I'm Baaaack.....

I've been busy recovering from my big weekend at a barrel race in Walla Walla. While I didn't enter and race, I DID work in the office and had to drive home each night, then back in the morning. I got to see my bff Barb O on Friday night and hang out for a while watching the race, but had to get up early to make it back Saturday morning by 8 am.

THAT didn't happen because Mike let me sleep in. He'd turned off the alarm. Then when I went out to feed, Jazzy had kicked in the plug on the automatic waterer, flooding her stall. So we got to use the shop vac and suck out the water. I made it down there around 9:45 am and went to work in the office. I didn't sleep much so I was exhausted. But I survived and I'll recover.

Now...what to post about.

Thai and Classy are both disgusting horrible molting mutants. They look AWFUL! Their hair is coming out in chunks, and they look like they have mange. However, underneath, you can see the sleek smooth summer coat and they will someday soon, be beautiful!

So since I lead such a boring life, I thought I'd do a "TIPS" post. Some of this, and some of that, and invite you to post YOUR tips

** Algae control in the water tubs - add two cups of distilled apple cider vinegar every time you fill the tub. The algae won't grow. And...it won't hurt your horse!

**Getting pony to eat the "poison" aka new supplement that you spent a fortune on because it's good for him - pour 1/2 cup of RAW apple cider vinegar on his grain and mix it with a spoon. You can get it in the health food section. The "fumes" from the vinegar mask the smell of the "poison" and he'll gobble it up! (This is the trick I used to get Classy to eat her feed-through antibiotic when apple juice and honey didn't work.)

**Rider's Rasp - Have you seen this??? I can't tell you how many times I have wanted to "finish" the job for my farrier. He's left without round off the edge of the hoof after a trim and the hoof wall has either chipped, or the horse cut himself. Traditional rasps, if used in the wrong hands, can cause more problems than it "fixes". The Rider's Rasp looks to be pretty much idiot proof (me being the idiot). I am TOTALLY buying this little sucker since all my horses are barefoot.

**Plain Metamucil - Cheaper to use than Sand Clear! It absorbs water and "picks up" sand in the intestines, thus helping to prevent sand colic. You can top dress your grain with it and if you stirred in some apple cider vinegar, it'll stick and they'll eat it up.

**The Bucket Test - the easiest way to see if your horse is passing sand. Take a handful of fresh poop that hasn't touched the ground and place it in a bucket. (Use a rubber glove though, would ya? Barehanded is gross!) Fill the bucket 1/2 way with water. Soak and stir the poop until it dissolves. Turn on the hose to just a dribble and put it in the bucket, letting it overflow. Leave it like this until the water in the bucket is completely clear. Then look at the bottom of the bucket. Is there sand in the bottom? If more that a couple teaspoons full, you probably need Metamucil.

So those are just a few of MY tips. I know I have more "bright ideas", but I'm too distracted to get them written out. Post YOUR tips!