http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/2015/02/snow-keeps-on-coming.html?m=1
If I was a betting woman if bet Merlin stands by the fence close to the house because it's the only place Jenna throws hay....the closest and most convenient place for her. Too and she doesn't turn her goats out with him, for company and get the goats out of a lifetime in a stall.
I'd Like to see a pig picture.
I never comment on JW's blog anymore, and my first comment was posted, which said, "That poor horse needs shelter." My second comment wasn't published by her, because I called her response defensive and I further explained that I know horses like to be outside, but they also like to be near a 3 sided shelter to block the wind, rather than in a pole barn. I thought she only had an old barn, which in my part of the country, the Midwest, is not a pole barn. I think that picture shows how miserable that poor horse is, and that is my opinion.
ReplyDelete~sue~
Jenna made a post on Facebook about your comment for the Amen Charlie's to rain praise on her. Here it is incase you aren't friends with her on there:
DeleteJenna's Post:
"Some one commented that this "poor horse" needs shelter. How many of you horse owners have horses that refuse to be in their barns and shelters in the winter?"
A few of the 25+ comments:
"Shane Hessman: That commenter probably doesn't realize that it had access to a shed, but decided to stay outside anyway. What do horses in the wild do? Common sense is at a premium now adays. Don't listen to them."
"Zach Hoag: Whomever said tht probably never even had a horse. those dummies will stand out NEXT to the shed in the worst stuff. They dont really care."
"Laura Skidmore: My mare was neurotic in a stall. Paced constantly and I couldn't keep weight on her. She had to be kept in a pasture with a run-in shelter. She was much happier once I gave up on the stall. Horses do fine as long as they have the option to get out of the weather"
"Kateri Scott: Serious, people are so freaking far removed from animals that they just don't understand. My chickens and rabbits have endured this arctic winter without heat just fine. My chickens are still laying. My rabbits' coats are of prime thickness. Even their paws look like UGG boots! LOL! Merlin doesn't look neglected or cold. He looks in his element. He has a thick Norse coat and an internal furnace God provided such creatures. Sure, a thin coated pitbull should never be chained up outside in such weather, but don't you animals are cute humans too people dare call animal control on a Husky romping through the snow!"
She requires so much reinforcement. It's a shame she won't post your second comment, instead she lets everyone shit on you so she looks amazing. UGH
I've had horses longer than she's been on the planet. Many times they do like crappy weather, but during a storm, rain or snow, they love their dry stalls, and they love getting out of the wind.
DeleteI may not own my own horse, but I do know that most animals and birds prefer to find some kind of wind blocking shelter to stay out of a storm. I knew when I posted my first comment she couldn't wait to use it as bait to reel in her "faithful" kool aid drinking followers to stick up for her. She is a sad sad sad person, who incites others to hate anyone who disagrees or points out a difference of an opinion. Personally, if Merlin was mine, I would be ashamed that his back was covered in ice and snow while I sat in front of my computer inciting others to hate a simple comment about a picture. Btw, I wonder if Italics prefers his enclosure = prison compared to the open land that he was stolen from? I am sorry I ever bought her books, which I threw away, and that I ever donated, because I fell for her sob story. She is a liar, thief, and sickening childish.
DeleteSorry for the rant, and now I must get ready to work my part time job at the grocery store. Its how I pay for my life.
Also, I forgot to add, if Merlin did have a suitable shelter she would have had multiple pictures of him standing just outside it just to prove a point.
Deletethe post at 4:32 is also mine.
~sue~
Pole barn shelter? Does she mean a few poles with a roof slapped on top? Merlin is smart, he knows there's no point in standing in a "shelter" that does not shelter him. May as well stand outside, amirite?
ReplyDeleteTo further add: We know if she actually HAD an actual shelter for him, she'd put up pictures so fast so her readers could actually see it. And that's why we rarely see pics of her animals unless they're close up of only the animal, nothing else to be seen. She knows people would actually see the true conditions.
DeleteAnd as someone who's owned horses for 30 years, sure, they generally prefer living in a pasture to a stall BUT with access to a three-sided run in shed turned away from the prevailing wind. No, mine don't "stand out in the worst weather," they sensibly tuck themselves into their shelter, if there's one thing horses hate, it's windy weather.
ReplyDeleteI always provided my mare with an open, covered stall to go into during bad weather, and figured that way she at least COULD get out of the wet and cold if she wanted/needed to. Sometimes she did, sometimes she did not, but at least she had the choice, which I felt was the right thing.
ReplyDeleteWait so you provided literally the exact same thing she has? Does no one see the irony here?
DeleteI think the difference here is geography.
DeleteToday in hotflashhomesteads neck of the woods it's 60 degrees with highs of 80 this week and lows of mid 40s.
Today in Jennas neck.of the woods it is 25 degrees with highs of mid 20s this week and lows of -9 (or as Jenna has claimed double digit lows)
No irony there. Climate plays a HUGE roll.
Example with pigs...in the heat if the summer they need wet wallows and shade, in the cold winters sunshine and a dry/draft free environment. Proper animal husbandry is situational.
Jenna could reference to include trees for a wind break, staple gun and board a tarp on 2 sides of her pole barn, put a t post a foot away from the pole barn posts gather limbs and start stacking them, purchase lumber to build sides, repurpose wood from one of her useless outbuildings, use pallets which are FREE and she could collect with her truck, put two round bales caty corner as wind break...the list goes on and on.
There is NO excuse for pigs not to have shelter in those conditions or to provide the options for horses. While they will often stay outside, every horse owner finds themselves picking run ins of the crap horses leave there Because indeed they will use them!
I would like to add that in JW's neck of the woods not only is it much colder, but also has a lot of ice, snow and rain. The climate is very dry where Hotflashhomestead lives.
DeleteI like how she takes a brief comment and blows it up and demonizes the writer, then all the Jennafans pile on.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the last one about "what do mustangs do?" They have vast areas to roam, and they travel 15 to 25 miles a day, they find shelter in ways humans wouldn't think of. They are experts at finding and remembering micro climates and food. And when things get really bad, they suffer and die. That's what mustangs do, don't lock up a horse in a small pen and tell me it has a life as good as a mustang.
How wild horses live isn't the point. This is a domestic animal, a pet, who is dependent on her for food and shelter. However, when asked about why she keeps her animals outside without adequate shelter, she consistently responds that wild subspecies, such as wild pigs, are capable of living outside. This statement doesn't take into account the genetic differences between wild and domestic animals, brought about by generations of selective breeding. My domestic dog would not fare as well by living on her own as would a wolf or a coyote. She also hasn't had the advantage of being taught how to adapt to a life outside on her own by wild parents. And wild horses live in herds, which gives them extra protection from weather. Merlin is alone. Besides, animals in the wild have a shorter lifespan than domestic ones, as well as illnesses and injuries that go untreated. She's comparing apples and oranges. And when she says that wild mustangs suffer and die when things get bad, one is forced to ask whether she really wants that to be the fate of her domestic horse!
ReplyDeleteI'm the one who says they suffer and die when all else fails, because she and her Amen charlies haven't figured it out yet, or don't care.
DeleteThis is a tad off topic, but just my own curiosity of others commenting here. I know how we all feel about shelter for her horse (and all the other animals), but I'm curious on thoughts about blanketing. Do you guys who live in some of the more extreme climates blanket your horses in the bad weather? Ours are out wandering the hilly acreage 24/7 in the warmer months and during the daylight hours in the colder months. Wintertime is just overnight stalling so we can monitor their food and water intake and get them some warmth and shelter. There's also a large covered arena where they tend to hang out in the day for shelter from extreme weather. I know some people take the philosophy of not blanketing for allowing the horse's fur to naturally thicken (some of our past boarders do that), but generally we tend to cover them up to protect them from all the cold and wet. Rain especially, as rain rot tends to become an issue. Just curious on what the other horse people here do and why. I sort of feel like if Merlin doesn't want to go in whatever shelter he supposedly has, she could at the very least throw a rain sheet on him for a little protection. ~AM
ReplyDeleteIf they have shelter from wind, I wouldn't blanket until they already have a good coat. Some horses, especially older ones, will benefit from a blanket on colder days. But, be careful if it's a sunny day, they can overheat. And if it rains, you have to take the wet blanket off.
DeleteI may supplement with a blanket in the seniors or for other reasons but generally not. I think.blankets are sometimes more of a fun accessory for horse folks.
DeleteThe way it works in VA...
Full time turn out with a 3 sided shelter...or
Summer - in during the day (heat/flies) and turned out at night.
Winter - out during the day and in at night.
No one stalls their animals 24/7 as one commenter on CAF suggested. That's crazy. Crazy for a pig crazy for a horse.
I don't know of anyone with only a pole barn. Depending on placement that could be useless.
These animals are FENCED in. Comparing wild pigs to pigs within an electric fence is insane. They can't find bedding, natural windbreaks, etc. Its like putting a dog in a car with the Windows up in the summer...wild dogs survive in all conditions right! No...you are boxing these animals through fencing and they are not able to cool themselves or warm.themselves.
What is wrong with people?
I live at a high elevation in Central Pennsylvania. We have pretty harsh winters here, comparable to Jenna's. We have a 3-sided structure in the pasture, and in the winter the barn door is kept open so they can go into their stalls if they want to (they never do!). At night I blanket my 22-year old who has health problems. The other 4 range in age from 5-12 and do not get blanketed. They mostly huddle together in the 3-sided structure at night. The only time I stall them this time of year is when we get 12+ inches of snow and I need to get the ATV out to help me clear gates. (One of my horses is a rescue and doesn't react well to any motorized equipment).
DeleteJenna has no excuse. Our 3-sided structure cost less than $1000, and we built it well with the best materials we could get. When we first bought the property we did wait 5 months until Summer was over and we were settled on the best positioning of the structure for wind break.
Thanks for this description of proper shelter for horses. It's not even expensive to provide it!
DeleteIt really wasn't. I asked my husband, and he thought it was around $850 total. And that's a large shelter for 5 horses. We shingled the roof and painted it red. I think the plans came from the Storey's Country Skills book, or another Storey book. We built it ourselves over a long weekend. I toss their hay in a manger there, even though it is on the far side of my property and not easy to get to. You do what you have to do, put your animal's comfort before your own. Plus it's great exercise! Having gates frozen with animals inside is so dangerous and irresponsible. What if swift medical care is needed? What if I need to get a trailer in the far pasture in an emergency? My horses are my children and I couldn't imagine not keeping my children safe.
Delete"Having gates frozen with animals inside is so dangerous and irresponsible. What if swift medical care is needed?" ROFLMAO!!!! Swift medical care at CAF???? How about ANY medical care at all! How about, let's just let the animal die so I can run in the house and write about it?!
DeleteAgreed on the supplemental use. We're in PA, so similar weather conditions to NY. We're thoughtful in our use of them for the conditions and the horse. I just wonder if Merlin deserves at least a little protection from the elements, but I know everyone has their preferences. ~AM
ReplyDeleteRemember when she got Jasper? He got to live in the barn, with his own stall, remember that? Now, instead of that, he gets booted out with a roof and no sides, and the poor Boar gets to live 24/7 in a dark barn. The goats have the old horse stall that she had someone else build. I know horses too, and that picture of him is absolute BS. Animals HATE freezing rain, even my sheep hate it and they have excellent insulation. She feeds him at that gate, because actually walking in there would be too much work. If the only fuel he has to keep warm is out in the elements, that is exactly where he will stand, it is his choice- freeze to death and die by trying to remain dry, or just simply suffer and stand in the freezing rain. I bet he gets a nice case of rain rot this spring.
ReplyDeleteRemember the gate frozen/snowed shut? That is why. Her chores are tossing hay at the closest spot to the house. The animals have to feed where their food is.
DeleteThey will suffer through the elements to eat if they must.
Wind, cold, rain. Animal can handle 2 out of the 3 at any one time (normally). Animals in the wild will find sheltered areas, usually down out of the wind. I don't think he has a wind break. He doesn't need a blanket, but he does need at least a 3 sides on that roofed "shelter" he has.
ReplyDeleteMerlin is 110% better off than outside pigs with no shelter. I hope she has provided something. I recall some roof shack thing I can't imagine is still in one piece.
ReplyDeleteShe has provided nothing. The outdoor pigs, as she has repeatedly mentioned, have nothing but one bale of straw to burrow into for shelter. In a New England winter. Now pigs are not my area of expertise, I am a veg & poultry farmer. But even I know that pigs have little hair, no wool, no long fur. How are these pigs possibly staying comfortable? Any outdoor animal should have some sort of shelter they can opt for, should they want it. A straw bale is not shelter.
DeleteWell, if one wants to follow her line of reasoning, then you know humans used to live in caves and huts and such and wear just skins and live outside without much of anything. Why does she need heat or Stewarts or much of anything? Honestly, just so dumb. Merlin is a old horse. He needs better shelter. Whether or not he thinks he does. Do we just let our pets and children do whatever they want because they want to? There is a certain responsibility that you have as an owner or a parent, to say, yes, you DO need to come in outta the cold and such. Considering how expensive that horse was and the fancy place he came from, to just dump him in a hilly little pasture with an awful shed porch thing, sell his friend and can't even open the gate to get in to him? My gosh, talk about hitting rock bottom for a horse. From pampered expensive imported show horse to this? Geez. Don't get me started on the pigs. All 300 of them. oh, I mean 8 or 10 a year.
ReplyDelete