I'm not a big thrift store shopper but i sort of wish I was! We went to a new one that recently opened here....we walked in during a grand opening ceremony and came away with what looks like a brand new Northface down vest for $9.99. Awesome!

I don't think he was being rude at all. I think that he meant that he did this as a favor to your brother therefore the prices aren't an issue to him. He wants to know which pictures you want so he can give you, what sounds like, a more than fair price. Not rude at all, in fact, I think he's being really nice!

We have two Jack Russells and they are allowed on the couch but I don't like it. Like you, I feel badly when they sit on the floor so I let them on the couch and they sleep with me too, which I both like and dislike at the same time. When these two are gone I really don't want to get another dog (they are ALOT of work) but if I do, I will not allow it on the furniture. They have very comfy dog beds but they rarely use them! If I were you, I would train her to stay off the furniture...and trust me, I am a total animal lover!

I also highly recommend 4H to Pony Club. When we looked into pony club for my daughter it was SUPER expensive and she had to have her own horse, which at the time she did not. Also, they go (at least around here) to events that are very far from our home and they discouraged the parents from going. My serious rider daughter is 17 and owns two horses and I still will not leave her even at our own barn, while she's riding so there was no way that i would let her go to events far from home without me, with a horse. 4H is so laid back and is a great place to start. As for helmets, I would recommend a Troxel. They are inexpensive and have been rated very highly. Ebay is a great place to look for clothing and the essentials. I totally agree wiht Oatakee (probably spelled wrong) when she says to get the girls into the down and dirty stuff. The actual riding time should be a reward in my opinion. There is so much to horses and horse ownership and most of it isn't fun or pretty--cleaning stalls, picking up the manure in the pastures (we do that I'm not sure if everyone does!)...picking out dirty, stinky feet, keeping the barn clean...so much responsibility can be taught in this sport. Also I don't agree with whoever mentioned getting a saddle when the girls get a little older. I would recommend getting a saddle if and when you buy a horse....saddle fit on a horse is so much more important that saddle fit on a person and saddles are not a one size fits all (horse and rider) thing. We looked for about 6 months to find a saddle that fit my string bean daughter and huge shouldered horse.

CG2...if it was my daughter and she was thinking of both jumpers and dressage i would suggest that she pick one and be the best at that that she can be. as we know, jumpers and dressage are two totally different things that need totally different tack. I'm not sure what is more popular in your area but i can tell you that dressage horses are much more difficult to find than jumpers. Well I say that, the most popular choice for dressage horses around here are warmbloods and they can be very pricey and sometimes dicey....if you live near a racetrack it is always a good bet (no pun intended) that you will be able to find a pretty nice ex-racer that can be turned into a cute children's hunter or hunter or jumper....we have racetrack around here and we could go down there anytime and find a handful of free horses...BUT....you would need a trainer who is familiar with ex-race horses. Both of ours are ex-racers and they have given us so much of themselves and they have taught my girls and me SO much! Again, whatever your daughter chooses to do...pleasure riding or showing just make sure she's safe and having fun!

JRT's are known to be wild but in a fun way...i guess. Mine though is an exception to the rule. She never leaves my side and is very obedient. She is very loyal to me and she reminds me that her world revolves around me every second of her life. I have never known a dog like her! Remember though she's an Irish JRT and I've heard that they are much more well behaved than the "regular" JRT's. If you can find a puppy like my "wee wee", then you will have found the perfect dog! I've heard of that prison program before and have heard lots of really great things about it.

"dollar signs don't always mean success"--not quite sure where I said dollar signs don't always mean success--obviously they don't but in the hunter/jumper world here....name brands definately stand out and are what people look for. My daughter is done growing and neither would i pay $900 for a growing child's riding clothes. If someone is seriously into horseshowing then yes, it is expensive...hence the term...sport of kings....if you know of an inexpensive way to be in the horse show world, do tell because I would LOVE to find ways to save money in this sport. As for Chronicle....there are many, many people on there and every single one of them have different opinions and as others have said...some of them can be brutal...ask me how I know! Just make this as fun and most importantly as safe as you can for your daughter (I know you will). This is such a wonderful, exiciting sport!

OP you have just described my dog. She is nothing short of perfect. She is a Irish Jack Russell. She's short about 11 inches, short hair, sweet, sweet, sweet and very, very obedient. She is the BEST dog I have ever had! She listens better than most kids I know and really and truly doesn't do anything wrong.

Depending on how high she wants to jump...if she wants to go higher then a bigger horse is a better option. As far as I know, English is much more expensive than western....here is what we have paid English Close Contact saddle--$1200 Charles Owen Helmet--$175 Ariat or Tailored Sportsmen breeches--$100 and $285 respectively Ariat Tall Field Boots--$285--she also has a pair that cost $900 but doesn't wear them as much Horse--16.2 hand Thoroughbred gelding--$1400 (cheap but his old owner had NO idea what this horse is capable of doing, we got a GREAT deal on him) I named the brands of the tack and clothing that we have on purpose becauase in the hunter/jumper world around here anyway, brand names are VERY IMPORTANT sadly. Now granted my daughter shows so if your daughter isn't interested in that then none of that stuff matters....also an all purpose saddle is not the right kind if she is going to jump and if she is not going to do eventing then an eventing saddle is not the way to go...neither is a dressage saddle. If she were my daughter I would get her used to riding the bigger horses. She's probably going to grow more (can't remember how old she is) and the bigger horses do better over the bigger jumps IMO anyway. Of course, the bigger jumps will come in time. Around here bigger kids on ponys get frowned upon for some reason.

Guinea pigs are wonderful pets, simply wonderful. We had them for years while my girls were growing up and never did we have a problem with cats and them. I wouldn't get just one though. I think they do much better in pairs. We used a product called "woody pet" it's a pellet bedding and it never stunk and it took about 2 weeks, with two pigs, to get to the point where it needed to be changed. I totally think you should get your son 2 guinea pigs! really two are no more bother than one and they will be so much happier.

My dogs are so bad at lying! They would have done the same thing as that lil one did! SO funny!

DATGH...you just made me cry....thank you so much and I am truly blessed with the daughters that I have. They are amazing.

Thank you Susan! I think the treats...which we have way too often might be part of the problem. I'm thinking she's constipated as she said it hurts when she goes but when I checked the "specimen" last week, it wasn't super hard or chunky (sorry!). I always thought constipation meant really hard stool.

I'm hoping for some advice but more imporatantly...comfort. I have a very private 17 year old daughter. I am so thankful that she tells me just about everything..especially things like this....last week when she went "number 2" there was quite a bit of bright red blood on the toilet paper. I saw it. It happened twice in the same day. She said that it hurt when she went. Being the type of mom I am (and this i gross but I can't help it) I took a piece of poop out of toilet (with a straw!) and smeared it on a wash cloth...i was looking for blood in or on the stool and thankfully I couldn't find any. I was sure that it was from a fissure. THEN the very next day, she got her period. So we weren't able to look for blood back there until today and when she went number 2 again today she said there was a tiny bit of blood and she is sure it isn't from her period because that is gone. I don't know why she still has the blood and PTL she has her 17 year physical today. I told her that the doctor (female) might have to check back there and I think my daughter wants to by physically ill...she is completely and utterly embarrassed to have that happen. I had fissures when I was her age but I don't remember them lasting this long. The blood that I saw last week was bright red which is a good thing from what i remember. So my question to you guys is....do you think this is normal? I am so thankful to God that we already have a doctor's appointment scheduled for today but I would like to hear what you guys have to say. Thanks! edited.....she just told me that when she went yesterday there was blood on the actual stool on the sides of it. she didn't show it to me because i was at work. this poor kid is SO embarrassed about this. She whispers it to me even when we are the only two in the entire house. I feel so badly for her.

I guess i don't understand why someone would want to participate in a sport and not be competitive. My daughter rides horses, she trains very hard, and spends HUGE amounts of time on this sport. It is NOT a hobby it is a sport and yes, she is competitive. Why wouldn't she (anyone) be. Why waste the time and money to do it if you aren't going to go someplace with it? Now that's not to say that she is a snotty brat about it, because she isn't. Sure she gets upset when she doesn't do well but when she does do well she is very gracious to those that don't do as well (and in this particular sport that's saying alot). I feel like, if you are going to spend the time to be the best you can be, then why wouldn't you be competitive.

I honestly don't know what I would do but I do know I wouldn't feed them more grain, that's never the answer in my opinion. I'm wondering if you can get in your car and drive someplace maybe within a few hours(?) to get some hay? I am so sorry you are going through this. What about hay cubes?

I feel my TB's Triple Crown Complete. It's a little more pricey than other brands like Safe Choice but it has everything in it that my hard keepers need...some sweet, some oats, some beet pulp, high fat and protein content but does not make them hot. I LOVE this grain.

Two things.... 1.) either you love the concept or detest it....i detest it! but..... 2.) show me results...if I saw a horse, that i personally know go from totally crazy totally "obedient" then I will believe in it. The people who run the barn next door to ours totally buy into the concept and they say it works...i've never seen it myself. I've heard hoorrroooorrrr stories about Pat and Linda more times than I care to admit!

Okay I'm annoyed! I cannot believe that some of you are making such a deal about her cleavage. I didn't notice it the first time i looked at the picture so i had to go back and look at it again....I even had to put my laptop up closer to my FACE to find the "cleavage". Seriously? She barely has any b**bs and the 'cleavage" is pretty much non-existant. Give me a break. I would be happy with that picture if it were of my daughter (she's a junior in HS).

Oh my gosh, I did not even notice the cleavage so that isn't a big deal...to me...and I have a daughter her age. I like the third one the best.

where a person works? I have to go to small claims court on Monday for a horse sale gone bad. I'm almost sure that I'm going to win the case and I'm pretty sure that the woman still isn't going to pay me (I just took her son to small claims court for the same thing and I won that and he didn't pay) so I'm going to have to get a marshall to garnish her pay...I know she has a job, and I know it's at a doctor's office but I don't know which one. Do any of you know how I can find out where someone works?

if you exchanged insurance information, it's her job, not yours to report any damage to your company so you might want to call your agent and make sure if she called.

I'm fully prepared to pay for the entire room of carpet if it comes to that when we move out. I'm not about to put the dog outside, I wouldn't even consider doing that. It's not her fault she's old and can't hold her urine. That is rude and, in my opinion, animal abuse and I'm not that kind of person. Money is only money and though I don't have alot of it, it's going to cost me alot less to replace the carpet in that room that it would be, on my conscience, to put an old dog outside because she has accidents. To the others that answered, thank you for your responses. I figured I would have to pay for the whole room but I wasn't sure. maybe by the time we move out of here the carpet will be old and need to be replaced but I doubt it as everything in this house is brand new. I''m thankful that our landlords (first time landlords) took a chance on us and allowed us to have pets and I fully intend to pay for what we've damaged.

Well that's the weird thing...we've used this same bottle for several spots and the bleaching NEVER happened. The bottle is not old either. I don't get it. I hope we don't have to replace the whole room and the carpet isn't old so that's not an option! Are you a LL by the way? Just wondering if you've ever run into this and what you did.

landlord by any chance? We rent a house and one of our rescue dogs is old and has accidents. She has had two recently and when I cleaned the pee up from the WALL TO WALL (of course) carpet, using oxy pet stain remover, it left two bleach spots. Does anyone know how that works when we move out? Am I going to be charged for replacing the entire carpet? One of the stains is in my bedroom (of course) in a very noticeble spot. I am furious that the spots are "bleached" and am going to call the company but they aren't going to do anything probably. Anyone?