A HORSES BODY LANGUAGE

Do you ever wonder what your horse is trying to tell you? Feeling mystified? Here are four simple but necessary tips.



Your horse's ears will let you know where he's receiving his information from:

• His ears reflect how he is feeling and his emotions at any time. The next time you see his ears flat- back he may become aggressive, (and perhaps there is a good reason for this strong emotion he is feeling, take a moment to stop and think; is he feeling threatened, or afraid? why is he, is there a threat present to him?) This just may prevent an injury to you or to himself if you are able to find out the cause.


• If his ears are perked forward he is paying attention or is alert to something in front. Did you know when you are saddling a young horse, he will have his ears facing toward the saddle; not because he is upset or mean, rather because he is taking in information from the rear.


• And your horse friend often displays "floppy ears" when he is confused or uncertain.


• If he is in a schooling environment where he is either at liberty or in a single line, his inside ear will be rotated towards you. Realistically he may be doing this 75-85% of the time do to distractions etc. Although 100% of the time would be fantastic! He is telling you that he is paying attention and listening to you. His outside ear will be focused on sounds and motion from outside arena, round pen or paddock.

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National Service Dogs help children with Autism

Did you know that National Service dogs (NSD) is "enriching the quality of life and enhancing the independence of children and families lving with special needs"

NSD is a non-profit registered charity specializing in breeding, training, and placing Labrador and Golden Retreivers with children who have Autism and over time a childs behavior can and has been positively changed.

These Service Dogs:

• Increase safety levels for children with Autism by acting as an anchor when tethered to the child, keeping them from bolting into traffic or running away from their parents.
• Improve a child's socialization and behavior skills skills i.e a Goldren or Labrador Retreiver as a constant companion attracts attention.
• They create feedoms for the child and family members to go out of the house
• Expand a childs capabilities to experience more of life and to grow
• Calm children thereby giving them an increased attention span and a greater aptitude for learning
• Reduce stress and reliance on medications for children and family members

• NSD relies entirely on funding from the general public, Community Service Clubs, Corporate Sponsors and Community Based Foundations and fundraising events. Many people are not aware that it costs the NSD aprox. $18,000 to breed, raise, train, place and provide follow up and re-certification testing over the 7-9 year working life of a service dog. Autism Service Dogs are provided at no charge to approved families across Canada. for more information please go to their website at www.nsd.on.ca

Kim

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Tips on Osteoarthritis in dogs and cats

What are the signs of Osteoarthritis are in dogs and cats?

Signs of the pain assocaited with this disease are not always easy to recognize. That's because dogs and cats, like other animals are by nature less demonstative of pain to protect them from predators in nature; if a predator didn't know they were in pain they were less likely to be persued. In addition individual dogs and cats much like people respond to pain in different ways depending on many factors such as age, general health and well being and their breed.

When dogs do express pain, they do so through changes in their behavior such as:

• Lack of energy
• limping
• aggressive or defensive reactions to touch (either from people or other animals)
• unusual barking or meowing
• stiffness
• reluctance to move
• uncharacteristic hiding (under things like beds ) or wanting to go to places by themselves like basements to hide

* Signs will also vary according to the severity of the disease, if in doubt always contact your Vet to be on the safe side.

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Signs of Aging in Pets and Animals

We now know that aging is caused by many of the same factors in pets as in people, free radicals, which are normal by-products of energy produced by the body. They are generally harmless but a certain percentage of these can casue cell oxidation that contributes to aging. As animals age, they - like people experience changes in their everday behavior, activity and their overall demeanor.

As the aging process escalates in the body you will notice a variety of behavior and physical changes begin to appear.

Animals begin to lose mobility, their immune system weakens, they develop a lower metabolism, and lose muscle and bone mass.

You can look for the following signs of aging in to appear in your dog or cat:

• joint aches and pains
• excessive panting after walks
• sleeping more
• difficulty hearing or less responsive when being called
• incontinence or bladder leaking
• weight loss
• difficulty seeing
• difficulty urinating
• increased thirst
• restless at night
• urinating more frequently
• eyes appear to have a slight blue or whitish haze over the pupils

Have you gotten your furry friend a sweater or coat to keep him or her warm this winter season? It may let him or her enjoy their walks with you a little bit more; remember the lower your dog is to the ground the more he/she feels the cold especially at the base of their spine near their tail. Also, if they are already experiencing arthritis for - bigger dogs as well.

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