OK, so I”m at my real job today.  Bit of a slow morning so I”m taking a quick break to post my newest peice.  I just finished it lastnight, and it’s gorgeous. 

Again, Turquoise being my stone of choice, it has three different styles.  Green, white and Blue turquoise give this peice lots of body.  It has freshwater pearls, and my new favourite….rhinestone rondelles.  They have green stones in them, so they flash, and they match, giving it a subtle bling score.

Click on the photos for more information or to purchase

Again, since I make these myself, and have no intention in mass producing them, this is a one of a kind peice that you will never see on anyone else.

If originality is what you are looking for, check out this collection!

Sorry about everyone’s luck…everyone except Shelli Oxtoby who is the proud new owner of this one of a kind (never to be replicated!) necklace.  (shown in my last post)

It will be on display around her neck at the PBR finals next weekend in Saskatchewan.  Have a Great time (and look good doing it Shelli!).

Don’t miss out on the next “One of a Kind Cowgirl” addition, it could be yours!

So, I’ve been dabbling in the jewelry making for quite some time now.  Mostly just as a hobby, something quiet that I can do in my spare time.  I often make pieces for events that I’m attending and need to match accessories, or for close friends that enjoy it too.

As my collection is growing - apparently I have too much spare time LOL - I wish! I have decided to make my own line of “One-Of-A-Kind” pieces.  Since these are all made by me, and I never intend to replicate a piece, you can accessorize knowing that NOBODY will show up with the same one.

My necklace line is turquoise based - every necklace has turquoise stones, varying in colour - as it has grown to be my favourite stone.  The multi strand designs give them some body (not the limpness of a single strand peice), and the various gemstones make them a true pleasure to look at!

I have never worn one of my own peices and not had comments on it from at least 3 people at the event.  They really are quite gorgeous - I know, I”m biased.  Many come with removable concho pendants, so you can casualize them for your Cowgirl out on the town outfit.

These pieces are available at www.thecowpokestore.com or in my ebay store “Cowpokestore”

Anyway, hope you enjoy them as much as I do.  Feel free to email me with your colour preferance or mix and match however you like.

Till next time!

Again, I have aquired a new favourite in the newest addition to the “One of a Kind Cowgirl” Collection

“Passion in Pink” is an absolutely stunning peice that can be dressed up - tons of bling, or dressed down - bring out a beautiful tone!

(click on pictures to purchase)

This peice has 5 different turquoise stones (burgandy, white, chocolate, dark chocolate and PINK), swarovski crystals, pyrite, picasso jasper, burgandy and white fresh water pearls.  

The greatest feature of this peice…the new clasp!!!  I found this absolutely fitting rhinestone buckle sytle magnetic clasp.  Now I”m not usually one to go with magnetic as they can open.  However, this has a fold over bar style, and there is NO chance this baby is letting go.  It really does put the final touch on the peice.

To top it off…a 1 3/4″ silver bling removable concho.

First Come, First served…and they are “One of a Kind Cowgirl”!

Are you ready for the newest in Cowgirl fashion!? 

Check out the great deals at www.cowpokestore.com

Best Prices and Great Selection!

Enjoy!

OK, so as a nutritionist, I get pretty frustrated (as do many horse owners I’m sure) with BAD hay that you spent GOOD money on.  I hear it almost every day. 

“I thought the hay was good, but it turned out that half of the bales were mouldy inside/it was too course/to rich/not rich enough/dusty” and the list goes on!

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was somewhere you could go to fine reputable hay producers across the province of Ontario?  Now you can www.ontariohorsehay.com.  It has just started up, so at the moment there are no hay producers advertising.  As well, the first crop of hay hasn’t even been harvested in most areas! 

So, I”m spreading the word.  You can post “hay wanted” ads and “hay for sale” ads.  We encourage our producers to have hay sample analysis done, and that too will be attached to their hay profile.  Any questions about reading a hay analysis can then be directed to the resident nutritionist….moi.

So I welcome you to check out www.ontariohorsehay.com, and hopefully once the word gets out, we have a list of producers to feed the horses of Ontario!

I recently wrote this article for a breif equine edition in the paper.  I thought I would include it in my blog…although it a little long.

Current Research in Metabolic Syndrome

After recently attending a research conference in Kentucky, it has becoming apparent that one of the fastest growing ailments in our equine friends is Metabolic Syndrome.   Although there are still many unknown factors involved in these conditions, the one thing that is certain is they begin with an over weight body condition.

Although most horse owners understand what a body condition score is and where their horse should be on that scale, achieving a health score is not as easy as knowing it.  So, the first goal to preventing and decreasing the severity of Metabolic Syndrome is having your horse in a healthy body condition.  Table and descriptions on measuring your horses score can be found online.  One of the best I have found is on the OMAFRA website. 

How does Obesity Contribute to Metabolic Syndrome?

Originally it was recommended that you put your horse on a low starch diet to prevent or decrease severity of these conditions.   In doing this, owners were decreasing the amount of glucose (from starch) circulating in the blood stream.  Increased levels of starch contribute to laminitis, quite often a tell-tale sign that your horse has the onset of MS or CD.

In a healthy horse, when a starchy diet is consumed, there is an increased level of glucose in the blood.  This triggers the release of insulin from the pancreas, which triggers glucose uptake by the skeletal muscle and fat cells.  Once in the cells, the glucose will be used during exercise, growth, or stored as glycogen or fat.

In an animal with metabolic syndrome, the increased level of glucose in the blood triggers the insulin release from the pancreas, however the receptors for glucose uptake become insensitive to the insulin, resulting in increased levels of glucose circulating in the blood.

In an animal affected by Metabolic syndrome, it appears as thought certain adipose (fat) cells convert the inactive form of cortisol to the active form or cortisol.  Cortisol acts in shutting down insulin receptors on uptake cells, and the message never reaches the cell to uptake glucose.  This results in increased levels of insulin remaining in the blood, circulating throughout the body.

 It is believed that this excess of glucose left circulating in the blood can be the root cause of obesity associated laminitis.  It is the result of changed circulation to the laminae, the interconnected layers of tissue that insure the integrity of the hoof.

How to Best Prevent Metabolic Syndrome

Overweight horses actually respond to weight reduction as a means of increasing insulin sensitivity (cells responding to insulin in the blood triggering the uptake of glucose).  So, your best method of action in decreasing risk is to have your horse in an optimal, not maximal, body condition.  Horses become overweight because they consume more calories than they are using in exercise.  In this circumstance, good quality grass pasture or hay and a complet fortified vitamin and mineral supplement may be all they require.  It is best to consult your equine nutritionist to develop a feeding program specific for your horse and their activity level to ensure optimal performance and maintain body condition.

Horses diagnosed with metabolic syndrome  should not have grain, or rations made with molasses.  As well, their exposure to pasture should be limited.  A balancer pellet can be given to these horses to provide essential vitamins and minerals, while leaving out the starch component of the diet.   If the horse is in need of additional energy, use non-starch alternatives such as rice bran or soy oil.

Above all, in overweight horses, exercise is the most important factor in reducing fat depositions.  Exercise can range from longeing, hand walking, round pen work, riding and driving.  Not only does this increase over all health, it has also been shown that an increase in activity increases insulin sensitivity.

The main goal is to reduce chances of Metabolic Syndrome risk and the best way to achieve that is to keep a close eye on body condition, feed for activity level and metabolic rate, and have an organized exercise schedule.  If in doubt, consult your nutritionist for an experienced opinion.

With the change in season comes the undeniable need for a change in your equine feeding program. 

The spring brings with it an eagerness of horse people alike to hit the trails, hit the show ring or just get some ground work done.  All of these activities involve a change in the energy required by your horse.

One of the most important things you need to do in order to determine if nutrient changes need to be made, is to “Body Condition Score” your horse.  Body condition tables can be found through a quick search on the internet or by going to http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/98-101.htm.

Should your horse be over weight or under weight according to the body condition score chart, you need to access your feeding program.  Similarly, if your horse is in perfect condition at the start of the season, and you are increasing the work load, you will also need to increase the calories consumed. 

Increasing and decreasing calories should be discussed at lenght with your nutritionist.  Individual horses need individual programs to ensure weight loss, gain, and energy fluctuations are done safely and parallel the new needs of your horse.

Evaluating your work load will also be very helpful in determining what changes need to be made to your program.  In some owners opinions, working for 1/2 an hour a day would be considered “working them hard”.  However to a nutritionist, working them hard would involve elevating their heart rate significantly for an extended period of time.  For example, standardbreds in training jog 3-5 miles per day.  When they are racing they go as hard as they can go several times in preparation for a race (over a period of a few hours), and again during the race.  This would be considered “hard work”.

Making sure both the owner and the nutritionist are talking about the same energy requirement will be very important in evaluating your horses needs.

Lastly (well, not really lastly, but this will be the last point I touch on in this blog) management factors play a large role in the nutritional requirement changes of your horse.  Now that the pasture is getting lush and green, the number of hours your horse spends grazing are very important.  In certain circumstances they may need to be restricted, but for the most part, they are attaining calories that would previously have been consumed in their hay or grain based diets.

Balancing for pasture is important in keeping your horse in the desired condition for your level or work.

Looking for a nutritionist that can make sense of it all for you?  Try www.balancequine.com.  A qualified professional is available to assist you in asking the right questions and formulating the proper diet for your horses needs.

Happy Trails!

After a slightly extended siesta from the horse and human blog, it’s time to get back at it.  The spring has brought with it a new energy in all things horsey and I”m excited to discuss them all!

Lots has been going on over the last couple of months, many of my favourite cowgirl bling and accessory sites have brought in new inventory (www.thecowpokestore.com is rockin’ and their prices are just what we need on a low budget, with high expectations!)

The show world is picking  back up, lots of foals being born, and….unfortunately with fresh pasture on the way….a few nutritional issues have reared their silly head.  So, I’ve been busy on that front as well.

Not too much to get into today, but keep watching over the next couple weeks for all of the spring goodies!

Happy Trails