I have five dogs, two inside that bark loud and three outside that also bark loud. One of the outside dogs is a German Shepherd and most people are wary of him (as they should be). We also own a 20 gauge shotgun that sits next to my bed. All doors and windows are locked, you can get motion sensor lights for your home as well. I am Pro-Gun. My kids know how to use one, we have one and I will be getting a small handgun to take when I'm out riding. Get yourself to a shooting range and start shooting. Practice practice practice. Kids should be involved in understanding gun safety though. I think that it's very important. When my father bought his shotgun I was 12/13 yrs old. I remember him taking my siblings and I to the back fence near the woods. Set up three milk jugs full of water. Lined us up with the shotgun and had each of us shoot a jug. Watching those explode was intense. So was the bruise left behind from the kickback. He then sat us down and we talked about how neat it was to watch them blow up, but then he got serious and agreed that though it was neat to watch those fly into bits, it would do the same thing to a human. That we should NEVER pick it up unless he is with us, NEVER point it at people, and always presume that it was loaded. Lesson learned. We never had the desire to mess with it and understood it's power. Hopefully you will never have to use a gun, but being prepared is better than not :)

I have osteoarthritis...so I'm not sure I can answer your question. I would presume that a Rheumatologist would run some tests and then discuss possibilities (that your primary doc hasn't already done).

Ok...so a few questions. My dd is a 10th grader struggling through Algebra 1 (she is doing Saxon and is currently on lesson 45 out of 120 lessons) We start her 10th grade year in a couple of weeks...She made it through Biology fine though. She's not very mathematical, but much of that could be remedied with more effort and study on her part. Her brother is a freshman this year. He started Algebra 1 at the tail end of his 8th grade year and is doing well (would do better if he'd stop trying to do the work in his head-we're working on that). He doesn't honestly have to try that hard in math... I had wanted them to do Chemistry together, but don't know if they are ready this year. I saw the Zumdahl Introductory Chemistry and didn't know if that would be good for my students where they are now or if we should wait another year. Our local colleges entrance requirements for science are 1 Biology, 1 Chemistry and 2 Physics courses (any two of these: Integrated Science, Aerospace Science, Anatomy & Physiology, Earth Science, Environmental Science, Physical Science, Physics II, Physics of Technology I, Biology II, Chemistry II, or Physics of Technology II) DS wants to go into science (astronomy) and DD probably not...so I want to tailor what's best for each. What would your recommendations be?

My prayers and hugs go out to you both :)

In preparation for our upcoming endurance rides, I am working on conditioning my horse, Luka, to things on the trail, trotting out on loose rein, one rein stops, etc. Today we decided to swim...he's never done it so...I sure wasn't going to find out on an endurance ride how he felt about it :) He was awesome even after his first little panic when the ground left out from under him, then he also had a little time getting out the way I DID NOT want him to...got stuck in the mud and was left scrambling up and out...we headed back in so that he'd end on a good note and calm and he did so fairly willingly. We've also been working on getting used to riders coming up from the rear and passing...we'll have to work on it some more, lol. I did enjoy long trotting with my friend while her QH cantered to keep up :)

I just keep reading and praying for you and your family. Hugs!

Sorry! Hope it goes better than you think... hugs

BeckyinTX was the youtube peraon I learned from. You need to find videos that have the camera behind them looking down over their shoulder. Easy to see what the hands are doing. She also woukd slow things down. I self taught from you tube and a few books to learn how to read abbreviations and patterns

I too am married to a man like this and he is awesome! Would rather give things away to others in need than sell them.

But I will say...three or more dogs on a farm can sometimes spell trouble...advice from a previous small time farmer :) I mostly had a dog yard and then the fields for the other animals...when the owners were away the dogs liked to play...easier to separate them

Learn to do your own shots; it will save you a lot! They are realy quite cheap to buy. The only shot I have the vet give here is the rabies because we are supposed to be licensed in the city with it. Giving a shot is easy. Some are SubQ (just under the skin) and some are IM (in the muscle-normally given in the thigh). Most dogs shots though are SubQ.

Luckily I read music already so I'm a little ahead of the game :)

So my sweet husband surprised me with a lovely violin a few months ago...I've been mostly trying things out myself, but I need some help. I had called/emailed three people for lessons and none called me back! I don't know what the deal was...I just left it alone because I knew I'd be super busy for a while...I was cleaning out my purse and wallet recently and found the buisiness card for a teacher who isn't as close as I wanted her to be :) , but seems to have some wonderful qualifications. So now Monday's will be my errand day in the city and lesson day :)...My first one is next Monday! She wants me to play something for her if I can. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" is sort of getting on my nerves now, lol!

Well I have an acoustic student Yamaha 3/4 which has served my son for a couple of years before his arms grew crazy long and it holds a tune excellently. It needs to find a new home :) . PM if you are interested. It's got a case, strap and pick holder....but it looks like a regular guitar...she could always customize with decals :) like a lot of kids here do

I've actually found many supplements with Smartpak to be cheaper because their shipping is free over a certain amount and you pay no freight charges and that's important when you're buying in bulk to feed multiple horses. :) Plus their return policy is excellent Shopping around is always important :) Many horses do fine alone, but they definitely prefer company like many other herd type animals. As I mentioned before, talk to the previous owners about how they cared for her. They will be able to give you more insight to what her seasonal needs are and what they have done to care for her. That info will be the best place to start :)

So VERY true! I'm sad though as my long distance trail horse hopeful has shown signs of heaves...he is 7 and living down here is horrible for them. We are doing one more CBC check to see if the infection he was treated for two weeks ago has cleared and if so we can start him on the Dexamethasone...I am actively seeking a higher altitude/dryer homelife for him. I don't want him to suffer here and he's a great horse....

Senior feed is great for them and can be soaked. It can be fed as a supplement to hay and pasture or as a complete feed, but it would be fed in larger amounts. I personally favor a higher fat, higher fiber diet for my seniors along with pasture 24/7. Many senior feeds have digestive supplements in them to help them absorb and get max nutrition from what they are eating. Supplements for joints are helpful and Smartpak is a great place to start with. They are very helpful.

Bumpity Bump :)

Oh and shortening her stirrups a little will probably help her out up there :)

Horse.com is a giant forum with all sorts of stuff, but you will find (on all forums really :) ) that some people have a lot of opinions about all things horse :) and many are very adamant about what they think is right :glare: . It can get a bit rediculous. I suggest talking a lot with the people who owned her. Have them show you how they handled her and what her cues were. That will go a long way in how the two of them build a relationship. Head to the library and check out a few books on their care. Observing them regularly helps us to know when something isn't quite right. Also it would be good to know when she had her teeth floated last. Those older horses need them done regularly so they don't develop points that cut their mouth inside. It also helps them chew properly when their teeth meet correctly thus helping them keep their weight on better. Our Cadence is older too, but we are lucky that she's a fairly easy keeper :) Some senior horses just need more to keep them in top shape, but it can be done.

Glad to see her in a helmet! :) Remind your daughter to be soft in the hands as the bit in her horses mouth can be severe if pulled on too hard..in the mouth and on the nose. Lessons would be a great place to start :). Our daughters horses have the same name too :) She's a lovely mare!

LOL! It's certainly fine!

I need a couple packs of 11x14 picfolio pocket pages. Can anyone help me?!

It is rediculous! I am a helmet wearing nut and same for my kids.

Emailed my friend in houston and shes got a number for a dentist friend of hers for me. Plan on calling him on Monday to take a look. I think i must have been grinding my teeth. I dont normally do that either. 3 ibuprophen and an hour later and i was out!