.:EQUUS:.

Today is Blog Action Day; this year’s topic being Water.  Blog Action Day is an initiative to raise awareness on topics that are important globally.  Consider taking the time to sign the petition with regards to providing water to those in need.

Water is very much a relevant topic to horse owners.  An important source that isn’t inexhaustible, being water wise with regards to one’s property is a wonderful skill to have and something to strive toward.

There are many ways you can take advantage of water on your property and try to get the most out of it.  Some include:

• planting trees in windbreaks that are drought tolerant
  • using trees along fence lines can also help to stop soil erosion from water running down the property
• establish dams in areas where rain is known to travel down to
• establish dams or other large water areas on the property where northerly winds can travel across them first and then the rest of the property
  • this will assist in cooling down the breeze as it continues across the property
• make use of water run off or opportunities to collect wasted water
  • whether this is from gutters, water from the washing machine after washing horse rugs or excess water in the shower, this water can be used on plants on the property that provide fodder, shade and wind breaks

Water is such a vital resource that can’t afford to be wasted.  Consider how you can maximise it on your property.
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Last year Blog Action Day focused on Climate Change - check out the Equus post ‘Climate Change Effects for Horse Owners’

“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”

tag: blog action day, water and horses, greater cause

So it’s the time of year in Victoria, Australia for VCE students to be considering what they want to do after year 12 and consequently put in applications for further education if this is the desire. Mature age students too may be applying for TAFE and University courses.

Adjustments to funding by the government are going to affect these mature age students as of 2011. Up until now, TAFE courses have been the cheaper form of gaining a qualification by a large sum. When I completed my Diploma of Horse Studies in 2004, the course had cost me around $1500 for the two years – including texts! Currently, my Degree costs this per semester – and that’s carrying out a part time load.

As of 2011, any person over the age of 20 years that has a qualification and chooses to undertake another course of a lower qualification will be penalised in that they have to pay full fees. For example, if someone has completed a Diploma in a particular area or perhaps even a Degree and they decide on a career change, they could be affected. They may choose perhaps to go on and do a Certificate III or IV in Horse Studies or something similar and end up having to pay full fees.

This could be somewhere around $14/hour and for a course that has a total of around 800 hours to complete the subjects required to gain the qualification, the result is that this mature age student ends up paying in excess of $11,000 for a lower qualification than they already have.

No doubt this is to encourage up skilling, with the view that people should always be aiming for a higher qualification than they currently have. However, this doesn’t encourage career changes. Perhaps one possible way around this for those who are quick to act and have some prior experience in the field they want to gain a qualification is to contact your local provider and find out if you can be registered on the books this year and given RPL for those relevant subjects and then be carried over as a student to next year.

Either way, if you’re considering studying for next year whether it’s part time, full time, alongside work or not, now is the time to put those considerations into action.

They say that princes learn no art truly, but the art of horsemanship. The reason is, the brave beast is no flatterer. He will throw a prince as soon as his groom.” - Ben Johnson

tag: horse courses, TAFE, australia, horse education

I participate in Blog Action Day each year as I think it’s a great event. At times it’s been difficult to find a way to link the topic with an equine related blog. However, this year’s topic is Water - hardly a difficult topic to relate to horses!

So, October 15 look out for the Equus Water post and in the meantime, if you write a blog, consider signing up for Blog Action Day 2010.

Change.org|Start Petition

tag: blog action day, horses and water, greater cause

“Each leg in it’s gallop seems to stream with a rush of speed as though from a bucket of water poured o’er the field.” - Arabian Poet

Located close to the William Inglis sales complex is a property - Woodlands Historic Park - now the home to many retired legends. These include Brew, Might and Power, Doriemus as well as many more. Soon to arrive are Apache Cat and Takeover Target.

Once involved in taking many people for a ride at the one time, these horses are now located at Living Legends, Victoria’s racing industry showcase to the public.

Not appearing to have a national stud like England, Ireland or France, Australia has a racing museum and Living Legends. Living Legends offers the opportunity for young and old alike to meet retired racehorses that achieved a noticeable racing career before retiring.

Taking advantage of their close proximity to the Inglis sales complex, the Living Legends inhabitants take a trip down the road at times to be paraded before those attending the yearling or mixed Thoroughbred sales.

Living Legends raises awareness of racehorses, the racing industry and care after racing for those horses that may not be able to go on and breed future equines for racing. To offer your support for such a set up, consider visiting the home of these living legends.

“A racehorse is an animal that can take several thousand people for a ride at the same time.”

tag: racing, racehorses, thoroughbreds, Living Legends, Australia

So study for my Horse Management subject at uni has me going over the anatomy and physiology of the stallion currently.  Upon looking at artificial insemination I realised I’d planned to do a piece with regards to Equitainers and after a quick search on this blog, it appears that I haven’t!

Those familiar with transporting semen with regards to breeding the mare, will be familiar with Equitainers.

For those who aren’t, an Equitainer is a container used to courier semen to mare owners so that the mare can be artificially inseminated within a particular time frame.  If the mare isn’t inseminated within this short time frame, chances are she will not conceive.  Consequently, the lining up work of the vet as well as expenses with regards to collecting from the stallion and the mare owner having to dish out a reasonable amount of money would all be wasted.

For those interested in the artificial insemination breeding side of horses, Equitainer.com of Hamilton Research Inc. provides information with regards to:
- reproduction courses
- different products to assist in the ease of preparing mares to be inseminated
- articles relating to transported semen, collection and general reproduction issues

In an industry where reproductive technologies are advancing at an impressive pace, someone stepped into a niche area, providing a product that is now recognised as one of the best for “equine cooled shipping semen containers,” says Paul Loomis of Select Breeders Services.

In the equine reproductive world, those making use of such technologies available may find themselves jumping ahead in the products and services that are able to be offered to equine breeders.

tag: artificial insemination, transporting semen, equitainer, breeding horses

“Breed the best to the best and hope for the best.” - Breeder’s axiom