Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Introducing: The Dipsh*t Idea of the Week

I'd like to thank the person who wrote a thousand word hate letter to me last night. Most of the inane rambling is not even worth responding to, but one part of it hit things home about how stupid people can actually be! I owe this person a BIG thank you because she inspired....

THE DIPSH*T IDEA OF THE WEEK!!

Every Wednesday I'll post an idea, inspired by real life, that is so wacky and out of sync with reality that you shake your head in disbelief that someone actually said that with a straight face. An appropriate topic to cover on "hump day," isn't it?

This week's featured dipsh*t idea:

"GOOD GOD do you not even realize that she was not old enough to eat grain???? "

Then she proceeds to call me a nutjob. Classy! The "she" she is referring to is Bambi, the filly I bred that Darlene helped me rescue, emaciated at 2 months old. So one of the excuses is at two months old, she was supposedly too young to eat grain. *headdesk* And the scary thing is the person who said this breeds horses. Sure makes me want to run out and go buy one of her foals!

So, since evidently more people than just my family and friends (who are educated horse owners) read this blog, I'll outline for those that do not fall into this catagory basic foal nutrition, pre-weaning, with references.

From Oklahoma State's website: http://osuextra.okstate.edu/pdfs/F-3985web.pdf
"Foals receive their nutrition from the mare’s milk exclusively for the first several weeks to one month of age. If allowed access to their dam’s grain or grain by creep feeding, foals will begin to eat small amounts of grain rations within the first month of their life. Creep feeding provides supplemental feed to foals by using feeders constructed to restrict access of mares."
"As early as 10-14 days of age, a foal may begin to show an interest in feed. By nibbling and sampling, the youngster learns to eat solid food. Its digestive system quickly adapts to the dietary changes."
So in other words, at TWO WEEKS they will start sampling grain
"At 8-10 weeks of age, mare's milk alone may not adequately meet the foal's nutritional needs. High quality grains and forage should be added to the foal's diet." Again, in other words, by 2 months old they MUST have grain!

From Ohio State University: http://ohioline.osu.edu/b762/b762_3.html
"Creep feeding can begin as early as one week of age....Foals usually eat only about a pound of feed a day during the first month, but consumption will gradually increase to as much as 10 pounds a day by weaning time"
Hmmm...a pound of feed per day during the first month, huh? Sounds like they can sure eat grain!!
"Proper nutrition is a critical part of managing the nursing foal. At one to two weeks, the foal is eating solid feed in addition to nursing many times per day.... Starting at six weeks and through weaning the mare’s milk production gradually declines and the foal eats more and more solid feed. "

Well, I can go on and on and on. Every website says the same thing: between one and 6 weeks of age the foal gradually increases its intake of grain and at week 6 it is imperative to the foal's health to have balanced supplemental feed available. In my own experience foals will start mouthing feed as early as day one, although they really dig in and actually eat it starting around one week.

Ignorance is no excuse. These people can write me an online hate letter, put together websites, and yet they can't do a little research into proper care of the foals they are raising. Ignorance may be bliss for them, but they are ruining lives of the foals they are breeding.

Feel free to email me with any ideas for next week's dipsh*t idea!!

2 comments:

Hidden Meadows Paints said...

Got news for you, I am not uneducated,I have veterinary background and you are just to stupid to realize what is what. Oh yah you lost plenty of horses in 2008, I have lost NONE! Mine are very well taken care of, very very healthy and I wouldn't sell you one of my horses if you were the last person on earth and wanted one more than life itself. I care about where my horses go and have refused to sell horses to people because I didn't think they would have a good home. Hate letter? No that isn't exactly what it was stupid ass. And your one to talk. I have seen your hate mail. Apparently your little poem that you put up last night, you didn't understand it. There you go talking evil about people once again. Your poor husband or rather ex husband, bet he is a lot happier now. Cudo's to him. Was raised breeding horses so don't you DARE even think for one minute since you DO NOT EVEN KNOW ME OR MY PLACE that you can judge me. The only dipshit we have here is in the mirror of your bathroom. Yep and in case you didn't understand that it means YOU!
Have a quality evening you screwball and I wish you well despite the bullshit you spew from you lips. You have something to say about me have a spine and say it to me instead of making assumptions that you have no clue about.

Hidden Meadows Paints said...

Well that tears it. Lady you don't even know me so do not presume to judge me or my breeding or anything about me. Keep it up. You know what I said last night. I know about feeding horses, I have grown up doing it and I have a veterinary background so once AGAIN DO NOT PRESUME TO JUDGE ME!!! BY the way in the way you wrote you seem to still think Nicole is writing this stuff. Guess what ITS NOT HER!!!! ITS ME, ITS ALWAYS BEEN ME. NOT NICOLE. What ever your beef with her I don't care other than you spew filth and hatred from your mouth. If you had any guts or a spine you would leave my posts up but then I guess the truth hurts doesn't it. Do not call me ignorant, YOU DO NOT KNOW ME PERSONALLY. You draw your own conclusions about people without any knowledge of those people. Apparently you didn't get the meaning of your poem you posted because there you go again talking evil about people. I am sure you are so popular. Like I said last night, you wouldn't even have that stallion if it weren't for the goodness of Nicole. Oh and how about all the horses she does rescue and rehab and find good homes for? You never do mention that. Your a fool. Why don't you try being nicer to people, it might get you further in life. The thing that made me so mad was that you have accused me of being Nicoles mindless little minion and trying to buy that stupid colt from you for her and that was just not the case. I wouldnt have even bothered with you had you not written that. I do not do things like that for ANYONE I don't care who they are.
Again Do not presume to know me or my breeding business as you do not and have never even seen it. So don't draw conclusions about me. And I am so glad to hear you wouldn't want to buy one of my foals because I would not sell you one. At least I keep my horses through thick and thin and don't go giving them away or farming them out. And trust me they get the best care money can buy.