Dragon Boats, Vitamins for Horsegirls, Washing Tips etc

Went Dragon Boating over the weekend (well, the better half did!)
to support Dragons Abreast, the breast cancer support group. Rained
all day but lots of keen people turned up and it was a great event.
I supported with lots of pictures and put some up on Face Book for
those of you interested:
http://tinyurl.com/5ma5ph

I found a new web site devoted to the care of foals but it has lots
of useful tools for all horses and is well worth a look:
http://www.foalcare.com

Here's a great washing tip courtesy of the current edition of Horse
and Rider.
When you toss your horse's dirty leg wraps into the washer you end
up with a tightly tangled mess. SO, tuck the wraps into a small
lingerie bag before you wash them. If you do more than one set at a
time, use a separate bag for each set. Result? No more tangles and
your sorting will already be done

In the USA, 'show apparel' is a big thing, particularly at Western
meets. Have a lool at some of the fashions for yourself. Click on
the 'apparel by Diane Olsen' link when you get on to this site but
beware, make sure the bank account is topped up.
http://www.showtimeshowclothing.com/apparel/index.html

Girls will be girls...and we love them for it. Here's a new site
with Vitamins by Horsegirls for Horsegirls. Um!
http://www.horsegirlvitamins.com/

Ron Meredith, a well know horse expert has written a short column
worth looking at and aptly entitled 'Training Mythunderstandings':
http://tinyurl.com/3wjga4

According to Heather Sullivan, deputy director of public relations
for the Humane Society of the United States, horse owners
nationwide are limiting or foregoing basic horse care, including
veterinary and farrier services, thanks to overall cost-of-living
increases. As a result, veterinarians are finding ways to help
owners minimize costs without sacrificing basic care:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=12012
I asked the 'tame' vet about this one...I won't go into details about
his answer...

Lastly, I don't advertise often but with winter coming on now and
horses out and about, scratches, cuts, grazes bumps and bruises can
be a problem particularly if you don't spot them straight away. The
current wet weather in some parts might also see some Mud Fever
outbreaks too so get yourself a tub of H10 ointment.
We have a special this month where we're giving 2 for 1. Have a
look here, http://www.h-10.com.au/shopexd.asp?id=14 but don't just
take my word for it, there are some links there to lots of users
who have written of their great results with H10 ointment.
It's a must for your tack box or stable shelf.

Have a great week...don't forget the competition. We've had some
terrific entries so far.....

Australia's Olympic Equestrian Progress

Hi there
So much rain...it's weird to watch it advancing on the Weather Bureau's internet radar, a massive blue, green and yellow image heading directly for us! Nature has a great way of warning us too...no birds for a day! They seem to know despite not having weather radar or computers!!

There have been some great entries into the new competition we are running and I think we'll have a free disk full of marvellous 'magic moments' when we finally end it. If you haven't entered your 'magic moment' then go to www.h10.com.au/competition.asp

I've ordered some brand new horse book titles including Braiding Manes and Tails by Charni Lewis. This new book has had rave reviews around the horse world and is now just becoming available here in Aus. I'll post more details when it arrives.

Here's a comprehensive 'check list' you might useful before any trips you might make with your horse:
http://tinyurl.com/5p397j

The Draught Horse Competition and Field Day took place on Sunday as part of Beef Week Family Day in casino - this article has a lovely picture of a Clydesdale...beautiful horses!!!
http://tinyurl.com/5ytxbm

Here's a quote from a battling US father of horse loving daughter, "This is my daughter's horse, Artesima. Feed, stable, grooming, transport, showing, freakin shoes and gear for her, priceless. For everything else in our life, there's Mastercard."
Love it!!!

The Horse newsletter this month has some excellent articles on laminitis both acute and chronic:
http://tinyurl.com/5k3k5f

What's your horse thinking? Bestselling author Temple Grandin offers a window on the equine mind, courtesy of Equisearch:
http://tinyurl.com/24pzf3

Finally, I don't often publicise the Aus Olympic team's progress but here's the latest newsletter from the Equestrian Federation outlining the team progress for Olympic selection. Any of you who watched the ABC last night will have seen first hand some of the sacrifices budding members of the team have made during the horse flu epidemic. But then, so have we all.......
http://www.equestrian.org.au/

Have a great week

H10 - New Competition Starts!!

Hi there
Seems like our winter has started early this year...our wattle birds are broody again and I reckon they're are far too well endowed with hormones! Their latest escapade is to try and nest in not just one, but TWO hanging flower baskets on the back deck...all in all about two metres from our outside table! A bird of very little brain I'm thinking!

I've puts lots of new stuff on the web site under the What's New page (where else?!) and this week, at long last we start the NEW COMPETITION!!
It's the idea of Reena who sent in the suggestion that we should run a comp entitled 'Magic Moments'. What we'd like are the magic moments you have shared with your horse. It could be a magic ride you shared, a magic experience, a magic day, a magic result...a magic anything really!!! As before we'll judge the entries monthly and I'm looking forward to the company of the 'tame' vet once again. He's looking forward to the coffee and muffins as usual!

We'll award a great prize to the winner every month and publish the winning entry in this news letter and on the H10 site and H10 blog. Fame at last!!!
We'll also collate the entries and make up an e-book to give away at the end of the competition.
So, don't be shy...give it your best and share your 'Magic Moment' with the hundreds of horse lovers who receive this newsletter!! Here's the link to click on:
http://www.h-10.com.au/competition.asp

Have a great week!
Geoff

Australian Horsemaster Special

Isn't it getting cold?! Since I cycle in the mornings to try and keep fit (don't laugh yet, the joke is yet to come!) the better half got me a new pair of black, lycra sports tights, guaranteed to keep me warm. Well, I was pleasantly surprised since they give me a 'cyclist' look I thought, that is until I saw myself side-on in the mirror the other morning....some 'bodily' improvements are required I think!!

I thought this week that I would give you some Australian horse masters to visit since we have a wealth of talent here outside the usual 'famous 5' or so that everyone quotes.

Wayne Anderson - a free lesson from Eques entitiled 'Handling Horses Softly'.
http://www.eques.com.au/training/previous/softly.htm

Steve Brady - For people who enjoy advancing their horses by educating and improving themselves
http://www.stevebradyhorsemanship.com/

Phil Rodey - here's his website but I couldn't find any up to date info for him there.
http://www.philrodeyhorsemanship.com.au/

The ability to understand life from the horse’s point of view that has made Ross Jacobs and Michèle Jedlicka popular among horse owners who are looking for a willing partnership with their horses.
http://www.goodhorsemanship.com.au/index.html

Here's the latest Horse health E-newsletter - a good read for anyone involved or concerned about horse health topics
http://www.thehorse.com/enews/5202008.html

Next week we start a BRAND NEW Competition with the return of great monthly prizes and the 'tame vet' too. Um!! More details soon!

H10 Horse Lovers Blog - Budget Special!!

Interesting budget wasn't it? Bang goes my new Ferrari with the car tax increases...I wish!! Nothing in it at all for small business though....
I've added a whole raft of small articles to the H10 web site that I hope you'll find useful. I'll be adding a whole lot more in the upcoming weeks. You can view and download them here:
http://www.h-10.com.au/shopcontent.asp?type=News

Here's a useful Equine Body Language Chart - courtesy of Equisearch
Use this body language chart to understand your horse's mood through his physical clues. I like it!!!
http://tinyurl.com/5dlobu

Learn how to manage a pony with laminitis with attention to grass, supplements, hoof trimming and more in this edition of Dr. Joyce Harman's Ask the Vet on EquiSearch.com.
http://tinyurl.com/5q8hd3

What to Look for in a Dressage Horse??
Find out what to look for in a dressage horse and why a big mover might not be your ideal partner:
http://tinyurl.com/6arekr

I met up with my 'tame vet' the other day. Remember him? He used to help me judge our competition entries and asked me why I hadn't been in contact. Could be that we never agreed on the decisions!!! Anyway I said, no competitions recently!
He suggested I get one, fast...I think he just misses the wife's muffins and the great coffee. Seriously though, I'd like to start a new comp so if you have any ideas for one then let me know...there's a nice prize in it for any ideas that we pick and run with and I will of course acknowledge any suggestions.

We've a special on Elegance Red Label high foaming shampoo this month. If you haven't tried it than you should! Have a look:
http://tinyurl.com/6hvmsx

Some Great Articles This Week - Don't Miss Them

Terrible events in Burma that may be the worst since the S E Asia tsunami of a couple of years ago. I can only imagine what's it's like and a Burmese friend of mine hasn't heard from her relatives in a few days...very worrying. This isn't a charity site but if you can help then World Vision is helping there too:
http://www.worldvision.com.au/emergency/myanmarCyclone.asp?isource=64

Fibre in Hay - what's the magic amount? Christy West from The Horse, helps us:
http://tinyurl.com/5kkptd

Managing the Changing Needs of Older Horses
Time takes its toll in predictable ways, providing guidelines for managing the changing needs of older horses. This is a great article in Equisearch from Joanne Meszoly who wrote this after her experiences in WA:
http://tinyurl.com/4dqs72

Trimming Tips for Banded Manes by Patty Brumley. Try these tips for a tip-top mane trim.
http://tinyurl.com/6r3pg3

If you follow eventing, you'll know that there have been a spate of tragedies recently. Here are some discussions on proposed changes to make the sport safer from Nancy Jaffer and Practical Horseman.
http://tinyurl.com/4q4c5t

If you're taking your horse on a trip, then here's a great page of tips from The Horse for before, during, and after your trip to help your horses be safe, comfortable, and healthy.
http://tinyurl.com/3n24sk

We've had lots of interest in a CDROM we have on the site with the famous US horse trainer Jesse Beery's 'mail order horse training course' on it. Worth a look and not expensive either!
http://www.h-10.com.au/shopexd.asp?id=78

The wife is away for the weekend, the beer's in the fridge and the lads will be around later in the week. Who needs a shed?!!!
Hope you have a great weekend too!

Horses Get Dementia Too?!

Almost May already and, as always at this time of the year, I was duly taken out into the garden by the better half to be briefed on the changes she expects over the winter gardening period. I won't bore you with the list since it covers a whole A4 page but it looks like I'm going to be busy!!

I never thought about the prospect of dementia in elderly horses but it happens! Here's an interesting article from Equisearch on caring for the condition
http://tinyurl.com/43ukpu

The Perfect Stop For Your Horse. How to master your stopping cues to stay in-sync with your horse, and up your chances of a 'dynamite' showmanship pattern.
http://tinyurl.com/4um8tj

My UK friend Roger Bourdon has just published the final part of his series on 'Training To Load' your horse. The programmes come from a new dvd from Sue Gardner in the UK and if any of you would like further details just drop me a reply and I'll send them to you.
http://www.anyhorsebackriding.com/myblog/

Here's a great article from Karen Briggs on Horse.com on whether you can influence hoof growth and what form that might take. Incidentally, if you haven't registered for this site then you really should. It costs nothing and it's a mine of info for horse lovers.
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=3297

Before you decide on signing up for horse training classes, ask yourself the following questions to determine whether this is the right track for you - from Heidi Edris http://articlepower.org/blog/?p=15398

Looks like sunshine for the next week - don't forget to rug the horses for the cold nights though!

Winter Here Already?!

Feels like winter here!!

The better half has joined the Dragon Boating fraternity in the newly formed local Dragons Abreast team -they are all breast cancer survivors and supporters and it's a great cause. She gets up at an ungodly hour to go to paddling practice though!!!
We've some great articles for you this week...a real 'cornucopia'(means 'mix' I think!)

Find out how to tell if your horse has an ulcer and how to treat it in this EquiSearch.com 'Ask the Vet' column by Dr. Joyce Harman: http://tinyurl.com/5xmzns

In some cases it's best to fit a horse with shoes fresh off a forge. By Laurie Bonner for EQUUS magazine:http://tinyurl.com/6gue2s

Here's a great practical grooming demo clip from top hunter/jumper groom Laurie Pitts. It's a YouTube video so will load quickly...well worth a look: http://tinyurl.com/5cpyyk

Basic training - Balancing Correction & Praise. Here's a great article from trainer Ron Petracek outlining the common mistakes horse owners make in thinking that affection is the only way to handle your horse. http://tinyurl.com/49ju9p

Clinton Anderson offers training tips on how to make the most of moments you do have to spend with your horse. Courtesy ofEquisearch:http://tinyurl.com/65z7yr

I'm not sure if you knew that ponies had been used in coal mines in years gone by. Here's a fascinating review from a Welsh source where pit ponies were used exclusively before the advent of electrical machinery. The last pony retired as late as 1999!: http://tinyurl.com/5xcwpm

There are still a few books left in the H10 book sale. www.h10.com.au
Finally, Wendy asks this "I cannot find a ring to splice on the end of the rope, (I think it's a neck rope in the Kel Jeffrey training style). Years ago we would have had stuff lying around in the shed. I've looked at halter rings, but they don't look very substantial. Any clues where I could source one?"
If you can help. Drop me a reply.
Have a great weekend!

Enough Rain...Enough!!

Hi there
There's been so much rain that we've got a whole flock of different birds cowering on the deck sheltering from the 'great wet'! I've never seen so many different breeds together actually behaving themselves...they all look soggy & pathetic!!!

Just a couple of interesting links for you this week because the big news is that we have a BIG BOOK sale on now. We're clearing out stock for new books and we're selling the current stock off at 50% discount or more! There are some great titles!
We've attached a price list for you and you can read all the book details and descriptions on the web site at http://www.h10.com.au/.
Please use the attached list or download one from the front page of the site if you'd like to order, or you can use the site and I'll adjust the postage for you but hurry we don't have much stock left!!

Here's a couple of great links:

In the April 2008 issue of Horse & Rider magazine, bareback genius and reining freestyle phenom Stacy Westfall teaches you how to use saddleless riding to boost your balance and fine-tune your cueing. Use othe super-fun Click 'n Learn stop-action sequence to see exactly how she maintains her bareback position during a rollback.
http://tinyurl.com/3gl44g

You'll remember that we talked about the world's biggest horse last week. Well, sad news comes from New Zealand that the world's tallest horse died recently.
http://tinyurl.com/5zrg7n

I also found this site http://www.thehorse.com/ although you may well already know of it. Very comprehensive and very good on all aspects of equine care.
Well, the sun's out (a monir miracle) and the birds have flown. Don't forget the book sale

H10 At The Royal Easter Show

Hi there
Well, The Easter Show was fun and there were lots of Aussie Stock Horses there which was good to see. We gave away some well-earned prizes and I'm glad to report that Jackie Long, one of our sponsored riders, managed to bag Reserve Champion Ridden Australian Stock Horse Hack.

I missed the Dagwood Dogs (shame!) and most of the funfair rides and the show was pretty packed....this year it cost about $70 and more for a family of 4 just to get in! Add the showbags and the other 'necessities' and it's a big hole in the pocket!!

Did you know that Australia holds the record for the larget horse in the world? The giant five-year-old, from Pakenham, S.E Australia, measures a staggering 20.1 hands, or 2.057m tall. He weighs over 1.3 tonnes (1300kg), about the same as a small car - and is still growing!!
There's a pic of him here:
http://www.anyhorsebackriding.com/myblog/

Is it a Bruise, Strain or Sprain? Here's a complimentary chart from Equus that you might find useful when trying to decide:

http://tinyurl.com/ypl3dw

Many horse lovers are spending more time shoe shopping these days--for their animals. Technology is presenting them with the choice of two different replacements for the old horseshoe:

http://tinyurl.com/3bzdhy

Here's some recent news on Canberra paralympic hopeful Rob Oakley. He says he is confident of making the fifth and final spot in the Australian equestrian team.
http://tinyurl.com/39mdd3

Jan sent me a good horsey (and very irreverent!) blog that you might have a wander over to:
http://www.fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com/

Plenty of bargains on the H10 web site - go on, have a look! http://www.h10.com.au/

Have a great weekend
Best wishes
Geoff

The Summer We Never Had??!

Hi there,
Phew - here's the summer we never had!! It's hit some of the trees so badly that they've lost their leaves through 'stress'. Have to say that the fig tree now looks weird with all the plastic snakes I placed in the leaves to keep the birds away....now, no leaves and lots of snakes!!

I read this amusing blog entry about 'The Dressage Ladies'. It made me smile and I thought you might enjoy it too!
http://tinyurl.com/2pfaap

Most of us remember the shortage of good hay caused by our long running drought. It was trucked from state to state but it appears that we were not the last country to suffer.....here's another!!
http://tinyurl.com/2yev43

I found this great guide to photographing your horse to get the best possible results. It's on a blog that deals with water filtration safety for kids....don't ask me how or why but it's worth a read if you want to get good results.
http://tinyurl.com/ypt97g

Did you know that your horse's endocrine system works in wondrous yet little known ways? Neither did I but I got some clues here.
http://tinyurl.com/2kkoj2

Married with Horses: Another Lame Story, is an on going diary of people running an agistment. It's funny, true to life and certainly worth a look!!
http://tinyurl.com/25a4mc

We are out of stock of Coat Gloss...sorry. The UK has fouled up an order. We have lots of great H10 shampoo though and at a great price........ you won't find quality like this anywhere else. We're often asked how we can do it for the price. Call it generous or whatever...we believe in value for money!!
http://www.h10.com.au/

Have a great weekend!

Stall Fires Are Dangerous

I lost the fight over the fig tree in my backyard that I mentioned last week. A flock of very large black birds descended and basically cleared the tree....I hope that they suffered severe gut-ache and the 'other' inevitable consequence of consuming figs in quantity!!
.....'nuff said!

Here's a safety article from my good friend Roger Bourdon on the risks, perils and prevention of fire in the stables
http://www.anyhorsebackriding.com/articles/horsestall.html
and the methods to use if you're ever in that perilous situation:
http://www.anyhorsebackriding.com/articles/fire.html

Reiki for horses? Well, if you don't know what it is it's certainly worth a read!!
http://greyhorsematters.blogspot.com/2008/02/reiki-for-horses.html

A growing contingent of hoof-care experts says yes, barefoot is better. Here's what the natural-foot movement could mean for your horse:
http://tinyurl.com/23fxof

If any of you are interested, the World Games 2010 Foundation has announced the launch of a recruitment website to manage volunteers for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky.
http://tinyurl.com/273ckf

We have a brand new training dvd from the UK showing the Australian Kel Jeffrey training method being used to start English wild horses!!
They think it's really effective and a growing number of horse professionals are adopting it. More news next week and a clip for you to view too.
Last chance for H10 grooming products at cost!!! http://www.h10.com.au/

...And The Rain Pours Down!!!

What a week! Firstly the the hard drive in one of our computers decided to quit. Ah, the importance of backing up your info!! If you don't as yet then I can really recommend it! Saves a lot of time and heartache and is definitely good for a marriage....and I have been christened 'Grumpy Old 'Git' because I couldn't find theback up copies!
Second, the rain continues to drop and I hate grey skies.
Third, good news, the Sydney Royal Show has some horse events reinstated and I've attached the link for the show schedule for anyone interested!
http://tinyurl.com/2n4t3e
And finally, the fig tree has ripened and it's me against the birds. I'm using plastic snakes and shiny CDs to keep them off and so far failed miserably! Any ideas??

Here's a timely article from Cyberhorse on getting your horse fit after a lay off - sorry about some of the feed ads in it but the info is pretty sound:
http://tinyurl.com/2fhbxu

Here's how to tell if your horse is fat!! Um, might try it myself!!
http://tinyurl.com/2d9foc

Dr. Joyce Harman explains how to fit a treeless saddle for different types of horses and riders - I didn't know much about this but it's an interesting article:
http://tinyurl.com/2r8s9y

Watch video clips from George Morris' Lessons in Horsemanship DVD as he guides eight young riders through a special training session - these are all U Tube videos so they might take a little time to load if you don't have broadband...worth a look though!
http://tinyurl.com/yrdfor

Thanks to Equisearch for the last 3 article links.
This is your LAST chance for H10 grooming products at COST price...closing soon so stock up for the upcoming seasons:http://www.h10.com.au/

And with the rain thundering down I'll bid you a very good week!

Top Tips For 2008

Hi there ,
It's hard levering yourself into work in the New Year...all our neighbours are on holiday (most in Queensland....um!!, might be wet there!) and it's strangely quiet!! "Experts" tell us that this is the time to take stock of things for the year and get fit! Urgh! No Thanks! So at the risk of being boring, here's something that's nothing to do with horses...and concerns your financial fitness and not your physical fitness. It's NOT an ad but a guide you might just find useful:http://tinyurl.com/yuyyd5

There's a risk of 'overriding' in all horse disciplines. Here's a good article from David Collins on the risks and looking for the warning signs:http://tinyurl.com/ys6sf5

Pro Joan Schroeder shares her technique for keeping her horses' tails tangle-free--and bagless. You'd use H10 Gloss and detangler for the very best results of course!!http://tinyurl.com/yt998r

Ever heard of the American Cream Horse? No? Neither had I and I didn't know that it was the only American Draft Horse breed to have originated in the US. Here's a short article...lovely looking horses too!
http://tinyurl.com/3xtkvw

Learn how to spot balance in a horse--and how it can affect athleticism by Bob Avila. Nice article with helpful illustrations too.
http://tinyurl.com/2u9l7e

The 'buy it at cost' H10 grooming sale will end at the end of Jan so get in for a real bargain at http://www.h10.com.au/

Have a great weekend and keep dry if you can!!

2008 - A Better Year For Us All??

Hello - and Happy New Year!!

Let's hope that 2008 will be a better year for us horse lovers than last year was...wouldn't be that hard would it!?

We had 'The Hotel' open for visitors from all over the place and have only just recovered. The veggies from the garden were a huge hit but my wife tells me that the freezer contents are devastated, there's no washing powder left, and the lawn needs mowing!! This could be a short newsletter!!

Firstly, a cry from the heart from Jill. I'm no vet but if any vet or expert can help with this, then just drop me a reply and I'll forward it.

'I have a 5yo standardbred with a chronic parrot mouth, knock knees and the most beautifull temprament. I have noticed in the last few hot days that he is dehydrated, despite having unlimited access to good water. If I do a pinch test it takes up to three seconds for the skin to go back down. I have never had this problem with any other horse and I am at a bit of a loss. How can I help him??? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.'

For those of you into holistic medicine, here's a good article on Flower Essences and Reiki for your horse:
http://tinyurl.com/2uz7xa

Horse Alcohol Consumption!? No, seriously, this is not only topical but also important!!:
http://tinyurl.com/ytbfxb

Here's an interesting article from Dr Temple Grandin on a Window Into the Equine Mind:
http://tinyurl.com/24pzf3

Thanks to Equisearch for the articles

We've kept the H10 grooming products 'at cost' sale going for January. At these great prices, it's certainly worth a look. You can go to www.h10.com.au and look for yourself.

Phew, we're soaking here on the Mid North Coast and everything is growing wild...how I'm starting to hate lawns!!

Geoff

Royal Easter Show Showjumping Cancelled

Hi there
Very sad news about Canberra Show horses being cancelled and this morning they cancelled the Royal Easter Show showjumping. Like me, you'll be disappointed and I just hope the remainder of the horses at Royal Easter will carry on. I get to give prizes there and I loved it this year seeing so many worthy winners. It will be a great shame if we can't all go.

What type of stall flooring is best for your horse? Dr. Joyce Harman outlines what works in this post courtesy of EquiSearch.com.http://tinyurl.com/2rqvda

Look, I rarely advertise very much but My Horse & Me, the very first horse riding video game to be officially licensed by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), will be available in stores for Wii, PC and Nintendo DS early in 2008!If you are interested, there's already a demo you can download here: http://tinyurl.com/3xbpeo

I'm quite sure that ALL our readers are generous souls but here's a timely reminder for all of us this Christmas...particularly in this difficult time.http://tinyurl.com/33nj2r

It's summer and of course we are all advised to slip, slop, slap but our horses can be prone to
sunburn as well. here's an article on causes http://tinyurl.com/2a9exa and prevention
http://tinyurl.com/2w97l6and finally, remedies http://tinyurl.com/39m2fq
All courtesy of Alphahorse.com.

Great gooming product bargains (at cost!!) and lots of other goodies at http://www.h-10.com.au/
Keep on shopping!!

H10 Blog - Santa Wants To Hear From You!!

Last year you might remember we gave you details of a 'Write toSanta' site. It was very popular and the feedback from kids and adults alike was really good. They all loved the 'Santa replies'!!The site will be up again this year to accept email letters from DEC 10th (not before though!) and it costs nothing! Every letter gets a reply from the great man himself. Here's the address: http://thereindeerbarn.com/ (there's no WWW inthe address.)

Christmas coming soon and most of us have been out of the saddle for a while and maybe we're a bit rusty? Try these Balimo exercises from a top sports physiologist. http://tinyurl.com/2tmqv7

Into Dressage? - here's view from a top competitor on the importance of Turnout for dressage horses http://tinyurl.com/2oafek

Your horse's homeopathic first aid kit. If you are a keen believer then this is just the thing for you. http://tinyurl.com/2ab2tv

Finally, if you haven't got your Horse Tips article from the H10 website then you should. Over 100 tips from an all Australian audience...no cost of course. Go to www.h-10.com.au/documents/horsehealthwellnesstips.pdf

Needless to say, our great AT COST sale continues - great Christmas gifts at http://www.h10.com.au/ Go on, have a look!

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.