Since today is Valentine’s Day I felt it would be fitting to talk about the “The Flirting Nicker” used by stallions. I had a rescued “stallion” and the reason for the quotations is because although he was gelded he was a stallion till the age of about 18 when he came into a rescue. My boy Jack still behaved like a stallion and I was very familiar with this nicker when a mare let him get close to her.

For anyone who has not been around a stallion I will

When you think of Vitamin A you think of carrots right? Well they actually do not have vitamin A in them but beta carotene that turns into vitamin A in the body.

What is beta carotene? It is a powerful antioxidant that helps boost the immune system. Beta carotene is the safest way to provide the horse’s body with vitamin A and is found in fresh pasture, recent cut hay (looses beta carotene after being stored for 6 months) and carrots. The body will only convert what is needed into

Recently we adopted a female dog (aka our daughter) from a local humane society. It was a match made in heaven…without sounding cliche. She is a papillon/border collie mix and her name is Annabel. The shelter thought she was just over a year old. We already had 2 male yorkies at home who “run” the house. They are sweethearts but also think they are kings of the block. When we decided to adopt we realized that we needed to find the right personality to fit in with our other two

Starting the new year off right by diving into making a turmeric paste (aka gold paste) for my dogs. Turmeric has many benefits for all ages and breeds of dogs. My dogs age ranged from just over a year to 13 and they all get it. Below is the recipe that I used but one WARNING the turmeric powder will stain anything it touches. I should have taken a picture but my hands were stained gold. If it gets on your counter be sure to clean it up immediately. The

Now is the time of year we all look back and see what goals or resolutions we have accomplished…and the ones that we did not get to. I personally love to write new year resolutions because it is a fresh start and I can do it all in a year…well at least that is the goal. Here are a few of my resolutions as they pertain to my fur children. Write down your resolutions and keep them in a place where you can see them and think about adding goal

‘Tis the Season of Giving

It is the most wonderful time of the year! A time when it is better to give than receive, which in my opinion should be all year:-) Remember to donate to charities this holiday season. One of my favorite organizations is Best Friends Animal Society. They do amazing work to help all animals in need. There slogan is “Save Them All” and they live by it. I love their dedication and how they will fly the adopted pet to anywhere and sometimes for FREE. Take a

Horses LOVE peppermint! If you are looking for a festive treat to give your horse try peppermint. They will love it and it has many benefits as well. Peppermint essential oil should be in your barn first aid kit. It has many more important benefits aside from its great and refreshing taste.

Peppermint oil is a natural remedy to soothe upset stomach or also known as colic in horses. It can also be used for heartburn, diarrhea, relief for sore muscles, and indigestion. You can offer it to your horse in

The busiest shopping day of the year is right around the corner. As you start your planning of all the big sales and deals be sure to take note of the sales on dog beds, dog & cat food, toys, and much more that your local shelter needs for all the homeless animals.

This is the time of year to give to those in need (although I believe it is good to do all year). As the saying goes it is better to give than receive. Suggest to your church group,

The first snow has fallen in Michigan and the wind is howling as I write this. The cold weather brings to mind all the things to do for our dogs to make winter a season they can enjoy and endure. For most of us to make it through a Michigan winter whiskey is a must…but our fur children cannot have that so here are a few tips:

1. Make sure your dog lives in a heated house. No one likes being cold.

2. If you have a small, medium, or even a