I am new to the state (the country too) and was wondering if there were any potential horse friends hiding in my neck of the woods? I live in NW Oakland county (Milford/Fenton/Howell/South Lyon area) and would like to meet more people who smell like horses and have perpetual hay in their hair.

I tried craigslist, but people frightened me. Thanks!

Go to the MEL website. Michigan Equine Lovers…Meet some horse folk there from all around Michigan and they also set up camp dates, rides, weekend getaways and all…be careful though , some there do like to stir trouble. Have fun…

Now until Halloween, close to Detroit

www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/halloween/haunted.htm

www.digitalcity.com/detroit -

I need to insulate under our older mobile home. I have heard about hay bales and that sounds inexpensive enough but what about critters. Won't the mice and bugs get in the hay and make their homes? I would like to know what some of you people have done to insulate under your mobile homes. We have skirting but it is that funky metal stuff. Part of our home has wooden skirting but it doesn't help with keeping out the cold. Our floors are like ice even with carpets and something has to give here. We live in Michigan so it is VERY cold and snowy. Thanks to all of you that have looked. Hope you have some suggestions for me.

Straw bales will help, but won't look very nice, and will hold moisture that you don't want and will attract mice and are not really cheap. You can get 2" foam 8' long and set it up on the inside of the skirting, you can get glue that will work on foam, or you can use slats to hold it in to place. Your home will be a lot warmer in the winter, and cooler in the summer. Oh I do live in a Mobile Home, and the foam really works good for me.

I have a 11 year old gelding that I have owned all of his life. I have recently moved him up to Michigan from Texas and he has had to go from 10 acres of pasture to 1. He has depleated the grass in the pasture so we feed him a hay suppliment (because of the hay shortage up here) and sweet feed. He gets about 2 and a half scoops of 11% sweet feed a day and 3 scoops of hay cubes. I know this is more than enough food for a horse of his size and for the work he does (none) - but he stays skinny. He was never skinny before I moved him up here - so I'm wondering if it is just that he is stressed? Its been about two months since the move… Any ideas or suggestions?

Stress may have altered the intestinal fauna. Worm him and then give him probios. This will return it to normal. I also suggest upping his hay cube rations and decreasing the feed. This will encourage the 'good' bacteria to grow while limiting growth of the 'bad' bacteria. You may even be able to buy the hay replacer pellets that can replace hay and feed together. Then you can give him free choice.

Also you said he ate the acre down bare. This makes it more likely for him to have worms since the low grazing increases his chances of consuming eggs. I worm mine more often when uncontrollable events (such as an injured horse) force me to pasture one in a small area for too long like this.

Make sure he gets plenty of clean water too.

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im moving to michigan and the city im moving to has very little hay and when we find some it is extremely expensive. So Im are thinking of switching to alfalfa pellets or alfalfa cubes. the land i bought have very rich grass and my horse will be put out every day…he is also being fed a sweet feed mix and he is in great shape (show horse). So what do you think? he is young 3 years old.

I like cubes but it depends on the horse. My vet told me to soak them to soften them up a bit .

Hi! Last Thursday, my 13 year old Arabian exhibited signs of colic (depressed, lethargic, laying down, trying to roll). After talking to my vet, I gave her some Banamine and walked her. I was hoping the treatment would help resolve the issue, but now she is refusing to drink and eating 1/2 of what she normally would. I have forced water into her with a turkey baster, watered down her hay, and even tried a super salty water/grain/apple mix. Still she has no interest in water. I live in Michigan, so the buckets freeze quickly this time of year. I cannot give her a heated water bucket with the way the electricity in the barn is set up. (It would blow the fuse to the water heater in the trough, then none of my horses would have water). Any recommendations on getting her to drink? thanks

It would be good if you could get some electrolytes in her, either mixed in her water, mixed in her feed or just put directly in her mouth. Try different amounts of water and grain, my gelding will eat it as almost soup but some won't eat it but so wet. One trick that can help with a horse that wont drink is putting a powdered drink mix in their water, like koolaid or even better poweraid or gatorade. She's probably not drinking because of the water temp though. The place where i kept my first arab I couldn't have a heated bucket either but twice a day when i feed him i took a gallon jug of super hot water to add to his bucket so he would atleat drink twice a day. It may just be taking her a little while to get back to normal to. When in dout though call you vet and see if they have any ideas too.