Keeping My Old Buddy Going

I've been searching for young timothy hay for my 31 year old Paint horse, Rembrandt. It is VERY hard to find, especially with the crazy summer drought and later the extremely wet monsoon season here. I ran out of the hay he liked a few weeks ago and he has been going downhill ever since. I think he gets depressed when he can't chew his hay. It needs to be short and tender. I've got a dozen different varieties of grass and alfalfa hay filling my barn that he just can't or won't eat.

The poor guy doesn't have good teeth, so it's hard to find hay that he likes and that he can chew.

On Friday, I picked up a couple of bales of tender timothy/orchard grass mix. I'm cutting it into bite sized pieces with a paper cutter and keeping my fingers crossed that he continues eating it, because fortunately, there is more of it to be had.

I am also trying a new puffed "Blue Seal Senior" feed that is like "Cocoa Puffs". It is softer and easier for horses with tooth problems to chew. He really likes it and learned the words "Cocoa Puffs" immediately. He is so enthusiastic about it, you could even say he's "Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs". I am glad and Rudy is fortunate that there are more and more products on the market for senior equines these days.

After lunch yesterday, I decided to ride my big mare, Miss Rita. I usually lunge her first to get the bucks out. When I did, she seemed off, so I took her for a hand walk in the woods instead. I have been riding Rudy the past few days, as it helps to regulate his digestion, keeps him supple and really perks him up. Rita always carries on, screams and tears around when I ride him, so that could be the reason for her lameness. 

Rudy was really feeling his oats (and probably jealousy) yesterday. The whole time I was walking Rita in the woods, Jerry said the old guy was whinnying, trotting, cantering and bucking all around his pen. I caught a few glimpses of him and it was good to see him moving about so soundly and feeling so well. My efforts have not been in vain. Now I just hope he didn't over do it.

As always, any comments or suggestions you may have are appreciated. All images are from my "Horse Stuff" lightbox on iStock.

Baby Raccoons and SandyLand Update

Guess who's living under my hay barn? OMG there are three little fuzzy-bear rascals and they are SOO CUTE! Momma took over Chuckie the wood chuck's home under there a few weeks ago when it was so hot here. The family has been living there ever since. Jerry took these snaps of them last night. I need to do a stake out from the big barn and try to get some good shots of them soon.

Snowflake is a very good mom and very strict and protective of the cubs. She has also taken over our feral cats, Ziggy and Leah's turf and food.They don't seem to mind it though and instead look forward to watching mom and the kids. The two cats can often be seen looking under the barn and waiting by the hole for the babies to come out.

We got some more plants and Jerry welded up more plant stands. We had to stake them into the ground as one tipped over in the strong wind. Thank goodness it missed the Jeep! Here's the studio entrance, taken this morning.

The screened porch off the kitchen is a favorite spot to hummer-watch any time of the day! The butterfly bushes are just starting to flower at the very top, but they should be exploding with blooms any day now.

Princess loves to roll around on the cool stepping stones in the morning.

She'll survey her territory to see who's been around during the night. Then up on the porch to watch the hummingbirds, deer, turkeys, birds, cats, squirrels, and chipmunk action for an hour or two.

I've gotten up early the past couple of mornings and taken Rembrandt for a spin through the woods. He's been looking awful mopey lately. At 31 years old, his teeth are not good and he doesn't do well in the heat. He has not been eating his hay at all, not moving around as he should and not pooping very much. It's been so hot and dry the past month, there is no pasture to speak of. I knew he needed exercise and lunging just wasn't enough. He starts out pretty slow and stiff, but by the end of our rides both days, he was so strong! Trotting through the trails, stirring up flocks of turkeys and herds of deer, I was applying a lot more half halts than leg! Looks like I'll be riding regularly this summer, 'cause he's been doing sooo much better since I started. It seems to have helped me and my back too. It's good getting up and out early. It makes the day so much richer. Here's a photo of him this morning after our ride. The watermelon and cantaloupe has really perked him up too. I've increased his Cushing's medicine which I think is helping and I started wetting some chopped hay mixed with Cavalor Senior which he has eaten a couple of times now. There was more manure in his paddock this morning, and his attitude is much more spirited so that is encouraging. With a horse this age, it's constant attention and tweaking of diet and routine to keep him strong. Oh, what Jerry and I wouldn't do for our old buddy! (And all of our animals!)