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Written by Mary Anne
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Racer is back to his own sassy self. He has been trying to gain access to the green grass in the next pasture. Our goal this summer is to take down the electric fence replacing it with a sturdy wooden one.
Having a horse that has foundered multiple times is worrisome when the mud finally leaves and the green grass begins to appear. Although his mustang self can easily subsist on scrub-brush, Racer tries daily to get into the orchard, break into the grassy paddock or break down the fence to get to the second pasture. Failing that, he will lean over the wire and chomp on Joe's grass (our neighbor)
Even putting him on the grass for a few hours causes his neck to become cresty and his eyes become swollen underneath and they start to run clear fluid. Then, I run..into town to buy powdered magnesium and mix it with his little bit of grain and his homeopathic powders. His crest vanishes in a few days and I begin to breathe again.
Hay is so scarce this year, valley hay almost non-existant. I made the mistake of buying orchard grass. I couldn't find anything else but alfalfa and NO WAY am I going to feed the guys alfalfa! Racer was breaking out of his stall at night, running Traveler out of his own stall and eating Trav's share of the orchard grass...sigh... He so damn smart. I threatened to only feed him straw! But, I don't think he believed me.
So the fight continues, I am ever watchful. I don't think if he founders again he can come out of it so well. As soon as the rest of the rainy season is gone, we are going to build a wooden fence that will separate him from the orchard and the second pasture. Although now, he is going down into the creek and eating the green plants at the bottom.
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