Good day! Here is some information about devil's claw and how you may effectively give it to horses.
Devil’s claw is a naturally occurring herb that cannot be patented. The reason being naturally occurring substances are not allowed to be patented. It is more like using an aspirin than using bute but is effective for horses. Devil’s claw can be used for inflammation and pain relief for horses. Research has established that devil’s claw extract can inhibit production of inflammatory and Cox-2. Cox -2 is an inflammatory cytokine which drugs like phenylbutazone, commonly known as bute, for horses and many recently marketed drugs for humans contain for the treatment of pain and swelling of arthritis inflammation. Cytokines are small secreted proteins which mediate and regulate immunity, inflammation, and hematopoiesis.
More recent studies on devil’s claw have found that it works more like aspirin and not like bute. Just as aspirin, it should not have the negative side effects on healing and the circulation that other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) drugs may have.
In other words, devil’s claw can be used in place of bute in some instances. It will not have the harsh side effects that may come with using bute. It can be very beneficial for arthritic horses.
Hope you find this helpful.
Skimbleshanks
Monday, April 30, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Bute (Phenylbutazone) for Horses
Hello folks. Sometimes our horses do something and injure themselves. I would like to tell you a little bit about bute today and let you know there are alternative choices for bute if necessary.
Bute is a short name for phenylbutazone. It is a drug often given to horses. Bute must be prescribed by your veterinarian. It is like giving your horse ibuprofen, aspirin, or acetaminophen. It can be beneficial if your horse has been injured or has a fever. But it can also have side effects such as causing the horse to have ulcers.
There are alternatives to giving bute to your horse. Wrapping a joint to keep it warm or to support a joint and hydrotherapy (running cold water from a hose) are acceptable choices. Usually, if a horse has injured himself, stall rest or limiting exercise can be used as part of the recovery therapy. Each of these depends on the type and extent of the injury.
If a horse has chronic joint pain or stiffness an alternative to bute could be nutraceutical. Nutraceuticals are substances that are food or a part of a food and provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease. An example would be adding MSM to a horse’s diet as a joint supplement.
For a bute replacement you could try devil’s claw. Ther are many products available today on the market that can be used for chronic or acute conditions instead of using bute for horses.
If you notice a new pain in your horse that does not go away in a few days or if you are in doubt of what is causing his pain call your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can rule out if the condition is a serious problem for your horse or not.
Skimbleshanks
Bute is a short name for phenylbutazone. It is a drug often given to horses. Bute must be prescribed by your veterinarian. It is like giving your horse ibuprofen, aspirin, or acetaminophen. It can be beneficial if your horse has been injured or has a fever. But it can also have side effects such as causing the horse to have ulcers.
There are alternatives to giving bute to your horse. Wrapping a joint to keep it warm or to support a joint and hydrotherapy (running cold water from a hose) are acceptable choices. Usually, if a horse has injured himself, stall rest or limiting exercise can be used as part of the recovery therapy. Each of these depends on the type and extent of the injury.
If a horse has chronic joint pain or stiffness an alternative to bute could be nutraceutical. Nutraceuticals are substances that are food or a part of a food and provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease. An example would be adding MSM to a horse’s diet as a joint supplement.
For a bute replacement you could try devil’s claw. Ther are many products available today on the market that can be used for chronic or acute conditions instead of using bute for horses.
If you notice a new pain in your horse that does not go away in a few days or if you are in doubt of what is causing his pain call your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can rule out if the condition is a serious problem for your horse or not.
Skimbleshanks
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Signs of Colic Symptoms in Horses
I have listed some symptoms to watch for if you suspect your horse has colic or is acting out of the ordinary for their typical behavior. Your horse can’t tell you something is wrong, it’s up to you as their keeper to be watchful. Some of the symptoms of colic in a horse are:
Restlessness or uneasiness
Rapid breathing
Looking toward the stomach or flank
Kicking at the stomach
Sweating when at rest
Raised temperature
Anxious expression
Lying or crouching down
Pressing hindquarters against the wall
Sighing, grunting, or groaning
If your horse has two or more of the above symptoms be prepared to call your vet. Colic can be one of the most terrifying conditions that you can see in your horse and should be taken very serious.
Skimbleshanks
Restlessness or uneasiness
Rapid breathing
Looking toward the stomach or flank
Kicking at the stomach
Sweating when at rest
Raised temperature
Anxious expression
Lying or crouching down
Pressing hindquarters against the wall
Sighing, grunting, or groaning
If your horse has two or more of the above symptoms be prepared to call your vet. Colic can be one of the most terrifying conditions that you can see in your horse and should be taken very serious.
Skimbleshanks
Colic in Horses
Today I would like to tell you folks a little about colic in the horse. Colic can be a huge problem.
Colic is a major cause of death in horses. Colic is a general term for abdominal pain. Colic occurs in the horse’s gut. It causes the gut to become bloated because of gas build up or a blockage in the horse’s gut. What may cause colic in horses can vary. Horses are very susceptible to bacteria, molds, toxins and even poisons in their feed supply. Horses are simple stomached animals and can easily become ill if their feed is contaminated. This must be kept in mind when managing your horses feed supply. Worms can be another cause for colic in horses. Some other factors that may cause colic in horses are sudden change in diet, and stress.
More on colic a little later.
Skimbleshanks
Colic is a major cause of death in horses. Colic is a general term for abdominal pain. Colic occurs in the horse’s gut. It causes the gut to become bloated because of gas build up or a blockage in the horse’s gut. What may cause colic in horses can vary. Horses are very susceptible to bacteria, molds, toxins and even poisons in their feed supply. Horses are simple stomached animals and can easily become ill if their feed is contaminated. This must be kept in mind when managing your horses feed supply. Worms can be another cause for colic in horses. Some other factors that may cause colic in horses are sudden change in diet, and stress.
More on colic a little later.
Skimbleshanks
Monday, April 23, 2007
Fly Mask Care
If you choose to use a fly mask for your horse make sure you place it on the horse each morning and remove it each evening . When you take it off check the fly mask for any tears or debris that may be on the mask. Sometimes small stems or dirt can stick to the mask and these can usually be brushed off easily or wiped off with a damp cloth. It is good to rinse the fly mask every day if you can. Dipping the fly mask in a bucket of water can do the trick if the mask is not too soiled. Before placing the fly mask back on the horse make sure it is completely dry. A wet fly mask can rub the horse and be very uncomfortable.
If you need to wash the fly mask with soap and water dishwashing liquid can be used as it readily removes eye and nose debris that may be on the mask. For heavily soiled areas you may need to use a brush. Make sure all suds are completely rinsed from the fly mask. Line drying is usually recommended for fly masks. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the fly mask you purchase to be sure what they recommend for the best care.
If you need to wash the fly mask with soap and water dishwashing liquid can be used as it readily removes eye and nose debris that may be on the mask. For heavily soiled areas you may need to use a brush. Make sure all suds are completely rinsed from the fly mask. Line drying is usually recommended for fly masks. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the fly mask you purchase to be sure what they recommend for the best care.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Fly Masks
Today I would like to talk about fly masks. We use them at our barn. During fly season our horses need them to protect their faces from pests.
Fly masks can help keep pests away from the horse’s face and eyes if they fit properly. If horses are not protected from pests, especially in their eyes, a number of problems may begin. But fly masks can help prevent these problems if they have a proper fit.
A properly fitting fly mask will not rub the horse’s face or have any gaps. If they rub it can cause the horse to lose their hair in the areas the mask is fitting too snugly. If it has gaps pests will find them and get to the horse’s face area. They must fit and must fit comfortably. If they don’t they will not provide the protection they are supposed to either by allowing pests in or by the horse getting it off and it becomes the latest form of entertainment for your horse and his or her buddies.
Skimbleshanks
Fly masks can help keep pests away from the horse’s face and eyes if they fit properly. If horses are not protected from pests, especially in their eyes, a number of problems may begin. But fly masks can help prevent these problems if they have a proper fit.
A properly fitting fly mask will not rub the horse’s face or have any gaps. If they rub it can cause the horse to lose their hair in the areas the mask is fitting too snugly. If it has gaps pests will find them and get to the horse’s face area. They must fit and must fit comfortably. If they don’t they will not provide the protection they are supposed to either by allowing pests in or by the horse getting it off and it becomes the latest form of entertainment for your horse and his or her buddies.
Skimbleshanks
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Watch Out for Spring Grass
Hi folks, I just wanted to remind everyone to be careful allowing horses to graze unrestricted on spring grass in their pasture. Horses may develop diarrhea if they are not introduced gradually to spring grass. Taking hay away from horses suddenly in exchange for grass is a big change in feeding habits for them and may cause problems in the horse’s digestive system.
Horses cannot always digest all the protein found in spring grass, it can be as much as 20% higher than normal, and what is not completely digested or absorbed in the small intestine may end up in the horses hindgut. This can lead to excessive gas causing the horse to colic. Colic can be very dangerous to horses and in extreme cases can lead to death.
Make sure spring grass is introduced to your horse gradually while at the same time continuing with their diet of hay, reducing the amount of hay gradually. If your horse is too greedy when eating spring grasses limit his time in the pasture. He or she may not like it. You’ll probably feel sorry for them but it can be for their best interest and your’s too.
Skimbleshanks
Horses cannot always digest all the protein found in spring grass, it can be as much as 20% higher than normal, and what is not completely digested or absorbed in the small intestine may end up in the horses hindgut. This can lead to excessive gas causing the horse to colic. Colic can be very dangerous to horses and in extreme cases can lead to death.
Make sure spring grass is introduced to your horse gradually while at the same time continuing with their diet of hay, reducing the amount of hay gradually. If your horse is too greedy when eating spring grasses limit his time in the pasture. He or she may not like it. You’ll probably feel sorry for them but it can be for their best interest and your’s too.
Skimbleshanks
Friday, April 20, 2007
Taking Back Wasted Areas in Your Horses Pasture
Check out the areas of your pasture where there are bare spots, tall grass and where the weeds grow. Horses are not grazing in those areas but you can, with proper management make those areas a source of healthy forage, depending on how those areas developed.
Tree limbs, lumber, or any kind of obstruction that may prevent normal grazing can become a haven for weeds. Removal of these obstructions to allow grazing again can be the solution. Not only will this improve the pasture for forage, it will also be safer for your horses.
Sometimes there is more grass available than the horses can graze down. This too can contribute to “weedy” or tall grass areas. The horses graze down their favorite areas and ignore other areas. Normal grazing can prevent weed growth. If there is a reasonable amount of wasted grazing areas it’s not a problem. Horses may ignore less appealing grasses and over-graze their favorite grasses, which can become a problem. By ignoring the less appealing grass it can become overgrown, choked out and die. This will allow for weeds to grow.
One way to reclaim what the weeds have taken is other livestock. Sheep, goats, even llamas are natural herbivores and will eat many plants (especially shrubs and brush) that horses will not eat.
Another solution is keeping weeds and other vegetation cut back. This will prevent unwanted vegetation from reaching maturity and stop their re-growth. This will also encourage good forage to flourish.
Still another way to prevent weeds and unwanted plants in your horses pasture is by using chemicals. USE WITH CAUTION. Herbicides may eliminate unwanted plants but they must be used with caution and the directions followed very carefully. Many can be harmful to pregnant mares. If used improperly they may also kill favorable grasses, contaminate ground water, and harm the soil. Check with your local extension office to inquire what is best to use for your situation.
Tree limbs, lumber, or any kind of obstruction that may prevent normal grazing can become a haven for weeds. Removal of these obstructions to allow grazing again can be the solution. Not only will this improve the pasture for forage, it will also be safer for your horses.
Sometimes there is more grass available than the horses can graze down. This too can contribute to “weedy” or tall grass areas. The horses graze down their favorite areas and ignore other areas. Normal grazing can prevent weed growth. If there is a reasonable amount of wasted grazing areas it’s not a problem. Horses may ignore less appealing grasses and over-graze their favorite grasses, which can become a problem. By ignoring the less appealing grass it can become overgrown, choked out and die. This will allow for weeds to grow.
One way to reclaim what the weeds have taken is other livestock. Sheep, goats, even llamas are natural herbivores and will eat many plants (especially shrubs and brush) that horses will not eat.
Another solution is keeping weeds and other vegetation cut back. This will prevent unwanted vegetation from reaching maturity and stop their re-growth. This will also encourage good forage to flourish.
Still another way to prevent weeds and unwanted plants in your horses pasture is by using chemicals. USE WITH CAUTION. Herbicides may eliminate unwanted plants but they must be used with caution and the directions followed very carefully. Many can be harmful to pregnant mares. If used improperly they may also kill favorable grasses, contaminate ground water, and harm the soil. Check with your local extension office to inquire what is best to use for your situation.
More Info for Your Horses Pasture
Once you recognize the areas your horses graze (very short grass) and the area they leave their manure, watch for changes in the shape or size of these areas throughout the grazing season. If the “weedy” areas where they deposit manure aren’t getting bigger, their favorite grazing areas aren’t getting bare while at the same time the horses are maintaining a good weight your pasture is in good condition. If “weedy” areas are getting larger and favorite grazing areas are becoming bare and horses are dropping weight, you need to rethink how the pasture is being managed.
Make sure the “weedy” manure areas are not getting smaller also. The horses may be forced to graze in those areas if they are not getting enough to satisfy them from their grazing areas. The pasture can become overgrazed under these conditions. This can also lead to problems with parasites for the horses. In this case better management plans are needed. Consider reducing the number of horses on the pasture or acquiring more land.
Make sure the “weedy” manure areas are not getting smaller also. The horses may be forced to graze in those areas if they are not getting enough to satisfy them from their grazing areas. The pasture can become overgrazed under these conditions. This can also lead to problems with parasites for the horses. In this case better management plans are needed. Consider reducing the number of horses on the pasture or acquiring more land.
Know Your Horses Pasture No Matter What Size It Is
Here is another tip from Skimbleshanks for keeping happy and healthy horses. Know their pasture.
There are two major factors to focus on when you keep your horses in a pasture for quality forage. One factor is how the grass grows, the other factor being the behavior of the horses that are using the pasture.
Walk the pasture first and observe where the grass is short, that will be the areas where the horses graze the most. Second look for places that grow tall. This may be an area that is grazed very little or possibly not at all. The next area needing to be identified is where your horses deposit their manure. Usually this area will have weeds growing and the horses don’t graze there at all.
Observing these factors will clue you in and you can make a plan to get the most benefit from your pasture. It does not matter what size it is, your horses will get the most advantage from a properly managed pasture.
There are two major factors to focus on when you keep your horses in a pasture for quality forage. One factor is how the grass grows, the other factor being the behavior of the horses that are using the pasture.
Walk the pasture first and observe where the grass is short, that will be the areas where the horses graze the most. Second look for places that grow tall. This may be an area that is grazed very little or possibly not at all. The next area needing to be identified is where your horses deposit their manure. Usually this area will have weeds growing and the horses don’t graze there at all.
Observing these factors will clue you in and you can make a plan to get the most benefit from your pasture. It does not matter what size it is, your horses will get the most advantage from a properly managed pasture.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
How to Sharpen the Bot Block
Okay folks. Now I will tell you how to sharpen the bot block. This will be easy. To sharpen the bot block you just run it across a sharp edge something like a board can be used. This cleans the edge of the bot block and you are ready to use it again. I said this would be easy.
Bot egg removal is an important task to perform. Keeping bot eggs off of your horses coat will help lessen the parasite making their way into your horse’s stomach while at the same time reducing the number of bot flies that will be annoying your horse later. Make sure you stay on top of this problem pest.
Skimbleshanks
Bot egg removal is an important task to perform. Keeping bot eggs off of your horses coat will help lessen the parasite making their way into your horse’s stomach while at the same time reducing the number of bot flies that will be annoying your horse later. Make sure you stay on top of this problem pest.
Skimbleshanks
Removing Bot Eggs
Now that I’m back from the barn, let me tell you some ways to remove bot eggs from your horse. You can use a bot knife or even a bot block. With the bot knife you can remove the eggs easily with a simple scrapping motion. The knife is designed to be safe but is serrated and not sharp. It catches the eggs into small nooks and crannies along the knife’s edge. Make sure you do this “scrapping” in an area where the horse does not eat. You don’t want to go to all this trouble just to have the horse ingest the bot eggs anyway!
The bot block is another way to remove the eggs. A bot block is a porous, rough stone. The block is to be used to rub the eggs off the horse’s hair. Sometimes it fills up with dirt and hair. When this happens it allows the edges to become round. It’s not so effective when that happens. You have to “sharpen” the block when this occurs. But that can be a pretty easy fix I’ll tell you about later.
The horses are waiting on their snack so it’s back to the barn for me.
The bot block is another way to remove the eggs. A bot block is a porous, rough stone. The block is to be used to rub the eggs off the horse’s hair. Sometimes it fills up with dirt and hair. When this happens it allows the edges to become round. It’s not so effective when that happens. You have to “sharpen” the block when this occurs. But that can be a pretty easy fix I’ll tell you about later.
The horses are waiting on their snack so it’s back to the barn for me.
Skimbleshanks
The Problem of the Bot Fly
Hello folks. Today I would like to talk about the problems that the bot fly presents. Bot fly is the common name for Gasterophilus, a parasite. Bot flies look like bees and they like to lay their eggs on a horse’s legs when the weather is very warm as it is in summer. Horses can ingest these eggs when they lick their legs causing the eggs to hatch. The bots then travel into the horse’s stomach attaching themselves to the stomach lining and live there until spring. The larva (which has grown much larger by this time) passes out through the horses manure and infects the ground. The larvae then hatch out into the pesky bot fly in late summer or even early fall.
These bot flies really annoy the horses under my care. I don’t like that at all and neither do the horses. It can make the horses down right dangerous to be around as they try to get away from these annoying pests.
These bot flies really annoy the horses under my care. I don’t like that at all and neither do the horses. It can make the horses down right dangerous to be around as they try to get away from these annoying pests.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Summary of Checklist for Horses
Remember to make a check of your horses’ condition everyday. The horse cannot tell you if he or she is not feeling their best. It is up to you as the care taker to be observant of them. If there are changes in appetite, body condition, changes in drinking habits, or the way the manure looks check it out. Observe anything that is not “normal” for your horse. It could be an early indication of an illness and taking care of something early on can often head off a worse condition. Be sure to examine your horse daily. It only takes a few minutes and can be rewarding for the both of you. You will be rewarded by preventing unnecessary vet expenses and your horse by better health.
More on Cecklist for Horses
Back from the barn folks. Now for more information on my daily check for horses. Believe it or not, we check the manure the horses leave in their stalls. Yes folks Skimbleshanks the Farm Cat is a “poop-oligist”. Manure can be your first clue for a sick horse. For my daily check I look at the manure from the horse to make sure it has a form and is soft and moist. Not loose. Not dry and firm. Both of these can be a sign something is wrong.
Dry, firm, separate manure balls might be a sign a horse is not drinking enough water. If the weather is cold that could be the case. Not drinking enough water can cause the horse to “colic” and can be very dangerous for horses. To keep this from happening in cold weather add a tablespoon of salt (even table salt) to the horses evening ration. It will help with this problem. Usually, at night the weather is cooler or even cold. Salt added to the evening ration can encourage the horse to drink more at night.
If the manure is very loose with little or no form to the manure balls the feed has passed too quickly through the horse. This could be an indication of bacterial irritation in the horse’s gut. Sometimes loose manure can happen if a horse is anxious or excited, or mares in heat may produce loose manure. It is up to the horse’s keeper to keep a watch to find out why loose manure is being produced.
Got to get back to the barn for now.
Skimbleshanks
Dry, firm, separate manure balls might be a sign a horse is not drinking enough water. If the weather is cold that could be the case. Not drinking enough water can cause the horse to “colic” and can be very dangerous for horses. To keep this from happening in cold weather add a tablespoon of salt (even table salt) to the horses evening ration. It will help with this problem. Usually, at night the weather is cooler or even cold. Salt added to the evening ration can encourage the horse to drink more at night.
If the manure is very loose with little or no form to the manure balls the feed has passed too quickly through the horse. This could be an indication of bacterial irritation in the horse’s gut. Sometimes loose manure can happen if a horse is anxious or excited, or mares in heat may produce loose manure. It is up to the horse’s keeper to keep a watch to find out why loose manure is being produced.
Got to get back to the barn for now.
Skimbleshanks
Health Checklist for Horses
Hello folks. I would like to tell you how I begin my work day with a check list on the health of each horse under my care. My first duty each morning is to examine the horses as they are being fed. It is very important to make a daily check each day of each horse. This is easy for me to do as I supervise each horse’s feeding. I go into the horse’s stall with one of my people and we examine each and every horse. We look for general things first, condition of body and coat, any nicks or cuts we should treat, that sort of thing. It’s also important to notice the horse’s appetite. Is he or she eager to eat or not. If not, check it out. A good appetite is a sign of good health in a horse.
The next thing we take a look at is the horse’s expression. The horse’s eyes and nose are checked as any discharge can be a sign of illness and must be tended to. If there is a discharge, we take the horse’s temperature. (I must admit, the horses accept this much better than I do if mine is taken!) If the horse has a temperature, we call the vet.
Next, we check the horse’s water. If the horse has left an unusual amount of hay or feed in their water bucket that can be a sign of a problem. The horse could be having problems swallowing their food. That could be a sign of anything from a sore throat to dental problems. This cannot be ignored.
More on the health checks for the horses a little later. I’ve got to run back to the barn.
Skimbleshanks
The next thing we take a look at is the horse’s expression. The horse’s eyes and nose are checked as any discharge can be a sign of illness and must be tended to. If there is a discharge, we take the horse’s temperature. (I must admit, the horses accept this much better than I do if mine is taken!) If the horse has a temperature, we call the vet.
Next, we check the horse’s water. If the horse has left an unusual amount of hay or feed in their water bucket that can be a sign of a problem. The horse could be having problems swallowing their food. That could be a sign of anything from a sore throat to dental problems. This cannot be ignored.
More on the health checks for the horses a little later. I’ve got to run back to the barn.
Skimbleshanks
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Article Review
The article below has five excellent reasons to exercise. It strengthens your heart, strengthens your bones, helps to control your weight, helps you to sleep better and exercise can help your mental attitude. Exercise can benefit your pet in the same ways it can benefit you. It is possible to find ways you can exercise with your pet such as taking walks together. Just remember you both need to exercise.
It is now my bedtime.
Skimbleshanks
It is now my bedtime.
Skimbleshanks
5 Good Reasons to Exercise
5 Great Reasons Why We Need to Exercise By Ruth Tan
I had never thought of sharing on “why exercise” and always assumed that we all believed and agreed that it was an essential part of everyone’s lifestyle regardless of whether one had the time or discipline to do it, until about two years ago I gradually pulled myself out from a sedentary lifestyle and I established a workout regimen in the morning and started to read more about the different types of workout such as aerobic training, resistance exercise and weight bearing activities. I reckon that exercising may be very often emphasized by all, but sometimes, its benefits may not be so clear and obvious to everyone.
Helps Strengthen Your Heart
Aerobic exercises benefit the circulation of your blood through your heart and blood vessels, that is, your cardiovascular system. They make our heart work harder, pump more blood, and reduce the risk of developing heart disease. With each beat of your heart, a surge of blood is pumped into your body's intricate web of blood vessels. The pressure exerted on your artery walls as blood passes through helps keep the blood flowing smoothly (what you know as ‘blood pressure’). A build-up of plaques in your arteries, caused by cholesterol in your bloodstream can affect your blood flow and cause serious damage to your cardiovascular system.
A workout on a regular basis benefits your heart because it helps lower the buildup of plaques in arteries by increasing the concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) and decreasing the concentration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) in your blood, while keeping the blood pressure at the optimal level. As a result, your heart is able to do a better job in delivering oxygen to all parts of your body. Blood travels more efficiently, bringing much-needed oxygen from your lungs and nutrients to the rest of the body. That’s why people generally feel more refreshed and energetic after exercising.
Want to consider some aerobic activities? Try swimming, basketball, rope skipping, jogging (or brisk walking), in-line skating, soccer, or biking.
Maintains Strong Bones and Muscles
I am sure most of us have tried doing push-ups, weight lifting in some form, or repeatedly used your muscles to counter some kind of resistance. These are called resistance exercises which the experts believe could strengthen our muscles; preserve bone mass, increase bone density. Regular resistance training can help prevent the bone-weakening disease, osteoporosis.
Walking and jogging are also important activities that bear your body's weight and help build strong muscles and bones. Other resistance workout include pull-ups, running, biking, and rowing.
Helps Manage Your Weight
This benefit is well-known to all who are weight conscious or trying to lose the extra pounds. Your body needs a certain amount of calories every day just to function. If you eat more calories than your body needs, it may be stored as excess fat. For instance, if you have an excess of 10kg fat, and each gram has some 9 calories, then you have 90000 calories for your body to use!
Exercising helps you achieve or maintain a healthy weight by utilizing and burning the extra calories. And if you exercise, your body works harder and needs more fuel. Even after you stop exercising, your body continues to burn calories at a modestly increased rate for a few hours. The more intensely you workout, the more calories you burn. By burning more calories than you take in, you can reduce body fat, giving you a healthier body composition. Losing body fat can make you look and feel better and can reduce your risk of obesity.
Induces Quality Sleep at Night
Many people who have problems sleeping find doing moderate exercise at least three hours before bedtime help in relaxing and sleeping better at night. The recent Hibernation Diet Theory teaches that regular exercise could activate production of recovery hormones during sleep, increases our body’s metabolic rate and promotes fat-burning. It makes a powerful association between poor sleep and obesity, a disease that has been rising dramatically in developed countries and has reached epidemic levels in the United States. While most of us would associate poor weight control with aging, low metabolism rate, and poor eating habits, many other research studies have also reported and pointed to the relationship between insufficient sleep and weight gain.
So start today, get a good night's sleep, aim for eight hours a night if you can, and add resistance workouts will speed up your weight loss and the body will worker harder at night.
Puts You in a Better Mood
We all know that it definitely feels good to have a strong, flexible body that can do all the activities you enjoy and be able to move your arms and legs flexibly without feeling tightness or pain. But you may not know that exercising can actually put you in a better mood.
Exercise combats depression by activating the neurotransmitters, which are basically chemicals used by our nerve cells to communicate with one another and often associated with avoiding depression. The balance of these neurotransmitters, namely serotonin and norepinephrine plays a role in how we respond to daily events. When experiencing depression, our level of serotonin, norepinephrine or both may be out of equilibrium. Workouts may help synchronize those brain chemicals.
Exercising also stimulates the production of endorphins, another type of neurotransmitters that produce feelings of well-being, provide for "natural" pain relief, and help you relax.
Sounds good? If you just had a tough day at work and need to let off some steam, go for a workout or a brisk 30-minute walk to calm yourself down.
Well, if you have not any form of physical training for a long while and find it a pain to do so, I suggest that you start doing it 2 times a week and slowly increasing to 3 and then 5 times or more a week. You can do 10 or 15 minutes bouts of workout each time to make up a 30 minutes session a day.
Source: http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/fast.html
R. Tan is the owner of the website benefits-of-honey.com
which is a rich honey resource community specially built for all the honey lovers and fans in this world. She has packed this website with a wide range of quality contents on honey based on her knowledge and experience with honey, so as to promote its invaluable benefits which she believes could bring many positive spin-offs in everyone's daily life.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ruth_Tan
I had never thought of sharing on “why exercise” and always assumed that we all believed and agreed that it was an essential part of everyone’s lifestyle regardless of whether one had the time or discipline to do it, until about two years ago I gradually pulled myself out from a sedentary lifestyle and I established a workout regimen in the morning and started to read more about the different types of workout such as aerobic training, resistance exercise and weight bearing activities. I reckon that exercising may be very often emphasized by all, but sometimes, its benefits may not be so clear and obvious to everyone.
Helps Strengthen Your Heart
Aerobic exercises benefit the circulation of your blood through your heart and blood vessels, that is, your cardiovascular system. They make our heart work harder, pump more blood, and reduce the risk of developing heart disease. With each beat of your heart, a surge of blood is pumped into your body's intricate web of blood vessels. The pressure exerted on your artery walls as blood passes through helps keep the blood flowing smoothly (what you know as ‘blood pressure’). A build-up of plaques in your arteries, caused by cholesterol in your bloodstream can affect your blood flow and cause serious damage to your cardiovascular system.
A workout on a regular basis benefits your heart because it helps lower the buildup of plaques in arteries by increasing the concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) and decreasing the concentration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) in your blood, while keeping the blood pressure at the optimal level. As a result, your heart is able to do a better job in delivering oxygen to all parts of your body. Blood travels more efficiently, bringing much-needed oxygen from your lungs and nutrients to the rest of the body. That’s why people generally feel more refreshed and energetic after exercising.
Want to consider some aerobic activities? Try swimming, basketball, rope skipping, jogging (or brisk walking), in-line skating, soccer, or biking.
Maintains Strong Bones and Muscles
I am sure most of us have tried doing push-ups, weight lifting in some form, or repeatedly used your muscles to counter some kind of resistance. These are called resistance exercises which the experts believe could strengthen our muscles; preserve bone mass, increase bone density. Regular resistance training can help prevent the bone-weakening disease, osteoporosis.
Walking and jogging are also important activities that bear your body's weight and help build strong muscles and bones. Other resistance workout include pull-ups, running, biking, and rowing.
Helps Manage Your Weight
This benefit is well-known to all who are weight conscious or trying to lose the extra pounds. Your body needs a certain amount of calories every day just to function. If you eat more calories than your body needs, it may be stored as excess fat. For instance, if you have an excess of 10kg fat, and each gram has some 9 calories, then you have 90000 calories for your body to use!
Exercising helps you achieve or maintain a healthy weight by utilizing and burning the extra calories. And if you exercise, your body works harder and needs more fuel. Even after you stop exercising, your body continues to burn calories at a modestly increased rate for a few hours. The more intensely you workout, the more calories you burn. By burning more calories than you take in, you can reduce body fat, giving you a healthier body composition. Losing body fat can make you look and feel better and can reduce your risk of obesity.
Induces Quality Sleep at Night
Many people who have problems sleeping find doing moderate exercise at least three hours before bedtime help in relaxing and sleeping better at night. The recent Hibernation Diet Theory teaches that regular exercise could activate production of recovery hormones during sleep, increases our body’s metabolic rate and promotes fat-burning. It makes a powerful association between poor sleep and obesity, a disease that has been rising dramatically in developed countries and has reached epidemic levels in the United States. While most of us would associate poor weight control with aging, low metabolism rate, and poor eating habits, many other research studies have also reported and pointed to the relationship between insufficient sleep and weight gain.
So start today, get a good night's sleep, aim for eight hours a night if you can, and add resistance workouts will speed up your weight loss and the body will worker harder at night.
Puts You in a Better Mood
We all know that it definitely feels good to have a strong, flexible body that can do all the activities you enjoy and be able to move your arms and legs flexibly without feeling tightness or pain. But you may not know that exercising can actually put you in a better mood.
Exercise combats depression by activating the neurotransmitters, which are basically chemicals used by our nerve cells to communicate with one another and often associated with avoiding depression. The balance of these neurotransmitters, namely serotonin and norepinephrine plays a role in how we respond to daily events. When experiencing depression, our level of serotonin, norepinephrine or both may be out of equilibrium. Workouts may help synchronize those brain chemicals.
Exercising also stimulates the production of endorphins, another type of neurotransmitters that produce feelings of well-being, provide for "natural" pain relief, and help you relax.
Sounds good? If you just had a tough day at work and need to let off some steam, go for a workout or a brisk 30-minute walk to calm yourself down.
Well, if you have not any form of physical training for a long while and find it a pain to do so, I suggest that you start doing it 2 times a week and slowly increasing to 3 and then 5 times or more a week. You can do 10 or 15 minutes bouts of workout each time to make up a 30 minutes session a day.
Source: http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/fast.html
R. Tan is the owner of the website benefits-of-honey.com
which is a rich honey resource community specially built for all the honey lovers and fans in this world. She has packed this website with a wide range of quality contents on honey based on her knowledge and experience with honey, so as to promote its invaluable benefits which she believes could bring many positive spin-offs in everyone's daily life.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ruth_Tan
Importance of Exercise for Pets to Stay Healthy
Hello everyone. It’s me, Skimbleshanks again. I would like to offer my most sincere thoughts and prayers for every life touched by the very tragic events that have occurred at Virginia Tech.
I would like to talk with you folks about exercise for your pets. It doesn’t matter what kind of pet you have, they need exercise. Exercise is as important as healthy eating for both humans and their pets. With lives being so busy today it can be easy to forget to make sure our pets have adequate exercise. It does not have to be a rigid program. It can be string tied to a fake mouse (a personal favorite of mine) for “Fluffy” or tossing a ball for “Rover” to chase around the yard. Exercise is great for your animals’ physical health as well as mental health, just as it is with humans.
I’ll post an article about exercise for humans a little later. Just as with healthy eating, humans need to exercise their bodies to stay healthy to care for their pets. I find this beneficial for me and I see my humans get their exercise one way or another.
Bye for now.
Skimbleshanks
I would like to talk with you folks about exercise for your pets. It doesn’t matter what kind of pet you have, they need exercise. Exercise is as important as healthy eating for both humans and their pets. With lives being so busy today it can be easy to forget to make sure our pets have adequate exercise. It does not have to be a rigid program. It can be string tied to a fake mouse (a personal favorite of mine) for “Fluffy” or tossing a ball for “Rover” to chase around the yard. Exercise is great for your animals’ physical health as well as mental health, just as it is with humans.
I’ll post an article about exercise for humans a little later. Just as with healthy eating, humans need to exercise their bodies to stay healthy to care for their pets. I find this beneficial for me and I see my humans get their exercise one way or another.
Bye for now.
Skimbleshanks
Monday, April 16, 2007
Skimbleshanks Comments
I agree with many of the points in the article below. A good rule of thumb for portion size, a serving should be the size of your fist. That’s easy to remember. More water is good. After all, the human body is mostly water. More fruits, vegetables, choosing whole grains cereal and breads are all important. I really liked how the author says to ENJOY exercise. Choose something you enjoy doing and you will probably stay consistent. Laughing everyday is actually healthy. You know there have been studies done on the benefits of laughter. It can help the body heal itself and that is very important.
I've found this site that really has a lot of good information about healthy weight loss. Check it out. They have a lot of good, free information to help you out.
I'll talk with you folks tomorrow. Goodnight.
Skimbleshanks
I've found this site that really has a lot of good information about healthy weight loss. Check it out. They have a lot of good, free information to help you out.
I'll talk with you folks tomorrow. Goodnight.
Skimbleshanks
How to Make Healthy Eating a Part of Your Daily Routine
Here is the article as promised.
The Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Diet, Your Health & Your Life!By Philip E. Humbert
Because I believe diet and exercise are so important, I'm often frustrated with the recommendations I receive. Nutrition and natural health ideas are often so negative (don't eat this, watch out for that) or so rigorous (be sure to eat some raw, natural, organically grown vegetable I've never heard of) or so complicated, I end up ignoring them. And yet, I know diet is critical to my health and well-being, so I made up my own rules. My objective was simplicity, so all of you with greater will-power and more discipline, cut me some slack, OK? For the rest of us, I hope you find them useful.
1. Eat less. I used to eat until I was full, and then snack as a hobby. And, sometimes I still do. But, more and more, I decide when I've eaten enough, leave room for a treat later, and simply choose to eat a little less. I think it helps.
2. Drink more water. I used to try to drink 8 glasses a day, but I usually ended up either losing count…or just going to the bathroom a lot. Now, on my way to the table I stop by the sink and grab a glass of water. I figure that's more water than most people drink, it probably helps me eat less (see Rule #1), and sometimes it reminds me to drink even more. Close enough.
3. Eat more fruit. Benjamin Franklin said, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." I just know apples, a banana, some grapes or something "exotic" like a mango or a kiwi tastes good, and it's the fastest, most portable and convenient food I've found. A handful of those little baby carrots beats a sandwich by a good 90 seconds!
4. Eat your vegetables. Yeah, still listening to my mother. But on the positive side, they're so easy! No sauces, no mixing or blending or nothing! Raw, steamed or microwaved, they're great for adding color to a meal (greens, yellows, and beans in all sorts of colors). I know fresh and organically grown is best, and sometimes I buy them that way….
5. Eat more rice and baked potatoes. I score points with my doctor, my "significant other" and again, it's about the easiest cooking I've figured out.
6. Stretch when you feel like it. I used to follow a routine that recommended stretching and yoga for about 30 minutes every morning. Wonderful stuff! Very healthy. And someday I'm going to give it another try! For now, every morning, and several times during the day, I stand up and try to reach the ceiling. I bend, twist, shake my shoulders, breath deep, whatever seems to feel good at the moment. Then I get back to work.
7. Avoid exercise and elevators. OK, I believe jogging and sweating and lifting weights are good for me. And I do some of it. But I also find it useful to walk around the block to get the mail (the box is across the street) or take the stairs instead of the elevator. I walk the dog, push the lawnmower and play tennis and golf with my friends. That way I figure I'm exercising and leaving the gyms open for the rest of you.
8. Spend time with friends. Talking, sharing dreams, giving and receiving support, solving life's great mysteries and debating politics or religion with a friend does wonders for the soul. And, hugs are good. And if you have a life-partner, I find talking regularly seems to avoid a number of other problems, as well!
9. Laugh every day. Tell a joke, wrestle with your dog or play with the kids next door, but have some fun! Life's short.
10. Plan for dessert! At the end of the day, I really like something special to top it all off. So, I plan for a bite of chocolate or a cup of low-fat pudding or yogurt or a handful of fresh grapes. It sure seems to beat restlessly searching the cupboards and refrigerator for "something" and ending up with a big bowl of ice cream!
Finally, a few words of experience. It's OK to "slip" once in a while. At least it better be OK...I seem to do it periodically. Just get up again tomorrow, make the rules simpler, more fun or more appropriate for your situation and get right back on! I don't think the objective is perfection -- there's no point in having a heart attack getting all stressed out about the rules! Just go have some fun!
© Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: "Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. Dr. Humbert has over 300 free articles, tools and resources for your success, including a great newsletter! It's all on his website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_E._Humbert
The Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Diet, Your Health & Your Life!By Philip E. Humbert
Because I believe diet and exercise are so important, I'm often frustrated with the recommendations I receive. Nutrition and natural health ideas are often so negative (don't eat this, watch out for that) or so rigorous (be sure to eat some raw, natural, organically grown vegetable I've never heard of) or so complicated, I end up ignoring them. And yet, I know diet is critical to my health and well-being, so I made up my own rules. My objective was simplicity, so all of you with greater will-power and more discipline, cut me some slack, OK? For the rest of us, I hope you find them useful.
1. Eat less. I used to eat until I was full, and then snack as a hobby. And, sometimes I still do. But, more and more, I decide when I've eaten enough, leave room for a treat later, and simply choose to eat a little less. I think it helps.
2. Drink more water. I used to try to drink 8 glasses a day, but I usually ended up either losing count…or just going to the bathroom a lot. Now, on my way to the table I stop by the sink and grab a glass of water. I figure that's more water than most people drink, it probably helps me eat less (see Rule #1), and sometimes it reminds me to drink even more. Close enough.
3. Eat more fruit. Benjamin Franklin said, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." I just know apples, a banana, some grapes or something "exotic" like a mango or a kiwi tastes good, and it's the fastest, most portable and convenient food I've found. A handful of those little baby carrots beats a sandwich by a good 90 seconds!
4. Eat your vegetables. Yeah, still listening to my mother. But on the positive side, they're so easy! No sauces, no mixing or blending or nothing! Raw, steamed or microwaved, they're great for adding color to a meal (greens, yellows, and beans in all sorts of colors). I know fresh and organically grown is best, and sometimes I buy them that way….
5. Eat more rice and baked potatoes. I score points with my doctor, my "significant other" and again, it's about the easiest cooking I've figured out.
6. Stretch when you feel like it. I used to follow a routine that recommended stretching and yoga for about 30 minutes every morning. Wonderful stuff! Very healthy. And someday I'm going to give it another try! For now, every morning, and several times during the day, I stand up and try to reach the ceiling. I bend, twist, shake my shoulders, breath deep, whatever seems to feel good at the moment. Then I get back to work.
7. Avoid exercise and elevators. OK, I believe jogging and sweating and lifting weights are good for me. And I do some of it. But I also find it useful to walk around the block to get the mail (the box is across the street) or take the stairs instead of the elevator. I walk the dog, push the lawnmower and play tennis and golf with my friends. That way I figure I'm exercising and leaving the gyms open for the rest of you.
8. Spend time with friends. Talking, sharing dreams, giving and receiving support, solving life's great mysteries and debating politics or religion with a friend does wonders for the soul. And, hugs are good. And if you have a life-partner, I find talking regularly seems to avoid a number of other problems, as well!
9. Laugh every day. Tell a joke, wrestle with your dog or play with the kids next door, but have some fun! Life's short.
10. Plan for dessert! At the end of the day, I really like something special to top it all off. So, I plan for a bite of chocolate or a cup of low-fat pudding or yogurt or a handful of fresh grapes. It sure seems to beat restlessly searching the cupboards and refrigerator for "something" and ending up with a big bowl of ice cream!
Finally, a few words of experience. It's OK to "slip" once in a while. At least it better be OK...I seem to do it periodically. Just get up again tomorrow, make the rules simpler, more fun or more appropriate for your situation and get right back on! I don't think the objective is perfection -- there's no point in having a heart attack getting all stressed out about the rules! Just go have some fun!
© Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: "Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. Dr. Humbert has over 300 free articles, tools and resources for your success, including a great newsletter! It's all on his website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_E._Humbert
Healthy Eating Habits for Pets
Hope everyone is having a great day. I talked about the importance of diets for pets yesterday. It is very important to help your pets have a long and healthy life as possible by feeding them the proper diet. It can literally add years to an animal’s life. As much as I hate to admit it, people food (table scraps), are really a bad idea. Feeding people food can cause a pet to become overweight pretty fast. Being overweight can take years off your pets’ life. We don’t want that.
Now I would like you folks to begin thinking about yourselves and your diet. You need to stay health so you can take care of us (your pets)! I will be posting an article I found a little later about “people foods” to help you folks make right choices about your food too. For now, it’s back to the barn.
Skimbleshanks
Now I would like you folks to begin thinking about yourselves and your diet. You need to stay health so you can take care of us (your pets)! I will be posting an article I found a little later about “people foods” to help you folks make right choices about your food too. For now, it’s back to the barn.
Skimbleshanks
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Healthy Eating
Hello Everyone!
I'm back. It's me, Skimbleshanks the Farm Cat back from another day at the barn. I want to remind everyone about the importance of a healthy diet for each of their cats, dogs, horses and all their other pets. Every animal has their own special needs. It is important they are met. Make sure your pets have the diet they need; dogs should not eat cat food, cats certainly should not eat dog food. I think you get the picture.
I feel another nap coming on. I'll talk with you folks again soon.
Skimbleshanks
I'm back. It's me, Skimbleshanks the Farm Cat back from another day at the barn. I want to remind everyone about the importance of a healthy diet for each of their cats, dogs, horses and all their other pets. Every animal has their own special needs. It is important they are met. Make sure your pets have the diet they need; dogs should not eat cat food, cats certainly should not eat dog food. I think you get the picture.
I feel another nap coming on. I'll talk with you folks again soon.
Skimbleshanks
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Skimbleshanks Day
Hello again!
Hope you're having a wonderful day. I am. It's beautiful today. It's also windy. I have chased leaves all over the pasture. What fun! I also kept an eye on the mare (momma horse) who is having a foal soon. Is she fat! No baby yet.
I took the dogs for a walk today. We all enjoyed our walk. Remember to check out this resource for dog food recipes http://jjltd.shine2.hop.clickbank.net/ . They also have dog treat recipes. Those are helpful when training your dog. You will also know what you are feeding them and it will be safe.
I must return to the barn. It is almost time to feed the horses their hay and I must supervise. We'll talk again real soon.
Skimbleshanks
Hope you're having a wonderful day. I am. It's beautiful today. It's also windy. I have chased leaves all over the pasture. What fun! I also kept an eye on the mare (momma horse) who is having a foal soon. Is she fat! No baby yet.
I took the dogs for a walk today. We all enjoyed our walk. Remember to check out this resource for dog food recipes http://jjltd.shine2.hop.clickbank.net/ . They also have dog treat recipes. Those are helpful when training your dog. You will also know what you are feeding them and it will be safe.
I must return to the barn. It is almost time to feed the horses their hay and I must supervise. We'll talk again real soon.
Skimbleshanks
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Why Vaccinate My Horse?
Hello!
It's me, Skimbleshanks. Here is some interesting information on horses. When you're vaccinating your cat don't forget your horses too. This article will explain why.
Why Vaccinate My Horse?
What are you doing when you vaccinate your horse? When we vaccinate our horses we are deliberately exposing them to a portion of a disease-causing organism or exposure to a disease causing-organism, such as the bacteria or virus of a disease. This is done in a very small dose. We do this in order to cause an immune response in the horse that will hopefully protect the horse in the future from that particular disease. Generally, this is how vaccines work.
Is it a100 % guarantee that the horse will never contract the disease? No. But should the horse contract the disease that they were vaccinated against usually it is a lighter case than without the vaccination. Chances for recovery are greatly increased with the vaccination than without. Vaccines must also be stored, handled and administered properly. Not doing so can mar the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Here are some of the diseases we vaccinate horses for:
Tetanus (Lockjaw): Tetanus occurs when a specific bacteria enters a horse like a deep wound. As Tetanus grows it produces a toxin and attacks the nervous system of the horse. Tetanus is fatal.
Encephalitis: Horses can be attacked by three types of encephalitis, Eastern, Western, and Venezuelan. Mosquitoes carry this virus. Horses become infected by bites from infected mosquitoes (usually found in states close to the Mexican border). Encephalitis infects the horses’ brain. If they survive they may have permanent defects as a result. Encephalitis is potentially fatal.
Rabies: Infects the nervous system with a fatal infection. Rabies is caused by a bite from an infected animal (such as bat, raccoon, or skunk). Rabies can go undiagnosed in a horse for a period of time and can actually spread the infection to humans. This can happen by contact of body fluids with broken skin (a cut on your hand).
Potomac horse fever: Generally confined to a specific geographic areas (along the Potomac River) and in areas with moderate climate and close to rivers. This disease is characterized by depression, fever, diarrhea and founder. Check with your vet or local extension agent for advice in your area.
Rotavirus diarrhea: Causing sever, potentially life-threatening diarrhea in young foals. Rotavirus it appears is carried by the mother (or passably another horse). The horses that pass the virus may not develop problems but simply pass it on. Pregnant mares can be vaccinated then they pass the antibodies to their foals in the first milk (colostrum). Check with your veterinarian about availability of this vaccine.
Influenza: This shows up like severe cold-like symptoms and high fever making it a risk for developing bacterial pneumonia. There can be periods when the virus mutates, causing epidemics to break out. Vaccines are not completely effective in preventing the disease since the virus can mutate easily. The vaccine however can reduce the severity of the symptoms. Horses that are most at risk to the flu are the very old, very young, horses under stress, horses traveling, and horses stabled where there is horse traffic.
Botulism: This is caused by toxin of a bacterium related to the one that causes tetanus. Horses are highly sensitive to it and many can die from this disease or the complications brought on by this disease. If this disease is contracted, treatment can be expensive.
Rhinopneumonitis: Also known as “rhino”. This disease is like our “common cold”. The rhino virus can invade the horses’ nervous system causing paralysis, and can also cause abortion. As with influenza, the risk factors are the same. Every two months throughout pregnancy mares should be vaccinated.
Strangles: Routinely not done, strangles vaccination is recommended for horses at high risk of exposure. Risk of side effects from the intramuscular vaccine may be up to 30% for this vaccine. This may include fever, loss of appetite, local swelling, muscle stiffness and abscess formation at the vaccination site. Vaccines usually provide reliable protection from severe disease but only for a few months. It does not prevent the disease completely. Unless there is known contamination on the premises, shipping horses frequently or a lot of traffic on and off the a farm, due to the side effects and limited time it is effective, you should weigh the benefit for your situation to vaccinate for strangles or not. That being said, there is a type of strangles vaccine that is a spray into the horse’s nose. Intranasal vaccine has low incidence of side effect. Protection is about the same. It is not clear if intranasal vaccine for pregnant mares gets the needed antibodies into the blood (protecting the foal with colostrum). It would be wise to use the intramuscular vaccine with mares close to foaling.
West Nile: This virus has caused many deaths in horses in recent years in United States. It is transmitted by infected mosquitoes. This virus infects the central nervous system and causes symptoms of encephalitis. Signs of encephalitis in horses include loss of appetite and depression, in addition to any combination of the following signs — fever, weakness or paralysis of hind limbs, muzzle twitching, impaired vision, incoordination, head pressing, aimless wandering, convulsions, inability to swallow, circling, hyperexcitability, or coma. It is wise to vaccinate for this disease but avoid vaccinating pregnant mares late in pregnancy. If you have a pregnant mare, contact your veterinarian for a time best to vaccinate her for your area.
Which diseases should you vaccinate your horse for? That depends. You, with the advice of your veterinarian or your local extension office, will need to make that decision. Getting the best, up to date information from these sources will help you choose wisely.
Don't forget the importance of vaccinating my equine buddies. Let's do what we can to keep them healthy too.
It's back to the barn for now.
Skimbleshanks
It's me, Skimbleshanks. Here is some interesting information on horses. When you're vaccinating your cat don't forget your horses too. This article will explain why.
Why Vaccinate My Horse?
What are you doing when you vaccinate your horse? When we vaccinate our horses we are deliberately exposing them to a portion of a disease-causing organism or exposure to a disease causing-organism, such as the bacteria or virus of a disease. This is done in a very small dose. We do this in order to cause an immune response in the horse that will hopefully protect the horse in the future from that particular disease. Generally, this is how vaccines work.
Is it a100 % guarantee that the horse will never contract the disease? No. But should the horse contract the disease that they were vaccinated against usually it is a lighter case than without the vaccination. Chances for recovery are greatly increased with the vaccination than without. Vaccines must also be stored, handled and administered properly. Not doing so can mar the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Here are some of the diseases we vaccinate horses for:
Tetanus (Lockjaw): Tetanus occurs when a specific bacteria enters a horse like a deep wound. As Tetanus grows it produces a toxin and attacks the nervous system of the horse. Tetanus is fatal.
Encephalitis: Horses can be attacked by three types of encephalitis, Eastern, Western, and Venezuelan. Mosquitoes carry this virus. Horses become infected by bites from infected mosquitoes (usually found in states close to the Mexican border). Encephalitis infects the horses’ brain. If they survive they may have permanent defects as a result. Encephalitis is potentially fatal.
Rabies: Infects the nervous system with a fatal infection. Rabies is caused by a bite from an infected animal (such as bat, raccoon, or skunk). Rabies can go undiagnosed in a horse for a period of time and can actually spread the infection to humans. This can happen by contact of body fluids with broken skin (a cut on your hand).
Potomac horse fever: Generally confined to a specific geographic areas (along the Potomac River) and in areas with moderate climate and close to rivers. This disease is characterized by depression, fever, diarrhea and founder. Check with your vet or local extension agent for advice in your area.
Rotavirus diarrhea: Causing sever, potentially life-threatening diarrhea in young foals. Rotavirus it appears is carried by the mother (or passably another horse). The horses that pass the virus may not develop problems but simply pass it on. Pregnant mares can be vaccinated then they pass the antibodies to their foals in the first milk (colostrum). Check with your veterinarian about availability of this vaccine.
Influenza: This shows up like severe cold-like symptoms and high fever making it a risk for developing bacterial pneumonia. There can be periods when the virus mutates, causing epidemics to break out. Vaccines are not completely effective in preventing the disease since the virus can mutate easily. The vaccine however can reduce the severity of the symptoms. Horses that are most at risk to the flu are the very old, very young, horses under stress, horses traveling, and horses stabled where there is horse traffic.
Botulism: This is caused by toxin of a bacterium related to the one that causes tetanus. Horses are highly sensitive to it and many can die from this disease or the complications brought on by this disease. If this disease is contracted, treatment can be expensive.
Rhinopneumonitis: Also known as “rhino”. This disease is like our “common cold”. The rhino virus can invade the horses’ nervous system causing paralysis, and can also cause abortion. As with influenza, the risk factors are the same. Every two months throughout pregnancy mares should be vaccinated.
Strangles: Routinely not done, strangles vaccination is recommended for horses at high risk of exposure. Risk of side effects from the intramuscular vaccine may be up to 30% for this vaccine. This may include fever, loss of appetite, local swelling, muscle stiffness and abscess formation at the vaccination site. Vaccines usually provide reliable protection from severe disease but only for a few months. It does not prevent the disease completely. Unless there is known contamination on the premises, shipping horses frequently or a lot of traffic on and off the a farm, due to the side effects and limited time it is effective, you should weigh the benefit for your situation to vaccinate for strangles or not. That being said, there is a type of strangles vaccine that is a spray into the horse’s nose. Intranasal vaccine has low incidence of side effect. Protection is about the same. It is not clear if intranasal vaccine for pregnant mares gets the needed antibodies into the blood (protecting the foal with colostrum). It would be wise to use the intramuscular vaccine with mares close to foaling.
West Nile: This virus has caused many deaths in horses in recent years in United States. It is transmitted by infected mosquitoes. This virus infects the central nervous system and causes symptoms of encephalitis. Signs of encephalitis in horses include loss of appetite and depression, in addition to any combination of the following signs — fever, weakness or paralysis of hind limbs, muzzle twitching, impaired vision, incoordination, head pressing, aimless wandering, convulsions, inability to swallow, circling, hyperexcitability, or coma. It is wise to vaccinate for this disease but avoid vaccinating pregnant mares late in pregnancy. If you have a pregnant mare, contact your veterinarian for a time best to vaccinate her for your area.
Which diseases should you vaccinate your horse for? That depends. You, with the advice of your veterinarian or your local extension office, will need to make that decision. Getting the best, up to date information from these sources will help you choose wisely.
Don't forget the importance of vaccinating my equine buddies. Let's do what we can to keep them healthy too.
It's back to the barn for now.
Skimbleshanks
Monday, April 9, 2007
Vaccinations for Cats
Good day everyone,
I’m back! I’ve taken a break from my barn duties for now to share this article about vaccinating your cat(s). Not my favorite subject, but nevertheless, a very necessary and important one. This is a very important thing to do because there are so many diseases that can harm us and even bring death. That old wives tale about us having nine lives is just that, an old wives tale. Besides, it helps to keep people and other critters safe too.
Vaccinations for Cats
A cat’s immune system works much like a memory. Diseases each have a unique set of symptoms. Vaccines signal the immune system in advance for a particular set of symptoms. The immune system remembers what it did the last time to defeat the disease, such as when the cat was vaccinated, and will remember and do that again, thus fighting off the disease.
A vaccine is made from a live, weakened or killed germ or virus. It is then injected into a recipient to give them that disease but in a mild form that the body should easily overcome, building immunity to that particular germ or virus. If a cat is sick, he should never be given a vaccination or if a cat has recently recovered from an illness because the cat may still have a weakened immune system.
In general, a cat’s body does not handle germs or viruses injected under the skin going directly into the bloodstream. In cats, usually through the mouth, nose, or intestines are how microorganisms enter their bodies. Vaccinations nevertheless, still work. When more than one serum is given at the same time it can create a problem. Three-in-one shots for cats are given all over the country. Although some veterinarians usually conscientiously advise you to have your cat vaccinated for anywhere from three to seven or eight diseases in one day, this is not always the best option.
A Killed virus is safer than a weakened virus. It is best if the serums are used by themselves and given at least six weeks apart.
Giving multiple vaccinations close together, as within a few weeks of each other, confuses the immune system’s memory and disrupts the immune system’s response at the same time it is activating it. The immune system becomes confused and can turn against its own body resulting in autoimmune diseases like arthritis, allergic dermatitis, asthma, warts, tumors, irritable bowel syndrome, and gum disease.
Don’t forget to check out my previous posts for my favorite homemade cat food recipe and “Vita-Mineral-Mix”. That, along with vaccinating, will help keep your cat happy and healthy just like me. Did I mention I am stunningly glamorous too?
If your cat has his own dog or dogs like I do be sure and click hereto check out this resource for training your dog . I like it. Good manners are something every cat’s dog must have to keep a cat happy just like me!
For really delicious, healthy recipes for your cat’s dog, check out John’s book
"Healthy Food for Dogs: Homemade Recipes". I’m sure your cat’s dog will love it as much as mine do!
It’s back to the barn for now, can’t stay away for long. No telling what mess those people might get into if I’m not there to supervise. Catch you later.
Skimbleshanks
I’m back! I’ve taken a break from my barn duties for now to share this article about vaccinating your cat(s). Not my favorite subject, but nevertheless, a very necessary and important one. This is a very important thing to do because there are so many diseases that can harm us and even bring death. That old wives tale about us having nine lives is just that, an old wives tale. Besides, it helps to keep people and other critters safe too.
Vaccinations for Cats
A cat’s immune system works much like a memory. Diseases each have a unique set of symptoms. Vaccines signal the immune system in advance for a particular set of symptoms. The immune system remembers what it did the last time to defeat the disease, such as when the cat was vaccinated, and will remember and do that again, thus fighting off the disease.
A vaccine is made from a live, weakened or killed germ or virus. It is then injected into a recipient to give them that disease but in a mild form that the body should easily overcome, building immunity to that particular germ or virus. If a cat is sick, he should never be given a vaccination or if a cat has recently recovered from an illness because the cat may still have a weakened immune system.
In general, a cat’s body does not handle germs or viruses injected under the skin going directly into the bloodstream. In cats, usually through the mouth, nose, or intestines are how microorganisms enter their bodies. Vaccinations nevertheless, still work. When more than one serum is given at the same time it can create a problem. Three-in-one shots for cats are given all over the country. Although some veterinarians usually conscientiously advise you to have your cat vaccinated for anywhere from three to seven or eight diseases in one day, this is not always the best option.
A Killed virus is safer than a weakened virus. It is best if the serums are used by themselves and given at least six weeks apart.
Giving multiple vaccinations close together, as within a few weeks of each other, confuses the immune system’s memory and disrupts the immune system’s response at the same time it is activating it. The immune system becomes confused and can turn against its own body resulting in autoimmune diseases like arthritis, allergic dermatitis, asthma, warts, tumors, irritable bowel syndrome, and gum disease.
Don’t forget to check out my previous posts for my favorite homemade cat food recipe and “Vita-Mineral-Mix”. That, along with vaccinating, will help keep your cat happy and healthy just like me. Did I mention I am stunningly glamorous too?
If your cat has his own dog or dogs like I do be sure and click hereto check out this resource for training your dog . I like it. Good manners are something every cat’s dog must have to keep a cat happy just like me!
For really delicious, healthy recipes for your cat’s dog, check out John’s book
"Healthy Food for Dogs: Homemade Recipes". I’m sure your cat’s dog will love it as much as mine do!
It’s back to the barn for now, can’t stay away for long. No telling what mess those people might get into if I’m not there to supervise. Catch you later.
Skimbleshanks
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Happy Easter Everyone!
It’s me, Skimbleshank’s, back from my foal watch just to wish everyone a Happy Easter. Everything is quiet at the barn, just as it should be, but still no foal. I can take some time now to share one of my favorite delicious recipes. It is a recipe for lemon chicken, and I find it quite tasty. Here it is folks:
Skimbleshank’s Favorite Lemon Chicken Recipe
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 pound raw chicken pieces
Mix the lemon juice and spices together in a bowl. Take a 8x8x2 inch baking dish (or what ever size you have) treated with a nonstick spray and arrange the chicken pieces skin-side down, if your using chicken with skin, my family uses boneless and skinless chicken because of me…you’ll soon know why. Pour the lemon juice mixture over the chicken. Bake it for 20 minutes, turn the chicken over and baste it using the juice in the pan. Bake it another 15 – 20 minutes, until the chicken is tender and no longer pink when you cut along the bone (if it has one). If you have a cat or dog, make sure you use boneless please. It serves 2 – 4 folks, depending especially on how clever your cat is or how lucky your dog might get. My family likes to serve this with brown rice.
Now, as to why my family uses boneless chicken…
One day, during football season during a particularly exciting game, my family jumped up from the table to watch a very important play…and that was my big chance and I took it! Now, I'm not typically allowed to have people food, but there was one piece of lemon chicken left on the table and I sprang into action while everyone had their backs turned! Everyone, that is, except the dog, the stool pigeon. I had to share some with the dog to buy his silence, but he got greedy and wanted more and that is when I started to growl at him. Unfortunately, that was also my undoing. My growls alerted the family and everyone ran back to the table just as I was making off with my prize, dragging lemon chicken across the new vanilla carpet (just installed) in the family room. What a commotion people can make! Anyway, boneless chicken is a real good choice just in case you have me over for dinner.
Here is a cookbook of really great recipes that my family has found. They really enjoy these recipes, and have found hundreds of delicious dishes that I am waiting for my opportunity to sample. Click Here and learn more about these delicious recipes. My family certainly seems to enjoy them. I may have to wait for football season again before I can steal another chicken breast, but I can be patient.
With this cookbook, you will learn the “Copy Cat” recipes from lots of really great restaurants. You will be able to create dishes just like the award winning creations from Red Lobster, Outback, Appleby’s and many other really cool places to eat. With your copy of the best-selling "America's Most Wanted Recipes" cookbook you will be able to cook dishes like the PROS do in a matter of minutes!
Hope you enjoy the recipes. By the way, El Pollo Loco is a personal favorite of mine…when I can snatch it! Can’t wait for them to cook something from Red Lobster!
Well, back to the barn for now. I’ll talk with you again soon.
Skimbleshanks
Skimbleshank’s Favorite Lemon Chicken Recipe
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 pound raw chicken pieces
Mix the lemon juice and spices together in a bowl. Take a 8x8x2 inch baking dish (or what ever size you have) treated with a nonstick spray and arrange the chicken pieces skin-side down, if your using chicken with skin, my family uses boneless and skinless chicken because of me…you’ll soon know why. Pour the lemon juice mixture over the chicken. Bake it for 20 minutes, turn the chicken over and baste it using the juice in the pan. Bake it another 15 – 20 minutes, until the chicken is tender and no longer pink when you cut along the bone (if it has one). If you have a cat or dog, make sure you use boneless please. It serves 2 – 4 folks, depending especially on how clever your cat is or how lucky your dog might get. My family likes to serve this with brown rice.
Now, as to why my family uses boneless chicken…
One day, during football season during a particularly exciting game, my family jumped up from the table to watch a very important play…and that was my big chance and I took it! Now, I'm not typically allowed to have people food, but there was one piece of lemon chicken left on the table and I sprang into action while everyone had their backs turned! Everyone, that is, except the dog, the stool pigeon. I had to share some with the dog to buy his silence, but he got greedy and wanted more and that is when I started to growl at him. Unfortunately, that was also my undoing. My growls alerted the family and everyone ran back to the table just as I was making off with my prize, dragging lemon chicken across the new vanilla carpet (just installed) in the family room. What a commotion people can make! Anyway, boneless chicken is a real good choice just in case you have me over for dinner.
Here is a cookbook of really great recipes that my family has found. They really enjoy these recipes, and have found hundreds of delicious dishes that I am waiting for my opportunity to sample. Click Here and learn more about these delicious recipes. My family certainly seems to enjoy them. I may have to wait for football season again before I can steal another chicken breast, but I can be patient.
With this cookbook, you will learn the “Copy Cat” recipes from lots of really great restaurants. You will be able to create dishes just like the award winning creations from Red Lobster, Outback, Appleby’s and many other really cool places to eat. With your copy of the best-selling "America's Most Wanted Recipes" cookbook you will be able to cook dishes like the PROS do in a matter of minutes!
Hope you enjoy the recipes. By the way, El Pollo Loco is a personal favorite of mine…when I can snatch it! Can’t wait for them to cook something from Red Lobster!
Well, back to the barn for now. I’ll talk with you again soon.
Skimbleshanks
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
In my last post, I talked about making homemade cat food. Well, here on the farm, we also have dogs. (Every cat should have his own dog, and I’ve got several.)
Now I know why my people make special food for me, after all, I am a CAT. But, they even make special food for the dogs. I guess it is a good thing, because I like my dog and wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.
My folks have tried a lot of different things to ensure the dog has a healthy diet, and they recently came across this book from John Miller. And with the recent scare about pet food, they are sure glad they did.
About 50 years ago, a young dog-fancier, John Miller wanted to improve his dog’s health. After analyzing commercial dog food formulas, he found they were all loaded with unhealthy chemicals.
John developed a better recipe himself and tried it on his own dogs... using healthier ingredients...and had great success.
In his book, he shares over 245 recipes that will help with your dog’s health, improve his performance, and give him a healthy shiny coat. He also provides information to control fleas and ticks and even how to remove skunk odor.
Here are some recipes you will discover in John’s book "Healthy Food for Dogs: Homemade Recipes":
Well, that all for now. I've gotta go chase the mice! (Boy do I love being the farm cat!)
Skimble
Now I know why my people make special food for me, after all, I am a CAT. But, they even make special food for the dogs. I guess it is a good thing, because I like my dog and wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.
My folks have tried a lot of different things to ensure the dog has a healthy diet, and they recently came across this book from John Miller. And with the recent scare about pet food, they are sure glad they did.
About 50 years ago, a young dog-fancier, John Miller wanted to improve his dog’s health. After analyzing commercial dog food formulas, he found they were all loaded with unhealthy chemicals.
John developed a better recipe himself and tried it on his own dogs... using healthier ingredients...and had great success.
In his book, he shares over 245 recipes that will help with your dog’s health, improve his performance, and give him a healthy shiny coat. He also provides information to control fleas and ticks and even how to remove skunk odor.
Here are some recipes you will discover in John’s book "Healthy Food for Dogs: Homemade Recipes":
- Healthy dog food recipes for young and old dogs
- Natural recipe to keep flea away
- Gourmet Biscuit recipes
- Dozens of recipes for delicious, economical, healthful dog food
- Treats (Your pet will love you)
- Dog bones
- and much, much more.
Well, that all for now. I've gotta go chase the mice! (Boy do I love being the farm cat!)
Skimble
You Can Make Your Own Cat Food for Your Cat
As a barn cat, you can really build up a tremendous appetite, what with chasing mice and leaves in the booger woods. So it is important for me to keep up my energy. My folks know that, and they are always looking out for me and my buds.
Popping open a can of cat food is an easy way to feed your cat, but it is not always the healthiest diet for your cat. Many are made with by-products, much of which we would prefer not to know about, as well as preservatives. (Besides, when have you seen a can of mouse by-products?)
Recently we have heard of many brands of cat food that have harmful pesticides which has cause many cats to get sick and die.
If you are like our farm, the cat is not just a friend; he is a furry member of the family. After all, who else is going to keep the barn functioning properly? My family has a recipe for making me some special cat food. They tell me that even though it takes a little time to fix, nothing is too good for me!
I’d like to share the recipe with you. This recipe was taken from a book, THE NATURAL CAT A HOLISTIC GUIDE FOR FINICKY OWNERS, by Anitra Franier with Norma Eckroate. It is called the “I’ll-Do- Anything-for-My-Cat” Diet. If you can get all organically grown, unsprayed product that will be best.
2 – 4 parts animal protein
1 part bean, tofu, or milk products (make sure milk product does not give your cat diarrhea)
2 parts whole grain
1 part vegetables, raw or lightly cooked
Broth, or water, or vegetable juice to taste.
Here are a few suggestions for each of the four categories. Use one or several foods together as long as you keep to the basic ratio.
Animal Protein
Chicken, cooked (no bones)
Cooked beef
Cooked lamb
Egg, soft-boiled or cooked other ways (adding a little ground shell
for its calcium content is okay)
Organic baby food (no veal or pork)
Note: Egg, because it lacks the amino acid taurine, which is essential to cats, should not comprise the entire protein measure. At the top of the meat list is chicken. It is high in taurine and is easily digested by cats. Because cats will kill and eat birds and other fowl, it is also a natural cat food.
Bean, Tofu, or Milk Products
Lentils, beans, or chick peas (ceci beans or garbanzo beans),
Soaked overnight them simmered 3 hours, no salt
Raw or cooked tofu (bean curd)
Tempeh, sautéed mashed or in chunks
Soy grits, must soak and boil
Cottage cheese, yogurt, milk, or cheese (first, before using them in any
mixture find out if you cat can digest milk products by offering each one
separately to see if your cat can digest them without getting diarrhea)
Whole Grains
Simply cooked oatmeal or soaked oatmeal (soaked 2-3 days) also
raw for greatest enzyme content
Cooked barley
Cooked millet
Cooked brown rice
Cooked kasha
Cooked sweet corn
Granola (no sugar or honey) or whole grain bread
Vegetables (fresh is best, frozen is okay)
Steamed or baked:
Orange squash
Carrot
Broccoli
Peas
Green beans
Zucchini
Yam
Chopped raw:
Sprouts: soy, alfalfa, or soy (Sprouts are valuable, but must be
added at the last minute before serving. Do not store food with the
sprouts already added. Sprouts can go rancid fairly quickly.)
Carrot, grated
Parsley, chopped
Greens, chopped
Chives, chopped
Use a small measure when you first begin making your own cat food (teaspoon or tablespoon to equal one part. Until you find the combinations your cat enjoys make up small amounts of food. When you are ready to begin making large amount you can use one cup size as the one-part measure. Place one serving size in zip-lock storage bags. They may be stored in the freezer. They may be thawed by placing the bag in a bowl of hot tap water.
Well, that’s it for now. I’ve got to go check on the horses.
Skimbleshanks, the barn cat
Popping open a can of cat food is an easy way to feed your cat, but it is not always the healthiest diet for your cat. Many are made with by-products, much of which we would prefer not to know about, as well as preservatives. (Besides, when have you seen a can of mouse by-products?)
Recently we have heard of many brands of cat food that have harmful pesticides which has cause many cats to get sick and die.
If you are like our farm, the cat is not just a friend; he is a furry member of the family. After all, who else is going to keep the barn functioning properly? My family has a recipe for making me some special cat food. They tell me that even though it takes a little time to fix, nothing is too good for me!
I’d like to share the recipe with you. This recipe was taken from a book, THE NATURAL CAT A HOLISTIC GUIDE FOR FINICKY OWNERS, by Anitra Franier with Norma Eckroate. It is called the “I’ll-Do- Anything-for-My-Cat” Diet. If you can get all organically grown, unsprayed product that will be best.
2 – 4 parts animal protein
1 part bean, tofu, or milk products (make sure milk product does not give your cat diarrhea)
2 parts whole grain
1 part vegetables, raw or lightly cooked
Broth, or water, or vegetable juice to taste.
Here are a few suggestions for each of the four categories. Use one or several foods together as long as you keep to the basic ratio.
Animal Protein
Chicken, cooked (no bones)
Cooked beef
Cooked lamb
Egg, soft-boiled or cooked other ways (adding a little ground shell
for its calcium content is okay)
Organic baby food (no veal or pork)
Note: Egg, because it lacks the amino acid taurine, which is essential to cats, should not comprise the entire protein measure. At the top of the meat list is chicken. It is high in taurine and is easily digested by cats. Because cats will kill and eat birds and other fowl, it is also a natural cat food.
Bean, Tofu, or Milk Products
Lentils, beans, or chick peas (ceci beans or garbanzo beans),
Soaked overnight them simmered 3 hours, no salt
Raw or cooked tofu (bean curd)
Tempeh, sautéed mashed or in chunks
Soy grits, must soak and boil
Cottage cheese, yogurt, milk, or cheese (first, before using them in any
mixture find out if you cat can digest milk products by offering each one
separately to see if your cat can digest them without getting diarrhea)
Whole Grains
Simply cooked oatmeal or soaked oatmeal (soaked 2-3 days) also
raw for greatest enzyme content
Cooked barley
Cooked millet
Cooked brown rice
Cooked kasha
Cooked sweet corn
Granola (no sugar or honey) or whole grain bread
Vegetables (fresh is best, frozen is okay)
Steamed or baked:
Orange squash
Carrot
Broccoli
Peas
Green beans
Zucchini
Yam
Chopped raw:
Sprouts: soy, alfalfa, or soy (Sprouts are valuable, but must be
added at the last minute before serving. Do not store food with the
sprouts already added. Sprouts can go rancid fairly quickly.)
Carrot, grated
Parsley, chopped
Greens, chopped
Chives, chopped
Use a small measure when you first begin making your own cat food (teaspoon or tablespoon to equal one part. Until you find the combinations your cat enjoys make up small amounts of food. When you are ready to begin making large amount you can use one cup size as the one-part measure. Place one serving size in zip-lock storage bags. They may be stored in the freezer. They may be thawed by placing the bag in a bowl of hot tap water.
Well, that’s it for now. I’ve got to go check on the horses.
Skimbleshanks, the barn cat
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Horse Training 101
Each horse is different in how it learns and how it reacts to outside stimuli. Certain methods of horse training may apply to some horses, but it does not mean that it will be effective to all breeds of horse.
To start horse training you must develop a communication system with the horse. This might take time. In the same way as children may not fully grasp the idea of things at an instant, baby horses in training may not get every pressure, pat or way of holding the reins at once.
When you apply a certain pressure, you expect a certain response. During horse training, you must make the horse understand that a certain pressure should elicit a corresponding response. We don’t expect full compliance in the beginning, but as time goes by, these actions will be part of the horse’s vocabulary.
Throughout the course of the horse training, one by one these actions will be added to his vocabulary. But these actions should still be broken down into minute details that the horse can take in one at a time. Learn how to pace with each individual horse. Training is something that should be done slowly and surely.
You must also learn how to “speak” to your horse in a way that it will be able to comprehend. This manner of speaking would mean fewer words and more body language.
Horses are herd animals. They learn well by imitating the leaders of the herd. You should be that “leader” your horse will follow. Patience is a key in training your horses.
You must also take into consideration that no one, animal or human, learns well when under stress. You should not force lessons into your horse during horse training. They don’t appreciate the yelling and whipping, especially if they do not know what all the harshness is for. Unlike humans who can speak their minds, horses resort to more physical responses. And you certainly wouldn’t want your horse to whirl, kick, strike and do out of hand movements.
You must create an environment wherein the horse can learn on its own, aside from the horse training that you give it. It is also important to see the difference between having been able to teach the horse something and it just accepting it. If a horse is relaxed when you do something, this does not necessarily mean that it is trained. This might just mean to it as another thing a human being normally does. Resistance at first is needed in order to see that the horse recognizes that something new is being taught to him.
The horse’s daily training routine should not be based on a set of particular things you want to teach to the horse. It should be based on how your horse reacts to your actions. Don’t teach something new to it without reviewing what it already knows.
Most importantly - don’t force your horse to go on horse training if it doesn’t feel well. A good routine does not only maintain the horse’s attention level, but also its comfort level.
About The Author
Ray La Foy
Horses and Ponies. Learn more at http://www.horseandponys.com
win@bizbin.biz
To start horse training you must develop a communication system with the horse. This might take time. In the same way as children may not fully grasp the idea of things at an instant, baby horses in training may not get every pressure, pat or way of holding the reins at once.
When you apply a certain pressure, you expect a certain response. During horse training, you must make the horse understand that a certain pressure should elicit a corresponding response. We don’t expect full compliance in the beginning, but as time goes by, these actions will be part of the horse’s vocabulary.
Throughout the course of the horse training, one by one these actions will be added to his vocabulary. But these actions should still be broken down into minute details that the horse can take in one at a time. Learn how to pace with each individual horse. Training is something that should be done slowly and surely.
You must also learn how to “speak” to your horse in a way that it will be able to comprehend. This manner of speaking would mean fewer words and more body language.
Horses are herd animals. They learn well by imitating the leaders of the herd. You should be that “leader” your horse will follow. Patience is a key in training your horses.
You must also take into consideration that no one, animal or human, learns well when under stress. You should not force lessons into your horse during horse training. They don’t appreciate the yelling and whipping, especially if they do not know what all the harshness is for. Unlike humans who can speak their minds, horses resort to more physical responses. And you certainly wouldn’t want your horse to whirl, kick, strike and do out of hand movements.
You must create an environment wherein the horse can learn on its own, aside from the horse training that you give it. It is also important to see the difference between having been able to teach the horse something and it just accepting it. If a horse is relaxed when you do something, this does not necessarily mean that it is trained. This might just mean to it as another thing a human being normally does. Resistance at first is needed in order to see that the horse recognizes that something new is being taught to him.
The horse’s daily training routine should not be based on a set of particular things you want to teach to the horse. It should be based on how your horse reacts to your actions. Don’t teach something new to it without reviewing what it already knows.
Most importantly - don’t force your horse to go on horse training if it doesn’t feel well. A good routine does not only maintain the horse’s attention level, but also its comfort level.
About The Author
Ray La Foy
Horses and Ponies. Learn more at http://www.horseandponys.com
win@bizbin.biz
Daily Thoughts From Dogs and Cats
I thought you folks might need help understanding the different mind set of cats and dogs. I have included a sample.
Your pal,
Skimbleshanks
DAILY THOUGHTS FROM DOGS AND CATS
From a Dog's Diary:
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
Excerpts from a Cat's Diary:
Day 683 of my captivity:
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.
The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the floor.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates of what I am capable. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. The audacity!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He obviously has a screw loose.
The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe ... for now.
Your pal,
Skimbleshanks
DAILY THOUGHTS FROM DOGS AND CATS
From a Dog's Diary:
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
Excerpts from a Cat's Diary:
Day 683 of my captivity:
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.
The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the floor.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates of what I am capable. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. The audacity!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He obviously has a screw loose.
The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe ... for now.
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