Decided to separate the other post (lice)..
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It didn't help - part of what we've been dealing with since January is "bad hay". I got 2 loads of hay (20 large round bales total) that some were loaded with what turned out to be a VERY BAD WEED(15 bales total). That weed is known as Fox tail, "cheet grass" and a variety of names here in America. In green form - in pasture, it appears to be OK for all livestock. In cured, baled form - it's BAD especially for equines - who have much more sensitive/less resilient skin/gums/internal organs but does/can affect all livestock. Each seed has a "cork screw" on it (in the fox tail) and when it is consumed that "corkscrew" screws into any soft tissue - creating sores, lesions and ulcers (any of which can and sometimes do get infected).
Not only have I been working many extra hours at work, but I was running like mad treating about 20 ponies every other day with a salt water rinse in their mouths - to help heal the lesions/sores. It was tough and hard work (while also dealing with the tail end of bronchitis myself), but seemed to have worked for most. I've not talked about it as I simply either hadn't had time AND wasn't really ready to admit that after more than 30 years of dealing with hay/horses, I found something I hadn't seen SINCE 30 years ago!!! WE did ultimately lose two ponies w/i a week of each other due to other complications (colic - K-La; organ shut down after losing A LOT OF WEIGHT, almost over night - Ranger. He had been on vet provided fluids, though he did stay here and wasn't taken to a vet hospital. He was standing, eating and drinking on his own when he laid down and never got up again during the day while I was at work. He'd finished his feed for the 3rd day in a row! Even the vet was happy when I'd texted that he appeared to be doing so well, before I left for work and acted very surprised when I again texted when I arrived home. We didn't end up doing a necropsy, though we probably should have...).
We had already lost Bit in December (again, no I hadn't talked about it yet... still not fully ready to) - Kechi had been attacking ponies and when she went after Bit in a kicking "orgy" - she broke her right hind leg up near her hip/pelvis - Larry and I put her to sleep before the vet arrived... after originally not knowing/realizing her leg was broken and we had slung her up in the same set up Kechi was in last summer.
YES, our hay guy helped out. No refund of $$, but different hay provided (not the best quality? VERY brown, but not moldy or filled with "bad" weeds - seen in some of my pics since Jan). After treating, the ones that have lost weight are gaining. I did a LOT of switching around of pens/paddocks and quite a few are currently getting fed small squares of coastal hay as well as Chaffehay. I may put water in the feed pen in the smaller pasture/paddock where Koalah & Tory are, keep them in overnight and feed them Chaffehay free choice overnight as well so that they retain the weight they have both steadily put back on while they are nursing Guinness and Trixie. Then turn them out during the day with the three open mares (Flower, GG & KoKo)...
I checked with other hay suppliers - some of which I've dealt with for many years though not much in the last 2 since we moved - and no one has "green hay" from last year. All were affected by Hurricane Matthew - either cutting(s) after the storm (brown, dry, non-nutritious hay) or lost due to mold in the barn during/after the storm. I've seen green hay being hauled - but the ones I've talked to are having it brought in from way outside our areas at 100 - 175 a round... Um... we'll continue working with what I'm doing right now... All of the hay suppliers that I'd talked to as of last week are/were worried about decent, timely cutting this spring/summer - but the rain right now may change that.
Another "downer" on the pony front - I've had several that were sired by Iggy (we originally had 11 ponies sired by him - the 3 worst cases were euthanized along with him in 2014) that are having issues with the "sticky stifles", now again, too (notably Cupid & Shamrock). Really beginning to think it is/can be painful as it's changed Cupid's personality - he's becoming a grumpy, sour fellow - especially when both lock up and he appears to not be able to move at all, though part of that may be missing Ranger(?) - who was his year & pasture mate. And that always seems to happen (locked stifles) when we have new acquaintances or prospective pony purchasers come out - we've had some complaints and OMGs o that ... sigh. In the past, the different things we've tried to "help" him haven't really helped much. So... The vets who deal with this situation (the big name ones, ??) in Southern Pines are still undecided as to which way would work for him and combined with our <lack of> finances, too, that's an issue as well.
and yes, now the bugs. Bigger SIGH. When will we EVER get to work with our ponies NORMALLY?
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ON a good note - affected ponies (from the weeds) that had lost weight, are all steadily gaining and starting to look good; the new foals, while not "needed" have been a huge bright spot and as of this AM, none seem to be affected by the bugs; the floors are done in the house (for now - have more to do); trails have been started and garden(s) have kinda been started (though are now late with planting,
). We must be up for this challenge, as so far, Larry and I are surviving and on occasion have gotten to go out, still, as well.
Koal, previously sold to Vicki, has both testicles descended and is being castrated at 11 months of age on April 13th - by a local vet at Central Carolina Community College (only a Vet Tech program). To give students in this class experience dealing with equine that have been given drugs/made sleepy, keeping them "asleep" during a procedure in the field, keeping sterilized tools that way in a field situation, waking them back up safely and checking all vitals before/during and after the procedure. I was surprised when I was contacted about this and VERY, VERY grateful. While Koal is no longer ours, I will be hauling him and maybe in the future I will be able to provide others (ie - 2017 colts). I have no idea what charges I may or may not have yet, but should be less than paying normal vet castration fees. Any little bit is nice, actually...
I'm waiting for word back to find out if Riddler can also go to be at least checked out to see where we are at with him and if he is ready/down MAYBE to be able to castrate him, too.