Thrush/hoof rot (Fusobacterium Necrophorum)-
As some of you know I have had horses for a good part of my life (That's me and my sister in the picture above. She brought "Jeg Head" home when I was just 3 years old. That's not Jeg Head in the picture tho. That's another horse. I didn't get my own horse until I was about 12.)

In all those years I have never had to deal with thrush in my horses (or hoof rot in my goats. I have known many people who have had to deal with both of them but I have never.)

My horses aren't kept in stalls and the pasture is cleaned out weekly..... BUT still both Jeannie and Shiloh has come down with Thrush. I always thought it was just horses kept in dirty stalls that got it. Well, after talking with my old vet back in Ohio he told me that in some areas the bacteria/fungus can live in your soil and if it gets into the hoof you can get it ( I gotta keep those hoofs cleaned out better.)

**People treat thrush in different ways. Everything from over the counter meds like Thrush Buster, Thrush Stop, and Kopertox, straight bleach, bleach/ water, iodine mix (which is what I am going to tell you about), antibiotic cream and athlete's foot cream mixed, udder wash, Epsom salt or other soaks.

So, it was time to treat them. What I did is an old recipe that a boarding stable I was at 24 years ago used. I know it works because it healed all 4 of the horses that had it then (I also asked my old vet what he thought about it and he said he had heard of it and that it does work!)

Day one-
Here is where some of you will NOT agree with me (to each their own of course.) I could have skipped doing this bleach step and just do the other but I know this is what my old boarding stable used and it worked for them with no ill effects so I was willing to give it a try as well.

I took 3/4 water and 1/4 bleach and put it in a spray bottle. Cleaned out their feet and spray the bleach mixture on the bottom of the hoof in the areas where I seen the black smelly stuff.

Day 2-4
First I made my wash. All I did was take a spray bottle and fill it 1/2 with water and 1/2 with Apple Vinegar Cider.

Here is how I made the rest of it-
I took Iodine (you can use Betadine but this is what I have on hand at the time) and sugar. I mixed them up until it makes a nice paste.
I kept adding sugar until it was a more of a paste.
Then I went out and pick the horses feet (sorry no pic for this because my hands were busy and the kids are in school now.)

I took my spray bottle of Vinegar/water mix and cleaned the whole hoof out. I held the hoof in my hands so it could get some air. After doing that to all four feet I went back and applied the Iodine/sugar mix (I used a tooth brush so I could scrub the infected areas.) Once again holding the leg up a little after putting it on some it could dry a little (I did this 3X a day for 3 days.)

***Good news, no more black smelly stuff on their feet!!!
I know some of you NEVER use bleach for anything. That's great. I do though from time to time.
**There are products over the counter like "Thrush Buster" that will work as well.

A little mother and daughter time-
I like to spend a little time with each kid once and a while. This time Bri and I decided to make some face mask. We both were surprised how nice it turned out.

Here I just cut open 3 aloe plant leafs. Then I took a spoon and scraped out the aloe. After that we added one egg (free ranged egg from our chickens.)

One full tablespoon of honey. One tablespoon full of goat milk.
3 tablespoons of corn meal. We mixed it real good and put it on our faces (we let it sit for about 5 min.)

Then we rinsed with warmed goat milk.

It really made our skin feel nice.

6 Flags-

I took the kids to 6 Flags over Atlanta Georgia . They had earned free tickets through the reading program in school last year so I thought I better take them before it was too late.

What's growing-

My little Fig tree is making figs again for me. This is the second crop this little tree has put out this year. I can't wait to get some starts from it to share with some friends.

Little Neem isn't so little anymore. I have so much to learn about growing. This little Neem tree has really grown BUT little old me didn't know that it was the kind of tree that doesn't like to be transplanted. You can see the it's going into shock.

**I was told that trees with roots that go straight down and don't spread out do not transplant so well (I didn't know that but I guess I do now.)

Hey, do you guys recall this plant? My Buddy Melinda (Hi Melinda!!) gave me this when she came to visit me.Well this is what that one plant has grown into it!

What's cooking-

Fried Apple Pies-

I am not big on frying food but I had to try these. I found the recipe over at Southerplate.com. I just love her site. She makes things and shows you in a way that anyone could make them.