Just curious who else is living super frugal

[OnlyOrps]

Great thread!

 

[Tikkijane]

All hooved animals can need trimming.  weather they are cloven or single...  But there is a difference in their terrain that may cause them to grow little or none that needs to be trimmed.

I know horses need to be trimmed once every six weeks because they have shoes that prevent the natural wearing off of the hoof wall.  Keep em barefoot and they can go as much as eight weeks.  barefoot on abrasive ground...  twice a year.  in some cases like wild horses possibly never covering uneven terrain and sharp rocky ground.   But still occasional inspection to see the health of the foot is a good idea.  Looking for angle, cracks, fungus, wedged in rocks.... I found a three inch stick imbeded in my horses frog once....  Well the vet did because he was dead lame.  All good....

With my goats I only trimmed them once in about six years.  And they were on very abrasive ground.  Lots of granite boulders to scamper up and down on.  And I learned how by watching a youTube video...  found out it was a local guy too...  soo funny.  The goats were NOT AMUSED...

So I could imagine that in some places in the us that the cows would not need to be trimmed...  But they also get the same foot diseases as horses do so a good inspection is helpful.  Thrush or foot rot is painful and in both cows and horses treatable.

I have seen special trimmers just for cow hooves pretty interesting the cow is done standing.

There are others that are a whole arrangement where they lay the cow down in a restraining chute where the feet can be tended safely...  I would imagine doing a dairy heard would be something on the bottom of the list in priority...  In some places.

deb

We are barefoot and farrier every 6 weeks.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: Those Barefoot farriers are awesome aren't they... In my case the ones here wont do a Draft horse... Or I havent found one that will. I have found an excellent farrier though for my girl. He was taught by his dad who had been a farrier/black smith all his life. Johnny loves horses and understands their needs. and understands that in order to have a good hoof they need to stand on the walls of the foot.

Katees hoof walls are nearly a whole inch thick. It takes specail equipment to cut through them because light horse nippers will actuall bend and dull through a draft horse trim. I had one farrier curse a blue streak becasue he bent his brand new nippers. He didnt blame her he blamed himself for grabbing the wrong ones.

When she stands at the correct angle her hooves wear evenly without very much flair.. She has very very good hooves and conformation in that area... I am lucky... She is lucky...

I had one farrier that tried to make her hooves just like all the other horses he did... Narrow in the heel long in the toe... Katee Cracked miserably... One toe developed an almost perminant toe crack. Every Farrier since said it was just cosmetic no worries. It would close up after the trim but it never really went away... till I found Johnny.

She gets trimmed now about three times a year. yep her hoofs break and wear off but her angle stays true... She gets a little cosmetic flair but its normal and also trims away.

I have had horses since 1967... I have seen some really bad horse shoing and bad feet Feet deformed by founder or lamed by Arthritis in the Nevicular bone.... People dont realize this but horses have almost as many bones in their feet as humans have in their hands...

When I discovered this and how the frog actually works as a pump to pump blood in and out of the hoof .... I went barefoot. And found that the few times where the ground was too sharp and rocky all I needed was temporary hoof protection... at the time Easy Boots were the only ones out there.

But they do make them now for Drafts. They are expensive but they are a good alternative when you have to go on hard or rocky ground. I dont have any nor do I need them in my area... OUr dirt roads have very few gravel sections they are mostly smooth or sandy Decomposed granite.

Shoing a draft costs about the same as temporary boots... Last time I priced shoes for her they were close to four hundred dollars....

of course they were guaranteed to last at least a year. one inch thick custom made bar stock... they can be reset several times because they put Boreum on them. Hand forged by a Blacksmith...

deb

 

[nayeli]

soo I been cultivating the duckweed in my fish tanks more and using the excess which happens FAST to feed to the chickens with some yogurt as a snack treat..they are really digging the duckweed

I was wondering what they were eating, saw the picture on the side where it shows recent images.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
Give em a Bone to chew on.... They will gnaw down their teeth and get a bit of calcium in the process.

when I worked in the pet shop we gave all our gnawing critters bones... from mice to rabbits and even guinea pigs.

deb
Beef?? Is chicken too soft??

They have 113 acres on which they graze. What they find in the field, represents their main diet; however, each morning I supplement their diet with a 14% protean mixture. It is that time I give them a quick check. When they first came out here, I had vets visit a number of times, but it seemed to me the purpose of those visits were mere contrivances. When they were stabled, we had all kinds of problems like colic, but now that they live like horses should live, nature seems to have its own health care program. Of course, nature imposes is own price. I use to have four horses, but Wiz was taken by a mountain lion. Death is very much apart of life which is something shared by all living things – joy and grief, life and death. All the vets in the world, nor all the doctors too will be able to change that.

I love your thinking!!

My horses have fewer problems than the horses I saw in the stables that I worked in. Lacked turnout, ate far too much grain, mostly second cut hay to cut down on poops. . . wth.

When I sent a mare out for training I stipulated that she get 2 hours of daily turn out-- NOPE never once was she let out to walk around. Only got the 2 hoursish to be trained aka worked. Thank goodness that only lasted about 6 weeks!!

No cougars here; coyote would get stomped to death. SOme horses are out 24/7 and others are in for 12 and out for 12, and can always see a buddy. They are horses afterall, made to be moving all the time with a buddy. lol

 

[DennisK]

Beef?? Is chicken too soft??

I love your thinking!!

My horses have fewer problems than the horses I saw in the stables that I worked in. Lacked turnout, ate far too much grain, mostly second cut hay to cut down on poops. . . wth.

When I sent a mare out for training I stipulated that she get 2 hours of daily turn out-- NOPE never once was she let out to walk around. Only got the 2 hoursish to be trained aka worked. Thank goodness that only lasted about 6 weeks!!

No cougars here; coyote would get stomped to death. SOme horses are out 24/7 and others are in for 12 and out for 12, and can always see a buddy. They are horses afterall, made to be moving all the time with a buddy. lol

These horses were my late wife's. We use to ride together, but after she passed on, I just feed and watch over them – mostly, I just let them be themselves. I was thinking a mule would be a good addition as they get quite aggressive when it comes to mountain lions. I saw a video where a couple were packing into some remote area when they encountered a mountain lion on the trail. They took a series of stills of what followed. That pack animal was a mule and it got its ears back when the lion made its entrance. With all the gear on its back, the mule stomped the cat, then grabbed it by the neck and started slinging it around, then it continued stomping it. Needless to say, the cat didn't live through the experience, but both riding horses and the mule continued on unscathed.
These horses have gone all but wild. Some winters, we get a few inches of snow up here and it bothers me to think they are out in it. I built a stall with two good sized shelters, but I can't get them to go inside when the weather turns bad. They would prefer to stand out in it with their back ends pointed against the wind.

 

[Tikkijane]

Those Barefoot farriers are awesome aren't they...  In my case the ones here wont do a Draft horse...  Or I havent found one that will.    I have found an excellent farrier though for my girl.  He was taught by his dad who had been a farrier/black smith all his life.   Johnny loves horses and understands their needs.  and understands that in order to have a good hoof they need to stand on the walls of the  foot. 

Katees hoof walls are nearly a whole inch thick.  It takes specail equipment to cut through them because light horse nippers will actuall bend and dull through a draft horse trim.  I had one farrier curse a blue streak becasue he bent his brand new nippers.  He didnt blame her he blamed himself for grabbing the wrong ones.

When she stands at the correct angle her hooves wear evenly without very much flair..  She has very very good hooves and conformation in that area...  I am lucky...  She is lucky...

I had one farrier that tried to make her hooves just like all the other horses he did...  Narrow in the heel long in the toe...  Katee Cracked miserably...  One toe developed an almost perminant toe crack.  Every Farrier since said it was just cosmetic  no worries.  It would close up after the trim but it never really went away...  till I found Johnny.

She gets trimmed now about three times a year.  yep her hoofs break and wear off but her angle stays true...  She gets a little cosmetic flair but its normal and also trims away. 

I have had horses since 1967...  I have seen some really bad horse shoing and bad feet Feet deformed by founder or lamed by Arthritis in the Nevicular bone....  People dont realize this but horses have almost as many bones in their feet as humans have in their hands...

When I discovered this and how the frog actually works as a pump to pump blood in and out of the hoof ....  I went barefoot.  And found that the few times where the ground was too sharp and rocky all I needed was temporary hoof protection...  at the time Easy Boots were the only ones out there.

But they do make them now for Drafts.  They are expensive but they are a good alternative when you have to go on hard or rocky ground.  I dont have any nor do I need them in my area...  OUr dirt roads have very few gravel sections they are mostly smooth or sandy Decomposed granite.

Shoing a draft costs about the same as temporary boots...  Last time I priced shoes for her they were close to four hundred dollars.... of course they were guaranteed to last at least a year.  one inch thick custom made bar stock...  they can be reset several times because they put Boreum on them.   Hand forged by a Blacksmith...

deb

We *adore* our farrier. The stuff that man knows! He actually worked some $$$$ barns after apprenticing for almost 5 in another $$$ professional barn, which was after several years of school. He does each horse slightly different, based on the horse. ♡

I've got a few draft breeds on my bucket list....

But ya, our farrier is a huge factor in not wanting to move. I'm pretty sure we'll never find one like him. EZ/Easy boots are on the menu at some point. Righ now, we use a hoof hardener {ftom the farrier} a few days before trail rides we know are particularly rocky.

There are just some things you have to spend some money on when it comes to animals. My annual spring vet bill is coming up- but we want to ride and want to protect from things like EE as best we can. Sometimes, you just have to bite the bullet and spend. :/

 

[perchie.girl]

@Tikkijane
for what its worth I believe Old Macs and Easy boot merged... I love the new design. The foot goes into the boot easily and then a cuff comes up around the coronary band and fastens in the front. almost like a bell boot. Heel protection if the horse over strides.

I used to have to use a hoof pick to loosen up the cables on the Easy boots I had but the new design looks as easy as opening a Velcro bell boot.

Most horses only need fronts too. even the Drafts.

deb

 

[Arielle]

Quote: As long as they are well fed, a bit of snow will not hurt them. My suggestion is to start spending time with them and bring them around to loving people again. At some point one will need attention. RElearning to be haltered and led again. I have a mare that hates to be in during storms, so I need to put her in BEFORE the storm starts. Rain on a metal roof drives her out of the barn. But cant be helped, so I put her in before the storm if heavy rains are expected. Honestly since your horses knew people once, they can trust people again. Bring goodies like apples cut in chunks, any thing they might try until you find who like what , and always bring it with you.

Quote: Yup, a great farrier is worth his weight in gold.

Most of those shots you can give yourself.

 

[Talithahorse]

My farrier laughs because I tell him that a good horse is a dime a dozen but a good farrier is hard to find. If the horse doesn't mind for the farrier it doesn't stay. (actually I do make sure to train them properly). I am also the farm he loves to come to because ALL my horses have manners. I was the first farm he trimmed after he was nearly killed by a horse, and I suspect I will be the last farm he trims before he retires.