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Wentworth Hunter Pace - June 6, 2021

After Margaret and I had such a fun time at the fall hunter pace, we opted to go again this spring! This time, while I rode Rejoice again, Margaret rode her horse Jester and had a friend ride Ladyhawke. All Kennebec Morgans!! Jester and Rejoice have the same dam and Jester and Lady share the same sire. Unfortunately instead of a lovely late spring day, we had one of the first intensely hot and humid days of the year. It was definitely a bummer, but the ride was mostly in the shade of the woods and we had a great time!  most of the fences were 3' coops but we found a small log and this hay to jump haha Until we didn't. 😑 We brought along a third friend who rode Margaret's older mare, Ladyhawke. She's a good rider but hasn't known Ladyhawke for very long and didn't realize how much of a cranky boss mare she could be at times. She kicked Jester right in the front leg just about halfway through the ride, and while the cut itself ended up not being a big deal in the

Red Snow

This is something I actually thought about the other day, as I was bringing horses inside at feed time.  And it just so happens that a local vet wrote about this very topic in his recent monthly column that I read just last night!  LOL!  (Dr. J is a great guy, and is my horses' chiropractic vet.  If I did not already have an AWESOME veterinarian, I would use Dr. J as my regular vet!)  

Every year in the winter, I see dark orange or even red urine spots in the snow.  It always jars me for a moment, but it is perfectly harmless.  Why is that??

I cannot remember who told me years ago about why horse's urine turns red/orange in the snow, but I clearly remember being worried about it the first time I saw it!  LOL!  While my mare was totally fine, I assumed the worst.  Usually dark urine in a horse is a sign of tying-up.  But when a horse pees in the snow, mucus or minerals will darken it and certain proteins can oxidize it.  Therefore the urine spot will appear dark orange or even red!  It can be alarming but is no cause for concern, especially if the horse is fine otherwise.


Ahhhhh, the joys of horse ownership!  LOL!  ;-D



Comments

  1. I may have to e-mail that article to someone... No matter how many times we try to convince her it's normal, she panics any time she walks out into the pasture and sees that!

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  2. Yup, first time I saw it, I freaked out!

    Knowledgeable friend set me straight.

    Whew.

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  3. The first time I saw red urine, I freaked out. If you look at the color of a puddle that's sat on a rubber mat for a while, it's rusty too. Urine from a horse that's tying up is practically black.

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  4. I'm used to it now, but it certainly was startling the first time I saw it!

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