Best Places to Visit if You Love Horses

Finding a vacation spot where you can be around horses should not be difficult. After all, there are several destinations where you can probably find at least one horse riding facility. Many tour operators offer horseback riding as one of their outdoor adventures. Still, there is probably nothing quite like the experience of a horse-centered travel. Imagine going to places where you can get up close and interact with the finest horses or enjoy horseback riding in the most scenic trails. Here are some of the best destinations that horse lovers should add to their list of must-see places.

Cappadocia, Turkey

Cappadocia

Cappadocia is known not only for its scenic sights. It is also a popular horseback riding destination that continues to draw people from different parts of the world. The Land of Beautiful Horses was once known for its hot blooded breed of horses called the Akhal-Tekes. Visitors who choose to explore Cappadocia on horses can expect to travel around with fit, reliable, and sure-footed rides. Horse riding in the midst of spectacular scenery passing along ancient villages and natural wonders has all the makings of an unforgettable trip.

Kentucky, USA

Secretariat

Kentucky may not be the birthplace of horse racing. But it is certainly a world renowned destination not only for avid horse racers but also for horse lovers in general. The Kentucky Derby draws crowds to watch the races and enjoy the festivities surrounding the event. Horse enthusiasts are also drawn to Lexington which is home to the Kentucky Horse Park. The park covers over 1000 acres with attractions that include competition facilities, the Hall of Champions, horseback trail and pony rides, museums, walking tours, and more. It is a massive horse-themed park that offers plenty of things to see and do for the curious and the self-professed horse lovers.

Siena, Italy

Siena Italy

Siena is a Tuscan town that offers more than stunning scenery. It is also home to a famous horse race known as Palio di Siena. Two times each year the town square becomes the epicenter of the famous bareback race that has been held since the medieval times. The rules vary from the traditional horse racing seen in race courses throughout the world. Horses and riders have to navigate a challenging course that includes treacherous inclines and turns. A great way to enjoy the festive vibe is to watch the horse race trials a few days leading to the main event.

Get These 7 Benefits When You Use LED Grow Lights

Instant Light

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Unlike HID and fluorescent bulbs that require around three minutes or more to achieve the optimum light output, LED lights can provide full brightness the second you switch them on. There’s also no restrike delay. How brilliant!

Rapid Succession

Other lights tend to have shorter lifespans when they’re regularly turned on and off. With LEDs, however, you won’t have to deal with this issue. LED grow lights are unaffected by rapid succession, making them ideal for use with daylight sensors.

Toughness

LED lights plants indoor gardeningLED grow lights are almost 100% immune to breaking and vibrations because they have no glass enclosures and filaments. LEDs don’t use glass—they are instead mounted on a circuit board and linked with soldered leads.

Energy efficiency

This is the most-appreciated benefit of LED lights. Growers love the fact that LEDs use around 50% less energy than traditional fluorescent, incandescent, and halogen lights, making LEDs the best option. These lights save electricity costs. Since they target light in a specific area, they release light hemispherically unlike other bulbs that emit light and heat in all directions. Thanks to this directional lighting power of LEDs, they don’t waste energy and light.

Cool Temperature Operation

LEDs work well even when the temperature drops, unlike fluorescent lamps that require a higher voltage to start. This makes LEDs best for refrigerated display freezers, cases, and cold storage spaces.

No Infrared or Ultraviolet Emissions

Most of the power utilized by incandescent lights are converted to infrared (IR) or radiated heat, and only less than 10% is converted to visible light. Take note that too much heat and ultraviolet (UV) radiation poses (literally) burning threats to people, plants, and materials. LEDs, however, don’t discharge IR or UV.

Long lifespan

LEDs don’t burn out; they just dim over time. But the good news is they can last for up to 30,000-50,000 hours or even longer! Compared to a standard incandescent bulb which lasts only around 1,000 hours and to a compact fluorescent which lasts 8,000-10,000 hours, LED grow lights are clearly the perfect option.

What are you waiting for? Tweak your growing setup by using LED grow lights now!

 

 

Carving Your Own Horse With A Saw

horse

Let’s face it. Riding a horse is probably one of the most awesome experiences you will ever have in this lifetime. Not only will you see for yourself what it’s like to ride a horse and to begin seeing things in a different perspective, but also experience for yourself how it’s like to ride a horse and to begin experiencing things in a new way.

But for those who are out of budget to buy a live horse, why not make your day count instead as you carve your own horse with a saw?

Here are some tips to get you started – or better yet, with a Miter saw at your disposal:

Choose the right location for your new project.

Carving your own horse with a saw can be quite daunting as it will take both patience and determination for you to make, as well as a whole lot of space for you to move freely around and carve at your own will and pace. Thus, you should choose the right location for your new project.

It could be in the entire left side of your bedroom or in the entire corner of your living room. It could also be in the entire patio area in your backyard or in the entire porch area in your frontyard. Regardless of your chosen location, always make sure that you would be able to work on your new project without anyone getting hurt due to nearness or anything getting smashed due to lack of space.

Choose the right saw for your new project.

Carving your own horse with a saw can also be quite exhausting as it will take both patience and determination for you to make, as well as a whole lot of wood for you to work freely around and carve at your own will and pace. Thus, you should choose the right saw for your new project.

It should allow you to cut through the wood easily, as well as scrape through the wood conveniently. It should also allow you to be creative at your own time, as well as innovative in your own effort.  Regardless of your chosen saw, always make sure that you would be able to work on your new project without anyone getting hurt due to nearness or anything getting smashed due to lack of wood.

Any other tips when carving your own horse with a saw? Share them with us below!

animal-brown-horse

14 Tips to Keep Your Horse Clean

Just like your kitchen appliances like bread machines, and other things or pets, your horses need to be kept clean too! As a horse owner, you should treat their bodies like human bodies that need cleaning.

Interested in bread machines? Check out http://breadmachineworld.com/6-jam-recipes-can-make-bread-machine/.

Here are the tips you should follow to ensure your horses are clean:

  • When washing, start by wetting the face. Be careful not to startle it. Move on to the other parts of its body and make sure all parts are clean. After washing, dry the horse and brush it.
  • Using a horse shampoo for its coat is recommended.
  • Brush the horse daily. Brushing regularly will help evenly distribute natural sebum over its hair. Use elbow grease and use quality brushes to maintain their cleanliness. Don’t expect their hair to be tidy if you’re using a dirty, dusty brush. High-quality brushes also last longer, so they’re good investments.brushing horse
  • Avoid fungal infections by assigning a different set of brushes for every horse you own.
  • Choose what brush to use according to the season. Summer brushes, which come in all sorts of sizes and shapes, must be used properly. Select a small, soft brush for your horse’s face and a bigger one for its body. Use winter brushes to get rid of dandruff and excess skin—they’re effective for this task because they are stiff.
  • When brushing, ensure that you’re following the direction of which their hair grows.
  • Begin with at the ends and work your way up when brushing the tail and mane. If you’re growing their mane and tail, don’t brush those parts every day. Rather, select out shavings and use your hair to untangle their hair to prevent breaking of hair.
  • If its mane and tail are difficult to untangle because of the knots, utilize a detangler to aid you in the brushing of its mane and tail.
  • animal-brown-horseTo boost hair growth, massage your horse’s tail root every single day using a body brush. Doing so will loosen and get rid of dander which may cause the horse to itch its tail.
  • Some horses might be ticklish when you brush them which is caused by their sensitive skin. Ensure that you’re extra cautious when brushing these delicate parts.
  • Use grooming mittens to wipe the dust from the coat of your horse and to apply a bug spray.
  • Pick out the horse’s feet with a hoof pick always. Do it every day and not just when you’re preparing them for a ride.
  • Use a hoof polish with a lanolin base for the hooves of your beloved horse. Apply polish once a week to maintain their hooves’ condition.

What’s Up in the Horticulture World? (NEWS)

LED grow lights are quite new in horticulture and indoor farming. It is a concept that started as late as 2012. One of the top application areas of LED grow lights is indoor Weed cultivation. There are three things you need to care about; efficiency of the LED light, spectrum, and longevity. But the question in many Weed growers is what LED type to choose for their indoor weed farms. Here are LED factors you need to put into consideration in order to select the best LED grow light.

The quality of the Lights

Unlike other sources of light whose quality relies on easily observable features, the quality of LED lights heavily relies on the manufacturer. Some manufacturers have established themselves to produce high quality LED lights that have earned them a great reputation in the industry. LED lights from Nichia, Osram and Lumileds are greatly valued among indoor Weed growers. Lights from these manufacturers are quite pricey though.

The cost

You need to make unique cost evaluation while selecting LED grow lights. You have two options to pick from; branded LED lights which are expensive or high-end China or Taiwan made LEDs which are cheaper but are of comparable quality. Don’t pick LED grow lights without a name. Such lights have 100% certainty of breaking down within a short time of usage.

beautiful led garden

Consider current, not the Wattage

When buying a lighting system, the first thing to check is often the wattage of the device. However, one thing that needs to be emphasized on is the current. The more the current a LED grow light has, the more the light it will give out. But high current lights will inflate your electricity bills. Since efficiency is paramount, you need to choose LED grow lights with a slightly lower current rating of around 700Am.

Color mixing capability

Some LED grow lights have color changing capabilities. The choice you make here depends on the strain of Weed you are growing. Therefore it is important that you choose the best LED grow of 2017 when you buy a pair.

jigsaw-tool-makita

Cutting Wood with Your Jigsaw

Skil_jigsawAs the master of cutting different shapes in various materials, the jigsaw never fails to gain more fans by the minute. Every woodworker, carpenter, and DIY lover who wants to step up their carving game owns a jigsaw. If you’re a horse lover, I won’t be surprised if you carve horses with wood using a jigsaw from sawingpros.com.

However, to cut wood properly, you’ll need the right blade. The jigsaw blade makes the jigsaw a powerful, versatile tool for cutting intricate shapes and making bevel and compound cuts in wood.

Jigsaw blades

Use the right blade to cut for the following types of wood:

Type of Wood Blade Material Style of Teeth
Softwood High Carbon Steel Side – rough, quick cuts
Bi-metal Taper – finer, slower cuts
Hardwood High-Speed Steel Side – rough, quick cuts
Bi-metal Taper – finer, slower cuts

Tips for Cutting Wood:

  • Jigsaws are ideal for cutting softwood up to 1-1/2-inch thick and hardwood that’s not more than ¾-inch thick. Jigsaw blades are prone to bend when cutting up curves in thicker wood, leaving a beveled edge instead of a square one. To achieve a square edge, use a sharp blade and don’t force the saw through the cut.
  • If you want to plunge cut or make an entry saw cut at the center of the wood, tip your jigsaw so that the blade will be parallel to the workpiece and the jigsaw’s weight can rest on the front lip of the shoe. Start at maximum speed, tilt the shoe, and lower the stabbing blade into the wood. If the material is fragile, drill a ½-inch starter hole first before you position the blade.

jigsaw-tool-makita

  • If you want to make quick cuts, use a rougher blade. But remember, the rougher the blade, the longer the sanding will be later. If your jigsaw comes with orbital adjustments, take note that the higher the speed setting and orbital action, the quicker and easier the cut will be. But then, you’ll be left with a coarser cut. If you really wish to do quick cuts, though, then it’s safe to select the higher settings. You can always sand them later anyway.
  • Lastly, you should be aware that the jigsaw wood-cutting blades are made to make the teeth cut on the upstroke. Select a downstroke-cutting blade if the job involves fine wood like veneers and requires less chipping. But you can also put masking tape on the cutting line path prior to drawing on the pattern line.

 

Keeping Your Horses Safe

horse ranch

We’ve all heard those stories.

A predator is loitering around for something to eat outside your ranch. A hunter is also looking around for something to hunt near your ranch. A robber is even looking around for something to steal inside your ranch.

And by the time you check your stable, it’s already too late. Your beloved horse is nowhere in sight and all that’s left is a trace of blood.

I know, right?

But while this introduction may seem a little gruesome, this should be enough for ranch owners to take all the necessary measures in order to keep their horses safe.

And if you’re a ranch owner, here some useful tips for you:

Make sure that your fences are high enough.

The reasons for this are quite simple. One, it’s to keep your horse from going outside that easily as it won’t be able to jump over the fence unless there’s something on the ground that makes it possible to do that just like small rises. And two, it’s to keep anything from going inside that easily as it won’t be able to climb over the fence unless there’s something on the ground that makes it possible to do that such as large boxes. This especially goes for predators and other unknown wild animals lurking outside your ranch.

Make sure that your surroundings are noticeable enough.

And by this, it means that your surroundings should be noticeable enough for other people to know that your ranch is a private property and should not be ventured further for hunting and other activities without permission from the owner. And by this, it also means that your surroundings should be visible enough for other people to know that your ranch is right in front and should have a reasonable amount of lights that provides a clear view on what’s ahead. This especially goes for hunters and other unfamiliar people roving near your ranch.

Make sure that your traps are placed well.

The reasons for this are quite simple. One, it’s to prevent wild animals from totally charging into your ranch even with a high fence and wreaking havoc all over the place. And two, it’s to prevent armed robbers from totally charging into your ranch even with a noticeable surrounding and stealing things all over the place. However, you should also bear in mind that there are innocent people who will come up in your ranch from time to time. Thus, you need to make sure that your traps are placed well and out of reach from your ranch’s main entrances and other frequently used passages.

Still thinking about what makes a good trap for wild animals, as well as armed robbers? Check out these bow reviews!

Horse racing contestants

4 December Horse Festivals in England You Should Go To

The Ladbrokes Winter Festival

When: December 1-2, 2017

Where: Newbury

Watch horses races like there’s no tomorrow in Newbury! The Ladbrokes Gold Cup, which started in 1957, has always been the highlight of the town’s winter season.

The 3m 21/2f race has been the first main staying chase ever since. It also provides a pointer to the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National later in the season.

The race is known for its exciting, and sometimes unexpected, happenings. The atmosphere won’t just excite you; it may even persuade you to join next season!

Tingle Creek Christmas Festival

When: December 8-9, 2017

Where: Sandown Park

If you’re interested in a fierce fight, you’ll enjoy Sandown’s two-mile Tingle Creek Chase. Competing in this prestigious race is also considered a significant advantage if you want to compete in Queen Mother Champion Chase at the famous Cheltenham Festival.

Sandown offers one of the most contemporary and attractive racecourses in England, and it always accommodates huge crowds. So if you’re going to visit, better be way ahead of everybody and bring a spotting scope with you! It’ll help you look at the details of the racetrack as well as who’s leading! To get you started, there’s a scope for spotting found here.

Horse racing

32Red Christmas Festival

When: December 26-27, 2017

Where: Kempton Park

Watch and be part of the King George VI Chase this year! It’s the race to see if you want to see top chasers go head to head with one another!

This day is also filled with a lot of entertainment that lures an exceptionally large crowd.

This event began in 1937 as a sign of reverence to the new monarch, King George.

You can also enjoy the Christmas Hurdle (2m) and the Feltham Novices’ Chase (3m). Similar to the King George, these two Grade 1 races are also ranked as prestigious races of their type.

Coral Welsh Grand National

When: December 27, 2017

Where: Chepstow

One of the huge attractions of high-class jump racing after Christmas is the Welsh National in Chepstow.

It’s not difficult to love the place because it can be easily accessed from the chief cities of South Wales and from across the Severn river.

In this event, you’ll notice your heart beating fast as the contenders attempt to surpass the course with harsh undulations.

The Welsh National features the 3m5f handicap chase, the Grade 1 Finale Junior Hurdle, and the Grade 2 Championship Bumper.

Horse racing contestants

Remember These When Buying Your First Horse

horse

Riding a horse can be truly exciting. That wind blowing on your hair as you embark on a journey with your new friend, galloping around the place. That sun shining on your body as you gallop around the place with your new friend, even reconnecting with nature itself.

I know. I know.

Experiencing these and more will not only make you a big fan of horses, but also make you want to have one – a new friend to love, a new friend to care for.

So, remember these when buying your first horse:

You have to learn more about horses first.

It’s not just about what you’ll experience when riding a horse. It’s also not just about what kind of horse you’ll buy. It’s about what your horse will experience with you. It’s also about what kind of horse owner you’ll be. You have to learn more about horses first – their natural behaviors, what it means when they do something, how to train them, how to take care of them, and more.

This also includes what your responsibility is as horse owner, what you should do before riding one, what you should do after riding one, who to ask for help when something happens to one during the ride,  and more.

You have to consider adopting a horse instead.

To be a good horse owner is to have compassion – not just for your horse, but also for others in kind. To be a good horse owner is also to have passion – not just to be the best owner for your horse, but also to be the best advocate for others in kind.

Even if others are buying a yard horse, you have to consider adopting a horse instead. Even if you can also buy a yard horse, you still have to consider adopting a horse instead.

What do you think of this blog post? Share your thoughts with us below!

How Being around Horses is Good for You

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Spend time with a horse person and you will probably be curious about the level of devotion. Horse ownership is not only a privilege. Those who are lucky to have one treasure their horses in ways that may be difficult for some people to understand. There is much good to be gain by just being around horses. And here are just some of them.

Builds authenticity

Horses seem to have a knack for sensing what is in your heart. And it is easy to be your real self when with them. It can be a liberating feeling not to worry about keeping your thoughts or feelings on a tight lid. Spending time with a horse allow you to just be yourself. Pure intentions and genuine care may even reward you with a friendship that you will cherish for life.

Special kind of friendship

Owning a horse has all the makings of a special friendship. A study reveals that horses are loyal creatures, especially when they are treated right. They have also displayed a long memory of friendships regardless of how long they may have been separated from their owners or care providers. So if you treat your horse right, you can be sure to gain a loyal friend.

Teaches responsibility

If you think having a horse is just like owning a cat or dog, think again. Horse ownership is an entirely different level of responsibility. While looking after animals requires time and attention by default, taking care of a horse may demand work from time to time. You have to make sure that a horse’s nutrition needs are met. You also have to devote time for its grooming and exercise.

Provides stress relief

Various studies have been made that point to one thing – time spent around horses can relieve stress. There is something therapeutic about being near them and caring for them. So if you are feeling stressed out, you may want to hang out with your horse. Or you can pay a visit to a stable near you and spend time with horses as you let your stress melt away.

A form of therapy

Some experts have been using horses for healing. The therapy is built on several studies made that suggest the beneficial effects of being around horses in promoting positive emotions. People who spend time with horses have been found to enjoy improved wellbeing.

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