| What's Your Use? |
November 18, 2009
by Bonnie Davis
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Last week said we'd try to
find uses for the 'horseman's special' -- duct tape!! It seems everyone
has a roll or two of duct tape in their trailer, towing vehicle, tack room, barn
or house. Now with duct tape available in colors--red, yellow, blue,
brown--besides the 'traditional' it can be used for more repairs. So
tell me what YOU use duct tape for. Traditional and
non-traditional. Will share in next column......
As for
me, I've used duct tape over a horse's hoof when he's lost a shoe. Just
wrap it around and around and around the hoof. It lasts amazing
well.
When Nic blew out a section of hoof wall with an abscess,
underneath all that vet wrap was about 20 feet of duct tape used to wrap over
and protect the plastic bag the antibiotics were soaking his hoof in. He
had the wrap on for two days and it didn't spring a leak!!
I used
duct tape to repair a torn horse blanket along with a couple jacket and shirt
sleeves when out camping. Plus one pair of jeans when I snagged 'em on a
tree branch as we slide down a hill (another story).
I carry about 20
feet of duct tape in saddle bags -- just in case. I have cut about five feet
of it off then rolled a strip back over itself so it's a five foot long 'duct
tape rope.' I used it for an extra rein when another horse stepped on reins
and broke 'em.
Used the same 'rolled duct tape method' to form a
latch to keep the outhouse door closed!! This one is known as a 'vital
use'.
Once, I met a couple hikers on one trail who were having trouble with
a hiking boot. The sole was coming off--so we taped the sole on with a couple
wraps of duct tape. And I fixed a backpack rack with a few wraps of duct
tape around the end so it didn't dig into the back of a backpacker who had lost
the protective 'end' on the rack.
Going to town and want to get rid
of loose horse hair, straw or hay pieces and dirt from your jeans? Wrap a
piece of duct tape around your hand and use it as a 'lint remover.' Works
better. And it gets everything off your jeans or shirt.
There
are dozens of uses for duct tape. What's yours?
Stay
warm!
Bonnie
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| Your Comments and Suggestions |
November 12, 2009
by Bonnie Davis
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As usual, you
guys have a wagon load of ideas for adding to a first aid kit, adding to saddle
bags or putting on tack room shelves. Along with the obvious were some
really good ideas, comments and suggestions.
Lots of folks said to
check out Walmart for first aid supplies. Sterile cotton gauze pads can be
found 50% cheaper in Walmart than what one may pay for at a tack shop or from
your vet. (Me, I keep a couple boxes in the tack room. As long as
it's sealed, it's still sterile for man or beast.)
Epsom salts was
the number one add-to-first-aid-kit. One gal said she had individual packs
with two cups in each for an instant hot water soaking. Another used a
disposable diaper, added a wet epsom salt paste to it and used as a 'dry'
bandage for insect and infection wounds. (Thought that was really good and
I'm going to add that idea to my memory banks.)
Bonnie S. in
Maryland suggested "eye drops. I've often gotten some irritating something
or other in an eye out on the trail, squished gnats are the worst! The
single use vials of dry eye lubricating drops, non-medicated which will fit into
a first aid kit easily or I sometimes carry a 1 ounce bottle of saline drops to
flush an eye free of debris."
Kathy had a whole list "......small
bungee cords (great for tourniquets), molasses (encourages horses to drink
water), sugar (draws moisture out of a wound and is also an antiseptic), duct
tape [DOESN'T EVERY HORSE OWNER IN THE WORLD HAVE A ROLL OR TWO OF DUCT TAPE IN
TOWING VEHICLE, TRAILER AND TACK ROOM????], pliers/wire
cutters......"
Along with keeping little dabs of stuff in 'em like
I do, Rafael uses "old pill bottles for stick matches, cotton swabs soaked with
parafin wax. These become my fire starter if it's wet
out."
Terri in Florida says a "......good quality, thick, leather
glove or two for when your horse gets into prickly pears. It was very hard
to grip them as there is nothing to hold on to except the long needles!
Here in Florida they are quite abundant in certain types of soil and are very
hard to see when riding near tall grasses, etc." [I NEVER KNEW FLORIDA HAD
PRICKLY PEARS......]
Barbara in Fremont, Ca. (HI, BARBARA. WE
MUST BE NEIGHBORS SINCE I LIVE IN FREMONT TOO.) ".....Equi-Spaz for my horse
which had a painful gas colic episode. It is a paste administered like a
dewormer and within 45 minutes he was comfortable......"
Montana
Barb, "A syringe -- along with saline to flush out cuts, small deep
wounds....."
There were more replies but I'll save some of them for
later.......and next week, I'd like to get an idea of what you guys use
something else for. It's an item every horse owner has and uses -- but I'll
tell you more about it next week. Till then, stay dry and
don't forget to check UNDER those blankets if you've taken to winter
blanketing.
Bonnie
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| Dogs and Coyotes (Part 2) |
November 4, 2009
by Bonnie Davis
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Will have to say that
the column, "Dogs and Coyotes," drew a lot of e-mails both to the blog
site and to my personal e-mail. (Note to Phil -- no, not "concerned or
scared to post personal e-mail because of your radical views." You can
contact me direct at horsecamping@comcast.net. Look
forward to your e-mail.) Anyway, got a dozen on the blog site and about 20 on
personal e-mail. And the count of was 98% in suppose of column, 2%
against.
Cheryl's reply I thought pretty much said it all ".....why
put your dog in harms way....." Good point, Cheryl. By the way,
Cheryl's dog is a Service Dog. So Cheryl could 'legally' take her dog on a
trail or into a horsecamp if the dog had a 'service dog' vest or collar
on. But Cheryl decided not to do that for the safety of her dog --
who is also her friend, pet and companion. Most of us rely on our dogs to
be friends, pets and companions, Cheryl relies on her dog for 'service.'
I'm really proud of you Cheryl, you have a Service Dog and still ride!
Once I find where the column on first aid kit items is stored and
read the comments, I'll post some of the 'add to your first aid kit'
items. Right now, I can't find it. It's the old story of me and the
internet. As I've said before, I'm 'road kill on the internet
highway.' Everyone else here can probably read the comments but NOT
me.
Be safe......
Bonnie
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