January 2008 Newsletter

In This Newsletter:

• Cynthia's News
• Laminitis - an owners experience
• Barefoot Bits & Pieces - New Easycare Boot
• Alternative Therapies - Honey
• Rescue Mission for neglected horses
• Orphan Foals - Part 2
• Subscriber's News & Photos
• Events News for Tasmania
• Calendar & Classifieds

Cynthia's News

One of the biggest lessons I'm learning from my herd, is to remain flexible and be willing to change their situation to suit the current conditions. Take my breeding herd for example - last month I wrote about my rising four year old colt, Finn, having to be removed from the herd when his daughter came into season because he was chasing her a lot.

Photo: Cynthia with Dakoda (the previously rejected foal, now yearling) and his mate, Finn.

Well, now that we're reaching the end of the breeding season, Finn's hormones must have dropped and Amy is no longer 'showing' in season so it has been safe to keep the whole herd together again. The timing is perfect because young Fiera, the colt foal, was starting to need more playmates. He was giving his sister a hard time because he was bored with her - and when I put the yearling Dakoda and his sire back in with him, he had a grand old time, running, chasing and playing with the boys!
Finn is the ideal sire and role model for his kids - he is gentle but demands respect, playful enough to have fun with but serious enough to keep order.
It's lovely to see him relaxed and happy with his family.
The riding herd have also required some flexibility in how they are kept. All are overweight and half have white noses so need sun protection. They are usually kept on the track paddock but as it has no shade, I have to keep them in a bush run which has a bit of grass - just a bit too much actually so i am strip grazing them down the long thin paddock. The water is on the shady end so during the heat of the day they can hang out there and keep out of the sun, then have to walk tot he other end for their little bit of grass when they are hungry. Once they finish their 2m strip each day, they fossick around in the scrub and rushes for low quality roughage to fill them up.
Eventually they will come back onto the track when that paddock is finished, but the track will be around my other 10 acre bush block where the lay of the land suits electric fencing.
The beauty of having no internal permanent fences is that electric can be put wherever you need it, whenever you need it. Flexibility with grazing options is the best way to keep my horses from tipping over into a laminitic state.

Photo: Comfort Zoners having fun L-R: Shirley, Linda and Toni getting into some relaxed riding. Photo: Leigh Steven.

The Comfort Zone group has attracted a wonderful bunch of people looking for more than just an average relationship with their horse. In working within their own and their horse's comfort zones, some wonderful, stress free days of achieving blissful moments of connection have occurred.
It has been a pleasure to guide everyone through the small steps that amount to a big change in how the horse and their person behaves. This group works with the principles outlined in Jenny Pearce's E-Book, Bobby's Diaries (available from the Natural Horse World shop) which focuses on a level of awareness and connection with your horse most people don't expect to experience.
As a result, the horses have been happier to relax and listen to their owners, literally.
New skills are being learned, lightness of communication explored and riding bitless is the norm.
In April, Jenny Pearce will be teaching the art of mind-connection to the group at a three day camp - I can't wait for this experience which I'm sure will take us all to the next level of horsemanship.

To read more about Jenny Pearce and Bobby's Diaries visit her web site here.

There is a feast of great horsemen and women coming to Tasmania in the coming few months so make the most of their experience to further your knowledge - see the Events Calendar below for more details.

Wishing you all a Happy, Horsey New Year. Cheers from Cynthia.

Vanessa and Echo tuning in to each other. Photo: Leigh Steven.

Laminitis - an owner's experience

What’s the truth about laminitis? by Annemaree Woodward ©
When one of my donkeys, Sergeant Pepper, succumbed to laminitis in the spring of 2006, I was shocked. Although I’ve kept donkeys for 30 years, I’d always been told donkeys don’t get laminitis - fallacy number one.
I’ve spent time with horses since my early childhood. The Welsh pony that taught me to ride was a stock horse on one of the dairy farms of my extended family in north eastern Victoria. Shorty always went a little lame on his near-side-front after a couple of hour’s work. My cousin told me Shorty had foundered a few years ago and pretended to be lame so he wouldn’t have to work too hard – fallacy number two.

When I worked weekends at a racing stable in my early teens I heard of the dreaded founder. Horses were said to never recover – fallacy number three.
The six months after Pepper was diagnosed were a long road back to health for him and a steep learning curve of discovery for me.
Pepper was always a bit touchy about his feet. He often seemed a bit lame after a trim and at other times. I couldn’t find anything obviously wrong and put it down to his change from the rock-free, deep, basaltic soil east of Devonport to his new home on a rocky dolerite hill in Reedy Marsh.

The first sign that he had a serious problem was in August 2006 when he played up while I trimmed his hooves. I persisted for a couple of months until he just wouldn’t stand still for me. By this time [October 2006] his feet were overgrown and he seemed to be lame on both front feet.
I called on a natural hoof care practitioner who was recommended to me. He came the next day and gave me the bad news. He gave Pepper a “laminitis trim” and me some advice about feeding and wished us both luck. He said with natural hoof care and correct feeding he would recover but might need some anti-inflammatory drugs from the vet for his pain.
A few days later Pepper was very bad. He lay down and wouldn’t get up. Of course it was the weekend. I went to see the vet on Monday. He provided some anti-inflammatory drugs, some aspirin to thin his blood and sedative that assists with the vein/artery blood transfer at the coronary band. He was emphatic that I must get the donkey on his feet but was not optimistic about his recovery.
Pepper (left) and Bliss a year ago. Photo by Annemaree Woodward.

Both the equine practitioners I’ve just mentioned played an important part in Pepper’s recovery and I have no criticism of the approach of either, even though they differed. This article is not meant to disparage anyone who offers advice or treatment for laminitis. Rather it’s meant to point out how much conflicting information there is and encourage all equine carers to do their own research to become as informed as possible on this vital subject of equine health.

In the hard work and worry of the months of Pepper’s recuperation I asked experienced people and read everything I could find about laminitis. I was astonished at the great discrepancies in what I discovered.
Here is some of the advice I received first hand or in books:-

• Provide forced exercise to increase blood flow to the hooves. Put food and water a long distance apart to enforce movement
• The blood flow to the hoof is so slow that exercise has little effect on it
• Rest on soft bedding with food and water within reach
• Forced exercise of any kind while the animal is in pain is completely contra-indicated
• Fit polystyrene pads to the feet.
• Don’t fit polystyrene pads to the feet
• Remove shoes and adopt barefoot hoof care
• Special shoeing may be necessary
• Laminitis causes chronic, severe lameness
• Laminitis is a death sentence
• Laminitis can be cured by diet and proper natural hoof care
• Hoof testers can be used to determine the degree to which the hooves are affected
• Hoof testers are cruel and unnecessary for diagnosis of laminitis
• Shoeing causes laminitis
• Shoeing can prevent laminitis in horses working on hard ground
• Regular doses of an anti-biotic [Virginiamycin] can prevent further outbreaks
• Anti-biotic treatment is useless or even harmful.
  
  There were two points on which there was complete consensus. Firstly that laminitis is extremely painful. I have no doubt about this: Pepper lay down and cried for several days. The second point of agreement is that laminitis has a dietary cause. While not everyone has the same opinion about how rich grasses cause the disease, all seem to agree that this the most common cause of laminitis.
  
  Everyone providing advice says that the animal should have very limited access to grass and no grain feed or tid-bits until full recovery. Most recommend grass hay but few consider what nutrients are contained in the hay. The sugar content of grass and the hay made from grass has only recently come under consideration. It seems that much research is still required before equine owners can find out just how they can provide their animals with a diet close to what nature intended for them.
  
  I’m no expert on treating laminitis but this is the approach I ultimately followed.
  I didn’t have to adopt barefoot hoof care as my donkeys have never been shod but I did learn better ways to trim their feet following natural hoof care principles. Reducing their heel length has significantly improved both their stance and movement.
  I’m of the opinion that pain is the body’s way of saying it needs a break so I provided Pepper with a deep bed of triticale straw in his shed with a large bucket of water in easy reach. I limited his access to grazing, providing only a small area of grass that had already been heavily grazed.
  
  I gave him anti-inflammatory drugs to ease his pain. I tended him four times a day to give him his sedative injections. I also gave him homeopathic remedies for inflammation, stress and abscess prevention. I got him to his feet every time I tended him. As he improved it got to the stage that as soon as he saw me he’d get to his feet. These days if I see him lying down, he’s up within seconds of seeing me! I put polystyrene pads on all his feet. I’m absolutely sure they helped him.
  I fed him a 1 in 4 mix of lucerne and oaten chaff with a tiny bit of oats for the taste. He wouldn’t eat chaff at all without oats then and would rather die than eat plain oaten chaff. I gave him a daily dose of Virginiamycin which I’ve continued as his hooves grow out. I gave him small quantities of grass hay four times a day.
  I also brushed him every day because he couldn’t roll. This seemed to make him feel more contented. I let his mate out into the paddock during the day but brought her back to keep him company every evening.
  Pepper in Dec. 07 - a bit fat again. Photo by Annemaree Woodward.
  
  Slowly Pepper recovered but succumbed to abscesses in both his front feet in February. The natural hoof care practitioner cut these out and applied Epsom salts compresses to draw out the infection. This was successful but his recovery was set back by the abscesses.
  Today more than fourteen months after I first noticed something was wrong Pepper still has some problems with his feet. This is not surprising given that it seems quite clear he had chronic laminitis when he first arrived here.
  I hope that reading this doesn’t confuse or discourage you. I know that you can cure your donkey, pony, mule or horse of laminitis but you will have to be dedicated to his or her recovery.
  I think that the conflicting information about laminitis is indicative that we are now seeing a threshold of change. This can be daunting but can also be seen as an opportunity for learning and adapting.
  I hope all equine owners will learn as much as they can about how to prevent and treat laminitis. If we all learn how to look after these animals properly laminitis doesn’t have to continue to be the main killer of our equine companions.
  
  For more helpful information and another reader's experience with using homeopathics to help acute laminitis - click here.

Barefoot Bits & Pieces - New boot from Easycare

A new hoof boot, called the Easycare Edge is looking very promising, with no extra bits inside the boot such as the backstrap, and the gaiter has a soft rolled edge all around. The most interesting part is the way it does up with a hose clamp, looks like the sort that you use a screwdriver to tighten. Karen Chaton of Easycare has posted some fabulous photos of the new boot (may still be modified) in her album of Death Valley Ride, check them out here.

Alternative Therapies - Honey

More than 4,000 years after Egyptians began applying honey to wounds, it is now being sold for regular wound care all over the world.
Called Medihoney, it is made from a highly absorbent seaweed-based material, saturated with manuka honey, a particularly potent type that experts say kills germs and speeds healing. Also called Leptospermum honey, manuka honey comes from hives of bees that collect nectar from manuka and jelly bushes in Australia and New Zealand.

Honey dressings and gels, as well as tubes of manuka honey, have been gaining in popularity with scientific reports on their medical benefits and occasional news accounts of the dramatic recovery of a patient with a longtime wound that suddenly healed.
Regular honey can even have mild medicinal benefits but manuka honey is far more potent, research shows.
The most important factor in any honey used for medicinal purposes is that it should not have been heat treated like the honey we buy for eating - people prefer it to be runny but heat treating to keep it that way kills the active ingredients.

"It's been used on wounds where nothing else will work," said biochemist Peter Molan, PhD, a professor at the University of Waikato in New Zealand who has researched honey and other natural antibiotics for 25 years.
He's found manuka honey can kill the toughest bacteria even when diluted 10 times and recommends it especially for people with weak immune systems.

"There's more evidence, clinical evidence, by far for honey in wound treatment than for any of the pharmaceutical products" for infection, Molan said. However, it won't work once an infection gets in the blood. "It's not a miracle."

Honey has been used for healing wounds on horses with great results. It is easy to apply (sticks well) and doesn't sting so horses tolerate treatment better. It can be plastered on an open wound or bandaged on more severe cuts and burns. It has proven to be especially helpful at reducing the proud flesh that grows out of control as the flesh over populates and stops the skin from covering properly. As you can see from the photos below, honey heals quickly - this knee injury which was a couple of weeks old and hadn't responded to other treatments went from the size in the top photo to less than half the size in ten days of daily treatment.

More recently, hoof care professionals have discovered honey is excellent for treating thrush. Here is an outline of treatment provided by Chrisann Ware of Equethy:
Wash the hoof first with vinegar and water and use the same syringe and tube to flush the gunk out of the hoof sulcus.
Then warm the honey in a tub or hot water and put it in the syringe (cattle syringe where the needle would attach works best as they are large).

We get the tubing from pet shops that sell supplies for fish tanks - the small tube that they sell for air hoses is ideal but don't reuse it in case you are spreading thrush from foot to foot.

Pass the tube as deep into the sulcus as you can. You will be surprised how far it can go in some horses with contracted frogs and heels it seems to go very deep indeed. I think this is why most treatments don't work as they don't get to the anaerobic bacteria in there.

You will know when you have gotten the honey in deep and filled the sulcus as it often comes out the back near the heels.Just wipe this excess that dribbles out all over the frog and sole and put the horse in a boot for a while, or if you don't have boots just tie it up on a clean concrete area with some feed for 20 mins until the honey does its job. Its gets absorbed quickly and doesn't remain sticky.

You can buy Manuka honey in the large supermarkets and its much cheaper to do this than to buy it from a specialty health food store. If you buy it from the "medical" supplies it costs double what you pay for it in the supermarket. If you can't get medi honey or its equivalent then just ordinary honey from a local bee keeper is excellent too. We haven't found any difference in the results both seem to work well.

To read a case study on treating a severe tendon wound with honey, click here.

A 3yo filly and 2yo gelding who have found caring new homes.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of a group of animal lovers in the Huon area, a herd of 32 thoroughbreds has been rescued from long time neglect. Over a period of almost 20 years, the owner of these horses has been reported to the RSPCA and ordered to reduce his horse numbers to 20 or less. Being a breeder, this seemed to be impossible for him and over the years, horses have died and suffered every winter especially, due to lack of feed and proper care.
Fortunately, local horse lovers never gave up on the case and when Emma Haswell moved to the area, she encouraged everyone to step up the effort to keep on this case for the sake of the horses. Members of AEWA followed the progress of the case in court which seemed frustratingly slow. Then the owner of all these horses was hospitalised with cancer. Finally he relented and agreed to relinquish the horses to be re-homed so Emma along with the skillful help of Camille Velnaar got on with the job. Camille had the daunting task of catching, halter training and loading these unhandled horses, who even though malnourished, were strong and fearful.
Over the period of a month, 20 of these horses have been re-homed with caring, experienced horse people who stepped up to the challenge. If you can help any of the remaining horses, please answer the add in the classifieds below.
I visited Emma at her 'Brightside Farm Sanctuary" where 120 various animals ranging from rescued dogs, cats and rats share a home with the chickens, ducks, pigs, goats, calves, donkey's, ponies and horses.
All have a story behind them involving rescue from factory farming or neglect and injury. Their stories will be told to help school children understand the role animals can play in our lives and how they should be treated - with respect.
If you would like to read more about Brightside Sanctuary near Huonville, visit the web site.

Emma with two happy dogs and the piglet who loves a tummy rub.

Orphan Foal Options - Part 2

By Cynthia Cooper

When you are faced with an orphan or rejected foal, the best solution for the foal long term is to have it accepted by its dam or a foster mare.
Raising an orphan by bucket feeding is less than ideal as they quickly become over-humanised and often miss out on the socialisation skills they learn from other horses. This is why orphan foals often become pushy, insensitive horses when they grow up, as people usually can't provide the strict discipline a herd situation provides.
Even if the foal is kept with other horses (preferably young ones it can play with too), it will be returning to the people may times daily for a drink for the first few months of its life, and this can be a problem if the people aren't strict with balancing love and discipline.

If the mare is alive but has rejected the foal, then there is a window of opportunity in the first few days to train her to accept it before her milk dries up. I've heard vets say it won't work if the mare hasn't accepted the foal within the first few days, but from experience, I found that it could take up to 3 weeks, providing you are willing to put the time and training in.
We did that while waiting for a foster mare to become available, hoping the real mum would retain her milk but sadly, she was unable to, possibly due to the two hours between drinks and the small amount the foal was getting from her initially.

However, it can be done and here's how we went about it:

Initially, keep the mare and foal close but seperate so she can't injure the foal with aggressive biting or kicking. Get the vet to sedate the mare to assist with keeping her still for the foal to nurse, depending on how aggressive she is. You may need to distract her with feed and restrict her vision of the foal to enable it to drink. This will need at least two people so get some experienced help if possible.

The mare will need to be milked every hour to stimulate her supply and possibly even need a hormone injection from the vet to 'let her milk down'. If you are not able to milk her easily then set up a crush with a portable fence panel against a wall as shown in the photo. This will also be of great assistance in teaching her to accept the foal or to introduce a foster mare if you find one.
The process is pretty much the same when fostering a foal onto a mare except you may not have to initially sedate the mare if she's gentle natured.
Some suggestions that can help her to accept the foal range from skinning her dead foal and putting the skin over the orphan (pretty horrible and not always practical), to rubbing the orphan all over with her afterbirth (or part of it such as the hippomane - small brown kidney like part).
If you're going to do either of these things then put a foal rug on the orphan so it is protected a little from any severe reaction from the mare (they will often bite until there is acceptance). You could also put a grazing muzzle (or a home-made version) on the mare if she shows a tendancy to bite rather than kick.

Never assume any potential foster mare will accept another foal. Apart from the fact that she is grieving the loss of her own foal, she will know the orphan is not hers and it will take time and patient training to convince her to take it on.
There are occassional mares who are born 'mothers' who will nurse any foal and these are ideal foster mums - I've even heard of these mares making milk when they haven't even been pregnant themselves. In fact there is now a course of hormone injections you can give such a mare to help start lactation in a non-pregnant mare. Visit www.thehorse.com and search on orphan foals and induced lactation for more info on this.

Having a crush set up in the stable or yard is the safest way for all concerned to start the bonding through drinking process. Feed the mare in the crush a few times first so she is not stressed about going in or being contained there. Use a rope looped around the rail behind her that can be released quickly if she isn't used to being confined like this and gradually get her to accept it rather than forcing her to stay in and possibly hurt herself in a struggle.

Don't tie her solid, just wrap the rope around a rail in case she gets claustrophobic or caught up in the panel. A feed is always a good distraction and gives her reason to stand in there quietly.

Have someone at her head to block her vision of the foal initially and start by washing her teats and hand milking her - make sure she is ok with touching around the flank and teat area first of course! Then bring the foal in and guide it up to the rails - some padding above where it's head will be is helpful as you don't want to put the foal off from going to drink.

Avoid pushing it's head down - this will cause a reaction against the pressure - get it sucking your fingers which should have milk on them from milking the mare to get the flow going, and guide it's head towards the udder.
It shouldn't take long for the foal to figure out how to get to the udder after a few goes - we had to hold this colt back in the beginning as his running towards the mare for his drink would upset her!
Once the mare accepts the foal drinking while her vision is restricted, start to give her view of the foal while it is drinking, and then as you approach with the foal.
When she readily accepts the foal through the panel, you can start opening up the panel and allowing the foal to feed with her tied up. If she's kicking at the foal, this may not be possible, so be patient and possibly consider teaching her to hobble by the back legs if you are an experienced handler or if not, get someone who is able to help with this.

You could also strap up a front leg with a stirrup leather so she's standing on one leg, on the same side the foal is feeding.
Be sure to encourage her with kind words and rewards such as food when she does the right thing, and try to make progress with each feeding session (there's an example of this in the reader's story below).
W hen it comes time to leaving the mare and foal together, you may want to muzzle the mare if she's a biter, to ensure the foal is not hurt. This can be done for short periods and should always be under supervision.

We used 'clicker training' to teach this very aggressive mare to accept her foal by teaching her to 'target' the foal (touch it with her nose) to get a treat. The photo shows us at the stage where she was ready to be turned loose with the foal so the home-made muzzle is on - a plastic flowerpot with a hole in the bottom to allow eating of treats! She has just been 'clicked' for accepting him drinking without turning to bite and later we work on rewarding her only when she has her ears forward (positive attitude).
We also used the clicker training method to teach the foster mare to accept this foal which she did within four days. From experiences related to me, it takes up to a week or so to get a foster mare to fully accept a foal that isn't it's own, so don't expect it to happen overnight!

When the mare is reliably accepting the foal and shows no signs of biting or kicking, then its safe to keep them together without supervision. We provided a safety escape for the foal just in case by putting a rope across into his section of the stable so he could run under it to safety if she got mean with him.

Just because the mare tolerates the foal being near her, don't assume she will feed the foal when you are not there. The mare pictured would only feed her foal when we were visible - we gradually got to the point where we could stand at the gate and tell her to feed him by working on a longer rope then at liberty, all the time using the clicker to reward her.

In the meantime, the foal who was still being bucket fed every 2 hours to supplement his mother's meagre milk supply, had learned to drink his formula from a dog water dispenser so he could access his milk whenever he wanted it. This was a great benefit to us and freed us up from virtually living in his paddock!
When a foster mare became available he was three weeks old and bonded with his mum, so we had to gradually wean him off her. We put the foster mare in the stable beside the foal where she could see him and his real mum was outside in a yard where he could see her.
Fortunately, we realised the presence of his real mum was distracting the foster mare from wanting to accept the colt so we took her way (with not even a backwards glance from her!) and from that moment on, the foster mare focused on the foal and accepted him easily.
So, using nature's instincts in a horse to seek and bond with it's own kind was a real benefit here and had a happy ending with the mare accepting the colt as her own.

Finding a foster mare is not always easy so if you have a mare that loses her foal, please consider offering your mare to foster an orphan foal. Call all the local vets and larger studs to let them know you have a mare available. Get online and spread the word through discussion groups and your email contacts. Until a foal is found, keep miking your mare out to stimulate production, and save the colostrum by freezing it in 200ml quantities.

Both mare and foal owner must be prepared to be flexible about where the foal or mare goes - it will depend on who is more experienced and keen to put in the time initially, or has the right facilities. Whatever the case, it is a short term arrangement that can be formalised in the case of a valuable mare (or foal) with an official lease and insurance if necessary.

Having a mare who has rejected her foal or fostering an orphan onto another mare is a time consuming but very rewarding process, and is far cheaper in the long term than raising a foal on formula. There is a lot of information available online so you're not alone if this happens to you. Treat each case individually and try different approaches if something doesn't seem to be working and you will eventually find success in raising a healthy young foal.
If you have an orphan foal experience you would like to share please email Cynthia (link below).

A READER'S EXPERIENCE with Rejection by Lindi.
My mare Zena rejected her foal, Jazira, two years ago and was extremely violent towards her. She was a maiden mare and foaled very quickly and wandered off before the foal could get up. Needless to say she had foaled unexpectedly in the middle of the day whilst I made a quick visit to the shop!

I got them into the stable but it was too dangerous for Jaz to be in with Zena, though she didn't mind me milking her. The vet came and sedated Zena but to no avail. She was just not having a bar of Jaz. Worse still, we couldn't get Jaz to drink even from a bottle and the vet was pretty pessimistic.

A friend and I spent the the first night out with the foal which was separated from mum by a makeshift gate at the stable door so they could sniff each other. I just had to get the foal suckling and Zena to accept her. I used a twitch to start with which pained me more than her I'm sure, and we started on a 'pressure/release' plan. With the twitch cranked up and a friend assisting the foal to find the teats, we managed to ensure she got the colostrum. Every time Zena relaxed, even the tiniest bit, I released the twitch slightly and made a fuss of her and every time she tensed or snarled at the foal I quietly tightened it again.
By the next morning and lots of sessions with the twitch (trying to ensure the foal fed regularly) I could slacken it off quite a lot quite quickly. As Zena started to get the idea I started to replace the twitch with my hand through the loop but holding her nose with my hand and slackening off the pressure at the slightest opportunity until I was just stroking her face.

By day two Zena would allow the foal to drink when I just put a little pressure on her nose with my hand. I would ensure the foal fed every hour or so. I could then let the halter off without Zena scowling at the foal in the stable and I was soon able to leave them in together. By day three they were out in a small paddock together and Zena and I were reaching an agreement: I would just put my hand on her nose and she would relax and let the foal feed. Gradually the foal risked approaching by herself and did her own advance/retreat system until Zena just seemed to give in! (Jaz was and is quite assertive and definite about things.) Within a couple of weeks the two of them were in with the other horses with Zena playing the part of protective mum. A great relief.

Whilst it did end well, I learned a couple of salutory lessons: don't get cocky or take anything for granted when things seem to be going well and don't put too much pressure on. I had the idea that it would be best to try to replicate the foal's natural feeding patterns by allowing her access to Zena at very regular intervals. In fact at one stage Zena found that too much too often and I wasn't sensitive enough or quick enough to recognise her feelings about the matter.

Because she was responding so consistently, after a while I let my concentration slip and when I put my hand on her nose she bit me! It hurt and I deserved it. It was tricky deciding how often it would be best for the foal to suckle both from the natural feeding and bonding point of view but because things were going well I really didn't need to be so persistent (I can see that now. Hindsight is a wonderful thing). Anyway Zena and I ended up mates again - and Jaz too - and I was lucky as things turned out, not to end up with an orphan foal to manage as I know how tough that can be.

SUBSCRIBER'S NEWS & PHOTOS

Wallbrook Stud are very proud to announce - the arrival of our first pure bred Friesian foal.
A VERY special baby born late this afternoon - New Years Day, January 1st 2008.

I gave kestrel a nice bath this morning as it was very hot and I sat with her whilst she grazed out of her yards.
She was weird when I put her back in - going silly as soon as I got out of sight. Each time I went to her she relaxed and ate some grass.
At about 2pm she was covered in sweat and always calling to me. So I stayed with her, knowing she was in labour. I gave her some lucerne at 5.30 which she didn't eat, and just hung her head against me. I sat with her and she layed down and started foaling. It was just amazing and she is an incredible mare. The foaling was text book and she is the best first time mum I have ever met. Love this mare.
Anyway - here is the newest little man and probably the first Friesian (born at 6.15pm )in Australia for 2008. Now I just have to come up with a very special name. (by Nadeen.)

This new colt foal is from the Clayton station mare Tara and Gerald Nicklason bought over from South Australia last year. He is by a buckskin stallion.

Just to remind us that not all newsletter readers are in Australia, Daniella from Switzerland sent this lovely photo of her young Morgan filly in the snow at Christmas time.

Karen Lockwood and Bluey had a challenging and wonderful time a the David Grace camp held in December at Somerset.

DID YOU KNOW?
If your horse is suffering from 'greasy heel' also known as 'mud fever' or 'scratches', that one of the easiest ways to remove the scabs to promote healing is to smother them in a mix of Vaseline (petroleum jelly) mixed with 1/3rd Filtabac - the antibacterial sunscreen available from vets and saddleries. This softens the scabs overnight allowing you to gently rub them off. Then cover the area with Filtabac to heal and protect the skin.
Greasy heel can be caused by to much protein in the diet so cut out the lucerne, grains and rich grass to help heal the condition. Horses that are copper deficient also seem to be affected by greasy heel so feed a tablespoon of rosehip granules daily or a pinch of copper sulphate.

REMINDER: Be continually vigilant for, and know the signs of Equine Influenza. Now that the ban on horses coming into Tasmania has been lifted we need to ensure the disease does not come to our island.
Check that all visitors from interstate have not had contact with horses, especially from EI infected areas.
We can't afford to let our guard down now. Visit your local DPI website for more info.

EVENTS CALENDAR

JANUARY 2008
12th - Carlos Tabernaberri Clinic - Tas Equestrian Centre, Lauderdale.
13th - Carlos Tabernaberri Clinic - Violet Banks Indoor Arena, Westbury.
FEBRUARY
2nd - Comfort Zone Group with Cynthia at Harveydale.
9th & 10th - David Stuart Beginner Course (details below).
16th & 17th - David Stuart Intermediate Course
16th & 17th - Gordon McKinlay Clinic 1, Ulverstone. Ph. Marg Richardson on 64272255.
20th - 21st - Gordon McKinlay Clinic 2, Ulverstone. Ph. Marg Richardson on 64272255.
20-24th - Mel Fleming & Tony Robinson Course at Pontville. Ph. Nicole on 62660315.
25th - 26th Gordon McKinlay Clinic 3, Ulverstone. Ph. Marg Richardson on 64272255.

MARCH
1st - Comfort Zone Group with Cynthia at Harveydale.
16th - Young Horse Day with Cynthia at Turnara Lodge, Yorktown. Ph. Alyssia 63 834825.

EVENTS NEWS

Carlos Tabernaberri - Good Horsemanship Clinics in Tasmania NOW

January 12th - South - Tas. Equestrian Centre, Equestrian Drive, Lauderdale.
January 13th - North - Violet Banks Indoor Arena, Westbury.

Carlos is coming back to Tasmania after his popular first clinic here for two more one day clinics and some private lessons.
There are still two rider positions available at both North and South clinics, along with plenty of fence sitter positions. Private lessons are fully booked.

This is a great opportunity to fulfil your New Year's resolution of learning more and to educate your horse, or to overcome issues in the relationship with your horse.

The feedback below from Carlos' first clinic here shows what a fantastic instructor he is.

"Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed the clinic at the weekend at Westbury. Sometimes it takes someone to point some simple things out to you before you realise where you are going wrong - thank you so much."

"Just wanted to say thank you to yourself and Carlos for a great weekend. I'm so glad that you took the time to organise for Carlos to come to Tassie. Learn't so much and can't wait to put it into practice."

"Dear Cynthia & Carlos, Thank you for a truly wonderful day!! The Clinic was fabulous and very useful."

For bookings at both clinics please contact Cynthia (details below) for a registration form. To find out more about Carlos visit his web site here.

DAVE STUART COURSES in February
February 9th & 10 - Beginners Course
February 16th & 17th - Intermediate Course
Early Bird Special. For those that get your course application in and a $50.00 deposit by the 18th of December, you will secure the Beginners Course for $250.00 for the two days!!! That’s is a saving of $50.00 off the normal rate. (That is cheaper than last year!)

The second special is for those that want to attend BOTH courses.

Normally for the 4 full days of instruction it would cost $600.00 ($300.00 per 2 day course)

If you sign up for both courses you will receive a 10% discount. Giving you $60.00 off. Get 4 full days of instruction for only $540.00.

NOTE: If you sign up for both courses and get your rego forms and deposit in by the Early bird date then you can secure both courses for only $500.00.
Contact Jacqui Smythe on 0409 928 393 or email jacquismythe@ozemail.com.au

The Ultimate Horsemanship Experience with Mel Fleming & Tony Robinson comes to Tasmania in February. Check Mel's web site for more information - click here.

Covering: Connecting with horses, Universal Energetic Bodywork, Riding with Syncronicity.
Immerse yourself in a horsemanship experience you will never ever forget. You will learn how to deal with any behaviour or performance problems from both perspectives of soundness in the body, training and riding techniques.

Being held at Pontville. February 20 - 24th. Ph. Nicole on 62660315 or 0404 893243.

Two Day Horsemanship Clinics with the legendary Gordon McKinlay
Clinic 1 Saturday 16th - Sunday 17th February 2008

Clinic 2 Wednesday 20th – Thursday 21st February 2008

Clinic 3 Advanced Riding Clinic - Monday 25th – Tuesday 26th February 2008

All clinics are held at Batten Park, Ulverstone. Camping facilities, yards and toilets facilities available. Morning and Afternoon tea provided.

All horses must have a bridle with a bit, all riders must wear safety helmets.

Cost for each clinic is $300 including GST.

Fence Sitters are welcome – Cost $20 each for one day $30 for two days.

Hurry - Don't delay as spots are limited and expected to fill fast!!

For a copy of the entry form please contact Marg Richardson marg.richardson@bigpond.com Ph. 64272255 or Jane Cutts - j.cutts@ract.com.au Ph. 64291285.

EQUINE TOUCH Level 1 Foundation Clinic/Seminar
Instructor from USA - Jock Ruddock
Sat 26 April – Mon 28 April at North Lilydale
For registration contact Elizabeth Stanfield 63951590
Cost: $450 for the 3 day clinic (includes morning tea and course manual) Deposit $100 payable on booking. For more info go to www.theequinetouch.com

Young Horse Day with Cynthia
On Sunday the 16th March Cynthia will be holding a workshop and demonstrations on educating young horses from foals to two year olds.
Alyssia and Steve Turner of Turnara Stud at Yorktown (just past Beaconsfield) are hosting the event with their beautiful shire horse youngsters being used for the demos.
Topics covered will include first handling of the foal, catching, teaching to lead, hoof handling, worming, tying up, desensitising and float loading.
For just $30 for the day which includes a BBQ lunch and drinks, you can see the gentlest way of introducing a young horse to all the things it needs to know to develop a confident, calm horse for the future. Please book with Alyssia by phoning 63 834825.

Classified Adds

URGENT HOMES NEEDED

A number of thoroughbreds of varying ages in poor condition (rescue cases) need homes urgently or donations/sponsorship needed to rehabilitate these horses.

Some beautiful fillies and colts amongst them and older broodmares that need a good home.

Please contact Emma at Brightside Farm Sanctuary on 0408 658356.

For lease: Snowy. App X Quarter Horse Gelding, 14yo, 14.3hh. Natural training/riding for past 3.5 years (part way through L2 parelli). Affectionate, playful, quiet: taken in christmas parades, RSPCA walks. Extremely willing with lots of try in him for virtually anything - loves to please. Rider must have some exp, and light weight rider preferred due to a bit of a marked dip in his spine. Is currently barefoot (with boots) and is ridden only in natural hackamore. Owner is moving international for approx 12 months in approx 8 weeks.
Natural home only. Snow has a very phlegmatic disposition therefore will suit a laid back rider. Any interested persons please phone Kristen on 0400 943 423 asap!!!

FOR SALE: 14hh Palouse pony gelding. 13yo good doer, quiet to handle - won the NARC Navigation ride for elderly owner. $1,000. Ph. Beryl on 63 931542.

FOR SALE: Equine Inc. Bareback Pad with girth. $50. Ph. 040994337.

WANTED TO BUY : Parelli level 1 & 2 packs - harmony (old or new level 2)
Ph: Sue on 0438829138 email : hsmaguire@bigpond.com

FOR SALE: 100% Arabian gelding– chestnut yearling mostly Crabbet lines - will make a great all rounder or endurance horse. Long length of stride, beautiful movement and good conformation. Excellent to catch, rug, lead, trim etc. – affectionate boy who is the first up to you in the paddock! $1000.00 PHONE 6266 4400 ah OR 0407 021 135

FOR SALE: Linseed (Flaxseed) - clean and almost food grade in 25kg bags for just $15 a bag. Clean oats and grass seed also available. Ph. 63 973593. Delivery to Deloraine available.

FOR SALE: Stunning pure Arabian colt by Bremervale Napolian (Desperado) sire of numerous show and endurance champions. Mother Cherox Djeli Beyndi (Arabian Park Magnetic). This gorgeous boy will be available upon weaning to the right home. Zaki is the whole package he has a lovely length of neck, gorgeous face, nice hip and wonderful movement. ($2500) Enquiries to Andy on 0364357323

If you have an add you would like included in the next newsletter please email it to me (in the body of the email written in lower case please) by the 30th of December for the January 2008 newsletter.
Advertising in the newsletter is free but exact wording must be supplied and photos must be reduced to less than 50kb as .jpg files.

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Disclaimer: The information contained within this website is soley the expressed views and opinions of the author, unless otherwise stated, and the author accepts no responsability for the way this information is used by viewers. The information is provided to help PREVENT problems, not to replace veterinary advice.

Contact:

Cynthia Cooper - Natural Horse World

46 Wattle Lea Lane, Golden Valley. Tasmania, 7304. Australia.

Ph. 0363695177 or 0419 372279

Email Me

This site was updated on January 10th 2008.

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