Wednesday

Happy horsey holiday gifts for equestrians




Got a horse lover on Santa’s gift list this year? What color is his or her favorite horse? Here are some whimsical equine enthusiast designs to fit the bill nicely.

 
Happy horsey holidays!

Look at all these horse colors!

  1. Buckskin Horse
  2. Bay Horse
  3. Grey Horse
  4. Chestnut Horse
  5. Black Horse
  6. Palomino Horse
(A Cremello Horse design now available as well.)


These unique designs are available on tons of gift and apparel items, including caps, coasters, cups, handbags, keychains, magnets, mousepads, mugs, pajamas, pillows (like those shown above), sweatshirts, stickers, tank tops, tee shirts, tiles, tote bags, wine glass charms, and more. Follow the links on the above items to see the selections featuring those designs.

Tip: Use this code ELVES20 for 20% off all orders this week.

Disclaimer: All of these items may be found in this blogger’s online CafePress shop.

Image/s:
Product photos – fair use

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Monday

Has a bad ride ever stuck with you afterwards?




Think back a bit to the last time you had a bad ride.

Sure, a bad day at the barn is better than the best day almost anywhere else. I get that. But we all have less-than-ideal rides once in a while. I’m not even talking about those dreaded times we land in the dirt. I mean those times when the horse acts up, things don’t go so well, or we simply aren’t up to snuff in the saddle.

C’mon. ‘Fess up. You know what it feels like, even if it’s been awhile.

This happens every now and then for me. I gotta admit it. 

Mousepad: http://www.cafepress.com/dd/87953601

A large part of the problem is the fact that I am fighting a lifelong medical condition that can assail me unpredictably and viciously with balance issues, bouts of vertigo, muscle spasms, exaggerated startle reflexes, vision problems, and some serious sudden-onset fatigue. Those symptoms can challenge my ability to ride as well as I want to.

It’s a good thing I have a seasoned, sensible, and (OK, I’ll say it.) somewhat lazy horse these days. I sold the young and crazy, but beautiful, ones after I came to terms with the reality of my health issues. My current mount is adorable, but not flashy. She’s fun, but not fancy. And she’s low key, rather than high-maintenance. I guess we are sort of perfect for one another.

But I still have bad rides. And mostly, they’re on me, although the horse can pretty much tell when she’s gonna get off easy. She’s sort of smart that way. She knows when it’s time to quit, even if I’m still trying to figure that out.

So my bad rides are no longer the hold-on-for-dear-life, whoa-crazy-horse, we’re-all-gonna-die kinds of nightmares than I occasionally had with my fiery young horses. They’re more the fifteen-minutes-is-enough-today, let’s-not-even-try-the-hard-stuff, and thank-God-horses-can’t-tell-time kind of thing.

Hoodie: http://www.cafepress.com/dd/87953601

Recently, I picked up a cozy hooded sweatshirt with this design on it: “Never let yesterday’s bad ride spoil today’s good one.” It’s become my go-to riding pick, because it sort of says it all for me, with my ups and downs. I wore it today, and had a really sweet ride. So maybe it works!

Little by little, I’m trying to let go of bad rides when they happen and start each new ride fresh. Just because my last jaunt was a little disappointing doesn’t mean I have to bring that baggage aboard this time. My little horse has already forgiven and forgotten. Maybe I can too.

Know the feeling?

Baseball Tee: http://www.cafepress.com/dd/87953601
 Image/s:
Product photo/s – fair use

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Friday

Looking out for barn cats on National Feral Cat Day



Got barn kitties? October 16 is National Feral Cat Day in the United States. This animal welfare awareness day, established in 2001 by Alley Cat Allies, aims at promoting feline population control nationwide. The group urges veterinary professionals to participate in low-cost feral cat sterilization programs, in the hope of preventing undomesticated cats from overbreeding. 



 “The veterinary community plays an essential role in the humane treatment of community cats both by serving as a resource for the public, and also by providing direct veterinary care and spay/neuter services through Trap-Neuter-Return programs,” said Becky Robinson, president and founder of Alley Cat Allies. “This National Feral Cat Day, we encourage veterinarians to mobilize their communities with the knowledge and resources to help save cats’ lives.”

National Feral Cat Day organizers encourage local individuals and groups to practice Trap-Neuter-Return or Shelter-Neuter-Return programs. So far, hundreds of American communities reportedly participate in such efforts. Annual events include volunteer-led spay/neuter clinics, educational workshops, official governmental proclamations, and fundraising to support local Trap-Neuter-Return and Shelter-Neuter-Return programs.


“Trap-Neuter-Return is the only humane, effective approach to care for community cats. Cats are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and eartipped and then returned to their outdoor home,” reads a National Feral Cat Day statement.

“These major programs would not be possible without the veterinarians and veterinary technicians who work or volunteer in spay/neuter clinics or accept community cats into their practices,” Robinson added. “But we can still do more to enlist the support of vets nationwide, and that is why Alley Cat Allies is calling on the veterinary community to get involved this National Feral Cat Day and help increase awareness and education about community cats.”


Image/s:
National Feral Cat Day promotional artwork / logo and coloring page – fair use

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