Lou

Anyone who rides in/knows about hackamores (mechanical English) who knows why a horse would do this? Is it a pain reaction, or expecting the bit and trying to avoid it?

So now it's May and well into autumn and my horse (lives outside, if this isn't the norm for someone) is at the point where he needs to go into a different rug (currently in an unlined waterproof canvas but this past week the temperature has dropped, especially at night) but I don't want to put his heavy winter rug on yet (which I'm still not sure on the fill of but it's a heavier rug for winter).

I'm looking at a rug somewhere between 180g and 220g fill (I've got a few options) and was at the horse shop today and they also thought up to about 220g would be good for this time of year, but I was wondering what others thought. I'm trying to go light enough for there to still be a difference when it gets much colder in winter and he goes into his winter rug, but enough of a difference to make him warmer now and have this rug as an inbetween rug, for autumn/early spring or any days in the warmer months when the weather turns terrible and he needs something a bit warmer and drier for a day or two (we had a freak storm at the beginning of March where we had to race around and find all their warm covers).

This is currently what I'm looking at as the lightest option: http://www.thathorse.com/listing/rugs-and-covers/s...

But I'm also happy to go a little bit heavier with something like this: http://www.thathorse.com/listing/rugs-and-covers/w...

, this: http://www.thathorse.com/listing/rugs-and-covers/w...

or this: http://www.thathorse.com/listing/rugs-and-covers/w...

If anyone has an idea of what would be better that would be awesome. The last three are all the same fill and pretty similar and I can't see any major differences in features that would make one better, but I haven't been in "this part" of horses long (bought my boy as my first horse last July - and whilst I've had years of horse experience picking rugs was never one of them! Oh the things you learn when it becomes all your responsibility...).

Thanks in advance.

So when I bought my horse last year he came with (along with all his tack) his winter rug. Later on in the year I ended up buying him a new summer one but now as it's starting to get colder as it's nearing winter, especially as he had two viruses/bugs in the past couple of months, I need to get him into some sort of "autumn" rug, something a bit warmer that isn't quite as heavy as his winter rug, which I don't want to get him into yet because it's nowhere near as cold as it will get then.

So I want to get him into a rug with less fill than his winter, but obviously something heavier than just the unlined canvas summer rug he's wearing at the moment (yes I'm aware it's not summer anymore but up until the last week or so only the nights were starting to get a bit colder and very recently have the days started to get colder too), but his winter rug has no labels left on it anymore and the place I bought him off (long story, but he still grazes there, he's an ex-therapeutic riding horse) hasn't got a clue what the fill is either.

So is it possible to find out what the fill is? I have no idea what rugs are available in other parts of the world but if it helps at all and anyone knows of these sorts of rugs it's a Shires Stormcheeta, kinda a green/brown colour (I had a quick internet search to see if I could find it since it's not a brand new rug anymore, but no such luck yet...). Failing anyone knowing, is there a known way to do it by weight or something (or some sort of other method of identifying it by rug features)?

Like I said, I don't want to put him straight into his winter, nor do I want to buy him a new one of such a similar fill that it defeats the purpose of having it as an inbetween rug.

Thanks in advance if anyone knows, failing all this I'll probably just go buy one that feels lighter by heavy enough or buy something I can layer with the canvas (which won't be perfect but will make it heavier and keep him a bit warmer - though go figure he's not some sort of lean breed, he's a stocky Stationbred).

So when I bought my horse he came with a saddle that was specially fitted to him and is quite large (wide gullet, 18 inch). I've been looking at getting him a new saddle blanket for a while now and whilst he currently has a general purpose saddle blanket I've been looking at a nice dressage saddle blanket which seems like it would fit better fully under the saddle, but was wondering what horsey-people thought of this idea? I've measured it and it seems like it would be a good fit and had it just been a case of me picking up the saddle blanket, trying it with the saddle and seeing it worked I'd be none the wiser and get it, but as I'm aware there's a difference what do people think? Thanks in advance.

I bought my horse a little over 4 months ago now (though I've been working with him much longer) and happened to come across the Pinto Horse Society website and would like to register him with them, just for the hell of it. :)

Anyway, to do so I need to come up with a full name to register him as, as he's never had one before. His name is Dex. I also need to decide for sure what type of pinto he is - from what research I've done I think he's a tobiano? But I'm not completely sure as I'd only even heard him be referred to as a skewbald up until now (apparently we're now catching up with the rest of the world in having pinto types!).

If anyone has any ideas on pinto types, or names that work with Dex, it'd be appreciated hugely. :D

Photo - note he's fluffy because it was the middle of winter and he still had his winter coat. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6440975825_92bf...

So my horse had laminitis when he was younger and now to prevent it from happening again, asides from limiting his spring/autumn grass etc, I don't feed him apples or any sugary foods. His only treats as such is carrots and I was curious as to what other fruits/vegetables/anything he can have to eat as treats that he'll enjoy but aren't too high in sugar. Any ideas are appreciated, thanks!

Long story short I've just recently bought my first horse and within the next few days I'm intending to go buy some extra gear for him/stuff he needs, and something he really needs is a new headcollar.

Anyway, I know of the different sizes but was wondering if each one had actual measurements for it? Full, cob, pony etc, basically the actual sizes in centimetes (or inches) of parts of it so I could get an idea.

I think he's a cob size but I don't actually know for sure and whilst my plan was to just measure his current headcollar then measure the new ones I look at to find out what size his head is actually knowing what size he is now would be great. I've had a look around but I can't seem to find anything with definite measurements and it's getting frustrating.

Anyway, thanks in advance if you know!

First off, I know that no 100% hypoallergenic dog breed exists, but any help is appreciated.

Basically I've been approached about answering some questions about "designer" dogs for a small documentary. Recently I was in an email "discussion" with a woman about "designer" dogs, and she was all for them, and I assume she was contacted and gave my email address for someone on the other side.

Obviously my main ideas are that "designer" dogs are completely unnecessary, in that every single purebred can fit as a family's/individual's perfect dog without needing these mixes, without needing to mix the "family-ness" of one breed with the "hypoallergenic" qualities of another etc, and that with so many unwanted dogs the only reason to breed is for working dogs (the only time it is acceptable to breed mutts) and to continue the health, quality and traits of the purebreds we have.

So anyway, since the person I was emailing before has a "spoodle" I was thinking about all the purebreds that can be great family dogs who already have either the low/non shedding or the low dander, or preferably both.

In my personal experience we have found that Lui, who is a Samoyed, is low allergy due to the wool, not fur, coat and the low dander, so despite a big coat they are good for allergies. And, when given the right breeding, training and socialisation they become excellent family dogs, as any dog will with that of course.

So basically I need to know a few more less-common breeds that are more allergy friendly and are actually purebreds, and possibly any other breeds that fit the traits the "designer" greeders "guarantee" but you will definitely get in a purebred.

Any help is appreciated. With whatever I say hopefully being included in this story I am very keen to get the best info possible.

Hey

Our PC recently crashed and whilst we now do have a new one, and all the music files, all that was organised onto iTunes has gone.

Is there any way for me to sync what is currently on my iPod (I'm putting off plugging it into the computer until I know for sure - I have a wall charger) onto my iTunes, or is it simply not possible. If it isn't I'm just going to have to go through all my music and get everything onto iTunes again, and I have already made a start, but with so much music I just want to know if there is any way to do it easily.

So if anyone knows if this is even possible, and if so how to do it, that'd be great. If not, oh well, thanks anyway.

I work at a kennels and cattery (hard work but very enjoyable) and at the moment we have three purebred dogs in that all look very similar to "labradoodles".

The dogs are a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, a Kerry Blue Terrier and an Irish Water Spaniel, and all look like an example of a "labradoodle" in the huge variety they come in.

Ironically, all of these dogs have similar traits to those "guaranteed" by "labradoodle" breeders, including the famed hypoallergenic trait - however most info on these breeds correctly suggests that rather than hypoallergenic they are less likely to trigger allergies.

So, any comments on my observations from the fellow sane people (who know the "designer" truth) and especially any from the doodle fans? Also anyone who knows these breeds, I'd love to know more about them.

I was just so surprised to see these dogs that look so similar yet aren't, and still wonder why people insist on breeding and buying "labradoodles".

Also, if anyone knows of any other breeds that resemble other "designer" mutts - please share. I intend to mention these breeds if I ever speak to someone who wants a "labradoodle", just to note that these look and are similar to the mutts yet have guaranteed traits and you can get them from health tested parents.

Well last month I found a small lump on Lui's head. I had no idea what it was and all sorts of thoughts were going through my mind so I rang the vet and got him in the next day. It was just a small sebaceous cyst that the vet said wasn't a worry but she'd remove if it didn't go away on its own. Panic over, I watched it for the next few days then another one, much bigger, appeared on his back. Since it was bigger, went to the vet again and she said it was the same thing, and she'd only remove it if he wasn't showing or if it didn't start to go away on its own. She also checked the one on his head again, which had popped (on its own) and just cleaned it up.

Long story short, she said chances are he will get more, and I was wondering if anyone else had experienced them and can tell me how often they come up etc.

I know they're not a big deal, even the vet said so, but I'd just like to keep an eye on them, for my reassurance and also the fact that he's just turned 10 and is not a young dog anymore (though apparently no-one has told him that.

Any help appreciated. Thanks

Christmas is over for another year, so what did everyone do with their dogs? Presents? A trip out? Reindeer antlers, Christmas hats, photos with Santa?

Lui just got his usual present of treats (he has never really liked toys) and I think he had a good day. Christmas was here this year so he got to see everyone which he always loves because generally he gets a lot of attention.

On another note, I noted the leaderboard after I hadn't been on for a while... How on Earth does this sort of thing happen?

Over in Dogs, there is someone I, and many others, suspect of having multiple accounts in order to get extra BAs.

I have only noticed an option to report their answer to a question, but with their questions and answers hidden anyway it's difficult to find the questions they answer, let alone what their other accounts do.

I can't find anything about it in the help section and myself and many others are getting very frustrated at the speed of which their BAs total goes up on the leaderboard.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Yes, I'm sure this question has been asked many times, but I'm curious as to the current answerers who own/breed these dogs.

To our resident BYB, our few -doodle and -poo owners, just why?

And those of you who don't support this breeding, why do you think they do it. For the breeders, I think it's just profit, but some seem genuinely convinced what they do is better. And for the owners, I think it's believing all the "facts" about them, but in some cases people seem to really have done research yet still get one.

Hi

In May last year, our family cat Fluffy Bum (named after the cat in the book Badjelly the Witch) went missing. We searched, put up posters, called the SPCA and did everything we could, but still no sign.

He was an awesome cat. My first proper pet in that when we got him in 1997 (I was around 7 at the time) I fed him and did a lot for him. We got our dog Lui in 2000 and initially Fluffy Bum was quite put out by this energetic crazy ball of fur. After a day or two, and a few scratches in Lui's direction, the pair soon got on well and whilst there were a few swipes generally they were good friends (though my mum does recall the time Fluffy Bum got annoyed, went for Lui and ended up stuck in his fur, as she saw Lui run past with Fluffy Bum attached to his side).

When he went missing, first it was no biggie, I mean, he liked to explore, but after a day it got serious. He loved his food and would always demand it in the morning, yet he wasn't there.

So, like I said, we did all we could to find him but still nothing.

There is a website here, on which people list lost and found animals. I listed a lost advert when he went missing, and set up a search to email me when cats fitting his general description were put on (the SPCAs use this site too). Anyway, after a few emails that got me very excited, and one that seemed to fit his description so well, still nothing.

So what do I do? His 13th birthday is approaching, on which he would have been missing for one and a half years, yet not a day goes by when I don't think about him.

I still haven't cut off the emails, I just can't bring myself to do it, and I still say goodnight to him every night. I have to say goodnight to my pets, so when he was off exploring at night I used to blow him kisses when I let Lui out to go toilet before bed.

It's a difficult situation as we have no answers. I fully accept that chances are he has died, been hit by a car or gone off to die as some cats do, but considering he had been hit by a car before (lost his tail in 2002 due to that) and was a healthy, happy cat I still can't accept that. I also hear the stories about cats that go missing then turn up years later. Very rare, but since we don't know what happened you have to consider it, no matter how small the probability.

We all miss him. It's easier to talk about him now, things that happen and remind someone of him, but I still have teary nights.

I think not knowing is the hardest. He had a good life with us yet you can never fully move on without knowing the truth.

I still refer to him as MIA, and whilst we do have another cat now (who we adopted from the SPCA last year, not as a replacement, but as just a cat, with full intention of them both staying if Fluffy Bum came home) Fluffy Bum is still one of my pets.

Truth be told, I don't think I'll ever let go. Unless I ever find out what happened, I'll never ever stop thinking about him. He taught me a lot, and I loved the fact that he could be so grumpy one minute then snuggle up next to you on the couch another. He used to come for walks with us. I'd often walk Lui and hear a noise behind me and turn to see him running along, or back in our old house, when we used to have a walkway to walk to school in the mornings he would often follow us, and kids would run up to the fence and watch him walk, and then he'd sit there for a bit before heading home.

I was wondering if anyone else has ever experienced this happen, and if you can offer any advice?

Hey

I was just thinking, as you do, and this came to mind.

Lui is technically a family dog. I have kind of "claimed" him in that I feed, walk, groom, bath, take him to the vet, to shows, he sleeps in my room etc. In my head, he is "mine". I was thinking about it, and realised how jealous and annoyed I would get if someone else at home started getting like this.

My grandad lives with us. He walks Lui, and cares for him and Mila (our cat) if we're away, and Lui enjoys this. However my grandad gets that me and Lui have this "thing" and he always asks if I've walked Lui, and if I haven't he'll take him out.

My parents get it too. Sometimes they'll take Lui for a walk, but not often.

Then my sister. She loves Lui, but is too busy to walk him and I don't think she enjoys it much anyway.

My brother walks Lui occassionally too. He often takes Lui down to the old golf course with his friend and friend's dog and they let them off and just walk.

However, overall no-one really does as much with Lui as me, so we have the closest bond, but I just realised how jealous I would be if one of them started walking him all the time and hanging out with him. Fortunately that isn't likely to happen, but if it did I wouldn't know what to do.

Lui is a very friendly dog who loves everyone, and if they talk to him, groom him, stroke him or take him for a walk he'd love it, and he could very quickly build up a better relationship with them.

Does anyone else have this, either you and your dog(s) are close and everyone knows it or are you "competing" with someone else.

I get that dogs have the pack mentality, but I've always loved the bond Lui and I have, and realised if someone else started to get that with him I'd be annoyed.

I got into a discussion/argument about this the other day. Basically they were insisting they were a breed, I said they weren't.

In my opinion, they are a mix of TB and Arab. This person then argued that TBs are a mix of breeds too. I then stated that TBs were established and now breed true, and Anglo-Arabs don't.

The point is, who is right? I am aware Anglo-Arabs can be registered but that does not make them a breed, and being a mix they wouldn't breed true.

I know horses relatively well, but not the breeding side, so any info would be much appreciated. I know dogs quite well, the breeding side too, and there are dog breeds that have been established from mixing but now are purebreds as they breed too.

So if someone could shed some light on this I'd be much appreciated. From what I know they seem like a good mix, and a good horse if you get the right mix temperament-wise, but I'm not too concerned about that, just the breeding and if they are a breed or not.

Though, then again, if you have one I don't mind hearing about it! :) I've never met one but like I said it seems like it could be a good mix.

Hey

I've got Mozilla Firefox, and a little while ago it downloaded the new one. Anyway now often it opens one of my tabs as a new window. Needless to say this gets very frustrating and I was wondering how it does this (I assume I click/press something) and if someone could either tell me how it does it so I won't make it happen or if I can disable it.

Thanks

Hey

Just over 2 years ago, I had an incident whilst chopping vegetables. I sliced through about a third of the tip of my thumb.

Anyway it got no stitches, just strips, but now I have this lump where that bit is just up a bit, I'm guessing due to the scarring.

Anyway, I was wondering if there was any way to get rid of/decrease the size of it.

If you need any more details I'll try and explain.

Thanks to anyone who can help.

This is the Australian "Labradoodle" Association.

I was reading their page the other day, and came across this:

They have a list of visions for the "Labradoodle" - this one made me laugh. "To work with the Australia National

Kennel Club (ANKC) towards the goal of full recognition as a pure breed."

But then they had this: http://www.laa.org.au/ala-breeder/parentbreeds.htm

The Confirmed and Approved Parent Breeds of the Australian Labradoodle are as follows:

1. Poodle (Standard, Miniature, Toy)

2. Labrador Retriever

3. Irish Water Spaniel

4. Curly Coat Retriever

5. American Cocker Spaniel

6. English Cocker Spaniel

"These six Parent Breeds

are the ONLY approved Parent Breeds used in the development of the Australian Labradoodle to date. The ALA does not recognize any other parent breeds than those listed and used above. Any Australian Labradoodle infused with other Parent Breeds than those listed above will not be considered for registration. Parent Breed Infusion Committee: The ALA has assigned 5 ALA Accredited Breeders to a Committee for consideration and approval of Parent Breed Infusions."

So, if I understand correctly, they want the mutts to be recognised as a purebred even when they are still adding more breeds?

What do you think?

Oh, and in case this is seen as a rant or whatever and deleted:

Legit: What does your dog do when he asks to go outside/for a walk?

Lui whines by the door to go outside, and when he wants a walk he follows me around, like I'll go upstairs and when he follows it means he wants to go. He doesn't go upstairs often unless asked or he is following me up to bed (yes he sleeps in my room when he wants to).