WordPlay

By Patty Wilber

Longshot was born in  September 2010, and he had a contracted tendon (see last week’s post, The Longshot Update for more info.)

Splint #1, 3 days old, September, 2010

He recovered and went home.

Longshot at home with his mom, Dec. 2010

Then I got a yearling (Lacey), so Longshot came to live at my house to keep her company.

Lacey, June 2011. She had a joint infection, but recovered fully. See JJM Spurs Zan Lace

Longshot and Lacey. Buddies!

Then they turned two and I got another one (LT), and the three of them went to summer camp (See The Three Amigos).

Grass! 2012! (irrigated)

Then Longshot went home for the winter (Lacey had LT for company–plus I got Toots, who is just one year older…do we sense an ominous (for the bank account) horse accumulation trend??–LT and Toots are prospects–for sale–really!  Just make me an offer (a really big offer!)

Toots! And her summer coat is so much darker.  I SWEAR I am going to take monthly pictures for a year–um unless I sell before the year is up–yeah right !

And now, enough of the back story; we will get back to the real story: Longshot is back, and I am getting on his back, and his back is not up against the wall.

I started and showed his full sister Squirt and his half brother Tabooli (same mom).  I did a tune up on his cousin Fancy and a tune up on his half sister Cinco (same dad), so I am familiar with the blood line.  Plus, I am familiar with Longshot himself since he has spent a lot of time living here.

Squirt (3) at an ACTHA ride fall 2012 (she won her division).

Tabooli in a hunter under saddle class summer  2012 (photo by Caitlin Dralle)

I figured Longshot’d be a drama-less start.

Correct.

Since mid May, we have one day of ground work and he has been under saddle 19 times.

Longshot is not the super sensitive type and he has a bigger “not doing THAT” (i.e. stubborn streak) than any of his relatives.  But he rarely bucks, even when he plays.

If he is stressed, he simply quits moving. This can make him somewhat frustrating to train, but it means he is unlikely to come apart.

He will spook at things that appear strange, but he has a very short flight distance–he won’t go far.

He likes the company of the other horses (unlike Toots who is more of a loner), which does mean there can be buddying up/ herd bound issues especially when he is in unfamiliar territory.

So, that first day, I tossed a saddle on him and he flinched a little, but not much.

He worked in the round pen with a drag rope, some tarps, a butt rope etc.  The usual array of objects I like a horse to try out before I try them out from on top.

I do not want them careening around the place in a panic with all that stuff flapping, so I keep them on a line until I an reasonably sure they can manage.

Longshot really did not care.

I messed with the stirrups, stood in them and since he didn’t raise his head, swish his tail, or move his feet and then he closed his eyes (I swear he’s narcoleptic!) by day two I got on.

Moving?  Who needs to move?  But then he did kind of amble around.

Here are my notes from day three–Ride two :

“Ride 2-well he is not in a hurry about anything although he will go.  We already know he doesn’t startle at much–but that also means he doesn’t respond too much!  He walked and trotted with me on him.  His ground work was markedly better than the 10th.  He seems to need a soak-in period to process what I want.  I used reins today and he was of course clueless, but I did get walk, trot, back, whoa, some turning, move the butt and decent sideways.  Most of it was pretty kindergarten, but hey that is a lot for ride 2–and absolutely no drama in his body–well except he argued with his face because he did not know what I wanted…”

By ride four we were in the arena and he showed a little life by spooking at the arena drag, and he was moving his parts enough to open (but not shut) a rope gate.  And he could trot.  And steer–sort of.  And stop.  All of it a bit begrudgingly. Just think of the sound they do on TV when a person is on downer drugs and people’s voices are distorted, slow and deep.  I have no idea how to put letters together for that sound.  But trying to convince Longshot to move any part freely was an effort.

 Truthfully, I was a little depressed about this and I kept comparing him to Squirt who was super laid back but eager to try new things.  That comparison thing is bad!  It only gets in the way of seeing what is right for the horse under you.

But take the bridge for example. On day five, I figured we’d try the bridge.  I mean SQUIRT loped on ride  three, opened and shut a gate on ride four and went over the bridge like it was not even there.

(Hello?  To self! We already know that Longshot is not Squirt…)

But being the optimist (or just as stubborn as Longshot), we went for the bridge.  And, yep we went over the bridge.  Never sweetly, but at least he showed SOME try.

On ride 10, we had a turning point.  I put a cavesson on him (you can see it in the picture) to entice him to keep his mouth shut when pressure is applied to the bit and was using a training fork just to keep him from putting his nose in the sky.  We went to the round pen to see if loping was in his future.

Cavesson–over the halter–a little unconvential–but works on the trail.

We did some warm up. It was ok until I asked him to move his shoulder to the left. Nope, not doing it.

We got in a fight.  

I fought dirty.

I used my spurs.

I won.

And, huh.  His attitude became a whole lot more compliant.

So, we loped.  Very nice.

Then my erstwhile (is that the right word? erstwhile?) cow partner, otherwise known as Fancy’s Dad or Seasoned Hunting Friend #2, asked if I wanted to go to the Brazos Box Ranch.

How many horses can I bring??? (ok, so I get demerits for rudeness!)

One.  

Well then, it had to be Longshot.

Why on Earth would I take a horse with 12 rides ever in his whole life to the ranch to ride?

Because it would work. And Squirt’s dad took HER to the back country on 20 rides by me and only one ride by him. Not that I’m preparing to  compare.

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Ride 13, at the ranch.  I went out alone towards dusk.

WHAT?

Well, no one else wanted to go and he’d been there over night and had done nothing all day while we set up fence.

He was a little squirrely leaving his pen mate, Squirt, but as soon as he got over the hill, he was fine.

Until we got to the stream.  He was alarmed by the whole idea of a stream.  Why would that water MOVE like that?

Ok, so first we walked along it (crabwise, as maybe it was going to rise up out of the bed and suck us in), but then the trail went across, so I got off, he snacked on some grass, he put his foot in and followed me over, just like that.

And then he rushed up the bank.  Whereupon my rein broke.

Seriously? Ugh.  I knew there was an issue with that rein and I had failed to fix it at home.  Oh well.  Tied it in a knot to the bit and got back on.

Rode down farther and traipsed across a few more streams. La de da.

Fixed my rein back at the cabin.  Baling twine is useful.

The next day, we headed out to check a fence job.

We crossed more water.

Ho hum.

He wore saddle bags for the first time.

Ho hum.

We saw an elk calf! So new that its instincts were to freeze in place.

We went cross country over a lot of dead fall (and he stepped over everything, Ho Hum), through a bog, and up a very steep rocky ridge.

Deadfall–I can do it!

Except for getting tired on the steep hill and complaining that his muscles hurt and he should not be required to move his legs any more, no obstacle was an issue.  He was extremely sure footed.

Nice view from the top!

Just another day at the horse training office! Squirt with her dad to the left, Fancy’s dad on Mister, ponying Fancy.

My only complaint is that Longshot is a VERY slow walker.  He has a slow jog, too–nice if he were destined for a western pleasure show future, but (hopefully, for us once and will be again cow punchers) his future may be ranch work.

We rode the next (and last) day at the walk, trot and lope on the trail, and since he did water the first ride at the ranch, saddle bags and varied and challenging terrain the second day, for his third day learning experience: Hobbles.

After the ride, I put them on, stepped back, and he began to eat.  Ho Hum.

Hobbled. I kept the lead rope on so I could help him if he panicked. Doesn’t he look worried?

When he went to move, he carefully placed one foot and then the other. Ho Hum.

He took to that better than Squirt.  (Not that I am comparing!)

Thinking old Longshot is gonna make a horse.

By Patty Wilber

Cometa’s eye has really improved since last week!

Last week

This week!

His eye actually opens more than that but since he has been in the pirate mask, his eye has been in the dark so the light makes him squint.

He is on eye steroids for a few more days and then we will see if he can see.  I have not opened the vet invoice from Wednesday yet…

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And now for our feature presentation!

The Pecos Chapter of the Back Country Horsemen worked in the Pecos Wilberness…no no I mean “Wilderness” this past weekend and  one of our tasks was to haul 600 pounds of trace element salt from Jack’s Creek to Beatty’s Cabin (about 16 miles round trip).

What does “worth your salt” mean anyway?

Apparently, “centuries ago salt was so valuable that many people used to have part of their pay in salt.
It’s mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible (Ezra) in the context of the pay of the Persian king’s servants.
According to the Roman writer, Pliny the Elder, Roman soldiers are also supposed to have been paid in salt.

It’s also where the word ‘salary’ is supposed to come from (the Latin word ‘salarium’).” (from http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080125125348AA6VLMV)

The salt is for the Big Horn Sheep.  Someone thinks the sheep  are worth their salt!

I knew the sheep were introduced to the Pecos area and I knew the sheep liked salt, but didn’t know more than that. Here is what I found out.

“Bighorn sheep were extirpated from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the early 1900′s (Bailey 1931, Barker 1976). Restoration efforts began with a translocation from Canada 13 in 1932, but no bighorn sheep survived past the mid-1930′s (Lange 1978). A second translocation of 24 bighorn sheep in 1965-66 from Banff National Park, Alberta and from the now extinct Sandia population was successful. In 2002 this herd was estimated to have 340 bighorn sheep based on results of a helicopter survey, hunter-guide reports, and mathematical modeling.

“Considerable human interaction, driven primarily by a craving for salt (Hass 1992), has been reduced in the Pecos Wilderness population by consistently providing trace element salt blocks to Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (NMDGF files).”  From the Long Range Plan for the Management of  Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep in New Mexico 2005-2014

Livestock salt probably comes in a few forms, but the two types I am familiar with are trace element salt blocks (which I have always called “mineralized”) and, just plain salt.

The plain variety is white, and some publication I read somewhere sometime suggested that there was no reason to spend the extra money on mineralized salt for your equines, so I buy the plain.  Every pen has a block of salt and some of the horses (Cometa in particular) really like to lick the blocks, making artistic grooves…

The mineralized salt is reddish/brownish, and that is the sort we were to haul.

I have purchased salt in 10 pound blocks and 50 pound blocks, and I know of people who have purchased “designer” salt in loose form (for a gob of money, too).

Our sheep salt was in 50 pound blocks.

All that stuff will go on the animals! The salt isn’t included yet!

We saddled and pack-saddled and tied on our saddle bags and cantle bags and pommel bags and coats and water and radios and spot locators–yes we were (over?) prepared.  Then we loaded 100 pounds onto each of  the horses: Lacey, Squirt, and Cinco; we put 100 pounds on one mule and 200 pounds on Chance (the other mule).

Chance was wearing a metal frame pack and he thought the whole thing was a little odd, so he unloaded the first a-salt (via various airs above ground manuevers) in fairly short order.

Once reloaded though, he was regrounded.

Loaded for real this time.

Cinco had salt in pack boxes, while Lacey and Squirt carried theirs in panniers. You can see Cinco, Squirt and Lacey’s butt in this picture.

I box hitched Lacey and Squirt’s loads and the thick and unwieldy rope on Squirt’s lash cinch gave me fits.  There is a new rope for that rig sitting on my kitchen table at this very moment.

Then we headed out!  Richard and Peter both ponied two animals each (and I was kind of proud of Squirt, since I trained her to ride and pack–she figured out how to be the second horse in the string without a hitch–wait–she had a box hitch–oh well, you know what I mean!)

I ponied Lacey, and we had two out riders, Siri and Julie.

On the way out of Jack’s Creek. (Photo by Siri.)

Julie!

Siri!

It was balmy and sunny–just the perfect temperature for riding.  The trail is steep climbing out of Jack’s Creek and then opens out onto a lovely meadow.

Richard and his string after we have climbed out of Jack’s Creek. It is SO dry!  In a more normal year,this would be much greener and the ground would be wet.

Despite the dry (there was NO recorded runoff for the Pecos this year–0% of normal?) there were still several small creeks to be crossed.  After Canyon de Chelly, Toots and Squirt were pretty good over water.  Lacey has always been willing to follow Toots and only jumped the muddy stuff once or twice.

Toots and Lacey are both good drinkers, but with her head down like that, Lacey stepped over the lead rope more than once.  Then Siri would gamely get off and fix it for me!

Photo thanks to Siri!

After a couple of hours, we made the forest service cabin just south of Beatty’s Cabin.  We unloaded.

Unhitching the lash cinch. Toots is supervising. Picture by Siri.

Peter unloading Squirt. Picture by Siri.

Julie  helping with Chance. Picture by Siri.

Our 600 lb contribution to the welfare of the sheep!

We had a late lunch break on the porch at Beatty’s Cabin and then headed back.

Peter and his string. Photo by Siri.

We made good time back–I THOUGHT Toots was a fast walker, but it turns out she is only Medium Fast.  Richard’s lead mare can really step out, and Toots is going to have to step up to keep up!

Fun trip and I know my girls are definitely worth their salt!

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I will be out of town next week, so will post a rerun blog about Longshot as a foal with his contracted tendon.  He is now 2.5 and the next new post will feature “The Training of Longshot”.

By Patty Wilber

I have been looking for data on vaccine efficacy and longevity of immunity for  tetanus, West Nile virus, rabies, eastern and western equine encephalitis and equine herpes virus (rhino), so that I could make better informed vaccination decisions for my horses. Turns out there is not very much in the way data detailing the length of immunity produced by the vaccines.

Tetanus.  This is caused by toxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium tetani, an organism is found in the soil, horse intestines, fecal matter.  It is every where!  It can cause the disease when it enters a wound (even a really tiny insignificant wound).  Uninoculated  horses infected with this organism have a 75-80% death rate, and should they survive, recovery can be long.

The toxin that causes the problem is called tetanospasmin and it is one of the most potent toxins known.  In humans only 2.5 ng (that is a billionth of a gram)/ Kg body mass can cause death, although only about 20-30% of people that are infected die.

CDC graph of tetanus cases in the U.S.

Human cases have steadily declined since the 1900′s due to better wound care followed by a vaccine that was introduced in the 1940′s. Almost all cases seen now are in the uninoculated or those who have gone more than 10 years since a booster. (When was my last booster?! Ahh!)

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) page on tetanus cites a study showing that protection against the tetanus toxin in horses remained high for six months after vaccination, but says longer term studies do not exist!

What?  Really? Then how do we know how often to vaccinate if there is no data? Cuz the vaccine maker said so? Seems like the fox might be guarding our chicken house full of $ we need to spend on vaccines.

A 1979 study I found from Europe indicated immunity to the tetanus toxin could persist for 128 months and with a booster, for an additional three and half years.  BUT that was not using the vaccines commercially available  in the U.S.

Zoetis (formerly known as Pfizer) markets a vaccine in New Zealand and Australia called Equivac-t that has the following recommended schedule: 1st shot, second shot in four weeks, third shot in one year, and then vaccinate every five years. I suppose this vaccine has not been approved for use in the U.S. by the USDA?

In the U.S. the AAEP recommends yearly boosters for tetanus. There are tests (or at least one I found) you can purchase to measure tetanus titer levels in horses, so that could be one way to see if you really need to boost your horse yearly. You might have to order from Germany…

It’d be kind of nice if there was titer data somewhere easily accessible!

West Nile Virus.  In New Mexico in 2012 there were 46 human cases of WNV, 10 veterinary cases (most likely horses as 96% of non- human mammal cases are horses), and 20  mosquito samples tested positive.

Veterinary Cases of WNV, New Mexico, 2012

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Human Cases of WNV, NM, 2012

Positive Mosquito samples, WNV, NM 2012

These maps are from The USGS disease maps site.  Very cool.

In WNV challenge infections of unvaccinated horses, 90% became infected, 40% developed clinic signs of disease and 10% of those died.  Thus, 3.6 % of uninoculated horses might be expected to bite it if they got infected.  Forty percent would need treatment.  (Read $$$$)

As far as the fox guarding the chicken coop goes, Zoetis says,“Efficacy of the West Nile fraction was demonstrated in horses that received two doses of the vaccine and were challenged one year post-vaccination with WNV. The vaccine protected 95% of the vaccinates against infection, while 82% of the controls were viremic.” In other words, the vaccine worked at one year post inoculation.  Data! Yay!

Rabies.  I kind of lied about Rabies. Although not common in horses (because most dogs are vaccinated and many horses  are too–thus protecting the unimmunized–herd immunity!!), if contracted, rabies is 100% fatal.  The vaccine works, and the recommended vaccination rate is once every three years according to Albuquerque Equine.  The balance between cost, protection and possible side effects seems skewed to “JUST DO IT”, so I did not look for any additional information.  

Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis

Eastern Equine Encephalitis does not, and apparently has never, occurred in NM, but there were numerous veterinary cases (pink on this 2012 USGS map), as well as human and mosquito cases (not shown) East. (Yellow show states where it has historically occurred and white shows areas where it does not occur)

I also looked at maps for Western Equine Encephalitis back to 2007 and there were were no human, veterinary or mosquito cases in 2011 or 2012, but there were positive mosquito samples in California and Nevada in each of the other years. According to the AAEP, WEE has not caused many problems in horses for nearly two decades, but mosquitoes are still testing positive (as evidenced by the USGS maps).  In addition, the virus does mutate so new strains may develop, necessitating new vaccination.  The recommended dosage is once per year (after the initial series).

Equine Influenza.  According to the AAEP, 100% of naive horses exposed to the flu will get it, and it will spread rapidly. Horses aged one to five are most susceptible.  The intranasal vaccine provides protection for up to one year although it is only rated by the manufacturer for six months.

The horse immune system (well human, mouse–all of them) is an amazing and complex system!  In the case of flu, it turns out the intranasal vaccine may be the best because not only does it promote the production of antibodies that circulate in the blood, but also antibodies that line the mucosa–just the spot where this virus likes to find and enter the cells it infects.

According to Wikipedia, horses competing in FEI events in Europe must be vaccinated every six months and have a card to prove it.

Geez, now I think I should go intranasal on this one! Maybe I’ll throw in a tube worming at the same time for good measure because the vet would have to do the intranasal flu thing.  Or maybe not…it does not look too hard! And maybe I could order it on line.

Rhino (or Equine Herpes Virus 1).  This is a DNA virus and once the horse is infected, in 80% of cases, the virus will embed in the DNA of some cells and lay dormant.  Thus, it can be a  life long infection. Unfortunately, even when infected naturally and embedded, immunity in horses seems short-lived (3 months).

This virus is everywhere horses are though, and on the plus side, according the AAEP, mature horses have been repeatedly infected and this bolsters their immune response, so they do not usually develop serious disease.

Chicken pox in humans is also a herpes virus and it also embeds in our DNA, sometimes reappearing as shingles later in life.  EHV does not reappear as shingles in horses, thank-goodness–after all EHV is a respiratory virus (Ok there are some brain-releated cases) whereas chicken pox likes to embed in neurons of the peripheral (not brain or spinal cord) nervous system.

Horses under two are most prone to EHV infection and according to most sources I read, vaccination doesn’t produce strong immunity and doesn’t do a very good job at controlling either the respiratory or the neurological disease.  More than one source recommended eliminating this vaccine.

Here is an except from the Veterinary Extension Service in South Dakota, May 2011. “Not all vaccines have published data supporting efficacy, and studies on the same vaccine sometimes have produced inconsistent results.The ubiquitous nature of the virus and propensity for the virus to become latent makes it difficult to study groups of animals that are similar immunologically. A recent review of EHV vaccines was unable to draw any conclusions about vaccine efficacy.” 

The article goes on to say that the vaccines do seem to work, right after saying they didn’t, though…

On the other hand, newer vaccines for EHV are being developed that may end up being really great! And of course (**disclaimer disclaimer**), I am not the source you should consult for vaccination decisions!  Talk to your vet!

So, finding all this out was rather time consuming!  But kind of interesting too.  Now I can go buy my vaccines, and at least have reasons!

By Patty Wilber

It is SPRING!   Has been for a while. (I suppose everyone knew this already!)

The days are getting warmer. Well, some days.

Here is how THAT works in NM in spring:

Monday, 80F in the afternoon.  The hair is coming off the horses in clouds and they sweat whenever I make them do anything over a slow jog.

(The whole shedding thing is fun!  Toots is losing her long white winter hair and becoming more mottled.  LT is dropping her pale  winter coat so her spots and gold summer hair are showing.  Lacey is chucking her very dark winter attire and right now her gold-toned summer coat is showing through in bizarre patches. One year I am going to take one pic/month to show the color changes of these girls–better do that soon as I must eventually sell two of them–at least that was The Plan!)

Tuesday:  Cooler, and LOTS of wind and then SNOW.

Wednesday, 23F in the morning and  more snow.  The horses are all cold because their hair fell off Monday.

Thursday, 60F by the afternoon and the horses are covered in mud because they rolled while there was still damp ground to roll on.  Why do they do this? It just makes more work when I have to get ready to ride!

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We got to Spring ahead.

I was doing a lot of cooking while I was trapped indoors by the pesky setting of the sun (and I was really enjoying it, too.) Not any more though.  Am at the barn.

All that extra day light at the end of the day is a good thing because now that it is warm, people are thinking about getting back to riding and business has picked up to the point where I am… over extended.  Surprise, surprise.

Just last month I was whining to another East Mountain trainer that I might not have ANY outside horses in the barn.  Be careful what you worry about.

Now I have got three outside horses and three of my own to ride.  And two more probably coming at the end of the month.

These three outside horses are all over 16 hands in height while my three are barely breaking 14 hands, so it is quite the contrast!

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Spring means spring shots. 

I recently read an article suggesting that we tend to over-vaccinate dogs, and that research has indicated that the normal series of puppy shots might be enough for the dog for eight or more years.

So, I did a very little bit of research on horse vaccines and the diseases for which I vaccinate.  Not enough to make any decisions yet…

But I found: Over vaccination can result in decreased immune system function.

Horses are weirder than humans, immune system-wise.  Humans can form very long term immunity to various diseases for which we have been vaccinated, but horse’s produce immunity which may last only a year.

Horses produce antibodies just as we do, using the humoral immune system, but another branch, the cellular immune system, may have a bigger role in horses than in humans.

Vet’s often like the frequent vaccination schedule because it can cause people to visit the vet and thus keep up with other health needs of their animals.

Some of the things I vaccinate for are mosquito borne  and pretty unlikely to occur to my horses.  What are the odds I want to play?

Vaccinating older horses might not be necessary…

In humans, if about 80% of the population is vaccinated for a particular disease, the illness is unlikely to break out because there are very few “naive” or susceptible hosts to infect.  In effect, the unvaccinated free-loaders are protected by those that are vaccinated.  This is called “herd immunity”.  It applies to horses, too.  So, if I failed to vaccinate, would I be putting other peoples horses at risk?

These and other questions remain incompletely answered.  Guess I better make a decision soon though, before “spring shots” become “summer shots.”

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The first Spring buckskin point show is coming up this weekend. Toots is semi-ready to show but I might toss LT into a thing or two, too.  Both these girls are reiner/cowhorse types, so we are sticking to the Saturday events for this show:  Ranch trail, ranch pleasure, reining (we are not ready for cow competition yet…bummer).  But, I am still planning to push cows home for those in the cattle events if they need me (and if LT–and maybe Lacey–) can handle it. Toots can!

With the extra paying guests, my girls get fewer rides per week, at least until the semester ends at the start of May. This is ok for level-headed Toots.  It is not so ok for my Fizz Kid, LT.  LT is super busy minded and without a really regular schedule, her sessions can be a little bit less than satisfactory.

Lacey is packing this summer, so if she never makes the show ring, this season, oh well, she still has a job.

Next Spring will be fine.

By Patty Wilber

I have always wanted to do an endurance ride, and now thanks to JD and Marcia, I have!

Endurance rides are races (on horse back!) over long distance (25, 50, 75,  and 100 milers are the common distances).  There are mandatory vet checks and “holds” (required rest periods) to help ensure safe conditions for the horse.

The most popular breed for this kind of event is the Arabian.  They are metabolically well suited for long distance, having the flat endurance type muscle fiber rather than the bulky sprint sort.

Endurance Arabian

Racing Quarter Horse

I think you can see the difference in the two bodies–the leaner Arabian and the blockier quarter horse–built for explosive short-distance races (Uh, say, a quarter mile!).

Marcia enjoys endurance rides and wanted me to bring her horse JD, so what the heck!  I said, “Sure!”

Marcia and "I am a Paint not an Arab" Top.

JD is big (over 16 hands–I swear I am going to measure him one day) and he is not lean muscled at all, so I was kind of worried about trying to do a long distance race  on him, but Marcia assured me that we were not going to race to win. (What? We are not going to try to win??!)  No. We were just going to meet the minimum required pace of five miles per hour, and see some new country while having a marked trail with water provided and all the trappings of an organized event–such as a place to camp.

And we would only have to “endure” 25 (well the course was a bit short, so more like 22) miles, (but other riders went 50 or 75 miles. Yow.)

J- I am also a Paint (yes really) not an Arab-D!

 Luxury!  Marcia hauled the horses there on Friday and I showed up on Saturday afternoon to prepare for our ride on Sunday. Marcia provided all the food and paid me, too. I think JD needs to be in training with me for about two more years.  Just sayin’.

When I arrived on Saturday afternoon, the wind was blowing in gusts of 60? miles per hour and the camper felt like a boat on rough seas.  I thought I might have to take a Dramamine to make it through the night!

Looking East, away from camp.

People still competed in this wind, but we hunkered down inside, hoping Sunday would be better. (It was-lots!)

Yes, that is blowing dirt, not just a really bad photo.

Ok, so I messed with the color some, but that tail is due to the wind. Some folks rode 75 miles in that gale. Impressive.

Here’s how it worked for me.

Vet check on Saturday.  He recorded JD’s pulse, respiration, gut sounds, and made us trot around some cones to check for signs of lameness.  He checked other things too, but I forgot to look at that sheet, so don’t actually know what all was measured! The vet wrote JD’s number on his hip.

The vet commented on JD’s size.  He was easily the biggest horse there.  JD, Top and Tabooli (yes! Tabooli, now known in some circles as Christopher Robin because…drat…I forget…but there is some literary reason…that now we may never know…) were the only stock-type horses (ok non-Arabs) I saw except for two mules.

T (um, CR) and his mom! He cut his foot during the first half of the ride which is why he has a blue back leg! (A minor cut).

So, we ate dinner Saturday night and went to bed.  Except we didn’t really sleep.  JD was busy bawling his lungs out because Top was on the OTHER SIDE of the trailer, out of sight.  JD had been perfectly happy all day in the wind when Top was 50 yards away but visible.  Some people have barking dogs and some have bawling horses.

Since JD was right next to our camp, we cursed him frequently.

Then he stopped. 

I thought,”ah, silence,” but Marcia found it suspicious, so she went out to check and…Top had escaped. Really.  But apparently JD could see him, so JD was fine with it.

The good news is that when a horse goes off for a mid-night excursion in a camp full of other equines, it is a solid bet that they will not go far.  Top probably had had enough of JD and just wanted  to find some place where he could get some rest! T’s– I mean CR’s– mom located Top with in a few minutes and Top was back at home.

JD stayed quiet (or maybe he just went hoarse) and we got to sleep for a few hours.

The departure time for the 25 mile ride (all 8 of us) was 8 am. So up at 6 to feed the horses and us.

I decided to wear my English gear because the breeches are stretchy and I thought that would be the most comfortable for a long ride. (Got a chapped crotch for my efforts but let’s not go into that…)

My endurance outfit! Layers on the top--Under Armor lime green turtle neck (even though you can't see it), sweatshirt, vest, windbreaker and the winner of the Winter of 2012/2013 Best Thing Ever Invented Contest, the silk balaclava. Breeches, boots and half chaps on the bottom.

The balaclava is a silk hood that I wear on my head oraround my neck instead of a scarf. It is remarkably great--light, comfortable, cuts the wind and keeps my head and ears really warm! A must have!

Half Chaps are like gaiters for horseback riders. They protect the legs from the rubbing on the stirrups and since I wore mine with low boots, I didn't have a boot top rub spot either.

So, we tacked up, got to the starting line on time, and took off.

At a walk.

Pretty soon, though, we started trotting, and because we needed to cover some ground, we did a posting trot, not a soft jog-trot.  We wanted to complete the race in the slowest allowable time, so, like I mentioned before, we needed to cover five miles per hour.  Turns out that is a pretty steady long trot–nothing out of JD’s fitness range, but not dogging it.

We rode down Forest Road 225 to the foothills seen in the distance. There were water tubs set up by the ride organizers along the way for the horses (the dot in the middle of the picture).

The scene of the ride was the Binn’s Ranch between Socorro and Truth or Consequences, and the first part consisted of a 14 mile lollipop shaped route to the west, into the foothills of the San Mateo Mountains. Unfortunately, we had to ride out and back on the same stem of forest road, but the loop portion was on trail and in a really interesting wash.

Down in the arroyo! JD thinks it is pretty cool! Unfortunately, it is hard to take a lot of pictures when you are trotting steadily!

JD handled the trail and the trotting really well.  His two main issues were 1) other horses and 2) Top.

1) Other competitors passed us from behind (the nerve) and came at us head on along the forest road (scary)!  JD then seemed to think maybe we should be with them and was tense until they got out of earshot (JD’s earshot, not mine).

2) JD, had, of course, bonded with Top, so even though JD wanted to lead and he wanted to trot faster than Top, he did not want to get more than about 100 yards ahead.   So, we’d trot off and then when we reached the Designated Distance, JD would just quit!

Truthfully, that was ok, because I was happy to ride with Marcia and Top, too.

We completed the first loop, passed our That is a Big Horse! Vet Check. (Yep–riding 14 miles doesn’t make ‘em shrink!) and hung out for our 45 minute hold.  We pulled the saddles, ate lunch and poof the time was gone! We actually left for the second part (8 miles) a few minutes late!  The starting line guy was aghast!

Only four of the original eight rode out for the second leg.  Christopher Robin had cut his leg so Kate and her riding partner pulled.  Another pair had a horse that fell in the arroyo, so they pulled out, too.

This 8 mile section was balloon-on-a-string shaped, down Forest Road 225 again, but the other way.  Then we looped off to the South and came back. This ride was on more open ground and the views were nice, but I liked the hilly nature of the other loop.

The second loop. JD is still thinking the whole thing is pretty cool! Me too!

 Eight miles seemed so much shorter than 14 and we were back in a flash (about two hours) and off to the vet check!

The vet! The stethoscope gives him away!

JD was not so sure about eating the vet's apple at first! And the vet said, "This is a BIG horse!" (uh huh! still!)

We passed!  JD was definitely tired (plus he had done 25 miles on his own during the night while crying about not being able to see Top!) So, my “fitness program” of riding him for an hour 5-6 days a week, worked.

We broke camp (Marcia has a really sweet set up), loaded up, and headed home, without staying for the awards.

But you know what?  I think we probably tied for 3rd, since 4 of the 8 dropped out!

I’m not at all competitive.

By Patty Wilber

First off, let me say I was NOT a fan of instituting spring break at my esteemed institute of higher learning.  Who needs it?  Nose to the grindstone!

But boy, I was looking forward to it.

And then it seemed like it I spent most of my time just catching up.

I still need to finish writing a lecture on Integumentary Disorders–I mean rewriting, as I borrowed notes from a colleague to help me get started.

Here is a sample.

Ichthyosis:Rare, usually inherited; excessive growth of keratinocytes giving skin a scaly appearance

I also graded tests–lots of tests–and they took HOURS!  I swear my efficiency has declined.

So, I started reading a book called Unleash the Power of the Female Brain.  The power is still trapped in there somewhere as I haven’t finished the book yet, but suffice it to say I probably need to go to one of the facilities and have my brain scanned and then have them tell me how to fix it because of all the damage I have done by eating white food (THE COLOR!), drinking alcohol, microwaving things in plastic containers, and not getting enough sleep.

I am going to stay up til midnight writing this.  Pour me another glass of wine.

OK, I did saddle a few horses!

Wednesday’s trail ride with Diane and Jean.

Dicey (palomino) says, "hey dusty, they didn't tell you we still have 12 miles to go and it is all up hill!" Dusty (who is just four and believes such things says, "no! no? really?" Dicey: "hehehe. kidding!" I was on JD. JD didn't say anything.

Rode the youngesters, too. Toots and LT, are NOT pleasure horses, just sayin’.  They are cow-horse/reiners.  They do not lope along all slow legged and rocking-chair-like.  No ma’am.  If we are going to lope, we are loping with purpose!  It will take a bit to get them both to relax and slow down.

But they will put their tails in the dirt when they hear the word “whoa!” and  can step their front feet across quick and easy, as a start to a nice spin!

Lacey is the big story, though.  Three days this week I saddled her, bridled her, then hooked long lines to the bit and drove her around the round pen pretending I was the cart (this is actually called “ground driving”)  Each day she got better.

I also messed with  the stirrups and stood in them.  The first day, when I got up there, I reached over and touched the saddle and then her side and she tucked her butt up under her and scooted forward! I backed off a little.

Surprised me though because she is a pretty laid back girl.

Day two was better.

Thursday was day three.    LT had been penned up (to eat up that Ultium Growth I’ve been feeding her.) Opened her gate to the big 1/3 acre  pen and JD, Cometa and Toots immediately went in to vacuum up  LT’s hay scraps.  LT came boiling out.

Lacey was with me in the round pen (which is in the 1/3 acre pen) and LT began to run for the sheer joy of it. Generally speaking if I have a green horse in the round pen and there is a lot of commotion around it, the pen-horse gets busy-footed and distracted.

LT kept trying to get Lacey’s attention by bumping her nose on the rails of the round pen and then tearing down the hill, over the log, though the gate (making JD, and Toots move, but skirting Cometa), around the barn and back to us.  Lacey kept her attention on me!  We drove all over the pen and stopped and backed (which she had trouble with on day 2). When I prepared to stand in the stirrups, her feet remained absolutely still.  There was no flinching when I stood up and leaned over to touch her!

So, I got on!  I could feel her her muscles contract, but her feet stayed planted!  She turned her head all the way to touch her nose to my left boot toe and blinked her eyes at me (well I could only see the one eye from that angle) and sighed. Yay!

Got on and off both sides a few times and called it good.

Here she is tied up after our round pen work.

very wild.

 Oh and her Buckskin papers were ordered but never showed up! Turns out the US Postal Service envelope eating machine got a hold of them. They ended back up at the ABRA (American Buckskin Registry Association) office, in a bag. They will be reissued. Her color is officially buckskin. (not dun like Penny–no dorsal stripe.)

By Patty Wilber

Last weekend’s adventure was an all expenses paid trip to Truth or Consequences (OK I drove to Peralta in my truck and trailer and I paid the park fee, but the rest was covered). It included an evening ride near Elephant Butte Reservoir and a nice trek the next day into the hills outside Caballo State Park.

I have Marcia’s horse JD here and Marcia thought it would be fun to take JD and Top down south for a little mini vacation (and as prep for a 25 mile endurance ride JD and I are doing with Marcia in March… my first…and JD’s first, too!).

JD and I have been having fun working on moving his parts–backing, sideways, moving his hip, moving his shoulder, and loping without flinging his head up and down– awkward–reminiscent of an oil derrick–on the move? And no, I am not talking about the oil derrick Western Pleasure Lope, but JD’s very own natural, but kinda weird, fast lope.  He is making great progress in using his body better and Tuesday, in a horrid wind storm, he had a whole circle that was just as soft and sweet as could be.

Go to 3:21 on the video (click) to see what I mean about Western Pleasure–and that horse isn’t really that bad…I have seen a whole lot worse…

Me and JD near Elephant Butte Reservoir, where the horses stayed and we slept in Marcia's RV. Whoo Hoo!

So, we left Friday– noonish.

Had a fine drive down there!

Got the horse motel (hor-tel?–um, that’s just wrong) set up, got our stuff in the RV and went for a ride!

The horse's home away from home.

Marcia warmed up Top by lunging him a bit and I had fun playing with the shadows.

It was a cold day up in the mountains, so even though I did wear gloves in T or C, we had a really nice and warm ride in the desert all around the RV park.

The ground is soft and pebbly and a lot of it is bare, between the mesquite and creosote bushes.  I spotted gobs of interesting rocks.  I just don’t know what many of them are!

This general area was very big for silver  mining until the federal government switched to a gold standard in 1896.

Here is a bit of history on the silver standard courtesy of …Wikipedia!

“The United States adopted a silver standard based on the Spanish milled dollar in 1785. This was codified in the 1792 Mint and Coinage Act, and by the Federal Government’s use of the “Bank of the United States” to hold its reserves, as well as establish a fixed ratio of gold to the U.S. dollar. This was, in effect, a derivative silver standard, since the bank was not required to keep silver to back all of its currency.

This began a long series of attempts by the USA to create a bi-metallic standard for the U.S. Dollar, which would continue until the 1920s. Gold and silver coins were legal tender, including the Spanish real”

After we rode, we had a nice leisurely dinner of spaghetti.  So leisurely in fact that we were late to our hot springs appointment!  (only 15 bucks with a Groupon for an hour for two…or 40 minutes for those that cannot show up on time!)

Marcia reminded me to bring clothes (i.e. a swim suit) for this purpose.  I said, “Of course!”, and promptly forgot. Was saved from a trip to Walmart  on the way to the hot springs because Marcia had a spare suit that fit me.

Here is where we went: The Rio Pool at Riverbend Hot Springs (only it was dark).

Wow, that hot soak made me a noodle, so all the way back to the RV park I was bonelessly dozing in the passenger seat.  We drove down to check the horses…and Top was standing by the trailer instead of in his pen!  Good thing we checked.

It was, however, a drag to have to reconstitute my skeleton, so I could get out and help corral him (Get it?  Corral him?).

We chose a civilized ride time of 10 am for Saturday.

We drove to Caballo Lake State Park, about 20 minutes south of the RV park.  Neither Elephant Butte nor Caballo are particularly horse friendly, but our guide, Kit, had made arrangements so we could park in the Park below the dam.

The land in Elephant Butte and Caballo State Parks is largely (federal) Bureau of Reclamation land, but it is leased to, and managed by the State of NM.  The employees we talked to said it might be hard to get these parks to become more equine friendly.  It doesn’t seem like it should be as the land isn’t even state land… Got a survey.  Will fill it out and send it in.

We crossed the river!  Always fun!

In the water! We picked a shallow spot!

Then we started to climb out of the river valley.

Marcia and Top are leading the way to the hills in the background!

It was a nice steady climb in soft ground--fine conditioning.  JD did pretty well, but he has a tendency to flip his head  when he is nervous, so I worked on getting him to soften his neck and bend his nose to minimized that.

There was old cow sign everywhere, but almost no grass that I could see.  Maybe some tough old mesquite eating cows live here in the summer–when it is really hot…

We did see a dead calf. A Hereford-- a white-faced red-bodied animal (originated in England for beef), so not a wiley, desert adapted, lean-muscled Longhorn like you might expect in a place nearly devoid of monocot forage.

We followed arroyos into the hills.  We got dead ended in a few but most got narrow and then opened up again.

When we got high enough, we turned around and headed back. Hard to get lost in the day light when you can always just go down hill until you hit the river. Unless you find a fence, which we did not!

Not a bad way to spend the day!

Horse show Sunday (Toots, Penny and JD will go),  I picked up a saddle this week that I had repaired, the farrier is coming today and Penny is going to a youth show home for the show season, on a lease.  All possible topics for next week!

P.S. I made fermented Giardiniera following Marilyn’s recipe (from her reply to the Sauerkraut blog), and it turned out fabulously!

It is very tasty!!

By Patty Wilber

Last weekend was the first Pecos Chapter of the Back Country Horsemen’s training ride of the year!  I have been looking forward to getting out on some new trails with old friends!

We went, as you may have already guessed, to the Gallisteo Basin Preserve.

It is a “Stewardship Community” –you can read all about what that means in the link above, but there are 13,000 acres and some home sites.  There are also trails that traverse privately owned as well as state land within the preserve. There is a 321 acre equestrian parcel still available if you happen to have a spare 1.1 mil lying about.

This area is about 50 miles from our place and we trailer pooled with Squirt’s Dad, also known as the contractor in charge of the remodel.  More on that later.

I debated about which horse to take but decided on Penny, just in case I needed to trade out and ride Squirt, who performed fabulously at that ACTHA ride back in December (see “The Obstacle Challenge“), but has not done a single thing since then except hang out with my ol’  buddy Longshot!

Squirt rode next to Penny in the trailer and definitely remembered her.  When we got there, Squirt wanted to be near Penny.

Penny was down with that program–she wasn’t even very bossy!  Penny was relaxed about the new location, too. Her laid back attitude about traveling is one thing I like about her.

Ready to go but not in a rush.

A lot of folks attended this ride, so we broke in to two groups of about 10.

We wound our way up into the hills you can see.

artsy fartsy shadow!

As the trail started to climb, I thought I’d get some photos. The trail got squeezed by junipers. They had been trimmed back, but only barely wide enough for a horse, so while I was busy trying to get some pictures…

See that limb on the right?

…that branch reached out and stabbed my pants leg!  The nerve! Penny kept going (she had no idea I’d been attacked, and my hands were busy with the camera not her reins…) My leg got jerked out of the stirrup, but I knew I’d get free eventually because  a tree branch embedded in your pants leg is no match for a horse moving forward with purpose!

No match at all.

And these pants were not that worn...

My leg was not much of a match, either.

Ow!

Just a flesh wound!

Jim and Cometa.

It was fun to ride through the different soil types. Here is the red. There was also yellow and white. Peter and Squirt.

Me and Penny. With Cometa's ears in the foreground!

All told we rode about 1.5 hours, and when we got back, a thoughtful hiker had wedged her car between our trailer and the rig next to us.  Fortunately, Cometa is not claustrophobic.  Unfortunately, he had the good manners not to leave them a souvenir on their windshield!

Took a  lunch break at the trailers.  Some folks went out for a second loop after lunch, but we all decided to call it a day.

Next BCH ride in two weeks, JD and his Mom Marcia and brother Junior and me are headed south to ride at Elephant Butte today, soak in some hot springs and ride at Caballo Lake tomorrow!

I’ll bring the camera!

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Remodel update:  We put furniture back in! A dark-colored couch (which does not match the room), a dark pink lounge chair (which  does not match the couch or the room), a blue lounge chair of the same style as the pink one (which does not match the pink one or the couch or the room) and an antique trunk that I think seems like a piece that can stay.  Even though the furniture is not really working in terms of color and style, the basic layout seems good!

What you end up with if you still decorate using hand me downs (and antiques) from your family. Not the couch--we bought that ourselves--the second hand couch is in the other room!

New furniture eventually.

Bought two paintings from Robert Goff. (He was on the elk hunt in the fall.) They will go in the study once we get that arranged.

The big(ger) one. I have been to this place.

Ok, wow. Same ridge! Different view. (We had our cows here for a while.)

The little one. (12x12)

Robert also makes furniture using twisty juniper and old rough cut lumber. Covetting a desk…

Bought a Big Television (big for us anyway) that will talk to the computer….Yikes.

When I went to UC Davis as a freshman in 1979 I went to see The Wizard of Oz at the movies on campus.  Holy cow!  The whole Oz part is in COLOR!  I had no idea.  We had a 12″ black and white TV the whole time I was growing up (hey at least we had a TV!)  From that to a 50″ flat screen soon to be mounted on the wall…amazing changes in technology.

And the TV delivery guy was really impressed with our tile floor–especially the inset talavera!

Until next week!

by Doranna

I’ve been very quiet here for the past month; I’ve been completely under water with the production on the Changespell Saga and the prep to start on LYNX REVEALED (the next Sentinels book). Connery’s re-injury, re-treatment, rehab, and a plethora of new routines have been the other half of things. At some point I guess I admitted to myself that I simply can’t. do. it. all.

But over the weekend I finished a major piece of the backlist work, and today I started writing LYNX REVEALED…and I spent some time thinking about Catherine & Elyse. On this day, I’ll be thinking about them a lot. And I hope you will, too. This is their story…a blog I wrote just under a year ago today…because of what happened a year ago today.

After this, I’ll put on my barn duds and go out for a ride with DuncanHorse. He’s not been so well and I’ve not been so well, but on a day like this, it’s also important to celebrate life. For me, nothing does that like time on the land with my animals.  I suspect Catherine would understand that, too.

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(first posted 2/13/12)

For the past week, I’ve been tweeting about Elyse Rescue Puppy.

Elyse was left at an Albuquerque pound at the age of six weeks old. Way off on the East Coast, an eagle-eyed rescue worker spotted her situation and–of all the dogs she’s helped to new homes–chose Elyse to be her own. An Albuquerque rescue worker pulled Elyse from the pound and homed her for two weeks as the call went out for a new Rescue Road Warriors transport route: a long and deftly stitched chain of 90-minute driving legs over two weekends.

My leg was the first–from Albuquerque to Santa Rosa. There, Catherine Bugg took two legs to get Elyse to Amarillo, Texas.

So over the past week, I’ve been on Twitter and FaceBook, blurting out my excitement. “We’re going to get to help Elyse!” “I’m going to pick up Elyse for her overnight stay before we leave!” “ConneryBeagle loves Elyse!” “We’re heading out with Elyse–!” She was 8 weeks old at that point, a 6-pound brindle bundle of energy and personality.

There wasn’t any particular weather forecast for the day, but we soon ran into a strange, thick and freezing Twilight Zone fog–I even took pictures of it, trying to capture its eerie nature. It waxed and waned, and followed us into Santa Rosa.

We met Catherine, and talked about Elyse’s travel accommodations and Catherine’s extensive experience with transport. She was cheerful, friendly, and absolutely dedicated to what she was doing–I remember thinking, “I’d like to have this woman as a friend.” We also talked about the weather, which had been better on her side of Santa Rosa.

It didn’t stay that way.

Shortly after I returned home and made my report to the transport chain, I received a phone call from Kerin, the coordinator for this Rescue Road Warrior transport. She was crying, and in short order, so was I.

TUCUMCARI, N.M. (KRQE) – An animal-rescue volunteer and the adopted puppy she was helping relay to its new owner died Saturday when freezing fog iced over Interstate 40 in Tucumcari.

Catherine Bugg of Tucumcari had picked up the puppy in Santa Rosa and was headed to Amarillo, Texas, when her pickup slid off I-40 and into oncoming traffic Saturday morning and hit a tractor-trailer rig.

The weather was freakish, sudden, and catastrophic, layering hidden black ice over the road, and now we mourn for an exceptional woman and the little piece of hope who was with her.

Catherine making a rescue dog transport exchange (Amy Franks, photo)

I talked to Catherine’s friend Christina today. On the one hand, I wanted to know more about this kindred spirit. On the other, I wanted everyone else to know, too. Because a life such as Catherine’s deserves tribute…and it deserves to be honored by the ongoing support for the causes about which she not only felt so deeply, but that she also did something about. You think I’m kidding? Just look at this.

She was a volunteer firefighter.

She was a volunteer reader for children–and she never let them down, even when it meant missing important events.

She started food co-op in the small, remote town of Tucumcari, changing the lives of those in a community with limited access to healthy food.

She was one of six foundation volunteers who started Quay County Rescue, funding it, organizing it, and providing the people power. She drove transport; she fostered dogs; she did adoption events. And as small as it is, the Tucumcari Rescue group still managed to make national news with their above-and-beyond efforts to return a Maltese to the family who had lost him a year earlier in their own tragic accident–the publicity from that event has helped to keep them going. In 2008, the euthanasia rates in Tucumcari were five times higher than the national average. Now? They’re just about down to nothing.

******

Catherine was raised in Santa Fe and led a fairly privileged early life, but when she came to Tucumcari, she plunged into support and volunteer activities and was adopted as one of their own. She put her journalist’s degree to work at the Quay County Sun, and her lively personality to work at KTMM as an announcer and talk show host. Nine years ago she became a single mother when her husband Allen passed away from West Nile; her son Quinten now lives in Tucumcari with his wife Cara and the step-daughter Catherine loved dearly. Catherine’s parents still live in Santa Fe, and her adventurous family is otherwise spread between Alaska and New Zealand. She recently found joy in a new relationship, a man named Jimmy whom she mentioned to me with a little bit of extra sparkle in her expression.

In other words, that first impression of mine… it was on the money and then some. Catherine was smart and savvy and she had a wicked sense of humor; she always found a way to make things good and positive and she didn’t carry a grudge. She paid it forward, sideways, and every which way but loose, making changes that made a difference.

It must run in the family. For what I’m hearing from those who were close to Catherine is how important it is to them that her work survives…and goes on.

Quay County Rescue (Petfinder #NM144; quaycountyanimals@yahoo.com) would love to continue what Catherine helped them start. They receive no funding from any outside agency; they manage on personal funds and donations. They’re accepting donations in Catherine’s memory.

There are two accounts at which donations are being accepted–the local vet hospital and the local feed store; there, donations are applied directly against expenses. Please mention that the donation is in Catherine’s memory.

Send to:

The Animal Rescue Fund at Tucumcari Animal Hospital
101 North 10th St
Tucumcari, NM 88401

Tucumcari Ranch Supply
Animal Rescue Account
502 S. Lake Street
Tucumcari, NM 88401

Catherine’s story is a compelling one; the rescue has already heard from those as far away as China. For Catherine and Elyse–two brave hearts in two very different packages who we lost far, far too early–this blog, these efforts to fund Catherine’s rescue work–are tributes forward. I hope you’ll join me in spreading the word.

By Patty Wilber

Remodel update first.  The floors are grouted and sealed! The Mex Seal tile sealer is probably toxic and has taken 10 years off my life and 20 years off the contractor’s life, but hey!  The floors are beautiful!

The inlaid talavera tile really adds flair! (I am practicing for a new job as an ad writer...)

The stub wall is in and the top is oak baseboard salvaged from the Old Albuquerque High School, complete with character marks!    The transitions between the tiles and the existing (faux) wood floors are the same stuff.  For some reason, that AHS wood really pleases me.

This coming week: we get to finish the painting, change out two light fixtures and move some furniture (SOME  I said SOME!) back in.

*********************************************************

And now back to our regularly scheduled program.

I recently made sauerkraut. Sauerkraut, as you may know,  is fermented cabbage.

Here is how you make it.

Get a crock.  Chop some cabbage, add some sea salt, more cabbage, sea salt, etc.

Normal salt is iodized to prevent goiter–the thyroid needs iodine.  This iodine impairs the bacterial fermenters necessary for the conversion of cabbage to kraut.  Store bought salt also has anti-caking agents (who knew?). That is why Morton Salt’s slogan “When it rains, it pours” works. Those anti-cakers do not make the microbes happy.

Need natural salt. 

Go on line.  Be dismayed.  Or amazed.  There are salts of all colors! Sizes!  Flavors!

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt. Huh? Mined from "salt caves that were formed 250 million years ago as ocean salt settled in certain geologic pockets around the earth". Oh.

I picked gray salt.  It was economical.

Pack the salted cabbage, tightly.  Add sea-salty water if the cabbage doesn’t make its own brine in a day or so.  Add a weight, and wait….

…a few days if it is warm and a few weeks if your house doubles as an ice box (which, incidentally, also really retards the drying of plaster, grout and Mex Seal).

I used red and white cabbage and at first it looked like:  red and white cabbage in salt water.  It tasted that way, too.

From the History of Sauerkraut website!

Eventually, fermentation began and now I have crazy pink sauerkraut!

This isn't mine, but looks just like it!

It tastes like sauerkraut, but the cabbage is still crunchy, unlike the stuff you can get at CostCo to put on your dollar hot dog.

How the heck does this work?  And what does this have to do with a) horses and b) silage?

Works like this: Bacteria are already present on the cabbage.  Salt inhibits other undesirable bacteria and keeping the whole mess tightly packed and underwater creates anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions.  The lack of oxygen inhibits  mold and other unwanted bacteria.

Our preferred cabbage fermenters are lactic acid producers and once they get going, acid accumulates, and  sauerkraut develops its characteristic sour  flavor–which evolves over time due to changes in lactic acid concentration as well as the effect of the acid on the cabbage.  The saltiness seems to diminish.

Fermentation is an ancient method of preservation! (Sourdough starter, beer–there was no water on ships because the water would go bad!, yogurt, cheese, fermented sausage–like dry salami!)

These foods are chock full of living bacteria that can help us regain a thriving bacterial ecosystem in our guts.

Regain?

One current hypothesis regarding the increasing prevalence of lupus, autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, depression, and more, (of course more!) in the U.S., is that antibiotic use has disrupted the normal bacterial ecosystem of our guts.  Eating diets high in fermented foods, can, in part, restore the balance.  See the GAPS diet for more info — from one source.

I have recently (I teach microbiology remember, so I am not just pulling this out of my … hmmm lots of bacteria there…) have come to the conclusion that we need to start to practice ecosystem management on our own gastrointestinal system!  The very  habitat that may be home to 30,000 species of microbiota.

Sauerkraut!

So, making sauerkraut sparked my interested in silage.  Or balage.  Or haylage. And that’s where the horses come in.

Fermented feed.

In case you want to make your own, you can just go build a great big crock–most people call this a silo.  Then add chopped greens, pack it down and it starts to ferment, just like the cabbage, creating silage. The fermentation is even due to the same bacterial organisms.

Ok, it is not quite that easy.  The moisture content is important, avoid any dirt in there–prevent botulism–, pack tightly, creating anaerobic conditions, don’t fall in the silage and disappear in the mix, or suffocate due to the lack of oxygen, or get poisoned by nitrogen dioxide, a by-product gas, or blow up the silo when a spark ignites the loose dry silage in the air…or pollute your stream due to the silage ooze leaking out the bottom…

Ensilage the easy way.  Bale the field and encase the bales in plastic.  Instant fermenting vat.  So long as the plastic does not tear.  If so, air gets in and the bale does not ferment. It molds. We can add anti-molding agents and a nice mix of bacterial fermenters to our silage, too, to help it along.

If it works and fermentation occurs,  this balage (an ensiled bale) can be fed to  to cows and horses.  (If it was alfalfa, some would call it haylage.)

Some sources claim the nutrient content of silage is the same as normally baled hay.  Others say it is different enough that there is a limit to the amount of silage a horse should eat.  In case you are contemplating this diet for your equine, more research than my little bit is needed.

It sounds kind of complicated, so why ensile anything at all?

In New Mexico, for horses, there is probably no good reason.  Our forages dry easily, more often than not are baled traditionally without being damaged by rain, and store quite well, even outside.

But in Northern Europe, turns out that due to weather conditions, high quality traditionally baled hay is difficult to produce and to store.  So, bag those bales!  This decreases crop loss, and creates effective storage while providing a quality feed.

Balage. Bagged bales.

In New Mexico, silage is produced from small grain crops like wheat, rye and barley.  This, apparently, is mostly for cattle.  Wheat is a good choice because it gives the grower flexibility–if everything goes well, the wheat can be grown for the grain itself, but if prices fall or the crop has other issues, baling in regular bales or ensilage for use as dairy cattle feed is a viable use of the crop!

And I always thought those big plastic covered mounds near dairies were composting manure. Nope.  Silage!  Who knew! (I love the Internet!)

Silage--it looks like manure, doesn't it?

 And that is the end of my fermented tale!