Last Blog Entry For 2008

Well, this will be the last newsletter this year becasue we're off for a break and so we wish you all a very happy, peaceful and safe Christmas.

I managed to find something new and I know it's nothing to do with horses but it's a ...pre-Christmas diet. You can download it here and it has lots of fruit in it which is good for us all at this time of year. As I see it, it's better to shed the kilos now and then you don't feel so guilty when you regain your original weight.(but please note that if you take this up it has to be at
your own risk.)

My friend Patricia watched the horse cantering backwards clip in the last newsletter and sent this one in of her own. Camels really can do Dressage. Have a look

A horse loving ranch owner in texas discovered oil on his ranch recently and so decided to add to his income by sinking a few wells and pumping it out. Imagine his feelings when, one night, he
decided to visit the wells in the middle of a storm to check they were ok.....and found this.

Here's a YouTube clip from champion US groom Laurie Pitts. It shows how she prepares a horse for an event. There's lots of great grooming tips here.

The Australian Bicentennial National Trail (BNT) is a 5,330 kilometre self-reliant multi-use route through bush, wilderness and mountain areas. It is suitable for horse riders, walkers and
mountain bike riders. The Trail winds through some of the most magnificent terrain in Australia; unsurpassed views, wilderness valleys and the excitement of the pioneering spirit will keep you
enthralled as you travel along the Trail or any section of it.

Here's the perfect Christmas gift for a horse lover. It comes with a 500 dollar shipping allowance. Curious? So was I, so I had a look.

We still have the great offers on H10 ointment and Elegance Red shampoo but we are closing the shop for christmas at 5pm on Friday so be quick!

Watch A Horse Cantering Backwards!

We're off for a break in December so there'll be no newsletters in December and all of you will no doubt be flat out preparing for the festive season to come - that's more than enough to be getting along with. We're also revamping the web site and moving our secure credit card payments system solely through Paypal. Why? Because the bank has raised the cost of processing CCs to a level we can't sustain. As far as all our buyers are concerned though, you'll notice very little change and of course the system is 100% secure.

One thing I'll miss, I help a world wide team write Santa letters to kids all over the world who write in with their Chritmas messages to the old man and I can't do it this year. It's a no cost service and believe me, the kids love it! You can access it for them too. Now the site won't open until around Dec 10th but I thought I'd give you the web address now since I won't be around then and so that you can be first in.

What was the first form of public transport used across urban Australia? Yes, you guessed it...here's a video of the first horse trams - it's episode 38
Caution - big file so only try to watch if you have ADSL or cable

Ever seen a horse cantering backwards? No?, well neither had I until Sue sent in this YouTube video. Amazing.

Rider to Rider: Riding While Pregnant. In the November 2008 Rider to Rider column, Practical Horseman readers shared their thoughts about riding while pregnant. Read more letters here.

There are 3 Horse Health newsletters this week and all are on important topics. There's nutrition, respiratory disease and deworming strategies

Here's a very sad story that's becoming all too common in the US and let's hope that it doesn't translate to us here in 'Oz. What happens when you can't afford to take care of your horse any longer?

A farrier with 40 years experience in his trade is writing a book to pass on his advice on keeping safe around horses to younger generations. Though not finished yet, it'll be a book well worth reading

You have just 10 days before we close the 2 for 1 offer on Elegance Red shampoo and H10 ointment. Worth a look.

Have a great week.

Geoff

New Horse TV Now Available

6 weeks to Christmas. Frightening isn't it. We've already had some cards arrive - some with snow scenes look ridiculous when I look out of the window and watch the sun and the blue sky. I have some friends originally from the UK who turn up the aircon fullblast on the 'great day' to try and recapture some of the 'old UK atmosphere'. We were invited to their festivities once but I inadvisedly told them that I thought the whole thing was crazy and I've never been invited back. I wonder
why....

Here's some info that could help you trailblazers out there. Master trail class lope-overs by learning how to gauge your horse's stride length with this private lesson from Charlie Cole.


Discover how Horse & Rider staffers' horses "type out" on the Parelli Horsenality Profile. Now I have to admit that I'm not an avid follower of this type of personality profiling of a horse. So I'm a bit old school I guess but my methods have always worked well for me. However, I'm not one for denying other methods so have a look:


The Horse Health newsletter is a good one this week with some relevant topics for us all.


The holidays are upon us and it is time to start thinking about what you want to get for the horse lover in your life. This kind person did some research and came up with some of the best gifts she could find online to help get you started. She's even separated them into 4 sections, the essentials, fun stuff, horse gifts for the kid in all of us and something for the guys. OK so it's mainly US stuff but you'll get some great ideas here.


The economic downturn is hitting Britain's paddocks as well as our own. Charities say they are getting more calls than ever from owners who can no longer afford to keep their horses. The Horse Trust says it has received 640 requests to retire animals in the past month - four times the usual amount. Read this BBC article:


I didn't believe it until I saw it. Horsegirl TV takes the classic world of horses and plugs it into the wired generation. Tune in, tack up...their words not mine. Have a look:


Our H10 ointment offer ( 2 for 1) is still on at www.h10.com.au. It's worth a visit.

Have a great week.

How To Learn From Horse Wrecks

Well - we watched the race that stops a nation at the local RSL. Great race but the only winners were the bookies who must have made a killing. She who must be obeyed won the fourth prize in the sweep and bought me a beer....made my day.
As I write history is being made in the USA and not before time. The last few months have been horrendous and the last year another true 'annus horribilis' as the Queen might put it. It can only get better.

This is the first edition of the Horse Nutrition electronic newsletter - worth a look with an article on feeding to lessen inflammation

Learning from Horse Wrecks - Sometimes a wreck or near-wreck can offer insight for better (and safer) horsemanship. Horse experts tell of their experiences.

Horse Training Success. Horse problems? - Here's a blog about the great and the silly of horse training from Phil Tragear with lots of contributions from ordinary horse lovers like you and I. Good reading too.

The Essentials of Parasite Control - from Equisearch. Here's how to maximize your horse's deworming program.

Here eventing trainer Brian Sabo teaches you three basic cross-country riding positions - classic,rebalancing and jumping.

Don't know how many of you use Wiki - the online encylopaedia but they now have a 'How To' wiki as well with a wealth of info on all things horsey.

Top tips here for all 'showies' from our sister company in the UK.

By the way, we won out Dragon Boat final in Grafton - gold medals all round (ok so they were plastic but they felt good).

We've still got a 'buy one get one free' offer on H10 ointment which should be an essential in any horse lovers tack box but don't just take my word for it. See what others think and then have a look.

Have a great week