I happened across this short video on how to help ease the pain our senior equine might experience while during a trim. I found a few of these techniques interesting and will try them on our seniors when cleaning out their feet.
http://www.thehorse.com/videos/30554/keep-your-older-horse-comfortable-during-a-trim?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Equine Euthanasia Process
Euthanasia is never an easy topic of discussion. But I recently read a post on Facebook where someone was asking which method was better and if you should be there or not.
The latter part of the question is more a personal decision that you have to make. Some people can't be there to watch. Others see it as their responsibility to be there until the end. Personally, I made a promise to each of my horses that I would be there until they took that very last breath. So I have seen each one of my family members pass away, as hard as it is.
But the first part of the question intrigued me and made me reflect on my euthanasia experiences. There's two methods when going to the vet. The first is to simply "drop them" and the second is to sedate and euthanize.
I've had to experience both and I can assure you, the "drop them" method is not easy to watch. There's pros and cons for both but in my experience, the "drop them" method left me scarred for life. People will say that doing the "drop them" method is quicker and they don't feel a thing. Perhaps, but it's still unpleasant to watch. In this method, the vet administers the euthanasia serum directly into the horse's vein while he/she is fully awake and standing. Unfortunately, the horse does NOT drop immediately to the ground. The two euthanasia experiences that I had to go through, the horses staggered around while the vet tried to hang on to the lead rope before the horse crashed to the ground unceremoniously. The experience left me shaking. That method might be quick but I don't see the dignity in it.
The second method includes sedation. I'm not sure if other vets follow this same method but my vet uses two sedatives before euthanizing (it also helps that my vet tells me exactly what he's doing and what the outcome will be while he's doing it so that I'm not shocked). The first sedative is a light dose tranquilizer, the type used to float teeth. After that takes affect, a second tranquilizer is used, the type used to put them to sleep for a gelding operation. This bit is a little bit tricky because the vet has to lay the horse down. It's a little traumatic to watch and is key to a smooth euthanasia. If the horse is on any type of incline, the euthanasia may take longer (if the horse has his/her head on the lower part of the incline). Once the second tranquilizer is fully in effect, the euthanasia serum is injected and the vet waits and watches. It's a much slower process. Some insist that the tranquilizer slows down the process and it takes longer to euthanize. But it's much more peaceful. I personally consider it more dignified.
In either case, the vet will listen for any heartbeat, check the eyes (and sometimes touch them to see if there's a reaction), and check any other vital signs. Sometimes there will be a "last breath" where air is released from the lungs. I've had it happen to a horse and a dog. It's very startling and a little disturbing but there is nothing that you can do to prevent it.
Some people don't want to go through the experience at all and will dump their horse at auction or sell the horse to an unsuspecting person who doesn't know about horses. But if you are a responsible owner and have made the decision to euthanize, you have options. Check with your vet first to make sure that he/she follows the procedure that you are comfortable with before making that appointment.
The latter part of the question is more a personal decision that you have to make. Some people can't be there to watch. Others see it as their responsibility to be there until the end. Personally, I made a promise to each of my horses that I would be there until they took that very last breath. So I have seen each one of my family members pass away, as hard as it is.
But the first part of the question intrigued me and made me reflect on my euthanasia experiences. There's two methods when going to the vet. The first is to simply "drop them" and the second is to sedate and euthanize.
I've had to experience both and I can assure you, the "drop them" method is not easy to watch. There's pros and cons for both but in my experience, the "drop them" method left me scarred for life. People will say that doing the "drop them" method is quicker and they don't feel a thing. Perhaps, but it's still unpleasant to watch. In this method, the vet administers the euthanasia serum directly into the horse's vein while he/she is fully awake and standing. Unfortunately, the horse does NOT drop immediately to the ground. The two euthanasia experiences that I had to go through, the horses staggered around while the vet tried to hang on to the lead rope before the horse crashed to the ground unceremoniously. The experience left me shaking. That method might be quick but I don't see the dignity in it.
The second method includes sedation. I'm not sure if other vets follow this same method but my vet uses two sedatives before euthanizing (it also helps that my vet tells me exactly what he's doing and what the outcome will be while he's doing it so that I'm not shocked). The first sedative is a light dose tranquilizer, the type used to float teeth. After that takes affect, a second tranquilizer is used, the type used to put them to sleep for a gelding operation. This bit is a little bit tricky because the vet has to lay the horse down. It's a little traumatic to watch and is key to a smooth euthanasia. If the horse is on any type of incline, the euthanasia may take longer (if the horse has his/her head on the lower part of the incline). Once the second tranquilizer is fully in effect, the euthanasia serum is injected and the vet waits and watches. It's a much slower process. Some insist that the tranquilizer slows down the process and it takes longer to euthanize. But it's much more peaceful. I personally consider it more dignified.
In either case, the vet will listen for any heartbeat, check the eyes (and sometimes touch them to see if there's a reaction), and check any other vital signs. Sometimes there will be a "last breath" where air is released from the lungs. I've had it happen to a horse and a dog. It's very startling and a little disturbing but there is nothing that you can do to prevent it.
Some people don't want to go through the experience at all and will dump their horse at auction or sell the horse to an unsuspecting person who doesn't know about horses. But if you are a responsible owner and have made the decision to euthanize, you have options. Check with your vet first to make sure that he/she follows the procedure that you are comfortable with before making that appointment.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Blanket Storage
Blanketing is a touchy subject for some. At the Sanctuary, we blanket those that need it. My question for today is to those that do blanket. How and where do you store your blankets when not in use?
I'm not an overly organized person so I'll have to plead guilty in not taking care of my blankets. In years past on the few occasions that I would use a blanket, once I was done, I would stuff them into a Rubbermaid or Sterile tub until the next time I needed it. Then it progressed to simply getting them thrown into the tack room and hope the mice don't devour them completely. In the past year, the blankets lie wherever the nearest building is and stay there, lying there haphazard until the next round of winter storms (meaning they could lie on the ground/concrete for six months without getting touched).
I want to improve my storing method (anything would be better than the current "storing" method). So I'm curious to know how people store there blankets. Do you leave them hanging in your horse trailer, tack room, or in your house? Do you put them in a Rubbermaid tub, tack closet, etc.?
My latest idea is putting blankets into clean steel barrels with removable lids. I have such a large number of blankets for the Sanctuary horses that I need more than a dozen Rubbermaid tubs to store them and there's still the possibility of mice getting in to them, whereas the steel barrel will keep the mice and the moisture out. I'm not sure it's the best solution I've come up with yet, but it's another way to keep the barn organized.
So, how do you store your blankets when not in use? I'm curious to hear, especially during the winter months and during the summer months.
I'm not an overly organized person so I'll have to plead guilty in not taking care of my blankets. In years past on the few occasions that I would use a blanket, once I was done, I would stuff them into a Rubbermaid or Sterile tub until the next time I needed it. Then it progressed to simply getting them thrown into the tack room and hope the mice don't devour them completely. In the past year, the blankets lie wherever the nearest building is and stay there, lying there haphazard until the next round of winter storms (meaning they could lie on the ground/concrete for six months without getting touched).
I want to improve my storing method (anything would be better than the current "storing" method). So I'm curious to know how people store there blankets. Do you leave them hanging in your horse trailer, tack room, or in your house? Do you put them in a Rubbermaid tub, tack closet, etc.?
My latest idea is putting blankets into clean steel barrels with removable lids. I have such a large number of blankets for the Sanctuary horses that I need more than a dozen Rubbermaid tubs to store them and there's still the possibility of mice getting in to them, whereas the steel barrel will keep the mice and the moisture out. I'm not sure it's the best solution I've come up with yet, but it's another way to keep the barn organized.
So, how do you store your blankets when not in use? I'm curious to hear, especially during the winter months and during the summer months.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Blanket Cleaning, Waterproofing, and Repairing
Blanketing is always a hot and controversial topic. I'll not focus on whether it's a good idea or not. At the Sanctuary, we do have some horses that cannot handle our South Dakota winters so we must blanket. Instead, this post is about cleaning, waterproofing, and repairing blankets.
Although we are still contending with some summer temperatures, winter is right around the corner. With the decent weather, I opted to clean the stash of horse blankets. We'd had such a rough winter that when I took the blankets off for good, the blankets simply stayed put in a heap on the floor.
I know other horse owners are better and quickly cleaned and repaired their blankets so there would be no need to rush around and get ready for the first cold/wet snap. I, on the other hand, am not that type of person. I blame it on being a mom to a toddler.
Last year the herd wore blankets for a large portion of winter. In doing so, they ripped holes in the blankets, ripped out leg straps, and pretty well wrecked havoc on every blanket possible. I was able to eek out a few hours to myself to wash blankets and that's when it occurred to me.
What do other horse people do to clean their blankets?
I know some will go to the Laundromat and sneak their horse blanket in. My horse blankets were too disgusting and too many. It would have had to spend about as much in washing blankets as it would to buy one or two really good blankets.
Some people go to the car wash (but I've not seen too many people do that). Again, it would have had to spent more in power washing blankets as I would to buy one or two really good blankets.
I opted for the old fashioned method, elbow grease. I'm sure my method is incorrect and I do question some of my cleaning abilities and supplies. But if it helps to cut costs for someone else, I guess that's all that matters.
I ended up dragging out the hose with a good power washer nozzle, and sprayed down the outer cover. Then with a bucket of warm sudsy water (I used dish soap and am thinking I should have maybe look at something more horse friendly) and a stiff horse brush (a good method of getting your horse brushes clean!), I scrubbed, and scrubbed, and scrubbed until the "mud" (we'll call it mud for my sake) was mostly removed and only a stain remained on the outer covering. Then I took the hose and rinsed off the outer covering. I knew the waterproofing was good when I would grab the blanket and it wasn't too heavy. However, I repeated the process on the inside and practically tipped over when trying to lift the blanket. The inner lining is NOT waterproof and with the batting on some, soaked up the water.
My biggest mistake was that some water got into the batting thanks to some holes (and a lot of it simply soaked through the soft material that goes against the horse's hair. I did have a half dozen blankets that had stinky water WITHIN the blanket, even after sitting out for three days. I was rather disappointed and wasn't sure what to do.
My only option, to cut the inside, soft lining and drain the stinky, dirty water. I hope that I didn't make a mistake in doing so but I HAD to get the water out. This winter will be the test to see if making a small hole in the lining did any damage.
After letting the blankets dry, I wanted to ensure that the waterproofing was still good. Some of the blankets had little to no waterproofing left after last year. For waterproofing, I simply bought deck water sealer/waterproofing. It works like a charm. I simply dump the waterproofing/sealer into a big butter dish (you know the kind...the "oh I can't believe it's not butter" dish), and with a fat paint brush, slathered the blanket with waterproofing.
With a gallon of waterproofing, I was able to get a total of six blankets completely waterproofed. If we hadn't had so much humidity, I expect the blankets would have dried within a few hours. As it was, a thunderstorm was rolling in, so I had to haul all six blankets into the garage and find places to prop them up and let them dry overnight. It's amazing how creative you can get to find places (saw horses, lawn chairs, wheel dolly, and even my toddler's toy car).
After the blankets were dry, I still had to repair them. I can't afford to send my blankets in to get washed and repaired (but what I would give to be able to.) We do not have a heavy duty sewing machine. My one dollar sewing machine doesn't even work at the moment. Instead I used a blunt needle and embroidery floss to sew up the gapping holes. I sewed up some holes last year using embroidery floss, so we'll see if this year's sewing holds out as well.
So what do you do to wash, waterproof, and repair your blankets?
Although we are still contending with some summer temperatures, winter is right around the corner. With the decent weather, I opted to clean the stash of horse blankets. We'd had such a rough winter that when I took the blankets off for good, the blankets simply stayed put in a heap on the floor.
I know other horse owners are better and quickly cleaned and repaired their blankets so there would be no need to rush around and get ready for the first cold/wet snap. I, on the other hand, am not that type of person. I blame it on being a mom to a toddler.
Last year the herd wore blankets for a large portion of winter. In doing so, they ripped holes in the blankets, ripped out leg straps, and pretty well wrecked havoc on every blanket possible. I was able to eek out a few hours to myself to wash blankets and that's when it occurred to me.
What do other horse people do to clean their blankets?
I know some will go to the Laundromat and sneak their horse blanket in. My horse blankets were too disgusting and too many. It would have had to spend about as much in washing blankets as it would to buy one or two really good blankets.
Some people go to the car wash (but I've not seen too many people do that). Again, it would have had to spent more in power washing blankets as I would to buy one or two really good blankets.
I opted for the old fashioned method, elbow grease. I'm sure my method is incorrect and I do question some of my cleaning abilities and supplies. But if it helps to cut costs for someone else, I guess that's all that matters.
I ended up dragging out the hose with a good power washer nozzle, and sprayed down the outer cover. Then with a bucket of warm sudsy water (I used dish soap and am thinking I should have maybe look at something more horse friendly) and a stiff horse brush (a good method of getting your horse brushes clean!), I scrubbed, and scrubbed, and scrubbed until the "mud" (we'll call it mud for my sake) was mostly removed and only a stain remained on the outer covering. Then I took the hose and rinsed off the outer covering. I knew the waterproofing was good when I would grab the blanket and it wasn't too heavy. However, I repeated the process on the inside and practically tipped over when trying to lift the blanket. The inner lining is NOT waterproof and with the batting on some, soaked up the water.
My biggest mistake was that some water got into the batting thanks to some holes (and a lot of it simply soaked through the soft material that goes against the horse's hair. I did have a half dozen blankets that had stinky water WITHIN the blanket, even after sitting out for three days. I was rather disappointed and wasn't sure what to do.
My only option, to cut the inside, soft lining and drain the stinky, dirty water. I hope that I didn't make a mistake in doing so but I HAD to get the water out. This winter will be the test to see if making a small hole in the lining did any damage.
After letting the blankets dry, I wanted to ensure that the waterproofing was still good. Some of the blankets had little to no waterproofing left after last year. For waterproofing, I simply bought deck water sealer/waterproofing. It works like a charm. I simply dump the waterproofing/sealer into a big butter dish (you know the kind...the "oh I can't believe it's not butter" dish), and with a fat paint brush, slathered the blanket with waterproofing.
With a gallon of waterproofing, I was able to get a total of six blankets completely waterproofed. If we hadn't had so much humidity, I expect the blankets would have dried within a few hours. As it was, a thunderstorm was rolling in, so I had to haul all six blankets into the garage and find places to prop them up and let them dry overnight. It's amazing how creative you can get to find places (saw horses, lawn chairs, wheel dolly, and even my toddler's toy car).
After the blankets were dry, I still had to repair them. I can't afford to send my blankets in to get washed and repaired (but what I would give to be able to.) We do not have a heavy duty sewing machine. My one dollar sewing machine doesn't even work at the moment. Instead I used a blunt needle and embroidery floss to sew up the gapping holes. I sewed up some holes last year using embroidery floss, so we'll see if this year's sewing holds out as well.
So what do you do to wash, waterproof, and repair your blankets?
This is Babe. We lost her last September. She was 31 years old and completely blind but tough as nails to the very end.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Save the Date - September 14
Save the Date: Saturday, September 14th from 11am to 2pm at the Hartford Farmers Market
Borderlands Horse Sanctuary will be participating in a fundraiser in Hartford, South Dakota. This is an opportunity to help a member of the Hartford community and a chance to meet a few of the Sanctuary horses. I will post additional information once I know more.
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