tips and advice
Remember- "If you always do what you always did, then you will always get what you always got." Anon Have you ever wondered why stabled horses seem to get themselves cast more often in the cooler months of winter than at other times of the year? There is a reason for this, I believe, and it has to do with the heavier, courser covers, rugs and blankets that we use to help keep the horse warm during these times. Let me explain. When a horse becomes cast, and in the ensuing struggle to free itself, the heavier materials in the apparel on the horse and the roughage of the bedding combine to jam and trap the animal in a furrow banked up along the horses back, effectively digging itself into a hole and making it even less possible for the animal to extract itself. This is, of course, in contrast to the scenario played out in the warmer months when the uncovered horse, aided by the smoothness of the skin and hair, or even the horse clothed with a covering made from a summer weight fabric is more likely to slide across the bedding without so much trouble, helping the horse to propel itself away from the wall and it's precarious position, hopefully before becoming cast. Here is a tip when your horse or pony becomes cast and is not protected by Up-Right® Anti-Cast Safety Strips. Always work quietly and accurately around a cast animal. Using your hands, dig away the bedding banked up along the horses back so that this area is devoid of bedding or at least smoothed out. Undo the front and the back straps of the rug and lay it flat over the area you have just cleared. With as many hands as possible, get a strong grip along all the now opened edges of the cover and use it to pull the prone horse, still laying on half of the cover, away from the wall until its feet come back in contact with the wall at ground level. You could also grab hold of the mane and pull the head and front legs away from the wall just enough for the horse to be able to push the rest of the way from the wall once the front legs are free. The horse should now be able to regain its feet and stand. You should never try to "roll" the animal back in reverse of the direction that it initially became cast. Inju Remember that even a horse you are very familiar with can react in an unpredictable manner when cast. Deceptively calm and subdued one minute, then panic take Remember horsefabulous and Up-Right® Anti-Cast Safety Strips the next time you witness a horse becoming cast. Remember horsefabulous and Up-Right® Anti-Cast Safety Strips amid the consternation and the fallout fr Remember-Safety is a cheap and effective insurance policy.
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