Meet Pearl, New Horse

[baymule]

This morning Pearl was pacing the fence wanting HAY! And FEED! She tore hay out of my hands before I even got it in the trough. Now she stands at the fence, pawing impatiently while I get her pellets. She is feeling much better, I know it's a bad habit, but I can't help but be amused that she now feel good enough to be pitching a little hissy fit.

 

[sumi]

She seems to have settled in well and quick

 

[baymule]

On BYH we were discussing food aggression. Wouldn't you know it? This evening when I when I went to feed Pearl, she got a little too anxious as I poured her feed in the tub. All I did, I swear, was to put out my arm, palm up in a "stop" signal and she tossed her head...… WHAM! It IS a Pig Palace with low ceilings (pigs are short) and Pearl whalloped her head on the ceiling. Talk about a DO NOT CROWD ME lesson!!! She shied away with me telling her, "I didn't do that to you, you did that to yourself." I put my arm up again, palm up, and held her off for several minutes. And that's all I did. She came towards me several times, but "tell it to the hand" stopped her in her tracks. That mean ol' hand knocked her in the head and she didn't want any more of it. I went soft on my posture and she came in to eat. I rubbed her neck and talked to her. It should be interesting to see how she behaves tomorrow.

I got to remembering a mare I once had. She was 16.2 hands and weighed over 1200 pounds. She challenged Sparkles, my TWH mare who was and at 31 years old, still is the lead mare. Sparkles chased her away from the herd, not letting her eat, so I took her tub further away to feed her. Sparkles went out of her way to chase that mare away. I upturned a bucket to sit on, just to watch the herd dynamics. This went on for days. Sparkles would not let her near. That poor mare stood on the outer fringes, badly wanting "in" but Sparkles wasn't having it. Finally, after a week, Sparkles let her join the herd. Thoroughly chastised, the mare took her place in the herd, #2, right behind Sparkles.

This big mare got food aggressive. At over 1200 pounds, it could get to be a problem real fast. I got a plastic grocery bag and shook it at her, chased her away from her feed and to add insult to injury, picked up handfulls of feed and pretended to eat it. I just did to her what I observed Sparkles doing to her. I did this for several weeks and every so often, gave her a 'tuneup" lest she forget.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

It's so much better when circumstances lead them to discipline themselves! Your hand and her head bop were perfect! I expect as she feels better and better she will get a bit sassier. I also expect that you will be totally on top of it and let her know that bad behavior is not acceptable.

 

[baymule]

This evening when I fed Pearl, she really tried to get to her feed. I put up "talk to the hand" and she whammed her head on the ceiling again. She danced around, wanting to EAT and I put up my hand. When she finally stood for a brief moment, I gently pushed her chest, telling her Back, Back. She backed a few steps and for a mere moment, she stood still. I stepped aside and let her have her feed. I scratched her neck and shoulder.

I am teaching her to wait while I feed her. By making her back up, I am teaching her that I am in control. Even though it is for brief moments now, as she learns, the time will lengthen until she is calm and knows that she will get fed.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

She's learning!

 

[sumi]

Good lessons and those self-inflicted knocks on the head will give her something to think about!

 

[baymule]

I have continued with "talk to the hand" while Pearl tries to get around me, she even tries to run in behind me, but I head her off. I feel like a cutting horse after a calf. LOL So this evening, after we did the feed dance and I let her eat, I scratched her on both sides, then pushed on her chest and told her to back. She did! Pearl backed away from her feed that she so desperately wanted! I let her stop and stand for a moment, then stepped aside and let her eat again. This tells me that she is compliant, not a hot head and will listen to me.

I am real excited to report something that I had not mentioned, but she has no more wet farts! Her gut and intestinal tract was so messed up, to start with, that she pooped undigested pieces of hay. When she had gas, liquid gooshed out and splattered on her back legs. She passed liquid when she pooped too. I figured her gut bacteria was dead or practically nonexistent due to her being so starved. I gave her the Garlic Barrier for worms twice, then gave her 8 ounces of live culture yogurt. I gave her Garlic Barrier again. Tomorrow I will finally worm her with the horse wormer, an ivermectin product. I will wait a few days to let it clear out of her system, then give her the yogurt again. But the GREAT NEWS is that her intestinal tract is back on track and no more wet farts! I don't see pieces of undigested hay in her poop any more, I do believe Pearl is on her way to good health. Also tomorrow I will take new pictures, it will be her 2 week anniversary with us.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Woo Hoo - no more wet farts is a big deal, lol! I can only imagine how much better Pearl must feel... (and you won't have to spend any more money on Depends for her!)

Can't wait for new pics. I expect there will be a noticeable change!

 

[baymule]

I never had a horse with wet farts. I looked it up on the net, which had all kinds of crazy stuff. I figured she just had intestinal problems and gave her the live culture yogurt. Problem solved.