On Jun 30, 10:11*pm, Peter Jason wrote:
On Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:22:24 -0700 (PDT),ArchimedesPlutonium



wrote:

I now have six horses. Purchased to keep the grounds and landscaping
from me having to
mow and now I find an additional benefit. They love eating fallen tree
leaves, especially apple
and oak leaves. They love elm; maybe for their sweet taste.

I find that horses like to finish their day of browsing with snacks of
me cutting down small
volunteer weed trees such as hackberry or elm and then giving them the
limbs to eat the
green leaves. They have become so accustomed to eating tree leaves
when hearing the sound of a chainsaw that they come running when
hearing a chain saw.

So I have many benefits by keeping horses. They keep the grass low.
They fertilize the entire
grounds. And now they take care of fallen leaves of Autumn.

They do take time, though. The fences have to always be checked and
strengthened.

What about the vet fees?

Well, you know, these are like wild horses put behind a fence to live
out their lives as to only having to eat and have fun.

We do not send vets out to pamper wild horses on the range, do we?

If these were race horses, sure, call a vet every other day.

So far, my horses have not needed any medical attention, other than a
worming which I can administer.

The only thing bothering my horses these days are biting flies, and
they
find shelter in a shaded alleyway of my barn for which it is so dark
that the
flies do not go back there.

I know of no good solution for biting flies, but I guess owners of
race
horses do have a solution.

I was testing the eyes of my horses, I have six, four males, two
females
and one female was blind in one eye at birth. Their eyes shine back
from
a flashlight in the dark unless blind.

Fireflies at this time of year can trick me into thinking it is a
horse there.