Can animals talk? Can they really communicate with us? I often wondered about this myself. I grew up surrounded by animals and have always felt a really close bond with them, but to talk to them? Was animal communication possible? I wasn't sure; it all seemed like realms of fantasy, however enduring.

At the age of ten something happened that woke a deep desire in me. I saw the original Dr. Doolittle film and became convinced that animal communication was real. Here was a man talking to the animals! He understood them, loved them and helped them. That was who I was going to be!

I made up my mind there and then that this is what I was going to do when I grew up. I imagined a wonderful life talking to the animals, sharing their problems and making their lives better. It was going to be fantastic!

Sadly my hopes were dashed when I shared my ideals with my dad. He looked rather dismayed when he told the film was only a story, not real at all. No one can truly talk to the animals, and they certainly can't hear them.

I grew up a little sadder and more disillusioned. I was never aware of talking to the animals but I knew they were far more intelligent than most people gave them credit for. I became aware of their feelings and emotions and secretly hoped that maybe Heaven was a place where we could all communicate with the animals. Maybe the magic existed there.

Happily, Heaven came to me, though not in a way I expected. Sullivan my young border collie became extremely ill. His behaviour changed and I was at my wits end of what to do for the best. Sitting quietly with him one evening he showed me pictures of his illness and told me that he had come to help me.

I was communicating with my dog! Sullivan confirmed it by sending me the words, 'I've come to help you.' And help me he did. He taught me my first lessons in animal communication, pushing through all my adult doubts and resurrecting the child who 'believed.'

As the weeks passed it became obvious that Sullivan had come to help me learn animal communication. He had somehow got through my doubts and spoke to me. Bless him! Having realised my dream was within my grasp, I took my animal communication studies seriously. I now speak dog, cat, horse, rabbit and fish and I don't need the stethoscope!

Posted under Horses

There are so many different approaches when it comes to training animals. The old school way, this is through the feeling of we are more superior and is based on dominance. The animal had better do what it is told!

Then we have the I love my animal so much that it does not matter what they do, even when the animal is showing very disturbing behaviour.

Of courses there are many stages between the two, so what is the right balance? Where can we find the place where both the animal and the human are happy and well behaved?

So to get a better understanding lets look at these two extremes and what is happening on an emotional level.

The hard approach is similar to a child who is doing what they are told in the fear of the consequence. This child can be very submissive and show insincere behaviours, finding it hard to express them selves and shows emotional sensitivity.

Horses that are in this state are jumpy and find it hard to concentrate as they are move focused on the feeling that this person is going to tell them off for not getting it right.

The other end of the scale is also suffering. With the animal not having any direction shown to them by the human they have to take the responsibility for them selves. When they can't cope with these situations they end up loosing confidence and trust. For example a dog can become over protective and aggressive.

This animal is also racing in their minds producing too much emotion to find their own confidence.

Below is a video showing a balanced way to help animals find peace of mind. This creates trust between the animal and the human and develops a meaningful relationship.

There is a balance that is very special and this can be created through trust. Then clearly there is no place for old dominant behaviour from the human. Why would there be any need if both the human and animal had this strength of relationship.

When you have the trust of your animal it naturally listens to you and will come to you for guidance because you are trust worthy!

Animal training is making a huge shift forward by a small majority of dog trainers and horses trainers that are here to show another way. It is not the animals that need to change, it is us!

Posted under Horses

The most important aspect of a horse's diet is forage feed. It is essential to the proper functioning of its digestive system. A typical horse will consume about 2% of its body weight in feed on a daily basis. The percentage may be slightly lower or higher in some horses depending on its weight, age and level of activity.

Due to the importance of forage feed in a horse's diet, careful attention must be made to the quality. Forage feed should make up 50-100% of a horse's diet. Beets are a great example of an antioxidant-providing element of a horse's diet.

Since horses can consume upwards of thirty or forty pounds of forage feed (grass or hay) per day, they must have constant access to it. Grassy pastures are ideal. However, if there is not sufficent grass horses will need to depend on hay. This is especially important in the winter when they must keep a higher body temperature.

Some additions to a horse's diet include bran, chaff and barley. The easily digested bran, when wet, serves as an efficient laxative. Chaff can be added to the horse's feed to keep him from eating to quickly. Barley is also an important source of nutrition, especially in the winter when grass is less abundant. But barley should always be soaked in water for about two hours if it has not yet been crushed or rolled. This will prevent digestive problems including a swelling of the stomach.

One other consideration for your horse's nutrition is Oats. Oats are a common feed for horses because they are easily digested and a good source of energy. Oats are also an ingredient in Sweet Feed. Horses enjoy the addition of Sweet Feed to their diet. Typically, Sweet Feed is a mixture of chopped corn, pellets and oats. But, high sugar and starch content in these feeds can be the cause of behavioral issues and health problems. Even horses have a sweet tooth!

Mature horses with low levels of activity may thrive on high-quality forage feed alone. Horses turned out on grass may need only supplemental forage feed during the winter. However, working horses, horses kept in stalls, young horses and breeding stock generally require additional feed.

Water should always be available to both the grass kept and stabled horse it is particularly important that it is available prior to feeding. Horses should be fed at regular times and a horse or pony should be given a few hours between having a hard feed and carrying out strenuous exercise. Strenuous exercise on a full stomach can cause breathing problems and also put strain on the heart. A horse or pony should never be fed directly after hard exercise.

Ration balancers (also sometimes called diet balancers) are nutrient dense feeds meant to be fed in small amounts. They are an ideal base to most feed programs. Hopefully this quick look at the types of horse feed available has helped clear up some of the confusion at the feed store. Sweet feeds are feeds that have added sugar to make them more palatable to the horse. Usually the sugar is added in the form of molasses. The high sugar and starch content in these feeds can be the cause of behavioral issues and health problems.

Posted under Horses