Anything For Animals

posted by admin on Feb 8

We all know that rabbits love dandilion leaves - but what about other plants?

There are many plants that your pet rabbit or guinea pig would just love you to bring home from a walk in the countryside - or for you to grow in the garden where their run is - but do you know which plants are actually toxic to your pet?

Yes, they grow in the wild and wild rabbits don’t get sick all the time - but they have had certain knowledge or experiences passed down to them through their parents. 

Your pet has no idea what is safe to eat - and they will give anything a try.

How you know this is true is the fact that a rabbit or guinea pig left to run free in your home would no doubt chew through your electricity cables - a very dangerous thing to do!  But they just don’t know the danger.

You have to do the thinking for them to make sure that they are safe - I mean even the common buttercup can upset their tiny tummies!

So before you let them loose on your lawn or givet hem a handful of plants as a treat - take a look at the following list of toxic plants:

Wild Plants:
Here are some wild growing plants that you may find in woodlands, footpaths and open coutryside.

Ivy: Very common throughout the year - but very toxic to nearly every living creature.
Holly: This winter fruiting evergreen will upset anyone’s tummy - unless you are a bird!
Ragwort: This plant is even an irritant if you hand pick it - so no eating…..
Yew: And most evergreen trees - highly toxic and can cause death in large doses!

Wild Flowers:
They might look pretty in the woods - but can cause you to itch or your pets to get sick.  Leave these plants where you find them!

Bluebells: Cover the woodland floor in Spring - but look and don’t touch!
Foxglove: Grow tall in the grasses - but can damage your pet’s heart muscles.
Poppies: Can cause many problems in a small pet - so leave in the fields please.
Daffodils: The flowers, leaves, or bulbs can kill a human in just hours……..

Garden Flowers:
You may be growing these in your own garden - so make sure you use a run for your pets or fence off the flower beds instead…..

Tulips:  A definate no-no for tiny tummies - and they look better in a vase anyway!
Rhodedendron:  Always a problem for pets - and will cause stomach problems too.
Lobelia: Highly toxic to small mammals and can cause your pet to salivate.
Dahlias: These pretty flowers could give you a trip to the vets if you aren’t careful!

Other Considerations:
It is also worth thinking about where you pick your plants from in the first place - as you have to think ahead.

For example, dandilion leaves picked from along the pavement would almost certainly be covered in layers of dog urine from all the dog walkers using the same route - and all the dogs scent-marking the same spot.

Leaves picked from the side of a busy road or car park could well have been exposed to all the exhaust fumes from passing traffic as well as the potential for having been sprayed with weedkiller by the council or car park owners.

Neither of which would do your bunny any good!

So, either stick to plants, treats and nibbles from a reputble pet store - or do a bit of forward thinking before you start feeding your pet unknown plants as treats.

It won’t be very much of a treat if it makes your pet poorly! 

posted by admin on Jan 16

Have you seen something unusual - or the wrong colour - and want to share it with others?

As long as you have a picture of it, then there is a new way to find out what on earth you have just seen or share something different with like-minded people.

It could be that you have just photographed a white squirrel and thought you’d share it - or you may think you are the first to see a species that isn’t usually found in your  area and you have been one of the first to identify it.

The Open University in the UK has basically set up a database of images for exactly these types of things.  Everything in the natural world can be shared here - as well as a whole bank of people who can tell you what it is and why.

Rather than just asking a few work colleagues, having a quick look through your old field guides or just keeping the photo to yourself to admire - you can now share it and let others enjoy your experiences too.

iSpot:
Not another iPhone application as its name might suggest - but a growing online nature database that can sort out your greater and lesser spotted woodpeckers, your wood and yellow necked mice or even your crimson from your scarlet waxcaps! 

You can sign up for free, then easily upload your photographs - as many as you like - to the community.  Whether you know what they are, or have no idea what they are - as long as you upload them - others can help. 

Once signed up, you can start to help with the identification of other people’s pictures. It may be that you have experience in amphibians - but have just taken a picture of an unusual plant that it was feeding on.  You can find out what the plant is in exchange for identifying some garden newts or a river tadpole!

The basic areas are divided clearly into categories including: plants, birds, insects, fish, etc so you can browse images that are already on the system.  You can then just look at some unusual images, admire colour variants of common species or just use the labels to find out where these animals were seen so you can go out and look at them yourself.

Other Information:
It’s not just identification that you can find on the site - there are also a whole load of related links for your further reading, nature surveys, plenty of tips on what to look for when identifying different species as well as links to other useful id and specialist websites.

If you are taking a wildlife course - then this website goes to show that nature is everywhere - and by working alongside the experts on iSpot, you can find out what is living in your local countryside and why - and anything you can do to keep it there or improve the number and diversity of plants and animals there will be a bonus!

So, if you have been meaning to get qualified in something ‘outdoors’ or to help brush up on your basic skills before embarking on a longer or higher level course - then maybe this website could help you keep on top of everything you find on your walks.

It’s lovely to just walk through the countryside and admire the views - but it is even better to know what animals live in it and why.

Also You Might Like To:
Obviously, volunteering with wildlife or landscape-related charities and societies in your local area will help you to experience nature first hand, give you access to great habitats that might be off-limits to the public, and to learn from local experts. 

It could even lead to a larger project or a permanent job somewhere down the line.

And get a camera with a good zoom and an even better macro - and practice observing things. Trying out the myriad of settings at home is one thing - but knowing what to look out for in the field is another. 

Say you take a wonderful photo of a brightly coloured mushroom - only to find out when you get home that there were 30 mushrooms that colour - and the only way to tell them apart was to have photographed the gills and measured the height on it. But until you make those mistakes and get annoyed with yourself - you won’t get any better at identifications.

It is fine to rely on ‘experts’ for identifying those rare species or all those ‘very similar’ lichens - but you should really start to build up your basic id skills in the field if you are planning any sort of career based in the field.

So pack your camera, field guide and sun cream - and get out there!

posted by admin on Nov 20

Here’s your chance to get your rabbit the publicity it deserves!

Rabbits are currently the 3rd most popular pet in the UK - and it’s not suprising really since they are sociable, intelligent, can live indoors and most importantly: are cute and fluffy!

Ever since pet stores began encouraging people to welcome the humble bunny into the home - it has come on in leaps and bounds!

It is now well known that rabbits can be litter trained, learn tricks and make great homely companions - so more people are seeing the benefits of the indoor life.

Inside Information:
Well, we all know that they can wreak havoc in the home with their insatiable gnawing and those teeth can be a whole different problem of their own - clocking up some costs at the vets too!

So, before setting out on the rabbit path to pet heaven, it is worth considering a few basics about their health and general care - and that is just what the RSPCA as well as many other small animal charities are hoping to do.

Thousands of rabbits end up in rescue centres across the country every year due to people not realising the very basics in rabbit care - the worst offender being that they really do breed like rabbits!

It seems so obvious that a male rabbit left alone with a female rabbit will produce babies - but endless strings of pet owners seem to think that it won’t happen to them!  A classic excuse is that the rabbits were brother and sister!  As if rabbits have human morals and decline from mating with their close relatives or rabbits they ‘don’t like the look of’!

Another reason for rehoming is that certain breeds of rabbits can grow to quite a size and can live for up to 8 years on average.

Other problems that seem to ’suprise’ new rabbit owners are that they: dig up the lawn (even though they are natural diggers), they smell (only if you don’t clean them out), they chew things (they have to chew to keep their teeth under control) and they fight (not if matched correctly or in a large enough environment - I mean what do you think would happen if you left 2 teenagers trapped in a room for week without toys, games or books, one cup and non flushing toilet?).

Still Interested?
If you love animals and will try to do the best for your pets no matter what the demands - then share your stories and help make a difference to those pets that aren’t so lucky.

Visit the ‘We’re All Ears’ campaign webpages and check out tips and hints on rabbit care and be in with a chance of winning loads of rabbit related goodies!

And make sure you come with a story about your rabbits to enter on the site - to share with others and hopefully inspire a new generation of rabbit owners to come forward and rehome some of the less fortunate bunnies in rescue centres across the country!

posted by admin on Nov 11

Investing in animals couldn’t be easier - if you just plan ahead!

When you put your money in the bank - what is it doing for you, and what is it doing to the planet?

Just because it’s a ‘good’ pension, it doesn’t mean that it is doing good things.  I mean a good APR doesn’t necessarily play out all well for the environment - or the animals living in it.

And if you look at the word ‘investment’ it can mean so much more than financial gain.

I mean what good is a £500 return when another 10 species have been made extinct?  Or another 10% of the world’s coral being destroyed?

By putting your money into the bank without asking questions about what it’s going to be spent on is thoughtless.  You haven’t given a thought for what you are helping to promote.

Where You Money Goes:
By leaving it to someone else to invest your money - you are saying that you don’t care about what it is spent on.

This means that you don’t care if it helps fund a new palm oil plantation in Borneo, or an oil prospecting venture into the heart of the Amazon or the Congo.  You don’t mind if it funds nuclear research or GM studies.

And ironically you can find yourself hindering the very charities that you think you are helping.

What if you were raising money for charity to help protect marine wildlife in the Mediterranean - yet your savings were funding a shipping company that ploughed right through it every day?

Or you were helping to rehabilitate young orangutans who were victims of the palm oil industry - yet your pension was funding the very companies who were burning down their rainforest homes?

Ethical Investments:
As you can see, it really makes sense for you to send your funds to work in the areas that will affect your interests the most.

If you love animals - then show it by choosing wildlife-friendly investments; if you want to protect habitats - then make sure you avoid polluting, destructive investments.

There are plenty of ethical investment companies out there for you to choose from, like sustainable timber farms, etc - so make sure you choose them where possible.

I mean there is no point buying MSC certified fish and using renewable energy with one hand - if you are destroying the environment with the other!

Think about it!

posted by admin on Sep 21

There are actually 5 different types of hamster available as pets, although they are called all sorts of things!

You can divide these 5 types into 2 main groups: 1) Syrian Hamsters and 2) Dwarf Hamsters although there are as many differences between most of the smaller varieties as there are between them and the Syrians!

So, here is a quick heads-up on the different types available and their main traits as a pet - and if you want more detailed information, please look at the indepth articles using the Categories list.

Syrian Hamsters:
Sometimes called Golden Hamsters, Siberian or Teddy Bear Hamsters - these large hamsters come in a variety of colours and hair types ranging from a smooth-haired white to a long-haired black and everything inbetween!

They can have red or brown/black eyes with each colour and hair length as well, making them very interesting pets to choose from in the store.

Generally, they are large enough to hold in your one hand circling their body: head poking out 1 side and bum hanging out the other, although might be smaller and more wrigley as youngsters.

These hamsters only ever live alone as adults (which is from about 12 weeks old) and should only be kept together in the pet store as single sex groups from about 6 weeks - otherwise your single lady hamster could become about 6 overnight!

Syrian hamsters can be kept in any rodent cage, glass tank or plastic tube-connected maze (!) however, they can chew through plastic - so make sure the joins, edges and openings are hamster-proof!

Russian Hamster (Campbell’s Dwarf Hamster):
These are the most popular of the smaller hamsters and come in a variety of colours based on differing amounts of grey, agouti, cinniman and white, can have normal, satin, rex or wavy coats and can have either red, ruby or black eyes.  So there is quite some variety.

However, as with all the ‘dwarf’ hamsters, they are not the best pets for young children to handle as they are fast, jumpy and are very shy by nature.

The Campbells are more compact than Syrians, and need to be held in a cupped hand as they have a tendency to leap in the air when picked up (unless very well handled when young). 

They can live together in same sex pairs, or maybe larger groups in a big enough cage, but are prone to some serious squabbling as adults.  If severe or continued fighting occurs they may need to be permanently separated.

Due to their tiny size, they need to be housed in a cage with especially close together bars - and an extra bar over the opening clip area - otherwise they are likely to escape without much effort!  Ideally you should house them in a glass or plastic tank - as they can’t always climb up the tubes in the regular hamster cages!

Russian Hamsters (Winter Whites):
These hamsters are almost identical in appearance and size as the Campbells Hamsters, but are infact a separate species.  The Winter Whites change colour in nature - just as do Arctic Hares and Foxes!  They are the agouti colouring in spring and summer and can moult completely white in winter to match the snow in their homeland.  It doesn’t always happen in warmer climates with artificial lights and temperatures - which unfortunately allows pet stores to mis-sell them!

In fact they are so often confused by pet stores and casual owners that they don’t even think they are different - and so you will find them labelled as simply ‘Russian Hamsters’ or ‘Dwarf Hamsters’ rather than 1 or the other type. 

Of course, this isn’t so important if you just want them as pets as they will live together whatever they are - but if you are breeding them then it gets more serious.  By getting the breeds confused, you could end up with hybrid individuals and potentially pass on dangerous gene combinations between the species, causing mutations and long term illnesses. 

Chinese Hamsters:
These small hamsters are easier to handle than the Russians as they have a tendency to cling to hands when picked up regularly and are quite ‘mouse-like’.  They are also very similar in shape to the Syrians (only much much smaller) whereas the Russians are more stocky with no clear neck and waist!

These come only in the grey or agouti and white with black eyes and the ‘wild’ dorsal stripe down their backs.  At the moment they haven’t been as popular as the Syrian or Russian Hamsters, and so have not been as well bred for colour varieties.

As with Russians, they can live together when adults in single sex pairs or small groups as long as the cage and food supplies are well catered for.  And they also need the special cage requirements too:  if you use a cage where you can put your fingers through the bars - you may not have a hamster in the cage the following morning!

Roborovski Hamsters:
These tiny little hamsters have got to be the smallest of the 4 types - and look so cute!

As with the Chinese, they come in different varieties of the same colours: grey, agouti and white, so you could have a very dark individual and also an almost completely white individual - always with dark eyes.

These animals are best suited to a tank environment as they are so tiny that escape from cage bars is almost certain - and they can’t climb up tubes or ladders as their legs are just too short!  They love burrowing and running fast from place to place, so a lower 1 level cage is the best option for them.

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 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 25

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

Animal Type: Mammalia - Carnivora - Canidae

Species Info: There is only 1 Red Fox Species: Vulpes vulpes, however, there are around 12 species of true fox in the world, but there are around 24 other species with ‘fox’ in their name like the Bat-Eared Fox (Otocyon) and the Arctic Fox (Alopex). 

UK Distribution: Red Foxes are the only fox species to be living in the UK and are found almost everywhere in the country - particularly in towns and cities! 

Preferred Habitat:  These creatures are ground dwelling and generally nocturnal - although you will often see then during the day when they have young or are ill.

In urban areas they are known to be scavengers - although will take the odd unattended rabbit or chicken!  But in the countryside they need to be in areas of high rabbit density - but will eat fruit, berries and even fish and reptiles! 

In Spring: The Fox Cubs Start To Appear.
The cubs are born quite helpless underground in March, and at this time you will still see the male and female together - with the male bringing food back to the den for the female.  It is only about 4/5 weeks later that the young will start to leave the den as well and investigate their surroundings. 

In Summer:  The Cubs Are Training To Be Adults.
The cubs spend quite a while with their parents in the same area, learning to hunt by themselves and getting to explore the dangers of the area - it will be autumn before they are full size and able to head of alone.

Many people will find their garden filled with fox families at this time - much to the horror of some!  It is very difficult and time consuming to try to ‘get rid of’ a whole family, but why would you want to anyway!  They are very interesting to watch, and it is only for a few weeks

In Autumn:  Foxes Start To Split Up And Hunt Separately.
Not only will the male have been long gone by now, but the mother will be starting to get a little fed up with the young hanging around and sharing her food, so she will start to tell them off a lot more and try to get them to go away.  And this can lead to some noisy nights and short ‘fights’ between nighttime foxes.

The young will soon get the message, and you will start to see single foxes all over the place as the young head off in search of their own territory - so you can find them in some quite unusual places as they try to find an unoccupied area to live in.  The more food available means there can be more foxes living in an area, although in more rural areas, the young foxes may have to travel quite far to settle down.

In Winter: Pairing Up And Mating.
As the cold draws in foxes will have formed monogamous pairs and set up home in a large den - either freshly dug or having been improved from an existing smaller den.  Once settled, they will start mating around January which results in a lot of nighttime garden screeching!

Other Facts: Most Red Foxes have an average lifespan of about 3 years due to accidents and injury - although 12-14 is achievable in the right conditions!   Red Foxes can also be totally black (quite rare) or even almost white (very rare).

Fox Groups: 
UK - The Fox Website 
UK - League Against Cruel Sports

Other Information:
If you find a ’sick’ fox in your garden during the day, the best thing to do it to slowly approach it head on.  If it doesn’t move when you are within 2 feet of it - then it is really ill or seriously injured and you need to call a rescue centre to come and collect it.  If you don’t try to approach it, or it runs away when you do - then it will probably run away from a rescue centre operative when they arrive so will be a waste of time!

If it seems ‘ok’, then offer the fox some food (anything meaty) and fresh water, and leave it alone and with a clear exit (open gate) - as with the extra strength the food and water gave it, it may well then be strong enough to wander back to where it ’lives’ and leave your garden. 

posted by admin on Jul 10

Welcome back for some more horse friendly tips for everyone - this time those that could keep money in your pocket!

Imagine what you could spend that saved cash on for your pony - especially if you manage to convince your stable friends who aren’t so waste-conscious to help you out - you could save even more!

So, lets get started - every penny counts these days!

1) Well, lets being with a simple one like regularly swapping over your stirrup leathers so that one doesn’t become over stretched with all that mounting and dismounting - more of a long-term saving but there are many others like it!

2) An old tea towel or a bunch of baler twine can be used as a sweat scraper instead of buying yourself the real thing - and another thing to remember where it is!

3) When washing your horses, it is cheaper to buy some bland human shampoo than a specific preparation.  And as human products may well come in larger sizes - and buying in bulk is always a money saver!

4) And from here, always consider buying bulk products with other people in the yard as larger containers and larger amounts seem to get lower prices.  If you all order your food or bedding in one go, you will save money everytime!

5) And talking of bedding - if you use a small cage to sieve your horses droppings - then most of the unsoiled bedding will fall right through - keeping your bedding thicker for longer!

6) Repaired rugs are cheaper than new rugs - so make sure that you keep your rugs clean so they last longer - but if you have to let one go, then keep all the bits that are worth saving, like the buckles and straps, and any large areas of material that could be used for patch repairs or cushions in the yard!

7) Surcingles are much cheaper than rollers - so improvise.  Find yourself a nice thick piece of sponge to stop the surcingle from rubbing on the spine and voila!

8.) Use 2 small boards for cleaning up piles of hay or straw instead of investing in extra brooms and shovels.  They work for picking up leaves in the garden - so why not use them in the yard.

9) Check what added ingredients and supplements are in your standard feed - as you could be adding supplements that your horses don’t actually need.  And, it may well be cheaper to find a food that does already contain them to save on buying them separately.

10) Get people from your yard to book routine vet treatments or farrier visits together to save on the call out charges made.  Instead of all paying the one-off call out fee - split it between you as often as possible.

I hope some of these have been useful, and make sure you pass some on to your friends to make the savings greater!

posted by admin on Jun 20

Why not take on board some of these tips for some great time saving ideas - more time left for riding!

Some of them are so obvious that you might not have even thought of them as time-saving - but add up all those minutes spent looking for something, fixing something that’s broken or shopping for something you could have made yourself!

So, lets get started:

1) Let’s start with an easy one - tie some bright material or a pink shoelace to your hoof pick to make it easy to find if you drop it in your bedding or if you can’t see it in the boot of your car!

2) Adding to this - why not make sure that whenever you are buying some new equipment - lead ropes, brushes or hat silks - buy them as bright as you can so you can save time looking for them all the time!

3) Save more time around the yard by using baler twine to hang scissors next to your hay supply, or any other piece of equipment you always seem to need when haven’t got it to hand!

4) Stop struggling to use that last tiny bit of saddle soap in your tin - save up all your left-over bits in one tin - then when you have enough leave the tin in your baking hot car until it all melts into one lump, and use it like new!

5) Always choose dark coloured jodhpurs to wear around the yard to save on washing time.  If you wear pale colours, you will no doubt end up washing them after every wash!  What a waste of water too!

6) If your whip seems to slide out of your hand when riding - why not fix a rubber martingale to the handle where appropriate and keep it in place!

7) Clean your grooming kit at the same time as washing your horse - which basically keeps you horse cleaner for longer.  Why would you want to brush old hair back onto your clean pony?

8.) Get yourself a boot-jack.  The time wasted getting a friend to pull of your long boots may be fun once or twice - but when you need to get home or back to work, it;s just annoying. 

9) Keep some rubber gloves with you at the yard - as mucking out that one dropping by hands is much quicker than finding the shovel and wheelbarrow!

10) And during that quick clean up - you don’t want your horse to keep trying to get out as you struggle to open and close the stable door every-time - why not fix a simple breast bar across the door, allowing you to scuttle in and out in a second while keeping your horse in place!

Well,  What do you think of those?  Have you got any yourself?  If so, let us know right here.

For some more great tips - try Money Saving Top Tips or Top Tips For Your Horses Health & Wellbeing.