Boggle- USA bound!

Michen said:
Thanks guys I’m having a bit of a mental crises about the turnout after some insta stalking of potential barns. I feel a bit criminal subjecting him to the 1/5 acre dry lot situation :( though there are bigger herd type options if I want him to go more au natural. Need to see how he does with Colorado winter temps.
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I was going to post that you are going to find horse keeping in Colorado very different from what you are used to. I have never lived there, but I have officiated at several Horse Trials there.

I expect you will find your horse adjusts to the winter cold more easily than the summer heat, and lack of water. Make sure that the barn you choose has made adequate provisions for wildfires. These include clearing firebreaks around all the buildings, and having specific evacuation plans. Colorado is chronically short of water. "Water rights" are a big deal, so make sure your barn has them. There is not much "pasture" as you would find it elsewhere.

I am not at all trying to be discouraging. The area is absolutely beautiful, and has an active horse community. I am sure you and your horse will have a great time. Just trying to give you an idea of what to expect and what to look for.

I have just moved back from the US (Virginia) to England
 
Janet 54 said:
I was going to post that you are going to find horse keeping in Colorado very different from what you are used to. I have never lived there, but I have officiated at several Horse Trials there.

I expect you will find your horse adjusts to the winter cold more easily than the summer heat, and lack of water. Make sure that the barn you choose has made adequate provisions for wildfires. These include clearing firebreaks around all the buildings, and having specific evacuation plans. Colorado is chronically short of water. "Water rights" are a big deal, so make sure your barn has them. There is not much "pasture" as you would find it elsewhere.

I am not at all trying to be discouraging. The area is absolutely beautiful, and has an active horse community. I am sure you and your horse will have a great time. Just trying to give you an idea of what to expect and what to look for.

I have just moved back from the US (Virginia) to England
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Ooo your a little behind now.
 
Strange behaviour from Atlas. Back in Colorado, when he was moved to the ranch to recover, I turned him out in a pasture with a mate and he was very happy until suddenly he wasn't. He lost his mind, galloped around like a lunatic and was repeatedly slamming his chest into the gate, desperate to get out. At the time I put it down to there being a loose (some of the older horses just roamed the property) mare who had been engaging with him and then left, and figured he was desperate to get back to her. Having been cut reasonably late this didn't seem out of the question. I didn't turn him out again after that, as he immediately went lame from his bad decisions, so the stall/run rest started from there.

Today, he did the same again in this sand turnout area which I've let him out in for the first time as a stepping stone for him to get out into the dry lot gelding pasture by the weekend. Perfectly happy and relaxed, then had a buck and a play and then out of no where desperate to leave despite having a very quiet horse next to him. Slamming his chest into the gate.

I don't really get it! Maybe too much going on. Hoping he will settle once he's in the herd itself, but I need him to get his energy out a little before he goes and starts pestering them.

Anyway, he sure can buck. He does it with such ease with that compact butt of his. I only caught this one and it was one of the smaller ones, he goes completely vertical and he can do it from a gallop.

I'll be closing my eyes and praying he stays sound, he's had enough of this stall rest and has been so, so good but he's reaching the end of his tether and so am I.

Some Pepper pics for good measure.


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Well he can't be hurting anywhere if he can do that!!!!! He's may be feeling so well and just wants to run and let off steam over a distance and is feeling hemmed in? I once took over the care of a horse who was shut down and physically not good after a rough time on working livery. After a few months of professional attention for his ailments, good food and the right exercise for him he was a different chap who would have a regular hooley round his field when you turned him out - just for the joy of it it seemed.
Hope you can get him out soon.
 
I think he’s feeling rather well! Seems happier in a different turnout pen this am, next to his future herd.

After all this horse has been through in the last 9 months it makes me quite emotional to see him out, happy, sound despite various mischief moments (for now..eek).

I hope he just gets some peace for a bit, and kidney potential time bomb aside that he just gets to be a young horse and enjoy life.


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Michen said:
I think he’s feeling rather well! Seems happier in a different turnout pen this am, next to his future herd.

After all this horse has been through in the last 9 months it makes me quite emotional to see him out, happy, sound despite various mischief moments (for now..eek).

I hope he just gets some peace for a bit, and kidney potential time bomb aside that he just gets to be a young horse and enjoy life.


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He’s looking so lovely! Unrelated but how do yall survive here in the UK without nyquil and the good heavy cold and flu drugs that while yes probably shouldn’t be legal but god they work lol. I’ve had a head cold for a week and am dying
 
MoodyFox_13 said:
He’s looking so lovely! Unrelated but how do yall survive here in the UK without nyquil and the good heavy cold and flu drugs that while yes probably shouldn’t be legal but god they work lol. I’ve had a head cold for a week and am dying
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In the UK suffering is considered a virtue - if you're a man, you take to your bed for several days, if you're a woman you drag your revolting contagion around all your daily tasks to ensure that others can enjoy it too. No medications are acceptable beyond paracetamol.
(I'm joking - I am slightly jealous of people in the unregulated US having access to The Good Stuff)

Seriously though, if I was you I'd go to a pharmacy and ask for advice, they usually have a better idea than the GP of all the available options, and if they do think you need something that's prescription only then you can book a GP appointment and do your best to request / demand they prescribe it.
 
Widgeon said:
In the UK suffering is considered a virtue - if you're a man, you take to your bed for several days, if you're a woman you drag your revolting contagion around all your daily tasks to ensure that others can enjoy it too. No medications are acceptable beyond paracetamol.
(I'm joking - I am slightly jealous of people in the unregulated US having access to The Good Stuff)

Seriously though, if I was you I'd go to a pharmacy and ask for advice, they usually have a better idea than the GP of all the available options, and if they do think you need something that's prescription only then you can book a GP appointment and do your best to request / demand they prescribe it.
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Oh I did lol I got a nasal spray cause the cough meds do nothing and I’ve been wearing my mask when I’m around others and being in school I’m calling the kids Petri dishes and Typhoid Mary. Threatened to spray them with Lysol too lol. Also I’ve been making the joke that the British would give me the plague; it’s a time honoured tradition between the British and the US 😅
 
Widgeon said:
In the UK suffering is considered a virtue - if you're a man, you take to your bed for several days, if you're a woman you drag your revolting contagion around all your daily tasks to ensure that others can enjoy it too. No medications are acceptable beyond paracetamol.
(I'm joking - I am slightly jealous of people in the unregulated US having access to The Good Stuff)

Seriously though, if I was you I'd go to a pharmacy and ask for advice, they usually have a better idea than the GP of all the available options, and if they do think you need something that's prescription only then you can book a GP appointment and do your best to request / demand they prescribe it.
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Also don’t worry I’m good at bullying the GP into doing what I need 😉 The US prepped me well. They’re so much better about proactive treatment here and actually listening it’s crazy nice! And I’m not going broke?! I love the NHS!
 
Hahaha this made me laugh! I am sure once I actually managed to get it online years ago, from the UK. I can’t remember where or how though. My UK friends in the know are well stocked on DayQuil, NyQuil and zzzyquil!!!

Hope you feel better asap.

Thrilled with how Atlas is moving and staying good with his new freedom in movement rather than being attached to the end of a line at all times. Dare I even say if he does stay sound once in the herd, I might actually.. back him AGAIN and ride over winter!? A crazy thought. He will be five next spring and he has had a rider on a handful of times, so I don’t need to worry that he’s had things too quick 🙈

I wonder what an earth it was that happened but if he stays good I hope a winter of walk work will be possible.

For those curious I stuck with the easy care shoes and will be for the foreseeable assuming they stay on in mud and rain. Great suggestion from CC I’m very pleased with them as a less concussive option for shoeing.


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MoodyFox_13 said:
He’s looking so lovely! Unrelated but how do yall survive here in the UK without nyquil and the good heavy cold and flu drugs that while yes probably shouldn’t be legal but god they work lol. I’ve had a head cold for a week and am dying
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Night Nurse works pretty well. Not that I ever use it as a sleeping aid…..
 
Michen said:
For those curious I stuck with the easy care shoes and will be for the foreseeable assuming they stay on in mud and rain. Great suggestion from CC I’m very pleased with them as a less concussive option for shoeing.
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I WAS curious! I'm so pleased you've found an option that's working for you. I looked at plastic / glue on shoes for my horse when his hock arthritis was bothering him, but they were looking likely a rather spendy option so in the end I went for barefoot and boots, which is working well. I've got to admit though, when I'm cleaning dirty field kept feet and wrestling four boots onto him in the muddy farmyard at 8am, I do sometimes think about the glue ons....
 
The shoeing costs here are insane. 210 dollars to put those on him including trim. Shoes themselves are 50 and last two cycles. So 235 per go (180 pounds ish) every four weeks because I want a short cycle.

But a set of steel fronts would likely not be much cheaper.

I’ll never think UK farriery was expensive again!!

That said I can legally glue them on myself here, unlike the UK. But I prefer to have someone do it to be honest!
 
Michen said:
The shoeing costs here are insane. 210 dollars to put those on him including trim. Shoes themselves are 50 and last two cycles. So 235 per go (180 pounds ish) every four weeks because I want a short cycle.
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I know it's Halloween but jeez.....you're right though, it is staggering the gap between UK and US pricing for some things. Vet and farrier bills in particular. The cost of the raw materials (shoes) sounds pretty similar to the UK, but the labour charges are probably three or four times as much. I guess that's down to the higher cost of living in the US?
 
Widgeon said:
I know it's Halloween but jeez.....you're right though, it is staggering the gap between UK and US pricing for some things. Vet and farrier bills in particular. The cost of the raw materials (shoes) sounds pretty similar to the UK, but the labour charges are probably three or four times as much. I guess that's down to the higher cost of living in the US?
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Yes it sure is (depending on where you are off course). The bay is even more expensive than Colorado. 33% more at the hairdresser for example!
 
Atlas got cornered and the s*** kicked out of him so bad he tried to jump out from a standstill and somersaulted over the fence, landing on his back and struggling to get free as was cast. He is so so sore I can’t even begin to imagine what damage has been done the extent of which I’m sure will take a while to see.

In the same 20 mins an off lead dog savaged pepper, who was on a lead. Thank god my partner managed to get the other dog off. She is ok but very upset.

I am distraught, what a horrible turn of events.
 
That is awful im so sorry M. Keeping everything crossed for Atlas and glad Pepper is OK. Life likes throw all it's sh1t at once comes xxx
 
I have no idea what to do I’m so furious it turns out this horse had already injured another who’s now on stall rest. I could see he was grumpy over the fence but thought he was just a grumpy leader but what he did was unreal, I’ve never seen anything like it. He came at atlas out of no where from across the paddock and just beat the living daylight out of him. Atlas trying to jump a 4 foot fence from a standstill and landing on his back is something I will never forget.

And then the dog with an unbothered owner.

I found another lovely barn when I was looking that is 35 mins away and I only didn’t go there due to distance and limited trails. I just text her and she said bring him we will fix him up.

Do I load him up and get him there before he starts to swell and stiffen I don’t even know? I am away weds-sun next week and it’s a work thing I can’t move.

I feel HORRIBLE moving him again I feel horrible that I let this happen and I never want to see the person next to me whose dog tried to kill pepper and was barely bothered.
 
I don’t know whether to walk Atlas either. He’s clearly going to be so sore is it best to keep him moving? He has one obvious kick on his stifle with a wound but his entire body obviously took a beating.

F*** I thought I did everything right. All of the other horses were perfectly civil it was just this one. And then to hear from everyone that they’ve been trying to get that horse out for months because of how aggressive it is… too late.
 
Michen said:
I have no idea what to do I’m so furious it turns out this horse had already injured another who’s now on stall rest. I could see he was grumpy over the fence but thought he was just a grumpy leader but what he did was unreal, I’ve never seen anything like it. He came at atlas out of no where from across the paddock and just beat the living daylight out of him. Atlas trying to jump a 4 foot fence from a standstill and landing on his back is something I will never forget.

And then the dog with an unbothered owner.

I found another lovely barn when I was looking that is 35 mins away and I only didn’t go there due to distance and limited trails. I just text her and she said bring him we will fix him up.

Do I load him up and get him there before he starts to swell and stiffen I don’t even know? I am away weds-Thurs next week and it’s a work thing I can’t move.

I feel HORRIBLE moving him again I feel horrible that I let this happen and I never want to see the person next to me whose dog tried to kill pepper and was barely bothered.
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FFS, Michen. I am so sorry.

I think I would load him up and move him now. Barn sounds super irresponsible, putting him in with that horse.
 
Agree with the others, l would move asap. You will never be happy if you stay where you are. Poor Atlas will be sore but probably less sore just now than tomorrow, also you’ll not want the chance of Pepper meeting any more aggressive dogs. Good luck, deep breathe and hope things look up soon.
 
This is so awful, just when you seemed to be getting everything sorted. How irresponsible of barn owner, horse owner and dog owner. You've done nothing wrong. Fingers crossed for poor Atlas and Pepper. I too would move him ASAP
 
thank you all I’m so upset and trying to make sure I’d be moving him now for him and not me because I’m so shaken up.

I agree re the Adrenalin. He’s going to be so so sore tomorrow. I really liked and trust the other barn owner and she totally understood the situation and couldn’t have been more helpful. My current barn is great because I can pop in whenever as it’s 4 mins away, but it doesn’t have the level of “service” as this other one. It’s kind of more a DIY barn who muck out for you and feed hay.

I’m scared if I leave him here and don’t move now he will seize up and it’ll be weeks.

That said there IS another pasture he could go in with a different group of horses but I’m just not even sure I could be there full stop especially with the dog situation as well, the whole thing adds up and feels really horrid. But I don’t want to be rash. The owner of the dog is the owner of the barns son (I deal with the barn manager not owner) so that doesn’t feel great.

If I ask myself which barn I feel more at ease with him being at if I’m away for two weeks it’s 100% the other barn not where he is now.
 
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