What the HECK??

[Sonoran Silkies]

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A horse turned out to the field full time can get colic and die.

 

[debilorrah]

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ARGH!!! I just thought of something else too. Ken mentioned tonight he has not seen any hay in there for two days. Now I need to drive by slowly in the morning and see if there is food. Honestly, I do not view these people as irresponsible folks. They take care of their house, their yard, they vehicles. I am just wondering if they are uninformed.

Maybe just go visit and see? Is that possible?

Oh yes, very possible. I have decided that this weekend I am gonna make some cookies and take some to them and talk to them about the animals. I need to see what they are used to because they are Hispanic, probably first generation, and there are major cultural differences there. I do not want to get someone in trouble just because they didn't get it. You guys have been a great help!!!! Again.

 

[debilorrah]

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A horse turned out to the field full time can get colic and die.

Because of all the sand and dirt here, we make sure they get bermuda grass once a day. So far so good!!!! We know the symptoms of colic and watch daily.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

It does sound like you do

 

[debilorrah]

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We are both research people. We beat things to death before we buy or go do. Horses included.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

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I worry that a dozen chickens has enough room in my 20x20 pen! I can't imagine how the cow and pony are doing in a smaller one!

 

[debilorrah]

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I worry that a dozen chickens has enough room in my 20x20 pen! I can't imagine how the cow and pony are doing in a smaller one!

LOL!!! Our chickens have a much bigger area. The corral is 20 x 20 because they are only in there at night. If we planned on corraling full time, it would be 60 x 60 at least. Thank goodness we have a lot of land!!!

 

[Beekissed]

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A horse turned out to the field full time can get colic and die.

A horse can get colic and die anywhere. Horses have been on fields full time since the beginning of time and have thrived well~it is their natural habitat. I've never known any horses who live on the field full time to suddenly sicken with colic and die just because it is consuming grass. Now, if one was to keep it in the barn all winter and feed only hay/grain and then turn it out on new spring grass, I would say there is a risk. Of course, anyone with any smarts isn't going to do that, are they?

 

[greathorse]

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A horse turned out to the field full time can get colic and die.

Now, just why is a horse on pasture full time any more likely to colic and die than one in a corral or box stall. The only horse I ever lost to colic was not on pasture. If properly conditioned to it grass is the best feed a horse can eat. Jeez

 

[debilorrah]

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A horse turned out to the field full time can get colic and die.

A horse can get colic and die anywhere. Horses have been on fields full time since the beginning of time and have thrived well~it is their natural habitat. I've never known any horses who live on the field full time to suddenly sicken with colic and die just because it is consuming grass. Now, if one was to keep it in the barn all winter and feed only hay/grain and then turn it out on new spring grass, I would say there is a risk. Of course, anyone with any smarts isn't going to do that, are they?

Our horses have dirt so there IS a risk of colic here. But we feed them bermuda grass daily to deter that happening.