alex s

Both my boys are currently barefoot and I want to keep them that way if possible. My husband will be having instruction on 'barefoot' trims but we would like a good book to provide extra information/support for the future - when he is deemed proficient - and also so that we can both read around the subject. I have found two excellent websites but need something instructional and easy to follow in hard copy. We live in Bulgaria so whatever I order needs to be right first time as it takes weeks to get here from the UK. Thanks to everyone who replies and PLEASE, no critic's, we are sensible, highly experienced people who are no doing this lightly!

We are now in major fly season here in Bulgaria and the ***** things are driving us all mad as usual. I have been recommended to try 'Butox 50' on a 5ml to 10 ltr dosage - wipe or spray on, but I'm loathed to put any insecticide on my boys to be honest. I know the Bulgarians use it but they have a different attitude to their livestock and all I can find on the web concerns cattle and sheep. Has anyone else any experience of 'Butox 50'? Thanks in advance - and note its BUTOX - not botox lol!

Have you tried 'clicker training' and what is your opinion of this method? I am on the second reading of "You can train your horse to do anything ... On Target training and beyond" by Shawna Karrasch - I'm reading the theory several times to get it in my head before I start the practical bit. Any comments would be appreciated - apart from critisizing my poor memory! Also if you've got a basic starter plan you've finished with I could seriously do with borrowing it please.

I've been on about my rising 3 yr old before, which you are probably getting fed up hearing about by now! - so thanks to everyone who has been SO helpful to date. Now, I have taken various peoples advice and decided to 'chill' re any further serious training for a few months but I think he would LOVE 'clicker work' and it would help alot in establishing some basic ground rules and get over the complete resistance he currently has to any form of 'percieved' work [thanks to a bully of a previous owner!].Has anyone experience in this 'clicker training'? What book would you recommend as the most useful and easy to read/explained? Anything else I should know? I obviously want to be as learned as I can be before I start so that I do it right. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to reply - and you all deserve 10 points in my opinion.

I have a rising 3 yr old which I have posted questions about before but am now getting to the point where I'm just about to give up on him. He is a lovely boy to groom and will stand still all day but, when I try and do any work with him, he resists LARGE! He tries to bite, kick and is basically a pain in the bum. Its not just me - others have had the same problem. He has got out of the habit of mugging for treats [and biting when he doesn't get them!], He has been backed and ridden at the place he was at before [which was in the middle of no-where] but he is NOT SAFE to ride around here. I have tried just about everything [won't lunge, free school, no chance of parelli games etc] and I feel like I'm going nuts. Before you say he's still I baby I agree totally - which is why I want to take him right back to the beginning and basic lungework but he just fights me every inch of the way with no respect. How the hell do I build respect with such a resistant character?

I am a highly experienced horsewoman of many years but have come to the conclusion that I am going to have to resort to suppliments for a rising 3 yr old gelding who is unresponsive to everything else I've so far tried. He is very much a 'baby' mentally, has had some groundwork done prior to my having him but has been bullied by people and horses alike - this has led to his primary form of reaction being to bite or kick at anything he percieves as scary, unattainable, doesn't understand or which could be painful. I am very fond of this horse [sorry if that offends some people!] and do not want to give up on him. The previous owners ruined any possibility of using 'clicker' training as they alternatively mauled him about, bullied and beat him, or plied him with treats. I am seriously thinking that suppliments may be a short term measure in which to make him more manageable to training - and which will thus improve his self confidence and temperment generally. advice please.

I have seen loads of people recommending skin-so-soft but no-one has said exactly which one and which fragrance! There are many different types but I suspect its either the bath oil/shower oil or dry oil spray. Living here in Bulgaria we have a plentiful supply of flies - including the biting variety - so all advice is deeply appreciated.

Ok, that got your attention! But, in all fairness, why not? I didn't say that he was to me - nor am I 'humanising' him - but I do genuinely like him. I posted a question earlier today concerning lungework and was accused of being 'a little kid' [I am 55 yrs old, worked with horses all my life, believe in taking time with them and have always used the gentle, sympathetic approach]. To the contributors who gave genuine valuable answers thank you but I have used all the usual methods without success already with this particular youngster. However, a couple of excellent idea's I will try - which was what I was looking for because I believe in using the simplest approach to teaching anything new and not everyone slavishly follows the standard formula. This youngster requires careful handling as he has a 'jeckal & hyde' mentality and will bite/kick if even slightly pushed and I have spent the past month gaining his confidence and respect. So, is it wrong that I genuinely like the little sod?

I have recently purchased [! month ago] a rising 3 yr old gelding, half shagra arab/half east bulgarian. He has been broken to saddle and I have ridden him out prior to having him but he was very stilted/unsettled in his gaits and I believe he needs far more ground and lunge work before progressing on to ridden training. He is nervous type but very loving [to me anyway!] and we have developed a strong, respectful bond.I have now got him to the point of begining on the lunge but the problem I have is that he does not like being away from me and on the first brief session would not go out into the circle. I used someone to walk with him on the outside and I walked on the inside to begin with - fine - but once I tried to exstend the circle he would not leave me. My plan is now to use someone else to guide him from the centre point whilst I walk with him on the outside and give all the commands - then hopefully exstend the distance outward until he will walk around on his own ....

We have just purchased two rising 3 yr old geldings [2 weeks ago] who are VERY reluctant to having their hooves picked out - although their previous owners had no problems. We have asked the previous owners, who have suggested sugar lumps for each hoof [which apparently is how they did it!] We have tried this with limited success. We know they have been spoilt rotten with titbits but this approach is not working [and we don't agree with it anyway]. any suggestions would be deeply appreciated

I asked this question about general ski care a week or two ago and got some highly educational and lovely replies. The problem is that I live in Bulgaria and don't have the advantage of a local ski/sports shop that stocks the recommended waxes etc. I therefore need to be able to use a basic alternative that is readily available. I can't buy via the internet before anyone suggests it either. can I use bee's wax or is that not the same?

in the pattern it says to work in 'reverse stocking stitch' but I can't find anything else to support it - HELP PLEASE

I have a new pair of atomic skies plus fitted bindings ... without care instructions! Is there anything I should be doing to keep them in good condition between use and once the season has finnished?

I asked a question three days ago about the freezing point and rain. Almost all the replies I recieved were thorough, informative and easy to understand - excellent in all respects. Thank you for your deeply valued contribution and I only wish I could have chosen most of you as 'best answer', being that most of you were.

I thought that, when the temperatures drop below freezing point, rain turned to snow so why, when it was minus 4 C the other day, did it rain??

My husband has a Grand Cherokee with command-trac drive train, consisting of 2 wheel H/ 4 H part time/ 4 L part time. In what situations should he use the 4 wheel drive side - and for how long without damaging the transfer box? The owners manual is in italian! Many thanks for all help as cant find anything specific on the internet.

A friend died yesterday - he was elderly, had many ailments and I didn't expect him to last long in any case but it was very quick and am therefore feeling shocked right now. I'm a nurse so know all there is to know about death and grieving - just need a mass hug from you all - please.