Getting Ready for Winter

They say we could have up to 14 inches of snow by weeks end.  Sigh.   They say the snow level will be 4,000 and I'm at 4,100, so, will likely see some of it.   A little bit early for the white stuff and I hope that it will melt quickly before the winter really hits.  El Nina.

I've been putting up walls on the horse motel, an open air set of stalls.  Every year I prepare for what happened the previous winter and every year the winter decides to do something just a bit different.  Still, I think we have a good chance of keeping the stalls of filling with drifting snow this year.  New plywood, new look, Hawk in particular just can't leave it alone.  Chew on it, paw at it.  Jo was so upset by the stall suddenly having walls that she wouldn't go in it for more than a few seconds.  My method of attachment and measurement are a bit amateurish, but it'll work and that's all I care about, especially with the snow about to fall.

Taro and Angel, Arabians, were a perfect weight for summer, but I wanted to put a bit of weight on them for winter, it does often go below zero, so I bought a popular Senior feed to supplement with.  I didn't know that my gelding was pre-cushings and it put him into a full on crisis.  I can't tell you how frightening it is to watch your beloved horse stand there, rocked back on his heals, refusing to move to eat or drink, pain screaming in his eyes.  It turns out that this rather large company had changed hands a few years ago and they reformulated the feed and not for the better.  It turns out that "senior" feeds are really bad news for Cushings and insulin resistant horses.  Thank you to Dr. Kellon and her internet group for helping us through this crisis. Fortunately one of the local feed stores carries Triple Crown and I am able to get their Low Carb feed, one of the best that's not special order.  His laminitis has subsided and he has started to put weight on and move freely around the paddock again and his eyes have that mischievous look in them again.  Whew.

Toni, the Amazon is holding weight, but she's not putting any on.  Her pancreas just isn't making use of her food.  I've been feeding lots of fresh foods, birdie bread and processed pellets.  She still gets her seed, but she seems to understand that her body isn't making use of them and prefers the pellets and birdie breads that I've been making her.  Toni is special, she was my first and I adore her.  I know that I'm watching her slowly die and it breaks my heart.  She doesn't appear to be in any pain, she still plays with the cockatoo and harasses the macaw at every chance but she's soooo thin.

Shoring up for a hard winter.