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Monday, January 13, 2014

Alan and Lucy pierce their tongues

For the record, I feed generous quantities of hay to my equines four times a day –
breakfast, lunch, dinner and a bedtime snack. In addition, they have 80 stinkin' acres of pasture to graze!



 Does this stop them from chomping on cholla? No.



 The inside of this stuff holds some magical power over them. I hope it's not hallucinogenic.



Lucy: Stop fretting. We know what's good for us...



...and this doesn't hurt at all.



 Lucy: Ok, maybe that one poked just a tiny bit.




 Me: Uh...Lucy dear...you've got a little something hanging from your nose.



Lucy: How embarrassing. Don't let them see me.



22 comments:

  1. I can't imagine putting cholla in my mouth! It's bad enough when the same stinkin' piece gets stuck to my shoe four times! Yow!

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  2. you might have something there, about perhaps some magical properties. Maybe it's like dental floss?

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  3. OUCH!!! how do they do that and WHY

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  4. looks like a treat, or maybe acts like a chewing gum, regreshing the breath? or maybe they just do it when you are there?

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  5. I can't imagine what they do about stickers in their tongues, mouth and gums??

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  6. I guess it's not for us to understand the allure of the cholla. But I'd bet that it must be something pretty terrific or something. But it sure looks painful.

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  7. How does that stuff NOT get stuck in their tongues and lips? I can't even imagine eating that.

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  8. Does Hank eat it, too, or do horses have a different opinion of the stuff?

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  9. I don't know how they can eat that and not get a tummy ache. Have you tried it yourself? I wonder if it's sweet or something? Anyway, Lucy made me laugh.

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  10. Carol in N. Colorado1/13/14, 9:07 AM

    Well donkeys are desert animals. They must have really tough tongues to handle the stickers. Makes my mouth hurt just looking at the pictures.

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  11. Gahhhhh! After making cholla bud ornaments for the ranch Christmas tree, I had a zillion minuscule splinters in my hands for *days*!! Painful AND irritating. Can't imagine them in my mouth... :-/
    They must taste awfully yummy...

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  12. clever donkeys! cholla contain more calcium than milk-I just read it on the internet: here is the name of the pdf document to be found on google search:Harvest the Desert Cholla Buds

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  13. The main value is that it drives you around the bend, but must not hurt them or they would learn to stop it.

    Sometimes they just have to be nutbars.

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  14. it must be like chocolate is to me.:)

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  15. Such beautiful detail in these pictures.

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  16. OUCH!!! My friend in AZ told me that that stuff is poisonous to humans...Not sure about animals, but it might be like a drug to your herd...Just a thought...
    Love from NC

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  17. Maybe it stimulates the growth of the monsters when pieces are removed, like regular pruning. Think of it as gardening!

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  18. Fantastic photos! (shudder)

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  19. And why do some people very willingly set fire to their mouths with habanero chilies?? Intensely painful and yet they are compelled to eat them, insisting that the burn is worth it!!

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  20. An American in Tokyo1/19/14, 5:49 PM

    How do they digest all those prickly parts?!?!

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