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Spring is here at last!!! At last, it has been a long winter This page is about looking after your field/paddock and your horse/pony in the spring and summer Please also read the Laminitis page for information on Laminitis, as this is now the danger period I should know Dims has Laminitis! ( see Dimbys page )
Caddy and Dimby both wear fly rugs in the spring and summer to keep the flies away and help prevent fly bites, and also for Dimby to protect him against the grass! Your horse will hate flies and sometimes the fly bite can be quite nasty. I also use fly spray ( this is specially designed for horses)from my local tack shop or again you can buy it from Robinsons www.Robinsons-UK.com you can also buy fly rugs and masks at a reasonable price from here. You may also want a light waterproof rug should our British summer turn a bit chilly and rain! ( the weather men say that this year it is going to be a good usmmer...... we shall see :-) ) Dimby also has a fly mask and Caddy wears a Guardian mask. Caddy eye mask is to stop his eye getting any more sun damage, his mask is 95% UV here is the link of Guardian mask ttp://www.guardianmask.com/ If your horse has any pink around his nose, lips or around his heels then he will need a complete sunblock ( sun creme) to prevent sun burn. Caddy has a pink nose and near his mouth so he has sun block applied twice a day, I make sure it is waterproof so it doesn't come off when he is drinking water. If your horse has pink areas near his eyes and has pink ears then remember that he will get burnt here too so I would recommend using a good UV face mask you can buy them with ears to protect them from the sun. |
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poo collecter  Always poo pick, this is to make sure that your horse does not get infested with worms. Also it will help keep weeds down in your paddock. You can either poo pick with gloves or use a poo collector you can buy these from Robinsons or your local tack shop. Ideally you should be poo picking daily, but if you are not able to then at least no longer than every 3 days. I use a manure collector ( same as the pic) they are brill! If you have to get rid of your own muck heap (poo pile) you could bag it up and sell it, ask your local allotment if they want it or you could talk to a farmer and see if they will remove it for a cost.
When you poo pick always look out for ragwort. I always get ragwort out as soon as I see any. Believe it or not this plant can cause serious illness even death to your horse. Please click on this link it will give more pictures to help you spot this dreaded plant it also tells you the damage it can do www.horsetrust.org.uk/pdfs/no7ragwort.pdf Ragwort poisoning is a slow painful death. And yes horses will eat it. You can buy a special ragwort tool but I bought mine from Focus and it was half the price of a ragwort fork! Just remember that ragwort is poisonous to us humans too, so wear gloves!Ragwort has crinkley leaves and grows very tall if left......... you can see them growing in grass verges come summer time. You should never have any in your field, and it is part of looking after your horse to make sure that you don't have any in your field......... yes I agree that it is a pain to keep on top of it, but if you dig them up in spring then you shouldn't get so much more come up as summer develops.
Clinical signs of Ragwort poisoning depend on the severity of the condition but may include weight loss, jaundice, behavioural abnormalities, staggering gait, impaired vision, abdominal pain and convulsions. However, the liver can continue to function until as much as three quarters of it has been damaged and so by the time symptoms are noticed, it is highly unlikely the animal can be saved. Very Sad because this could have been prevented just by getting into the habit of gigging it out as soon as you see it. Although Ragwort has a bitter taste, which many horses find repugnant, some horses develop a liking for it, and others on poor grazing may eat it simply because there is nothing much else available.
If your field is very weedy and also lots of ragwort you could get a specialist person to come out and spray it. Again the price varies but I think around our way it is about 50.00 an acre. Because of Dimbys allergies we Buy Graze On weed killer and spot spray any large amount of weeds. This way my horses grazing isn't too rich, and then Caddy doesn't put too much weight on. It also a way of preventing laminitis While I am poo picking I have a good look in my field for rabbit holes and fill any in that I find, I also look for any other dangers in the field. |
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 To keep Caddy and Dimby in my paddocks I use electric fencing, this is just an extra precaution for me as I have an boundary fencing but some of it is barbed wire and for me personally I hate barbed wire as a pony of mine many years ago jumped out of her field and ripped her leg on barbed wire. She was a mess and had to be on box rest for 2 months! Here you can see the electric fencing that I use. It has 2 strands of electric tape and plastic posts. Both Caddy and Dimby do not get out of the paddock, they both know when the fencing is on....... Caddy starts snorting when I put it on and Dimby had a shock of it when he first came to us and doesn't try and get out now. I use an energiser which is run on a car battery which we charge up once a month. Dimby is on restricted grazing so I have to make sure that Dims can't get out and eat grass! Check your fencing daily you have a responsibility to your horse and also to other people to stop your horse get out of his field
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Ragwort in full bloom
Ragwort as it is growing at the begining stages 
