Poisonous Plants Webinar Notes

My notes from tonight's webinar on Toxic Plants. Please be aware I have not edited them and that some plants were spelled phonetically. 

Poisonous Plants

Hosted by TheHorse.com

March 30, 2011

Anthony P. Knight, BVSc, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, is a professor of large animal medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University. He received his veterinary degree from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, in 1968. After completing a master’s degree at Colorado State University, he joined the faculty in 1974. His current professional interests include livestock heath, foreign animal diseases, emergency management, and plant toxicology. He has written two books on poisonous plants of animals in North America, and maintains a poisonous plants website for use by anyone wanting poisonous plant information.

Karyn Bischoff, DVM, MS, Dipl. ABVT, is a veterinary toxicologist at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center and an assistant professor at Cornell University. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin (Platteville campus), and she obtained her DVM from the University of Illinois. She earned her master’s degree at Oklahoma State University while completing a residency in toxicology, and she went on to complete a pathology residency at the University of Florida before ending up in the lovely rolling hills of upstate New York.

Can a horse tell a toxic plant from a non toxic plant?

They do naturally avoid toxic plants. Bitter tastes tend to avoid them if they have something else to eat. Some plants are very palatable and even addictive. Some plants are also more toxic under certain conditions than others.

What would increase a horse’s risk of eating a toxic plant?

Seasons can make a plant more toxic. Climate conditions can be more toxic. And some plants are more tasty after sprayed with herbicides because they produce more sugars.

Are poisonous plans still poisonous if they are cut and baled in hay?

Yes. They may not be as toxic as they are when they are green but remain toxic when dry. A good example is milkweed.

Are there any general symptoms of harmful plant ingestion?

There are not. Plants do all types of different things: sudden death (you plants); chronic disease (ragwort); colic (gimsun weed, walnut); kidney failure (oaks), etc…

What should be a horse owner’s first response when plant ingestion is suspected?

Take them off of the suspected source (hay, pasture, etc…). Symptomatic therapy is the best.

Are there any medications you should keep on hand?

Banamine if they are showing colic to relieve those symptoms. Laxative to remove them from the GI system.

Activated Charcoal (not BBQ coal) can be very healthy as an absorbent – if you can get a horse to eat it!

What is the most common toxic plant?

West Coast – Hounds Tongue. Causes irreversible liver disease. Loco Weed. Milk Weed.

East Coast – Rag Wort causes liver disease. Red Maple Poisoning.

Florida – Crotolaria

Environmental conditions and their affect on plant toxins:

Drought changes the compounds of the plans. Also affects the plants if they are in the shade versus the sun. Rainfall also makes plants grow more vigorously.

A stressed plant generally has more potential for poisoning than a healthy plant.

Is there a horse by horse basis for toxicity that could cause some horses to react and not others?

Sometimes plants need to be ingested in HIGH quantities to have an effect. “It’s the dose that makes the poison.”

Some of these plants don’t produce clinical signs for months.

What is a good resource online for identifying poisonous plants with good photos?

http://southcampus.colostate.edu/poisonous_plants

Cornell’s poisonous plants website

USDA Plant Database

Wikipedia – if you know what you are looking for

Is there a website where you can send in photos of suspicious plants?

http://southcampus.colostate.edu/poisonous_plants

Dr. Anthony Knight is very willing to identify the plant for you: aknight@colostate.edu

Local plant stores can also identify plants so you can research further.

Plant biologists and taxonomists at universities.

Poisonous Plants:

Japanese and English Yew plant  --- Sudden Death

Water Hemlock  --  The root is the most poisonous. 4-6 oz. kills a horse.

Can weeds cause hives and edema?

Yes there are possibilities. Poison Ivy doesn’t affect horses.

Recent evidence to show that tall fescue (especially of the Mediterranean type) that is infected with the fungal entophyte will cause swelling of tissues.

Can poisonous plants cause laminits?

Yes. Some are associated.

Black Walnut Shavings. 20% of the bedding or more can cause it. Ingestion of bark and twigs can also do this.

Sarsaparilla variation.

Usually signs would be within a day.

Can dandelions cause issues?

False dandelion causing string halt causing them to lift their feet very high. It is most common in Virginia.

This is actually a very old disease and not all string halt is plant related.

False Dandelion = Cat’s Ear = Flat Weed

Can plants cause irritated gums with blisters?

Butter cup can be quite irritating to the mouth when eaten regularly.

Could be that the hay has weeds with sharp horns in it.

Could be a chemical on the grass.

Could also be a viral disease.

What plants cause liver failure?

Ragwort. Cineceo. Rattle Box. Amsinkia (fiddle neck). Cow’s tongue.

Finding the source of the plant is very difficult because it is a chronic disease, not a sudden disease. Sometimes you can only identify in certain seasons which makes it more difficult.

What plants can cause choke?

Plants with a hard pit in them. Apples and pears. Persimmons (can also cause GI obstructions further down).

Treatment for minor cases can actually be CocaCola!

Are acorns safe for horses?

The oak tree is not usually good for horses, including live oak. It can cause Colic, Kidney Failure, etc.

But a handful of acorns is not going to hurt the horse.

Are cherry trees safe?

Cherry trees have the potential to contain cyanide compounds. Cattle, Sheep and Goats are much more susceptible than horses. A horse isn’t going to be able to convert the glycosides to cyanide as quickly.

That said in a frost or stress conditions for the tree, and the horse eats large quantities, it could cause cyanide poisoning or sudden death.

Is there any danger from pine needles and pine bark?

Pine trees are toxic to pregnant cows. Pine needles and pine bark have no nutrition  but there are not the same reactions in horses as in cattle.

Are maple trees toxic?

The most toxic one is the Red Maple. The poisonings vary by location, but usually in late summer or autumn when the leaves are wilted or drying up.

Damage is caused to the red blood cells causing them to become anemic.

Trees to avoid:

Black Walnut

Red Maple and its hybrids

Oak

Black Locust

Golden Chain tree

Horse Chestnut, Buckeye

Choke Cherry and other cherry trees

Kentucky Coffee Tree

Russian Olive

Persimmon

Chinese Tallow Tree

China Berry

Avocado

Toxic Shrubs to Avoid:

Yew

Oleander

Yellow Oleander

Privet

Hydrangea

Rhododentron (azalea)

Japanese Peiris

Laurel

Black Laurel

Boxwood

Burning Bush

Lantana

Angels Trumpet

Mesquite

Day or night blooming Jasmine

Scotch Broom

Are nightshades poisonous to horses?

The contain glycol-alkaloids that can block motility in the intestine and can cause colic. If they eat enough it could actually stop the heart and lungs.

Potato and Tomato vines are issues, as are green potatoes. These are also nightshades.

Is wild carrot the same thing as queen anne’s lace and is it poisonous?

It is the same and there is no reported toxicity.

Horse Nettle?

They can increase the neurotoxicity of ivermectin.

Horse nettle is different than stinging nettle and is not poisonous.

Indian Paintbrush?

Not poisonous. It is an indicator of high selenium content in soils so the surrounding grasses could cause chronic selenium poisoning with long term exposure.

Butter Cups?

They cause irritation in the oral cavity and are bitter. They are usually the last plant standing in pastures!

Napweed?

The only one that is toxic is Russian napweed that causes chewing disease and can damage the brain and inhibit their ability to bite off and chew food.

Other napweeds are not poisonous.

Thistle?

More of a problem for ruminants but horses are fine with them.

Horsetail?

Tends to like wet areas and is not a good food – indigestible. It has been associated with blindness and colic.

Skunk Cabbage?

Not very palatable and can cause damage to the mucosa of the oral cavity.

Lilac?

No problem!

Bamboo?

Toxic and can develop a neurotoxicity. But there are no reports in North America.

Holly?

Contains high caffeine content.

Bougainvillea?

Non-toxic but could be injurious.

Lavender?

Non-toxic. Can make your horse smell nice though.

Fruits and Vegetables to not give as treats?

Potatoes. Green potatoes. Green tomatoes. Avocados.

How can you safely get rid of noxious plants when horses are on pasture?

Mowing can greatly impact the pasture. Let horses eat half and leave half. If there is viable grass the grass will crowd out the weeds.

Herbicides can increase the toxicity and how attractive plants are as food for horses.

Tickled Pink!

I have a student here who is taking the semester long riding course at Cornell for credit. She has learned a lot there but feels like she needs more riding time to really succeed at that course. She needs help with her balance and coordination at the trot and she's absolutely right - more riding time will get her where she wants to be!

The other day after her lesson she said "Your horses aren't like the horses at Oxley. They go where I tell them to go."

Needless to say, I was tickled pink. For a number of reasons.

1. I grew up at the Oxley Equestrian Center, working as a youth and teenage stable hand, riding their horses, taking their lessons. Amazingly enough, the horse that she rides there is one of the horses I actually learned to canter on. I have a lot of respect for those horses and the workload that they take and the fact that they still behave so well. I also know that they are all worked very regularly to ensure that they keep up to date on their training. 
2. I STILL ride at the Oxley Equestrian Center every Monday night because sometimes, I just need a break from riding here in the cold and need to go to a real jumping facility to hone my skills. I love having a bunch of people there ready and willing to offer advice, consult, and even rip my own riding to shreds because I just can't get that at home. Plus, I have always found the horses there willing and excellent for jumping and most of my horses here are still green at jumping courses.  
3. My horses are good lesson horses, but I always saw them as trail horses first: no spook, no flee, no qualms, sturdy, rugged and willing to do and go anywhere. 

It never occured to me that the work I was doing with them has actually changed them into not only good lesson horses, but phenomenal ones. They all move off of the leg, they can collect or extend when asked, they all can frame up, they can move laterally, they can bend (some better than others), and they can pick up the canter on cue almost every time (most can even pick up the canter on the proper lead in my very small indoor arena). For a group of lesson horses, that either came to me green broke or as true-blue trail horses, I am impressed.

Yes, they don't always act like push-button rides, especially if the rider is sending mixed messages or is off in la-la-landl; but what they do offer is the perfect platform to teach on. For instance:

• If your heels aren't down Maxie most definitely will not trot in the arena. 
• If you are too hard on the reins, Pepsi will start to make her lip-smacking noise. 
• If Scotch even thinks that you're about to fall off she will stop and look at you. 

Add to that the fact that a majority of my lesson horses are mares. That's unheard of, I know. But these girls are so good. They listen so well, and even though they can make some ugly faces once in awhile, they always behave themselves under saddle. 

This whole thought tickles me pink.

Takeaways from the Ithaca Agway Seminar

Some great takeaways from tonight: 

1) Too much of any mineral is a bad thing. Salt included. Just because your horse keeps eating salt doesn't mean he needs it! They might just be bored or there's an underlying condition.

2) Diarrhea can be the result of potentially feeding TOO high quality of food. Horses NEED indigestable fibers that will pass through their system, clean out their digestive tract, and come out as poop. Just because you are feeding them fiber, especially high quality fibers that get digested, doesn't mean that your horse won't have diarrhea. Probiotics, though not helpful in healthy horses, may also be helpful for the rear digestive system in these cases.

3) SOME supplements are SOMEtimes helpful to SOME horses SOME of the time. Even the high quality supplements may not actually benefit your horse. Most horses do not need supplements when being fed a proper diet. Under extreme work or during health conditions SOME supplements are helpful to SOME horses SOME of the time, but they won't be helpful to every horse and might even vary under different conditions. 

Further, there is no regulation of the claims that animal supplements make so they can advertise whatever they want it there are no reprocussions, not any scientific or peer-reviewed studies to prove anything.

Most of the contents of equine supplements are filler (water for instance). Just because something is on the ingredient list just means that there is one particle of it in a supplement. Inclusion of useful agents doesn't mean that there is a effectual dosage in the supplement.

4) RIA = Rider Induced Anxiety. The leading cause of problems in horses. This is my personal favorite.

5) As I've always said before: Always make sure you give your horse a chance to win! It was great watching Joann Long work with horses through obstacles to help make sure the rider gives the horse a chance to win.

A Blind Horse and Pretty

I came across this story today and while there is a religious meaning, I read it a different way thanks to my own experiences. 

Here's the story:
Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But, if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing . . .
Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.
If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to the horse’s halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow. As you stand and watch these two friends, you will see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.
When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn’t too far behind to hear the bell.

This reminds me very much of Pretty and Bubba before Bubs died.. Before Pretty (aka. Sock It To You) and Bubba came to me, they lived together in the same stall, same paddock, and went on the same trail rides for 10 years. Pretty had lost vision in her right eye midway through as a result of leptosporosis. While Pretty relied on Bubs for her right-sided vision. Bubs relied on Pretty for confidence and companionship. 

Midway through last summer, Bubba died, tragically. Horses usually mourn, but not the way Pretty has ever since. My fast but reliable horse no longer would lead trail rides. She would get nervous more often, even buck and rear if being pushed.

In other words: Pretty started acting like a half-blind horse.

I wonder if she would act this way if the relationship she had with Bubba hadn't been so special due to her blindness. And I wonder if she would be the way she is if she weren't blind. 

That said - I wouldn't trade her for the world and she will be my official barrel racing horse this summer despite her blindness and despite the fact that I have many other horses that could replace her. 

Pretty and me at the Savannah Potato Festival gaming show showing off her good eye!

A Blind Horse and Pretty: Revisited

I suppose that some of you may remember my previous post about Pretty and her blindness: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=326169774106 . I wanted to revisit the topic.


Been thinking a bit about the vet's visit yesterday, mostly about Pretty. We've fully determined that she is moonblind in her left eye. I suppose I knew she was already going moonblind in her good eye (remember her right eye is completely blind).

Pretty Booking it in a Field, October 2010

At this point I'm not sure if it really effects anything:

• she lives with her stud man, who protects her and guides her; 
• the stud paddock is the safest paddock at the stables; 
• she's only ridden by me anyhow, and we're best buddies (and wost enemies, but mostly best buddies); 
• she still guides trails amazingly, probably better actually since she started going more blind because she doesn't fight me and just goes with my guidance

I am so glad that since my last note (ironically written about this time last year) she has found a new mate in Sierra. When Bubba died I truly worried about her. I'm so glad she paired off and can live protected in her paddock as a pair.

Tally and Pretty Cantering in a Field, October 2010

I'm also so glad that because she is infertile, she keeps the stallion company; meaning she keeps him calm, happy, contented and disciplined. This has given her worth to the stable beyond a riding horse and as a result she is guaranteed a space in the barn. For this I am also thankful for because I never want to have to make the tough decision to re-home her in particular. 


That said, I still am concerned for her, and I think of her often.

Western Saddle Cinching

There are a number of important aspects to take note of when putting a western saddle on a horse and a number of techniques to handle all of theses aspects.

How tight do I tighten my saddle?

The main thing to keep in mind here is that the saddle is not like a car seat... it is not meant to be a piece of equipment to strap you to the horse, but merely a tool to aid you in the balance that you already have while riding. Stirrups in particular are meant to be a tool to reinforce balance at high speeds and fast turns, not a crutch to lean on and rely on. Keeping this in mind helps us figure out just how tight to make our girth.

A number of experts state the following confusing line: the saddle should be tight enough so that the saddle does not move and loose enough so that our horse is comfortable. What does this mean? The saddle should not move on its own or slide side to side on the horse when we tug on it from the ground. It should be tight enough to be secure.But our saddle should never be so tight that it does not allow the horse to move under the saddle, or pinch a nerve. Where is this balance point?

For pleasure riding, when you are in your saddle, you should be able to move the saddle slightly when you put all of your weight on your stirrup and lean. It should allow the horse to move under the saddle but not let the saddle move because of this movement. However, if you are roping, barrel racing, ponying horses, or doing things that will put added movement and could shift the saddle, you should have it tighter.

So now you ask: How do I get on the horse without the saddle moving? How do I ensure the saddle does not move side to side when I'm riding?

When mounting your horse, you should not be relying on the stirrup to get you up on the saddle. You should hold the mane to help you get on, not the horn. The mane will not move and it is a part of the horse. The horn is like a lever to shift your saddle. Additionally, you should not climb up on your horse, but you should mount gracefully using your legs to jump and propel you off of the ground.

When riding you should be a balanced rider. This entails being able to keep track of your own body and maintain balance without the need of tools (stirrups to lean on, horns to hold on to, and heaven forbid you grab the reins for support). When you rely on tools, you are locking down a part of your body that is incredibly useful for communication for your horse. As a balanced rider, you should not be shifting the saddle at all because you will not be putting any pressures or lever actions onto it to cause it to move.

So what does the novice rider do, or perhaps someone operating at top speeds or tying off on their horn? There are a number of additional tools that you can use to reinforce the balance of your saddle without tightening the girth further and causing pain to your horse:

1. Breastcollars: Breastcollars go around the chest of your horse and provide additional support to the saddle preventing it from sliding backwards on the horse, but also providing resistance for your saddle to slide side to side and therefore more stability.
2. Crouper: A crouper is a leather loop, passing under a horse's tail, and buckled to the saddle to keep it from slipping forwards.

How fast do I tighten my girth?

A horse should never be thrown into a saddle quickly.

When first putting the girth on it is important to hold the girth up on the horse's stomach. If the girth is continually banging up against the horse as you set, adjust and work with the rigging it will become irritating and your horse will get frustrated and upset. Some horses are particularly irritated by this and will become "cinchy" over time.

Once your rigging is hooked up, leave on the horse loosely. As you continue to tack up your horse and prepare to ride you should incrementally tighten the girth. Tightening your girth in multiple steps will allow your horse to adjust to the girth and prepare for the ride. There should be at least 3 different tightening occurrences and no less. 

Where do I put my cinch?

It is very important that before cinching your saddle, you find the appropriate position for the saddle so that it is square, balanced, and not restricting the shoulder movement of the horse. Saddle pads should also be positioned so that they cannot slip back and are covering the horse appropriately.

The girth should lie across the horse's ribs but should not  be resting in the "armpit" of your horse. When your girth is too far forward it restricts the motion of the horse and can cause pinching.

Behind the horse's elbow there is a plethora of skin to allow the horse to swing its leg fully. When you put your cinch too far forward you are pinching some of this skin that is supposed to move under the girth. Additionally, you are causing the skin to have to fold around the girl as the leg moves backwards.

The girth should be placed behind the point of the elbow a safe distance to allow movement. Depending on the horse it may be 4-6" inches, but each horse is different. To further prevent pinching, after the first tightening (remember there are multiple tightening moments in saddling a horse), stretch your horse's legs to pull the skin out from under the girth.

Using a back cinch on a western saddle:

Some saddles are specifically designed with a single centralized balance point on the saddle to connect to a single girth. These centralized balance points make the saddle balance both in the front and the back of the saddle so that there is no teeter-tottering forward and backwards or twisting from side to side as the horse moves.

Western Saddle with single balance point

Other saddles are not designed this way. They are designed with two balance points: a front one connected to the cinch and a back one for the back cinch. When using a saddle like this it is necessary to support both of the balance points in order to ensure that the saddle does not teeter-totter or twist.

Western Saddle with two balance points

Many people use saddles with a dual balance point and only one girth. Sometimes as the cinch is tightened, it will lift up the back end of the saddle.Because the saddle is no longer balanced, it is also no longer secure on the horse. To compensate this, often people tighten the girth tighter, which ensures that the saddle will not slip, but only furthers the lack of balance and can bother the horse.

Note lifting

To deal with this there are two techniques: using a back cinch, or rigging the saddle to develop a single balance point.

The back cinch and the front cinch should be connected together with rigging and equally tightened. If using a back cinch it is very important to connect the back cinch to the front cinch with rigging to ensure that the back cinch does not slip back under the horse's stomach and become a bucking strap. If there is no rigging it is important that you remove the back cinch or that you hang the back cinch loosely and not use it for support.

Back Cinch Rigging Note that because the cinches are tied together to avoid back cinch from sliding back they are both tight.

To convert a saddle to a single balance point, use a long latigo on each side of the saddle to create a "Y" shaped rigging that will connect to a single girth. This will ensure that both the front and back balance points of the saddle are being weighed down. 

Converted Rigging

You can also use English billet straps or stirrup leathers to convert a saddle.

Use of English billets to convert a rigging. Note that the girth is too far forward, close to the elbow in this photo.

Weekend Adventure up the Mountain

Part 1: The Meaning of "Seasonal Use"

So to celebrate Allie's birthday and the fact that she is house-sitting for her friend Krissy, we have joined her in Richford, NY. Unfortunately there were a couple factors that came into play as we made our way over there:

1. Instead of leaving the house around 3:00pm we wound up leaving the house at 3:51pm
2. A small yet magnificent snowstorm descended on upstate New York
3. The directions that Allie gave to us did not translate onto our cellphone map and instead routed us up Brigham Road instead of Barden Road.
4. There is a lack of cell-phone reception

So here we are hauling 4 horses in a 32' trailer with a ½ ton Dodge pick-up, thankfully 4x4, in the snow. We follow our "directions"  which take us up Brigham Road off of Route 79. We get about ½ a mile up the road when the hill starts to get steep and slick. We slowly grind to a halt and the truck and trailer begins sliding back down the hill. At this point we realize that we have no chance of ascending the mountain. Erika in sheer terror that the truck keeps moving by itself, backs the trailer back down to the base of the hill about ¼ mile off the highway and pulls it onto the shoulder as the sun sets and it starts to get dark.

Parking Spot for Trailer

This is the point that any reasonable person would pack up, turn around and head home, calling Allie on the way.

What does Erika do (Colin in tow)? Unloads the horses, tacks up Kasper and throws his blanket on Scotch. Colin tacks up Tally and helps unload Mack who is dancing all over the trailer. Right as we finished tacking up, packing up and getting our wits about us, the snow plow loudly and brightly emerges from below like alien spacecraft. The plow blazed by us leaving our horses' already fragile psyches in pieces and our own confidence shaken. 

We mount up (Erika on Kasper, ponying Mack; Colin on Tally, ponying Scotch; and Seneca running along in her blaze orange vest and ding-a-ling bell). As we start to ride up the hill the snowplow returns; turns out that this road becomes a seriously seasonal road and he had only plowed a ½ mile beyond us. With the return of the aliens, it was evident that Mack's mothership had landed and he was about to return to his own kind.

We continue on, passing the last house, still thinking that this is the path that Allie had taken mere hours earlier. The road narrows, the trees thicken and the snow deepens. We turn around, thinking that there is no hope and we are distinctly headed down the wrong path. The incredulous owner of that last house happened to be warming up his car. Overcoming his wonder of our sheer stupidity (two riders descending from the hill with four horses in the dark), he reassured us that we were on the right track and that Schoolhouse road was in fact at the top hill and he knew of the farm we were aiming at, but that nobody had come down that road in at least two weeks. 

The road up the hill (obviously taken during daylight)

Onward we rood up the tree and cliff lined seasonal road, slipping and sliding on the ice as we went (or at least Kasper and Mack did, Colin lucked out with the sure-footed horses).

Now before I go any further, let me say this: it was BEAUTIFUL. The snow was gorgeous in forest as we ascended. Our horses are amazing. Note that we have with us our three youngest riding horses and our foreign exchange student, Mack. The four them were so wonderful riding through the weather and the dark on the strange icy trail. If I ever sell any of them their asking price has instantly risen by $500!

About 30 minutes later we had ascended the mile and a half up the hill and saw what we hoped was the farm. With no barn in sight, and between the wind and the snow there was actually no driveway to be seen either, we realized we really had no idea where our destination might be. Luckily, we had regained cell reception, and were able to call Allie. Asking her to flash the lights in the house so we might know if we had indeed found her, we saw a flicker ahead of us and pulled into the driveway.

Horses are tucked in tie-stall style into two stalls, fed, watered, blankets replaced. We descended with the car and picked up the rest of our supplies and the trailer will spend the night at the base of the hill and we will again ride back down in the morning. 

All tucked in

Part 2: A Reasonable Return

After a nice breakfast at the Brooktondale Fire Department Pancake Breakfast, we returned to the farm take a nice trail ride before we had to head back to Painted Bar for evening lessons.  We tack up and head out, and as we turn the corner around the house we were blasted in the face with quite the blustery wind.

Overnight the wind significantly picked up. The snow fell horizontally. But Allie seemed excited that "this wasn't a windy day." The farm was most appropriately named Tailwind Farms because the wind was seriously strong enough to move a house. While the horses were obviously a little more "uppity" than usual because of the cold they all did very well and we completed our short little loop around the fields and returned back to the house to pack up the car to ship our stuff back to the trailer.

Car en route with one of Allie's friends, we saddle up again. Allie on Kasper, Erika on Mack, Colin on Tally and Allie's friend Missy on Scotch. The ride back down the hill was quite pretty but the trail continued to be quite slick with a sheet of ice under the 5 inches of snow. We had some slipping here and there, mostly by Mack who sat down only once, but we safely and calmly descended to our trailer and found our gear waiting for us.

Riding back down the hill

About 15 minutes later horses were on the trailer and Erika backed the trailer back down to Route 79. Allie, showing off Seneca's blaze orange vest, directed traffic on the highway as we backed the trailer into the road and homeward bound we went.