Eating too fast can increase risk of bloat, a potentially fatal condition. Adding some water or bone broth to your dog’s food and freezing before feeding can significantly slow down consumption while also providing enrichment. If you have a dog with separation anxiety frozen snacks before you leave the house can also be helpful.
Afternoon naps are the best! Love seeing the yearlings so content and happy. 😍
The Moore County Hounds were close by this morning and ALL the horses on the farm were on high alert.
I love how people oriented this colt is. 😍 They are hearing a pack of foxhounds and yelling in the distance and while he sticks close to his momma, he keeps checking in with me as well.
Cletus enjoying is morning hay from his Hay Ball Feeder. Sand colic is a serious health concern in areas with sandy soil. Feeding hay from his Hay Ball Feeder (along with a mat underneath) helps prevent sand ingestion. Full size horses often have this on the ground to roll around for more enrichment. Little cletus accidentally got a hoof stuck in the ball previously due to his tiny size so for safety his is hung. Due to its shape he does have to work harder so it lasts longer than using a hay bag or box.
Ralph is a very smart boy and benefits from brain stimulation. In addition to lots of exercise (he lives on large farm) his owner does a lot of enrichment for him. Here he is working on a puzzle his Auntie Dr. Commerford sent him for Christmas. This puzzle was made by Outward Hound . They have various puzzle levels depending on your dogs skill level.
Having friends is important for the social development of all species.
Now is a great time to walk your pastures and make sure you do not have toxic plants where curious or bored horses may take a nibble. There are lots of plant ID apps that can help you ID them.
Puppy socialization is very important. Some think of it in human terms as far as having the puppy interact with everyone. While puppies do need to meet various types of people and *friendly* dogs, JUST AS IMPORTANT is having them in public places WITHOUT interacting with other dogs. If you always let your puppy meet every dog and person you see they often will become very excited and then sometimes frustrated and reactive if they cannot go up to them. CALM greetings are key and we feel it is just as important to not always greet. Learning to remain calm and focused in the presence of distractions like George is demonstrating is incredibly important to be able to have a dog that is level headed in public. Our goal is NEUTRALITY unless invited to greet and then be calm. Barking and lunging at the end of a leash due to excitement is not what we want during outings. Some folks see that excitement as a good thing during social excursions but it can trigger reactivity from other dogs and chaos is not a healthy headspace for your dog.
Muzzle conditioning is something we recommend for puppies. Muzzles are not just used to prevent bites. Sometimes dogs will eat things like rocks and require surgery to remove the rock(s) and a muzzle can prevent them from eating rocks. Some dogs on IV fluids will try to chew through a line and that can have serious health consequences. Some dogs will need a bandage and cannot resist eating the bandage (which can result in surgery or further damage to bandaged area) but also do not tolerate a “cone of shame”. A dog can be seriously injured in an accident and be too painful to safely touch. A reactive dog can work on training in public while keeping everyone safe. The list goes on. The muzzle in this video is a Baskerville. There are lots of “basket muzzle” types on the market. We prefer basket style because it allows the dog to pant, drink and take snacks/rewards. If you take the time to acclimate your dog to a muzzle in a fun, positive way then if a situation ever presents where one is needed it will be no big deal.
Water intake often drops when it is cold outside. Numerous studies have shown horses will consume more water when it is cold outside if the water is warm. You can also experiment with various ways to flavor the water to incentivize them to drink. If you do flavor the water be sure to always have an unflavored bucket available in case they do not like your offering. Some things to try are equine electrolyte powder, a handfull of feed, gatorade, powerade, Gallaghers Water, Quench etc
