BEFORE WE BEGIN:  WE ARE ORDERING BITLESS LG BRIDLES THIS WEEK (FROM GERMANY).  IF YOU WANT ONE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW VIA THIS LINK.  YOU CAN READ TESTIMONIALS FROM OTHERS WHO HAVE PURCHASED THIS AMAZING (IMHO) BRIDLE

RECEIPTS FOR OUR DECEMBER BUCKET FUND CHARITIES

Thank you!  During December, the most difficult month to fund raise, the Horse and Man Group collected and donated $600 to needy horses.  Wow!  Thank you!

1)  Tullie (the burned horse) and Gump (the “different” horse) both reside at HORSE FEATHERS EQUINE RESCUE.    Tullie received $205 in donations and Gump received $145.  The total to Horse Feathers was $350!

THANK YOU!  They were thrilled to receive the funds!

2)  Next up was Dixie (the forgotten older mare) who resides at BEAUTY’S HAVEN FARM AND EQUINE RESCUE.  Dixie received $165 in donations and Theresa was thrilled with our donation!

3)  Finally, the Wild Mustangs and Burros who reside at DREAMCATCHER SANCTUARY received $85.  This is in addition to the $1000 the Horse and Man Group donated to them in November.  We are sponsors and they love the generosity of the Horse and Man Group!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for being so generous to the needy horses during a very busy Holiday month!  All your support is greatly appreciated.

HOT TIP #1

This may not be fair since many of you are not from my area.  In fact, MOST of you are not in my area.  But, a while ago I told you all about how boat ramp steps (the steps one uses on a dock to get into a boat) which are sold at Marine Supply stores, are less expensive than steps/mounting block that are sold at equestrian outlets.  And, they serve the same purpose.

Well…  Auburn Outboard Marine (530-885-5569) here in Loomis, CA is going out of business (poor guys…) and I saw a bunch of those two and three step mounting blocks sitting out front on sale!  Bonus!  Not only are they less expensive than equestrian mounting blocks, but they are even further reduced by this sale!  I’m guessing they will make a great deal on a new mounting block for you!

HOT TIP #2

Have you heard of Speedi-Beet?  I hadn’t either…

Basically, I looove feeding beet pulp (not the shreds, only the pellets) to my horses.  It is a great feed and very cost effective.  If you would like to hear what a vet has to say about beet pulp as a great supplemental food for Insulin Resistant, Laminitis/Founder prone, or just any horse for that matter, click here.

Anyway, I serve beet pulp daily.  One problem with it is you HAVE to soak it overnight.  And, some people are not too secure that their feeder person will be sure to soak the beet pulp pellets long enough.  (I don’t have that problem because I dump a cup into a bucket, cover it with a few inches of water and then put it in the refer overnight – takes me a minute.)  I realize not everyone has the luxury of a refer in their feed room.  So, if the weather is hot or if you don’t trust your feeder to soak it long enough,  beet pulp can be tricky.

Well, the hot tip is that now a few places are importing SPEEDI-BEET from England.  The great thing is that Speedi-Beet is ready within 15 minutes!  I have not used it, but I have only heard good things. Another great feature is that Speedi-beet is supposed to go farther than a 50lb bag of beet pulp pellets.  Here is a review.

So, if you want to use beet pulp pellets as a support feed but are afraid that your feeders won’t soak it long enough… or if you live in a really hot area, you might want to check this out.  I am going to purchase some Speedi-Beet just to see if it does last longer than a 50lb bag of Beet Pulp pellets that I get from my feed store.

You can get Speedi-Beet at Emerald Valley as well as White Haven Farms.  Both are the same price and on the East Coast. I hear that Emerald Valley may have some deal on shipping.  Not sure.

HOT TIP #3 FREE WEBINAR, MONDAY – JAN 10!!  I’M DOING THIS FOR SURE!

I’m a strong proponent of  “You are what you eat”.  I also believe that for our horses so I’m real big on equine nutrition.  I don’t go crazy with equine nutrition because I can only afford what I can afford.  But, I sure want to educate myself so that I know what I’m feeding my horses.  Some things are so simple and education is the key.

Anyway, you all know that I’m a supporter of Kam Animal Services and Gabrielle Sutton.  She is one of the foremost equine nutritionists and I have used her wisdom personally.

The GREAT TIP is that she is holding free webinars.  I participated in the first one last month and it was great!  Gabrielle is so knowledgeable without making you feel stoopid, if you know what I mean…  And not only is she infinitely knowledgeable, but she has guest vets participate and other leaders in the nutrition field – all for FREE.  You can ask questions via the web and I guarantee you will learn something.  I always learn something when I listen to Gabrielle – even when I think I know it all!

So, there is another free webinar on Monday, Jan 10 at 7:30pm Central time.  You need to register to attend — click for more info and registration

The topic is: How to restore and re-condition Equine Digestive and Gut Health. Here is a link to register.

The best news is that Gabrielle has several topics she will be exploring in the future via the webinar system.  ALL FREE.  If you sign up for this one, or go to her website, you can put yourself on a list to receive more information on future topics.  Here are some ideas for the upcoming topics:

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

JANUARY BUCKET FUND:  To learn all about January’s Bucket Fund for the support of the Pyramid Reservation Orphan Foals who were saved last week from slaughter! Please click on the photo (photo credit, Trish Lowe)