One Step Forward, Three Steps Back!

I have not posted on Zeus in a super long time!  We have had Zeus back with us for about 5 months now.  It is truly magical how much I love him and it was never a "new" relationship I had to build with him.  It was just like reuniting with an old friend.  I honestly think he feels the same.  He follows me EVERYWHERE.  A little too close sometimes.  He is doing well but not as well as I would have hoped.  I have had his teeth done, he has been wormed twice and I even had my equine chiropractor adjust him and he is still underweight.  I am not sure why he isn't putting weight on.  I have changed his diet, calorie intake, living situations etc multiple times and I still can't seem to get it right.  Now winter is here and it will be harder than ever to put the weight on.  I am bound to figure out what is missing.  He is a very sweet boy, we have been on his back a few times now and he is very gentle under saddle.  Now winter is here it will be difficult to get him back into shape but I hope by the end of next Summer, he will look and feel great and be regularly under saddle again.

Let Me See Those Chompers!

It has definitely been awhile since I posted last.  Things have been crazy.  I was having such terrible allergies that my horses were just mostly getting fed and watered for a few weeks.  I couldn't tolerate being outside long enough to do anything else.  I can't take any meds right now due to nursing.  The allergies are finally starting to lift and I have been able to do more and more outdoors once again.  Zeus is doing well.  He is still thin.  He gained some then sort of plateaued.  I am quite confident it is due to his teeth.  I don't think they have ever been addressed.  Horses wear their teeth down well on their own in the wild due to a wider varied diet consisting of harsher forage.  With domestication comes soft pasture grasses that just don't do the job.  He is thin, slobbers profusely while eating and has a hard time eating sufficient mouthfuls.  Good news is I have my Equine Dentist coming out in two weeks to do his and Major's teeth.  I am pretty sure once they have been taken care of the weight will start to come on more gradually once again.  My goal is to have him somewhat fit enough to have him fitted for a saddle this Fall.  Other than that he is doing well.  He and Major get along well.  His allergies have stopped.  He seems very content and happy.  And I must confess, I SO love this boy.  He is so sweet and it is so good to have him back in our family.  Cheers!

Picky! Picky!

Well, it has been a little over two weeks since Zeus came.  He is doing great and seems happy here with us.  Almost all the hair on his right shoulder and face has grown back where he had rubbed due to allergies.  Since I shaved the top of his tail and the bottom half of his mane he has quit rubbing those areas as well.  However, I have noticed with the mane he has left he is rubbing in two other spots so we just went ahead and roached (shaved) the remainder of the mane today.  So now he has no mane...just his forelock (the hair between the ears that falls over the forehead and eyes) is left.  He looks funny but I had so much success with the other areas I shaved that I decided it was worth it.  My main objective is getting him feeling better before looking better but the two will walk hand in hand for the most part.  I rubbed iodine into the neck where the mane use to be.  I am not exactly sure why this works but it seems to keep the skin more moist and less dry so it doesn't itch so much.  It also seems to kill any bacteria that might make its way into the dry, dead skin which would cause secondary problems like infection on top of the allergies.  It was also time to trim his hooves again.  I know it seems like it was only two weeks ago...and that would be because it was LOL but the type of hoofcare James and I believe in resembles natural wear like that of wild horses so we have to imitate that ourselves by maintaining the hooves every 2-3 weeks as opposed to every 6-8 which is what most ferriers recommend.  We find this to be WAY too long between care...allowing too much overgrowth and time for the hooves to change negatively.  He did very well.  Much better than the first time.  I have been giving both horses supplements now since the 18th of this month, June.    Each horse receives the following:

Zeuster Rooster (Zeus)-
Burdock Root (for inflammation, relieves allergy symptoms)
Biotin (hoof and hair growth and health)
Kelp (overall health and immunity)
Yeast (gut and intestinal health)
Slippery Elm (intestinal and stomach health/ulcers)
Flax Seed (vitamin E and Omega-3)
Calc Fluor (joint, skin and ligament health)

This is given in a base of *beet pulp.  I have found Zeus to be rather picky and he will only eat it dry.  I also have to ad a small amount of rice bran and BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) to convince him to eat it.  Thus far I have only been able to ad a small amount of the Burdock Root and Biotin to this mix.  I will slowly add in all the other supplements until he excepts them all.  The above supplements have been chosen to help him build his immune system, ad omega-3 and vitamin E as much of this is lost in the process of drying grass out into hay, relieve his allergies, help his joints and dissolve a few bone spurs, help him digest better and just overall feel better!  I was rather frustrated the first few days with his pickiness but now that I have discovered he will eat the beet pulp dry I think I will be able to get him to accept all the supplements over time.

Fatty Patty (Major)-

Chaste Tree Berry (for pituitary health)
Biotin (hoof and hair growth and health)
Kelp (overall health and immunity)
Yeast (gut and intestinal health)
Slippery Elm (intestinal and stomach health/ulcers)
Flax Seed (vitamin E and Omega-3)
Calc Fluor (joint, skin and ligament health)


This is also given in a base of beet pulp.  I do not have to ad the rice bran or BOSS to convince Major to eat this.  I add a little water and ACV (apple cider vinegar) to Major's mash and he gobbles it all up!  He is not picky by any means and would eat anything.  I am also working towards a healthier immune system for Major as well as gut and stomach health, bone and joint health, hair and hoof health and the chaste berry is for his endocrine system.  It has been proven to help horses who struggle with insulin resistance to help balance the pituitary and other endocrine glands.


So that is it for now!  Keep watching out for the progress of this great boy!


*Beet pulp (pictured) is what is left from the beet once the sugar has been extracted from it for sweeteners.  Horses love it.   It is high in fiber and protein but very low in sugars, which I avoid at all costs with my horses.  Therefore, I find it a much better product than grain which is hard for horses to digest and usually loaded with unneeded sugars and carbs.  10 pounds of beet pulp has about as much sugar as two small apples.  They each get maybe a 1/4 of ONE pound only daily.  It looks like dried mushroom shreds or small playground bark shreds.

Computer Boys and Broncos

It has been awhile since I posted last.  I have been so busy.  Zeus is doing well.  The areas on his shoulder and face he rubbed out due to allergies have really filled back in well.  I have also been putting iodine on the shaved area of his tail and mane and it has really helped.  I don't think he is rubbing anymore.  I haven't seen any new rubs and I haven't seen him rubbing on poles and posts.  He does look better but is still underweight.  I really think he needs his teeth done.  He slobbers terribly while eating and I am quite certain he has probably never seen a dentist.  Horses naturally have very sharp teeth.  They are covered in sharp points that will literally make holes in the their mouths over time.  It isn't harmful and very natural.  All wild horses have been found to have the exact same findings.  There is an old wives tail that horses will eat rocks and dirt to wear their teeth down.  This is silly and very untrue.  There is no need to wear down their teeth any sooner than eating grasses and old age will accomplish.  However, in the domestic horse world, there are two factors that create problems with the natural wear of teeth.  One, tack such as bridles, halters and bits.  These can put pressure on the sharp points of the teeth and create sores that wouldn't be there otherwise and just create overall tenderness.  Second is the wide use of hay.  Hay is a LOT easier to chew than diets found in the wild so domestic horse teeth do not wear down as well and the points are much more drastic.  If irregular teeth wear is an issue for an individual horse, it could make eating hay very difficult causing the animal to eat much less efficiently which  most often causes weight loss, due to the fact that less calories are consumed and the hay bites that are consumed are sometimes so large from lack of proper chewing that they just pass right through the animal without being used by the body.  It is recommended, though most people do not follow through, to have your horses teeth "floated" once every six months until the age of 5 and then once a year there after.  Vets can do this but I prefer an Equine Dentist who is more well learned in this area.  I have my dentist come out once a year to do Major.  He is due in the next month or so to have his teeth done which means that Zeus will as well.  Hopefully afterward he will put on weight at a steadier pace and keep it on.  It is so important to keep an eye on their teeth.  A lot of people do not realize a good portion of "training issues" or "badly behaved" horses are actually reacting to problems in the mouth.  I have seen this first hand and personally how a horrible behavior such as rearing or bucking can melt away in a single day once the teeth have been seen by a knowledgeable dentist.  Also, if an improper wear of a tooth is not taken care of it can cause lifelong problems for the horse that can not be fixed if left unchecked too long.  I have also ordered and received some herbs; some for allergies, immunity and others things.  Hopefully they will start to help.  Major will eat his just fine in a nicely made mash...Zeus won't so I have to find some other creative way to get him to take his "meds".  Most likely will end up being a large syringe and a wash over the tongue and straight down the throat.  ;)  We also purchased a very special salt lick for the boys.  Salt is important for any living creature and horses are no different.  Some processed salt licks contain additives like molasses and sugars which I do not want my horses to have.  Others are just bleached, white salt and again, I don't want my horses to have that either.  James and I found a product called a "Trophy Rock" which is an actual, all natural chunk of mineral rock mined from the mountains here in Utah.  It is a product used by hunters to attract deer and used before the season to give the deer an extra boost in minerals resulting in larger antlers.  It is all natural and just a big chunk of salty minerals.  Looks just like a big rock, not a processed square block.  Not only does it provide the salts they need but lots of trace minerals as well.  It in my opinion is the best you can do since this is the exact thing they would look for themselves in the wild.  They love it.  I can attest to its saltiness, James and I both gave it a lick before putting it into the horses pen.  :)  We are working on some feeders that will help the horses eat all day long.  This keeps them from developing ulcers and spikes in blood sugars due to long periods of fasting and also gives them something to do throughout the day.  Yesterday I asked James if he would like to hop up on Zeus in the round pen so we could just get an idea of where his mind is.  He said he was game.  I threw my bitless bridle on him which he seemed completely cool with and James climbed up the side of the round pen and lightly seated himself aboard.  Zeus wasn't pleased and did a small rodeo around the round pen.  I was scared to say the least, I thought I may have just killed my hubby.  James literally slid off like an elf and collected Zeus at the head, calmly as ever walked him back to the side of the round pen and got back on just as calmly and gently as before.  The only thing he asked for was Zeus to stand quietly and relax...which he did so James got off, gave him a love and that was his lesson for the day.  Zeus is broke to ride but I am guessing this was the first time anyone has climbed on him bareback.  It is a much closer contact than a rider in a saddle and some horses are very unsure of the sensation at first.  I think it won't be long before he is fine with it and I was so proud of both my boys.  Zeus for understanding quickly we meant no harm and James for keeping his patience and loving Zeus through the exercise as opposed to getting impatient and angry which would NOT have helped.  Plus he is really cute and awesome when he does acrobatics off of bucking horses.  ;)  Well, I think that is about it for now.  LONG post I know, I guess that is what I get for putting it off for so long.  Photos are a week after original ones we took and there is a before and after shown of his bald area on his right shoulder.  The shoulder shot where you can see his head is the before.  Open the photo on its own and you can see how it is just clean, black skin.  The after shot (photo where you can only see the shoulder) it is dirty from him rolling but you can see how it looks more "flat" and dull in coloration.  This is the new fuzz coming in over the skin. You can see how well it has filled in.  I have also included one of Major from 2008 when his dentist came for a visit.  They have to be given a mild sedative (hence his funny stance) and the contraption on his head opens his mouth wide so the dentist can get in there and do what she needs too.  :)  The horses actually like it and will move their heads to the places they want points removed from even though they are drowsy.  My dentist told me it has never failed that when they start wriggling around and placing the file to where they want, she will find a large sharp point they are asking to be removed.  :)  Who says horses have no brains?

Dead Skin

Zeus finally had his last hoof trimmed today.  He did very well.  He will be a little tender as his hooves adjust.  This is just a part of switching to a "barefoot" lifestyle.  Though he has already been barefoot his whole life, his feet were left to grow long which changes things.  The actual hoof of the horse is a protection around a hoof shaped bone found inside the hoof.  The hoof is meant to be tight, short and well formed.  This has been proven time and time again by the horses left to live their lives in the wild.  This keeps the hoof wall tight around the bone keeping it in place.  If the hoof gets long and deformed (flares) the wall gets loose and the bone actually descends down.  This puts pressure on the sole of the hoof.  When we start trimming the hoof back and changing things, they can sometimes feel the pressure of the bone on the sole more.  It is sad BUT it is a sign of healing.  It will not last forever as long as trims are correct and frequent.  Allowing the wall to re-tighten, the bone to move back to where it should be and the sole to callus.  It takes time but it is worth it.  I have walked both sides of the fence as far as hoof care.  I have owned horses for over 15 years now.  I have had the best of the best shoe my horses.  My horses still always had problems.  Since I have made a choice to go barefoot with my horses which encompasses MUCH more than just bare hooves...it is a lifestyle change, my horses have been healthier and happier then ever before.  He is looking so much better already as far as body condition.  His allergies seem to be doing better.  The hair on his shoulder is filling back in.  However, he is still rubbing the top of his tail and a portion of his mane.  Today I shaved the hair off from these areas.  You can see so in this photo at the bottom portion of his mane how it has been shaved.  I know it looks funny but I really needed to exfoliate all the layers of dead skin away that are part of the problem.  That is what I have done on his shoulder and the itching has stopped.  The hair was just too thick to get through to the skin though so by shaving it down I can treat it better and get the new skin growth coming through.  I am confident this will help even though it doesn't look as pretty.  I also had him out in the round pen a little with me pushing him some.  He still has a long way to go as far as training but he seems so much happier since the first day he came.   

Three Down, One to Go!

Zeus has been here for almost six days now.  He is doing very well.  I will update photos once a week.  He and Major are getting along really well.  It does seem his allergies are getting better and in this short time he already has put on some weight and looks much better.  He has had three of his hooves trimmed (we will tackle the last one tomorrow) and he has done pretty well.  We have only done one a day to not over stress him.  It can be traumatic if the horse isn't trained to let their feet be handled and we see no need to make it a bad experience for him.  We are all in love with him.  There really was no period of getting use to him since we already knew and loved him so it has been special.  He is a huge puppy dog and I really think (though you would never know by looking now) that he will be a gorgeous boy by the end of this year.

Major...let's be friends.

Major is my pride and joy.  He is a seven year old Tennessee Walking gelding.  He is so sweet and gorgeous to boot!  You can see for yourself how well he looks.  We hope to have Zeus following in his footsteps soon as we really believe in our system of hoof care, diet and training with our horses.  We believe in as natural as a lifestyle as possible.  Sun, wind, rain.  Simple shelters, lots of room, NO stalls EVER, free feeding, no grains or sugars and we are an iron free family...meaning NO shoes, NO bits and NO spurs...ever.  Major and Zeus get along well already and I hope they can become life long buddies.  Major is here to stay ( have thought about selling him a few times over the years but never can commit) and I hope my Zeus boy is as well.