Bits and Pieces of Stable News
We continue to poke at fixes for the high alkalinity of the water in this part of Mexico. It seems to be an endemic issue in the local water supplies – we’ve tested our well, the SIMAPA water, and a truckload of water brought in from a water supplier in Tlajomulco. They all tested off the top of the charts for pH and alkalinity.
Blood tests done on 4 of the horses here all show somewhat low red blood counts, and this may be due to the high alkalinity affecting the bio-availability of iron.
- In January we added a filter to our well water which cleans out the mud in the water – it’s nice to have clear water in the taps in the house and the barn but it didn’t change the alkalinity.
- We’ve been adding small amounts of food-quality citric acid to the horses’ water buckets since mid-February, and it doesn’t seem to bother them, they still drink several buckets a day plus whatever they drink in pasture. The citric acid lowers the pH of the water into a neutral range, and citric acid in the diet makes it easier to absorb iron and other minerals. It also has the added benefits of providing anti-oxidants to the horses, and keeping their water fresher.
- We’re considering adding some alfalfa to the horse’s daily ration, as the vet said that would help buffer alkalinity in the stomach
- We already feed ½ cup / day of mixed chia and ground flax seeds; and on the vet’s advice, we’ll be adding a daily cup of wheat germ to that
Our good farrier, Alfredo de Santiago, is available again. He had damaged the tendons in his right hand during an accident while vaccinating cows, but is now working again. Alfredo lives several hours away but comes by the rancho when he is on his way to his clients in Guadalajara, and will be shoeing/trimming for us soon. I am excited because my mare Gracie, who has been growing out her soles and hooves following a recovery from laminitis, is going to be shod again. Yippee!
Javier and Rickie have been re-painting the metal in the stalls – when they get to the swing-open manger, they have to take it off its hinges, steel brush and sand the rust off it, prime it, paint it and then let it dry. That takes a whole day, so we’ll be shifting horses around the stalls while we’re doing this.
Soñador, the new palomino Peruvian stallion, is settling in nicely. He needs a little more meat on his bones before we ride him, but we are ground working and grooming him, and getting him oriented to his new place. He has our gelding Pildorin as his pasture pal now; and has a serious crush on Lily, the Tennessee Walker mare.
