Category Archives: Handy Tips

Some Deals and Free Education, always good!

I have several topics today so I bunched them all together into one post.

Deals and Squeals! Well, I guess I shouldn’t call Webinars “Squeals” but it rhymed so…

Anyway, I think webinars are a great way to get free information in a format that requires the instructor to be entertaining, succinct and accurate – or else no one would sign up and keep coming back… I’ve attended several free webinars and it is totally easy and anonymous. Sure, they know your email and whether you are signed in, but they don’t know what you are thinking, they won’t call on you to answer any questions, (you can be typing an email and they wouldn’t know – although you might miss something important…) and usually you can ask questions either by chat or phone.

WEBINARS

I have two I wish to speak about today.

1) “Managing Mud and Manure” via www.equestrianprofessional.com linked here.

This sounded great to me because I have both, mud and manure. I don’t know if I have the tools to manage my mud, but I’d like to know what I should be doing. And as far as the manure, well, any tip would be helpful. I’d like to learn a way to turn that stuff into gold.

I’ve never attended an equestrainprofessional webinar. So, I am not endorsing it. I’m just letting you know that I’m going to attend and you can decide if it interests you. You can sign up here.

Looks interesting... Click to go to the website

2) KAM Animal Services webinar, ‘GET IT IN WRITING’ linked here

OK, I’ve attended several of the free seminars from KAM and they are Great! Lots of useful information packed into an hour. They use diagrams and charts, it is easy to follow along and is hosted by vets, nutritionists and specialists depending upon the topic.

Some recent topics were: The equine gut, nosodes, equine jaw and teeth, understanding calories and treats… All VERY useful.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU SIGN UP TO ATTEND THIS FREE WEBINAR! (If the topic interests you, of course.) At the end of this webinar, they will give you the date and topic of the next one. Usually Monday evenings.

DEALS! – FLYMASKS

Well, ’tis the season for flymasks. So, while I was clicking around to find the best deals on the kind I like, I found some other interesting masks and deals…

1) CASHEL QUIET RIDE FLY MASK ($19.90)

OK, this is supposed to be for wearing over your bridle during a ride. It is lightweight and not very durable. BUT, my quiet, older retired mare just loves it!! She can wear it all night and it doesn’t really obscure her vision like other masks, it protects her sensitive eyes from sunlight/dust, and it has a forelock hole which she appreciates because she is fussy that way.

I have actually had her refuse to put on a heavier mask in preference for this Cashel Quiet Ride Mask. So now when I need to wash it, I have to take it off of her at night and make sure to wash it before I go to bed and then put it right back on her. She totally LOVES it.

However, this mask would be no good for anyone rambunctious because it is not durable.

I’m sure it works great for its intended purpose during a ride.

My old mare absolutely loves this mask! But, not durable for the youngsters...

2) CASHEL® COOL CRUSADER™ Standard Fly Mask without Ears ($17.90)

This is one of my favorite ‘all around’ masks. It is durable, has a forelock hole and is shaped well. So, if you need a great basic fly mask, this one is very hearty and should last all season. Of course, you don’t get a nose cover and you don’t get ears or eye darts, but this mask is a very good protector that will hold up all season – unless you have a destroyer horse who goes out of his way to wreck all flymasks…

This is a great 'all around' mask, on Sale at Dover.

3) EVADER HORSE FACE FLY MASK BY FOXWISE ($9.99!)

I have no idea about this flymask. But for $9.99, I am going to order one, just to see. They charge NO SHIPPING but they do add a small handling fee. There is probably a catch but maybe not. Last year I bought several cheap flymasks and loved them! (I could not find them this year or I’d tell you where to get them.) So, it could be worth it. On the other hand, dunno. I’ve also order flymasks off of Ebay and received something that might fit a llama or a camel but had no business on the face of a horse!

I have no idea about this one... but it's CHEAP! Could be worth a try.

4) ROD’S DESIGNER FLYMASKS ($17.99)

I have never ordered these… I just saw that they were on sale. Could be fun! And, an easy way to distinguish whose mask is whose!

I've never tried these but they are on Sale and it would be very easy to spot your particular horse, for sure!

5) CASHEL MULE/DONKEY MASK WITH EARS ($23.99)

I didn’t even know this existed!! Now, I’m not recommending this Ebay seller as I know nothing about this person/store. But, he did have the best price on these masks with donkey ears. I might purchase one for Norma except flies don’t bother her ears and she does just fine in a horse fly mask. But, I may get one special for my sweet donkey when hers wears out.

I never knew these existed!

DEAL AT SPRINGTIME, INC!

Springtime, Inc is the place where I get my garlic to keep the bugs, ticks, flies and mosquitoes off of my horses (in conjunction with predators and fly spray – in my experience, you need all three to be really successful). It really, really works because when I don’t use it, I see the difference!

However, garlic is kindof spendy… So, when Springtime is having any kind of sale, I jump on it.

I use this EVERY fly season.

Right now, they are giving free shipping! This is AMAZING because the containers are heavy. I buy the 27.5 lbs container and the shipping is intense. But for the month of April, the shipping is free!

And, if you purchase a certain amount, they give you bonus stuff which you can choose. I always get either more garlic or FRESH FACTORS for my older dogs. I don’t know

exactly why these chewables work better than any others I’ve tried. But they do. Dex is acting so much younger and less pained since he has been on these. You might want to pick Fresh Factors

This has really helped my older dog.

as your bonus item so you can try it for free and see if it helps your dog.

Anyway, if you are going to purchase garlic, now is a goooood time! Here is the link.

Free Shipping during the month of April!

EQUI-SPA DEAL (THIS JUST IN! FREE SHIPPING THROUGH APRIL 19 VIA INSTANT REBATE!)

OK, I’m starting to sound like a broken record here, but I really would not go without EquiSpa’s Peppermint Protection Spray (fly spray) and THE BALM. (All organic but they WORK! – surprised me, too!)

You know the Balm is my fav. It healed my eye so well even my Dr cannot believe it. And, it works great on horsey faces, tender areas, and sore areas to keep the flies/mosquitoes away. The horses love the smell. Same with the Peppermint Protection Spray (fly spray).

Equi-Spa has a Spring Warm-Up Deal linked here... You get Cool Muscle Wash Spray and Gel (to help get them back into the rhythm of working…) for a steal. And, if you order anything from Equi-Spa, you will get a free sample of the Balm. You just have to ask!

So, get the deal or get the Fly Spray and a free tester of the Balm or get the Balm with a free sample tester for your trail bag… whatever you want, they have lots of products. I highly recommend giving these a try! Just go to Equi-Spa and pick what you like – and ask for the free tester of the Balm – you will love it!

Here is my fresh bottle of fly spray and my tub of the Balm! As you can see, I've been using it on my brow...

JUST FOR FUN!

I’m adding a photo just for fun. I loved this image! How long is that guy going to be able to hang onto that rope? Ha! That baby kills me, too!

Uh huh. (click to enlarge)

HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!

April Drop in the Bucket Fund: THE HEARTBREAK KIDS.
Nurse Mare Foals. So sad. Born to be thrown away. But there are people who rescue these fine foals. To learn all about the Bucket Fund and to donate towards the care of The Heartbreak Kids, please click on the photo

Click on the image to learn about the Bucket Fund and these HEARTBREAK KIDS

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Your purchase with Riding Warehouse through this link helps the Bucket Fund!

HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth... if you like this, please pass it around!

TASTE TESTING Skode’s Salt Squares. My horses are the judges!

Sometimes I am sent products to test. I never say anything if the product doesn’t test well. But, if the product definitely shows an improvement in my horse or is well received, I talk about it.

A week ago, I was sent Skode’s Salt Squares to test on my fuzzies. I was so busy, I had to put it off for a week. But yesterday, I brought the bag to my taste testers, camera in hand, to record the event.

But first, the facts about the product…

SKODES SALT SQUARES- A SALT SUPPLEMENT IN THE FORM OF A COOKIE (no affiliation) THE WHYs

Skode Salt Squares were created to replenish the salt a horse needs after exercise (2 Squares per day will do ya), and to encourage a horse to drink so that he will moisten up after sweating. Dehydration is not good, as we know.

I know that my heavy trail riding friends and my endurance riding friends are always fighting the salt/sweat hydration war. Same with any performance horse… You can use these Salt Squares to “pre-load” before competition and then you can “after-load” to replace electrolytes.

Well, my horses don’t do much so they don’t lose too much salt. However, it sure gets hot here in Grass Valley and often I wish I had something to give Finn to make him drink after a ride – sometimes he drinks and sometimes he doesn’t. That worries me a bit. And I always wonder if my mineral supplements are giving them what they need, saltwise.

When I saw that 2 Salt Squares would give a horse his daily (sea)salt, I liked the simplicity. And, the bonus of these treats encouraging drinking is all good! So the thought behind the Salt Squares made sense to me.

Skode's Salt Squares, top and bottom. (Click on image to go to the website)

INGREDIENTS

I flipped over the bag that was sent to me and saw that all the ingredients are 100% Human Grade and Organic whole foods with Certified Organic herbs. The total combined sugar/starch combination is only 4.1%. Again, all good, especially because I have a few insulin resistant equines here.

Then I read the brochure and here is what impressed me besides the quality of the ingredients:

–The Salt Squares are made of:

Ancient Sea Salt (containing 60 trace minerals)

Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

Certified Organic Rosehips

Certified Organic Hibiscus Flowers

Human Grade Flax

A Proprietary Blend of 100% Natural Herbs & Spices

And, a quote from the doctor of Naturopathy that helped formulate the recipe:

We formulated our new “Salt Squares” recipe in conjunction with Cassie Schuster, a doctor of Naturopathy and a Master Herbalist in Texas:

“As a naturopath, I’m excited to be collaborating with a company that believes as I do: “real bodies require real food”. The top two ingredients in the “Salt Squares” – organic apple cider vinegar and ancient salt – are both critical to the nutritional richness of the Salt Squares.

“You won’t find grocery store apple cider vinegar here. Skode’s is using an organic apple cider vinegar which includes all the minerals and trace minerals in a naturally occurring ratio that a living body can then tap into and utilize. The typical grocery store apple cider vinegar has been pasteurized which destroys all the nutritional value of it. The same goes for the salt: Skode’s is choosing to use an ancient salt, with all the minerals and trace minerals put there by nature, instead of a man-made chemical table salt. The value of this formula is in the ingredients – authentic, living food from which horses greatly benefit. “

WHAT MY HORSES HAD TO SAY…

I set out to the Ranch Lab where all my equines awaited eagerly. (I know they know when I have treats…)

The first thing I did was open the bag that contained the Squares. I was a bit nervous that I had waited too long and the cookies had gone bad. But, the Squares had a lovely fragrance and were fine (without preservatives). This was a very good thing because many folks order products and cannot get to them right away. So Skode’s got a ‘thumbs up’ from me for having successful packaging.

I also had some trepidation because I wasn’t sure my horses would like salty things (some eat the salty minerals I put out and some don’t). I know I prefer chips to cookies, but there are plenty of people who like cookies over chips.

Also, I wasn’t sure that salt + sweet would be a good combination. What would that taste like and would they accept the odd flavor?

HERE IS A PHOTO JOURNAL OF HOW IT WENT DOWN…

First up was Norma. (I hadn't gotten my one-handed photo skills down yet) I could tell that she was surprised by the taste and she ate the Square very cautiously.

Remi held the Square for a minute to understand the initial taste/smell.

Remi asked for another and I obliged.

I felt a gentle push from behind and it was Norma, asking for another...

And then Remi having thirds. (She had 4 total.)

Bodhi stuck his nose through the fence to get his.

The ponies got wind of what was happening and ran over. Here is Slick pushing Dodger out of the way for his cookie - which he ate messily all by himself.

Dodger, ever polite, waited for me to give him a Square. He seemed non-plussed. The only horse who seemed to not care one way or the other.

Bodhi did his low 'love rumble' nicker so I have him another.

Gwen, my Einstein, is very particular. She had two.

Finn was waiting patiently so I gave him a Square.

BG came running when she heard the commotion! (Finn had another while we waited for BG,)

OMG! You'd think I'd given her crack cookies. BG went NUTS!

BG ate 4 in a row. She must have needed the salt.

I had to body block Finn and BG so that little Wrigley could have one.

BG finagled another out of me... (She had a total of 6.)

Mama Tess will eat anything I give her - as demonstrated here.

The bag was empty just as Wild Woman Sam approached the fence. She is wild so this was unusual. I poured the crumbs into my palm and she licked them all up. I couldn't get a photo because my hands were slimy.

This says it all... as I was going back to the house, Finn and BG made it clear they wanted MORE! Wrigley is in the back, of course. Poor guy.

IN CONCLUSION

10 of my 11 horses gobbled them up.

I think having these in my trail bag would be a real boost of confidence for me on long or hot rides. I know Finn and BG will eat them easily – replenishing their salts – and most likely the Squares will encourage them to drink afterward. Yay!

HOW TO GET SOME FOR YOUR TASTE TESTERS?!

Click here. Or, click on the image below. Let me know how it goes for you!