The saddle is among the most important pieces of horse riding apparel, so there are lots of things to have in mind once picking out horse saddles for sale. First, your riding style must be identified. Usually, this can be either English or Western, although there are specialty saddles for activities such as polo, dressage, jumping, as well as racing.

In English riding, any rider keeps one reign within each hand and tells the horse to turn by softly pulling one reign, which applies pressure to a bit inside the horse's mouth.

Western- style riders hold both reigns in one hand and tell the horse to turn by shifting his or her weight or laying the reigns against the horses neck. Western saddles tend to be heavier and larger as compared to English saddles and were originally made for hard- riding cowboys.

The riders weight is distributed evenly across the horses back, which allows the horse and rider to become comfortable on lengthy rides.

Dressage saddles permit the riders leg and the horse to have the most contact. The flaps will be cut straight and narrow and these saddles contain a different cut than an English saddle.

With regard to jumping, a hunt seat saddle is used. This saddle was initially produced for fox hunting, it affords the rider a better position for jumping.

Horse racing needs a flat racing saddle. These are extremely lightweight and have quite short stirrups thus the rider can lean forward as far as possible.

Irrespective of the activity, the next question is the type of saddle. You will find leather saddles, suede saddles, plus saddles produced from man-made materials. Leather saddles are the most well known, and a high quality leather saddle can last for years. Synthetic saddles are usually lightweight and easy to clean, but may not have the durability associated with a leather saddle.

The most important thing for saddles is comfort, for both the rider and the horse. A saddle that doesn't fit properly may cause back muscle bruising on the horse. Saddle sizes are measured in inches, from the pommel to the cantle. There should be 2-3 inches of space in between the rider and the back of the saddle when seated.

Also, the saddle ought to stay firmly in place without slipping and it ought to fit the horse tightly across the shoulders and back without digging in.

There's a lot of saddles out there, so it's important to keep in mind your anticipated riding activities whenever choosing a horse saddle for sale.

For further free tips on Horse Saddles For Sale be sure to try visiting http://www.horse-saddles-for-sale.com

Posted under Uncategorized

Mycelium Running by Paul Stamets has been the perpetual best-seller on popular mycology since published in 2005. It's an indispensible reference book for anybody working the land, especially foresters, farmers and environmental cleanup contractors. It's also a great book for anyone interested in growing their own food mushrooms.

Mycelium Running is filled to the brim with useful tips on things such as using mushrooms to improve soils and boost productivity in forestry and farming (gardening) with decreased use of expensive fertilizers and pesticides; filtering waste-water (mycofiltration); and clean up toxic waste from the land (mycoremediation).

A detailed description of Mycofiltration, the use of mushrooms to filter waste water, is given in one section of the book. It lists recommended mushroom species and materials to use in creating the mycofiltration bed, as well as dimensions, depth, layers, etc. Mycofiltration beds like this can be effectively used for both industrial waste water and farm runoff.

An added benefit of using mycofiltration beds on farms include the production of delicious food mushrooms, which sprout out of these beds. And every 2-3 years, the material in the bed can be dug out and used as a rich fertilizer on the fields of the farm.

Another piece of useful information for farmers and gardeners found in Mycelium Running concerns the no-till farming method as opposed to the conventional method of plowing the fields after harvest. No-till farming helps promote saprophytic fungi (decomposing fungi), which break down organic material at a pace better suited to plant-life than the rapid and heat producing breakdown by anaerobic bacteria, which are the primary decomposers when stubble is plowed under. The mycelium of saprophytic fungi also binds the soil to prevent erosion and loss of valuable nutrients.

For forestry, not only do saprophytic fungi help break down and recycle organic matter. They also help combat many parasitic fungi (blights) that may kill large numbers of trees. Stamets gives useful suggestions on how to seed beneficial saprophytic fungi in blight infested forests as a natural "fungicide," fighting fire with fire, so to speak.

Mycorrhizal mushrooms can also be seeded to support the forest, or they may simply be encouraged to grow naturally by using more enlightened methods of forest management.

Most plants benefit from partnerships with mycorrhizal fungi, especially trees, which become much more drought resistant as well as disease resistant when they partner with a mycorrhizal mushroom species.

Another cutting edge technology in Mycelium Running is Mycoremediation, the neutralization of toxins through the use of mushroom mycelium. The term Mycoremediation was coined by Paul Stamets, author of Mycelium Running, but was already in common use among mycologists before publication.

Contaminants that may be effectively mycoremediated include, but are not limited to, heavy metals, pathological bacteria (such as E. coli), petrochemicals, neurotoxins, dioxin, toxic dyes and other toxic industrial waste.

Mycoremediation is extremely economical, at less than 5% the cost of some conventional methods for cleaning up toxic waste.

All that is just in the first half of this 300-page book; the second half is an instruction manual on growing your own mushrooms and mycelia, which is something that may be of interest to forest managers for mycoforestry, environmentalists for mycoremediation, farmers for increasing soil productivity, and the rest of us for growing our own gourmet mushrooms for food and medicine. In other words, this is a book for anyone and everyone.

Dr. Markho Rafael has worked in the natural health field since finishing Chiropractic College in'96. He currently specializes in medicinal fungi, frequently consulting two reference books: Mycelium Running by Paul Stamets for chemical, biological and medicinal properties of mushrooms, and Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora as the most comprehensive identification guide of American mushrooms.

categories: mushrooms,ecology,environmental,agriculture,farm,farming,garden,landscaping,tree,horse,chicken,biology,herbs,nature

Posted under Horses

Those who own horses know how wonderful these animals are to have as a companion. They are smart, sensitive, and fun to be around. These beautiful and majestic animals require a lot of care and love. It is important to make sure your horse is happy so you can have a pleasant and gentle companion.

The following are the top 10 ways to make your horse happy:

1. Properly feed your horse. Because it is in a horse's nature to constantly graze, have set times of the day to feed it. Horses like a routine so feed at the same times of the day. A horse requires a lot of fiber so give him fresh grass or hay. As well, give him grain, but not too much as it can upset his gut. He should have access to water at all times. Water keeps the food able to ferment so it won't get solid and hard in its hind gut.

2. Give your horse plenty of exercise. You want this exercise to be like play and not all work. Exercise keeps his muscle and tendons strong, improves blood circulation, and helps with digestion.

3. Groom your horse on a daily basis. Make sure you groom all over so that his hair and skin are clean and shiny.

4. Let your horse out everyday to run free in a pasture. It is a calming experience and lets the horse be a horse. He will get exercise, fresh air, and stretch his legs. Let him spend his time with other horses.

5. Your horses stable should be warm and clean, with a soft bed. The barn should have good ventilation and he should be in the barn with other horses. Clean the stable out every day so there is no build up of his droppings. Let cats live in the barn.

6. Give your horse lots of attention. Talk to him in a gentle voice, stroke him, rub him, scratch him, and play with him. Horses love affection.

7. Everyday, use a pick to clean out its horseshoes. The shoes should also fit well and are comfortable. A horse that is in distress or uncomfortable will be cranky, bite, kick, and his ears will lay back flat.

8. A horse needs a certain time of the day to relax and be by them selves. Give them a certain time each day to be by themselves. Outdoors in a pasture is a great place for a horse to play and relax.

9. Make sure you have a Vet for your horse. You have a responsibility to ensure the horse will be taken care of medically. Horses should never live in pain or with an illness. Care also includes appropriate de-worming, checking its teeth, and keeping an eye out for such conditions as colic. As well, you must keep his hooves trimmed.

Making your horse happy will not only benefit him, but it will enhance your life and provide you with a loyal and loving companion that is easy to handle.

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Posted under Horses