Sore Horse

[Does’ Leap]

I was pulling out firewood with my team on a logging arch all day yesterday on varied, difficult terrain and noticed one horse was sore (left knee) today. I tried to mix up the hitches between lighter and heavy.

My tendency in the past (and my wife would argue presently) is to push my physical limits – to my detriment (injuries, etc.). I get in a mode and have a hard time toning it down. I don’t want to do the same with my horses. My feeling in the woods is that my team should be able to walk where I walk and I ask them to go over difficult terrain. If it is an unestablished new log trail, I usually park the horses and walk it with my saw cutting debris and clearing a reasonable path. So here are my questions:

1. What are your expectations for your horses in the woods? When is it asking too much (I am thinking in terms of terrain rather than draft).
2. If you have a sore horse, at what point do you call the vet? I dosed my horse with 2 grams of bute. My feeling is to continue with the bute and some arnica for a couple of days and see how he does. I am not vet averse, but also don’t want to go clamoring for one when one of my animal sneezes.
3. Lastly, unrelated to the knee injury, I find when my horses can’t start a load with constant pressure on their collar, they back up and slam against their collars to get it started. I try to avoid this by rolling the log with chain position and starting bigger loads at an angle when possible. Is this slamming acceptable on occasion (it usually works in getting the load going)?

George

[Carl Russell]

My answers are in blue.

Does’ Leap;16266 wrote:

……My tendency in the past (and my wife would argue presently) is to push my physical limits – to my detriment (injuries, etc.). Youngster:D

1. What are your expectations for your horses in the woods? When is it asking too much (I am thinking in terms of terrain rather than draft). Pretty much the way you said it. If I can walk there, they can too, and often times worse. I tell them “you’re the ones born with four legs”. You can’t expect to work horses in the woods if you’re only going to work on easy terrain. I tend to set mt expectations high for both me and my horses. That being said I have been in some pokes that turned out to be stupid mistakes.
   

1. If you have a sore horse, at what point do you call the vet? I dosed my horse with 2 grams of bute. My feeling is to continue with the bute and some arnica for a couple of days and see how he does. I am not vet averse, but also don’t want to go clamoring for one when one of my animal sneezes. I never use bute, but the arnica sounds good. I work them even when they limp. On my way to the Oak Tree job, the horses in the trailer, scooting down the road to make time, went around a corner and the mare stepped over and tore her self a nice gash with a sharp heel caulk. I heard her dancing so I stopped, and by the time I got back there, there was blood dripping out of the back of the trailer. Worst caulk cut I ever saw… blood squirted onto the side of the trailer. I swore a bunch, but wrapped it with vet wrap…didn’t even have any gauze… and drove the forty miles to the job. The old timers always said “it’s a long way from the heart”. Anyway got a towel when I got there I got a towel and made a better bandage and worked until 6pm.. Lots of bloody snow. I will back off if they really look like there is joint damage, but I would check the feet first. I don’t think I have ever come back from a day of work and had my horse go lame or even stiff as a result of terrain or exertion…. it usually is from something else… abscess etc. I would get on phone call terms with a vet… I have a great relationship with my vet…. he only comes here for procedures or extreme emergencies.
   

1. Lastly, unrelated to the knee injury, I find when my horses can’t start a load with constant pressure on their collar, they back up and slam against their collars to get it started. I try to avoid this by rolling the log with chain position and starting bigger loads at an angle when possible. Is this slamming acceptable on occasion (it usually works in getting the load going)? If they can start it by banging it, they can definitely start it without. I give a command to get ready….tightening the lines, and by voice, before asking them to pull (I kiss at them). This way they will lean into the load and prepare, but they know not to explode until I give the go ahead. It will come in time when they learn to expect that EVERY load could be the heaviest load they ever pulled.

George

Carl

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