Some of the things that are happening with our horses, how to care for horses, and the Blessings Ranch project. We will also cover topics educational in nature including homeschooling. There are also Christian resources available that will be discussed. And helping people find their place in God's plan. http://atblessingsranch.com
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Dyslexia resource
I found a great resource for my son who has dyslexia. http://www.avko.org/ The program I have started using for him is sequential spelling and he is doing SO WELL. His self-esteem has already started to improve only after using it for about a week. FABULOUS!!!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Homeschooling...another year
Well we begin another year in homeschooling at my house. My children are in 4th and 7th grades....just this week I will have a teenager in the house! I am a licensed public school teacher with a Master's Degree in Education but after my son left kindergarten feeling he wouldn't do anything in school I knew it was time to do something.
Who is qualified to teach?
I pulled both of my children out of the public school because the principal refused to change my son's teacher. It was a power play on her part but in doing so the school lost several thousand dollars in funding.
I have talked to a lot of parents about my choice to homeschool and whether it will work for them or not. The one comment I always get is.....well you are a teacher so of course you can do it. And my response is always.....actually being a school teacher works against me. Any parent can homeschool.
What curriculum should I use?
Well this question has many parts to it just besides choosing a curriculum. Fortunately for parents there are 100's of curriculums available to use for homeschooling. And depending on which state you live in you might even have the option of public school at home.
The first consideration in choosing a curriculum is always the student. How do they learn best? What are their strengths and weaknesses? All of those are things you already know about your child. How do they spend their free time? How do they choose to learn about a fun subject? You know your child.....go with your gut!
Another consideration is what are you comfortable with in a curriculum? Do you need it all laid out for you telling you exactly what to do everyday? Do you want flexibility in built in? Do you want it all on the computer? These are all options you have today.
MOST IMPORTANT!
Finally....and most importantly.....you need to always know that you working with your child one on one will always result in a better education than in a classroom with 30 students. Keep the faith and hang in there. Find other homeschooling parents and share your concerns and frustrations. The longer you do it the more confident you will feel. DON'T GIVE UP!!
Who is qualified to teach?
I pulled both of my children out of the public school because the principal refused to change my son's teacher. It was a power play on her part but in doing so the school lost several thousand dollars in funding.
I have talked to a lot of parents about my choice to homeschool and whether it will work for them or not. The one comment I always get is.....well you are a teacher so of course you can do it. And my response is always.....actually being a school teacher works against me. Any parent can homeschool.
What curriculum should I use?
Well this question has many parts to it just besides choosing a curriculum. Fortunately for parents there are 100's of curriculums available to use for homeschooling. And depending on which state you live in you might even have the option of public school at home.
The first consideration in choosing a curriculum is always the student. How do they learn best? What are their strengths and weaknesses? All of those are things you already know about your child. How do they spend their free time? How do they choose to learn about a fun subject? You know your child.....go with your gut!
Another consideration is what are you comfortable with in a curriculum? Do you need it all laid out for you telling you exactly what to do everyday? Do you want flexibility in built in? Do you want it all on the computer? These are all options you have today.
MOST IMPORTANT!
Finally....and most importantly.....you need to always know that you working with your child one on one will always result in a better education than in a classroom with 30 students. Keep the faith and hang in there. Find other homeschooling parents and share your concerns and frustrations. The longer you do it the more confident you will feel. DON'T GIVE UP!!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Gelding care
I thought I would share some of what I do to care for my 20 yo gelding this time and what I use to do that. As some of you may or may not know you need to clean the sheath. Geldings no longer self clean because they have been gelded.
If this is your first time you should have someone have help you and/or show you the process. It is not a complicated process but it takes a little practice.....and getting over doing it to begin with.
Mild soap
You will need some mild soap. I use an all natural soap made by Arbonne International. It works very well on my gelding and does not cause any irritation.
I have found that some of the commercial sheath cleaners are very harsh and burn my hands which are not nearly as sensitive at the sheath. So I put some of the soap into some warm water and then I have to be slow and careful as my horse does not really like water.
Know your horse
That is another thing I want to point out.....you have to know your horse. If you are spending time with your horse daily then you will know your horse and what they want and they do not want.
Smegma Removal
Once I have created the the soap water I begin washing the sheath and the folds of the sheath removing the smegma that has accumulated. Once you have done that you will have to check the pouch at the end of the sheath, over the head of the penis, for a "bean," a hardened, round ball of smegma. The 'bean' will be whitish in color.
With the penis extended you should gently rub off the loose and flaking skin. It will come off very easily. Once you are done make sure you rinse the sheath and penis with plain water, being sure to remove any soapy residue.
Prevent skin cancer
Also if the sheath is pink in color you should consider using sunscreen on it to prevent skin cancer. I again use the Arbonne baby sunscreen for that. Using the sunscreen also helps prevent as much flaking skin. So I have to clean the sheath less often.
If you are interested in getting either product that I use please contact me! I can get the products shipped to you directly. Mention the blog and I will give you a 20% discount on your order.
If this is your first time you should have someone have help you and/or show you the process. It is not a complicated process but it takes a little practice.....and getting over doing it to begin with.
Mild soap
You will need some mild soap. I use an all natural soap made by Arbonne International. It works very well on my gelding and does not cause any irritation.
I have found that some of the commercial sheath cleaners are very harsh and burn my hands which are not nearly as sensitive at the sheath. So I put some of the soap into some warm water and then I have to be slow and careful as my horse does not really like water.
Know your horse
That is another thing I want to point out.....you have to know your horse. If you are spending time with your horse daily then you will know your horse and what they want and they do not want.
Smegma Removal
Once I have created the the soap water I begin washing the sheath and the folds of the sheath removing the smegma that has accumulated. Once you have done that you will have to check the pouch at the end of the sheath, over the head of the penis, for a "bean," a hardened, round ball of smegma. The 'bean' will be whitish in color.
With the penis extended you should gently rub off the loose and flaking skin. It will come off very easily. Once you are done make sure you rinse the sheath and penis with plain water, being sure to remove any soapy residue.
Prevent skin cancer
Also if the sheath is pink in color you should consider using sunscreen on it to prevent skin cancer. I again use the Arbonne baby sunscreen for that. Using the sunscreen also helps prevent as much flaking skin. So I have to clean the sheath less often.
If you are interested in getting either product that I use please contact me! I can get the products shipped to you directly. Mention the blog and I will give you a 20% discount on your order.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Suggestions for horses not drinking
Hello everyone--
Well as some of you know I have had a hard time with my older gelding not wanting to drink as much as I would like to see him drink in the very hot weather we had over the summer. Being in Texas made it very hot. In reviewing some of what experts told me and other horse owners....and what I tried myself I thought I would share some of those ideas and let you know what worked for us.
Some of the suggestions:
*Freeze lemon-lime gatorade and put it in the water.
*Add a small amount of salt to their feed
*Put a bucket of water with a tablespoon of molasses in it.
*Give an electrolyte supplement
*Put a handful of grain in a bucket of water.
Well the ones I listed above were all the ones I tried. I found the best success in putting molasses in his water and also a handful of food in it. When I would do that he would lick the bucket completely dry. I had only tried it because I ran out of molasses and I knew his food had some on it. It worked wonders! Putting molasses in his water was also wonderful. He would drink the entire bucket several times a day.
I hope these suggestions are helpful to those that struggle with dehydration in the hot summer heat. A fabulous resource for info on any problem is: http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/
Well as some of you know I have had a hard time with my older gelding not wanting to drink as much as I would like to see him drink in the very hot weather we had over the summer. Being in Texas made it very hot. In reviewing some of what experts told me and other horse owners....and what I tried myself I thought I would share some of those ideas and let you know what worked for us.
Some of the suggestions:
*Freeze lemon-lime gatorade and put it in the water.
*Add a small amount of salt to their feed
*Put a bucket of water with a tablespoon of molasses in it.
*Give an electrolyte supplement
*Put a handful of grain in a bucket of water.
Well the ones I listed above were all the ones I tried. I found the best success in putting molasses in his water and also a handful of food in it. When I would do that he would lick the bucket completely dry. I had only tried it because I ran out of molasses and I knew his food had some on it. It worked wonders! Putting molasses in his water was also wonderful. He would drink the entire bucket several times a day.
I hope these suggestions are helpful to those that struggle with dehydration in the hot summer heat. A fabulous resource for info on any problem is: http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Progress continues.....
We continue to get the plans in place for the upcoming day events we will be hosting with the local girl scout troops. We are also planning to do something over the Christmas break....but more on that later.
Still working on getting the Bible Study stuff up on the website. Started with Captivating and working to get all of week one up.
Still working on getting the Bible Study stuff up on the website. Started with Captivating and working to get all of week one up.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Ancient secrets to horse training!!
Secret Science Of Arabian Horse Training. This Is An Instruction Guide On How To Train Your Horse Using The Exact Training Methods The Ancient Arabians Used.
Click Here!
Kikkuli Method Of Horse Training. The Kikkuli Method Of Horse Training EBook(R). Startling Modern Benefits From An Ancient Horse Training Method!
Click Here!
Click Here!
Kikkuli Method Of Horse Training. The Kikkuli Method Of Horse Training EBook(R). Startling Modern Benefits From An Ancient Horse Training Method!
Click Here!
Help with horse Training
Train Your Horse & Cure Bad Habits! EBook(R) Package Revealing Powerful And Effective Horse Training Techniques Of Old Time Master Horse Trainers.
Click Here!
Horse Training Success. Solve Your Horses Bad Habits With These Horse Whisperer Training Techniques.
Click Here!
Train Your Horse Yourself; Stop Bad Habits Immediately. Very Effective Horse Training Program. Stop Your Horses Bad Habit Quickly Using The Best Horse Training Methods Around.
Click Here!
No More Biting Horses! Stop Messing Around With A Horse Thats Trying To Bite. Its A Game You Cant Win! Its Possible To Cure A Nippy Horse Humanely, Without Getting Hurt Or Upset! Wendy Hilton Smith, Of Cornerstone Training, Shares Her Secrets For Safe Riding.
Click Here!
Click Here!
Horse Training Success. Solve Your Horses Bad Habits With These Horse Whisperer Training Techniques.
Click Here!
Train Your Horse Yourself; Stop Bad Habits Immediately. Very Effective Horse Training Program. Stop Your Horses Bad Habit Quickly Using The Best Horse Training Methods Around.
Click Here!
No More Biting Horses! Stop Messing Around With A Horse Thats Trying To Bite. Its A Game You Cant Win! Its Possible To Cure A Nippy Horse Humanely, Without Getting Hurt Or Upset! Wendy Hilton Smith, Of Cornerstone Training, Shares Her Secrets For Safe Riding.
Click Here!