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Barnyard Buddies:  Update on our colts  |
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KansasFarmMomma
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
91 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 7:58:26 PM
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I really hope you sisters don't mind me sharing all this. I don't really have anyone else I can talk to about farm stuff so having people that can relate means a lot!
So we've had them a full week now! I can't believe it's been that long already..time flies.
My husbands colts future is not looking real bright. We've done some corrective shoeing that we won't know how it's working out for another 4 or 5 weeks, but his injured leg still hasn't changed. The vet has a couple of different things he thinks it may be so we are trying a few treatments to see if any of them help. If they don't help, the next option is to try pain management and see if he can live a pain free life. If not, we'll let him go.
On a brighter note, Benny is coming along VERY nicely although he's just got quite a skittish personality. He's gone from not coming within several feet of people to being halter broke. I know many think that halter breaking in a week isn't a huge great feat by any means, but we work at the horses speed. Benny is smart and a quick learner but it takes him quite a while to get desensitized to things. He knows WHAT you want him to do, he just doesn't know if HE'S okay with it or not. Today was his big "test". He left the round pen for the first time to take a walk around the outside of the pen & the pasture with my husband. He did very well(other than not wanting to leave the round pen at first). I'm so proud of him! He's still got a cold that he's been fighting since I bought him. He had 5 days of oral antibiotics without much improvement so today we needed to give him some heavy duty meds. Hopefully these meds will help him finally kick his cold. He's also put on weight too which thrills me! Hopefully in the next week we'll be able to get him so he'll trailer okay. That's my big goal for the week.
This was my husband taking Benny for his first walk on the "outside".
My loveable project
Here's an update picture of him taken tonight.
Nicole
Farmgirl # 4209
www.bearpawphotography.weebly.com
www.KShappyhomemaker.wordpress.com
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 8:25:19 PM
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What beautiful horses!! I'll keep them in my prayers.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 8:39:38 PM
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Benny looks like such a love- I hope he learns trust and calms down. I think halter breaking and a trip outside of the known element in a week is fabulous! Has he had his brain transplant yet (gelding)?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
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KansasFarmMomma
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
91 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2012 : 9:08:33 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Alee
Benny looks like such a love- I hope he learns trust and calms down. I think halter breaking and a trip outside of the known element in a week is fabulous! Has he had his brain transplant yet (gelding)?
Not yet. We will probably sell him intact because he really could use another year to build up some bulk. Unless they show signs of needing it earlier, we geld our horses at 2.
Nicole
Farmgirl # 4209
www.bearpawphotography.weebly.com
www.KShappyhomemaker.wordpress.com
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2012 : 11:02:57 AM
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In giving antibiotics it's a good idea to also give probiotics like a 1/2 cup yogurt when you give the meds cause in young horses especially antibiotics will sometimes kill the good bacteria in their gut and cause them to colic. I lost a good horse like that once. Pretty horse Nicole. They can bulk up without being intact. Being intact just gives them fat cheeks and more of a crest which can actually makes them less athletic.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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laurentany
True Blue Farmgirl
3259 Posts
Laurie
Patchogue
NY
USA
3259 Posts |
Posted - Jul 23 2012 : 6:28:31 PM
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Beautiful! Thank you for sharing- you always have such wonderful pictures!
Hugs,
~Laurie
"Little Hen House on the Island"
Farmgirl Sister#1403
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.. |
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KansasFarmMomma
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
91 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2012 : 3:31:32 PM
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We give pro-biotics when anyone's on antibiotics. He's also only dropped one side so I'm not going to take him in until he's either got two for sure or I know he's a cryptorchid and can expect a higher vet bill. He goes up for sale this week so I may not have him too much longer anyway.
Nicole
Farmgirl # 4209
www.bearpawphotography.weebly.com
www.KShappyhomemaker.wordpress.com
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2012 : 10:17:15 PM
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He's a pretty boy. Yeah it's better if they have dropped. Also this time of the year the flies are so bad. Do you list horses on equinenow? I love it, and it's free.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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KansasFarmMomma
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
91 Posts |
Posted - Jul 30 2012 : 6:13:53 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by crittergranny
He's a pretty boy. Yeah it's better if they have dropped. Also this time of the year the flies are so bad. Do you list horses on equinenow? I love it, and it's free.
Laura
I love equinenow. We also list horses on cowboyway, dreamhorse, equine.com, barrelhorseworld & a couple of other smaller pages depending on what we are trying to sell.
Nicole
Farmgirl # 4209
www.bearpawphotography.weebly.com
www.KShappyhomemaker.wordpress.com
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Aug 01 2012 : 09:30:46 AM
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I hope everything works out well,what kind of injury does your colt have?
My dressage horse tore off a huge portion of his hoof wall and injured his leg when he was younger and we weren't sure how sound he was going to be in the future but with good shoeing and time he healed up real well and the hoof wall grew in real well,you can tell he had the injury but it's not deformed in any way,it did take an awful long time to heal but it's amazing how a really grave injury can heal remarkably well and I hope this is true for your colt as well.
The other one may still drop his testicle,one of my friends had a colt that was way late in dropping and her vet explained that after a short amount of time the inguinal canal closes so if it hadn't dropped by then it wasn't going to and then proceeded to give her a hefty quote on his surgical castration then inexplicably it dropped and he was castrated normally so it's hard to tell sometimes early in the game.
Anyways,I'm sure all will work out just fine,sounds like you are doing these colts alot of good!
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2012 : 10:03:15 AM
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I will say one thing about injuries in intact horses. I have noticed through the years that our stallions heal much faster than any of our other horses. I'm guessing it's from the extra hormones and life energy that a stallion possesses.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2012 : 4:36:00 PM
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Laura I bet there is something to that,stallions do possess a vitality that is sometimes lacking in geldings,I do know for sure that a nicely mannered and well trained stallion is a pure joy to ride!
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
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KansasFarmMomma
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
91 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2012 : 09:33:43 AM
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The colt has ringbone and some sort of tendon injury. There is talk of maybe a couple of other farrier friends coming with us to haul him to the vet to get an ultrasound done to check out the tendons & ligaments. Horses like this one are great for continuing education for them. Unless my husband decides to keep him as a pet, I'm thinking we are going to put him down sometime in the next month or so. He won't ever be sound, and can't be turned out with other horses because even the slightest burst of energy leaves him gimping around the next day. I feel bad because he's a sweetheart, he's just the victim of careless breeding.
Benny is still doing well. He'll trailer like a champ, will walk around with a saddle blanket on and will let you spray him down with a hose while he just stands there not even caring. He'll go up for sale next week. He's had about 40 hours of training so far so he's come along well.
We've decided to go ahead and sell my western show horse because between pregnancies & infants, I just don't have time to ride multiple horses(I spend most of my time riding my TB). He's also got way to much get up and go for me to feel comfortable riding him while I'm pregnant. I'll ride my TB as long as I can fit in the saddle, but I also know that he's not going to buck, rear, spook or bolt on me either. The one I'm selling has got good barrel bloodlines and I've already had a few friends already ask about him, so we'll see when he ends up leaving. I'm gonna miss him though :-( I don't WANT to sell him, he's just got WAY to much potential to be sitting in a pasture while I am pregnant. He needs to be out winning someone some money.
Anyway, that's all that's going on in the horse front at MY house lol.
Nicole
Farmgirl # 4209
www.bearpawphotography.weebly.com
www.KShappyhomemaker.wordpress.com
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Edited by - KansasFarmMomma on Aug 03 2012 09:50:13 AM |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2012 : 1:20:04 PM
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You are going to sell Rusty? I'm sorry about the ringbone/ tendon thing on the colt. I hope they find out it is something that can get better. So sad when horses have issues like that. And so young too. I was a little concerned about you gentling horses while pregnant Dear. But concerning Rusty it probably won't hurt him to wait a year or 2 till you are ready to use him again. Maybe you can do a feed lease with a barrel racer somewhere. But if you really want to sell, sometimes barrel racers will take a young horse like that on the road for folks and sell them for a percentage. He has pretty good bloodlines, my girls looked him up on allbreed pedigrees. They look at every horse, don't be creeped out..LOL. I thought he was pretty a while back and they looked him up. Good luck with the colt.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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KansasFarmMomma
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
91 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2012 : 2:14:09 PM
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I'm not worried about working with yearlings. That's WHY I bought a yearling, to give me something to do with my time while I can't really do much riding. If there are things I'm concerned about it getting out of control(with Benny), like pressure on the halter for the first time or having to give him a shot, I have my husband do it. My two hours a day when I work with my horses are my detox. We live so far away from everything that I only see other human beings maybe once every two weeks. I can't just go get my nails done or go get something to eat with friends so the horses are my time to escape housework, children, husband lol. I'm more likely to get hurt falling in a hole because I'm clumsy. :-)
As for Rusty, He's one of those horses that needs to be ridden on a fairly regular basis. He can't sit for a year without being ridden. We got him 2 years ago with the plan that I would finish him out & he would be my 2nd horse. When I was riding him 2 hours a day, 4 days a week he was AMAZING! Fantastic horse, now he's a like a green broke colt again. I really underestimated the amount of time children take up and what my energy levels would be. I had grand plans of going out every night and riding him in the arena after the baby went to bed...obviously that didn't happen. He'll be happier with a job versus just sitting around.
Nicole
Farmgirl # 4209
www.bearpawphotography.weebly.com
www.KShappyhomemaker.wordpress.com
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2012 : 1:54:14 PM
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Yeah they can get a lot of ideas when they are young and have time to think. I was just thinking of ways for you to reap the benefits from all the work you have done. I'm just always brainstorming when it comes to horse business. :)
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2012 : 6:42:49 PM
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Nicole we're in the same boat,I'm just over six months pregnant and previous to that have been real busy starting colts,training horses for jumping and Dressage and doing ranch work and I've had to slow way down,sometimes it's been hard to adapt and has been depressing at times,I also worry I will not be able to resume the level of horse involvement I used to have when baby arrives,it's been kind of tough for me to adapt to because I'm so active with the horses but I'll learn to get along.
I'm still riding despite some warnings about it but now just ride in my English saddles since my belly is now bumping the horn in my Wade saddle :)
I am enjoying teaching more lessons,I have one student who has an OTTTB that I've been training on and now I'm switching to coaching her and they're starting some elementary jumping work and some Dressage training to help them both work together and get along.
Anyways,sorry you have to let go of your show horse but I think I would do the same thing with my horse if my Daughter wasn't keeping him rode and learning alot on him,it would be hard but I would hate to let him just go to pasture and be doing nothing when he's in his prime.
Sorry about the colt,we had a little paint mare who developed ringbone and made the choice to put her down,I think ringbone and navicular syndrome are two of the lameness issues I dread the most,we had to put down my Daughter's horse recently due to advanced navicular.
I think you would be doing the right thing to put little colt down,I just hate it when a horse gets dealt a poor hand like that such as my Daughter's Ponyboy got dealt with the navicular,he was a wonderful horse and worth his weight in gold but we kept him going in retirement as long as we could with therapeutic trimming and shoeing and it was the right time to finally make the decision,I didn't want him to get painfully stove up so I like to think his last years were good.
Well,good luck with your colts and pregnancy,we're both dealing with the same issues right now of juggling both!
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
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KansasFarmMomma
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
91 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2012 : 7:30:53 PM
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It's nice to know I'm not the only one going through it! I came to the conclusion that for the next 20 years, I'm going to be a show mom and that's okay by me. There is plenty of time for me to continue pursuing my equine dreams(endurance racing & dressage) once my kids are grown. Selling Rusty(my horse), will also free up some hay to get my son a pony in the spring. By next fall, he should be big enough to start showing in lead line classes. He's only 8 months old and he LOVES the horses. He is absolutely happiest on the back of a horse. He can't stop laughing.
I was planning on riding some thing week now that my husband is home, but my OTTB managed to slice his leg open pretty good & is on stall rest for the next 10 days. So I guess for now I'll just stick to my yearling lol
We had a horse come through for training with navicular a couple years ago. She was an amazing horse, but she could only be ridden walk/trot & for very limited time. With correct shoeing & proper care, she's a great kids horse for her owner. She's only ridden maybe one a month and spends the rest of the time spoiled rotten.
Nicole
Farmgirl # 4209
www.bearpawphotography.weebly.com
www.KShappyhomemaker.wordpress.com
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2012 : 2:48:01 PM
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I'm getting pretty resolved to teach more lessons and do more ground training for people during my pregnancy and have just been riding my big Red horse and letting my big bay thoroughbred take some time off,one gal I know wanted me to loan him to her but I hate to do that,he's been going so well and even though she's a good rider I have been the only one doing his dressage training and jumping on him that I just hate to change the dynamics there.
I'm in that awkward phase now where my belly is affecting my balance so no jumping for me,just dressage and doing some light cattle work at a nearby outfit.
Sorry your horse is injured,that's a bummer when that happens,I hope he heals up nicely!
Seems like some of the really good-minded horses get the navicular curse,just seems to be Murphy's Law or something,my Daughter's Ponyboy (not a pony actually but small Paint horse) was so gentle and willing,he did stay sound for a long time and was able to do alot of riding,he always gave it his best,I kept him barefoot a long time and trimmed according to Pete Ramey's principles of hoof trimming and that did well for him for a long time but then he started to get a little more sore and I switched to shoeing him with an eggbar and pad before I found some great shoes called the KB bar Navicular shoes,they're a lightweight aluminum shoe designed for navicular and he did real well with those so I kept those on him for the last few years of his riding career and then well into his pasture retirement,then when he started showing carpal spavin was when we decided to put him down.
Anyways,I mention those shoes in case you run into anyone having navicular issues I would recommend them or trying the therapeutic barefoot trimming,both work real well,I try to stay open-minded between going barefoot and corrective shoeing because I practice both and different things work well for different horses.
That's another thing bothering me,I can't trim or shoe a horse now without getting out of breath *sigh*
Well,I've rambled on long enough now,it's good to know I'm not alone in all this!
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
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horsefeed
Farmgirl in Training
29 Posts
Carol
Wrightstown
WI
USA
29 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2012 : 1:58:38 PM
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| Sorry to hear that your colt has injuries. But on a good note he is gaining weight!!! What kind of horse feed will you be feeding him? |
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KansasFarmMomma
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
91 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2012 : 7:51:16 PM
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My husband is a farrier so he deals with quite a few navicular horses. He's got a nice combo of aluminum shoes & pads that he likes to use but I will ask him about the KB ones and see if he's heard anything about them.
horsefeed, right now he's on hay & a grower feed designed for weanlings & yearlings that our local co-op mills.
Nicole
Farmgirl # 4209
www.bearpawphotography.weebly.com
www.KShappyhomemaker.wordpress.com
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2012 : 06:43:15 AM
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Nicole how's your horse healing up?
I'm a farrier too but for the past year or so I've only been trimming and shoeing for those who haul in to me here,I'm no longer hauling tools and myself all around and have been doing more training than anything,now that I'm pregnant I haven't been trimming any but my own and that's getting tedious!
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
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KansasFarmMomma
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
91 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2012 : 07:09:21 AM
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The colt hasn't had any change and isn't going to. My horse is slowly starting to heal. He ended up stocked up real bad in his injured leg from being in his stall. He was still get exercise, but not enough apparently. I turned him out in our yard which is big enough for him to move around but not big enough for him to run around and tear his stitches out and between walking around all day & leg wraps he's started to improve in that regard. He will certainly be glad when he doesn't have to be poked with needles every day lol
Do you go to any shoeing competitions? My husband loves going to them. He really enjoys the fact you get to watch & learn from the best the in world & you are forced to learn efficiency & to try shoes you might not normally try. He's going to Hebron, CT to compete in the next leg of the competition through the World Championship Blacksmiths(http://www.worldchampionshipblacksmiths.com/) He went to the competition in Edgewood, NM a few months back while he was still in school but didn't do as well as he'd liked. They WCB groups anyone who's never won into the novice division, so he was still in school competing against CJFs who had been shoeing for 25+ years. The only way to move OUT of any of the divisions is to win. Since he got out of school the competitions have been his continuing education. Are you certified? He's going for his CF in Sept and then is shooting for his CJF in the spring and is totally stressing out about his shoe board & his live shoeing part of the exam lol
Nicole
Farmgirl # 4209
www.bearpawphotography.weebly.com
www.KShappyhomemaker.wordpress.com
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Edited by - KansasFarmMomma on Aug 09 2012 07:11:39 AM |
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horsefeed
Farmgirl in Training
29 Posts
Carol
Wrightstown
WI
USA
29 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2012 : 12:14:22 PM
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| Glad to hear the colt is getting better. Knowing what to feed your horse is half the battle. Glad your good in that category as well. |
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Barnyard Buddies: Update on our colts |
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Update on our colts
