Letters: 01/00

Water Must Be Drinkable
At the barn where I board, every winter we have at least one case of impaction colic (see November 1999) due to insufficient water intake (this is a self-care facility). When the overnight temperature drops below 40?° F, I have had excellent results (no colic) filling my stall water buckets half full of hot water, then finishing with regular cold water. I have found that this warms the cold water enough so that it isn’t so cold anymore, encouraging drinking. I also give a very sloppy bran mash every Sunday night, also made with hot water.

-Marilea Butler
Warner Robins, GA

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Trailer Suggestion
I just read your response to Lori Kirby, who had a mare that will not ship quietly (see October 1999). I had a 17-hand Thoroughbred that ripped up the entire trailer, not to mention himself. We finally figured out that what was setting him off was not the driving, space, or his stability. What it was for my horse was ANY sort of noise in the trailer, such as that caused by chains moving when the trailer moves over rough ground. We stuffed his ears with sheepskin mice sold for flighty show horses and he has been a docile shipper ever since.

-Christy Mackenzie
Internet

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More White Spots
We have a 19-year-old Thoroughbred who also has white spots (see Hair Mineral Analysis, September 1999). We have owned him for over eight years, and he has always had them. The individual spots come and go. We noticed that when he gets his summer coat, the spots disappear, but they show up again with his winter coat. The exception is this past summer (a year ago we moved him to a stable with a pasture since he is semi-retired). As he shed out over the summer, the spots remained prominent. In September, they began to fade. We expect more to appear with his winter coat. A few people told us years ago there was a famous Thoroughbred who had white spots. His name, I believe, was Candy Spots.

-Betty Stock
Elmhurst, IL

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Music And Tempo
In response to Judy Ross’s inquiry of “Tempo Ranges For Metronome” (November 1999), she can also purchase tapes and CDs that have the right tempo. One of the catalogs for ordering is Dynamix (800/843-6499). They will send a catalog, and she can choose whatever type of music she likes with the correct tempo. This catalog is used mostly for fitness but can be incorporated into a horse workout. This will save time in trying to tape your own music, especially if you are not sure of the beats per minute.

-Sandie Hunt
Conover, WI

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