Recent content by criso

When my last horse was vetted at 5, the seller wasn't confident riding in an open space and wanted him lunged for the strenuous test. Vet didn't want that much lunging on a young horse, hopped on himself and took him for a canter round the field with his assistant checking vitals when he came...

On terms of difference, I had an analysis which aside from the usual imbalances in the UK, had a crazy high manganese level. While I was waiting I fed the RDA of the minerals I had. Once I had the analysis, I adjusted and got a really clear event line and much better tighter hoof after.

I bought a lovely Cavallo fleece in a sale, only problem it's cream so hasn't been near the yard.

I don't know where this was but there is at least one independent nutritionist who takes this view and recommends a variety of companies. I've tested a few fields at different yards, they've all been seriously lacking or very high in different minerals. With blood tests, horses compensate...

There was a fashion in barefoot circles to feed brewers yeast, linseed and seaweed, over 10 years ago. However now the iron and iodine levels means everyone has backed away from seaweed. At the time forageplus were just starting. I remember getting a forage analysis and feed plan but they...

Total Eclipse is linseed, seaweed and yeast. There are cheaper ways to feed those.

I was walking along a track past one of the fields the other day and there was a dead pigeon in the field. One of the horses was licking it.

Maybe he used them to pay the teenagers to bring him pot noodle

Which would work for the rats but would mean that all the feeds are in one spot for any escapee. Mine had to work for his feeds going into different barns and blocks on a large spread out yard.

I've been on a lot of yards where first up feeds everyone and if there's many horses people won't know whose is whose. Plus not one feed room but multiple, some locked as they double up as tack rooms. Sturdy covers help with rats but don't deter a determined horse who will throw the bowl...

I found the yard teenagers feeding my ex racer (the one I mentioned who are all the breakfasts ) pot noodle. He also got hold of my bag which was hanging outside my stable and took it inside to explore out of sight. He ate my sandwich, a packet of prawn crackers and a flapjack. I found the...

My old tb got out one night and ate a whole yard full of feed as it was one of those yards where breakfasts were left outside stables. There was a wide variety including all sorts of medications and supplements. He looked a bit post Christmas dinner in the morning and was left in without food...

Yes I know but aside from that that, if I go to Boots on my own initiative and say I want antibiotic eye drops for a horse, they will refuse to sell it to me. Another example was Hydrogen peroxide for feet. That's without the vet saying anything. New owners get coached in what they need to say

I'm not sure if the cost of medicines is as much an ssue as vets fees. The examples in this programme and other investigations seem to focus on cost for euthanasia; out of hours charges, very expensive procedures with limited benefit (I think of this as the supervet effect) , and complex...

And technically the pharmacy is not supposed to sell you something for animal use . Cue me inventing an elaborate story about an eye condition to get antibiotic eye drops in Boots.