The question everyone in the Northeast seems to ask this question around this time of year is if they should blanket their horse for the winter. There are fierce proponents for both sides. I'm sure you know people who seem to take blanketing for the winter to a whole new level with tack trunks full of different blankets. And I'm sure you know a few horse owners who have never felt the need to purchase a blanket. As with everything horse related, the best answer I can give you is: it depends. So let's break down some of the variables in a simple scenario:
You just bought a new horse and you are contemplating whether or not to purchase a blanket for him this winter. The first question to ask is where did he come from? Did he come from down south and has never seen snow, or perhaps he came from the frozen tundra and is well versed in cold long winters? If the horse has never experienced winter in the Northeast, a blanket is a great way to soften the shock and introduce him to the low temperatures. Horses in the south don't develop the same winter coat that makes horses in the Northeast look like wooly mammoths, so to compensate for that a blanket would be needed. If he is well used to the cold weather, perhaps a blanket is not necessary. Notice how I said perhaps and not a definite "a blanket is not necessary." That is because there is many other factors to consider.
If you purchased the horse in the Northeast, ask the former owner what her winter routine was. Did she blanket the horse? If so when? Everyone has a different routine. Some may blanket only when the temperature drops below a certain degree, others may have an intricate routing involving layers of blankets that are added on or taken off depending on daily weather conditions. Or maybe the horse has never seen a blanket in it's life. If you purchase a horse in the spring or summer, it may be easy to forget about these important questions, but getting this kind of history when you purchase a new horse can help you make a more informed decision when snow starts to fly.
Consider what you are using the horse for. Will you be showing throughout the winter, or just riding around the farm when weather permits? If you are showing, you are probably body clipping throughout the winter. Throwing on a blanket will help tame the wooly mammoth coat and keep the coat in a more show ready condition. However, if you are riding around the farm and think the teddy bear look is cute, you could get away without a blanket.
You will also want to take into account the horse's living situation. Will he be outside 24/7 during the winter? If so, is their a run in shed to get out of the wind and rain, or is it just a flat field with no shelter? Will he be stalled when the weather gets bad? Or perhaps he will live in the barn throughout the winter with turnout in an indoor? If the horse will be out in the elements throughout the majority of the winter, a blanket may be the way to go.
Another important factor to consider is the personality of the horse. Is he a hardy guy who could brave the winter without a blanket, or is he a prima donna who wants to go inside if the weather isn't absolutely perfect? The prima donna horse would appreciate the blanket, but the tough guy might not appreciate it as much.
Some other factors to consider are:
Age: is he young, old, in his prime? Older and younger horses can have a harder time regulating their body temperature and may benefit from a blanket.
Health: does your horse have any health issues that could make keeping a proper body temperature more difficult? If so a blanket would be beneficial.
Weight: is your at an optimal weight, fat, or maybe needs a few more pounds? A horse spends more energy maintaining its body temperature during the winter, so if you have a horse that is underweight or a hard keeper, a blanket would help to keep him warm and make packing on the pounds easier.
Is your head spinning yet? Like I mentioned, nothing in the horse world has a simple yes or no answer. The best thing to do is to mentally ask yourself these questions and use the answers to do what is best for your horse. It is not unheard of to blanket some of your herd and not others based on each individual horse's needs.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Worming and Parasite Management 101
We get asked for advice by horse owners all the time on which dewormer they should buy for their horse, how often they should worm, should you they wormers etc... These are all great questions that start out with the popular answer of: it depends. We do not know which worms are affecting your horse, or what your horse's health, age, feeding program, and stabling situation is like. All of these factors need to be involved when you are having a discussion about controlling parasites in your horse.
First, you need to know the basic life cycle of a parasite. This is quite simple. Most start out as an egg, mature into a larvae, and then into an adult who lays eggs and starts the life cycle all over again. Eggs or larvae are usually found in the ground in the manure of an infected horse, your horse then swallows said eggs and larvae while grazing. These parasites then mature into adults in your horse's gastrointestinal systems. Some species migrate into other organs (such as the lung or the liver) and return once they are mature to the intestines to lay eggs. These species can cause more damage to the horse than those that spend their life in the intestines.
In order to control parasites, you must disrupt the life cycle. Now there are several ways to disrupt the life cycle of a parasite before it even gets to your horse. The most important way to disrupt the life cycle would be manure management. Picking pastures and keeping stalls clean and relatively manure free is the most effective way for decreasing the amount of parasites in your horse (and it will decrease your fly population too!). Manure that has been removed can be placed in a compost pile, or spread on cropland or pastures not being grazed by horses. The eggs and larvae in composted manure will die if sufficient heat is built up. Also, Spreading manure by dragging pastures will decrease incidence of infective larvae if the climate allows for drying of manure. Another option is to alternate grazing pastures for your horses with cattle or sheep. This will disrupt the parasite life cycle because most internal parasites are host specific. Mowing or dragging pastures to break up manure piles will expose eggs and larvae to the heat, which can help to reduce their numbers.
Now that you have managed parasites as best as you could before they ever reached the horse, the next step is to control the parasites within the horse. A fecal analysis is often not something horse owners think of before starting a worming schedule, but it is a very effective tool when controlling parasites. Worms are rarely visible to the naked eye in manure, so it is hard to determine exactly which parasites are found the most on your farm. Sending a few fecal balls into your vet for analysis will give you an egg count of various parasites present in the fecal sample and give the owner a good idea about the degree of parasite infestation on the farm. Once you have the results, you are able to make a better purchasing decision when it comes to which type of wormer you should buy. It will also help you to determine how often your horse needs to be wormed.
Listed below for your convenience are some common parasites, what they are, how they effect your horse, and which wormer can control them.
1. Large Strongyles
Life Cycle: Start out as eggs, hatch into larvae and consumed by horses while grazing. Larvae mature in the intestinal tract. One type of large strongyles called the blood worm migrates into the blood vessels of intestines. These bloodworms have a life cycle of 6-7 months. The other two types migrate into the liver and have a life cycle of 8-11 months.
Effects: Heavy infestation of bloodworms can cause severe or fatal colic or blood vessel ruptures. Other large strongyles cause less severe damage including weight loss, anemia, or colic.
Dewormers: Ivermectin based wormers give a broad spectrum control of Large Strongyles. Fenbendazole based wormers also offer additional control of certain mature stages. Frequent deworming is important (consult your veterinarian to determine how frequently your horse needs to be wormed for large strongyles).
2. Small Strongyles
Life Cycle: These start out similar to large stronglyes. However, instead of traveling to other body parts, small stronglyes burrow into the wall of the large colon. They stay there for months or years until proper conditions trigger them to emerge. While they are encysted (burrowed) in the wall of the large colon, they are usually the most damaging to internal parasites and are resistant to most wormers.
Effects: If large numbers emerge at once, small strongyles can cause severe health problems including diarrhea, weakness, muscle wasting, and colic.
Control: Ivermectin based wormers give a broad spectrum control of Small Strongyles. Fenbendazole based wormers also offer additional control of certain mature stages. Moxidectin can control some encysted small stronglyes. Frequent deworming is important (consult your veterinarian to determine how frequently your horse needs to be wormed for Small strongyles).
3. Roundworms
Life Cycle: Horses swallow eggs of roundworms in contaminated hay or water. These eggs develop into larvae in the stomach, and then migrate to the live, heart, and longs where they are then coughed up and swallowed. Once back in the stomach they develop into adults. Their life cycle takes about three months.
Effects: The most damage occurs as the roundworms migrate through the body, causing coughing, pneumonia, liver damage, diarrhea, and colic. Large numbers of roundworms can cause intestinal blockage or ruptures. Signs include pot bellies, rough hair coats, slow growth, and unthriftiness.
Control: Use Ivermectin based wormers for broad spectrum control. NOTE: horses acquire some immunity to roundworms as they age. Horses under two years old are much more susceptible to roundworm infection than older horses. When first dewormed foals older than 3 months are more prone to colic. Consult your vet regarding worming for roundworms.
4. Lungworms
Life Cycle: Larvae are ingested while grazing, then they migrate through the body to the lungs where they mature and lay eggs. Eggs hatch in the longs, are coughed up and swallowed into the stomach and then passed out in manure. Life cycle takes about 28 days. Donkeys are typically the ones infected by lungworms, but can be found in horses pastured with them.
Effects: coughing or respiratory problems, especially when exercising.
Control: Use an Ivermectin based wormer. Consult vet on frequency of deworming.
5. Pinworms
Life Cycle: Female pinworms lay eggs in the skin around the horse's anus where they are rubbed off onto ground and eaten by the horse.
Effects: Eggs are extremely itchy. Horses will sometimes rub their tails until all the hair is pulled off. Adult pinworms are about 1-3/4 inches long and can sometimes be seen around the anal area with a clear discharge (egg masses)
Control: Use disposable wipes or paper towels to clean area under the tail to avoid spreading the eggs and infection. Use cormers containing ivermectin, fenbendazole, pyrantel pamoate, piperazine, moxidectin, or praziquantel to control.
6. Stomach Worms
Life Cycle: Transmitted to horses by flies which transfer the larvae when the land on the horse's legs, muzzle, or eyes and the larvae are licked off and ingested.
Effects: There are several types of stomach worms and usually don't cause much of a problem other than perhaps some mild diarrhea. However, if the larvae get into an open sore or in the moist areas of the eyes they can cause a serious skin condition called summer sores. The body responds to the irritation by forming a lesions (called a granuloma) which doesn't heal. It is very itchy and the horse often rubs and scratches the sore causing severe trauma to the area.
Control: Use an Ivermectin-based wormer. Consult a vet for frequency of deworming.
7. Bots
Life Cycle: Adult bot flies place eggs on horses' forelegs, shoulders, around the jaws, and around the lips. When larvae hatch, they move into the mouth and burrow into gum tissues and the tongue to develop. Eventually they move into the stomach and intestines where they live up to 12 months before passing out of the horse and develop into adult bot flies. Cold weather kills bot flies.
Effect: Can cause damage to the tissue of the horse's mouth and intestinal tract, but most horses don't show signs of serious diseases from bots. Very large numbers of bots have been associated with gastric ulcers.
Control: Use Ivermectin Based Wormer.Worm for bots during the spring/summer months.
8. Tapeworms
Life Cycle: A tiny mite acts as an intermediate host, carrying the tapeworm. Horses develop tapeworm infections when they eat this mite in grass, hay or grain.
Effect: Tapeworms can cause colic, ranging from mild cramping to severe colic requiring surgical treatment.
Control: Use a Praziquantel based dewormer annually to control for tapeworms.
Hopefully this helps you horse owners to make some informed worming decisions (I know I was happy to put my college notes to good use!). Remember, running a fecal analysis can help to manage parasites more effectively and could even let you know that you are doing a great job and don't need to worm as frequently (saving you money and decreasing the chance of parasite resistance to wormers!)
First, you need to know the basic life cycle of a parasite. This is quite simple. Most start out as an egg, mature into a larvae, and then into an adult who lays eggs and starts the life cycle all over again. Eggs or larvae are usually found in the ground in the manure of an infected horse, your horse then swallows said eggs and larvae while grazing. These parasites then mature into adults in your horse's gastrointestinal systems. Some species migrate into other organs (such as the lung or the liver) and return once they are mature to the intestines to lay eggs. These species can cause more damage to the horse than those that spend their life in the intestines.
In order to control parasites, you must disrupt the life cycle. Now there are several ways to disrupt the life cycle of a parasite before it even gets to your horse. The most important way to disrupt the life cycle would be manure management. Picking pastures and keeping stalls clean and relatively manure free is the most effective way for decreasing the amount of parasites in your horse (and it will decrease your fly population too!). Manure that has been removed can be placed in a compost pile, or spread on cropland or pastures not being grazed by horses. The eggs and larvae in composted manure will die if sufficient heat is built up. Also, Spreading manure by dragging pastures will decrease incidence of infective larvae if the climate allows for drying of manure. Another option is to alternate grazing pastures for your horses with cattle or sheep. This will disrupt the parasite life cycle because most internal parasites are host specific. Mowing or dragging pastures to break up manure piles will expose eggs and larvae to the heat, which can help to reduce their numbers.
Now that you have managed parasites as best as you could before they ever reached the horse, the next step is to control the parasites within the horse. A fecal analysis is often not something horse owners think of before starting a worming schedule, but it is a very effective tool when controlling parasites. Worms are rarely visible to the naked eye in manure, so it is hard to determine exactly which parasites are found the most on your farm. Sending a few fecal balls into your vet for analysis will give you an egg count of various parasites present in the fecal sample and give the owner a good idea about the degree of parasite infestation on the farm. Once you have the results, you are able to make a better purchasing decision when it comes to which type of wormer you should buy. It will also help you to determine how often your horse needs to be wormed.
Listed below for your convenience are some common parasites, what they are, how they effect your horse, and which wormer can control them.
1. Large Strongyles
Life Cycle: Start out as eggs, hatch into larvae and consumed by horses while grazing. Larvae mature in the intestinal tract. One type of large strongyles called the blood worm migrates into the blood vessels of intestines. These bloodworms have a life cycle of 6-7 months. The other two types migrate into the liver and have a life cycle of 8-11 months.
Effects: Heavy infestation of bloodworms can cause severe or fatal colic or blood vessel ruptures. Other large strongyles cause less severe damage including weight loss, anemia, or colic.
Dewormers: Ivermectin based wormers give a broad spectrum control of Large Strongyles. Fenbendazole based wormers also offer additional control of certain mature stages. Frequent deworming is important (consult your veterinarian to determine how frequently your horse needs to be wormed for large strongyles).
2. Small Strongyles
Life Cycle: These start out similar to large stronglyes. However, instead of traveling to other body parts, small stronglyes burrow into the wall of the large colon. They stay there for months or years until proper conditions trigger them to emerge. While they are encysted (burrowed) in the wall of the large colon, they are usually the most damaging to internal parasites and are resistant to most wormers.
Effects: If large numbers emerge at once, small strongyles can cause severe health problems including diarrhea, weakness, muscle wasting, and colic.
Control: Ivermectin based wormers give a broad spectrum control of Small Strongyles. Fenbendazole based wormers also offer additional control of certain mature stages. Moxidectin can control some encysted small stronglyes. Frequent deworming is important (consult your veterinarian to determine how frequently your horse needs to be wormed for Small strongyles).
3. Roundworms
Life Cycle: Horses swallow eggs of roundworms in contaminated hay or water. These eggs develop into larvae in the stomach, and then migrate to the live, heart, and longs where they are then coughed up and swallowed. Once back in the stomach they develop into adults. Their life cycle takes about three months.
Effects: The most damage occurs as the roundworms migrate through the body, causing coughing, pneumonia, liver damage, diarrhea, and colic. Large numbers of roundworms can cause intestinal blockage or ruptures. Signs include pot bellies, rough hair coats, slow growth, and unthriftiness.
Control: Use Ivermectin based wormers for broad spectrum control. NOTE: horses acquire some immunity to roundworms as they age. Horses under two years old are much more susceptible to roundworm infection than older horses. When first dewormed foals older than 3 months are more prone to colic. Consult your vet regarding worming for roundworms.
4. Lungworms
Life Cycle: Larvae are ingested while grazing, then they migrate through the body to the lungs where they mature and lay eggs. Eggs hatch in the longs, are coughed up and swallowed into the stomach and then passed out in manure. Life cycle takes about 28 days. Donkeys are typically the ones infected by lungworms, but can be found in horses pastured with them.
Effects: coughing or respiratory problems, especially when exercising.
Control: Use an Ivermectin based wormer. Consult vet on frequency of deworming.
5. Pinworms
Life Cycle: Female pinworms lay eggs in the skin around the horse's anus where they are rubbed off onto ground and eaten by the horse.
Effects: Eggs are extremely itchy. Horses will sometimes rub their tails until all the hair is pulled off. Adult pinworms are about 1-3/4 inches long and can sometimes be seen around the anal area with a clear discharge (egg masses)
Control: Use disposable wipes or paper towels to clean area under the tail to avoid spreading the eggs and infection. Use cormers containing ivermectin, fenbendazole, pyrantel pamoate, piperazine, moxidectin, or praziquantel to control.
6. Stomach Worms
Life Cycle: Transmitted to horses by flies which transfer the larvae when the land on the horse's legs, muzzle, or eyes and the larvae are licked off and ingested.
Effects: There are several types of stomach worms and usually don't cause much of a problem other than perhaps some mild diarrhea. However, if the larvae get into an open sore or in the moist areas of the eyes they can cause a serious skin condition called summer sores. The body responds to the irritation by forming a lesions (called a granuloma) which doesn't heal. It is very itchy and the horse often rubs and scratches the sore causing severe trauma to the area.
Control: Use an Ivermectin-based wormer. Consult a vet for frequency of deworming.
7. Bots
Life Cycle: Adult bot flies place eggs on horses' forelegs, shoulders, around the jaws, and around the lips. When larvae hatch, they move into the mouth and burrow into gum tissues and the tongue to develop. Eventually they move into the stomach and intestines where they live up to 12 months before passing out of the horse and develop into adult bot flies. Cold weather kills bot flies.
Effect: Can cause damage to the tissue of the horse's mouth and intestinal tract, but most horses don't show signs of serious diseases from bots. Very large numbers of bots have been associated with gastric ulcers.
Control: Use Ivermectin Based Wormer.Worm for bots during the spring/summer months.
8. Tapeworms
Life Cycle: A tiny mite acts as an intermediate host, carrying the tapeworm. Horses develop tapeworm infections when they eat this mite in grass, hay or grain.
Effect: Tapeworms can cause colic, ranging from mild cramping to severe colic requiring surgical treatment.
Control: Use a Praziquantel based dewormer annually to control for tapeworms.
Hopefully this helps you horse owners to make some informed worming decisions (I know I was happy to put my college notes to good use!). Remember, running a fecal analysis can help to manage parasites more effectively and could even let you know that you are doing a great job and don't need to worm as frequently (saving you money and decreasing the chance of parasite resistance to wormers!)
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Outfits for the Office from Brands You'd Never Expect
When you are shopping for new outfits for work, let’s face
it you are probably familiar with brands like Liz Claiborne, Calvin Klein,
Jones of New York, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, and Nordstrom. You probably aren’t
familiar with brands like Petrol, Ariat, Wrangler, and Roper. These brands are typically thought of as
“western clothes” and not office attire. Yet my sister stopped by to Walker’s
the other day and picked up a Wrangler shirt for work. The ladies in her office
kept commenting “I didn’t know Wrangler made clothes like that!” So that got me
thinking, I bet a lot of people are unaware of the great office appropriate
finds we carry from the so called “western brands”. Now you won’t find any
suits and ties here, but if you work in an environment that is in between
casual and suit and tie, check out these work outfits I’ve put together:
This ladies Roper shirt is perfect for the office! Pair it with dark jeans like the Wrangler Q-baby jeans pictured or with a pair of slacks or skirt.
So I love this Petrol Cardigan. It is so versatile. Throw a
black and silver tank top like pictured, or throw in some color. Either way it
looks great.
This Cruel
Girl Tunic is a great top for adding some color into your work wardrobe.
Here are a few more tops that I think would be perfect in many office settings:
 |
| Ariat Braided Front Cardigan |
 |
| Ariat Callie Tunic |
 |
| Ariat Rose Tunic |
 |
| Wrangler Printed Chiffon Shirt |
This Wrangler shirt is great for throwing over a cami or tank top and heading to work. It's super light weight so you can wear it all year long and be comfortable. The picture pairs it with some light wash blue jeans, but just imagine it with some black slacks? Perfect office attire.
Ok so for the men we have tons of button down work shirts that are perfect for pairing with or without a tie. Plus, many of these shirts wick moisture and sweat away from the body and come with some spf protection. So yes, you can wear these work shirts away from the office! Below are a few shirts I personally found to be well-suited for the office, but feel free to check through our entire collection here.
 |
| Ariat Mens Drew Shirt |
 |
| Ariat Mulled Wine Twill Shirt |
 |
| Ariat Trona Plaid Shirt |
I am a sucker for plaid shirts. I just love the color pairings in this Ariat shirt. Makes this shirt stand out from all the other dress shirts you'll see in the mall.
So if you are in the market for something new and different to spruce up your work attire, don't hit up Nordstroms, Macys, or those other big box stores. Stop by Walker's either in person or on line and have fun looking through our racks! This memorial day weekend(5/22/14-5/26/14) is the perfect time to check out what we have to offer. It's 25% off anything you can wear! So pick up some casual clothes, work clothes, and some trendy boots all for a great deal!
Monday, May 5, 2014
Mother's Day Gift Buying Advice for the Uninspired
Has Mother's day become a routine of sending flowers every year? While most moms appreciate the gesture, don't you want to give your mom something that just screams "I appreciate what you have done over the years, here is something you can really use to unwind and relax from your normally hectic life"? While flowers are pretty and smell good, they seem to fall short of this mark.
So if you are now feeling inspired to go above and beyond this Mother's Day, here are some ideas to point you in the right direction:
What has your mom been complaining about lately? Assuming you actually talk to your mom on a regular or semi-regular basis you will know exactly what is on her mind. Then, find a gift that will help to fix or at least take her mind off of the problem. For instance, with all this rain my mother has been complaining about her back. So for this Mother's Day I bought her a Back on Track Therapeutic T-Shirt. This shirt uses ceramics to reflect body heat, increases blood flow to the affected areas and alleviates pain. It's basically like a heating pad, with the benefits of mobility.
What is something your mom hate's having to do or perhaps isn't as able to do due to age or ailments? Is it doing the laundry? Washing dishes? Scrubbing the kitchen floor? Mowing the lawn? Take note of these things and plan a day where you have some time to take care of these headaches for her. This option is perfect for those of us who find our wallets a bit empty this time of year. Bonus if you send her to get a massage or to get her nails done and surprise her with the completed tasks when she gets back.
Did your wife just have a baby? Then she's probably pretty stressed about her new motherly duties and very self-conscious of her body. She's probably mentioned a few times how much weight she has gained, how she needs to loose the baby fat, or how her clothes just don't fit right. Go through her closet to get an idea of sizes. Then hit the stores and buy her an outfit she can feel good in. Here are my suggestions:
Shirt: Stay away from anything that is fitted. She will be pretty unhappy with her midsection right now, so grab her something loose fitting- yet doesn't look like a sack on her. This Cruel Girl Tunic is perfect because is is loose fitting to hide her midsection and feminine so she can feel pretty when she throws it on.
Pant: Stick with dark wash jeans. These have a slimming effect. If they have a bit of bling on the pocket even better- that's the trend these days! My pick would be the Wrangler's Booty Up Jeans. These jeans are designed to lift and define the rear view. Plus they are a mid-rise jean, further helping to hide that midsection.
Haven't seen mom in awhile? Whether it is because you moved to across the country, or just because work as consumed your life lately- now is the time to make an effort to reconnect. Book a flight home and surprise her with a visit for Mother's Day. She'll certainly appreciate seeing you in person more than receiving some flowers you ordered online. If you live close by but life has gotten in the way- set aside a day to visit. Take her out to eat, cook a meal together, go golfing- the possibilities are endless. And do me a favor, put the phone away during this time. The day is about spending quality time with your mom not catching up on work or stalking people on Facebook.
Hopefully these tips have steered you away from the flowers and towards something a bit more meaningful this mother's day. Be sure to take advantage of Walker's special Mother's Day Sale running 5/5 - 5/11 as well. Whether in store or online all womens apparel and accessories are 25% off, while gifts and home decor items are 30% off.
Feel free to share your mother's day gift ideas in the comments section as well!
So if you are now feeling inspired to go above and beyond this Mother's Day, here are some ideas to point you in the right direction:
What has your mom been complaining about lately? Assuming you actually talk to your mom on a regular or semi-regular basis you will know exactly what is on her mind. Then, find a gift that will help to fix or at least take her mind off of the problem. For instance, with all this rain my mother has been complaining about her back. So for this Mother's Day I bought her a Back on Track Therapeutic T-Shirt. This shirt uses ceramics to reflect body heat, increases blood flow to the affected areas and alleviates pain. It's basically like a heating pad, with the benefits of mobility.
What is something your mom hate's having to do or perhaps isn't as able to do due to age or ailments? Is it doing the laundry? Washing dishes? Scrubbing the kitchen floor? Mowing the lawn? Take note of these things and plan a day where you have some time to take care of these headaches for her. This option is perfect for those of us who find our wallets a bit empty this time of year. Bonus if you send her to get a massage or to get her nails done and surprise her with the completed tasks when she gets back.
Did your wife just have a baby? Then she's probably pretty stressed about her new motherly duties and very self-conscious of her body. She's probably mentioned a few times how much weight she has gained, how she needs to loose the baby fat, or how her clothes just don't fit right. Go through her closet to get an idea of sizes. Then hit the stores and buy her an outfit she can feel good in. Here are my suggestions:
Shirt: Stay away from anything that is fitted. She will be pretty unhappy with her midsection right now, so grab her something loose fitting- yet doesn't look like a sack on her. This Cruel Girl Tunic is perfect because is is loose fitting to hide her midsection and feminine so she can feel pretty when she throws it on.
Pant: Stick with dark wash jeans. These have a slimming effect. If they have a bit of bling on the pocket even better- that's the trend these days! My pick would be the Wrangler's Booty Up Jeans. These jeans are designed to lift and define the rear view. Plus they are a mid-rise jean, further helping to hide that midsection.
Haven't seen mom in awhile? Whether it is because you moved to across the country, or just because work as consumed your life lately- now is the time to make an effort to reconnect. Book a flight home and surprise her with a visit for Mother's Day. She'll certainly appreciate seeing you in person more than receiving some flowers you ordered online. If you live close by but life has gotten in the way- set aside a day to visit. Take her out to eat, cook a meal together, go golfing- the possibilities are endless. And do me a favor, put the phone away during this time. The day is about spending quality time with your mom not catching up on work or stalking people on Facebook.
Hopefully these tips have steered you away from the flowers and towards something a bit more meaningful this mother's day. Be sure to take advantage of Walker's special Mother's Day Sale running 5/5 - 5/11 as well. Whether in store or online all womens apparel and accessories are 25% off, while gifts and home decor items are 30% off.
Feel free to share your mother's day gift ideas in the comments section as well!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Turn Off Your TV Week
So this week is Turn Off Your TV Week. It's a national campaign to get kids off the couch, away from the cell phones and video games, and outside (or inside with all the rain we're getting this week) having fun, being active, and exploring their creative side. This past Saturday at Walker's we kicked off the week with a fun kids event. We had science experiments, crafts, a bounce house, games and more. Even with the rainy, cold weather we had a great turnout and the kids had a blast! Parents were shocked by how much kids could do with simple stuff you already have laying around the house. Here are some of the crafts and experiments we did. We hope they inspire you to get your kids away from the couch and out having fun!
1. Make Your Own Kites
2. Pine cone Birdfeeders
This is a classic, I'm sure a lot of you have done when you were kids. The theory is simple, take a pine cone and cover it in peanut butter. Then roll it in birdseed, add a string to the top or bottom of the pine cone, and it's ready to hang for the birds to enjoy. Hang it somewhere where the kids can see what kind of birds they attract for added enjoyment!
3. Make Your Own Lava Lamps
Now this one was another huge hit- and super easy to make. All you need is to peel the label off of a water bottle (those labels typically come off easier than soda bottle labels) and fill it 1/4 full with water. Then fill the rest of the way with vegetable oil. Once the oil and water settles, add about 10-12 drops of your favorite food coloring. Then break an Alka Selzer tab into 4 pieces and drop it in. The alka selzer forces the water to bubble up through the oil, picking up food coloring along the way, then it drops back down to the bottom of the bottle. Making your own lava lamp! Once it runs out, just throw in some more alka selzer to let the fun start up all over again.
4. Color Symphony
Kids loved this colorful science experiment. All you need is a tray with a lip, some whole milk, dish soap, q-tips, and food coloring. Pour the whole milk in the tray until the bottom is covered. Then, ad a bunch of different colored food coloring to the center of the tray. Then take a q-tip and soak it in dish soap. Take the q-tip and stick it in the center of the tray and twirl slowly. Then watch in amazement as the colors move and twirl! The movement of the food coloring happens when the dish soap breaks down the fat in the whole milk and spreads the colors all over.
Looking for more ideas? Check out our Kids Crafts Board on Pinterest! What fun things do you do with your kids to keep them off the couch and away from video games?
1. Make Your Own Kites
So one of our biggest hits was making your own kites. This is so simple and fun. We collected horse grain bags (dog food bags, garbage bags, or even newspaper works as well) and cut them into triangles. The kids then were able to draw on the inside (white part) of the grain bags. They LOVED being able to decorate their own kite! We used colorful permanent markers which worked well and didn't create a big mess.
Then we went to our local hardware store and bought 1/4 inch dowel rods 36" in length. We cut the rods so we ended up with 20" and 16" pieces. We used string to tie the 16" and 20" rods into a t shape. Then we used scissors to cut two small holes in the kite to tie the dowel rods to. You can use hot glue, but that creates a lot of mess and requires more adult supervision. Then we used ribbon for the tail and popsicle sticks to reel the string on for them to fly the kite!
2. Pine cone Birdfeeders
3. Make Your Own Lava Lamps
4. Color Symphony
Kids loved this colorful science experiment. All you need is a tray with a lip, some whole milk, dish soap, q-tips, and food coloring. Pour the whole milk in the tray until the bottom is covered. Then, ad a bunch of different colored food coloring to the center of the tray. Then take a q-tip and soak it in dish soap. Take the q-tip and stick it in the center of the tray and twirl slowly. Then watch in amazement as the colors move and twirl! The movement of the food coloring happens when the dish soap breaks down the fat in the whole milk and spreads the colors all over.
Looking for more ideas? Check out our Kids Crafts Board on Pinterest! What fun things do you do with your kids to keep them off the couch and away from video games?
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
"Extreme Couponing" for the Real World
You may have seen the show Extreme Couponing where people
walk into the grocery store and come out with 3 cart s, and a bill of only a
few dollars. I’ve seen a few episodes
and could never understand how such a feat was pulled off. Well, after Kim
Sidusky Butler visited Walker’s last week to talk about couponing, I found my
answer.
The show Extreme
Couponing is not like real life couponing. I hate to burst your bubble but
you are not going to walk out of a store with $1,500 worth of groceries and not
pay a cent. Kim actually told us that most of the shows participants are
actually committing coupon fraud. Photocopying coupons and not following the
directions on the coupon are a few ways to commit coupon fraud that you may see
on the show. Couponing fraud is a serious crime and can result in some pretty
hefty fines and jail time.
You can however get
tons of practical items for free. Things like toothpaste and shampoo are
easy to get for free. According to Kim, you shouldn’t have to ever pay for
those kind of necessities again. If you combine a manufacturer’s coupon with a
store sale and/or coupon you can get these items for free or a few cents. The
idea is to stockpile these items so that you have plenty to get you through
until the next sale comes around.
Grab the coupons, but
let others do the rest. You are most likely a busy person with a job,
family, pets, and a social life. You don’t have time to clip tons of coupons
and then figure out how to match them to store sales in order to get the best
savings. Luckily, there are tons of places to get this kind of information! The
main coupon inserts you will find are Red Plum, Smart Source, Proctor and
Gamble, General Mills, and Pepsico. Most of these inserts come out a few times
a month, but some only come out a few times a year. When you get the inserts
write the date on them, and stuff them into a binder for easy organized
storage. Then hit your couponing blog of choice to match the coupons to sales.
These blogs tell you where, and when the coupon came out (i.e. Red Plum
1/12/14) and what store to hit for the biggest savings. All you need to do is
go to that particular insert, cut out the coupon and hit the store!
Check out these couponing blogs:
The Krazy Coupon Lady
A Thrifty Mom
We Use Coupons
Living Rich with Coupons
A Thrifty Mom
We Use Coupons
Living Rich with Coupons
If you are first
getting into couponing start out small. Make a few small transactions and
get the feel for it. This will keep you from becoming frustrated and
overwhelmed. Over time you will get
better, and rack up the savings. Kim has been couponing for about 2 ½ years,
and has saved over $6,000 annually just by couponing. Think of all the things
you could buy with the money you save!
If you are interested in learning more about couponing stay tuned for more classes at Walker’s with Kim Sidusky Butler!
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Equine Dental Care- What You Need To Know
Last night we were lucky enough to have Steve
Sedrish and Tracy Bartick Sedrish from Upstate Equine Medical Center lecture on
Equine Dental Care. Our conference room was packed with people who braved the
cold to learn more on this topic. So for those of you who were unable to make
the lecture here’s ten fun facts I learned at the lecture:
1.
Horses
can have up to 44 teeth. However, not all horses will have
44 teeth. Mares do not generally get canine teeth. In geldings and stallions
canine teeth may not erupt until the horse is 6 years old. Then there are wolf
teeth. Some horses get these extra small teeth, often called the first
premolar. Normally these teeth are removed with a simple dental procedure so
they do not cause problems when a bit is introduced to the horse’s mouth.
2.
Horses’
teeth continuously erupt. They are not like humans who get a
set of baby teeth then when the adult teeth come in and that’s it. When horses
lose their baby teeth (also called deciduous teeth) their adult teeth come in
and continuously grow. As the horse chews, he/she wears his teeth down.
3.
Horses
chew side to side. Not up and down like humans do. They
will chew on one side of the mouth at a time. The side to side grinding motion
breaks the feed into smaller pieces and works the feed towards the back of the
throat.
4.
Horse’s
wear their teeth unevenly. This is because of the way horses chew and the
way their teeth are placed in the mouth. A horse’s upper jaw is wider than the
lower jaw. This means the outside edges of the top teeth, and the inside edges
of the lower teeth do not get worn down and develop sharp points that can cause
cut into the gums and cause problems. This is why their teeth should be checked
at least once a year by a vet and floated if necessary.
5.
Often
times a horse will let you know when they need their teeth done. Like
in humans, teeth problems in horses can be painful. While they can’t talk like
we can, they definitely give you clues. A horse may fight the bit more, drop
grain, tilt his/her head while chewing, quiding (rolling hay into balls),
refusing to eat, lose weight, or have bad breath.
6.
Horse’s
teeth are supposed to be rough. A horse’s teeth
should not be completely smooth. The rough edges are used to break up food into
smaller particles that are easier to digest. When your vet floats teeth he/she
strives to find a happy medium between smooth and too rough that it causes
problems.
7.
Horses
can get along just fine with missing incisors. There is an
equine disease called EOTRH Syndrome that literally dissolves a horse’s incisor
and sometimes even canine teeth. Veterinarians so far do not know the exact
cause of this disease, but it is seen mostly in older horses. As of right now
the only solution is to pull the incisor teeth completely. After a few weeks of
soft feeds, horses can adapt to not having their incisors and learn to graze
without them.
8.
Only
a licensed vet can sedate your horse. In order to do a proper job floating teeth, a
speculum to keep the horse’s mouth open should be used. This allows the vet to
safely look at and feel the horse’s teeth in order to determine what needs to
be done. A horse should be sedated when you are going to put a speculum on.
Some horses won’t even bat an eye at this contraption, but many try to resist
the device without sedation. When a horse tries to resist speculum lots of
things could go wrong such as broken teeth, or worst case scenario, a broken jaw.
Whether you chose a vet to float your horse’s teeth or not, a vet should be on
hand to sedate the horse prior to floating.
9.
Horses
can have malformations that require more consistent dental work. Some
genetic defects can affect the way a horse wears its teeth. For example parrot
mouth horses have a longer top jaw than bottom jaw. This means that the bottom
teeth in the back and the top teeth in the front don’t have teeth opposite them
to keep them worn down. If they get too big they can puncture the pallet of the
horse and go right up into the sinus cavity, causing a lot of pain and
increasing the chance for infection. For this reason parrot mouthed horses
should have their teeth checked every six months by a vet. A horse that is
missing a tooth also needs to be on the same schedule for similar reasons.
10. A vet can only do so much work on a
tooth at a time. When a vet floats your horse’s teeth,
he/she is essentially filing down the tooth either with a hand float or a power
float. This causes friction, which in turn causes heat. Too much heat can kill
a tooth and cause more problems down the road. For this reason you will often
see vets work a little on one tooth then switch to another tooth and go back
and forth until the job is done. Really severe cases may take several floating
appointments before the problem is completely corrected.
 |
| Full House at Last Night's Seminar |
If you have any dental questions feel free to give
Upstate Equine Medical Center a call at 518-695-3744. They are a great group of
friendly folks with tons of experience and a wealth of knowledge.
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