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March 12th, 2010 by KittyKitty

From all around America today, cat or kitten and adult cats in hundred of kind animal shelters and also humane pet societies are waiting to find a loving home. Sadly, only about 24% of the cats in shelters are ever adopted. Over 70% of cats that enter shelters eventually euthanized, according to the American Humane Association, because they are not adopted and shelters do not have enough money to care for them indefinitely.

If you are considering adding a cat to your family, please think about adopting from a shelter instead of buying from a pet store or a breeder. You can save an animal from being one of the 9.6 million dogs and cats that are put to sleep in shelters each year. The first step towards adopting a cat is settling on what kind of cat you want. In example, longhaired cats need to be brushed regularly.

Typically, you will have to pay a small adoption fee and register your cat with your local authorities. One item that is a great buy is an outdoor cat house. Food, litter and a litter box, and cat toys are a few of the fundamentals your pet needs. Try to Adopt a cat is a rewarding and fairly simple process to do.

This definitely isn’t the case. Here are 10 important questions to ask yourself before you adopt a cat.

1. Are you around enough?
2. Are you able to give your cat attention every day?
3. Can you afford it?
4. Do you have a safe area where your cat can play?
5. Are you willing to put up with some damage to your home?
6. Do you have enough time?
7. Is your home environment suitable?
8. Are you able to care for your cat if he gets sick?
9. Are you OK with cleaning the litter box?
10. Are you ready to get prepared for the commitment?

If you are able to provide the right environment and enough time and commitment, cat adoption will likely be one of the most rewarding and pleasurable things you ever do.

Please also check out our other guide about : pets insurance, care insurance pet and pet adoption

March 11th, 2010 by KittyKitty

Horse trailers are a must if you have horses that need transportation on a regular basis to special horse events, horse races or maybe to the vet. Every horse owner specifies some form of horse transportation from time to time. Horse trailers are 1 concern, but part of a good job is that when hauling horses at all, be certain to test laws covering shipment inside a state, between states and/or internationally. Health certificates are needed plus always carry owner s papers or proof of registration. 

Horse trailers are engineered with safety in mind for the horse when towed “properly”. Go around messing with that by modifying things and you defeat the safety of it. Horse trailers are engineered with the capability to haul two to 10 or extra horses. Dependent on the heavy duty capability of your tow vehicle and the number of horses you are planning to travel with on your own or with friends, you may take into account longer term desires when making your purchase. Find out more about used horse trailers here.

Gooseneck horse trailers differ from tag-a-long, or bumper pull horse trailers in their hitch. The gooseneck is hooked up inside hauling truck’s bed with a ball plus coupler system. Gooseneck hitches are more secure plus are good for larger trailers. They even provide space for storing in the neck, that may be useful if your trailer does not have a tack room. Gooseneck horse trailers are easier to maneuver plus park, come with storage space, and could have a camper or living area. You will need an open truck bed and truck-bed hitching system, generally sold separately. 

Steel-framed horse trailers are an excellent choice if corrosion is a problem within your climate, or if you are not happy regarding the idea of maintaining the outside of the trailer. Steel-framed trailers are commonly created with an aluminum skin, which resists corrosion. Steel is 3 times stronger than aluminum. Therefore, it takes 3 times the amount of aluminum to make a trailer as sturdy as a steel one. 

Hauling live tall animals, having a high center of gravity naturally, would the simplest place to detect the dramatic improvement the WD hitches can add for better steering management plus braking that, a level stable rig provides. WDH can do added to safely level your sagging vehicle rear end than all the springs, shocks plus air bags combined. Haul your ATV’s, motorcycles plus other toys in style on the weekends, plus haul your work equipment throughout the week.

March 4th, 2010 by KittyKitty

Horse training requires a firm basis on the ground before you can move onto saddle training; here are a few basic exercises outlined which can be used when training your own horse or someone else’s. It is important to get these exercises right first, as this is how you and the horse will become familiar with each other and build a trusting relationship. Future training success is dependant on good groundwork. The importance of safety and maintaining your personal space bubble should not be taken lightly.

To achieve success in horse training you will need to have patience, be persistent and give lots of positive reinforcement and praise to your horse. These are the 3 P’s of basic horse training that will serve you well no matter what level you are training or what you might be training for in the future.

1. Groom your horse. Grooming represents more than just a perfect first exercise for you and your horse. Grooming is a great way for you to get to know each other. Stand beside him and brush his neck and back. It is not unusual for the horse to bring his teeth around to you for a little love bite. While horses do this to each other all the time, naturally they cannot do it to humans. Discourage this by simply waving a hand, or by pushing his head back straight. Those teeth are HUGE so you must make it clear from the beginning that this is unacceptable. Be calm and patient. He’ll get the idea and will cooperate. There’s no need to get carried away and shout or frantically wave or smack. This will only destroy the fragile trust you are still building.

2. Lead your horse. Hold the lead rope in your right hand, just below the horse’s chin, and walk beside him on his left side. With a slow step, walk forwards. He should not try to go ahead of you but should remain at your right side. If he tries to go ahead just walk around him to your left in a circle. Do this as many times as necessary. Show persistence. By circling to your left you will stay just ahead of him as it should be. If, on the other hand, your horse doesn’t want to walk with you, stand slightly behind at his shoulder facing the same direction. While holding the rope close to his chin, push forward gently. Give praise and positive reinforcement when he takes a small step. When he starts to walk willingly, take your place slightly ahead of him and walk on. Never wrap the lead rope around any part of yourself – this is for your own safety. If the horse decides to bolt you’ll be going along and it will not be pretty.

3. Lunge your horse.This is a great exercise used by most horse trainers and owners. Many of the skills, commands and cues that your horse will require for saddle work can be taught by performing lunging exercises.

In a large open area (an arena works, too, if you don’t have a round enclosure) clip your horse to a lunge lead specifically for lunging. This rope will be a lot longer than the one you use for leading – about ten metres is normal. Clip the lead to the horse’s left halter side and hold the lead in your left hand. Begin by holding the lunge line and facing the horses left side. In your right hand hold a lunge whip; this is to guide him along. Now step to your right sideways toward the rear of the horse while holding the whip out behind him. The horse’s natural reaction will be to step forward. Let the line out and follow the horse just behind and to the left side and make a kissing sound. He’ll begin to associate that sound with “move forward”. As you’re turning and the horse moves in a circle around you, hold the whip slightly behind his hindquarters. Do not use the whip to hit the horse. You just need to wave it a bit to get the horse’s attention.

Move yourself slowly backwards to the centre as the horse is moving forwards. As the horse walks around you in a circle, stand in the middle with the lunge rope fully extended. Watch your horse’s hip area as he’s going round.

This is the perfect time to teach your horse to understand “whoa”. In a low, calm voice, say the word “whoooaa”. At the same time, step toward your horse’s head and repeat the word. Be sure to give him a neck rub with lots of praise when he stops. That will be the positive reinforcement he needs to remember what he’s supposed to do.

Changing your position now will allow you to lunge your horse in an anti-clockwise manner. It’s done in the same way, but with the lead clipped to the right side of the halter and the lunge whip in the left hand.

The above represents just a small selection of basic horse training exercises. Consider the sheer size and strength of this beautiful creature at all times. This alone should be enough to remind you to have adequate horse insurance in place should either you or your equine be injured. Your success with training and all future activities depends both on safety and trust. As well as a loyal friend, your horse is also an investment, so remember to protect that investment against theft, accident or misadventure by making sure you compare horse insurance policies to ensure you are getting the best level of cover for both of your needs.

March 2nd, 2010 by KittyKitty

The [ancient|very old|old-fashioned] [art|skill|ability] of [dressage|horse training for dressage|dressage horse training|dressage coaching] is [becoming|seemingly] [more and more|increasingly|progressively]  [popular|well-liked|accepted|admired|fashionable|prevalent|common] in [America|US|USA|United States] [today|these days|nowadays|at the moment|at present|now]. It [has|possesses] [many|a lot of|lots of|numerous|several|various] [advantage|benefit]s for [serious|genuine|determined] [riders|horse riders]. [For one thing|For a start|To begin with] it can be [practiced|experienced|done|enjoyed] in a [comparatively|reasonably|relatively|fairly] small [place|site|location] and [most|nearly all|for the most part|on the whole|as a rule|generally] [urban|city|town|inner-city] [dwellers|residents] do not [have|possess|gain|enjoy] [easy|trouble-free|quick] [access|entry|admittance] to [wide open|large] spaces. [Another|An additional|A further|An added] [attraction|pull|appeal|lure|charm] of the [sport|hobby|activity] is its [tremendous|wonderful|remarkable|superb|great|terrific|impressive] [aesthetic|visual|spectator] [appeal|attractiveness|allure|interest|fascination] and the [rewards|benefits] of [achieving|attaining] [close|tight|loving|intimate] [harmony|accord] with an equine [partner|companion].

As you grow in know-how and put in more practice to the elevated degrees of skill, as in the majority of things it will get more time consuming and be harder work to train your horse.

To be inspired to make him to be trained dressage work you need to spend the time and money with a proven, top dressage coach or trainer in your locale.

By shifting his hips and his weight, the rider can ask the pony to move in different directions and step into different gaits.  In simplest terms, the rider should have his hips do what he wants the horse’s hips to do and his shoulders do what he wants the horse’s shoulders to do.

For dressage coaching you should be working on a dressage arena, with an enclosed space where you can practice precise 20m circles.

The commonest type of dressage is called classical dressage.  It is about teaching the horse to hold himself correctly through conditioning, training, and time.

A correct neck structure is the end results of a horse functioning thru his body, not the other way around.  A pony’s head will descend when his back is uppermost and his/her haunches are beneath him.

It consumes years of coaching before this style and many other higher level movements can also be attempted!  Definitely more data that would be conveyed here!

There are some [terribl|ver|extraordinaril]y [well known|famous|widely recognized] names in dressage.  For example, Jan [threshold|edge|brink] belongs to the world [top-notch|elect|elite] in dressage, and with the [stallion|horse] Briar 899 he['s had| has had] great success on [national|nationwide|state] as well as [international|global|world] arenas.  Jan has been to [numerous|many|countless] [world|international] championships, including the Olympic[ Game|]s, WEG, and World Cups. 

Rafael Soto is an Olympic silver trophy holder in dressage.  He has been described as having a remarkable gift for instruction which is awfully peculiar for Olympic medalists.

[Those who|Those that|People who] take dressage [coach|train]ing are learning an equestrian discipline which are millennia old in.  A[ feasi| via| doa]ble [train|coach]ing program must have not only a[ seasoned| professional|n experienced] and qualified instructor, but just as [urgent|vital|critical], are the schoolmaster’s [cap|]ability and [data|knowledge|information], and the [choice|selection] of well-schooled horses who [allow|permit] riders of all levels to gain a deep understanding and feel for the movements and timing which of this demanding art. 
.

February 26th, 2010 by KittyKitty

As suggested by the name. This breed emerged from Belgium. Way back in Medievil times, central Western Europe was renound for the grand black horses called “Flemish”. It is these horses that carried knights into battle wearing heavy armour. Out of necessity, the most powerful selection of this breed became “chargers” or “destriers”. From this stock, genetic make-up was drawn for other breeds.  At the heart of this area, Belgium was established as a country. The regions stallions’ were shipped throughout Europe as larger draught horses were demanded to work in both agricultural and industrial environments. 

As Belgium was the supply upon which other countries relied for such large stock horses, all that was left was for the country to establish the breed and strengthen the genetic makeup already at hand. The Belgian government quickly helped to refine the breed by setting up district shows, from which the winners would move up to compete in the national show in Brussels. The country’s inspection committee selected from the national the finest stallions for public services. As a result of this, the fixed-breed improved substancially, and the Belgian horse was established as a national treasure. 

When the Belgian was first imported into America, they were slated for being “too thick, too low-headed, straight shouldered, and round-boned”. However, the Belgian horse soon settled in with American farmers due to their good dispositions, willingness to work hard and the fact that they were easy to maintain. So the Belgian remained, and American breeders set out to keep what was right and fix what was “wrong”. The result has become one of the greatest success stories in animal breeding history. The American Belgain has many good attributes including good bone and muscle structure, strong feet, a solid middle and a good disposition. The breed is a hard worker, ships well and is easy to maintain. The breeders from America basically developed a new horse with cleaner lines, an increased slope in the pasterns and shoulders and a head and neck that was more elegant. 

Description
With reards to color, whilst the first Belgians to be brought into to the States were a wide mix, about 50% were bay and bay-brown. Although, there wasn’t an individual colour which was a character definition. Through breeding, shown by American preference, the ideal for a Belgian in America today is a chestnut or sorrel with a snow-white mane and tail, a white stripe on the face, and four white socks. A large selection of colours can still be found in other areas of the globe. 

In height, Belgian horses are usually 16 hands (162.5 centimeters, or 64 inches) at the shoulder, but can exceed 18 hands (183 cm or 72 inches) to the shoulder. US Belgian horses are more often seen with a noticeably large head, larger hind-quarters and compact, muscular legs. 

The normal weight is 1600 to 2000 pounds (113.6 to 142 stones), but stallions can be in excess of 2400 pounds (170.4 stones).

For more information and horses for sale, please visit the Horse and Pony Directory

February 26th, 2010 by KittyKitty

When looking for a new trailer, there are numerous features to think about. One crucial feature is whether the horse trailer will have a gooseneck or bumper pull design. There are a number of reasons why you might gain from either type. We’ll compare the two layouts to see which suits you best.

Bumper Pull Horse Trailers – Advantages and Disadvantages
Bumper pull trailers, also called tag-along layouts, are horse trailers that connect to a hitch on the pulling vehicle. The trailer simply “tags along” behind the hauling vehicle and does not become a part of the overall vehicle.

Plus Points
There are a few good aspects of bumper pull trailers. They typically cost far less than a gooseneck horse trailer. It’s not compulsory to drive a 4×4 pickup for hauling the trailer, and more people can tow this design of horse trailer with their usual car. Manouverability is regularly easier because the tag-along will go along with the path of your tow vehicle. You don’t need a large amount of space for the horsebox as you would for a gooseneck trailer. The trailer doesn’t need to be classified as a “commercial” vehicle for licensing purposes as the weight of both the horsebox and tow vehicle is typically below 10,001 lbs.

Bad Points
There are many negative points as well. These type of trailers do not present as much room for clothing and tack. Some bumper pull trailers may not be sufficient for hauling any more than two horses due to the type of hitch required for the weight of the trailer. Also, bumper pull trailers tend to snake on bendy roads, which can be hazardous.

Gooseneck Layouts – Plus and Minus Points
Gooseneck trailers vary from bumper pull trailers in the way they are hitched. The gooseneck is attached within the hauling pickup’s load bed with a ball and coupler mating. The gooseneck trailer provides a number of benefits. It doesn’t wobble or snake like a bumper trailer often does, and pulling is more stable. They also provide more room for living quarters, which can be suitable for camping and longer journeys. The gooseneck layout is more simple to reverse up to and line up with the ball while joining it to your hauling vehicle, because you can see it clearly from the rear window. The gooseneck layout is more safe without the fear of the load coming unhitched while travelling on the highway.

Negative Points
There are also some disadvantages. Gooseneck layouts normally cost more and are usually bigger so they must be towed with a 4×4 that is powerful enough to tow it. The hitching design is also more pricey for a gooseneck design. Another disadvantage is that while hitching the trailer, you must climb into the bed of the 4×4 to finish the attachment. Also, you will need to detach your load top from your 4×4 to tow a gooseneck trailer.

Choosing the Right Trailer
Whether you’re considering a bumper pull or gooseneck trailer, you can check on the web to research a range of features of each. If you’re budget is limited, you can find many used horseboxes for sale and horse trailers for sale to find a bargain. Consider the plus points and negative points of both designs prior to buying. For more information and horses for sale, visit the Horse and Pony Directory

February 25th, 2010 by KittyKitty

Horse breeds are the most predominant types of horses seen today. These horses are smaller than the powerful draft horses, and the majority of them are larger than ponies. Like originally descended from the Arabian type horse; the Arabian horse is the oldest breed on record with documented lineage.

Horse breeds are commonly divided into three main groups:

1.    Ponies
2.    Draft Or Heavy Horses
3.    Light Horses

From this type of horse can pace in five gaits: canter, rack, slow gait, (the high prancing, and showy movement), trot and walk.

The Importance of Horse Insurance

While no bulk of money can absolutely affluence the affliction if a admired horse dies or suffers injury, horse allowance can do something to affluence your banking loss. Good absorption to angry would accept adored Sultan from a aching abrasion and adored Blaze’s life.

Horse insurance, as the name suggests, is a anatomy of allowance action that makes abiding that you will accept some advantage should a tragedy – or added exceptionable accident – appear to your horse, whether the horse was bought for business or pleasure. But not all horse allowance behavior are the same. Awning in the case of afterlife is the a lot of accepted anatomy of horse insurance, but added behavior are available. Added behavior can accord you awning in the case of lightning, fire, theft, etc.

It is actual important to allocution through all aspects of horse allowance with your allowance agent afore signing a policy. Good absorption to angry would accept adored Sultan from a aching abrasion and adored Blaze's life.

Anyway, affairs this blazon of horse allowance ability accredit you to adjudge for analysis of your equine acquaintance instead of afterlife for banking reasons. Accessible for horses age-old 31 canicule to 15 years. And as well provides two added specialist equine policies: complete horse allowance for horses age-old over 15 years and horse bivouac insurance.

We have other useful guide about Pet Medical Insurance

February 22nd, 2010 by KittyKitty

Saddle training may well be the ultimate goal for horse riding, but you cannot get to this point without first laying the groundwork. You will need to take your horse from trailer or barn to the tack area, tack up, and then you’ll ride. There would be little point in teaching saddle training without first learning how to get to that point. When your horse learns to cooperate with you, you can act as a team. This cooperation begins with your ability to approach, catch, and halter him first. Then you’ll need to lead your horse about with a halter and a lead rope.

Teaching a horse the boundaries of acceptable behaviour is done with the primary objective of safety in mind. Pulling against the lead rope, for example, is natural behaviour for a horse which you will need to teach him not to do. Whoever is leading needs to be secure that their personal space will not be invaded by the horse. You put yourself at risk by not taking time to teach your horse basic safety manners before moving on to more advanced training. Whilst a good equine insurance policy may cover you for accidents that happen in training, it’s obviously far more preferable not to have to find this out!

Leading your horse requires that you use the three Ps of horse training: patience, persistence and positive reinforcement. Having already accomplished haltering, it is likely that you have already discovered the effectiveness of the three Ps.

Ideally you need to begin lead training with your horse when he is still a foal. A very young horse will not need to know just yet about saddles and riding, but basic ground manners training should begin early on. The youngster will still need to cooperate for the vet, the farrier, and for various operatives moving about.

If you happen to have the dam – the foal’s mother – present, lead training will be easier as he will naturally copy her behaviours. If not, any horse with which the foal spends time will also work. The young learn naturally from the elder. For example, you don’t need to teach a horse in the pasture how to graze or go to the water and drink. They learn by watching the others. If your student is older, you can still use another horse’s example by haltering and leading the other horse first. Your student will be watching, as they do notice everything that happens around them, particularly if it involves other horses in their own herd.

Start off by leading two horses – the foal and either it’s dam or a more experienced horse – side by side with you in the middle. Stay to the left of your student’s shoulder area as it is the safest spot for you, with the older horse to the left of you. Be sure that you do not wrap the lead rope around your hand or any part of your body, just in case the young horse decides to bolt or kick up his heels. The last thing you need at this stage is complicating the process with an injury for which you may need to claim on your horse insurance.

Another method you could use, if you have a calm horse that you are comfortable riding and that the foal will follow, is the pony method. This is done by simply towing the student horse behind using a longer lead rope. This is actually a logical method for teaching the lead, as it’s natural for the young to follow the elders behaviour.

With no other horses nearby, you will need to rely solely on your patience, persistence, and positive reinforcement skills. It will still be viable, but may take a bit longer for your horse to understand what you’d like him to do.

After satisfactory progress, it’s time to try it alone. Again, standing to the left of your young horse’s shoulder and with both of you looking straight ahead, gently walk forward and as you step out, tug very gently forward, then release any pressure on the rope as soon as the horse makes any motion to go forward. Understanding that release is a reward to your horse is a valuable tip used by professional trainers. It tells your horse he’s doing something right.

When he can successfully walk with you in straight lines, try a slight left turn whist maintaining the space bubble. If he crowds you, use your right hand to push him out away from you and hold your arm out to the appropriate distance. Then try turning to the right with the same safety distance between the two of you, still using your right hand to guide him into the correct zone. Reward him each time he takes a step in the right direction by releasing the pressure on the lead rope.

It takes a great deal of patience to get through lead training. Big improvements will soon be made if you can just stick with it. Do a little work every day if you can and this will put you closer to the day you can finally saddle up for a ride.

February 22nd, 2010 by KittyKitty

When you care for your horse, it is important to make preparations for the winter months. Horses should be able to tolerate the cold weather and stay as healthy as possible. All through the winter horses will have particular requirements which you as the owner will have to deal with. It is crucial to get ready for winter in advance.

Horses are naturally tolerant to icy conditions. In fact, horses come to grips with cold weather a good deal better than hot weather. Despite this, there are some rudimentary things owners will need to do to make sure their horses remain healthy. Be sure the horse doesn’t have any lice, and has been vaccinated up to date. The expenditure for doing these things will significantly pay off throughout the winter months, as the costs of feeding the horse will be much reduced.

You may also wish to consult your vet in planning up a health plan for your horse. Aiding your horse in preparation for colder weather will help it decrease the requirement to eat greater amounts of feed in order to retain its weight. There’s no need for your horse to lose weight during the winter. Allowing your horse to put on a small amount of weight will help them in the winter months, as the superfluous fat will work as a cushion to provide the horse with energy if it becomes stressed. In the winter you will want to give your horse some extra calories.

Probably the most effective protection for a horse in the winter is its actual winter coat. If allowed to grow, it will act as a warm blanket which will reduce the heat loss that the horse experiences in chilly environments. Your horse’s coat is also glossy and will help brush off off snow and ice. If your horses are kept outside, you must make sure their coats grow enough before the temperature drops for winter.

To confirm the state of your horse, you will want to rub its ribs. A large winter coat can easily hide the fact the horse may be losing weight. Your horse should be lean enough so that you can feel the ribs, but not so lean that you can see them. Feel your horses ears. Do the ears feel cold? If this is the case, your horse is cold.

Like all animals which are warm-blooded, your horse must maintain its body temperature to stay fit and well. It is important that they conserve heat through the winter, so you must ensure they’re equipped for the frost.

Visit the Horse and Pony Directory for more information and horses for sale

February 22nd, 2010 by KittyKitty

Arabian horses (or Arabs) are horses which originate from the Arabian Peninsula for over 2000 years.

The Arab horses, when properly bred display many character traits including endurance, strength and beauty. Many experts on horses have concluded that Arabian horses are among the oldest breeds in the world.

The nomadic Bedouins were first given credit for taming Arabs. The Bedouins made every effort to protect the purity of these horses, and many could trace back the lineage of the horses they owned. This is why it was crucial during these times to depend on a strong, reliable horse. It also had to be able to inhabit the desert environment. Horses were used to take the Bedouin people into battle against other tribes.

The Bedouins soon acheived status for breeding some of the most beautiful arab horses ever seen. People would frequently meet to exchange the ancestry of their horses prior to being traded. There are a number of different variations of Arabian horses, which are known as strains. These Arabs have shared ancestory as well as a likeness in their appearance. Some of these are Hadban, Kuhaylan, and Dahman.

The Arabian horse of one of the most well known breeds in the world. Their heads are shaped like wedges, and they have large eyes and a small muzzle. Arabian horses which have a concave shaped nose are highly prized. An Arabian horse should have an arched neckline, with lean muscular legs. Their coat should be shiny, and can be likened to silk. Due to the fact that they do not have a fair arc(bascule)Arabian horses are not often observed at showing jumping contests.

Generally, the coat of an Arab horse is grey or brown although some may have black coats. Arabian horses with black coats were rare, because in the desert they would absorb heat, and this would be dangerous. Such is the purity of the Arabian horse gene, it is frequently used in accentuating the features of other breeds. Arabs are known for their relaxed temperament, making breeding them very attractive.

Arabian horses have been used in professional horse competitions for a long time, and Arabian horse games are being held every year in which the horses and their owners can compete with each other.

For more information, Horses for sale and more, please visit the Horse and Pony Directory