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Show Wednesday, May 29, 1974 THE PARK CITY COMM Page 21 Now Youve Got Your Horse, Take Care! that you have your horse in its new home, lets anticipate a few things that could happen to it. When any animal changes environment, it suffers through an adjustment period. We go through it ourselves, finding new friends and discovering the secrets of our new house and yard. Your horse has been in the pasture overnight, and you have gone out to ride it. As you get closer to it, you have some doubt that this is the same horse you brought up. Instead of the beautiful animal you once had, here stands a horse that looks like it just escaped from somewhere. All beaten up, kick marks on its side, bite marks on its neck and, all in all, a very bruised and bloody horse. You look around for the culprit there stand the rest of the horses in a group, sneering at you. DONT Now worse than with a fence with tight wire. 5. Nails and other things which could go through a horses hoof and cause lameness and severe injury. Even the pop tops from Coke and beer cans are very dangerous. 6. Utility lines. Many pastures have utility lines of some sort in the pasture whether it be electrical or telephone. You should check the height of them and see that they stay well out of a horses reach. The stabilizing wires which run to the ground at angles should be marked with strips of sheet, so horses dont forget they are there. 7. Manmade holes, such as post holes, should be covered or fenced off so a horse cant fall in and break a leg. Gopher and pot gut holes are pretty common. Most horses can get around them. It is the new and unusual we have to worry about. 8. Water. Especially in the summer when everyone is trying to to should check make sure your water level and flow is irrigate, you constant. Stagnant water is not good for horses. -- BE DISCOURAGED. A horse moving into a pasture with other horses has a tough time ahead of it. Similar to joining a sorority or fraternity, the horse goes through an initiation process. It is made to do all kinds of dangerous stunts by the other horses. In the hierarchy, the new horse is the lowest of all the horses. The group of horses that was previously there usually run the new horse around, possibly through fences or into dangerous areas of the pasture. They will kick and bite at it.Most horses survive this initiation - with a few battle wounds that heal quickly. However, there are times when a person needs to step in and referee. Some horses just are not fighters and while we have all heard of survival of the fittest, after investing $200 in this horse, we dont want to see it depreciate before our own eyes. If it appears that something dangerous is about to happen to your horse, you should step in and move it out of the pasture. Try to pick out the most aggressive horse and have the owner and his horse go for a ride with you and your horse. This usually will help make friends and after the two horses are back in the pasture, if the most aggressive horse leaves your horse alone, usually the other horses will, too. During this first month, it is very important to go out to your horse and check it over thoroughly each day, just i n case it has been hurt and needs attention. Besides that, you need to let it know you are its owner, so it will look forward to seeing you, if only because you take it away from the pasture and its rough friends. You should make periodic checks of your horses pasture for things which could hurt it. Here is a list of some things to look for : 1. Wire of any kind whether it be rolled up neatly or loosely. Many people hang baling wire up on the fence after they have fed hay. This is dangerous, too. A horse could get its foot through it or catch an eye on the sharp points. 2. Twine or other types of tying material could cause cuts or rope bums if a horse was caught in it. 3. Metal feeder buckets can cause many leg and head injuries. 4. Fences made of wire that is not strung tight are also a hazard. For instance, if your horse was going to run through a wire fence, it would be better to have it as tight as possible, so that when 1000 pounds of horse hits it, the wire would snap and break free. Wire that is loose will not do this easily and the horse would probably be caught in it and hurt alot LINDA POWELL In a stall, you dont have to worry about most of these things, but there are other hazards to watch for : Protrusions in the stall, such as hooks for a bucket and nails sticking out of the walls. 2. Fire. Check to see the fastest and safest way out of the stall area. Make sure the lock on your stall door is easy to operate and that the door is free moving. 3. Wood. Check to see if it is chewed to the point where a horse could catch itself on a jagged edge. If so, replace it immediately. 4. Feeders. Feeders made out of tires or rubber buckets are best. gallons of Feeding companies make buckets capable of holding water. They are very strong and safe. 5. Bedding. Whether you clean the stall yourself or someone else does, it should be done daily and the wet bedding and manure should be picked out and replaced. Once a week, the stall should be cleaned entirely. Of course, this depends on how much time your horse spends there. The main reason for this is to avoid thrush, which is a disease of the hoof from unsanitary conditions. The hoof smells rotten and is very hot and there is a dark discharge. The old saying no hoof no horse still is valid. 1. 5-- 10 om tPummei fylfiti music Sanyo Car Stereo $45l55 with Speakers $55.55 - Headphones wpadded headpiece, and individual volume controls $12.88 LEBO Tape Cases L holds: 8-tra- $8.50, cassette $9.50 ck Music shop VALLey Mon. thru Fri. 11 Sat. South Main St. a.m-6p- m Heber, Utah 654-296- 3 10am-19- 5 6 pm. Whether your horse is in a stall or a pasture, there are a couple of general rules to follow : 1. Never turn your horse out with a halter on - in a stall or a pasture. 2. Visit your horse everyday to make sure it is fine. Or, if you are lucky enough to have the person you board your horse with do it for you, that would be sufficient. Be sure they know who your veterinarian is and that they feel free to call him if you are not available. 3. Check your horses feet often for foreign obstacles, such as nails and rocks, etc. Beware of thrush in pastures, too. It can also come about through neglect. Clean your horses feet often. Remember, horses are like children - if there is something they are not supposed to get into, they will. |