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FW: [RC] Teaching rearing - Mike SherrellI'm
sure everything is in the water. I try to stay away from water that has drained
out of fields. I usually stick to water that I can see is directly from
canals coming down from the Coast Range or the Sierra foothills, or water that
looks like it being pumped from groundwater. In the rainy season I will let him
drink from puddles, although I think there is a significant chance of
contamination from spilled materials. I have been doing this for quite a few
years with no sick horses yet, knock on wood. One advantage to the species'
relatively short lifespan is a comparatively low incidence of
cancer.
He
would drink at least 5 gallons in the course of a dry Central Valley summer's
day, which would weigh 40 pounds. Couldn't carry it.
I do
carry a shower cap, which compresses real small, that I use to dip him water out
of canals he can't approach himself.
Regards, -----Original Message----- From: Lynn Kinsky [mailto:lkinsky@xxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 2:48 PM To: mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Cc: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [RC] Teaching rearing On Sep 12, 2007, at 2:08 PM, Mike Sherrell wrote: We ride among irrigated fields and he drinks 3, 4, 5 times in a 6 or 7 hour ride. Actually, he seems a little more sluggish right after drinking. What is in the water he is drinking? I'd be concerned about irrigation water containing high nitrates as well as a variety of dissolved salts and pesticides. You'd probably do better to carry a folding bucket and some extra water bottles containing good water and water him with that. Lynn Kinsky, Santa Ynez, CA http://www.silcom.com/~lkinsky/
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