A whole page of miracles!

We've all met one of these. The horse who just seems never quite right , no matter what you do. Worming, teeth, farrier, vaccinations, everything is up to date, yet they are just never quite on their game 100% of the time. It can be difficult to pinpoint what is wrong, but with a holistic approach to your horse's wellbeing, the informed horse owner should be able to narrow it down without costly vet bills, or spending a fortune on "natural" remedies that probably do nothing for your situation.

Have a read of some of these - I'm sure their owners thought they were Miracles, but it comes down to correct feeding for that individual horse's needs. Have a look at some of the nutrition articles on that site too, they are very informative.

http://www.balancedequine.com.au/nutrition/testimonials.html
 
(I am in no way affiliated with this lady, so cannot provide an opinion on her services, and am not promoting her at all, I just found the site interesting.)

Diet can be a factor more often that people think. A lot of people feed all sorts of weird and wonderful supplements - which in my humble opinion is usually a waste of time and precious money! Often they are just "fads" - and because someone else's horse did well on a particular supplement, everyone at the barn suddenly wants it! Unless you have a very high performance horse, these are usually not necessary. The basics of feeding should be the same for every horse, with minor adjustments for each individual.

The key to feeding your horse is really the KISS principle - Keep It Simple Stupid! We all know the importance of a balanced diet for our own health and wellbeing, and your horse is no different. The video on this page explains it simply. It's not in-depth, but explains how it should work quite well!

Equine Food Pyramid

If you like a more thorough approach, this article is excellent. It's quite in-depth and very informative, and points out some common mistakes in equine feeding strategies.

How many of you have horses at pasture but have no idea whether your pasture is adequate? Do you know if it is lacking particular minerals? The average horse owner, particularly those who agist, generally don't have a clue! And do you know if your hay is of the same quality each time? Do you feed the same feed year in, year out, for all your horses no matter their age and weight?

Believe it or not, I've met people who feed all their horses, from Welshies to TB's, the exact same diet! Needless to say, the Welshies were too fat, and the TB's lacked energy........thankfully we were able to sort that out!

My own little miracle.......

Just had to share my own little Miracle who arrived today - 15 days late! Welcome Squirt! He certainly surprised everyone by being chestnut and solid, but no matter his colour, he's a lovely little man.

Here's his sire, Barvee Mytee Spectacular (pic by Yallawa Appaloosas):

You can see why we were so surprised at him being chestnut! (My girl is bay under all the spots and roaning).

I'm very lucky to have this little boy. It was doubtful my beautiful mare would even go in foal, and now that she is 18 years of age, it was a huge risk. But to have her deliver such a strong, healthy foal is just fantastic. And she did it all on her own, while I was in theatre assisting with human c-sections....a very appropriate time to come into the world!

Spots or not, I think he's just brilliant!

The throw away racehorse.....

I know plenty of these. The thoroughbred who has finished racing, who's given everything, but may be too slow, or gets injured, or whatever. Sadly, a lot of these end up at the saleyards, and consequently the doggers yard, because they are deemed "useless" by their owners. Sure, they might not be any good at racing, but there's a whole other world out there! I personally think good thoroughbreds (as well as standardbreds) are sadly under-valued these days, with so much choice around, people just don't seem to want to make the effort to retrain one. Not to mention the "fashionable" Warmblood taking over in many sports! It doesn't take all that much to retrain a racehorse, you don't have to be a pro trainer, you just need common sense and the ability to know when something isn't working and do something else. You do need to be a fairly good rider, but not brilliant, and not necessarily a show winner! It's not rocket science, just takes a bit of thought and planning, and understanding your horse's signals.

On the Level on arrival to his new life - still looking very much like a racehorse!

 Take On the Level for example. He raced until he was a 9 year old, including jumps racing. He never won much. After his career ended, he was headed down that same saleyard path, but he was one of the lucky ones. He went to a property in Victoria, unfortunately the lady who bought him had an accident and could no longer work with him, so he changed hands again - ending up in Canberra, on trial for a new vaulting team. His bony back caused some consternation among vaulters, and he took a little while to settle into the new routine, but his super temperament and laid back attitude endeared him to all he met. Three months after his arrival he was doing a clinic for beginner vaulters.

Vaulting at Pony Club.

He also went around to Pony Clubs and introduced vaulting to the kids there. His first competition was not so successful, with the atmosphere getting to him on the first day - he thought he was racing again - but on the second day he settled nicely. After this initial hiccup, he has moved ahead in leaps and bounds. He has been to State and National Championships, and performed admirably, not to mention the odd dressage competition as well! And would you believe it - he has also done lessons and trail rides for children and adult beginner riders along the way! All this from a horse who was "useless" and unwanted.

His first competition - second day and going well!

He is now 20 years old, and enjoying life as a vaulting horse for all classes - individuals, pairs and teams. He is doing well in the canter grades, and while his colour is a little lighter these days, he is showing no sign of his age. He still travels around to pony clubs to do demonstrations and teaching days. He is more than just a horse, he is a valued member of the team. He has a legion of fans, young and old, who adore him. He loves nothing better than to work for a group of vaulters, and gain his rewards - cuddles and carrots - at the end of it all. He lives the spoilt life, as he should.

So think before you throw away your racehorses. They might just be someone's new best friend, or better yet, a team of kids' best friend!

End of life decisions.....

While not what we call a Miracle, I thought it might be appropriate to share this one. Sometimes the Miracle doesn't quite happen the way we want it to, and sometimes we need to make the final decision. It's always a difficult one, whether sudden or expected, but it's a good idea to have a plan in place. There's more to think about outside of "when" as well - especially if you do not have your horse on your own land. And not just euthanasia - what if you suddenly realise a year or two down the track that you aren't cut out for horse ownership? It's nothing to be ashamed of, it's a huge task to take on, and few first-time owners truly understand this commitment before they embark on it. What if you lose your job and can no longer pay the bills? Quite possible in today's climate. Don't forget - that also means that horses are not selling as well as they used to. So what will you do if you cannot keep him, but cannot sell him?

Dusk to Dawn - AKA Niketa. My first experience of losing a horse, she was 9 years old.

I don't think many people actually think about this when they first buy a horse, I know I didn't, but I think it's something that needs to be encouraged. Sadly, putting a horse to sleep and taking care of his remains costs - both financially and emotionally, and I wonder how many of our Miracle horses might not have ended up in their situations had their owners considered what to do if it all fell apart, before it actually did. I have met plenty of horses (and other animals) who were ready, well and truly, for that final journey, yet their owners were too emotional and selfish to see it. "Oh but I love him so much......I can't bear to lose him" doesn't cut it when the horse is clearly in pain. It's the old saying, if you love him, set him free.

San Miguel - colicked at 25, in work and no signs of old age. His owner was on the other side of the world, and could not be there to say goodbye.

World Horse Welfare (formerly ILPH) has set up a new campaign to encourage people to plan ahead. Read the story here:
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2010/09/060.shtml

So do you have a plan? How will you decide when it's "time" - are you in tune enough with your horse to understand when he has had enough? Some horses may be elderly at 15, others live well into their 30's - so there is no set timeframe to guide you. Or you may be unlucky like me, and have to make the decision for your younger horse. Remember, whatever the situation, it's that final gift of love, the last reward for all the years of service he has given. It's no more than they deserve.

And what will you do if you can't keep the horse anymore, for whatever reason? See my post on Smoke, the forgotten horse, if this applies to you or someone you know. This is an equally difficult situation, but one that can be solved.

So where's the Miracle in all of this? Being able to give them that final gift is the Miracle. So no matter how difficult it may be, let them go in peace, give them their wings and let them cross the Rainbow Bridge.

Another rehoming success!

Trawling the net this morning and look what I found:

Here's Gretel's story.

It never ceases to amaze me how generous horses really are.....mares will take a foal to raise, even if it is not their own. Sure, not all of them will, but there are diamonds out there like Gretel who have this amazing mothering spirit, even after all she's been through in the past.

Here's the story of the "horror farm" where she was rescued from, along with over one hundred others in early 2008. In addition to those, 32 horses sadly did not make it. Thankfully, the owner went to jail. (Warning - graphic pic on that link.) There's a video here and here (scroll to the bottom) - warning, extremely disturbing pictures. The good news is, every horse removed from the farm recovered, with nothing more than proper food and care. It's not rocket science folks!

Horses really are man's best friend - despite all their size and strength, they allow us to ride on their backs, and experience the freedom they are born with. Civilisations have been built around The Horse. I often wonder what the world would be like if man had not domesticated horses all those eons ago..........and I truly wish everyone who keeps horses remembers the contribution The Horse has made to us as human beings, and treats them with the admiration and respect these noble creatures truly deserve.

But back to the Miracle - little Gretel overcame all that horror and sadness, gave birth to her own foal, and then became surrogate mum to Lewis. What a fantastic story!

Never too old or too late!

Red the standie...at 30 years of age.

Introducing Red the standardbred.......a grand old man, now aged 34 years! I've always loved standies, and I really think they are probably the most under-valued and under-recognised breed in the equine world. There's plenty of myths about them, but they are so much more than just a harness racing horse. Standies can indeed canter, jump, do dressage and in fact anything that any other horse can, just as well if not better! Most of them have an impeccable temperament, they tend to stop and think about things that worry them rather than exploding, it's a wonderful trait. Almost like a "pause" button!

Red has an interesting story. He came into his owner's life 30 years ago, and according to her he is the best horse a teenager could ever have wanted. He never put a foot wrong, and just took great care of her. They just "clicked," and developed that unique, unbreakable bond that we all recognise between a horse and rider, who know each other inside out.

Now, as we all know, life has a way of interfering in our plans sometimes. Unfortunately Red's owner became quite ill, and thought she wouldn't be able to look after him - so made the tough decision to lease him out until things got better. Sadly for her, the lease went bad and Red vanished.

But by some wonderful twist of fate, 6 years ago he was found - albeit in very poor condition. After 16 years without him, she drove past a paddock, saw a skinny red horse in there - and just knew it was him! No need to check his brands, the bond that they shared told her it was true. It's just incredible how fate can throw these things at us sometimes.

Red when found by his owner.

With lots of love and proper care he returned to health, and you would never guess his age to look at him now! He is a very good doer, and eats only a little more than his paddock buddies. He requires no particular special care, just the basics of good food, regular worming, and proper hoof and dental care. Even with little remaining of his front teeth, and the rest of them probably not much better, he still manages to eat his hay and carrots with no trouble at all! As you can see in the pic, he is in fabulous condition, and still hoons around with the young horses. (See, you can put weight on older horses! It's not that difficult.)

Red once again at 30 years, after his rehab, definitely disproving that famous catchcry "you can't put weight on old horses."

It was like a Lotto win for his owner to find him again, after thinking him lost forever, and he is now stuck with her for life. What a wonderful outcome for them both. Now that's a real Equine Miracle!

Amazing Grace.......

*warning - this post contains some pictures that people may find disturbing*

I will never understand how human beings can do these types of things. It simply blows my mind. I mean, what is wrong in their head that they see this as ok? There are a multitude of excuses given by these sorts of people, but let's face it - there isn't a suitable excuse for this. NEVER. Especially as Grace's former owner apparently had three healthy horses as well! I do not get that at all, and never will.

But this blog is not written to dwell on the bad - there are plenty of other websites that do that. We are here for the happy endings! So here it is.

Grace's first miracle is that she is still alive. A neighbour alerted her local Animal Control on 12th August, and they immediately seized her. She was taken to the local vet hospital, where Animal Control called Darla Clark of Strawberry Mountain Mustangs, a wonderful, generous lady with experience re-feeding starved horses. (The process is not as simple as you think, feeding too much too soon can kill them. More info here.) Darla called some experts at the University of California, and Animal Control left Grace in her safe hands.

Grace's initial condition.

The vet in Oregon described Grace's body condition as "below 1" on the Heineke Scale. He said the scale didn't go low enough! Even the vet was amazed that this mare was still alive - usually he was called to euthanize horses in this condition. What's even better is that Grace showed no signs of organ failure on her bloodwork! There's a miracle in itself right there. So this little mare has a chance.

Grace after a bath and some food - safe now!

Darla describes Grace as bright eyed and affectionate. She follows her around, and nickers at her. She is 22 years old and is about 14.2hh (147.5cm). Grace initially weighed in at 250kg (560lbs). I think you'll all agree that is MASSIVELY underweight - she should be around 450kg (1000lbs)! Despite this, she is a bright, alert, happy girl, who has no trouble lying down and getting up, and even shows some cheeky behaviour, like running off to avoid being caught! Her condition is improving with careful feed management, and proper care. She has a huge following on facebook, from all corners of the globe! Facebook link

It's a long road for Darla and Grace, but with the amazing spirit this litte mare has shown, and the huge support from around the world, I'm sure it will continue to be a happy ending.

In Darla's own words: "Grace's story is something more than another story of abuse or neglect....it's a story about a will to live, to survive and thrive, when faced with the worst scenario. It's a story about not giving up, and not giving up on someone else.... and showing tremendous spirit, hope and yes....grace...in doing so."

Grace on 31st August - still a long way to go, but happy and safe again!

A double miracle!

I love these types of stories - it's absolutely heart rending to lose a foal or a mare, even worse when it's both, but it's just brilliant when you can unite two lost souls and set them both on a wonderful new path.

It's just fantastic that horses will foster a foal, as many species will not. Sometimes it takes a lot of work and persuasion, but it is worth it in the end!

Here's the story.

It's a miracle for the foal, and a miracle for the mare!

(And a miracle of modern veterinary science too when you think about it - so it's really a triple miracle!)

Keep your stories coming in folks, I'm loving them - I've got some good ones lined up for the blog already! Email them to me!

Out of the ashes......

Nobody in Australia could ever forget the Black Saturday fires in Victoria in February 2009. So many lives and homes were lost. It is Australia's worst natural disaster in living memory.

For some people, the toll was even higher. Many lost horses, as well as pets, livestock and an untold number of native animals. Even today, nobody can even fathom the total loss.

For one family, the equine loss was huge - 13 horses in total, including a gelding, a young filly, 2 foals (a colt and filly), several mares, and the biggest loss of all, their stallion, Captain Thunderbolt. The reality of it was mind-numbing.

Thankfully many of their other horses survived - including a special QH x Clydie mare named Hayes Park Gypsy. Now here's the twist - Gypsy had been running with Captain, and there was a possibility she was in foal to him - if she was, it would be the only foal of his. The months went by and nobody was sure if she was or if she wasn't, but eventually it was certain....she was.

Then in September 2009, a true little miracle was born. A chestnut filly, very similar to her mother - who was eventually named Kira. A stunning little girl, fit, healthy and full of boundless energy. Out of all the sadness, little Kira arrived to give everyone hope and a renewed sense of purpose. Such a happy ending to a tragic story!