 scoop each about a month ago, and I think he is starting to look maybe just a little better weight wise. He still looks “rough”, but hasn’t slicked off from his winter coat yet. He also doesn’t seem to have much spunk about him. He was always a kind of like a youngster, now he is kinda like me … moving slow.

I’ll look into the linseed oilcake, though that is not something that is routinely stocked in our local feed stores. Anything is worth a shot if it will help old Hobo back to his normal sassy self.

[OldKat]

@near horse 7633 wrote:

I got this e-mail so for those so inclined, take part and try and get D.C. to listen. Otherwise – freely disregard.

Probably some people on this site are going to have a problem with this idea; like you said “freely disregard”. I’ve taken it from some of your posts that you are considerably more liberal than I am, but maybe I am wrong. Then a again, MOST people are more liberal than I am. I have always thought from your posts, however, that you really mean what you say and I deeply respect that. In the few short months that I have been (happily) posting on this site I have often thought which of the posters I’d really like to meet and you are always high on that list. So much for that.

What I like about this concept is that it sends a message, one which has quite frankly been ignored by BOTH major parties for far too long … ENOUGH is ENOUGH ALREADY! Pres. Obama said in London today that there is no reason to point fingers about how we got here, it is time to fix things. That much I agree with. (It pretty well stops there however) I think 30 or 40 years of deficit spending by the Republicans and the Democrats is coming home to roost and at this (RAPIDLY) escalating pace our children and grandchildren will be crushed by a burden not of their choice or making. This situation WILL force the US into Third world status if left to run it’s course. THAT is unacceptable in my mind.

I DO NOT believe either political party is likely to lead us out of this mess. If this (and other in-person tea parties on the 15th) wake up our citizenry to take a stand, then count me in. Not sure really where we go from here, but blindly pouring more deficit spending fuel on the debt fire sure as heck ain’t the answer.

By The Way: I never thought I’d agree more with the leaders of France and Germany than I would with the leaders of the US and The UK, but it is happening right now. WOW, me agreeing with the THE FRENCH! Surely a sign of the end of time.

[OldKat]

@sanhestar 7631 wrote:

well,

if he has stress because of the changes in his life he could (!) have stomach problems – you know that horses can develop stomach ulcers?

It’s a long time ago but I treated a horse once that chewed excessively on wood – turned out he had ulcers due to stress.

Can you change to his roughage ration to ad libitum for a couple of weeks to see if there’s any change if he can eat as much as he wants?

ad libitum …. You had me there for a second there, sanhester. I had to look that term up. Actually, that is the way I feed hay. I call it “free choice”. I put out a round bale in a feeder and all three horses have access to it. Typically I would put it under a cover, but since we haven’t been getting very much rain lately I have just been putting it out in the open.

Usually when I go down to the lot at least one horse is eating from the ring, sometimes two & sometimes all three. It doesn’t appear that there is much pushing and shoving going on around the hay ring, but they will push him away from his feed when we feed grain if they are not all three tied. Formerly, he use to push them away from their grain … hence the reason that they now get tied.

I have noticed that he eats much slower than he use to, but I attributed that to the fact that he knows that he is not going to get anyone else’s feed by finishing his early, nor is he going to lose his feed if they finish theirs first. However, it may be some other cause.

[OldKat]

@highway 7625 wrote:

I am glad my horses are not the only ones that chew on wood. :confused:

They are certainly fed well and I attributed it to boeredom. As soon as the fields opened up they went to pecking at the little tufts of grass left over from last fall.

That may actually be the issue … there is NO grass after over a year of severe drought. They have free choice hay, but I know they are craving something green to eat. Although, it doesn’t seem to be bothering the other two as much as him.

[OldKat]

@sanhestar 7611 wrote:

Hello,

have you wormed him? It seems too obvious but I just returned from a friends cattle herd where a heifer almost literally starved to death because of worms.

Yep, when he first started to lose condition I wormed him with an Ivermectin (maybe ?) paste that I bought off the shelf. I didn’t have the vet drench him, but that is going to happen the next time I am off during the week … which will be next Tuesday.

I did notice the other day that he is wanting to chew wood, which I have never had happen with any horse, so something is up. The funny thing is he has always been such an easy keeper, staying almost too fat on very little feed. I have increased his feed by about 20% and it has made a little difference, but not a whole lot.

He just doesn’t look quite “right” if you know what I mean. He doesn’t have the “bloom” to him that he use to have. He looks, well for lack of better words, old. (His eyes are not sunken in, though) So that started me thinking that he is feeling dejected about loosing his dominant role. Not sure if I really think that, or am just using that due to lack of other options to consider!

[OldKat]

@jenjudkins 7586 wrote:

Or she is keeping him away from his food….

I always watch the herd dynamics around feeding time when I introduce a new horse or there is a change in the pecking order (which occasionally does happen) to be sure everyone gets their fair share. I also feed enough hay so that those on the low end of the pecking order…who have to wait for their turn at the hay piles have enough as well. Just another thought.

… that we tie them up when they are eating. Otherwise a good thought. I do feed hay free choice, but often he is the only one at the bunk so I don’t think he is getting shorted there either.

[OldKat]

@Plowboy 7574 wrote:

Plowed our first furrows today 3/30/09. Great energy management for our coming 4yr old filly. She is getting almost as powerful and determined as her mother. We used these two with our Belgian gelding that is 13. He was losing weight last year and needed his teeth floated but never bounced back completely. He was always an easy keeper and fat and slick. Now while he is not thin he isn’t as fat as normal and his energy level isn’t where it normally is. I’m thinking of giving him some oil on his feed and see if he responds to that. Dad will be plowing with 3 of our other Percherons tomorrow while I’m at work. We are plowing tough alfalfa sod and the horses will take a few days to get into shape but the more furrrows we turn early the less we have to do at planting time. We have managed to not plow much at all with the tractor the last few years except for two years ago when my Dad lost part of his finger in an accident on April 1st and couldn’t harness and drive horses for over a month in prime field work season. We had to get the fences fixed and the ground ready for planting. He was able to pound posts and staples if he held his finger right but buckling hame straps was difficult for a while.

Let me know how this works out please, as I have the same situation with a paint saddle gelding. He is usually a very easy keeper, and suddenly he started loosing weight. His teeth seem to be okay; no burrs, no sharp edges, but I’m going to have them floated just to be sure.

I honestly think he is freaked out because he has always been the boss hoss in the outfit & one of the Percheron mares literally kicked him off his feet and took over as leader of the pack. He sure isn’t happy about that and started to lose weight just about two weeks after she rang his bell. He wants to try to take over again, but he is too afraid of her to stand his ground. I think maybe his ego has been bruised!

[OldKat]

@jenjudkins 7540 wrote:

Is this what you are talking about? I thought the diagram was confusing. Looks like you need more than one kit to make a corner.

http://fenceandfarm.com/item_213/CORNER-BRACE-KIT.htm

No , that is a little different approach. But your post did remind me that I mis-spoke. To make a corner you need two (2) push-a-posts, not one. I seldom do it that way, because I usually take the opportunity to put a gap in the corner so I usually don’t have a regular corner.

I haven’t forgotten about taking a picture and posting it, I just haven’t gotten around to it. Someone will have to ‘splain to me how to post to the site, as I have never posted a picture of ANYTHING on ANY site. Backward, aren’t I?

[OldKat]

@LStone 7499 wrote:

As promised; here are some action photos from the kids bringing home their hay for the first time this weekend. These were taken after the unload. Dubba, these are the mods I did to the hay wagon you sold me (note the pole and the alter. Fifty bales emptied my guy’s barn so now the “hay game” begins. They handled it fine and we skid some cordwood in for next season in the afternoon. This was too much like fun.

Larry,

That is a nice setup you have. That is almost exactly the way I want to set up a wagon. That kind of running gear is rare as hens teeth around here, so I am going to have to go somewhere else to find one. Looks like you are well on your way.

[OldKat]

@Donn Hewes 7546 wrote:

Hi Larry, Do you know off hand how long the evener is? If Your evener and yoke are 42″ the Stub line or part of the lines that cross in the middle should be 8″ inches longer than the draft line or line to the out side of the horse. You could shorten or length That a little for a longer or shorter yoke. Move the lines 1 inch in or out for every two inches the evener is longer or shorter. When you are adjusting those lines make sure both lines are adjusted the same.

I keep my lines set up for a smaller evener like I use with out a tongue, for skidding or something. On the harness I keep a small line spreader. Not a big fancy one with lots of rings Just a short leather strap with a ring; About four inches long. Now when I hook to a tongue my lines go through the ring on the spreader, and that moves my team apart. Go through the ring on the hames and that brings them together. I don’t have to adjust my lines that way.

This will get you started but each team may vary a little based on their head and neck and other things. have someone watch and look for two heads relaxed pointing forward at the same moment. Let me know if that helps. Donn

Donn,

How did you learn these things? Is this published somewhere that someone knows about? It sure would be nice to be able to review this as I am trying to make adjustments.

I remember a guy trying to explain this to me one time, about 5 years ago. He might as well have been speaking Russian or something, because it made NO sense to me at the time. Now it is starting to sink in.

[OldKat]

@boulami 7558 wrote:

Hi Larry, I’ll say the same as Jennifer you all look like your having fun. Nice team, good job on the hay wagon. You are a good month maybe more ahead of us then here way east, New-Brunswick that is, we’re not that far apart but what a difference. You had a rainy weekend and we had a beautiful warm weekend with snow melting along pretty good, but still have a good foot of snow in the fields. Right now we’re in the middle of a snow storm probably that rain you had, we have in snow. A lot of cancelations schools, cultural, sport activities and the rest. Snow started this morning and we’re going to get a foot or more by the time it ends. I don’t like rain that much specialy on weekend but at this time of the year I’ll take the rain before the snow. Have fun with your project and looking foward to read about them.
mike

boulami,

I hear what you are saying, rain can sure ruin your plans to do things out of doors. On the other hand, where I live we have had maybe 10 inches of rain the past 9 months (normal is 34 to 44 inches per year) so we will gladly take ALL of the rain you can send our way!

[OldKat]

@Donn Hewes 7533 wrote:

Hi Jen, i think peanut looked great the other day by the way. Nice and relaxed, nose into the barn. Perfect.

I started to type when I came back from the call but the computer timed me out. I use “come Gee” and “come Haw”. i usually use the horses name that is on the side I am going to. with a team of Andy and Kelly I would say “Andy come haw” or “Kelly come gee”, but I know this is one of the commands that a lot of different people use slightly different commands for. I only use a side pass when I have tongue or shafts. I really force my self to make a clear distinction between a tight turn and a side pass.

I just realized I can drive a fire engine to a fire and carry on a conversation and eat a sandwich at the same time; but I have been doing that a few days a week for twenty years. Wish I had been driving horses the whole time. In contrast I know that if I am talking to anyone while harnessing I NEED to double check everything. Just too easy to miss something while talking or teaching. Keep up the good work. Donn

I have been getting my wife to go with me to harness the horses up (per an off line suggestion from Donn). The VERY first time she went with me we were yapping away while I was putting the harness on. When I snapped the lines on I somehow managed to snap the left line to the halter ring instead of the bit ring. I just happened to notice when I gave everything a quick once over, but I realized it sure would be easy to screw up if you are not TOTALLY focused on what you are doing.

[OldKat]

@grey 7542 wrote:

Those Percheron mules that guy has are BIG. And I mean BIG. They are also very well-mannered. If I were to turn mule, I’d want his mules. But since I’m sticking with Percherons for now, I’ll gladly take that blue roan Perch.

I don’t know if the Yankee britchen is more common in Eastern Washington. The two outfits that were using them (four of the six of mules and the six of Belgians) are from that region. But so’s the eight of tank-like Percherons, and they’re just using plowing harness with no britchen.

I have seen a few other folks using Yankee britchen on their saddle mules while plowing. Is it a mule thing? Or an Eastern Washington/Idaho thing?

I’m wondering if the mule folks are partial to the Yankee britchen because the western box britchen doesn’t fit mule butts as well. Mules generally have that squared-off rear, inherited from the donkey parent. Maybe it doesn’t fill out the box britchen as fully as a horse’s butt does. The rest of the harness needs to be comparable in size, but I think they might do better in a slightly smaller box britchen, otherwise the rings where the holdback straps attach might be too far forward and chafe the belly where they curve in to meet the pole strap.

Going to have to ask some mule people about that.

grey,

All of the horses in that hitch are stout, but that blue roan is really something special. Got any idea who owns that hitch of Percherons?

[OldKat]

@perchhauler 7419 wrote:

Jennifer, a tear drop is a grab link to slide your choker through, and adjust it at any length, its known as a tear drop because of its shape, I usually use a clevis on the single tree and two tear drops n chokers.. A cant hook is a hand tool used to turn or roll a log, they usually have a wood handle 3′ to 5′ long with a tong to grab the log, a peavey is similar, but with a point at the end.. Steve

Steve or Carl,

I knew what a cant hook was, but not a peavey. Just curious how a peavey is used and any ideas on the origon of the names of these tools?

[OldKat]

@LStone 7407 wrote:

OldKat,
This is the people mover that “Dubba” posted for sale on this site. I make it about 7 feet wide and 14 feet long. Offhand I am not sure of the running gear rating but it is a nice ride.

I bought the hay wagon from him as well and changed it over to a team pole. The Shakedown cruise was last night. On Saturday We are going to haul home our own hay about 3 miles / relatively flat. The hay wagon is light in comparison to the people mover and I plan on 50 bales to see how they handle it. I’m bringing the truck and hitch tongue in case I need back up but I think they will be OK.

I am working on the picture part but none yet. Maybe some action shots after Saturday.

Larry

I think the rig I saw was longer than that. Made me think it was more than I should try to pull with a team. I am going to keep looking for something more the size you have.

Hauling the hay sounds like a good task. Be safe and have fun.

Stephen R.

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