Fun Friday Topic: How much better does your horse live than you?
Nov 06 2009
I have to talk about this! My horse now has an appointment for a massage. Last week, he went to the chiropractor. This is to correct a stiff neck from getting cast in his stall. Now he has a sniffle, so he is being seen by the vet for that. All told we’re looking at about $400 in little extras this month.
When I sleep wrong on my neck, I have to chug Advil and keep on going. I had a cold last week – I just got some extra sleep and waited for it to be over. He had a dental in April, I haven’t seen the dentist since 2000.
I know I am not alone so let’s just have a bitchfest…tell me, how much better are your horses living than you are?
136 comments to “Fun Friday Topic: How much better does your horse live than you?”
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er, have to vehemently disagree with Rides for Pleasure about massage. Lisa our massage therapist made all of the difference between having an unrideable horse and one who was SO, SO, much better, immediately. As for chiropractic, I have an awesome people chiropractor who keeps my C4-C5 that I injured falling off my crazy Arab 40 years ago in good working order, and I only have to see him every other year. So far for equine chiropractors — meh. You have to keep trying until you find the right one is what I’ve found for practitioners.
Zelika & FHOFD,
Zelika, you just couldn’t possibly skip my posts, since I only posted 3 times so far. It’s great you share your money with those in need, but I bet that’s not the norm among the ones bragging about color-coordinated useless junk for their horses. I’m just having fun – otherwise wouldn’t it be boring to read another identical list of “expenses” ended with the list of how little the horse’s “Mummy” spends on herself in comparison. Too bad, by the way – maybe you “rag ladies” would be loved more if you actually started taking care of yourselves and see how bad you look comparing to your pampered horses?
FUGLY – look where the consumption driven economy got us (and we ain’t see nothing yet) Wasteful and mindless spending is not helping our economy – but that’s the topic for another forum.
Rides for Pleasure-
“4. Equine chiropractic is 90% hocus pocus/marketing/pseudoscience, just like human chiropractic. Don’t be suckers.
5. Equine massage is 100% hocus pocus/marketing/pseudoscience/playing on our emotions. Sure it feels good to the horse, just like it feels good when we get a good rub down, but it is neither therapeutic or necessary. Don’t be suckers.”
I am a massage therapist, and also working on my Master’s degree in Applied Psychology with a research focus on massage therapy. Where is your information/evidence coming from that chiropractic and massage are “hocus pocus/pseudo-science”? I’d love to read all about it. On the contrary, I would be happy to send you dozens of peer-reviewed, evidence-based research articles that state the documented effects of both for various conditions. Heck, I’d be happy to send you my own research when it’s concluded at the end of the semester, and invite you to the research conference in Seattle next May (Highlighting Massage Therapy in Complimentary and Integrative Medicine”) that I’ll be attending and presenting at. The same techniques that are used on humans are also applied to horses, and there is no reason to believe those same techniques used on the same structures would not have the same effect. Please refrain from spreading false information. Thanks!
I am sorry for the length of this post but if you have feelings (positive or negative) about Equine Massage please read!!
RidesforPleasure:
As a Registered Equine Massage Therapist (in Ontario, Canada) I resent your comment about massage being ‘hocus pocus’. I do agree with most of the rest of your post, but I would like to take this opportunity to educate those who believe the hocus pokus theory. I must admit, there was a point in time that I would have agreed, but after 2200 hours of education on the subject and feeling the effects of massage on myself, I have changed my opinion. I am a science oriented person with a good amount of cynicism and therefore, feel that I am a good source of information for other skeptics.
First of all, although massage may feel nice for relaxational purposes, this is not always the case. There are a number of treatments that may be necessary to promote fast and proper healing of soft tissue. For example, a manipulation called frictions is used in the chronic stage of an injury to re-arrange fibres of tendons, ligaments and muscles that have laid down in a matted format which is not conducive to proper range of motion of the structure post healing. There are other more mundane manipulations that can be painful (and should be in order to work properly).
Massage effects many different systems in the body and can have a wide range of benefits including relaxation, stimulation of muscles, decreased healing time, decreased pain due to injury or stiffness, improved muscle balance and range of motion (which translates to flexibility and suppleness), improved digestive function, and weight loss.
That being said, this is only relevant if the administration of the massage is correct. Please be careful when choosing and Equine Massage Therapist. There are many talented ones out there, but there are many quacks as well – do your research and find one who knows what he/she is doing for the sake of your horse!
That’s just the beginning. For more information on the subject please see my website: blcequinemassage.weebly.com or that of the International Federation of Registered Equine Massage Therapists at ifremt.org .
http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/grd/1448611539.html
FUGLY- this woman is selling a 16″ circle y saddle, bridle, breast collar and show halter for $1000 obo here in portland, or. i have to head up to seattle next week and wouldn’t mind popping it in my back seat for a fitting…
it seems like a really good deal. the saddle isn’t ’super flashy, but you could buy the extra silver and attach it to the places you want for superior flashydom on the cheap. i mean, $1000 isn’t cheap but it is cheap for a circle y + all the stuff that came with it.
PrairieFarmer says:
November 8, 2009 at 1:27 pm
And Fugs – last time I checked, rampant consumerism mostly means jobs going overseas (with 3 world economies exploited), and money lining the pockets of the credit companies.
=====
PF… So true. Something I forgot to mention till after I posted. What this country needs more than anything at the moment are local jobs that can not be outsourced. Corporations will outsource anything they can for their benefit & profits. There is no loyalty to America. I suspect you’ll be seeing a rush of American companies headed to Asia over the next 10-15 years. Sustainability and local economic support should be on everyone’s mind. I’m 110% behind this.
Thanks for the link – I bookmarked it.
this is very much OT and my first time on here, but I just had to post this.. I think it’s one of the worst I’ve seen.
http://www.equinenow.com/horse-ad-234128
Rides for Pleasure, you are DEAD WRONG about chiropractors.
The previous owner of the barn I ride at did not believe in them either. The fact that one horse could not flex her rib cage to the right was her being ‘one-sided’ and ’stubborn’.
When she finally got the care she needed, she had *four vertebrae out of alignment*, and needed multiple adjustments and a course of muscle relaxants. Guess what? She can bend her rib cage to the right. And her temperament has improved. She also loves the chiropractor and whickers to her whenever she comes in the barn (NOBODY else gets that treatment from this mare…unless they have a treat in their hands).
Another horse has extreme fear-aggression issues from abuse. For many years, she had to be groomed with a muzzle because she was *terrified* of being touched by a human. The new owner had a massage therapist look at her, and after a course…she still kinda pins her ears at people, but she can now be groomed without a muzzle…I strongly recommend massage if you can afford it as part of rehabilitating abuse victims.
Don’t knock what works.
I have been doing pretty well expense-wise on my latest project. Besides the fact that I spent about $1300 in new tack for a $500 horse. He is barefoot and hasn’t managed to seriously injure himself.
But even his relatively cheap board is still a good chunk of change for me to come up with every month. I have ridden horses all my life, and I’ve never had a ton to spend, but if the horse needed something he got it. I have never had a mani or a pedi or an eyebrow wax or anything like that. I can count on my two hands the number of professional hair cuts I’ve received. I can’t quite get into shopping at the Goodwill store…. I try to save up and buy something that will last, like LL Bean. That stuff lasts forever! I have turtlenecks from LLBean that are SIXTEEN YEARs OLD that have not shrunken nor faded! But my wardrobe is not exactly fashion forward.
I sympathize with you about the dentist but really, negligence will just add up to even more expense (and pain!). It’s been three years for me and I know I REALLY have to go back soon…. *cries*
OT: horsefever says: Whatever happened, the Percheron team in question did die and were not rescued.
Just another soap opera in the rescue business.
They apparently did NOT die! ABR board is has raised the bail, so to speak and now they are working on the transportation cost. I think it’s pretty amazing that these two get a second or third or whatever number chance they are running on to be found 6 months later…still alive So check your facts before you post fiction!
I agree with barnkitty. I’ve seen horses after massage, and they are more relaxed and certainly seem happier. As for equine chiropractic, I use a veterinarian who is a founding, lifetime member of the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association as well as a member of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.
Whether you personally use or accept chiropractic is, of course, going to color your willingness to seek this treatment out for your animals. I know what works for me, and I am perfectly compatible with having a vet work on my horses. In CA someone without a veterinary degree cannot work on animals without a vet present, so a lot of chiropractic is done “behind closed doors,” so to speak. That doesn’t help the matter, especially when you get some “animal cracker” who srarts giving joint injections because he’s been on the premises when a vet has been doing them.
Regarding cutting expenses in the home to make more money available in the barn, I regard that like going through the household belongings when packing for a move to decide if this is REALLY what I want to take with me. I have found a lot of areas in my personal finances that can be “budgeted better,” and I’m not wasting as much, either. I buy it (after careful deliberation), and I USE it. Clutter free finances ;o)
As for “presents,” yes, buying them for the horse makes US feel better, but that’s a plus, too, in my book.
my horse recently had a visit from a specialist vet for injuries sustained from being a fruitloop.
In the last three months alone he has received 2 new halters, two new ropes, two new bridles, new brushes and a couple of new rugs.
Then because of his injuries in the last four days alone he has had $50 on bandages, $70 in tapes, money on bute and penicillin. Then all the other bits n pieces for looking after injuries.
Ummm his worming, vaccinations etc are always up to date. I havent been wormed in years (lol), i desperately need to see a dentist, i need new shoes (waiting for the complaints about me always showing up places in my long boots), i desperately need new clothes, would love to visit a specialist (chiropractor to be precise) so yeah my horse has it heaps better then me
and thats just the way i like it. If my horse is happy, im happy.
I too am guilty of buying my horses things I want for Christmas
This year, my TWH is getting to go to a Mark Russell clinic!! Then over New Year’s, we’re travelling to FL to spend a weekend riding under another instructor I haven’t tried yet… the arab is getting a new halter/bridle.. although I can’t decide what color!
OK here is a shameless plug for my business- http://www.freedomtreeless.com I sell Sensation Ride treeless saddles, Skito pads, and custom Biothane tack. The biothane in particular makes GREAT christmas gifts, and in addition to the usual biothane and beta like all the other companies sell, I also sell it with *unique* custom braided accents on the nose and/or browband, very fancy and eye-catching, and if you’re like me and everythig has to match- you pick your colors and make it match!
Here is my personal braided halter/bridle (which is already 3 years old in this pic, it holds up very well!):
Here is an “s” hackamore and headstall…
Here is a black and red beta halter/bridle with red and black braided reins I have in stock for sale now… it’s too big for my pony but she modeled it anyway!
One more example for good measure… this is a rhinestone embellished beta paso bridle. I can have rhinestone embellishments added to just about any style/color however you want them.
And in the spirit of Christmas Giving- anyone who contacts me as a result of this posting, and makes a purchase, make sure you tell me you saw this on the Fugly blog, and I will split my profits with one of the nonprofit rescues fugs is always promoting. Fugs, if you want to weigh in on where you’d like to see any funds go, be my guest.
I can be contacted directly at freedomtreeless@yahoo.com or you can visit my website at http://www.freedomtreeless.com
horse $100 blankets
owner $3 jeans from Goodwill
Can anyone tell me where to post this new rescue wesite for paso fino horses that are at risk. How would it get on the BlogRoll??
http://www.pasofinorescue.com/index.html
Of course my horse lives way better then I do. He has no choice in the matter HA! HA! A few examples…. The boarding barn does not give enough hay to him (they use concentrated feed to keep weight on, which to me is a big no No NO!) so I buy my own feed and have my own stash of hay. They give him my brand of feed. And I’m there every night to add my own hay to his barn’s mix (timothy). They know I do it. They don’t object. It’s my hay. He’s mine. So, oh well folks! And I buy his own feed becuase I don’t like what they (or others) use. They get stuff that is too high in protein & carbs & junk! It’s like buying McD’s for horses. To compare with how I live, well, when I’m a little hungry, nobody adds a cupcake to my plate. Hmph. Also, my horse gets his feet touched up every 2-4 weeks…. while my nails get done on my drive to work. I’m sure you are familar with the method I use for myself. It’s called b-i-t-i-n-g. It’s cheap and effective. He gets boots for his hooves when needed instead of metal shoes that cost more than my car insurance. Also, my horse gets probiotics to keep his gut function running smooth. I skipped yogurt for myself in my last shopping trip to the market. Among these and other things, I will always pay my board FIRST every month, my rent / mortage are after this. I’ll pay the other things eventually, when I can. He comes first. Everybody comes after that. No matter what. I sound crazy, and truly I’m only 99.2% there. What makes me different is that I do NOT buy holiday presents for him. No birthday presents either. Peeps are surprised by this, since I am ga ga for him. Well, the whole gift buying thing for a horse is just plumb freaking crazy and a waste of money that would be better spent on a chiropractor (his), or additional supplies like hay or something else useful. (And psssst, we all know that if you’re buying a present for your horse, it’s really for you). So, instead of the whole phony “here’s a present for you my little horsie oh how I love you mwha mwah mwah so so much”, my horse and I might share one of his earned treats and have another nice conversation … the quiet kind that exists between horse and person. That pretty much covers the holiday celebration. He’s happier that way. He’s lucky to be alive and I think he knows it and I certainly know it. Being alive is a big enough gift, everyday.
But I’m not done. I’d like to add just ONE MORE THING to this bitchfest…. (thanks for this by the way)…. Companies are forgetting economics because they are hurting but … newsflash… so are we! So if it’s cheaper in time and materials to do something myself, then I will. I’m making antifungal salve this week. Next week, maybe a fancy schmancy home-made bridle.
Where are all these chiropractors!? and massage therapists…I want to get my mare looked at for the longest time and have no idea where to find them. I’m in the middle of horse country PA and I can’t find one.
Even when we purchase foreign products, we benefit Americans. My Volvo is serviced by an American technician. I am sure he likes having a job. I don’t want to turn this into the politics blog (that’d be a different one that I will do someday) but I am an economic conservative who believes that this economy will never recover if the people who HAVE money don’t spend it and therefore create jobs, both in production and service. Now I’ll quit before this goes into sixteen pages on how badly I think the current administration has f’ed up.
Re chiro and massage: Several of you have already said it. IT WORKS. Sorry, I’ve seen TOO many cases to believe it doesn’t work. It’s not an indulgence, for many horses it’s a necessity. I think a lot of times these rants come from people who think it’s normal for a horse to ride hollow backed with his head in the air, to be stiffer to one side than the other, to refuse to pick up a lead or fight you on it every time, to be cinchy and snap at you when you tighten the girth, etc. No. All of these things can and are routinely fixed by good chiropractic/massage in combination with good fitting tack.
Dx, Google “equine veterinarians, chiropractors PA,” and a list of “Find a Vet Near You”-type sites pop up. As for massage therapists, search those, too. Also look in area horse magazines for advertisements. We have the California HorseTrader magazine, published twice monthly and mostly classified and display ads for horses, horse-related services, events, tack, equipment, trainers, breeders, etc. Very few show reports, though there is always a win photo on the cover and a short piece inside about really big shows.
I found my equine chiropractor strictly by chance. There was another vet-chiro who was rather flaky — she left those of us who were not “big name clients” in the lurch several times, not showing up or letting us know — no rescheduling, either. I even hauled down the hill to meet her at one of her regular stops and she stood them up there, too. When I started recommending the other vet-chiro who was coming to our area, suddenly Dr-Ms. Oops-I-Forgot “got a grip” and started showing up to treat “clients of lesser importance.”
OK for whatever reason my pics didn’t show up. ??? Here are direct links for anyone who wants to see:
http://www.freedomtreeless.com/dotbridle.jpg
http://www.freedomtreeless.com/Comfort%20Fit%20S%20Hackamore.jpg
http://www.freedomtreeless.com/redblack.jpg
http://www.freedomtreeless.com/pasorhinestonebridle.jpg
freedomtreeless@yahoo.com
We have been using an equine chiro/massage therapist for 6 months now on our 30 yr old Morgan and I must tellyou it has made a hUGE difference! She no longer rams her head at people when she gets annoyed – which we take to mean she is no longer in pain. Since she obviously plans on outliving us all it’s important to us that she is as painfree as possible!
I have to admit that I am one of the people who roll their eyes when I hear about equine massage therapists.
But in my defense the only people in my area who swear by it:
1. Are older women who don’t even ride their horses. (in all honesty if they aren’t rode what are the horses doing to their bodies that require massage therapy?)
2. The same fanatics preaching about Pat Parelli.
3. Or barefoot trim people who preach about going barefoot, but when you look at their horses feet they’re not trimmed at all. Also now when I hear bare foot trim I associate that with to cheap to put on shoes.
One thing that I do spend $$$$ on that’s probably a waste is msm glucosamine treats. They are $35.00 a bag but they make me feel better about riding my horses and their joint health.
There are 2 sides to the chiropractor coin that I think people conflate. There’s the alignment / skeletal process which helps improve flexibility and movement. This I think is perfectly legitimate and is clearly working. Then there’s the “chiropractic adjustment will cure disease” which I think is bunk. A lot of us who treat chiropractors with suspicion are focusing on the bunk end of things.
The trick, really, is finding someone who is good for you / your horse and doesn’t try and subvert actual medical care.
I enjoyed living in the dark as to the total cost of owning our wonderful horses UNTIL–my daughter joined 4H, darned that cursed record book….now it’s all there in black and white. I try not to look too often – technically it has helped us budget better but what fun it that
)
My step-father (a saint) often justified the expenses by saying to my mom that “it is much cheaper to keep a girl in horses than to get her off drugs or away from the wrong crowd”….Brilliant!
NIkki says, “One thing that I do spend $$$$ on that’s probably a waste is msm glucosamine treats. They are $35.00 a bag but they make me feel better about riding my horses and their joint health.
I do NOT think these treats are a waste of $$$$! I am officially off ALL OTC and Rx meds and supplements until after my rotator cuff surgery on Thursday, and I can tell you, without my joint supps, I AM IN PAIN! I had a lesson yesterday and gave up after 20 minutes because everything hurt. Shoulder, yes, but also knees, feet, hands, neck and lower back (right side). It’s my right shoulder and I’m sure that’s why the the lower back thing, but anyway, joint supplements DO make me more comfortable. And if they work for ME, they have GOT to work for the horse.
nikki says:
I have to admit that I am one of the people who roll their eyes when I hear about equine massage therapists.
But in my defense the only people in my area who swear by it:
1. Are older women who don’t even ride their horses. (in all honesty if they aren’t rode what are the horses doing to their bodies that require massage therapy?)
2. The same fanatics preaching about Pat Parelli.
3. Or barefoot trim people who preach about going barefoot, but when you look at their horses feet they’re not trimmed at all.
That would be more a reflection of the area than the value of massage therapy. Around here the biggest patrons of equine massage therapists are international-level endurance riders. Closely followed by the top-level folks in dressage, jumping, eventing, (and probably the western sports, though I don’t keep up with them).
TBDANCER,
I am happy to hear that you think they make a difference.
I have a 4 yr old, 6 yr old, and a 16 yr old. I give the treats to all of them.
They all get worked on a consistent basis, one is a finished barrel horse(6yr) and the 4 yr old is just starting.
My old mare was used really hard for penning before I got her. She was the main reason I bought them.
I just want to keep their joints healthy.
happywithappy -
I miss those days.
I So relate to the 4-H record book!!!! Oh, the bliss of ignorance.
This isn’t about a horse but… I had this hamster once. I’m talking $10, run-of-the-mill short haired hamster. I bought a pretty nice Habitrail cage and rolling ball. Bugger learned to open the HAMSTER PROOF CAGE within a week and learned how to twist the ball open. Bought a wire cage and new, industrial ball. Joey started to CHEW THROUGH THE WIRES SO HE COULD MAKE A BREAK FOR IT and learned how to twist not the door of the ball but the middle section open. I went through no less then five cages for this thing. Finally I found an awesome three story steel rat cage he loved but when I moved back into residence we had to down grade to a narrower, easier to clean cage. He had a four to five hour exercise time when I was studying at night, plus a rotating treat schedule. Finally, I moved out of rez and he had to live in a closet in my tiny ass room. This meant back to the small habitrail cage. He got so depressed he stopped eating and tore at his sides until he bled. So instead of groceries or winter boots, my poor blind hamster I was certain was going to die in a week anyway, I bought him a $100 Habitrail Ovo cage with all the fun attachments. It was perfect because it was small enough for the closet, he wasn’t able to chew through it (easily) and gave him enough spaces to be interested. This cheered him up but he promptly was chewing on an air hole and snapped a tooth off. So all ready a little emaciated, he couldn’t eat. I was spoonfeeding him yogurt and bananas for a week until I could convince a friend to drive me to a vet to get his teeth trimmed. I just couldn’t let him starve to death for no good reason! People thought I was insane but I just couldn’t have him go like that for something so stupid. He got trimmed up, put the weight back on, lived for another eight months happy as a clam.
I just realised, now that he’s gone I never have fruit or vegetables. I made sure I had them all the time for him! All this for a hamster.
“ShesPureGold says:
I am a massage therapist, and also working on my Master’s degree in Applied Psychology with a research focus on massage therapy. Where is your information/evidence coming from that chiropractic and massage are “hocus pocus/pseudo-science”? I’d love to read all about it. On the contrary, I would be happy to send you dozens of peer-reviewed, evidence-based research articles that state the documented effects of both for various conditions. Heck, I’d be happy to send you my own research when it’s concluded at the end of the semester, and invite you to the research conference in Seattle next May (Highlighting Massage Therapy in Complimentary and Integrative Medicine”) that I’ll be attending and presenting at. The same techniques that are used on humans are also applied to horses, and there is no reason to believe those same techniques used on the same structures would not have the same effect. Please refrain from spreading false information. Thanks!”
Well, the Trekkies and Scientologists have conferences as well. LOL !
People who hire massage therapists to scratch their horse’s itches and give them some routine lovin are just too lazy and/or soulless to do it themselves, cuz thats all it amounts to. I prefer to do it myself. Women horse people tend to be stupid suckers for all the gimmicks, including animal mind-readers. LOL! The latest gimmick I’ve seen these stupid suckers fall for are the $40 insect repellers with a magic RF chip in them that supposedly picks up the horse’s electromagnetic field and causes it to emit RF frequency waves that repel flies and mosquitos…the horse wears this thing like a large price tag on its mane. All of the horses that I’ve seen wearing these “price tags” have flies crawling all over their faces. LOL ! but the stupid owners keep them on because they don’t want to admit they’ve just thrown away $40 on a worthless scam !
I admit there are a lot of gimmicks out there, but I do not believe that massage therapy is one of them. As ShesPureGold stated, there are plenty of peer-reviewed articles on human massage therapy. The numbers of articles on Equine Massage are steadily climbing. In my final year of college for Equine Massage, I was required to submit a research paper as well as a case study. Both of these papers along with those of my classmates are published in the school’s library for future research. Unfortunately they have not gotten around to compounding any of these papers into something that can be peer reviewed but here’s to hoping.
In my experience, the people who employ equine massage therapists and chiropractors care about their horses, their horses’ performance and well-being, and also happen to have the money to spend on it. These are not people who are too lazy to scratch and pet their horses. They are dedicated horse people who want the best from and for their animal(s). My experience mostly includes many Stardardbred racers as well as hunter/jumpers but I look forward to expanding my cirlce with time as I only graduated and became registered in May of this year.
My point being there is sound scientific information out there on massage therapy both for humans and horses as well as a large quantity of anecdotal evidence. I highly doubt there is any scientific evidence on a lot of these gimmicks and that’s the difference between a money grabbing gimmick and something that actually works.
I’m not going to be able to convince anyone who doesn’t want convincing but if you are truly interested whether it’s to prove massage therapy wrong or right, please do your research before jumping to conclusions.
Maviko,
That is an awesome story! I hope you have horses!
I actually once took a mouse that my cat had caught and played with for a while to the vet to be put down. They told me they would do it (I’ve never been 100% certain about the method used, but I remain optimistic) and they did not charge me. It was 100 degrees out, the poor thing was obviously not going to recover, but it would not die, it just laid there panting. My husband was not home to dispatch it, so I put in it a box and drove it to the vet. Damn cat…
Rusty Angle, this cracked me up:
“maybe you “rag ladies” would be loved more if you actually started taking care of yourselves and see how bad you look comparing to your pampered horses?”
If it took an expensive new hairdo, wardrobe and pedicure every week for my SO to love me, well, he wouldn’t be the right guy for me. He’s as cheap-ass (er, I mean thrifty) as I am, he also loves our animals as much as I do. I cut his hair, his daughter does pretty good touch-ups on mine. Yeah, I put off the dentist (but I would be that way anyway even if I didn’t have the horse as an excuse, and I’m caught up now anyway.)
So, just because we middle-aged hore women prioritize necessary care and feeding for our animals’ well-being over frivolous expenses designed to give ourselves a more “polished” appearance, doesn’t mean we are a bunch of “rag ladies” who nobody loves.
My SO and I both look pretty good compared to many others in our advanced age group–probably because all the outdoor work we do together keeps us fit and healthy and our animals make us happy.
On a more serious subject, I am in total agreement with PrairieFarmer and Drsjunky about a sustainable economy. Yes, of course companies (including the one I work for) need to be profitable to maintain jobs–but buying as locally as possible, DIY as much as possible too, is just as beneficial to the economy.
We just bought a house, which is almost impossible to do “away from the grid” and the hoops we had to jump through were ridiculous. For example, we had to sign a document stating that we are not terrorists and have no associations with terrorists. Because true terrorists, of course, would refuse to sign that document, right? So it’s somebody’s job to process all those documents which add nothing but lip service to homeland security. I’m glad I’m not the person who has that drain-on-our-tax-dollars waste of a job.
We grow a garden–it saves us a lot of money over buying inferior products at the grocery store, even taking into account the seeds, supplies, power for the freezer, that all add to the economy. The extras go to the local food bank–which reduces, in some small way, our tax dollars going to food stamps. We belong to a chicken co-op–same thing. When my horse’s tack breaks I repair it myself with my needle and thread or “speedy-stitcher-awl” that I bought, adding to the economy. I buy and sell stuff from my company’s private classified ads, and off local craigslist. All this takes a bit more work and effort than “shopping-for-entertainment” at the mall, so we stay fitter, healthier, happier, and more in touch with the true proportion between work and value.
Rusty Angle, this cracked me up:
“maybe you “rag ladies” would be loved more if you actually started taking care of yourselves and see how bad you look comparing to your pampered horses?”
If it took an expensive new hairdo, wardrobe and pedicure every week for my SO to love me, well, he wouldn’t be the right guy for me. He’s as cheap-ass (er, I mean thrifty) as I am, he also loves our animals as much as I do. I cut his hair, his daughter does pretty good touch-ups on mine. Yeah, I put off the dentist (but I would be that way anyway even if I didn’t have the horse as an excuse, and I’m caught up now anyway.)
So, just because we middle-aged hore women prioritize necessary care and feeding for our animals’ well-being over frivolous expenses designed to give ourselves a more “polished” appearance, doesn’t mean we are a bunch of “rag ladies” who nobody loves.
My SO and I both look pretty good compared to many others in our advanced age group–probably because all the outdoor work we do together keeps us fit and healthy and our animals make us happy.
On a more serious subject, I am in total agreement with PrairieFarmer and Drsjunky about a sustainable economy. Yes, of course companies (including the one I work for) need to be profitable to maintain jobs–but buying as locally as possible, DIY as much as possible too, is just as beneficial to the economy.
We just bought a house, which is almost impossible to do “away from the grid” and the hoops we had to jump through were ridiculous. For example, we had to sign a document stating that we are not terrorists and have no associations with terrorists. Because true terrorists, of course, would refuse to sign that document, right? So it’s somebody’s job to process all those documents which add nothing but lip service to homeland security. I’m glad I’m not the person who has that drain-on-our-tax-dollars waste of a job.
We grow a garden–it saves us a lot of money over buying inferior products at the grocery store, even taking into account the seeds, supplies, power for the freezer, that all add to the economy. The extras go to the local food bank–which reduces, in some small way, our tax dollars going to food stamps. We belong to a chicken co-op–same thing. When my horse’s tack breaks I repair it myself with my needle and thread or “speedy-stitcher-awl” that I bought, adding to the economy. I buy and sell stuff from my company’s private classified ads, and off local craigslist. All this takes a bit more work and effort than “shopping-for-entertainment” at the mall, so we stay fitter, healthier, happier, and more in touch with the true proportion between work and value.
Um, I meant “horse women.” “Hore women” are a whole different subject, sorry.
After a bad break up, I wound up living out of my car for six months. My horse, meanwhile, was living at a state of the art breeding farm with automatic waterers, cameras in the stalls, and lights that worked on timers. While he ate top quality grain and a phenomenal mix of green, green orchard grass and alfalfa, I was living off Ramen noodles.
My Horse is my best friend and whatever he needs he gets. I got him from an auction in a round about way. A kill buyer got him and i bought him from the kill buyer (jerk off) My STB is a retired pacer and also worked for the Amish. Charlie did his duty as a horse and deserves to have everything he needs and then some. Whatever I can do to make life better for him thats what I do. Other people have other things they spend their extra cash on. Some peeps go skiing or camping or traveling. I chose to spend my money on my best friend. So I dont think people should be told what they should and shouldnt spend money on. Everyone works hard to male a living and should get some joy out of the money they work so hard for.