Stages of Aging on Horseback...

Stage I:  Fall off pony. Bounce. Laugh. Climb back on. Repeat.

Stage 2:  Fall off horse. Run after horse, cussing. Climb back on by shimmying up horse’s neck. Ride until sundown.

Stage 3:  Fall off horse. Use sleeve of shirt to stanch bleeding. Have friend help you get back on horse. Take two Advil and apply ice packs when you get home. Ride next day.

State 4:  Fall off horse. Refuse advice to call ambulance; drive self to urgent care clinic. Entertain nursing staff with tales of previous daredevil stunts on horseback. Back to riding before cast comes off.

Stage 5:  Fall off horse. Temporarily forget name of horse and name of husband. Flirt shamelessly with paramedics when they arrive. Spend week in hospital while titanium pins are screwed in place. Start riding again before doctor gives official okay.

Stage 6: Fall off horse. Fail to see any humor when hunky paramedic says, “You again?” Gain firsthand knowledge of advances in medical technology thanks to stint in ICU. Convince self that permanent limp isn't that noticeable. Promise husband you’ll give up riding. One week later purchase older, slower, shorter horse.

Stage 7:  Slip off horse. Relieved when artificial joints and implanted medical devices seem unaffected. Tell husband that scrapes and bruises are due to gardening accident. Pretend you don’t see husband roll his eyes and mutter as he walks away. Give apple to horse.
Stage 8: Switch to Minis!!!   

Changed this just a little...... 

Angels for Minis - Miniature Horse Rescue

I'm no stranger to non-profit work, I managed one back in the 80's that did relief work in Somali. In 2003 I was a founding director of Chance's Miniature Horse Rescue with Kay Baxter, Nila Young, Virginia St. Pierre and Robin Cole.  

It's hard work, often unbearably hard,that can literally suck every minute out of your day.  It's also highly fulfilling and worthwhile work.  We're very fortunate here in Northern California to have a wonderful resource in Angels for Minis Rescue.

I first met Mary and some of the wonderful helpers of Angels at the unpleasantly-necessary but OMG-yeah-it's-finally-happened seizure and sale of the animals from that infamous piece of work in Southern Oregon in 2012.   Since then I hadn't had much contact with Angels (yes guilty of not helping like I should!), until a couple weeks ago, when a Facebook friend (Chanda Brandt - thank you btw!) posted a recent rescue from Horse Plus Humane Society.

I knew one day it would happen and one (or more) of my horses would end up in a rescue situation - heck I've taken back some really bad cases over the years (see photos below).  But they came back to ME, not a rescue!  I immediately shot off an email to Horse+ with the pertinent info and identification photos of Zorro, a horse I hadn't seen in seven+ years. (FYI - I keep files on every horse I've owned and all that I've bred if you have or get one!)

Horse+ called the next day and I spoke with them briefly as I was heading out of town. They told me Zorro and all the stallions would be gelded and there wouldn't be a problem finding him a new home, but if I wanted him to fill out an application and send a deposit of $50 against his $400 adoption fee.  I was a tad surprised at that, as I know there will be costs involved with gelding and rescues need every penny they can collect, but for a horse they'd had literally a matter of days?

(BTW - Zorro would make a great driving gelding - he's half-brother to Las Doradas Cajun Rhythm and has nice movement - besides being pretty!!!)

Wesco Farms LM Cajuns Masked Man aka Zorro

Anyway, Horse+ gave me Angels telephone number as they were the original contact and collected the horses from the owners.  I immediately called Mary and asked if she had Bonnie.  She confirmed she did and offered her to me for a reduced fee as I was her breeder.  I also provided information from the studbook to verify everything for all the horses that had been surrendered.  Emailed my application to Angels and made arrangements to get Bonnie.

Less than a week later, my good friend Jenn Davis  and I were motoring off to get Bonnie in my recently renovated van (thank you Holly Bradshaw!).  We arrived, saw Bonnie and met a couple other mares in with her, including her four year old daughter that took an immediate shine to Jenn!  So yes, we left with two not one!

Or I should say after a half hour of working, shoving, bribing, pushing, dragging we got Bonnie and her daughter in my van!  Thanks to Mary's helper or we might still be there!

Both of the horses did great on the ride home, well Noname (Jenn hasn't named her yet), did a bit of screaming and pawing, but otherwise it was uneventful.

The two have settled in in their private pen (quarantine and TLC time) next to the house.

Bonnie and Noname from my deck their first night.

Noname is coming around and is such a sweet, friendly mare - she's right there the moment you poke your head out the door and follows you around like a puppy!  Bonnie, is much as I remember her (like her dam) still sketchy about where she is and takes some warming up, but we'll convince her!  She has done some calling, so we're not sure if she's excited by the horses in general or recognizes some of her old buddies and her two half-sisters.

We did move them to a new pen yesterday (Noname is leaving this week), between our TLC group (aka founder or overweight!) with Ringo on the other side - he's thrilled to have mares next to him - and a Ringo proof fence works! He can talk to them, but can't manage a surprise Ringo baby next year!

This story ended well.  Not all do - see pics below.


I do encourage ANYONE that is facing difficulties with keeping their Minis to please contact Angels before your horses are in deplorable condition.  It's a kindness to have them go to a new home, rather than suffer from hunger, or need their hooves done or vet care, etc. like these - I got from someone that didn't think she was a "Bad Mommy"!!!  I mean literally.  She told me that on the phone hours after we'd brought these ones home.

Two Minis from a group I got back from a Hoarder.  Filly on left hadn't ever been trimmed at a year. 

The mare on right normally weighs about 300lbs.  See original article here.

Angels for Minis is there to help without judging and they're a wonderful resource for our community!  We all know - shit really does happen - often we don't have the control of where life goes.  No time or energy or money or health issues to deal with everything and life can easily slip into a permanent state of overwhelmed.  If that happens - give them a call - Angels is there to help before it gets really bad.

######

If you are looking to adopt a pet Mini or a companion, you may want to contact Angels - I'm perfectly happy selling you a horse btw! - but realize it is a volunteer run organization, so be patient.

Also understand these are rescues - often with health or personality issues, no papers, pedigrees or information, etc. I was lucky that someone spotted Zorro and the owners surrendered them all with their paperwork.  Most do not come with alot of information!  

The Minis may need to some work and are not child-friendly out the door.  They can become pocket-pets, but may need 1v1 TLC!  So if you are not experienced with unruly horses, spend the extra dollars to get a safe horse if you have children from a reputable breeder or find a trainer!

Also, if you do not own a Mini currently and do adopt - consider getting two.  Yes it costs more, but horses are herd animals and do better in a herd situation! I tell people that when they come to buy, but it always sounds like I'm trying to sell them another horse!

If you're unable to help foster, adopt, etc., and could use a tax deductible donation - Angels is a 501-c3 non-profit!  

Upward Pateller Fixation

** reposting this great article for info purposes **

Upward Pateller Fixation

From Petcaretips.net

Reprinted from: The Atlanta Equine Clinic

http://petcaretips.net/horse_lameness.html

Intermittent upward patellar fixation is a condition whereby the horse’s pelvic limb temporarily "locks" in extension. As a result, there is a delay in flexion of the limb. The delay in flexion can range from milli-seconds to over several minutes. A short delay in flexion may manifest only as a subtle pelvic limb asymmetry or lameness; severely affected horses (with a long delay in flexion) may be unable to flex the affected limb without assistance.

What is the "Patella"? The horse’s stifle joint is analogous to the human knee. Just like humans, horses have a patella, or "knee cap", which slides along the distal aspect of the femur (thigh bone) during flexion of the joint. The patella slides within a groove (called the trochlear groove) and serves as a fulcrum for the extensor muscles and their tendons as they course over the front of the stifle (or knee) joint. The patella is attached proximally to the quadriceps and biceps femoris muscles and distally to the tibia. In humans, the patella is attached to the tibia by one distal patellar ligament. Horses have 3 distal patellar ligaments: the medial patellar ligament, the middle patellar ligament, and the lateral patellar ligament.

How does the horse ‘lock’ the pelvic limb? Horses have the ability to lock (or fixate) the pelvic limb in extension. This is possible due to the unique anatomy associated with the horse’s stifle joint. The proximal aspect of the medial femoral trochlea is shaped similar to a hook or ski jump. By placing the space between the medial and middle patellar ligaments over this hook, horses can "lock" their pelvic limbs in extension. Once locked, minimal effort is required to maintain limb extension. A similar locking apparatus in the thoracic limbs allows horses to sleep while standing. Therefore, patellar fixation while standing is a normal process in the horse.


What is ‘intermittent upward patellar fixation’? Although patellar fixation is normal in the standing horse, it can produce pelvic limb dysfunction if it occurs during exercise. Inadvertent locking of the patella over the medial femoral trochlea prevents normal flexion of the affected limb(s). Consequently, pelvic limb asymmetry and lameness frequently become evident.

What causes upward patellar fixation? There are 3 primary causes of upward patellar fixation in the horse:

• Lack of fitness: Lack of quadriceps and/or biceps femoris muscle tone results in an inability to quickly pull the patella up and off of the medial femoral trochlea.
• Straight or upright pelvic limb conformation: This places the medial femoral trochlea further distad in closer proximity with the patella, facilitating patellar fixation.
• Excessive distal patellar ligament length: This places the patella proximad in closer proximity with the medial femoral trochlea, where it can inadvertently "catch" or "lock"
• It should be noted that the factors which cause upward patellar fixation are often interrelated. For example, an unfit horse will generally have increased laxity (and therefore increased length) of the distal patellar ligaments. Furthermore, if unfitness is secondary to another disease process (such as neurologic disease), intermittent upward fixation may also occur secondarily. Therefore, it is important to assess the horse as a whole prior to determining the cause for upward patellar fixation.

What are the clinical signs?

Horses with intermittent upward patellar fixation will exhibit clinical signs during their attempt to flex the pelvic limb from an extended position. In acute severe cases, the pelvic limb may stay locked in extension. The horse may not be able to flex the stifle and tarsus without assistance. In some instances, the condition may temporarily resolve only to recur after taking a few steps. These signs are quite obvious and diagnosis is relatively simple if the condition is severe. Most of the time, however, there is only a "catching" of the patella as it slides up and over the hook and the limb does not truly lock in extension. In this situation, there may only be a mild pelvic limb asymmetry or lameness. This type of lameness can be easily confused with other problems and therefore may present a dilemma in regard to accurate diagnosis.

Following are common clinical signs associated with mild to moderate forms of intermittent upward patellar fixation:

Non-weightbearing pelvic limb lameness

1. This may be distinguished from tarsal (hock) soreness which is usually weightbearing in nature 
2. The horse will frequently drag the toe of the affected limb(s) during exercise

Visible wearing of the dorsal aspect of the toe/shoe may be apparent.

1. The foot of the affected limb(s) will have a low-arc flight pattern
2. The horse will usually exhibit a shortened cranial phase to the stride

Resistance in the canter

1. The horse will resist the canter, particularly if circled toward the more affected limb
2. Resistance may be most noticeable during the transition between the trot and canter, when the horse is forced to extend the pelvic limb for a prolonged period
3. Many horses will toss their head, rear, or stop when asked to canter. This may be due to their "anticipation" of impending upward patellar fixation.
4. The horse would rather trot than canter (which is harder for the normal horse)

Consistent lead changes or cantering on the wrong lead

1. The horse avoids prolonged pelvic limb extension with the affected limb. This is particularly apparent when cantering in a circle towards the affected limb.
2. The canter is very rough or "bouncy"
3. This occurs as a result of consistent delay in pelvic limb flexion from the extended position

Swelling, heat, and/or pain may be associated with one or both stifle joints

1. Upward patellar fixation causes patellar instability which in turn may result in femoropatellar synovitis

The horse drags his hind toes during exercise
Resistance and/or difficulty when walking up and down hills, or when backing up

1. These situations force the horse to extend the pelvic limb for a prolonged period
2. Rather then fully extend the pelvic limb(s), the horse may "crouch" while walking
3. Rather than flex the pelvic limb(s) normally, horses will often swing their limbs to the outside
4. This may cause the lameness to be confused with neurologic disease (such as EPM or stringhalt)

Lameness is most severe when the horse is first taken out of the stall

1. Many horses will improve as the workout progresses

Lameness becomes more obvious following an extended period of stall rest

1. Loss of muscle and patellar ligament tone exacerbate the upward patellar fixation
2. The horse does not improve (and may worsen) as a result of taking time off

The horse does not respond to anti-inflammatory (e.g. Phenylbutazone) therapy

1. Intermittent upward patellar fixation is a mechanical problem and is not inflammatory-mediated

As with many cases of pelvic limb lameness, secondary abnormalities such as thoracolumbar ebaxial (back) and proximal thoracic suspensory ligament soreness are also present. These are generally detected during the passive lameness evaluation and are suggestive of chronic pelvic limb asymmetry/ lameness.

How is upward patellar fixation diagnosed?

Clinical signs are characteristic and, if the limb is locked in extension (i.e. the case is severe), diagnosis is simple. As previously mentioned, however, most cases are mild and diagnosis may be more difficult. A detailed history and careful clinical evaluation are essential parts of a proper workup. One helpful diagnostic aid involves placing the horse in one or more situations where prolonged pelvic limb extension is normally required. Such situations include walking up and down hills, the trot-to-canter transition, and backing up. When confronted with these situations, the affected horse will either 1) demonstrate upward patellar fixation by temporarily locking the pelvic limb, or 2) cheat by switching leads, swinging the limbs to the outside, avoiding pelvic limb extension, etc.
Many times, a slight hitch or "catch" is visible as the pelvic limb begins to flex from an extended position. This "catch" is most easily detected by visualizing the point of the hock as the horse picks the limb up to advance it cranially. Infrequently, an audible "snap" or popping sound is also evident during exercise (particularly walking).

In many instances, upward patellar fixation can be produced in affected horses by manually forcing the patella upward and outward. The examiner may actually be able to keep the pelvic limb locked in extension using minimal effort.

Since the problem is usually secondary to conformation and/or level of fitness, it is almost always bilateral. However, affected horses historically exhibit clinical signs in one pelvic limb. It is not until the more affected limb is successfully treated that a problem in the contralateral limb is manifested.


How is upward patellar fixation treated?

Currently, there are 5 forms of treatment for intermittent upward patellar fixation:

1. Exercise: Lack of fitness results in decreased thigh muscle and patellar ligament tone. With decreased supporting muscle and ligament tone, it becomes easier for the patella to lock on the femur and harder for it to replace within the trochlear groove. In subtle cases of upward patellar fixation where conformation is relatively good, increased exercise alone may result in resolution of the problem.  We frequently ask the client to grade the level of their horse’s current level of fitness on a scale of 1 to 10 (1=very unfit; 10=extremely fit). We suggest achieving a fitness level of at least 7-8 (if possible) prior to pursuing other forms of treatment. This will rule out unfitness as a major contributor to the problem as well as increase the effect of other therapy.
2. Corrective Shoeing: Since fixation of the patella occurs when the pelvic limb is extended, prolonging the extension phase of the stride can make "unlocking" more difficult. Alternatively, shortening the amount of time the pelvic limb spends in extension allows the horse to unlock his/her patella before the distal patellar ligaments become excessively tight. Since the conformation of the distal pelvic limb and/or the toe length is intimately related to pelvic limb breakover, the farrier can frequently alleviate the problem via corrective trimming/shoeing. Rolling and/or rockering the toe of the shoe, applying a full (egg-) bar shoe, and/or the use of wedged pads (when needed) are commonly used techniques. In many cases, we are able to help the pelvic limbs break over before intermittent upward patellar fixation occurs.
3. Hormonal Therapy: The administration of estrogen has shown to prove benefical for some horses exhibiting intermittent upward patellar fixation. The presence of estrogen within the body of the horse may increase tension of various supporting ligaments. These include the collateral, suspensory, cruciate, and distal patellar ligaments. Increasing distal patellar ligament tension helps to relocate the patellar further distad, thereby making upward patellar fixation more difficult. This in turn may alleviate clinical signs.  It should be noted that estrogen is also a powerful behavior modificator in the horse. It is often used for stallions and geldings that are excessively difficult to handle, aggressive towards people or other horses, or overly anxious at shows and other events. Estrogen is very effective at reducing anxiety and resistance as well as improving overall behavior in these horses. Treatment usually consists of 2 injections of estrogen (25mg) in the muscle twice weekly for 4 consecutive weeks, then as needed thereafter. Administration of estrogen to mares usually causes them to exhibit clinical signs of estrus (heat). Since this change in behavior is generally undesirable, we do not recommend its use in mares.
4.  Intraligamentous Infusion of Counterirritant: This form of therapy is usually referred to as "blistering". Blistering involves the inject of an irritative substance into soft tissue(s) in an attempt to create an inflammatory reaction. The irritative substance usually consists of iodine 2% in an almond oil base. This substance can elicit an inflammatory response for up to 30 days depending on the amount used and the location of injection. It is important to remember that fibrosis and scar tissue formation within normal soft tissues will occur as a result of severe inflammation. As you know, scar tissue does not function like normal soft tissue. Therefore, blistering in certain areas may inhibit proper function of associated soft tissue. It is for this reason that The Atlanta Equine Clinic typically does not institute blistering as typical form of treatment for soft tissue problems.  However, in the case of intermittent upward patellar fixation, we gain a biomechanical advantage by replacing normal tissue with scar tissue. The infusion of counterirritant within and around the medial and middle patellar ligaments results in the elicitation of an intense inflammatory reaction by the horse’s body. With inflammation, fibrosis and scarring of the patellar ligaments occur. During the scarring process, soft tissues will contract (shorten). As the patellar ligaments shorten, the patella is pulled up and over the hook of the medial femoral trochlea and into its normal position within the trochlear groove. At this point, it becomes more difficult for the horse to lock the patella and easier to flex the pelvic limb from an extended position. In our hands, this from of treatment has been extremely effective in a vast majority of cases involving intermittent upward patellar fixation.
5. Medial Patellar Desmotomy: The medial patella ligament is one of the key structures (along with the patella and middle patellar ligament) that is required to lock the patella on the femur. Since the problem represents the horse’s inability to quickly disengage the patella from the medial femoral trochlea, surgical resection of the medial patellar ligament results in complete resolution of the problem. Once the medial patellar ligament is resected, upward patellar fixation becomes impossible and the clinical signs associated with this condition disappear. Consequently, this has become a very popular form of treatment for horses with intermittent upward patellar fixation.  It is extremely important to note, however, that the medial patellar ligament also performs another function: stabilization of the patella within the trochlear groove of the femur. Without tension from the medial patellar ligament, the patella becomes unstable within the femoropatellar joint. Femoropatellar synovitis and frequently osteoarthritis result. Since the stifle is high-motion in nature, chronic inflammation within this joint poses a significant concern in regard to future performance soundness. Persistent femoropatellar joint inflammation typically needs to be addressed on a continual basis and often requires considerable maintenance therapy. It is for this reason that The Atlanta Equine Clinic views this form of treatment inappropriate except for the most severe of cases that have proven refractory to the other forms of therapy.

Other resources:

The Horse Doctor: Stifle Issues
DVM 360: Inside the equine stifle
Burlingston Equine Vet Services: Stifle Disease

Update midyear 2012

We're on the downward side of 2012, the economy sucks, hay prices are high ($14 a bale here), drought is predicting higher food prices and we have a presidential election coming up with two candidates that, well I wish there was a third.

But other than that life is good.  It could be better, but it could be a hell of a lot worse!

We've been fortunate this year, as we've exceeded our goals on reducing our herd number.  We started 2012 with 52 Minis and are currently at 30. That definitely was more leaving to new homes than I'd hoped for, so yeah!  We still have a few left on the sales list - three of the nicest colts/junior stallions we've produced as well as a couple of under 28" mares and one retiree.  There are a couple other mares I'm considering selling, but haven't made it up for sale yet!

I'm very excited to see what some of the horses that went to other breeders produce in 2013 and on, plus it's great to have new (and old) friends planning breeding and training with horses that we've raised.  Always nice to think you're going in the right direction!

So where does that leave us?

We have six or so that I class as retired or pets; three breeding stallions: Topper, Jelly and Ringo; and fifteen breeding age mares: Una, Jiji, Valentina, Sarah, Dresden, Annie, Remy, Comet, Patsy, Swan, Baybee, Savvy, Blessings and Rose.

It really is nice to be in the ballpark of what I'd planned to have as our total Mini herd back in 1999. Too bad it only took 12 1/2 years to get there!  What a roller coaster of learning it's been. You sometimes wish you could have a do-over, but I'm not sure what I'd change. I figure for each negative there have been some immense positives. Horses I wouldn't have, friends I never would have met, etc.

What's in store now?

One getting caught up on all the outstanding registration paperwork before the end of the year.

Two, as we chose to NOT breed in 2012 as we were reducing the herd numbers (although Ringo did jump the fence one day, so we have have some Ringo 'gifts' in April 2013), we are considering breeding in 2013. Which ones and how many will really be determined by the economy more than anything.  I tend to see-saw between breeding the proven mares and breeding the ones I've never bred (some are past five years old now).

Three, my never-ending search for the perfect stallion. I really don't see me getting another stallion until 2014, but I'm keeping my eye out.  I will eventually find that under 31" bay or black homozygous pinto, proven, aged 3-11, double registered, with a show record stallion one day!  Yeah, I know not sure 'exactly' what I want right? lol  That and hopefully adding another mare or two over the next year or so.

Four, rejoicing in a lower feed/farrier bill for the remainder of the year.  It does look a bit empty out here, considering in 2010 I had close to 70 Minis.  That is another consideration come Spring 63 acres of spring growth grass and less than 30 Minis - founder may be a concern for the first time. So, I'm thinking on how best to rotate horses around to avoid that.


Just because - here's a couple of photos.

Kind of hard to see, but that's Noomi and Cleo (Great Pyreness) watching the road. From this hill they can see out to our road and behind them down to house and up/down to where the horses are.  They so darn smart!

Binks - unbrushed/ungroomed waiting for his farrier trim.  Excuse the crap in the background, we were doing some down/dirty registration pics and of course he looked pretty nice.  If we'd had him 'posed' somewhere scenic, I wouldn't have got two that were decent!

Binks (Wesco Farms Best Guesstimate FF)

You can see the mare/gelding herd up on the hill watching and waiting for breakfast.

Baby Tox, being tormented by the humans.  His first trim (we missed his original appointment) and halter trauma.  He was 100% sure I was going to eat him, but what a fiesty little guy, he really thinks he's all that and a bag of chips!

Tox (Wesco Farms DN Gamebreaker) we 'thought' was black at birth but he's turning into a gorgeous dark bay.  He has the 'tude and movement to be a wonderful show prospect.  Now to get some decent photos of him.

Mare Stare

and the sleepless nights continue....

Yes, it's that time of year and the Mares are doing the usual "keep them guessing" game.  Jenn Davis is here foaling out her mares, and Baroness, the first to foal, waited until I drove away the other day, sneaky wench that she is!  Less than 10 minutes after I left (we ASSUME, she though we all left), she popped out her new daughter.  Later that night her half sister Honeybun, graced Imperial Acres with a gorgeous red colt (sired by Demon).

Now we're on the wait mode as Savvy and Gemini seem to want to attain the proportions of beached whales!

Breeding dates, I know Savvy only has a matter of days left (okay a couple weeks, but it sounds better to my sleep deprived brain to think in days!).

January 9th update

So what's up with the weather?  Granted it it's gloriously warm, but it's the first time I've ever seen sprinklers and irrigation going in January or actually had to water plants.  I do hope the rain will eventually come!  Not missing the mud, but definitely missing the green!


The horses are all doing fantastic, and we're getting ready for the 2012 sell down.  It's time to get serious with meeting my goals of under 30 Minis, so this year is it!  We've reduced prices on many of the sale horses, are posting ads and are ready to make some deals.  There are a few more horses that will be added to the website, but we have 25 for sale right now.



Cricket aka Wesco Farms TC Defiantly Different, (WCR Top Cop x Wesco Farms LM Rowdys Anticipation), just left for her new home on Saturday.  Going to miss her, but she went to a great place.

Cricket - Wesco Farms TC Defiantly Different

This came across Facebook today:

To all of my horse friends you will understand........To everybody else you will now understand why us horse people are crazy. I love this......

Ten Ways To Get In Shape To Own A Horse

1. Drop a heavy steel object on your foot. Don't pick it up right away. Shout "Get off, stupid! Get off!"

2. Leap out of a moving vehicle and practice "Relaxing into the fall". Roll lithely into a ball, and spring to your feet!

3. Learn to grab your checkbook out of your purse/pocket and write out a $200 check without even looking down.

4. Jog long distances carrying a halter and holding out a carrot. Go ahead and tell the neighbors what you're doing. They might as well know now.

5. Affix a pair of reins to a moving freight train and practice pulling it to a halt. And smile as if you are really having fun.

6. Hone your fibbing skills. "See hon, moving hay bales is fun!" and "I'm glad your lucky performance and multi-million dollar horse won you first place - I'm just thankful that my hard work and actual ability won me second place".

7. Practice dialing your chiropractors number with both arms paralyzed to the shoulder, and one foot anchoring the lead rope of a frisky horse.

8. Borrow the US Army slogan; "Be all that you can be'. . . (add) bitten, thrown, kicked, slimed, trampled."

9. Lie face down in the mud in your most expensive riding clothes and repeat to yourself: "This is a learning experience, this is a learning experience . . ."

10. Marry Money!

Off to Oz!

What's with this wind?  OMG!

It tore the tarp off one shelter into shreds - one of those can withstand mega wind type tarps!  Apparently it never was meant for the winds of Winters! LOL!

It also destroyed a rubbermaid storage building - lost the roof and a door - what a waste, then a stand of decorative pots went flying and shattered across the deck.  Bleah!

Hopefully this will pass by tonight, I think I wore more hay then the horses got to eat sadly this morning too.


On a brighter note:

The grass is growing, horses are healthy and it's sunny if not warm!

Our newest puppy,  Pup-Pup (yea we're so creative with names at times), is doing great.  She's already wanting to be a watcher with Auntie Noomi.  Pup-pup is a 3/4 Pyrenees 1/4 Maremma sweetie.  Here she is with my daughter Anya.  She's 12+ weeks old and loves to be outside.  A bit skeptical about the horses though as she's been chased by a couple and bit by one.  But she has a nice bark on her already.

Mini News:

I hope everyone read the news on AMHR half-price for hard-shipping from AMHA in 2012!  I know I have a couple that will finally get done!

We did reprice some of the horses on our sales list, and will be working on updating our website this month and adding more.  I finally came to the conclusion if I only want 25-30, ALL the rest need to go on the sales list then!

Happy Holidays

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, it's been a rough 2011 for many, but I remind myself - we that live in the USA are still better off than a high percentage of the rest of the world.

I'm thankful for all I have, even though I may whine a blue streak and have some random pity parties, I'm sincerely thankful for what I have in my life.

Heading towards the New Year, we're still working on reducing the herd, but in this economy I'm not pushing the sales very hard.  Too many people are in financial predicaments, and I hate to see someone take on payments that can easily get away from them.  That and its hard to compete with the number of low quality horses for sale on Craigs List for $200, makes selling registered good quality horses hard.

But considering my life circumstances and the changes coming in the next year. I don't have options but to keep working to find good homes for the ones that need to move along.  My goal is to get under 30, which means half the herd has to leave in the next two years.

It's going to be hard, but that's the goal!  So, I need to get all the horses that are for sale on the sales list - bleah! Not a fun project, but its time.

I've also decided as I want to get to a certain number, I'm not breeding in 2012 and may not in 2013 depending on how life works out.

Fortunately it's been raining so our hills are green - got to love Northern California winters - and the horses are loving the extra pasture.

A couple of the sale colts:

Wesco Farms Bamboozler

Wesco Farms Best Guesstimate

 Wesco Farms Twist of Fate

Finally weaning the babies

We're finally weaning the 2011 foals - Baily (Wesco Farms TC Ascended Allure), Cricket (Wesco Farms TC Defiantly Different) and Jitters (Wesco Farms TC Up All Night) - much to their annoyance.  

Cricket is pretty much self-weaned, as her dam.  Chiclet (Cricket's grand-dam) has always had very independent babies, and apparently Annie is following suit.

Bailey is still very much a momma's girl, so I think she'll take it the hardest.  But considering she's the oldest at seven months I think it's time.

Jitters falls somewhere in the middle.  He's not dependent on his dam, Val, but does like to go to her when he feels the need.

Callita, and Rose are in their as support - they've been with the foals since birth and Sarah and April are there as well - until I'm sure April is not going to relapse with her colic.

Colic time

It's heading into winter and with the weather change, I always anticipate some mild colic as the horses get upset stomachs.  We have something on our property (we've yet to locate it in 11 years), but something that the horses get into in the Fall that guaranteed a few will come down with a belly ache.

This year it was April, one of our two year olds that I do have to watch at this time of year - she's an acorn 'ho, so we keep her locked up in the Fall.  Being one of our smallest Minis at 26.50" we do keep a careful eye on her.
.

Wesco Farms April Sunshine BB

I saw her up on the hill above the house laying down (wrong time of day - late afternoon/early evening -  for my horses to be napping).  As her and her dam are good buddies and never far from each other, I dragged her and Sarah down the hill and into the backyard.

Sarah - Wesco Farms Tricked Me Tina

Checked April and I could tell she wasn't feeling great so started treating her. She was insistent she was going to 'die' so we kept an eye on her and treated her throughout the day.  She was still not a happy camper when I gave her, her last treatment at midnight, but calm and hanging with her dam.

The next morning at 5:30 a.m. in the dark, I go out to check her.  She's of course missing. I  began the search - all the gates are closed, no holes in the fences for her to squeeze through, I even looked in the swimming pool, thought maybe she'd jumped in! No April, so I'm wondering where in the @%@% did you she go?

Finally I look under our deck and see her.  She had rolled/crawled or I don't know what but got herself about 6' under the deck.  Mind you this is not that high of deck, she couldn't stand up straight without bumping her head and I'm not a small person (besides having just the day before been given the okay from hernia surgery to resume life), so my the thought is this should be fun!

So, I crawl under the deck to check her and she's acting miserable.  I can't get her up to walk out, and she to far away to roll like a barrel (yes this occurred to me!), so I grab her by her back legs and start backing out dragging her on her back.  She's really not thrilled, but the options were few.  Move, drag, get kicked in the shins, move, drag, kick... rinse and repeat.

As soon as she was out, she called for her dam and runs off. I'm thinking how sore I'm going to be the following day (and I was!), but I still need to deal with her as she's not 100% yet.

Apparently it did the trick though, as I gave her another colic treatment and she began farting and pooping and was grazing with her dam within 20 minutes.  She's been fine since then for the past two days - the little stinker.

Minis they don't make life boring and OMG can they find the most interesting things to get into.

Upcoming Events

There are a few upcoming horse related events that I'm sharing, between life and life, I'm not attending too many live events, but will be watching the online ones!


AMHA Western Championship Show 

The Western Champions Show is streaming live on iEquine.com.  Show Schedule and streaming video available on the IEquine page.  July 21-24th starting at 8 a.m. PST.



Online auction

MiniHorseStreet.com is hosting a one hour dutch auction Wednesday July 20th 9 p.m. EST.  It is one hour only and will have 40 horses for sale in that time frame.  Should be interesting.  MiniHorseStreet does recommend using Mozilla Foxfire to watch the auction, so if you don't use Mozilla (I prefer Chrome but keep both on my PC), get it!  I love Thunderbird too - awesome way to get all your email in one easy to use place.

Preview Auction lots here.


MSU online classes  

Michigan State University has quite a collection of online classes (some free) that are for non-credit education.  One that I'm attending tomorrow is The Advances in Equine Genetics webcast.  It is live Wednesday, July 20 from 1pm–2pm EDT.  You do have to registered with MSU to take the classes, but it's easy and what a great way to add a bit more to the equine care toolbox!


AREA VII California Classic Show

The Area VII AMHR/ASPC California Classic Show is scheduled for July 30-31, Wilton, CA.  Pre-entry closed on the 18th, but there is still time to enter!  There are even a few non-rated (i.e. no registration required) classes on July 30th.  The show is at the Pacific Equestrian Center, Wilton. CA.  Class sponsorships are available too!!

Wesco Farms Unique Toy4Me

One of our homebred mares came back last month, Wesco Farms Unique Toy4Me.  She's now seven and has been living with a good friend, Jen Davis of Imperial Acres.  Unique isn't really fitting with where Jen's breeding program is going, but Gemini (Wesco Farms Rowdys Gemini) is, so we traded the two.

Sired by Las Doradas AToy4Me2 out of Les Petites Avril, two horses I've always liked, Unique is a nice addition to our breeding program. Toy is one of those stallions I kind of wish I still had and Avril went to a retirement home last year at the age of 22, leaving me with a couple daughters, grand-daughters and a few great-grands.

Unique is a silver bay pintaloosa, one of the two Toy sired here.

Her two half sisters sired by Toy areWesco Farms Twila Toy4Me (bay roan) and Wesco Farms AToy4Me Brazen Beauty (bay pinto).

Her sisters' by her dam ET (Las Doradas Etiole de Mar) is one of our original mares, and Dresden (Wesco Farms Avrils Dresden Doll) is a Samis Roger Rabbit daughter.  They're both black, although Dresden does carry one dilute gene from Roger.

Wesco Farms Avrils Dresden Doll

Unique was a bit of a handful when she was younger, and when she was born she looked like a pretzel.  She had some serious bad leg issues which we attributed to the way she was laying inside her dam, having seen what both parents produced, we were fairly certain this wasn't a congenital issue.

Corrective trimming and lots of exercise she's almost dead straight in back now.

Unique was pasture bred to Bells Hollywood Heartbreaker, so maybe loud color come Spring 2012!

Farrier day

Today was farrier fun day.

Half the horses scheduled to be trimmed, vetoed by standing on top of the hill watching us, refusing to come down.  My teen age broodmares are hard to trick once they've seen the farrier and with 63 acres to outrun us, we don't play the chase game!

We of course had the volunteer group that love pedicures and for some reason think de-wormer tastes good.  They'll literally follow you around trying to get more - go figure.

Good news, Woody (one of the original three and the W in Wesco) is improving!  Big yeah and made my day!!! He's been foundering on/off for the past year and in early May it looked like he might start rotating, so we thought it might be bye bye Woody time.  He's dropped alot of weight and we're trying to keep him off any new grass (the sugars), but his white line is improving and the new hoof growth is coming in at a better angle.  So, we're hoping to keep him around.  I'm already formulating the 'winter/spring' Woody management, as being so temprate here we don't really stop growing grass even in the winter.  So, I think he'll be in a smaller grass free pen with Silhouette as company.  That's the plan for now at least.

As for hoof issues.  Tomas showed me exactly what we're dealing with so, I thought I'd share the pics.  I know personally I can say he's 'foundering' but exactly what it looked like I wasn't quite sure.  I'm more familiar with colic (when someone says colic, I'm well what kind? Gas, blockage, upset stomach???)  Founder though, I know is metabolic (as Tomas says like a person with diabetes), but I've never had to deal with a horse with these issues.

This is what Tomas removed today off Woody's hoof.

Woody grows very thick hoof very fast but horrible angles (no heel), so Tomas is rasping the front and taking off quite a bit to try to get his angles to improve too.

You can see the reddish part, it has cracks which would have eventually separated the coffin bone from the hoof wall.

The white line on the bottom is dry, crack free and small, what the farrier wants to see.

It's June and normally in Northern California we're experiencing mid 80's to well over 100 degree weather.  This 'continuation' of winter is unusual at best. Considering I'm an anti-sun type (run around with gloves and hat most of the time), I should be in a more jubulient mood, but I was ready for clip and photo time with the horses, which is now postponed.  Now I'm glad it's not 105, but this is so abnormal I'm wondering what the long term effects will be for all of us.  I'm imagining farmers are having a fit as this can't be good for their growing season.

I know when I was at the feed store, I was told they were behind on cutting (he said three cuttings?), but this is going to affect hay prices for sure.  Alfalfa right now is $15-18 a bale, and I was told the dairies are buying up all they can now, as many farmers put in wheat this year.  I love alfalfa and have fed it from day one, but if it climbs up much higher, we will be switching to one of the grass hays.

Fortunately this extended winter has extended the growing season here too, so our hills are still pretty grassy and the horses out on the hills are still well past the pleasingly plump stage!  I still have a 20 acre section closed off, that I was going to open up for them in a few weeks.  Right now they all could go on a 'trim down' feeding program!  That is except for the stallions in with mares.  OMG!  I can't keep weight on Hollywood or Dance - they look awful.  Ringo has started filling out slightly, but those two are thin and won't stop and eat for long.


As breeding season is winding down for me (Twila, Dresden, Remy and Leelee are still in with Dance), I'm wondering about cover rate this year.  All the stallions seemed fairly uninterested in the mares, so is the weather and lack of sun causing this? ACK!  I did pull a bunch of mares a week or so ago, as it just seemed like a good idea to limit breeding.  So, if all are open next year though, I'll be fine with that.  I'm excited to see foals from Dance and Hollywood, but I can wait to 2012 too!


Good note, Honeybun, Baroness, Bre, Gemini and Libbe should all be off to their new homes in the next few weeks.  I'm always pleased when horses are going somewhere they're truly wanted and will be cared for.  I'll miss Libbe the most of that group, and it will be hard to see her leave, but the retirement herd is growing, and I can't retire everyone here.  Well maybe if I'd play and win the lotto!


Buyers have been calling this weekend, another yeah and have a few appointments this week.  A couple sound like ideal homes, retired/older people that want to have Minis.  So, I'm crossing my fingers that will work.  I get worried about some calls that just want a Mini, and then proceed to tell you they can't afford much.  Well that purchase price is the cheapest part!  The long term daily, weekly and monthly expenses will exceed the price of a Mini in a few years.  Well maybe not if you're buying uber-Champion, but the average buyer, if you can't afford to purchase, how can you afford to support it?


The EHV-1 scare seems to have tapered off a bit, although I'd still have concerns taking horses to public venues.  Western States Horse Expo (the 10th-12th Sacramento Cal Expo) is apparently going on as planned. (see statement here).  A friend and I are going by on Saturday, but just to be cautious I'll be viewing horses from a distance and removing all clothing/showering before going near mine!

So what about this weather?

Here in Northern California its raining with highs of 50-60 during the day and expected tonight into the 40's.  Sorry that is WINTER weather here, not May!!!  Again, glad it's not 105, but What the ???

Fortunately it's not that cold nor raining that consistently, so the horses seem to be bearing it well.  I'm just very surprised at this unseasonable winter-like weather we're having.


On a bright note, some of the extra horse paraphernalia we've had around is selling - yea!  There's still alot left and I haven't even gone through blankets, magazines and a few other boxes in the garage of stuff.  The trickle of $$ is great as the transmission went out on the Mercedes over the weekend.  That's a chunk of change, but cheaper than new!  So, highly motivated right now to get things moving along.


We did start breeding last week, or should say put mares with stallions.  I'm not sure if it's the weather, inexperienced stallions (one his first time the other first time pasture breeding) bitchy mares or a combination, but not much happening out there!  Dance and Hollywood seem to 'prefer' the older cooperative mares, so we've seen them get covered but the younger mares seem to intimidate them a tad.  But we also have Demon in with two experienced broodmares (Dipper and Honeybun) and they're totally not interested in him.  Most of my mares are more of the 'bar fly' easy in general so I'm not sure what is up with all this attitude.  Then again, only a few foals next year is fine with me too!


I went to the feed store today to buy hay, and we're at $17.95 for a bale of alfalfa...bleah on that.  I of course was in such sticker shock forgot to pick up the 50lb salt blocks I meant to buy as well.  Oh well another trip this week.  I can see many trips in the next few weeks until the transmission is completed.

Week in Review

Busy week of a busy month!

We're done foaling - yeah.  Valentina finally popped day 349 from her last possible, I'll-cover-you-as-you-exit-the-pasture-date.  So we're not sure how long she actually carried him, but it's a first for me in eleven years of foaling.  I think 342 was the longest in the past!

Fortunately she had a beautiful bay colt.  I keep looking and kinda hope he'll grey out, as I've never had a grey foal before, but if he doesn't that will be good to, as we don't know yet how strong Topper's greying gene is, as the two fillies don't appear to have it.


He's very leggy, pretty Topper head and short back.

Definitely all boy from the screaming at one hour old, while running circles around his dam.  I've yet to figure out why colts (in general) are so much more active at birth than the fillies.  But I've had some that are just 'all that'!

So the third and final foal for 2011 foaling - Wesco Farms TC Up All Night OTG.  I'm thoroughly enjoying getting to sleep again too!



His two sisters, Wesco Farms TC Ascended Allure (Bailey) and Wesco Farms TC Defiantly Different (Cricket) are both doing well.  Bailey is already pending for sale, which is good.  The intent is to sell ALL foals this year and likely next too.


Bailey is shyer than Cricket, but they've finally reached the age where they're starting to play together.  Very cute to watch as they're so closely marked.

Dystocia Chart

This is from an old AMHA pamphlet I've had the pic lying around for ?? years. If you would like a copy email me - michelle@wescofarms.com

Dystocia Chart

New Stallion heading west!

When you receive a call from a good friend to go look at a horse online.  Even early a.m., pre-coffee, you go look.  I'm so glad I did.

I wasn't 100% sold on him, but contacted the owner and his breeder.  Both have been wonderful and responded quickly with info and pics.-Big thanks to Deanna and Getitia.

I've been horridly paranoid about buying a horse sight unseen, but I think this boy is worth it.

Buckeye WCF Dance All Night

Thanks to PayPal, he's purchased and now I'm working on transport from Minnesota.  Definitely need to get him here before our warm climate shocks him.

Big thanks to Kathi Donnell for finding a Flying W Farms Little Wardance son for me this a.m. and I'm so thrilled. I love that stallion and now I'm going to get to have a son of his here! w0000000t!!!!

Kathi's only bad idea - a road trip to go get him!  HELL NO!  I'm not braving winter traversing the USA to Minnesota!  LOL!

He's had some pro photo's taken, so I'll have a couple better ones in the coming months.

Petite Equine Association

(THIS EVENT OCCURRED ALREADY BUT A GREAT GROUP IF YOU'RE IN THE SACRAMENTO AREA)

Hello one and all,

 

We are in the process of a start up of this existing club, Petite Equine Association. We would love to have you as a member.  We are planning an informational clinic on February 5th of 2011 at the Crosswoods Community Center, 6742 Auburn Blvd, Citrus Heights, CA 95621 .  It will be very interesting...AMHA Senior Judge Jim Curry will be the main speaker - "Ask The Judge" along with feeding info, foaling info and more. It will be a mid-day clinic to allow everyone home in time to feed!  - plus please visit our website when convenient. 

 

We plan on having additional events this year such as a driving clinic, grooming clinic and of course our annual "Spooktakular" in October.  We are certainly open for any suggestions you may have on topics of interest. 

 

Please join us it reviving this club.  With your participation we can make it a great learning and fun experience for all miniature horse owners.  You DO NOT have to show or have a registered horse but you must be interested in having fun and meeting other mini owners.  The sharing of ideas is a goal.

 

Please complete the membership application and/or the clinic entry and either mail it back to the address on the forms along with an email to Barbara Torgerson advising that you will be attending the clinic.  We must obtain a headcount for the clinic as soon as possible

 

SEE YOU THERE!!!

 

 

Merlene Olmstead

Director

Membership Chairperson

More Inbreeding & Linebreeding

This is a bit more math involved and about breeding Aussie's, but the same principles/rules apply to breeding Minis.

Playing COI: Using inbreeding Coefficients by C.A. Sharp

Breeding dogs is a numbers game. Even though math problems are the last thing on your mind, what you are doing when you breed is calculating the best odds for getting a desired result. But a little applied mathematics, in the form of a coefficient of inbreeding (COI) can be helpful and even enlightening. Now that technology allows even the mathematically challenged to put them to use, they are a tool that should be applied by every breeder. 

Research in the fields of genetics, immunology, and veterinary medicine, is turning up more and more information indicating that high levels of inbreeding can have deleterious effects on health. Inbreeding depression, a complex of behavioral and physical reproductive problems, have long been recognized. Inbreeding can increase the frequency of a disease in a population, sometimes quite rapidly. Inbreeding leads to increased incidence of immune-mediated disease and cancer. 

But, all pure breeds of domestic animals are inbred. (Keep in mind that to a scientist "inbreeding" means the breeding of related animals, which would include what we call "linebreeding"). But how much is too much? Without it, the breeds could never have been developed and would not breed true to type. 

However, almost all breeds of purebred dog already have well-established type. There is no mistaking a Chihuahua for a St. Bernard. Or even a Greyhound from a Whippet. Given this, breeders would be well advised to retain as much genetic diversity as possible within the existing breed population in order to avoid or reduce such unwanted health problems as those mentioned above. Along with screening and maintaining detailed health records, another tool available to you is the Coefficient of Inbreeding. Track COIs on your breeding stock. Calculate them on proposed matings, with an eye to keeping the numbers low if they already are or lowering them where possible.

Read the rest of the article here (highly recommend if you breed!)

Playing COI: Using inbreeding Coefficients cont.