Equine Flu - Support Update

A very short message this week concerning the EI epidemic affecting us all.
In case you were wondering what's happening outside of the racing industry with the EI epidemic (and why not!), here's an important message of support. There is a body working for us and making some progress and I've attached a small text message with their initial committee report. Here's the web link to their initial meeting withthe Qld premier: http://www.qld.equestrian.org.au/?Page=15748

Next week we will have the full list of all the horse care tips we received from you during our last competition - complimentary of course!!!

AND, H10 will be having a sale...a BIG one. Don't neglect grooming your horse...take advantage of this one-off opportunity when we'll be selling for a limited time at COST!!
More details soon

Return From Broome!!

I took the other half up to Broome for a few days last week. Phew, it was hot but Cable Beach is a lovely spot . We hired a 50cc motorscooter to get around on...buzzy but fun! Must admit that I didn't see one horse there but did see a lot of camels!! Good old Qantas cancelled our flight back from Perth without telling us...panic ensued! Anyway we finally got some sense out of them and we were put up at the Sheraton at their expense for the night. Very nice too!

I have a special for you this week - my good friend Roger Bourdon has just republished his fully revised ebook 'How To Stay Safe On Horseback'.
He normally sells this to his clients but has let me have it as a complimentary download for all of you. It's 41 pages of good common sense and is useful for both inexperienced and experienced riders and if you train or instruct then it's a must!
You'll find it on this link here on the H10 site 'What's New' pagehttp://www.h-10.com.au/shopcontent.asp?type=News
It's at the BOTTOM of the page - it's in Adobe .pdf format and if you have any difficulty with it just drop me an email.

H10 Newsletter - Equine Flu etc

Just back from a visit to the UK - daughter and new grand-daughter are doing fine but I couldn't live there any more. It's nice to visit but it isn't Australia.......and besides, it's far too crowded and cold!!

I returned to read the EI news one month on so to speak. I've signed and sent on all the petitions sent to me and thanks to all of you who sent them. Seems that the racing industry is getting all the care and attention from our State Government. Now isn't that a surprise?! The rest of us wait in the wings for support and it could be quite a wait! EI has certainly decimated the whole equine market. For instance I know of retailers whose turnover has been hit hard. I haven't sold a unit of grooming product in 5 weeks!

At least the inquiry has started and already seems to have some firm direction as to where the whole sorry mess started. I'll follow it with some interest.
Time to remove the gloom for a while though.....

The London police are now using horse whispering techniques to soothe their charges after a hard day on the 'mean streets'! A vet commented "We hear a lot about these alternative therapies and I am afraid one gets a bit sceptical." http://tinyurl.com/2yl8zf

Dental problems in horses are often blamed for poor performance, but a recent study in Canada has found that floating the teeth of dressage horses appeared to have no effect on how they performed. http://tinyurl.com/2cw3fy

Here's a link to a video clip showing the training of a 4 year old quarterhorse - it's amusing and fascinating too!! Well worth a look. http://tinyurl.com/ysj3qk

Even horses who receive the best of care may develop the occasional skin problem. There's just no avoiding the host of bacteria, fungi, viruses and insects that can lead to lumps and bumps. This chart, however, may help you spot some of the most common equine skin troubles. Courtsey of Equus magazine. http://tinyurl.com/2qfhdo

Phew, that'll do for now. I feel another episode of jet lag coming on!! We have a new complimantary gift for you shortly....more news soon.

Horse Flu....

Well, if you own a horse, or even part of one and you live in NSWor Queensland then it's been a pretty terrible week. My heart goes out to all the horse lovers who make a living or a wage from the racing and stud business because the immediate future looks a little bleak. Thank goodness the other states are clear and let's hope it remains like that!! Now of course there will be a hunt as to how it all happened...if we didn't have horse 'flu before then it must have been imported somehow I guess!?

One of our readers was caught up in it all and Julie sent this to us:
"Yes I have been caught up in the horse flu, my twin sister and I were on our way to Lochinvar and we received a call 10 mins awayfrom Lochinvar! Well we drove right into it and there was nothing we could do about it except leave our horses there and drive home, it was awful for us both! Our sensibility told us to think about the safety of our horses and not about ourselves even though we are missing them so much. My sister lives in Sydney and I live in Tamworth so its not 5 mins away to visit. The costs are mounting up but we know they are in the best of care so we are more fortunate than some other people stranded at showgrounds!Just wanted to share my story with you, hope you don't mind...."
Although a bad situation, Julie's was better than some we heard of.
To cheer us all up, we got lovely pic from Kaylene of her polo cross horses

Look, I'm a bit 'truncated this week because I'm off, courtesy of Korean Airways, to the UK to do a bit of business and share some ideas with my friends at H10 UK, and of course to see my daughter & grandchildren (and her husband of course!!). I'll be away for 3 weeks or so and the better half will miss me like mad!!!
Before I sign off, here's a great story from Jeremy Law, a horse lover in the US who runs a 'horse farm'. It will make you laugh but there's a good moral to the story too. Hope you enjoy it:
http://tinyurl.com/2sgjfu
We've got just 10 bottles of Elegance Blue shampoo left - at $8 a litre for something so good it's a steal - have a look:http://tinyurl.com/y4rtxj

Have a great weekend...and don't forget your Dad!!!

H10 Sponsored Riders Success!!!

I don't like to boast....well actually I do..again!

Many congratulations to our two sponsored riders who did extremely well at the recent Royal Brisbane EKKA Show.
Jackie Long took out Supreme ASH and 1st led & ridden ANSA stallion with HezaStar. 'Time to Celebrate' took out Champion ANSA stallion and Colt Sheza Barbie ( owned by Jane Davies ) won Champion Buskskin. A good friend of ours, TJ Moore also won Champion Quarter Horse gelding.

Kim Durante continued her remarkable success run taking out Champion Queensland Hack again. That's 3 years in a row!! And, for good measure, she also collected Champion Galloway Show Hunter.All our sponsored riders prepare their horses with H10 grooming products, of course!!

It pays to back the best, and to use the best!!!

New Horse training DVD/Book Package

Firstly - thanks to all of you who sent their best wishes...it's much appreciated and I'm now back on my bike again!! Doesn't compare with a horse of course but then my back gave up horses a while ago!!!!
Trolling around the net this week for interesting stuff has been frustrating!! Thank goodness for Equisearch!! Heard a lot on the ABC Country Hour yesterday about the changes in equine dentistry and the consequences of that to all horse owners. It's a concern since it looks as if horse dentistry is about to get a lot more expensive. I'll be looking into that and writing a separatepiece for you.

Follow these five simple rules to increase your horse's chance of living to a ripe old age. http://tinyurl.com/2rusp6

Weaning your horse is always a worrying period. Do you get it right? Here are some tips for a stress free time!! http://tinyurl.com/2moert

I may have mentioned Alphahorse before but it's a great free resource for all sorts of training tips: http://tinyurl.com/2yjmfr

My good friend Roger Bourdon has a newsletter that's always interesting - and aimed squarely at horse lovers. Go on, have a look: http://www.anyhorsebackriding.com/horsesource/070816.html

Finally, we are proud to announce that we have the Des Kirk DVD & Book Package now available!! The dvd shows Des teaching the gentle Kel Jeffrey horse training method and is backed up by his 64 page book fully illustrating and explaining all the techniques used in the dvd. The perfect handbook and a great package at a great price!! Have a look here: http://www.h-10.com.au/shopexd.asp?id=91

From The Heart...So To Speak!

It's been a copule of very interesting weeks for me but I won't bore you with the details....suffice to say that I've had multiple bits of metal called stents stuck into various heart blood vessels!! Still here, replumbed and ready to go!!! Have to say it gives you a new outlook on life though!!
Everything is looking to Spring at the moment with the birds going mad, the local magpies as pesky as they usually are this time of the year and of course, all our horses one year older then last month!!.

Here's a good article on the Health Problems of Young Horses in Training - worth a read as it may apply to your horses as much as to anyone else in the training game: http://tinyurl.com/yszrp3

Here's an article from the UK on Dawn Savage, a well known horse problem solver. The article wrongly quotes Monty Roberts as being the first 'horse whisperer' which is nonsense of course. http://tinyurl.com/2grxvq

Here in Aus, Kel Jeffrey predated Monty's techniques by years but didn't have quite the commercial success!! You can see a small clip of Kel's techniques here: http://tinyurl.com/2kjy6m

You might remember in an earlier letter I outlined an upcoming event, "Women Luv Horses", a three-day celebration of the special relationship between women and horses. Well, by all reports the event was a great success and you can read a great article on it here: http://tinyurl.com/38dzyr

The Right Start for a Young Horse? Doug Payne is making a name for himself as a great trainer for problem horses and at 25, he's got everything going for him. Here's a great piece on how he tackles a problem horse. http://tinyurl.com/25sg9a

John O'Leary has just updated his Horseproblems Australia web site. John's an Australian legend in the horse business and it's well worth taking a look:http://tinyurl.com/qdy2s

We've still PLENTY OF BOOKS AT 20% Discount on the H10 web site and a DVD SALE too. Have a look - http://www.h10.com.au/There's a new competition coming soon with the usual great monthly PRIZES......more soon.

Fruitpicking and things.....!

Doing my best to finish this before I get hauled into the kitchen! The better half has raided the citrus trees and so it's juice, marmalade, chutney and jam time. Guess who gets roped in for the peeling etc!!
Horse-enthusiasts may be excited to learn that Atari have secured an exclusive worldwide license from the International Equestrian Federation and are now working on a game entitled My Horse and Me, a horseback riding and equestrian lifestyle video game or PC, Wii and Nintendo DS.http://tinyurl.com/2scxxs

Whilst we're on the subject of games, why not try Howrse, the most complete and powerful horses and ponies breeding game! Create your horses, breed them and make them the best! Take responsibilities and manage an equestrian center! By the way, best of all it costs nothing and is great fun!http://www.howrse.com/

There are some good horse mags out there that provide great info...better still when it costs nothing! here's one for you:http://www.equestrianmag.com/

and, while we're on the subject, the new issue of Australia's HorsePower mag is now available. here's a preview for you...and no, I don't get rewarded for the plug!!!http://www.horsepower.net.au/winter07.html

In time for the Spring and Summer we know is coming soon (I wish!!). When you're really serious about keeping flies OFF of your horse, fly sheets can protect him with new types of fabric and innovations that improve fit to help sheets stay put. A sheet may not safeguard every square inch of your horse--though some come close--but it can banish insects from large tracts of skin, enabling you to use fly repellent more selectively on what remains exposed. This courtesy of Equus Magazine:http://tinyurl.com/ysezqf

Now here's a statistic for you....A recent American Horse Council study finds that the horse show industry has a $28.8 billion effect on the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. Given that the USA has a population of 300 million and we have 21 million then in Australia we should be adding roughly $2 billion US or 2.35 billion Aus. That's a lot on money! It's a fascinating article too....http://tinyurl.com/282ydc

We've had great interest in the new 'Des Kirk teaches the Kel Jeffrey Horse training method' dvd. If you've ever 'started' a horse or are interested in it then you should have a look at this gentle horse starting method...all Australian of course!!! There's a clip for you to look at too (but not the same quality as the dvd of course!). http://tinyurl.com/38999a
Have a great weekend and enjoy the warmer weather. Next month it's the Royal Brisbane Show or EKKA! A great show for horses so if you can get there, then get there!!

Cold Horses & Warm Remedies

Can't believe the cold snap we're having. She who must be obeyed (the wife) has made me buy a new electric blanket with 2 controls since she likes the bed warmer on her side than I do!! I think the weather has made me forgetful too because the tame vet phoned me (on his brand new 3G mobile, paid for by the practice of course) from his holiday in sunny Cairns to remind me to do the competition results. Forgotten,what me?!
Have to say that we could do with some more monthly entries guys.....please!! The prizes are well worth it!!! Anyway, Nerida won this month with a very topical winter tip and, since I'm a fan of garlic (hadn't you noticed!!) I think it was a cracker and even the tame vet agreed, not that he could spend more then 2 minutes helping me judge this month....'too expensive on this phone' he whined. Yeh, right!

Here's Nerida's tip:
A few years ago my horse had a cold virus from travelling interstate. I called the vet in and for 2 weeks he was given antibiotics and the penicillin. Neither cleared it up and he was miserable....just like a human!! I went to see the natropath and she made up a mixture that she would give to humans. She made up a large bottle and said I should administer 10ml mixed with hot water, lemon juice, spoon of honey and lots of real garlic. The mixture stank a bit when added to food but he was hungry so ate it up. The virus cleared after 2 days and the vet was amazed at the results. If you can put up with the smell of the horse sweating garlic out then I suggest it to anyone. After that I have kept up garlic coming into winter. This beats the amount of mucus and also the thought of giving injections. Nerida gets a GREAT prize!!

Here are a few links from Equus this month - I'm sure you'll find them interesting:
Here are the vital statistics on the must-have vitamins that fuel a variety of your horse's body functions. Useful for the cold! http://tinyurl.com/2bwlam

What was thought to be a calm and peaceful day turned into a chaotic scene as a agistment owner welcomes his picky new boarders and their high-maintenance horses. Had to put this one in because I've always treated my horses as working animals...not pampered pets. Agree or disagree, you'll find this amusing!!!http://tinyurl.com/yoay3j

Evaluate and place these 3- and 4-year-old Quarter Horse geldings in your order of preference. Then see how your choices compare to the expert judges opinions.http://tinyurl.com/273jj8

The 'Des Kirk Shows Kel Jeffrey's Training Method' is now available. A great dvd showing this, probably the gentlest horse training you'll see!! It's at http://www.h10.com.au/ Just go to the dvd page - you'll see dvd's on the nav bar on the left.

ALSO...we've got a new dvd on Gymkhanas and all you need to know about them. This is a USA dvd but very comprehensive and suitable for riders, experienced or not AND clubs wanting to set up mounted games. The out-takes are good too and postage is included in the price!!! http://tinyurl.com/2csdv4
Keep warm won't you!

Newsletter and A Brand New DVD

Well - it's throwing it down here today and is likely to for the rest of the week. Wish I had a pipeline to west of the Great Divide and we could export the stuff!! It's so cold that we've had a veritable cross section of Australian native birds all sitting under the roof of our deck keeping dry. Can you believe there's not a fight, squabble or complaint from any of them!! Even the lorikeets are quiet!!

Map My Ride - is a new service that enables you to map your favourite rides - and it can be used for us horse riders too!! Imagine strapping the GPS to the saddle and hitting the 'random' button!! You could go anywhere on any ride you'd plugged in to the machine!!!
http://tinyurl.com/278gh8

Horse Sitter Checklist
If you plan to leave your horse in the hands of a sitter, you'll need to equip him or her to handle any situation that might come up, so you can enjoy your trip worry-free. Use this countdown checklist from Equisearch to make sure you remember every detail.
http://tinyurl.com/334qk2

NEWS...we have a new dvd on gymkhana riding available soon with hints on how to ride the games, follow the rules etc, etc.
At Last - we have the Des Kirk horse training dvd available. You can read the details and view a clip of the dvd here: http://tinyurl.com/2hqbs6
We think it's a great programme and shows Des, one of Australia's best horse trainers, at work with a trainee and an unbroken horse. His blend of expertise and knowledge is second to non and his use of the gentle Kel Jeffrey method is superb. The programme is at a price that won't break the bank either!!
http://tinyurl.com/278gh8

We Sponsor Ivery Park - and we're proud of it!!

Jackie Long of Ivery PArk stud is one of the leading ASH breeders and competitors in Australia. We support them and their horses - they always look splendid because they're groomed with H10 products!! Here's a picture of their two beautiful stallions and if you need to call on their services then you have all the details!!!

Jesse Beery Horse Training Video

We got a new package recently that tunrs Screen presentations into videos so we thought we'd tell you about Jesse Beery - the famous US horse trainer.
We made this video...have a look and if you've any comments we'd be glad to hear them!!

H10 Horselovers Blog - Weird Week Articles!!

Hi there,
What a weird week - we were just on the edge of the east coast weather system and so got rain but no real storms. Now it's threatening all over again this week. Keep the fingers crossed!!Our thanks to Equus for some of these articles.

Here's a great little article on preparing for the Show....anyshow! http://tinyurl.com/23wjh9

Trail riding is an important recreation...it's also a great holiday activity AND provides an income to many. Here are a few timely tips for creating a trail riding survival kit. http://tinyurl.com/35wdgd

Thrush, a fungal disease, can be a real problem in your horse's feet...and elsewhere too. Here are some good vet tips for you.http://tinyurl.com/3a3nvc We'd also suggest that if your horse gets thrush (frogs, mud fever,rain scald) you might try H10 ointment or H10 spray if a larger area is involved. http://tinyurl.com/2gb8zr

Some of you might have Arab horses so here's a short guide from a keen Arabian owner 'blogger' on how to clip Arab feet for the show circuit.http://tinyurl.com/yoawa5

Mounted police DO have different training techniques for their horses. You might not be able to get along to this demo but you can read a little more about their methods here:http://tinyurl.com/36usjs

As a SPECIAL offer this week, we have reduced the series of John Pinnell horse training dvds to half price! Yes, that's 50% off AND with free shipping. Here's the link for youhttp://tinyurl.com/lr43x and remember, you don't have to give us your credit card details on line - just fill in the online order form and we'll contact you if you'd prefer. By the way, we still have 50% off Elegance Blue shampoo but the stocks are going fast. Get your hands on a great bargain!

Heza Star - Ivery Park Stud Champion ASH

Here's a great picture of Heza Star - one of Jackie Long's Champion stallions from Ivery Park Stud. Heza Star took out the High Point Horse of the Show sponsored by RM Williams and Denis Jackson Saddler award at the recent ASH Nationals.

This beautiful animal is of course groomed with H10 grooming products and I have to admit that they make a superb horse like this, look even better....don't you agree!!!

H10 Blog Post for June 4th 2007

There's no doubt that winter's arrived in a rush and we've even had a touch of frost here on the coast. At least I won't have to mow the lawns for a while!!

Here's a story about Scrooge the police horse who retires after 16 years as a police mount. Hope he'll get a generous state pension because he'll have earned it! http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2007/05/091.shtml

A French study over the last four years has identified nine simple tests on young horses to assess their temperament in later life.Could be useful?! Have a look: http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2007/01/021.shtml

If you fancy horse training with Capt. Mark Phillips, ex husband of HRH Princess Anne and now Chef D'Equipe for the US 3 day event team then here's your chance. Price is a bit steep though. Even so, you get a private dinner with him complete with bagpiper (that's a matter of taste I suppose). I met HRH Anne once at Badminton (a big 3 day event in the UK). We bumped into each other in a saddlery tent and I have to say in the flesh she was quite something....then the 'minders' stepped in so I didn't have a chance to get her phone number! Pity. http://tinyurl.com/yv4lds
Should a horseowner be concerned when her gelding mounts her mare? Read for yourself: http://tinyurl.com/32uzfu

H10 Horselovers Newsletter Blog

So it's winter - nearly and it's 22C here today on the Mid North Coast!! Last night we had a power cut right in the middle of the evening. Must admit, candles have their very own romance...for about twenty minutes!! Dry as a bone here again but at least our farmers out west have something to smile about...long may that continue! Very 'eclectic' or mixed bag of goodies for you this week. By the way, we've had very few entries to our monthly competition. Don't you want to win a great prize??? Go to http://www.h10.com.au/ and fill in the competition page!
For those of you who always wanted to be cowgirls, here's a nice site to view: http://www.cowgirls.com/
I read a great article on teaching your horse to do simple tricks and it could be great fun for you AND your horse: http://www.equestrianmag.com/news/trick-horse-training-dvd-fletcher-4-07.html
Did you know that horses can recognise and behave in differential ways to males and females. Fascinating! http://www.janesanders.com/gendersmart/2007/05/horse-human-connection-gender.html
Now I didn't realise that the horse racing industry in the UK needs one but they've appointed the first chaplain to the industry. read about that here: http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/324971419281883.php
Finally, did you know that your horse can be a great weathergauge?? Read this revelation here: http://equisearch.com/humor/weathergauge_020707

If any of you have an interest in the history of Australian horse trainers, we have a great 20 minute DVD, very reasonably priced, bythe late, great Kel Jeffrey, one of Australia's greatest horse trainers. This dvd shows Kel's method as demonstrated by the man himself and is a great introduction into this gentle horse training method. There's a clip on the H10 web site for you to view too sogo to http://www.h10.com.au/ and go to the dvd page and have a look!

ASH Nationals

Spent the last few days at the ASH Nationals in Camden about 60klms south of Sydney. Had a wonderful time with some great people andsome of the nicest natured horses I've ever been around...same for the people too! The event was huge and shows how the ASH fraternity is growing...they even have a branch in the US now!! We were very happy to sponsor some of the events and the overall level of competition was very high. We'll be back!!
This week we've gone for some good, useful articles for you. Here's a guide and a downloadable file on preventing laminitis :http://tinyurl.com/2mzzlb
I'm not a 3 day event fan but there are some lovely all action event pictures here: http://tinyurl.com/2zhegp
It's tough when your horse passes on...grief can be devastating if you don't know how to handle it. Here are some resources:http://tinyurl.com/2m9eol
Finally, here's a story about what happens when your horse gets back problems: http://tinyurl.com/346rb9
All our articles this week are courtesy of Equisearch..thanks to them!
Nearly forgot - We have 4 copies of 'Chicken Soup For The HorseLovers Soul' available. Just arrived at http://www.h10.com.au/

Latest Horse News From H10

Visited Northern NSW for a spell over the weekend. Lovely country and the Borders National Park was spectacular. Picked up a tick too which didn't show it's fangs until yesterday and wife (ex nurse) had great delight on extricating it (painfully). Yuk!

Lots of good articles for you to look at this week and here's one about horses getting fat...and the problems associated with that. It's hard enough for us to try and keep slim so here's another dose!!

Showmanship isn't necessarilly the art of the Show Horse but the art of making your horse look it's absolute best to anyone around...including any judges. Here's a great article that explains and 'shows'

Selecting the best fitting bit for your horse should be something we really care about...after all, how would you feel wearing a steel denture like Jaws in the James Bond films?! Here's a good article from a Western expert that tells all:

Now, here's a question. Do you know the age of the oldest horse in the world? Click on this link and be surprised. I certainly was and I even told the tame vet about it. He doesn't believe it of course!

It was the great Kentucky Derby at the weekend I believe, one of America's biggest races. here's the story of how some enterprising horse lovers trained their one-eyed colt to run in the great race!!

I had to put this in...the do's and don'ts of grooming a horse. We all have our own styles so have a look and see what you might learn.

Finally, we have another 5 copies of 'Chicken Soup For The Horse Lovers Soul' now in stock. Our book wholesaler took pity and sent us their entire stock!!! They say it'll be months before more arrive so if you'd like one, perhaps as a belated Mothers Day present, then jump to and click on the books category in the left margin. http://www.h10.com.au

I'll be at the ASH Nationals next week where we are sponsoring some events. Sounds like it will be a great show so if you're there come and say hello. I will probably be the guy in the battered blue Akubra and the H10 shirt!!

Avoiding Laminitis

Equus has produced a great 10 point guide to avoiding this horrendous hoof disease in horses. It's in the latest edition for April...
If feeding concentrates:
1). Match the horse's diet to his energy needs. Feed only as much high energy concentrate as required.
2). If extra energy is required or the horse is losing weight feed oats or a low-starch commercial mix fortified with a couple of cups of veggie oil.
3). If you correct his diet, do so gradually so as to reduce any chances of digestive distress.
4). Prevent bingeing by keeping feeds secure and out of the way. Horse proof feed bins are ideal.

Grazing:
5). Limits access to lush grass. Limit any grazing with newly turned-out horses to 15 minutes a day and gradually build up to the desired turn out over the next few weeks. If you have a laminitis susceptible horse or one that has already suffered, consider muzzling him if you turn him out on lush grass.
6). Offer quality grass hay that has been tested for starch & sugar. Avoid clover and alfalfa for susceptible horses.

Health Care:
7). Prevent systemic illness through regular worming, vaccinations and good general health maintenance.

Hooves:
8). Have hooves trimmed regularly.
9). If you have a lame horse then support his opposite good foot as well as his problem foot to reduce the chance of mechanical laminitis.
10). Avoid long gallops over very hard ground which can subject hooves to excessive and damaging concussion.
(courtesy of Equus April 2007)

Cat Catches Bus To Fish 'n Chip Shop

Yes I KNOW that this has got nothing to do with horses but.....
An English cat has spent the past three months jumping on a bus and riding it two stops down the road before leaping off near a fish and chip shop. The cat, which jumps on the no 331 service in Wolverhampton, has stunned bus drivers who have since nicknamed it Macavity after the secret cat in a T.S. Eliot poem.
Driver Bill Khunkhun, 49, said Macavity caught the bus three times a week and always got on and off at the same spot along the busy route.
....you see, I used to live in Wolverhampton and I used that bus route too. Can't say I remember the Fish 'n Chip shop though. As for the cat, I suspect HE might have a very valid reason for his actions?!