Anything For Animals

posted by admin on Aug 20

Back again with some more easy to achieve tips for getting ready for your horse shows.  And this collection are all about your horses appearance - and planning ahead for the show.

You may well already use some of these - or you could add yours to the comments below to help others.  Either way, here they are:

1) Create your own great quarter-marks with a snapped up set of teethed combs. Practice with both fine and wide toothed combs to find the best effect and then design your patterns in advance!

2) To hold your quarter-marks in place for longer - use a little hairspray - as long as it doesn’t spook your horse!

3) To make a white tail look really white - try washing it in a tiny amount of biological soap powder - but be careful not to get it on your horses skin!

4) When trying out new styles of plaiting, quarter-marks or your own clothes, make sure you take pictures from both close up and farther away (like the judges will see). This way you can find out in advance which looks better for the show.

5) Plan to space you plaits evenly by using a plastic comb or other small item as a measuring stick. Planning it’s length in advance will let you know how many plaits you will need for the complete look.

6) When plaiting up before the show - make sure you have threaded up all the needles you think you will use and stick them in the front of your jumper - rather than using the 1 needle and wasting a lot of time inbetween each plait!

7) Also, the types of plait you use can help improve the appearance of your horse. For example lots of smaller plaits can make a short neck look better proportioned, and larger raised plaits can make a thin or long neck a bit more chunky looking!

8.) To keep plaits in place during a show - why not use a setting lotion instead of water while plaiting.  This should stop wispy bits from coming loose during the day.

9) If cutting your horses tail for the show, get someone to put their arm under his tail to raise it slightly to the height he carries it when moving - otherwise you may cut it too short!

10) And if not cutting the tail then plait your horses tail tip when still wet and leave to dry. When ready, brush out the plait with your fingers with the result that the tail tip will look wavy and fuller in time for the ring!

Fantastic Stuff! Your horse should look beautiful by now!

posted by admin on Aug 15

RSPB - The Royal Society For The Protection Of Birds

Although the full name seems very old-fashioned and a little specific in nature - the new RSPB is about so much more these days!

Yes, it is still the UK’s biggest bird charity - but they have expanded their horizons.  They have found that just protecting the birds themselves doesn’t solve the problems facing them and neither does keeping them isolated.

Birds have to feed, breed and rear young - they aren’t just isolated beings - therefore their whole habitat and feeding areas need to be preserved.  As do all the other animals that make up that environment - including humans.

The Wider Landscape:
For example an estuarine landscape needs to be fed by a clean meandering river, enriched by an unpolluted sea, grazed by certain livestock and managed by sympathetic landowners.  There needs to be a whole host of insects and larva in the mud-flats to feed other insects and waders in the shallow waters, which in turn feed other birds and animals in the wider landscape.

And although certain habitats are threatened by encroachment of human habitation and quad bike users for example - keeping humans out of the picture doesn’t create ongoing support for their work.

By keeping these areas a ‘people-free’ zone, they are keeping away the very people who will be able to look after them in the future - the kids.  So the RSPB are encouraging schools and youth groups to become more involved in the work that they do and in getting hands-on with the wildlife on their reserves.

Even Further Afield:
And, the RSPB know that looking even further from their habitat is essential for supporting our visiting birdlife as many species migrate here from across the globe.

There is no point making everything perfect for species A here in Norfolk and species B in Lindesfarne if they live somewhere else for 9 months of the year!  What if species A has to contend with Maltese hunters to get to Africa and species B has to fly to the dirty tar sands of Canada to breed?

How do we know they will come back next year if we don’t start to protect them around the world?  What if there is nowhere for their young to fly to in the spring?

And it’s not just UK birds that they help around the globe: they have brought tropical rainforests in Indonesia and changed fishing practices around the Antarctic!

What Can You Do?
Well, you don’t even need to spend a penny to help the RSPB with their aims!  There is plenty for you to do that is totally free or of very little cost to you.

For example, you can sign up to their newsletter online so that they can keep you informed of any activities they are organising - like their current campaign of a ‘Letter to the Future’ aiming to save our landscape for future generations to enjoy.  All you need to do is sign it and send it off!

Visiting their reserves is also a great way to show support as their visitor numbers can reflect growing interest in the ‘great outdoors’ and can help them to decide which species interest the most people and start a campaign to help it.

Also, encouraging your children and their schools to become more involved with nature will start them off in the right direction for the future.  I mean there is no point in saving habitats today if nobody wants to care for them in the future!

If you want to become a member you can do so for just £3 a month, or only pay a few pounds for entry at the few sites you visit each year.  Most of their sites are free anyway, so at least donate a few pounds each time anyway. 

I mean - if people don’t support the places they love; then they can’t expect them to be there in the future can they?

posted by admin on Aug 5

This appeal works to help save wildlife habitats in the UK.

The Details:
The Landfill Communities Fund offer funding to restore habitats - but you have to raise the first 10%.

This way if you offer £10 to the WWT, they can ‘unlock’ a further £90 from this Landfill Communities Fund - therefore turning your £1 onto £10.

However the funding is lost completely if the initial 10% isn’t raised.

Therefore the WWT are currently asking for donations for their latest fund to save and restore valuable habitats in local areas across the country.

Previous Work:
Over the past 3 years, previous campaigns have helped to raise over £100,000 - pretty impressive on it’s own - but don’t forget: this gets multiplied by 10 - so they were able to get their hands on a further £900,000 as a result.

That’s £1 million to help restore wetlands and heathland all over the UK! 

So, what did they do with all that money?  Well they had several large projects including the Great Crane Project which was featured on Springwatch and various other wildlife news reports and events.

The other successful actions were restoring wetlands at Slimbridge, saline lagoons at Washington and adding a canoe safari to their events at Martin Mere.  Also at Arundel they have started some serious work to help the water vole population on the River Arun - and pictures coming in from visitors show the results of this project!

How To Contribute:
You can help in a number of ways for this specific appeal - but with an immediate donation having the desired effect!

Belts may be tight - but think of what you would like to donate at the top of your budget - and then divide it by 10.  Basically just £1 of your money will in effect be a £10 donation, so if you would love to offer £100 but are a bit cash-strapped - then just offer £10 and you have done your best!

Obviously if your pockets are not quite so empty, then be as generous as you can and work out your total donation by adding the noughts!  If you can spare £100 - that’s £1000 in the WWT bank and so on.

Alternatively visit their website to find other ways to support them in their valuable work.

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posted by admin on Jul 30

This article lists some great tips for making a trip to a show easier and hopefully better than before!

By finding the little things that work better, faster or more cheaply can really make the difference to a day at a show - allowing you time to think about the more important things - like winning!!!!

So, lets get started with some quick and easy top tips:

1) The day before the show - wash your horse: not the day of the show.  This way it allows the coat to settle back down and it will be more ‘controllable’ when you are getting him ready in the morning! 

2) And a mane will be virtually impossible to plait when it has just been washed!

3) For yourself - use only a discreet rosebud and small flower head for your show classes - otherwise it will be a distraction for the judges - and could fall out in the ring if too large!

4) And choose dark gloves for dressage and show classes as they attract less attention than white ones - although white gloves may seem the right choice, you want the judges to be watching your horse - not your hands!

5) Keep some thick sticky tape to hand to get fluff and hay off of your clothes before you enter the ring. Roll a full look around your hand - sticky side out - and pat or roll on the offending bits of fluff! Repeat as necessary when all the ’sticky has gone!

6)Keep a list of all important friends and supplier phone numbers with your show equipment, just incase you need something short notice - like a new jacket, hat silk or to borrow a trailer. You can’t waste time looking for a number when you are in the ring in less than an hour!

7) To produce a good shine on your rubber boots - use a little spray from some spray-can furniture polish!

8.)And for your horse: use boot polish instead of hoof oil if showing in an indoor arena - as the shavings wil not stick to the polish!

9) Use a thread the same colour as your jacket when attaching your show number so it looks more natural from a distance.

10) And if you are allowed: trim off the corners of you number at the show as this will make the number look smaller and much neater - it will also help to prevent the number from curling up and looking tatty in the ring!

Hope these helped!

posted by admin on Jul 15

How many times have you watched a delightful and brightly coloured butterfly waft past you on a breeze?

Or sat in your garden watching a dainty little butterfly flutter between plants in your borders?

But what was it so you can tell people you saw it!

Well, there are several very common butterflies in the UK that you can learn without too much trouble to make your gardens a more interesting place!

And once you have learnt the few regular visitors to your garden - you will spot a new one when it arrives more easily - and know which key features to look out for.

Butterfly Identification:
Being aware of the general colouring and wing patterns of butterflies can help you to make a correct id.

For example, butterflies have 4 wings; 2 on each side with the uppermost segment on each side usually being the same size or larger than the rear.

They also have very different colourings on the undersides of their wings that can be quite unique - although not quite so obvious as the topside.

Most common species have a combination of spots, white or black patches or even stripes (of a kind) and it is these that can make all the difference.

For example, the small tortoiseshell and the painted lady can appear almost identical at first glance to a ‘learner’, but when you look at their fore-wings the difference is obvious:

Small Tortoiseshell:
Yellow and Black ’squares’ along the top edge with 1 terminal white square.

Painted Lady:
Only small patches of white amongst larger black patches - no neat squares at all!

Of course there are numerous other visual differences including blue edging all over the Tortoiseshells wings and dark spots on the Painted Lady’s rear wings - but the above is the most obvious feature to observe.

Why Learn Them?
Well, not only will knowing by name all the butterflies that visit your garden or live in your local woods be interesting in itself - but it can help the wider world too.

By knowing and reporting your species to specific charities and biological groups, you could help them to create butterfly distribution maps for your region and the country as a whole.

This will allow for a wider impact assessment of the areas and habitats involved.  As butterflies only frequent certain plants throughout their lives - they can be a great indicator of the state of the plants, their habitat and therefore the other animals that live in the same area.

This can be a really useful tool in trying to help local biodiversity in these changing times.

Also at the moment, Butterfly Conservation and Marks & Spencer are funding a ‘Big Butterfly Count’ at the end of July 2010 to take a quick stock of whats out there this year - and as a result have produced a fantastic colour butterfly identification guide for you to refer to.

Even if you end up not doing the count, you can still learn from the id guide about which species you should be expecting to see visiting your garden plants!

And if you want to do more to help these vital species - then visit the Butterfly Conservation Trust online and think about donating or becoming a member.

posted by admin on Jun 30

Find an event being promoted locally by your ever present, ever active veterinary nurse!

People don’t always understand the important roles played by a veterinary nurse as part of a surgery and the community.  Many think that they are only there to ‘hold an animal still’ for the vet, or to clean up any surgery ‘mess’ after an operation or toilet ‘accident’.

However, you would be quite surprised as to how much of everything that vet nurses actually do!

The Reception:
Many surgeries have their nurses on the reception desk to answer all queries as customers call in or visit on foot.  They are fully aware of how all the computer systems work and so can access all animal records to give the best information at any time.

The Practice Building:
Unless they employ an external company, the vet nurses will be responsible for all the cleaning of the waiting room, offices and kitchen areas to make sure that no unnecessary bacteria or germs are lurking around the corridors - bearing in mind most of the patients are coming in sick already!

The Surgery Itself:
All vet nurses play a huge part in all surgery activities.  Not only are they in charge of all the supplies and the equipment - they are the anaesthetists too!  They must help to assess the patient before, during and after surgery - as well as make sure that they vets themselves can operate smoothly.

The Patients:
All surgeries have kennels for the sick, injured or operated on animals of all shapes and sizes.  The nurse will need to be aware of the needs and requirements of all the species present, including rodents, birds, reptiles and larger pets too - and how to care for them when they are ill.

Many surgeries offer overnight and emergency care, so the nurses may well have to work through the night in special instances focussing all their time on particular cases and making sure that they are aware of all emergency procedures in case of any problems while the vets are not onsite. 

The Medication:
They will no doubt have to be aware of all the medications in the surgery, what they are used for, when and how long they are used for and their use by dates.  And most importantly - when to not use them!  They will need to fulfil prescriptions from the vet and regular patients as well as make sure that enough supplies are kept on site.

Ongoing Training:
Most vet nurses will also be studying for further qualifications - and many vet nurses are in training on site (stripy green and white top means they are in training - solid green means qualified).  But also all qualified nurses still wish to improve their skills and take on a specialism or 2 depending on the surgery they work in.

Additional Activities:
Many surgeries will also offer non-illness related events on site, like puppy parties, weight loss clinics and other specifics.  They need to organise and advertise all these events themselves and learn all the new skills required to offer such advice.

They will no doubt also be responsible to the information and decoration of the waiting room notice boards - targeting the most relevant events to their clients or due to the time of year - like bonfire night problems and obesity or rabbit vaccinations etc.

Many vet nurses offer their skills to charity abroad, like neutering programs in South America or vaccination schemes in Africa - it’s not all puppies and bunnies! And, no doubt many are now using their skills to improve their company website too.

So, never under-estimate your local vet nurse when you see her cleaning the floor or bringing you a worming tablet - without them, your surgery would not function for more than 5 minutes!

posted by admin on Jun 25

Have you been up to anything this week - or is this the first you have heard of it?

As part of the National Year of Biodiversity - there is hope that the creepy crawlies will get a look in too!  Not just the little furry ones and the pretty birds!

Spurred on by the ever charismatic and slightly nerdy Chris Packham, why don’t you give insects a chance?  I have started to learn a bit more about the insects around us as I know that they are an essential and amazing part of the ecosystem.

I can now identify around 10 different butterfly species, about 5 moths - as well as the plants that they feed on and those that their young eat.  And I am getting some really great photos along the way!

So now - just like you - I can learn more about other groups of insects from this fact-filled site and all the related links and events.    

Insect Fun & Facts:
This section allows you to read about the tallest, shortest, heaviest, tiniest ad all those record breakers in the insect world - as well as allowing you to make a giant dragonfly yourself!

Insect Garden:
This section is all about making your average garden more attractive the the right kind of insects - both for natural organic pest control, pollination and pure beauty!

Insect Index:
Here you can follow the descriptions and links to find out exactly what type of bug it was that you found near the pond or under a stone - with some great pictures too!

Insect Resources:
Here is the best part of the site.  It is a page totally filled with links and resources to get you started in the insect world - or to carry on from where you are.  It’s a long page!

Insect Events:
There is an extensive listing of minibeast events across the country divided into counties.  I found 2 literally just up the road from me and the WWT centre - so I’m sure you will find one near you too!

Insect Surveys:
Whether it’s the Painted Lady Butterfly Watch or the Great Stag Beetle Hunt, you can take part in these surveys to make sure that our tiny wildlife is kept on top form.  Just follow the links to get started making a difference!

Anything from this website you take on board will make a huge difference to our native wildlife - and could be the difference between extinction and population explosion!

posted by admin on Jun 4

It’s not a case of whether you lose your pet - it’s more about getting it back!

Many pet owners don’t seem to realise how terrible it is to lose a pet, and just because their little pet seems to always be at home or is rarely off the lead - they assume it can never get lost.

It can - and many many many pets every year get lost - and only a few ever make it back home.

The Problem:
Well, I have worked for animal rescue centres and veterinary surgeries and the number of times we get a phone call to say that someone has lost their black cat, or their pedigree dog.

Now, I don’t know if you know this but there are about a million black cats that all look - well, black.  And let’s be honest, there really isn’t much difference to the layman’s eye between 1 Yorkshire Terrier and the next - I mean they are bred to all look roughly the same, aren’t they?

And, obviously unless you call every vet, rescue centre, pet store or well being neighbour, you might not ever be matched up to your pet again.  Say for example your cat had been asleep in a car that drove off 20 miles before the cat jumped out - would you have called the vets that far from home?

What if your dog got lost while you were out in the local woods and ended up following another owner to the car.  They might not find you or want to leave your dog alone - so thinking they are helping might take your dog with them and report it to their own vet - which is completely on the other side of the woods to you! Or you are on holiday, miles from home?

And don’t think your pets collar will help either - many owners don’t put their full details on them anyway - and many tags - and collars - can (and do) fall off!

We know that animals get lost all the time whether you want to believe it or not - but what if there was a way to give you pet an unmistakable, unremovable id tag that will bring them home everytime?

That’s A MicroChip!
A tiny chip can easily and cheaply be implanted into your pet - from cat to rabbit, ferret to horse and dog to tortoise - and you need never worry about getting your pet returned to you when it is found.

They just need the one chip implanted and that is it for the animal!  There are no ongoing costs for the owner - but obviously you need to keep your contact details updated everytime they change so if they need to contact you, they have the best number!

Every veterinary surgery or rescue centre will ALWAYS scan a found animal looking for a microchip as this is the fastest and easiest way to find the owner.  So as long as your lost pet turns up in one of these places - you will be reunited.

They will also scan these animals if their owners are asking for it to be microchipped for them or when an abandoned animal arrives in a shelter.  This has lead to some amazing reunions!

A lost or seemingly abandoned animal may sometimes be adopted in by a new home, and when that new owner wants them ‘chipped or finally takes them to a rescue centre - your details will pop up as the rightful owner!

Also, if a pet is injured or killed on the road and taken to a veterinary surgery, it will also be scanned for a chip.

June 2010:
This month is national MicroChipping Week in the UK - so make sure you take advantage of surgeries and rescue centres offering reduced implantation - and plenty of them are!

I mean, it is to their advantage too. The sooner they can find out about any existing medical conditions an injured ‘lost’ pet has - the sooner they can offer the best treatment. And rescue centres don’t want to raise valuable donations looking after your dog for a week while you try to find it! They would rather it was home the same day, back with it’s owner rather than scared stiff in a noisy kennel!

Also, if your pets are already ‘chipped - take this as a gentle reminder to update your Chip Company with the correct contact details!

It will be the best thing you ever did for your pet!

posted by admin on May 27

If you took part in the 2010 Birdwatch earlier this year, then you may be interested in the results.

Those who registered their results should get a letter from the RSPB any-day now with the results inside, but if you didn’t, then here they are:

1) The House Sparrow - Down in overall numbers, but still number 1!

2) The Blackbird - This bird has increased in numbers, and so moved up the chart….

3) The Starling - These sociable birds seem to be dropping in numbers as this moves down from number 2 last year.

4) The Blue Tit - Taking full advantage of all the extra feeders out this winter - they increased in numbers slightly.

5) The Chaffinch - Not seen on any of my 3 counts - but must be popular in other areas.

6) The Woodpidgeon - RSPB stats show that the numbers of this bird are up by 855%!

7) The Robin - Always a popular bird, but as seen alone most of the time, this stays low in the list.

8.) The Great Tit - Numbers of this little chap are increasing - and there were loads on my counts too!

9) The Collared Dove - A quiet little bird that only arrived in the UK from Asia in 1953 - and has spread all over!

10) The Goldfinch - Attracted by the feeders we put out - and knocking the Long-Tailed Tit out of the Top 10!

Wales had similar results with virtually the same birds in the Top 10 - although in a different order: with the Dunnock and Jackdaw replacing the Greenfinch and Woodpigeon. 

In Northern Ireland, virtually the same 10 were again found with the Woodpidgeon losing out again - this time to the Coal Tit. The Starling was in 1st place here with the House Sparrow relegated to 2nd place. 

Scotland came in with the Chaffinch first, with the House Sparrow again second, but with the Dunnock and Greenfinch in 9th and 10th place.

If you want to know more about the survey, taking part in other surveys or joining the RSPB as a supporting member, then visit their website for more information and advice.

Source: The RSPB Big Garden BirdWatch Leaflet & Website.

posted by admin on May 25

This article details all you need to know as a beginner about a year in the life of a bat in the UK: 

Animal Type: Mammalia - Chiroptera

Species Info: There are 2 main Orders of bats in the world: Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera - but only the latter are found in the UK. 

UK Distribution:There are 17 species of Bat in the UK, with all these found in the South including the tiny Pipistrelle (only 5 grams) and the larger Daubenton’s and Noctule Bats, with only a few species found in the North.

Preferred Habitat: Around water (as this attracts their insect prey) and in quiet locations - although are quite happy to live in towns on canals or by lakes.  They need roosting sites nearby to where they feed - one for hibernating and another for summer roosting, so a variety of buildings, caves and holes in trees (or bat boxes) are essential.

In Spring:  Waking Up After Hibernation.
In early March, bats may still be hibernating but some will start to feed if necessary - however April is the month that you are most likely to start seeing many bats feeding at night in the UK.  By May there will be plenty of activity in the Bat world as the females are actively looking for communal nursery sites in which to have their young.

In Summer:  Giving Birth & Young Taking To The Skies.
The young are usually born in June (usually only 1 young per female per year).  These young stay in the nursery though most of July, building up strength until they start to leave the nest in August.  After the young have left, the females go off in search of males to mate with.

In Autumn:  Mating & Searching For A Hibernation Site.
The adult males and females spend most of September mating, as well as starting to build up fat reserves for the winter ahead by feasting on insects.  If the weather stays warm there could still be feeding into November, but when temperatures start to drop, the bats start to hibernate.

In Winter:  All UK Bats Are Hibernating.
You will rarely see a Bat through the cold winter as they will be be hibernating somewhere quiet and secure.  As the winter moves on they will stay in that place, gradually using up their fat reserves to stay alive.  Only when temperatures warm up nearing Spring will they naturally begin to stir and set out hunting again.

UK/World Events: 
May: UK National Moth & Bat Night
August: European Bat Weekend

Bat Groups:
UK - Bat Conservation Trust
US - Bat Conservation International
Other - South-East Asia Bat Conservation

Other Information:
Bats in the UK are protected by strict laws and you can be liable for a fine of up to £5000 and possible imprisonment per incident or ‘per bat’ if you deliberately capture, injure or kill a bat, destroy a roost - even if not in use, or intentionally block access to a bat roost.  So call an expert if in doubt!