How Acquiring Equestrian Training And Horse Back Rider Training Knowledge Can Benefit You!

Horse people spend years trying to find out information and techniques from different trainers for a few tips that help them with their horse back riding training before they 'chance' upon training that actually works for them successfully that they can instantly understand and practise the moves.

How many times do you see people practising the same move whether general riding, dressage, western, western pleasure or cutting and they repeat the same moves over and over with no improvement 'locking' their horse into a frame and getting mediocre results.

Then they sell their horse and buy a new one and unless the horse can 'teach' the rider the 'move' the same thing happens. When an experienced trainer hops on the horse they can execute moves that you didn't know your horse was capable of - This is the SECRET- to learn and understand the required thinking and aids to ask and communicate to your horse and unite this with your correct body position that doesn't lock or stiffen their frame.

Do you see people kick and hit their horse to move it and when the horse finally moves they jerk on the reins, and pull the mouth to make the horse uncomfortable - it's no wonder that the horse doesn't want to move!

Imagine being able to dance in self carriage and never having to continually repeat exercises with your horse, which they see as undeserved punishment! And better still, having the correct riding seat and the respect from your horse so it will move forwards willingly as you lift your energy!

This is why when you have the opportunity to acquire quality training information - You should take it- Read it - Understand it- Plan it and Practise it!

How do you know when the training offered is quality equestrian and horse back riding knowledge that is easily understandable to you?

A good trainer will tell you about the results they have obtained with other horses. The information that they provide will be clear and concise, being easy for you to understand as they discuss what you don't want with your horse and then what you do want! You can understand clearly how to implement the training information with your horse, with examples of improvement being discussed with so you can see how to progress to that point and when it is obtained. Training tips and a free mailing list should be available to you - so you can communicate easily.

Most importantly great equestrian training is so substantial that it caters for horse back riders and horses of all equestrian disciplines - Western, English, Western Pleasure, Cutting, Reining, Hacking etc. to give breakthroughs and advance horse and horse back rider performance. Lets say a horse won't go forwards properly, this isn't a particular problem associated with one equestrian discipline -i.e dressage - it's a communication and respect issue that can happen to all riders in any equestrian discipline - the equestrian rider needs to understand the theory and comprehend the bodily-kinesthetic knowledge of the moves - how to apply the training and aids, and know what to expect from the horse.

These key areas of training need to be available to the horse back rider in unison allowing an advance in equestrian training and performance, good horse training will equip you in all these areas - ending frustration created from no advance in horse back riding skills - due to only part of the training information being available to the horse back rider.

Suzanne Garrard has a post graduate degree in education and worked horses for 15 years - including horses that lacked impulsion / problem horse. TO get free training tips, comprehensive equestrian horse back rider training and join the mailing list click on www.smarthorseandridercoaching.com

Source: http://www.classicarticles.com/Article/How-Acquiring-Equestrian-Training-And-Horse-Back-Rider-Training-Knowledge-Can-Benefit-You-/46041
Ideal Dogs

Safe Pets- Microchips are the Way to Go!

To many people, their pets are a part of the family. And being a part of the family, they do everything in their power to keep that 'family member' as safe and as healthy as possible. One of the ways of achieving this is by having the pet microchipped.

In the case of pets that are predominantly indoor residing, people may feel there is little or no need for any kind of identification tag but what if your furry friend decides to go walkabout one evening and doesn't return? With no identification tag, anyone who may happen to find it will have no way of knowing to whom, or where the pet belongs. Identification tags on collars are important but can become lost or damaged. Imagine this was the case and your pet ended up in an animal shelter. Unfortunately, most of these places only keep hold of the animals for up to seven days- after that, well..

This is where the microchip really comes into its own. It is currently the newest and easiest way to identify lost pets meaning more often than not, they end up back home. In fact, microchipping pets is so popular that most veterinary practises and animal clinics have the means and ability to scan microchips.

It is relatively painless for your pet and involves inserting a tiny microchip about the size of a grain of rice under the skin using a hypodermic needle, usually behind the neck. It would feel to the pet on par to having a vaccination shot. It would probably be a good idea to get the pet microchipped at a relatively young age- both puppies and kittens can go through the procedure at six weeks. The microchip basically holds a digital number which has been entered into a database. By using this number a vet is able to identify exactly the name, the breed, the address and sometimes even the vaccination history of the animal.

Microchipping is popular because unlike a collar which can be lost or damaged, it is permanent and cannot be removed. Some pets, especially the felines, have an uncanny knack of dislodging the collar either by catching it on something or, as is usually the case, by more direct means! Having this type of pet microchipped alleviates all these kinds of problems in one fell swoop.

You have to make sure that all the information kept on the database about your pet is kept up to date. It would be no good at all if your pet were to get lost, having been microchipped, but have incorrect information listed against its name. Your vet would probably be able to explain to you the procedure needed for updating this information.

Just because a pet has been microchipped, it's no reason to sit back and wait for the pet to be delivered to you if it has been lost. Some vets and shelters do not have the scanners capable of reading microchips so you will still have to actively search for your pet, whether this be by putting up flyers or placing an ad in your local newspaper. Remember what we mentioned earler about the seven day thing!

Source: http://www.classicarticles.com/Article/Safe-Pets--Microchips-are-the-Way-to-Go-/45765
Ideal Dogs

How To Care For Your Cockatoo

A cockatoo is a wonderful bird to keep as a pet, and the simple instructions below will allow you to do just that.

The chief difference between other members of the parrot family and cockatoos is, of course, that the latter possess crests, and these vary considerably in shape and size.

Many of them have fan-shaped crests and far the most beautiful as well as the largest of these adorns Leadbeater's Cockatoo. The Roseate's is rather the shape of a Roman helmet, while that of the quaint but attractive little Gang-Gang resembles a lady's feathered toque.

Cockatoos are not round at all in the New World, their habitat being exclusively the continent of Australia and the neighboring islands.

Generally speaking, they are gregarious, some of them remaining in large flocks even during the breeding season - a period when many birds tend to leave the flock and go off separately in pairs.

Like most things, cockatoos have their advantages and their disadvantages. Among the latter must be listed their powerful and destructive beaks and their loud and harsh voices; and among the former the delightfully charming and affectionate dispositions of really tame specimens, which I think are even more demonstrative to their human friends than are tame parrots.

A tame cockatoo in a cage should be taken a lot of notice of and let out as often as possible. It should also be given plenty to occupy it and exercise its beak upon - an empty cotton-reel being excellent for this purpose. Its owner should realize when he buys a bird that he is taking on an obligation, which goes far beyond simply keeping it supplied with food and water.

These are mere essentials, and any bird-keeper worth his salt will give his pet plenty of affection and use his imagination to supply those small extra attentions which make all the difference between a bored, bedraggled captive and a really happy, healthy and contented pet. This, of course, entails a certain amount of trouble for the owner, but I know of few ways of expending energy that are so infinitely rewarding.

One thing that must be avoided at all costs and which is rather a temptation to children, is teasing a cockatoo in order to make it raise its crest and screech. Such treatment is completely ruinous to the temper of a pet bird. Cockatoos in an aviary revel in a rain bath, and caged specimens should either be put out in their cage in a light summer shower, or, if this is impossible, be sprayed indoors with a fine spray of tepid rainwater.

A cockatoo's cage should be as large as possible, and care should be taken to ensure that the bird's crest when fully spread does not come in contact with the top of the cage, otherwise its appearance will be spoiled..

Cockatoos should be fed chiefly upon sunflower seed and monkey-nuts, with small quantities of canary seed and oats or groats as well as a pinch of hemp every other day; when they are breeding, the latter should be given daily and the amount considerably increased as it is a valuable rearing food.

Wheat can also be offered, particularly to the larger species, and most cockatoos appreciate a piece of stale bread soaked in sweetened milk and this can be given occasionally as a titbit. In my experience the majority of cockatoos are not particularly keen on fruit but are very fond of the usual wild green-foods, also the leaves of cultivated spinach-beet and particularly the midribs of seakale-beet.

Spend time with your pet, feed him well and you will have a delightful companion which will live many long years. Enjoy him!

Source: http://www.classicarticles.com/Article/How-To-Care-For-Your-Cockatoo/45147

Fishes For The Aquarium Explained

Before you begin the wonderful hobby of fish keeping it is advisable to learn something about the naming and classification of fishes.

Among fishes there are many which have no English name, though as they become popular they tend to acquire them. Generally speaking, however, it is better to learn the scientific names, because these are internationally used, and more exact.

These names are usually derived from Greek or Latin words, often descriptive of some feature of the fish concerned. They are always in two parts. The first part, beginning with a capital letter, is called the generic name, and indicates the group to which the species belongs; the second part, always beginning with a small letter, is the trivial name, indicating the particular species.

Classification

More than twenty thousand kinds of fishes have been discovered, of which about a third come from fresh waters; new ones are being found every year.

This vast assemblage is classified by scientists according to their relationships as shown by careful study of their structure and way of life. The genera, or groups of related species, are put together in families (groups of related genera), and these into orders.

Broadly speaking the more primitive kinds of fishes have only one dorsal fin, mostly with soft rays, and often an adipose fin, while the pelvic fins have no spines; the more advanced fishes (those which evolved more recently) have the dorsal fin in two parts, the front part bearing spines, and have always a spine in front of each pelvic fin, and usually two or more in front of the anal fin.

Only a mere handful of the known species - about 200 - are familiar to the aquarist, and for him there is a much more useful classification. Fishes can be divided into tropical and cold-water species.

The tropical fishes can be divided again mostly according to the way they breed. First, there are the livebearers, which give birth to young ones much as higher animals do; secondly there are those that lay eggs and take no further interest in them - perhaps even eating them as soon as they are laid; thirdly, we have those which lay eggs but take care of them, and these can be again divided into those that make a nest of bubbles at the surface, and those that protect them in other ways.

Tropical Fishes

The name Livebearers refers to the fact that the eggs hatch out within the body of the female, and the young fish are not liberated into the water until they are well-developed enough to swim about and feed.

This means that the eggs must be fertilized internally, and for this purpose the male fish is provided with a special structure known as a gonopodium, formed by the front part of the anal fin. The sexes are therefore easy to distinguish in these fishes, and the veriest novice can be sure of getting a pair. The female is often larger than the male.

Another remarkable thing about them is that a single fertilization enables the female to produce two or three, or even more, broods of young, so that it is possible to purchase just one healthy, plump female and soon have a thriving family. Most females, in fact, will be found to be in this condition, and can easily be recognized by a dark patch showing through the flesh at the end of the body cavity, known as the "gravid spot".

The broods are produced usually at six- to eight-week intervals, and average about 25 young. These grow quickly and become mature after two or three months, but they are still small at this time, and if allowed to breed will not grow much larger.

Goldfish are the most popular of the cold-water fishes.

Thus it can be seen that there is indeed a wealth of fishes which may be bought to stock your aquarium. In no time at all you will have a tank which will entertain you for hours.

Source: http://www.classicarticles.com/Article/Fishes-For-The-Aquarium-Explained/45145

Discover Ways To Train Your Horse

To train a horse properly, the cost can be in the amount of time consumed. If you wish to buy a well-trained horse you must expect to pay for this training. The ability to train depends on knowledge and experience, but anyone with the basic knowledge of horsemanship can train a horse.

Today people want a gentle-broke animal. However, the new owner must be warned not to buy a horse that has been started by an inexperienced horseman. Usually this is the reason for selling. The animal may have been so misused that it cannot be retrained and the result may be much trouble and possibly danger.

Any professional trainer taking on a new horse will ask what has been done. The time it takes to undo bad training will be added to the usual training price, and also the disposition of the animal will be taken into consideration before acceptance. If the new owner has found a gentle colt, unspoiled, there is no reason to forego the job of training if a careful step-by-step plan is followed and if each lesson will not be hurried.

The young owner must be impressed with the importance of moving quietly and slowly around a young colt. The baby first must get used to the feel of hands. To hold the animal gently, slip the left arm under the colt's neck while the right arm encircles the rump.

At first the colt might try to free himself, but he will soon learn to stand quietly. The next step is to pat the colt over the whole body, scratch around the ears, and rub his back. The colt must tolerate this handling before taking the next step.

Handling the colt's feet is in the next lesson. Keeping the right hand on the halter, the free hand should be run down the hind leg, grasping the lower part of the pastern. Lift the leg slowly, moving it forward and back. The colt may lose his balance and jerk his foot. Try again and again, until the colt learns to balance. Pick up each foot every day and move it about until the colt does not object and learns to balance. It is important to praise the colt after each successful move.

Start talking to the colt so he will begin to understand the tones of the voice. The colt will start to enjoy each lesson because of the petting and the praise, and eventually there will be no sign of fear. About this time the colt will try to play. Colt play consists of striking, biting, and kicking. These antics are cute in a tiny foal, but as the animal grows and becomes stronger they can be dangerous. Now the colt must be taught what no means.

Limit each lesson to periods of ten minutes, gradually increasing the time as the colt grows older. He will lose interest if the lesson is too long. No matter what age, never work on a lesson longer than twenty minutes for the best results. This appears to be the animal's limit of concentration. Be sure to finish the lesson with the act the colt knows well. Never quit on a failure.

The average horse learns about twelve words. These must be used as commands. The colt will learn quickly that a sharp "no" means something is wrong. Say the word sharply. If the colt tries to bite, strike him lightly on the nose and say "no." For the first ten days of the foal's life he has no teeth. He chews on anything and everything just as a puppy does. Baby teeth are sharp, so the foal must be taught he must not bite people.

The same words should be used for each command, such as "hold it," when the colt is to stand quietly; "come," to bring the colt to you; "easy," if the colt becomes restless and impatient. A halter can be put on the colt when he is two months old.

The eventual quiet, well-mannered colt results from slow, unhurried training. Your hard work will pay off and you will be able to enjoy your well-trained horse.

Source: http://www.classicarticles.com/Article/Discover-Ways-To-Train-Your-Horse/45137

Controlling Your Dogs Bark

A barking dog is a superb protection and an outstanding burglar alarm, but you need
the ability to control the barking.

If you do not train your dog to bark only at the appropriate times (fire alarms,
noise outside the window and when approached by strangers), your neighbors are
likely to resent your best friend, and you because you fail to control your dog.

If you want your dog to be protection for you, teach him the "guard" command rather
than speak , an intruder or someone who is threatening you will not know exactly
how much your dog knows about "guard" and it is an excellent deterrent.

This command does not mean that your dog will actually attack someone, but the
barking can be a effective prevention for your safety both inside and outside your
home.

To teach your dog to "guard or speak" tie his lead to a fence or some other
immovable item. Stand about 3 feet away and tease him with a toy or food, when he
begins to bark, give the reward.

Now put the food and toy away and change the treat to verbal praise when he begins
to bark. The command "guard or speak" should be given as soon as the dog barks,
the timing is essential here, watching his body language, you can tell when he is
ready to bark.

Once he becomes aware of the "guard" command, give the "quiet" command when he is
barking; give the reward as soon as he is stops barking. If the barking continues,
give the "no" command.

When he has successfully learned the command, move further away and continue the
training, he needs to know and respond to these commands from any distance.

After this training is successful, untie him from the fence and continue to train
him the commands "guard" and "quiet".

You and your neighbors will appreciate this training when they have a peaceful
night, and they will learn that if he is barking, there is something wrong.

Source: http://www.classicarticles.com/Article/Controlling-Your-Dogs-Bark/45322

Choosing a Designer Dog Bed for Your Dog

Years ago, dog beds warranted little attention. Fido was lucky if he got his own pile of worn out clothes and towels, let alone his own cushion and basket. But times have changed, and there has recently been an explosion of fun designer dog beds. Read on to discover the top names in dog comfort.

Designer Dog Bed #1: Eloise Dog Beds

Eloise dog beds are comfortable, charmingly decorated cushions in all shapes and sizes that will satisfy even the most finicky dog. Colors and fabrics range from basic gray twill with a black bone decoration to velour beds in a soft range of pastels. Terry cloth beds are also available in cheerful blues, greens, pinks, and reds. If you want a standard basket-shaped bed, your pup can sleep in ultra suede comfort on a cute, striped cushion. Eloise beds run between $120 and $200 depending on the size and shape you select.

Designer Dog Bed #2: Jax & Bones Dog Beds

Jax & Bones dog beds are down/polyfill cushions. The dramatic colors of the suede covers make them a striking choice for any home. Choices include a retro 70s look, camouflage for the hunting dog, pink for the pampered lady, and several shades of stripes. You can even get your dog a monogrammed bed! Prices range from around $100 to $175, depending on the size of your dog.

Designer Dog Bed #3: Mammoth Dog Beds

If your dog looks less like Tinkerbell and more like Marmaduke, then Mammoth should be your designer of choice. As the name suggests, Mammoth designs beds with the special needs of large and extra large dogs in mind. They offer a pleasing range of shapes, including a large donut bed, a bed couch, and a sofa bed. Buyers can choose cushions made of high memory fiber fill or high density orthopedic foam insert. Colors vary from a light floral to a no-nonsense navy blue. Prices are quite reasonable for designer fare, ranging from roughly $100 to $120.

Designer Dog Bed #4: Bellatutu

Bellatutu caters to small dogs that wear jewelry on their paws and ribbons in their fur and have never been outdoors unless they were carried in someone's purse. The beds, which include the Divine Sleeper and the Midnight rely heavily on comfy cushions made of fleece, faux fur, and tulle, and lots of trimming on the outside. (Think rosebuds, velvet ribbon, and embroidered daisies.)

Bellatutu products are made in Australia, but can be purchased over the internet. Prices run from $80 to $180.

Designer Dog Beds #5: Haute Diggity Dog

You may never own a Hollywood limo or a Ferrari, but thanks to Haute Diggity Dog, your best friend can. Well, at least he can own a Hollywoof limo or a Furrari. These enchanting parody designer sleeping cars will tickle your funny bone while putting your pooch squarely in the lap of luxury.

The interior cushions are made from ultra-plump polyfill, and the covers are removable and machine washable. The different cars come with clever details ranging from license plates to a Dom Perignon toy to go with the limo. These cars are designed for small to medium dogs, and depending on where you buy; they can set you back a breathtaking $350

Now that you have the facts about designer dog beds, is it time to go out and buy one? If you're unsure about the cost, just look into those huge brown eyes beside you. Don't they deserve the very best?

Roland Jefferson is an online researcher based out of Los Angeles, California. For free resources covering Heated Dog Beds, please visit our Heated Dog Beds Resource.

Source: http://www.classicarticles.com/Article/Choosing-a-Designer-Dog-Bed-for-Your-Dog/45214