03.30.07
foal and dog galloping
I think this shot is kinda cool too, Glendale (August 2006) tooling around the pasture with Peaches doing the same in the background…
03.29.07
baby horse colt meets apple
sharing an older pix of Glendale when he was little… sniffing his first apple! He’s maybe 2-3 weeks old here. He tried to taste it but until he was much older, with bigger teeth and stronger jaws, he wasn’t able to bite into an apple!
arabian percheron colt with hubby dear!
03.25.07
australian stock saddle on young horse
Just to share, here is our 3 1/2 yr. old Gilford (arab/percheron) in his new saddle, after his and dad’s first trip out in it (first trip out this spring!) He was sweating like a pig due to really warm temps and still in his winter coat poor guy. I will report later on how the Aussie saddle does, it is new to us and to the horse. Sized for hubby dear who has ridden all these years in his daughter’s and wife’s smaller-butt saddles…
Gilford in his new Australian stock saddle. (White thing above stirrup is protective fleece fuzzies I put on over the stirrup leather buckles.)
Although we’re not used to saddle horns (my saddle is an endurance style and Emmie’s is english,) we decided the horn would be handy for ski-joring. Plan is to snug the towrope to the horn, and run it under the saddle’s gullet and through the sturdy, integral hanging(?) ring at the base of the cantle. The skier-towing arrangements we saw centered the towrope on top of the horse’s rump in manners similar to this. (Given the speed of our snowmelt, it will be next winter before we get to try ski-joring again!)
If anyone can tell me what this ring is REALLY for I’d appreciate it… it appears to be built into the saddle tree and is very strong. I’m guessing it might be to hang the saddle from a hook(?)…
MUCH THANKS TO SARAH (who Comments below) that this is a CRUPPER RING. A crupper is a strap which circles under the horses tail, the same as on a harness. Sarah says it would be useful for very steep downhills to keep the saddle from slipping forward!
And may I recommend Down Under Saddle Supply for their awesome customer service. Although this saddle was not even purchased from them, they bent over backwards to help me order the right size campdraft undergirth from them to fit Gilford, to the extent of my emailing them pictures and measurements, AND phone and email discussions.
QUESTION FROM HORSEGAL…
Connie, I am just wondering - Why an Aussie saddle for Gilford? How is it different from a Western saddle that you would get locally? What made you decide to go that way instead of buying “off the rack”, so to speak! He looks so handsome in that black saddle!!
RESPONSE
Why Australian instead of western (or English)?… a perfectly valid question.
1. We were primarily looking for a comfortable trail saddle for hubby.
2. Hubby said he’d be happy with one similar to my endurance, which is sort of western style but light weight. I wanted to be able to get it onto a 16-hand horse, and I KNOW how heavy western saddles are.
3. I have always been curious about stock saddles though I’ve never tried one. Back when I first went saddle shopping 14-15 years ago, I was considering Aussie saddles but came across the endurance style and loved it. So I was sort of presold on the Aussie concept– I liked the idea of poleys (those high thigh-pads) for a little extra security and stability in the saddle.
4. Another endurance-style saddle (essentially a light-weight western saddle without a horn) would have worked, but we were willing to try something different. (We also looked at Australian endurance saddles.)
5. At the time we were shopping, we were watching ski-joring, so decided a horn might be handy (though you can get stock saddles without horns.)
6. We had a small budget, so (eeek) were shopping on eBay. Hubby’s thinking was, it will be a low-use saddle (he usually drives rather than rides.)
7. I did some homework about Australian saddle fitment, how you ride in them, seat size needed for hubby, suppliers for parts etc.
8. The price was right, a new saddle with slight moisture-damage (which turned out to be insignificant.)
The extra security of poleys may come in handy when we start Glendale (now a yearling) under saddle, and people say that Aussie saddles are quite comfortable. With the poleys you supposedly don’t try to post very high. Your thigh is supposed to sit about an inch away from the poley. The stirrups put your legs a little forward of western stirrups, with somewhat bent knees. The saddle is designed to sit well forward on the horse. Ours weighs about 25 lbs., but is not as heavy as full-size western saddles.
We ended up ordering a new undergirth to fit our oversize Gilford. In the process, I learned that our saddle, which has an overgirth, requires a campdraft-style undergirth. And to complete the package, we are getting a wool seat-saver pad to save OUR seats!
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Connie Moses– Blog: petArtistWithPeaches
website: PortraitsWithHorses.com (horse and pet portraits)
03.23.07
health care
Two patients limp into two different medical clinics with the same complaint. Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement. The first patient is examined within the hour, is x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the following week.
The second sees his family doctor after waiting a week for an appointment, then waits eighteen weeks to see a specialist, then gets an x-ray, which isn’t reviewed for another month and finally has his surgery scheduled for a year from then.
Why the different treatment for the two patients?
The first is a Golden Retriever. The second is a Senior Citizen.
[THANKS to CT for emailing this. Sad to say, it is so close to truth I had to post it... and I'm speaking from experience, my mom is a Senior Citizen.]
elk on bridge near Calgary
Build it and they will come
Anyone know the story behind THIS shot? Taken in Canada obviously… elk on a bridge overpass. Perhaps a migration?
THANKS to friend/contributor CT for passing this along via email.
katrina dog rescue story
RESPONSE to this blog RECEIVED FROM OWNER OF RALPHIE!!
I was sent the link to your blog, and I thought you would be interested in this…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danakay/sets/72057594054088045/
They are very happy and make every day special.
Dana
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[These pix and story are going around in emails but worth repeating... warms your heart!]
The story begins with the rescuers finding this poor little guy they named Ralphie that someone had already taken under their wing but weren’t equipped to adopt;
Ralphie, scared and starved, joined his rescuers…
I wouldn’t think anything could live thru this… but we were wrong.
This little lady survived that wreckage.
Here she is just placed in the car - scared, but safe.
and then… no longer alone!
Instant friends, they comforted each other while in the car.
Add two more beagles found after that… the more, the merrier!
Oh boy, a new traveler to add to the mix… (note: the cat coming over the seat needing shelter…) now just how is this going to work???
It’s going to work just fine, thank you very much!
Wow! The things we learn from our animal friends…
If only all of mankind could learn such valuable lessons as this. Lessons of instant friendship. Of peace and harmony by way of respect for one another — no matter one’s color or creed.
These animals tell you… “It’s just good to be alive and with others.”
“Life’s a Gift… Unwrap It!”
[THANKS to friend and contributor DD for passing this along! And ENDLESS THANKS to all the selfless, generous folks who have done what they could to help out after the disaster of Katrina.]
Rat poison found in pet foods
Rat poison found in recalled pet food
POSTED today at CNNMoney.com.
A chemical used in rat poison was found as the source of contamination in Menu Foods brands, officials say. POSTED March 23, 2007:
TORONTO (Reuters) — Menu Foods Income Fund, whose pet food has been blamed for at least 14 deaths of cats and dogs, does not know how a toxic substance got into its product, company officials said Friday.
Executives told reporters in Toronto that they will begin testing all suspect raw materials and consider the possibility of tampering to be “remote.”
[Includes Video]
Two pet owners are suing the manufacturer. CNN’s Alina Cho reports. (March 23)
Earlier in the day, New York state officials said aminopterin, an ingredient used in rat poison, was found in small samples of the Ontario company’s wet cat food. “Some raw material has entered our supply chain that did not meet the quality that had been represented,” Menu Foods President Paul Henderson said at a press conference.
The two U.S. manufacturing plants where the tainted “cuts and gravy” style food came from are still in operation, Henderson said. They are located in Emporia, Kansas, and Pennsauken, New Jersey.
Class action suit filed against Menu foods
Menu Foods recalled millions of pounds of wet pet food under various brand names a week ago. It is sticking with its initial cost estimate of the recall of $26 million to $35 million.
Asked about compensation for medical bills for sick pets, Henderson said “to the extent that we identify that the cause of any expenses incurred are related to the food, Menu will take responsibility for that.”
The Mississauga, Ontario-based company is already the target of lawsuits over the recall. To determine whether cat and dog food is subject to recall, consumers should refer to the list of brand names (”listed products”) at www.menufoods.com/recall.
Shares of Menu Foods (Charts) rebounded 30.8 percent on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Friday, after they took a heavy beating earlier this week. The pet food is sold nationwide by retailers including Kroger (down $0.04 to $28.31, Charts), Safeway (up $0.62 to $36.85, Charts), Wal-Mart (down $0.10 to $47.91, Charts), PetSmart (up $0.76 to $32.70, Charts) and Pet Valu (up $0.00 to $75.73, Charts).
_________________________________________
PREVIOUS REPORT:
Rat poison found in pet food, official says… as reported by CNN earlier today. POSTED: March 23, 2007
Story Highlights
• NEW: Rat poison identified as aminopterin found in pet food
• NEW: Substance also used to treat cancer
• Class-action lawsuit filed against manufacturer
• Recall announced March 16 after cats and dogs suffer renal failure
ALBANY, New York (AP) — Rat poison has been found in pet food blamed for the deaths of at least 16 cats and dogs, a spokeswoman for the State Department of Agriculture and Markets said Friday.
The toxin was identified as aminopterin, state Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said in a statement. Aminopterin is used to kill rats in some countries but is not registered for that use in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The officials did not say how they believed it got into the pet food. The substance was found at a level of at least 40 parts per million in tested cat food samples, according to Donald Smith, dean of Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Aminopterin, also used as a cancer drug, is highly toxic in high doses. It inhibits the growth of malignant cells and suppresses the immune system. The Food and Drug Administration has said the investigation was focusing on wheat gluten in the food. Wheat gluten itself would not cause kidney failure, but the common ingredient could have been contaminated by heavy metals or mold toxins, the FDA said.
State and FBI officials said they knew of no criminal investigations in the case.
The pet deaths led to a recall of 60 million cans and pouches of pet food produced by Menu Foods and sold throughout North America under 95 brand names. There have been several reports of kidney failure in pets that ate the recalled brands, and the company has confirmed the deaths of 15 cats and one dog.
Menu Foods last week recalled “cuts and gravy” style dog and cat food. The recall sparked concern among pet owners across North America. It includes food sold under store brands carried by Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and other large retailers, as well as private labels such as Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba.
Menu Foods is majority owned by Menu Foods Income Fund of Streetsville. The company also makes foods for zoo cats, but those products are unaffected by the recall. The company’s chief executive and president said Menu Foods delayed announcing the recall until it could confirm that the animals had eaten its product before dying. Two earlier complaints from consumers whose cats had died involved animals that lived outside or had access to a garage, which left open the possibility they had been poisoned by something other than contaminated food, he said.
Menu Foods planned a media teleconference for later Friday, a spokesman said. A spokesman for New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said he was not aware of any criminal investigation involving the tainted food. FBI spokesman Paul Holstein in Albany said Friday he was not aware of any FBI involvement in the case. “I don’t know where we’ll go from here,” he said.
A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes, descriptions and production dates was posted online by Menu Foods. www.menufoods.com/recall/.
The company also designated two phone numbers that pet owners could call for information: (866) 463-6738 and (866) 895-2708.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
UPDATE SUBMITTED BY CD; see petArtistWithPeaches original posting of March 19 here cat and dog foods recall. Looks like the wire service got hold of it, of course…
skateboarding bulldog videos
The bulldog, TILLMAN skateboarding from Venice to Ventura. His name is Tillman, he is 1.5 years old and gets better every time we skate. In memory of Stoli.
Thanks to friend and contributor CT for sharing this one!! Really amazing!
Darla was riding her skateboard and clips the wall, normally she leans away from it and keeps on cruising. She lives in SoCal and rides the local skateparks and beaches.
[ED> NOTE: What is it with bulldogs anyway??]
03.19.07
cat and dog foods recall
RECALL list for Cuts and gravy wet/canned pet foods and foil pouch pet foods under various brand names. A precautionary recall is being undertaken by
UPDATE PER NPR radio report Mar. 20, Manufacturer Recalls Dog, Cat Food… 60 million cans are recalled… 9 cats and a dog have died from kidney failure… possibly related to contaminated wheat gluten…
Recalled Cat Product information, or call 1-866-895-2708
Recalled Dog Product information, or call 1-866-895-2708
PRESS RELEASE (from the Menufoods website)
March 16, 2007
Menu Foods Income Fund Announces Precautionary Dog and Cat Food Recall
TORONTO, ONTARIO–(CCNMatthews - March 16, 2007) -
NOT FOR RELEASE OVER US NEWSWIRE SERVICES
Attention Business/Financial Editors
Menu Foods Income Fund (the “Fund”) (TSX:MEW.UN) today announced the precautionary recall of a portion of the dog and cat food it manufactured between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. The recall is limited to “cuts and gravy” style pet food in cans and pouches manufactured at two of the Fund’s United States facilities. These products are both manufactured and sold under private-label and are contract-manufactured for some national brands.
Over the past several days, the Fund has received feedback in the United States (none in Canada) raising concerns about pet food manufactured since early December, and its impact on the renal health of the pets consuming the products. Shortly after receipt of the first complaint, the Fund initiated a substantial battery of technical tests, conducted by both internal and external specialists, but has failed to identify any issues with the products in question. The Fund has, however, discovered that timing of the production associated with these complaints, coincides with the introduction of an ingredient from a new supplier. The Fund stopped using this ingredient shortly after this discovery and production since then has been undertaken using ingredients from another source.
At the same time, the Fund’s largest customer, for which it manufactures on a contract basis, received a small number of consumer complaints and has initiated its own recall. Furthermore, for the time being, the customer has put future orders for cuts and gravy products on hold. This customer’s cuts and gravy purchases in 2006 represented approximately 11% of the Fund’s annual revenue. “We take these complaints very seriously and, while we are still looking for a specific cause, we are acting to err on the side of caution” said Paul K. Henderson, President and CEO, Menu Foods. “We will do whatever is necessary to ensure that our products maintain the very highest quality standards.”
While the number of complaints has been relatively small, Menu is taking this proactive step out of an abundance of caution, because the health and well-being of pets is paramount to the Fund. In addition to changing suppliers, for production after March 6, the Fund has increased testing of all raw materials and finished goods. It is also working closely with regulatory authorities and its customers to learn more and will take whatever additional actions are appropriate. The Fund estimates that based on currently available information, this recall could cost between $30 million and $40 million, which will be financed from a combination of internally generated cash flow and bank credit facilities. Furthermore, the Fund is aggressively producing product, utilizing a different supplier for the ingredient in question, to replenish customers as quickly as possible.
In order to determine whether cat and dog food in their possession is subject to recall, consumers should refer to the list of brand names (”listed products”) at www.menufoods.com/recall. This will be available by 6 a.m. Saturday March 17, 2007. Products not identified on the website can continue to be used.
Menu is the leading North American private-label/contract manufacturer of wet pet food products sold by supermarket retailers, mass merchandisers, pet specialty retailers and other retail and wholesale outlets. In 2006, the Fund produced more than one billion containers.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Menu Foods Income Fund
Consumers
1-866-895-2708
Website: www.menufoods.com
[ED. NOTE: I do wonder why this is NOT for release over US NewsWire Services...]
03.18.07
horses pull Ski Joring racers videos
Something to keep you busy with your horses in winter, this qualifies as one of the most unusual horse sports I’ve ever seen! In Ski Joring (term derived from Norwegian kjore meaning to drive,) racers fly over 3 jumps, catch 2 sets of 3 rings over their forearm, and make sharp cuts around cones. They are timed for speed and points are taken off for missing cones, gates or rings.
Video– Championship ski joring in New London NH Feb. 24, 2007, North East Ski Joring Association US OPEN competition. This horse is Stormy, the competitors I think are Pam Grace (rider) and either Geof Smith or Chris Lucier.
Another team of competitors in the US Open Ski Joring Competition. A couple of brave young folks tried it on snowboards too!
Ski joring migrated to U.S. from Scandinavia where being towed on skis by reindeer has long been a means of travel. Came to Jackson Hole Wyoming in 1991, when 4-6 mounted horses pulled a skiier at the end of a rope in an all-out charge. The sport has evolved since to single horse/rider/skier teams on an obstacle course. Put on by North East Ski Joring Association, sanctioned by North American Ski Joring Association.
We froze to death this day, but really enjoyed watching and stayed to the bitter end. (Wind was whistling across the private runway strip where the contest was staged.)
One (only) brave soul manages to drive his own tow-horse. You can see the difficulties with watching where you are going and ALSO steering the horse, who should be going straight– I just hope he uses a quick-release snap on his tow rope!
And there always has to be the speed demon! In this video is a measured DISTANCE jump. He REALLY catches some air, but crashes and burns on landing– OUCH!
This year’s last NESJA competition, the Second International Race, will be held in Quebec March 24-25. NESJA Website has more info and pictures.
So we just had to try it too… here I am on Willow’s Bask towing Kentaro, our Japanese exchange student, on skis. Ken does pretty well, the snow was a little deep and quite bumpy, and he discovered that downhill slopes are tricky! Next time we’ll pack a track on level ground- stay tuned!
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Connie Moses– Blog: petArtistWithPeaches
website: PortraitsWithHorses.com (horse and pet portraits)
