.:EQUUS:.

Shameless self promotion!  So with December comes all the Christmas talk.  Thought about Christmas cards yet?

I love making use of SendOutCards online to be able to send cards out to anyone I like with pre designed cards, or ones that I create myself.  There’s nothing like using a photo of a friend on their horse and sending them a card with that picture on it!  For those interested in the networking side of things, SendOutCards can also be a way to generate income.

Interested?  Check out https://www.sendoutcards.com/christhomas/. Feel free to ask me questions about the online system I use

“You know you’re a horse person when… …your mother, who has no grandchildren, gets cards addressed to Grandma, signed by the horses and dogs.”

So one of my lovely students turned up in class the other week with a heap of horse books for me to add to my collection!  I think I’ll be enjoying a few good reads from these!  The first was a lovely surprise by Karen Wood.

Diamond Spirit is set in Australia and written by an Australian.  Based around two horse crazy teens that love games on horseback, this novel is realistic and full of authentic horse information.

The shock death of the main character’s horse Diamond leaves young Jess devastated.  She not only loses her horse, but feels that she has lost her best friend who is obviously keeping something from her.  Sulking at home, a couple of girls come across Jess whilst she is outside with her cousin’s horse.

The pair invite Jess to look at some foals at their uncle’s place and from here the friendship blossoms.  Jess is suddenly introduced to the world of camp drafting and a gorgeous little appaloosa filly.   Feeling that this filly and her beloved Diamond are in some way linked, Jess and her friends concoct a plan to be able to purchase the filly.

Diamond Spirit is a great read, entertaining and educational.  A wonderful choice for a present.  For a more in depth review, visit my articles at Suite101.com.

Author: Karen Wood
Fiction: 11 years and up
In my library? Absolutely.  A great story that is educational and entertaining - the best combination in my books.

Tags: horse story, equine book review, equine author, horse library, horse writing, Karen Wood, Diamond Spirit

October 16th, 2011 marks yet another Blog Action Day.  This year’s topic is food.  What a fitting topic for horses!

It seems to me that when horse owners fall on hard times financially, the cost of keeping horses becomes increasingly difficult.  This seems to be especially so with regards to the need to purchase feed.  Another time when this becomes difficult and expensive is in a drought.

When considering horse feeds, a few things could be considered by property owners to make things less difficult:

• invest in pastures that have a variety of species that have growth periods at different times of the year - this allows horses to consistently be on pasture whilst at the same time protecting paddocks from bare patches, erosion and other issues that can occur when pasture is lacking
• invest in trees in laneways that alongside providing shade, will be a great fodder source - the lucerne tree is a great example of this
• purchase in bulk - when feed is cheap, if storage is available, purchasing in bulk can be cost effective as well as guarantee the horse owner of having something stored away when drought or other issues restrict the possibility of acquiring feed

Horses are always going to consume food and as an animal that grazes 12 - 20 hours a day, the horse owner should be aware of ways to best ensure that their horses have access to food.

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

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. This year’s topic is food.  Now this one can surely be related to horses!

This year’s date is October 16, so look out for an equine related food post on this date and if you write a blog, consider signing up for Blog Action Day 2011.

“The horse! The horse! The symbol of surging potency and power of movement, of action, in man.” - D. H. Lawrence

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

So a few things have been happening of late that have made me reassess what I wanted to achieve over 2011 and what I’d like to achieve next year, and I’ve concluded with regards to next year, I may as well hit the ground running!

What do you want to do for next year that you could actually actively start working towards this year?

My frustrated revelation this week has been that there’s always a replacement available.  If you don’t want to do a particular task or something doesn’t quite fit in with what you had in mind, there’s always someone willing to step into your position.  Change at times is inevitable, whether it’s wanted or not, but it can push you to question what you really want.

So what do you want in the near future?  And what are you willing to do to get it?  Start being accountable, perhaps by writing it up in a comment here - writing something down makes it that much more tangible.

I want to:

• build up a residual income via the opportunity that SendOutCards affords and help others do the same and gain some financial freedom
• invest in a rental property
• build up a financial portfolio that will help in the purchase of my dream property
• reach 300+ articles on Suite101