Sliding into sunshine

By Christine Tailer
HCP columnist

He was running and dancing, and oh so happily kicking up his heels. The morning sun topped the hill on the far side of the creek and the pasture began to slide into the sunshine. I watched him dance as the shadow line slipped across the greening grass and headed down towards the creek. The pasture looked so green in the sunlight.

I called, and he trotted over to me. I ran my fingers through his forelocks and down his neck. I smoothed his mane. His winter coat was still thick, not yet starting to shed, but I knew that endless hours of brushing were not far off.

"Let's get you into the small paddock," I said as I offered him a treat. He picked it out of my palm with his hungry lips. I walked towards the paddock and he followed. I really should not call it a small paddock. It's more of a starvation pen in which he will quickly eat the sparse spring grass that has grown within.

He paused at the paddock's gate. I stepped through and held out my hand with another treat. He hesitated and then followed me inside. I had accomplished what I had set out to do. My dear little gelding was now locked safely away from the lush spring green. He nuzzled my hand. I rubbed his neck. I kissed his forehead. I felt so guilty, but it was for his own good.

Greg came down the hill and looked sadly toward the poor fellow. "I know, but it has to be this way", I said to both my gentle horse and husband. Greg understood that the new grass was too sweet for our little horse, and that if I left him to graze with the rest of our pasture creatures, he would soon be limping with laminitis.

Laminitis, or founder, is a painful inflammatory condition that affects the sensitive tissues within a horse's hoof. The inflammation, caused by eating high sugar content grass, can be severe, and can even result in permanent lameness, requiring that the horse be put down.

Some horses are more prone to laminitis, as is our gelding. He gave us a scare several years ago, and ever since we have exercised caution. Others are not affected in the least, just as some people develop diabetes from a high sugar content diet while others can dine on cake and candy all day long, all throughout the year, and suffer no adverse effects at all. One of our sons is such a fellow. He says it is because we named him Andrew, and call him Andy, which rhymes with candy, that has caused him to indulge in sweet confections to his heart's content. Curiously, I cannot. When I eat sugary foods my blood sugar actually drops and I become dizzy, so I avoid sweet foods, or only take a nibble.

Our little horse, however, does not know how to exercise constraint. I must exercise it for him. The other pasture creatures gather at the starvation paddock's fence, curiously looking in. I have no doubt that if I opened the gate, they would all happily march right inside. The grass, even when there is none, is always greener in the other side, but I hold firm and do not open the gate. I I feed our little gelding hay and just a bit of feed. He does look sad, but in time the sweet spring grass will toughen up, and I'll be able to let him out and leave the paddock gate open. The others will be able to enter if they choose.

For now, though, the little gelding will get some extra loving. I'll take him for walks up the middle of the road where he cannot reach the delectable soft green to either side. I'll brush him even though he might not need brushing. I'll sing him songs as I try to braid his mane and tail, though I am really not good at braiding at all, and I'll let him know that this time will pass. It won't be long before he'll be running and dancing, and oh so happily kicking up his heels as the morning sun tops the hill on the far side of the creek and the pasture slides into the sunshine.

Christine Tailer is an attorney and former city dweller who moved several years ago, with her husband, Greg, to an off-grid farm in south-central Ohio. Visit them on the web at straightcreekvalleyfarm.com.