2. Jackson was very thorough about this episode. Five days of pain on the right front, one day of respite (yesterday), followed by pain in the left front. So, lucky boy, he gets two boots. The boots should stay on for a week, as long as he doesn't get crazy in the pasture.
3. Jackson, and all the other horses, have to lose weight. He's getting fat on a diet of grass hay and no grain. Fortunately, the pasture is brown so we don't have to worry about the calories in grass. We are cutting back to two feedings a day. Since the horses are on pasture, they are able to nibble all day long and keep their gut moving.
4. Sacramento set a record a few days ago for the most consecutive days without rain (46) in the rainy season. The record had been set in 1884. Average rainfall for our area in January is 6 inches. Today a record was set for high temperature in January: 79F. We are slightly cooler in the Placerville area but still around 70F. The lakes are mere puddles and the American river is reduced to a trickle. The white water river rafting companies are worried. We're all worried.
5. The unseasonably warm, dry weather has brought bear out of hibernation early. They have been playing on the ski runs. Skunks are out as well. The other night one sprayed near the house and it seeped into the house through the gaps in our windows. Everything reeked for days: the house, the garage, the cars and the dogs.
That is wonderful news about Jackson you must be so relieved. I do hope you get the rain soon. We are in below normal cold but it is snowing 10cm tonight they say. Strange weather. Hug B
ReplyDeleteThat is good news! (not the skunk part) Hugs to Jackson, and tell him to cool it on the rodeo-ing around! ;D
ReplyDeleteWONDERFUL news about Jackson! So good to see him up and about, and I love his boots! I hope he feels better quickly.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope your drought breaks soon. We had one like that here in Texas in 2011 where it literally did not rain for 8 months. We ended up bringing in hay from Canada because there wasn't hay anywhere else. I hope it doesn't get that bad for you, but if you can afford to/have storage for hay, stock up NOW. We saved almost $5K on hay by getting it before things got to a crisis level.
So glad you figured out a solution to make him more comfortable for now!
ReplyDeleteglad jackson sounds like he'll improve (and already has!) i wish you could get some rain. i know the fire dangers must be awful!
ReplyDelete(the coyote fencing can be effective in keeping them out if you encircle your entire pasture with it, but most folks don't want to put in the labor involved so it is used mostly for ornamental purposes - which doesn't keep out anything, really)
I was very relieved to read about Jackson. I wondered if booties would help him. My horses get fed twice a day too, as (in the good weather) they have plenty of grass to nibble on. That said, they have been getting more hay than usual during this arctic winter. Hope you get some rain soon.
ReplyDeletei was just thinking how perfect his weight looks, oh dear, i have to do the same. i don't get how a horse can get fat whilst eating no hay at all, only mash. seriously, i have to cut back soaked hay pellets? *sigh*
ReplyDeletei remember when jackson was in your blog banner, the horse with the prettiest eyes on the internet. i hope he recovers.
I was thinking of you yesterday wondering how it was going. I'm glad that it's not as bad as it seemed at first. Jackson looks pleased with his new boots!
ReplyDeleteFor skunks put mothballs and/or dryer sheets around the spots they seem to like. They don't like strong smells.
Yay!!! The thing we watch here - in the land of way too much grass - is a crested neck. His neck does not have the 'cresty' look of a metabolic horse and I don't think his weight looks too bad. There is a supplement that some folks around here use for foundered horses. I think it might be called Remission. The other thing they are starting to use more commonly is thyroid meds. I am no vet, just sharing "thoughts". Might be something to ask about.
ReplyDeleteThrilled to hear your good news, as I'm sure you are. Boots are in fashion right now anyway:) Skunks seem to be in fashion here too, especially the road-squished and stinky variety. Isn't it their mating season and they're all madly running after one another?
ReplyDeleteThe first time I smelled a skunk that had been hit by a car, close to our house, the smell woke me up. I thought it was a major gas leak that I couldn't locate. I sat up worrying for the rest of the night.
Oh the ups and downs with Jackson! Glad he got some booties : ) I hope you get rain soon. We could do with some snow here. The ground is cracking again like it did in the drought.
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