With the fireworks starting as bonfire night is approaching there has been a petition circulating around. This petition is to stop unauthorised firework displays such as back garden fireworks. This has come around due to the amount of distress it's causing animals when their owners aren't notified and are able to prepare themselves and the animals before hand. 

Personally I feel that this petition is something that everyone should be signing, and not only horse owners all animal owners. It's not only horses that are getting distressed from the random firework bangs and noises, dogs and cats are too. Owners who like to have their animals kept in for the fireworks, when the bangs are at random and days before bonfire night this cannot be done. 

Over the years I have had to see many pictures on Facebook of the consequences people have had to deal with from others actions. I've seen barns been burnt down which has been full of peoples winter stock of hay and straw due to a firework landing on it, I've also seen this happen from chinese lanterns. These people do not only lose out on the money they have spent for the winter stock they have to rebuy again and build their barns back up for storage. The other day I seen a picture of an aborted foal in the field due to the stress fireworks caused the mother. This isn't seen as a financial loss like the barns but more of an emotional one as it was only just forming. I've heard of horses loosing eyes because of fireworks, being burnt etc. I'm not going to add any images here because they can be distressing for some, but I'm hoping if you're an animal owner or even just a lover you will sign this Petition to finally get something done. Currently there is just under 30,000 signatures on it but to make the government consider a change in a debate we need 100,000 signatures. We have until April 2018 to get all of these and I'm hoping it will make a change for next years bonfire night. 

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Horslyx Respiratory Lick Review

This review is a Cloudy based one. The reason I chose the respiratory lick is because Cloudy has been known to suffer with choke and will cough throughout the winter when in the stable depending on how dusty it is. So the reason behind choosing this is because it's designed to provide a unique approach to supporting the respiratory system. The ingredients such as menthol, eucalyptus and aniseed supports the airways and helps keep them clear of mucus which helps the horse breathe more easily. The minerals such as Vitamins C & E, selenium, chelated copper and zinc in the balancer package help maintain immunity which then helps support and aid a healthy lung function. 

The high oil content helps for healthy skin and coat while the Biotin, zinc and methionine helps with healthy hooves. 
The 2 main reasons to why I chose this one for Cloudy are:

• If your horse is prone to coughing or any respiratory compromise, Respiratory Horslyx Balancer can support the body’s natural defense mechanism.
• For horses that are stabled for long periods of time, Respiratory Horslyx Balancer can help maintain healthy breathing and lessen the chance of ill-health affecting performance levels.

After the first night of giving Cloudy the lick this is how I found his stable the next morning. Safe to say he'd had some fun fighting with the lick to get it out. Please excuse the mass amount of poo in this picture, this was on a bad night haha. After retrieving and trying to clean the lick the best I could, I paired up the licked with it's container again for him. The next night he'd managed to get it out of the pot again and hide it in a pile of hay, thankfully the third night he had it, it stayed in the pot. 
After all the fighting with it to get at it I'm sure he loved the lick. I was also told that he had brown patches on his nose from where he was getting in there to get at the lick.  

Now although Cloudy loves these licks, Legacy isn't that keen on them. I bought her one after the Nettex one's she used to have stopped being sold in my place of work so I thought I'd try her out with the original one. She has licks in her stable to try keep her occupied while she's in there for a long period of time. This is mainly because she gets stressy and starts to box walk and crib bites. When I first put down the Original tub she went over for a little smell, but wasn't majorly bothered with it. I thought she'd take a few days to try it out, but it ended up just staying in her stable gathering dust. In the end I had to throw it as it had gone to bad to give to Cloudy.  

These licks are great if you have a horse that's not needing any food and is on a good forage diet. These can supply all the vitamins & minerals needed for a balanced diet for them. They are weather-proof which is great for being used in the field as well as the stable. 
They come in 3 different sizes
- 650g which lasts 3-4 days
- 5Kg which lasts 20-25 days
& 15Kg which lasts 60-75 days 
The length of time they last depends on the size of your horse and how much they use it for. 
They also come in 4 different flavours Original, Respiratory, Garlic & Mint.

The average prices for them are:
 650g one is £3.50 - £4.50
5kg one is £14.00 - £16.00
& 15kg one is £28.99 - £34.00

The original is the cheapest one and then the flavoured or specialised ones are more expensive. 
You can also get a stable holder for the 5kg tub, and a ground holder for the 15kg tub.

Here are 2 sites I've found which sell a range of the Horslyx.
Naylors Equestrian & Countrywide Farmers

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Legacy's Take on Bedding

In the 3 winters I've had Legacy I have tried a variation of types of bedding. Most of them have worked well in the beginning and then have just majorly fallen down hill as I thought that plan and type of bedding was working. During the time she's been at the current livery yard she's been in 4 different stables. In these stables her stress levels have been different in each one, this has contributed to how messy each stable has been. Pretty much each variation has included shavings at some point and it even went to the point of trying out different types of shavings. 

All of the stables she's been in have had rubber matting in, so this has been a major help when it comes to putting down a bed for her. When I first had her she was on shavings, in a average stable size she would just poo where she was standing when eating her hay, the only problem with this would be that when she would walk around the stable, the poo would be walked into the shavings. 

Apart from this the main dilemma I've always had with her beddings is that she's very wet, this at times could be to the point there would be a slight puddle in the middle of the shavings if there wasn't a thick enough layer down. 

The bedding variations she's had are:

- Shavings with thick banks and thin bed layer

- Plenty of shavings all around, thick banks and bed layer

- Shavings banks with Megazorb in the middle

- Shavings banks with shavings and wood pellets mixed in

- Wood Pellet banks and bed

- Straw banks and shavings bed

- Shavings banks with straw bed
- We've also tried deep littering her on shavings

Before trying her out on what she's on now she was going through a bale of shavings a day if you were mucking her out properly she was that wet, so I knew I had to find a better alternative for her. She now has Straw all over for banks and bed with a sprinkle of shavings underneath in the middle. This seems to be working well for the time being, and she will probably be on this until she goes out for the summer which I'm hoping will be within the next few weeks if the weather sorts itself out. The shavings layer beneath the straw is enough to soak up the wee from the bedding to make it not so soggy or have wee running through the stable. 

She also seems to be very much less stressed while she's in this stable, she is now next door to Cloudy who she is very close with as their never separated now, being in both summer & winter fields together. He has really seemed to calm her down and it's really helped cut down on her separation anxiety. She still has a few stubborn moments trying to get her into the stable on her own, but with a little persuasion she's much more better and willing to be on her own. 

Here is a quick before & after picture of Legacy's stable. 

Review : Chia De Garcia Seeds

A while ago I was asked to write a review about Chia De Garcia Seeds, having a ex racer whom I needed to put weight on and improve condition I thought this would be great. 

About the seeds:

Chia facilitates natural well-being and can supplement the horse’s daily feed. Chia seeds contain more omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in an ideal balance than any other plant product. Chia is rich in essential amino acids, minerals, and vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, E) and has a high protein content. Chia easily gels and forms a protective film in the intestines that slows carbohydrate absorption, balances blood sugar levels and advances the healing of gastric ulcers. Chia is perfect for sensitive horses that suffer from equine metabolic syndrome, are overweight or experience intestinal problems. The absorbing properties of chia help ensure a perfect balance of fluid and electrolytes. Its high level of dietary fibre supports optimal intestinal functioning – Chia can thus be used to clear the bowels from sand. Chia lubricates the horse’s skin, which increases its resistance to allergies, alleviates itching and promotes the growth of strong hooves and shining, healthy horse hair. Chia is rich in antioxidants and magnesium, which helps to calm stress-sensitive horses and balances the mare’s estrous cycle. It is also ideal for pregnant mares and for horses that suffer from damaged joints or connective tissue. Chia is perfect for dogs too.

I found these to be very helpful with gaining condition on Legacy, with it helping to optimize her digestive tract. When I was going through the struggles of trying to find her a permanent home she didn't have the best poos, they weren't cow like but they weren't far off, this would also happen when she became stress or unsure. After finding her somewhere decent and giving her these seeds her poos have now become healthy and definitely more horse like. 
The main difference I seen in her apart from condition from using these seeds would be her coat, skin and hoof condition's. She now has a great shine in her coat, old scars have started to slightly heal and when I first got her she was able to wear just the two front shoes for a time and then the next time the farrier came she would have to have a set of all four, she is now able to just have a front set and the back feet look after themselves pretty much. Her mane and tail are also in much better condition, they aren't frizzing up as much and are growing healthily. 

A 2kg bag lasted just over a month varying portions. For Legacys size of 500kg she was given 50g of seeds at the beginning of adding the seeds into her feed for the first week and then I increased it up to 75g daily after this. It was split into 2 meals, her breakfast and evening tea. 

I found these great as they are so small they were easily eaten and she wouldn't leave them behind. 

Below are the before and after pictures of Legacy, as you can see she's got some added top line (although I know the saddle doesn't help) and her bum has become a lot more rounded on the top. 

These specific Chia seeds are available through Equinutritive and the prices start at £18.50 for a 1KG bag, and range up to £108.50 for a 9KG bag. The seeds are here, you can also contact the company through their Twitter or Facebook. 

*This product was supplied to be for free but all opinions within the review are my own from personal experiences.