Late starter

[Icu4dzs]

Welcome to the group! You have an interesting background. Where did you get that engineering degree?

That is some rough country up there. Desert has some advantages but that close to Mexico eliminates many of them. Too many people.

How do you manage to get up on that "tractor" if you have to use a walker to get around? Seems a bit difficult to me. I guess he just likes the company, huh?

You have a lot of skills. Sounds to me as though you need some "projects" and with an engineering background maybe you might get interested in "rocket Stoves". I've built one stove and one "'rocket heater" for my machine shop. Shop is still too big to warm up very soon but that thing gets powerful hot. On one spot it gets over 800*F. The problem is that the shop is nearly 12000 cubic feet.
Have a good day. I know what a Percheron is...and they don't swim, either...

 

[Icu4dzs]

One of the things I do is keep her on an EPSM diet.... Very low carb. comparitavely. for horses... that means no grain. Free choice salt and lots and lots of water. For drafts and quite a few horses with large muscle mass... EPSM is Equine Polysacharride Storage Myopia... Whew may have spelled it wrong. But essentailly large muscled horses sometimes have an issue with metabolizing Carbohydrates. This would be true for draft crosses as well.

Some of the symptoms of EPSM are muscle wastage, Tying up and difficulty handling stress. Some horses get so debilitated they get sent off to the feed lots.

Not to say this is an issue with heat.... I do know large muscles of the drafts have a difficult time chilling down once they get heated.

For what its worth Grain only gives energy and should be used judiciously. I have heard some people with thoroughbreds found their horses temperment mellowed out and their feed Thriftyness increased when they were gradually weaned from grain to Plain old corn oil. It takes a few weeks but the gut learns to metabolise the oil and it becomes a more efficient energy booster.... Plus Its REALLY good for their coats... LOL>

http://ruralheritage.com/vet_clinic/virtualvet.htm

Other issues with EPSM horses is pain for no real obvious reason... back and loin pain.

deb

OK, Not wanting to be a "KIA"(Know it all) but EPSM is a neuromuscular disease, NOT myopia.
Equine polysaccharide storage myOPATHY (muscle disease) Myopia usually responds to a good pair of spectacles. (that's glasses to us farm folks)
Just in case no one recognized that minor discrepancy...