Natural Parasite Control…
Someone asked me today how I get away without worming my horses.
To start with…its not that I NEVER use conventional wormers…I have and will use them when its necessary, but I avoid them. There are several reasons for this, but first, an analogy…
Anyone who has started a garden, large or small, be it a small kitchen garden or a farmers market garden or mass produced corn, has to decide how they will manage pests and disease. Will they grow organically or conventionally. Both ways work and of course there is alot of territory in between. The conventional garden is managed by adding pesticides to the soil to minimize disease and pests either up front as a prophylactic or in response to a threat. These agents kill not only the pests, but also harms the organic life and sometimes the structure of the soil, making it now necessary to add fertilizers of various compositions to maintain ‘healthy’ levels of nutrients for plant growth. There’s a billion dollars worth of research about how to do this and grow lots and lots of produce. But, once you start this cycle, you are committed to managing the soil in these very specific ways. And there are other down sides, but that would be a huge digression…
The organic farmer uses nature to manage pests and disease and allow the soil and all its amazing physiology to mantain not only order in the insect world, but a continuous supply of nutrients in a soil ecosystem that is self sustaining. I garden organically. Its a medium to large family garden. I use a minimal till method that mimics nature. Aged compost is applied to the surface and weed seeds stay beneath where they are less likely to germinate. I have lots of bugs. Some of these are good bugs and some are not. I don’t play god in the garden. I rely on the good bugs, bees, wasps, worms, beetles, butterflies, dragonflies, (bats, chickens), etc to control the pesty bugs. If I choose to kill off one poulation of bugs, I have to be prepared for the imbalance I create in the garden ecosystem and I choose not to create a defect in the fabric of my garden. Instead, I rotate my crops and plant groupings of plants that can help each other and because I grow alot of different crops, I accept losses from time to time. I simply try to mold nature to my design instead of forcing it to produce something it is not capable of. This design demonstrates the beauty of the small diversified farms. But again, that would be another digression…
I use the gardening scheme as an analogy because most people nowadays understand the difference organic farming brings to the plant and soil biology and why it is healthy and sustainable. Horses are no different.
If you take the approach that all horses have parasites and these need to be eradicated, you will need to use conventional wormers. And if you choose to use rotational worming practices, worming every 6-8 weeks, you will always have to do this. No matter how good intentioned this practice is, there are consequences to this type of worming….whether we fully understand them now or not.
Consider a more natural way to manage parasites. What about creating a healthy horse? One that had a healthy ecosystem inhabiting their GI tract. One that wide open places to forage, without having to nibble the grass next to its own poop. One that was able to move for miles everyday, like a wild herd. OK, maybe I’m getting alittle crazy, but the problem really lies in our ‘modern’ horsekeeping. We keep horses in stalls, in isolation, in filthy dirt paddocks. We feed too much grain and not enough forage. We pump our horses full of chemicals and unnecessary vaccines, that they, in turn, have to compensate for immunologically. The result is colic, founder, metabolic issues and insulin resistance.
Here’s a great New Years Resolution: Resolve to find one thing every month that will make your horses life more natural. Want a list?
1. Free choice their hay
2. Cut down on the grain
3. Stop feeding them peppermints
4. Turn them out in a herd.
5. Pick up the manure around their feeding area…all of it. Compost it for your garden.
6. Build a paddock paradise.
7. Let them choose when to go out and when to come into the barn.
8. Put out free choice minerals.
9. Top dress feed with probiotics/prebiotics once a week.
10. Make a salad for your horse. http://www.thepenzancehorse.com/2009/ARTICLES/feedingthehorse.htm Reads…think outside the box. What would your horse choose to eat if he could.
11. Expand your pasture. Even into the woods where a horse can browse on weeds and some bark.
12. Pull their shoes and balance their feet…where every energy meridian starts.
13. learn how to do your own fecal tests. Its easy. http://www.farmsteadhealth.com/
14. Consider an herbal wormer or diatomaceous earth. There is a reason you find your horse eating wood or rocks at times.
Well, you get the idea. There are alot of little adjustments you can make that allow your horse to maintain its own health without your constant meddling. I call it ‘purposeful neglect’. Sometime s we have to allow the ecosystem to run itself.
This has been my approach. Every year, my horses’ lifestyle gets more and more natural and I have to do less and less to keep them healthy. I have a 16 yo arab cross, Manny, I’ve had for 12 years. He was my learning curve. He has not been wormed in 10 years. Back then he had arthritis, uveitis and a bad attitude…now he is my definition of a healthy, happy horse.
Manny is in front
Look what two weeks will do…
These photos were taken two weeks apart. I know the difference is subtle, but I think you can see Ripple’s topline has relaxed quite abit and the angle of the hip has changed. The illusion is that he has filled out in the rump area. What is really happening is that the tightness in the hamstrings is lessening, allowing the hip to relax into a more normal position. Some of this relaxation is a product of time and lessening anxiety about his new place and herd, but some of it is diet, acupressure, massage and movement. Nice start. Relaxation is the start of everything else. I like this horse!
Ripple 1-9
Ripple 1-23
Herd Politics
Initial Greeting
People frequently ask me how I introduce a new horse to the herd. Over the past 5 years I have had a dozen or so rescues and foster care horses of one breed or another to integrate (or not) into the herd. Every horse is different and there are lots of things to consider. So far, I can say I have not had a single injury integrating a new horse…not even a patch of lost hair.
The first thing to consider is the health of the new horse. Where did they come from? Are they likely to have been exposed to something infectious? Animals coming from an auction or other high traffic facility, no matter how healthy they look, should have a suitable period of quarantine from your herd. This ought to be in a separate barn and turnout, some distance from the home crew. I don’t have such a set-up here, so I am pretty careful about where I will take horses from. I did take on a mini stallion from an auction a couple of years ago and kept him in the spare stall across the aisle from my horses for a month, but this was not ideal and I was probably just lucky. The newest addition, Ripple, came from a rescue organization who quarantined him for 30 days and had him on their premises for 2 months, so much less risk there, though not zero. Unhealthy horses are not only a risk to the health of your herd, they integrate poorly and if integration happens too soon, they can become permanently culled. If major weakness, either from injury, malnutrition or metabolic issues are present, it is much better to get the horse healthy before trying to integrate fully into a stable herd. Better to offer the companionship of a goat, mini or other low on the totem pole horse until they are ready. I will put these horses in an adjoining paddock and allow introductions over a safe, electrified fence until they are ready (if ever) to go mainstream.
The next thing to consider is the temperament of the new horse as well as the already present herd dynamics. Is the new horse confident or unconfident? Are they reactive? Do they respect boundaries? Or push into pressure? Do you have a good idea about how your horses will respond to a newcomer? Is there a stable alpha? Are there any aggressive tendencies or extreme behavior in the current herd members? The major early complication when integrating a new horse, is injury. Horses start sparring, chasing, biting, kicking, etc. You definitely want to know ahead of time if the new horse is likely to go through a fence or jump a gate when the pressure gets high. Make sure they respect boundaries, personal space and yield to pressure before you put them in a tricky position. If the new horse doesn’t have these skills, teach them first. If you have an extreme horse already in your herd, this can complicate things as well. Generally, if there is enough room, plenty of hay, and no place for a horse to get cornered, horses will quickly and safely sort out their order in the herd.
I have a track modeled after Jaime Jackson’s Paddock Paradise and use it exclusively in the winter, which is when most of my rescues arrive. Its a great format to introduce new horses as it is a big circular track. The horses can move along it endlessly promoting exercise and the illusion of wide open space. Its hard for a horse to get cornered in this type of setting. When introducing a new horse, I do it gradually. I usually turn them out in a separate area with each of the herd members, one at a time to assess any surprising aggression. When I do finally turn the new horse out onto the track with the herd, I make sure I will be home all day and plan to be nearby to intervene if anything extreme happens. For the first week to month, depending on the horse, I will bring them into the barn at night to eat and rest without the pressures of herd dynamics. It allows me a place to assess their appetite, hydration and for injuries. Most of these new horses have special diets I concoct for them, so it is easier to separate them from the others for feeding. It also gives me an opportunity to interact with the new horse in the context of the herd. I am part of the herd too. If I remove myself from the integration process, I might find I have have been replaced as leader the next time I walk among my horses. I spend plenty of time out with the herd and new herd member, moving horses around, simply to remind them that I’m still in charge. Its no fun to have one of your trusted steeds push the new horse over the top of you….trust me, been there, done that. I pay attention to body language. Even my quietest horse can become unpredictable when herd politics are in negotiation.
There is a general pattern of integration. I look for certain landmarks to assess progress towards full integration. Sometimes it takes a day, sometimes a month or more.
The first landmark is what I call ‘the greeting’. Sometimes this happens well in advance of the horse actually joining the herd and occurs over the fence line. The horses put their noses to each other for a few seconds to moments. Necks are arched and there is sometimes some squealing or stomping of the feet, but in general no contact. Its kind of like the knocking of the gloves by boxers before they go back to their corners to strategize before a fight.
The next three landmarks can occur in different order, depending on the horses, but they all generally occur. I’ve listed them in the order I typically see. ’Avoidance’. Some horse just pretend the new horse doesn’t exist. They don’t engage positively or negatively. ’Pushing’. This is the one everyone hates to watch. The new horse generally gets pushed around mercilessly. If he is lucky, he’ll get it from one horse at a time, but I have seen two horses pushing a newbie at one time. This is really important to the existing herd and is completely natural. This is, however, the time when you want to be sure there is plenty of space to run and lots of piles of hay out. You don’t want horses fighting over food. ’Sparring’, which is my favorite. Here, finally you see some engagement that is two sided, not just one. Generally sparring starts with the lowest horse in the herd and works its way up, but not always. But when I see the sparring, I know integration is coming along and this is generally when I start letting the new horse stay out with the herd 24/7.
The last landmark has to do with position within the group. Up until now the new horse will stay on the outskirts of the group. When they move along the track they will either be pushed out in front or follow the group from behind. When I see the new horse confidently moving in the middle of the herd (at least some of the time) without getting pressured from the other herd members, I know integration is nearly complete.
The finer points of where the horse fits into the pecking order takes months and alot depends on the health and confidence of the new horse. Our newest herd member, Ripple is on his way to full integration, but its going slowly for him. Slow and right, beats fast and wrong though.
Ripple and Bogie sparring
Notice how Ripple, on the far left, is on the outskirts...
Manny and Ripple were sparring a few minutes before this photo, and now you can see that even though Ripple is still on the outskirts, he is getting much closer to the center of the group...
Anyway, that’s how I do it. I believe horses should live as a group, outside 24/7. They all have access to shelter and the choice to where they want to be in a snowstorm or during the summer heat.
Two Year Update on Reno
With all the press my new horse, Ripple Effect has gotten on the past week or so, I had almost forgotten that it is Reno’s second anniversary with me. He definately deserves some press too….
Reno came to me in January 2009 with a life-threatening injury. A mystery hock injury, several months old.
atrophy and hock swelling left hind
It was a struggle to win the battle with this injury and I thought we would have to put him down more than once that winter. I don’t think an injury in a horse has taught me more about patience, persistence and hope. It was indeed a miracle, and by the spring he was in harness and working lightly…
First day back in harness.
One day in late April, however, I arrived home to find Reno had had a fight with the fence and to my horror had severed the extensor tendon (and nearly the flexor) in the same previously injured leg. That was the low point for me. I’m not sure I would have had the fortitude to go on with his rehab, had it not been for Reno’s magical personality. He was always happy and engaged, even when in pain. We were back to daily dressing changes and stall rest for a month, then limited turnout for a month more.
Reno recovers from his second injury
By the middle of summer, however, I had Reno back in harness and pulling a cart. We once again were on the rehab path. Lots of miles pulling the cart on pavement, strengthened the healing tendon and improved his confidence. By the fall I was riding Reno and we attended the MOFGA low impact forestry course in Maine, skidding wood. By the spring of 2010, he was sound enough to pull a walking plow and cultivator.
Reno and I cultivating the garden
Reno on the walking plow
Doesn’t get better than this, folks!
Reno January 2009
Reno August 2009
Reno August 2010
The last 5% always takes the longest. We are happily working on the finer points of his rehab. He still has trouble with picking up the left hind for trimming and he backs up with alittle hitch in his gait. These issues may never fully resolve, but as far as I am concerned they are cosmetic and only serve to remind me of how far he has come. He is sound and he will have a home with me forever.
The Ripple Effect
This is a story about a horse and social networking. Say what, you ask?
I remember the day I was invited to sign up for Facebook by a friend. Don’t remember the friend, but I remember being annoyed…..thinking FB was just another tool to invade my privacy and bog down my internet traffic. I signed up anyway, added a photo of myself and took some queer quizzes about what sort of dog I was and whether I was a redneck or not. Then facebook suggested some friends for me. How did it know I knew these people? Ah, its invading my gmail address book…again, I was annoyed. Of course a few weeks later, other friend requests came through that I though, hmmm…I haven’t spoken or emailed that person in years. I hooked up with cousins and family that I normally don’t stay in good enough contact with (despite resolutions to the contrary). Facebook even hooked me up with my ex-husband, Angelo. This was becoming kind of fun now. I was in daily contact with people I loved but for whatever reason I had lost a connection. I mean that’s what we all want right? A connection to other people. A way to share our life with others and vice versa.
Recently as I neared 400 friends, I realized how blessed I was to have such a busy social life, without having to go too far or buy a plane ticket or even pick up the phone. Many of my ‘friends’ now on FB are mere acquaintances or friends of friends, some of whom I now feel like I know very well, even if we have never met. Its fascinating, really!
Over the past decade I have started to believe in and practice manifestation. I keep a perfect picture of the things or events I want to see happen or come into my life and then wait. It has never failed. So I was not surprised when a horse meant for me popped up randomly last week on facebook. The interesting thing is that I did not purposefully manifest this horse. I believe my subconscious mind did. Here’s the story as I know it….
Many of you know I rehabbed a Percheron, Reno, a couple of years ago, who completely stole my heart. Over the past year or so I had been considering adding another percheron to my herd, possibly a teammate for Reno. I have looked at several percherons as well as other drafts, some very pretty, and well trained. Many of these horses were outside my budget, but the truth is, I could have scrouged up the money to buy one. But I didn’t. I think, now, looking back, buying a well trained, perfectly sound horse wasn’t what I was looking for. What I truly needed was to rescue a horse in need. Which is pretty much how all the animals on my farm arrive here. I’m a fixer. I like to fix things. Lets say I have a knack for it.
When I saw Ripple on the Frog Pond Farm Draft Rescue, something in my heart exploded. That’s him, I thought, surprising myself with this odd revelation. It was amazing how certain I was in a matter of seconds. Stifle problems, oh goody! So I emailed the rescue, filled out a application and got in my truck and drove to Ohio to collect him. 72 hours and 1400 miles from application to driving into the driveway with him near midnight on New Year’s Eve.
So someone asked me, “Are you going to change his name?” Hell no. His name so clearly illustrates the whole experience. When I found him on FB, there was an immediate flurry of posts and comments. Of course, I stayed connected with those interested with status updates during my trip to Ohio. By the time I was half way to Ohio, I had dozens of people fascinated and routing me on. What once would have been a simple road trip, became an epic journey…shared with friends, family and perfect strangers. Yes, I now have perfect strangers as friends on FB!
Meet ‘Ripple Effect’….
On losing a horse…
I was restless this morning. I could have slept til 6am but my brain was triing to get up at 5. I finally acquiesced and got out of bed at 5:30. As is my routine, I looked out the window down onto the farm…to be sure everyone is roughly where they should be. I am lucky to have a house that sits on a hill and the farm cascades down below it, so I have a view of my creatures from most of the windows in the house.
I immediately noticed Doc. He was lying down flat on the wrong side of a fence. OMG…I thought…he looks dead! I stared at him, holding my breath….willing him to show some sign of life. At last, he lifted his head and looked around. I breathed a sigh of relief and chastised myself for such a morbid thought. I left the window and sat down to my computer and email, then downstairs for coffee.
As I left the house for chores, I glanced down the hill to check on Doc, knowing I would have to…at some point….go get him and put him back with the herd where he belonged. He was still lying down. Odd…I thought….he was in a different spot. I threw hay out to the boys at the barn and hiked out to where Doc lay. Dread filled me as I approached. He was sick…I could see it in his eyes. But he was so calm, relaxed, really. As I approached him and stroked his neck, a neighbor drove by and stopped. ”What’s wrong with Doc?” she asked. I replied, ‘I dunno. just got here”. She looked at me with worry in her eyes….’he looks bad’. The feeling I had when I first saw him at 5:30 resurfaced and I could not push it aside. I pulled out my cellphone and called my vet. Then I called Tim…Doc’s owner and best friend.
The events that followed are so common amoung those who own/raise/train horses that I can skip the details. The bottom line is that colic in an old horse, with no history of colic (I’ll bet I haven’t spent a dime of vet fees on this horse, except for routine vaccinations), means strangulation and obstruction. No hope of survival without surgery. And surgery means a two hour drive south, anesthesia and a long post-op course. I was devastated. I knew I could not subject him to that type of treatment.
I’m a surgeon and a good one. Its my gift..to fix living things. But living with horses has brought me closer to being present in the moment. Its where our beloved animals live. They don’t understand….’we can fix this but you have to wait’, like people can. Doc has enjoyed very good health and vitality at our farm. I have a natural instinct when it comes to heath and nutrition. He has absolutely flourished here and I have been so pleased with his state of health..until today.
Tim was able to be here and ultimately made the decision to put Doc down. We sat down next to him and cried, stroking his neck lovingly. As his spirit left and our emotions stabilized, we talked about Doc and his misadventures and about all sorts of other things. Before long we were laughing again and exchanging warm embraces. Doc was gone, but his spirit had already healed us in many ways. It is the gift horses bring to us….simplicity and joy.
What I have learned is that life can change direction in a heartbeat. Its scary…to be honest.
Doc was a treasure and a blessing. His passing has left a hole here…at the farm and in my heart. Its a small hole and will be repairable…but it will leave a scar…as it should for any loved horse.
Doc is on the far left.
Summer 2010 ….a pictorial tour
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Re-starting Beaugart
Yield your hindquarters and follow me...
So many of you know of my most recent rescue, Beaugart. He is a 5 yo Arab x NSH and has been with me for about 6 months. He was skinny and scared of everything when he came to the farm. As with all my rescues, health and socialization come first. Beaugart has spent the past few months with a small herd with plenty of room to roam, play and move his body. There have been very few demands made on him from me and I have spent the time building rapport, by being a consistent presence in his daily life. Trust took a long time. He really had no interest in anything I did, nor could he stand me approaching him directly. But one day, not long ago, I found him nibbling on my elbow from behind me while I did my chores! At last, some curiousity! The next day, he allowed me to approach and scratch his itchy spots (it is black fly season), curling his lips with pleasure. That was the turning point and the day I knew I could start working with him in a more meaningful way.
I know very little about Beaugart, but have been able to piece together some info. He was born in Colorado and was quite a fancy weanling, winning an ‘in hand’ championship as a yearling. I also have in my possession a photo of him being ridden by a man….no idea where or what level of training he was at. My experience handling him has led me to believe he has had some training, though there were some big holes in his foundation, or possible evidence of some rough handling.
The first issue I encountered was that he was difficult to catch. If he saw a halter or lead rope, he was ‘out of dodge’. In the beginning he would simply leave and I had no hope of catching him outside of trapping him in a small paddock or stall which I was loathe to do. Right around the time his curiousity about me appeared, his behavior shifted somewhat about being caught. While he was still not interested in being haltered and would move away, he ran in circles around me instead of leaving the area completely…a huge shift in his behavior. Instead of panicing, he was thinking. This was a very good sign, but I knew he was still very far from thinking of me as a partner.
The second issue I noted was that he was extremely head shy. He did not like stuff over his ears, like a bridle or leather halter. I could manage with a rope halter swung over his neck, but nothing that had to go up and over the forehead and ears…well, not without him rearing straight in the air 
The last big issue was his left shoulder. He was in the habit of using his left shoulder to move people and block any access to his zone 3 (where the saddle goes). He is pretty unbalanced side to side in general, but that is common, as people tend to lead and mount horses from the left and do very little from the right. He was alittle extreme in this way. I get the feeling someone did alot of work teaching him to yield his hindquarters without paying much attention to this evasion. I knew I could fix this problem pretty easily once I had his confidence.
Anyway, by happenstance, I was invited to visit my friend Brenda Ladd at her farm and encouraged to bring Beaugart up for some training. Brenda is in Bridgewater, NH and has a gorgeous facility with a large indoor arena and round pens. She hosts many clinics each year with fabulous clinicians (Dave Ellis, Karen Rolph, David Lichman to name a few) and does some horsemanship coaching in between. Brenda and I have been online friends through Parelli Natural Horsemanship for several years so I was delighted when she and her husband Jonathan moved their venue to NH! She is a wonderful coach with good instincts about what is working and how to build on what the horse offers.
So Beaugart and I spent two days with Brenda. We camped out and did a little bonding. Lots of opportunity to become better partners. Brenda took some photos, which will serve as an outline of what we accomplished in just over 24 hours.
Oh, its a carrot stick!
OK, I guess I'll stick with you now...
We worked in a round pen. I used the pen to create forward movement and then worked on changes of direction. Bogie had trouble at times turning towards me. Brenda suggested I approach him less directly and push his hindquarters away, allowing the front end to come towards me…brilliant! At first he could only yield a step at a time before stalling, but before too long he would follow through with forward movement toward me. We built on that the first day till he was following me consistently. Next we had to tackle the friendly game with the stick and string. I elected to put him on line for this and we played with some approach and retreat. He caught on very quickly. It was pretty clear that he is a quick minded horse and does not need alot of repetition to learn. Brenda thought, ‘why don’t we do this with a saddle on’…kill two birds so to speak. Now I know he has worn a saddle before, but what I don’t know is if he had any issues with the saddling process or with the saddle itself. So we treated him like any young horse. He checked out the saddle and pad and seemed very confident about it. I saddled him at liberty and he had no problems at all. Well, I should say, until the next day, when in anticipation of riding him, we found a girth that was small enough for him (he is still not that round). Since it was our second saddling and he was so good the first day, I didn’t expect any reaction to the girth being tight. And there wasn’t at first. I tightened the girth, then walked away and he set off crow hopping around the arena for 20 seconds or so. I was so surprised. He then stopped and walked over to me and put his head down as if to say, ‘sorry, I just had a moment there’. Just goes to show…never make assumptions about any horse and their previous training. If you didn’t see it with your own eyes, it never happened.
saddling was uneventful, though there was not a small enough girth to be had in the house!
Bogie learns to yield his hindquarters without blocking me with his shoulder...
Day two: I knew I could get on Bogie the second day, based on what we had accomplished the day before. So I went straight to work teaching him to pick me up at the mounting block. OK for those of you, saying ‘What’s with the mounting block?’… I have a rule. Either mount from the ground or teach your horse to pick you up from a block or a tailgate or a fence…willingly. Mounting a 16 hand horse from the ground takes physical strength and flexibility. Teaching that horse to pick me up takes savvy and focus. Its ALL good, people!
Teaching Bogie to pick me up at the mounting block
testing the waters...
Bogie had no issues with the idea of me getting on his back, but you know what they say....'better safe than sorry'
And we're off....or rather 'on'...
Asking for lateral flexion...
very nice, short, relaxed first ride
Next we tackled the bridling issue. It was a big deal to him. But with some persistance and patience, along with good timing with the release, we got the job done. I had a goal of getting the bridle on 3 times (once I had done it once) with each try more successful. Mission accomplished, but we still have some work to do in this area…
Bridling was another story...
Bogie wasn't sure which was worse, the bit or the headstall going over the ears...
while he was worrying about the bit, I worked on the ears. I let him think about this for awhile...
Success with dignity!
I think we are off to a great start...
So Bogie is off to a great start! There is loads of work to do, but I am confident he will be an awesome partner. His movement is wonderful and it will be fun to try to recreate that undersaddle. He would make an awesome hunter for some teenager! Many thanks to Brenda from Ladd Farm for her support and suggestions! Their website is: www.laddfarmllc.com Check out and come audit a clinic this summer!
My fine hostess and coach, Brenda with my pup, Newt
The spectacular view from Ladd Farm...oh and the horse ain't bad either!
Spring is coming…
Our first broody hen..a red silkie.
Well, its looking alot like spring…for the uninitiated! While we’ll likely receive more snow and freezing weather, I look for any opportunity to be optimistic about the coming warmer weather!
So what’s new on the farm? We have our first broody chicken..a year old red silkie, Silvia. She is sitting on 8 banty eggs and we expect some young chicks next week if all goes well. She has decided on a pretty cold time of year to sit, but maybe she knows something I don’t.
Both Beaugart, our new rescue and Reno, our rehab project are flourishing and getting strong…more in separate posts. Stay tuned.
Upcoming events on the farm:
Sunday March 21st…’Beyond Dairy: Raw Milk Processing and Cheese Making’, presented by Lisa McCrory from Earthwise Farm in Bethel, VT. This class is full, but if you have interest in raw milk or cheesemaking, please email me (judkinsj.uvnn@gmail.com). We will plan another class later in the season.
Saturday April 3rd…’Hoop House Raising’. Have you ever thought about putting up a high tunnel or hoop house to extend your growing season? Well, I’ve been reseaching the project and plan to conduct a hoophouse seminar. We’ll build a hoop house out of PVC, wood and wigglewire. Plans, material lists, cost, and resource list will be provided and plans will be made for the next hoophouse raising at your house. Lunch provided. No fee…just bring your cordless drill Email me if interested… judkinsj.uvnn@gmail.com .
Piglets are arriving next month. They are on the ground and 2 weeks old as we speak. I went over to check them out this week…darling little things. This year Resting Heart Farm is raising pigs, co-op style. Piglets are available for sale, by the half or whole…live. We will arrange feed and board then humane slaughtering on the farm and custom butchering for select clients and family.
Saturday April 17th…Plowing Bee at Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, VT. Sponsored by Green Mountain Draft Horse Association. Meeting to follow. Reno will be attending and we are hoping to pull a walking plow! http://www.greenmountaindraft.org/ for more info.
Saturday May 1st…GMDHA Auction at Addison County Fairgrounds.
So begins one of my favorite and busiest seasons. I hope to start blogging weekly again now that my ‘seasonal affective disorder’ has started to lift 
Reno helps salvage a fallen Maple tree after the ice storm
How do dogs know?
Over the years I have read stories reporting evidence that dogs ‘know’ when their ‘person’ is coming home (before they actually arrive). Some of it seems plausible, but on the other hand…who really knows what our dogs are thinking. Mom has always told me that Max (my devoted 2 yo rescued mutt) ‘knows’ when I am nearly home. He goes to the door and begs to be freed. She sees or hears no sign of me, but as soon as she lets him out he goes running for the road and then she sees my truck take the turn onto Philbrick Hill, which is still quite aways from home. How does he know? I’ve always passed it off as coincidence…
So I have arrived home from my 5 day trip and found the dogs…both Max and Newt (my yorkie) exhuberantly waiting for me…..not a surprise. I phone Carolyn once I settled and thank her for caring for the horses and dogs, as well as keeping mom company for the weekend. She made the oddest report. She told me that all week and weekend the dogs have followed her everywhere and been completely in her lap. However, starting this morning, the dogs started distancing themselves and spent the day looking out the windows. How odd, given that I started my trip early this am. The striking thing is that it made such an impression on her and so much so that she made a point of telling me about it. So do dogs really know?
