Suzie had a gorgeous little colt

[lucky lodge]

hopeing little suzie is ok its 7.am here in the morning so it should be 9.00am were cassie is

she should be up..maybe she with the vet... oh cassie do you feed dolomite its calcuim cost about $5.00

for a kg great stuff... just i thought.

 

[Wings]

hopeing little suzie is ok its 7.am here in the morning so it should be 9.00am were cassie is

she should be up..maybe she with the vet... oh cassie do you feed dolomite its calcuim cost about $5.00

for a kg great stuff... just i thought.

I don't bother with dolomite, there's no decent science supporting that the horse can absorb it efficiently or correctly to gain the calcium. I prefer boosting calcium levels with lucerne hay

 

[Lindi-loo]

Yes come on Cassie we need an update..although im sure its nothing to serious..we all know your the best mum and nothing is going to go un noticed with you around

 

Anna how can you possibly dream of anything more than what you have already..watching all those darling lil ponies enjoying what you provide them with..Im sure mine would have thought theyd died and gone to heaven if they lived there

if id have turned my mare out onto the rolling hills when i first had her I wouldnt have seen her again lol..I think shes just got used to coming in now and feels safe in her daily routine..they are all so funny with there little ways though and i do have a good old chuckle to myself reading your story's about them all

 

[cassie]

Hi all

thankyou for the advice

today was an absoloutly hectic day, Suzie is doing really well!

vet wasn't even working today!

even though the message bank said they should be! grrr I gave her extra hay last night and this morning, she was normal as!!

was so excited!

usually what I do (If I get time) is let them out in the morning, with their breakfast, then lucerne hay when I come home for lunch, with snacks of carrot or apple in between if I get a chance

LOL then dinner and bed... with more lucerne and oaten hay for her to nibble during the night.

Tonight I have also put a mineral block in with them, so she can lick it if she needs it overnight.

I am still going to keep trying to get hold of my vet, but I might send an email to my friend in England who is an equine vet! she might have some advice for me until I can get hold of the stupid vet clinic! grr

we had the sale on today! it was 37 degrees celcius and so hot!! went really well though still! even though its dark here now, its still like 30 degrees! yuck LOL meant to get a storm later I think....

I haven't tried dolomite, and I have heard things that make me not want to use it... (just going by friends experiences LOL) I'm sure it works great for you Jenny...

I need to go to the feed store tomorrow so I might ask what they think I should give her to boost her blood sugar levels/ calcium.

 

[Wings]

Maybe try throwing a broodmare supplement into her regular meals? Maybe balance things out a bit?

I keep one on hand that I trust so I can add it into the mix if I think anyone needs a boost.

Has she got permanent hay available? My girls have two bales constantly in the paddock on top of their morning and evening feeds. It's nice quality, last years cut grass hay and they can eat as much as they want to. Fantasy pulls it apart and uses it as a bed so she can have breakfast in bed

 

[lucky lodge]

iam so glad to hear suzie is ok

 

[AnnaC]

So glad all seems well with Suzie for now - would still try to speak to a vet asap Cassie - maybe your friend over here?

I was going frantic here this morning as I couldn't get on LB!! Needed to do early morning check on Suzie and Saffire, but the internet just wouldn't let LB come up - all other websites were working ok?? Yesterday I clicked on a suggested reference site here on someone's post and from then on I had real trouble all evening - freezing screen etc etc, then this morning no LB!

I even e-mailed Renee to check if she could access here. So after doing a full scan and then finding no reports of virus' I have spent the whole morning delving and delving into more complicated scans etc (with no idea what I'm doing LOL!!)

But SUDDENLY after yet another final scan and yet another re-boot --- HERE I AM!

Goodness knows what caused all the trouble, but hopefully it's gone now.

Funny thing is, Cathy's computer wouldn't throw up LB either.

But once mine started working, so did hers and she had not spent the whole morning fiddling with scans and an unco-operating computer!!?? Perhaps it was a local glitch that would have sorted itself given time, and I could have spent the morning outside with the kids instead! Grrrrrrrrr!!

Time now to lunch the boys then Cathy and I are off to the dell fields to find the girls for their daily check and scratches (and to check those two mares and foals) and our daily time to get trampled under foot LOL!! Also must do yet another check of our shabby fencing as yesterday evening we had a naughty girl do an escapee act and cross the next field to reach Dragon's field fence - we heard the squeaks!! It was pitch black and of course my torch didn't work (!) but luckily as I walked across the 'spare' field I heard her leave Dragon and walk towards me - couldn't see her until I bumped into her though LOL!! Bit of baler twine round her neck until Cathy found us with a halter. Cathy then dragged the reluctant Buttons and Bows (I thought it was Baby until Hamish arrived with the quad and the lights showed her true identity!) back to where she came from, while Hamish and I went on the quad to check the fencing in the quad lights - ducking under all the overhead trees, I collected quite a few twigs and small branches down my neck! NO GAPS OR BROKEN FENCING???? Daylight inspection is now a must.

Of course all this happened just as we were dishing up a large roast dinner having invited Euros over to share it - left him in the kitchen trying to stop everything burning!

Such is life on a peaceful Welsh mountain!

 

[Lindi-loo]

:yeah Oh all sounds like good fun Anna...Iv had quite a week myself with fences but its those darn pigs

if they want out not much will stop them..its ok so long as the wind isnt blowing but if the wind is in the trees and the pigs are missing its a hunt in 100 of acres of woodland with me hot their heels shouting PIG PIG PIIIIGGGGIESSS..they usually coming running when they know the food call is out

..i was busy having a porch clearing day rugby boots wellies n garden shes shorted..I went off to get the mop n bucket and on my return whos in my porch the with muddy pig noses in every nock n cranny and half the welsh hills on theyr trotters?? yes you guessed it 2 very naughty muddy hogs

...I do have to ask myself why sometimes

...hope you enjoyed your roast after your adventure most deff well earned

 

Glad Suzie is ok but I really think you need to keep a close eye on her they can go into "hypo" very quickly and totally randomly at any time..assuming thats what it was..I have mineral licks and all the ponies have free fed hay at all times..yet she still needs that extra high energy feed immeadiately if shes shows any early signs..

 

[Lindi-loo]

Well thats it now a mention of maple syrup and im off to make pancakes

yummy yummy

 

[Eagle]

Can i come pleassseeeee

 

[Lindi-loo]

:yeah oh yes please do.. a great party ..maple syrup pancakes JD'S n coke..fab company with plenty of pony chat wow what more could we ask for

:yeah

 

[AnnaC]

Indeed, what more could anyone ask for!! Sounds like heaven to me.

Lindy I can just imagine your face when you found those naughty piggies in your porch - plus I can pictures their grinning little proky chops when they were discovered. LOL!!

Well I trudged my way several times back and forth along the dell fence at lunchtime today - no holes or gaps to be seen!!?? Now the fence is not that high - top strand level with my larger minis' throats if they put their heads over, and below that is sheep wire, so I would say that my little escapee must have jumped over? No, impossible, being that she is only around 29/30" and as wide (fat) as she is long!! If she had tried jumping then I'm sure I would have found a 'flattened' fence somewhere. So the mystery deepens - until the next time. LOL!!

As it is evening here I presume it wont be too long before you are awake and up and about Cassie......so how was Suzie through the night and how does she seem this morning? Am now off to check on Penny's thread to see if you have that precious pee sample yet and to check on saffire's progress plus do cath up on everyone else (not had time to get here after this mornings fiasco until now)

 

[cassie]

Suzie doing really good again this morning... I will be ringing the vet first thing monday morning still as I want to make sure I haven't missed anything... its REALLY hot here today so I am keeping a good eye on her, bout to go out n give them all some carrots and apples yum yum LOL

with the maple syrup... because it is so sticky should I dilute it or anything? or just pour it over her feed?

thanks everyone

Anna my little brat Penny has evaded the pee pee test AGAIN! LOL tried the pad thing n she got it off! grrr

 

[cassie]

ok, we just had our neighbour come over to discuss the whole fence issue went really well, and they are going to fix it!!

they came to see Finn and Suzie cos they hadn't seen him since he was born...

Jason (the dad) said Suzie was WAY to fat! and I shouldn't be feeding her ANYTHING!!!

I told him I had been dropping back her feed and he interrupted me and said feed her NOTHING!

I couldn't get through to him, so... what do I do? I know she is to fat and I need her to lose weight... but then I have the problem I don't want her to have the blood sugar issue again!

oh Bree to answer your earlier question, she is on mitavite Breeda which is a mare and foal pellet feed...

Anna you will be happy to hear me say this I think LOL should I not feed her chaff n just a half a scoop or scoop of pellets?

this is her from 5 days ago...



so at the moment she is on half a scoop each of lucerne and oaten chaff and 3/4 scoop of breeda... with about a biscuit of hay throughout the day...

help on a diet for Suzie needed PLEASE!! would HATE for her to founder! can I maybe start giving her some founder guard?

 

[Lindi-loo]

Shes a big girl but not huge shes looking very well and personally I think if you make any adjustments to her food and her weight while shes also feeding Finn your asking for trouble..as Finn gets bigger so does the demand on Suzie and shes a long way to go before hes weaned..just my oppinion but be careful..you can think about weight loss if you think she still needs it when shes weaned Finn..I think shes gorgeous and looks fabulous

 

[Wings]

Kick your neighbour up the arse and DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!!!!

Dropping food right now would be the WORST thing you could do, why do idiots always have to open their mouths when they aren't right? That kind of advice can kill!

Breeda is a good feed, that's what my girls are on and it's also great for weanlings and growing bubs as well. I feed it straight, no chaff, in addition to my hay for the girls as they are up in the paddock with very little grass.

You could drop the chaff without a problem, in fact I never feed the stuff!

 

[Riverrose28]

OMG! I'm so happy to hear that Susie is better, and I agree with all the others, don't limit her food while she is nursing.

Cassie, I really appreciate the way you watch and care for your little horses, keep up the good work girl, you rock!

 

[Eagle]

I am in Anna's gang

for some reason my girls are all "slightly large"

ok they are huge

All they get is hay and grass but I guess it must be good.

Cassie Suzie looks great and don't worry about what your neighbour thinks, as Finn grows she will loose weight cos he will suck it all out of her

When she has finished milking you can worry about her figure, she looks lovely and shiny.

This porker isn't due til June

 

[AnnaC]

OK here comes my two penny worth! (will probably get myself in a real muddle, so pick out the bits you can understand.

)

I agree with the others with regard to not doing anything much to alter Suzie's food at this stage. I can also understand Diane's preference for keeping her girl's diets under control, which I dont disagree with and what works for her and her minis is obviously good for them.

I wish my girls were not so fat, but with my set up it is not as easy to control them as I would like - they may be running 25 acres at the moment, but if you could see the nearly bald grass they are nibbling at, you would not believe how they could keep the weight on. LOL!!

BUT there is weight and there is weight! Out of all my 40 odd in that herd, I will say that there are just two or three that I would say are HEAVY with extra weight. The rest are fat, yes, but it seems to be what I would call a 'fit' type of fat - no loose or saggy bits, no cresty necks, no saggy bellies, just 'firm' flesh. Even the older empty mares and those I'm hoping are in foal dont have 'saggy' bellies, and no-one has loose flesh that you can poke with your finger and they are all capable of running flat out for 20 minutes or so of mad play time without much distressed breathing. Can you understand what I mean by weight or WEIGHT?

Went visiting today to collect the two mares and foals and two others that I though would be ready to move to the 'good' field. Moved the mares and foals (although didn't really feel they needed it, but felt that the two tubby little tykes might benefit from a little good grass of their own just in case their Mommas started to go down a bit on the 'starvation' acres. Went back with Cathy to inspect all the others plus the other two I had singled out and found that those two had actually put on weight again!!!!??? Where are they getting it from????

Cassie, I think Suzie looks great, but she has put on weight and it does look as though it is 'loose' weight. I would be very careful how you change things, but perhaps drop the chaff side of her food and if necessary up the breeda. You need to read the fat and starch levels on the breeda - neither are very good for minis unless they need to gain weight. How much Breeda do they suggest for a mini of her size and reasonable weight? If she is getting more or less the recommended amount then this should be enough for her together with her apples, carrots and sweet additives, plus her hay and the grass (dont forget that for the last month or so your grass will have gained in quality even if you dont have a lot of it, and this could have caused Suzie to pile on those few extra pounds). If you are bothered about her getting all her necessary minerals and vitamins then perhaps an additive or even one of those blocks/in a tub licks that are suitable for a mare and foal to have free access to.

Do give your vet a call to tell her of Suzie's 'episode' and find out what she thinks might have caused it, and what she suggests you do to avoid any future problems. But ignore her if she says to cut out Suzie's food coz she's getting too fat (just like you should ignore those neighbours and so called friends who are happy to spout their orders at you!!)

Like all the others here, this is all just my opinion. Also you are with Suzie, whereas we are only looking at pictures and the camera is very good at giving a false impression, so is not the best thing to use to judge what is actually happening 'in the flesh' so to speak.

 

[Eagle]

Anna, do you think my girl has a saggy tummy?