This 4 part course is written by a professional show horse
competitor and covers the basics of the horse grooming
process. By following this course, you'll learn how important
grooming your horse really is, and you'll find out the best
way to do it for really professional results.
The fact is that most of us horse lovers don't groom our
horses properly. This could be due to lots of things - time,
motivation, circumstances etc. What we need to realise is that
time with our horse is bonding time. Remember that in the
wild, horses groom each other and that's the basis for their
relatinships with each other. If we don't take the trouble to
groom our horses properly, then we can't expect to forge the
bonds we want between us and if this doesn't happen then we
can't expect the partnership benefits we look for either. If
we take the time, if we have the patience, if we use the right
techniques AND the right products, then we'll forge a bond of
trut between us and our horses that will last forever.

Domesticated horses rely on humans to provide the opportunity for skin care, unlike the wild horse where they have the opportunity to groom each other! Grooming should be incorporated into the daily routine of owning and managing
your horse to maintain its health and happiness. This practice
increases the circulation to the skin, releasing necessary
oils that promote a vibrant and lustrous coat. Daily grooming
allows the coat to be shed gradually, easing the burden of
trying to remove long hair and excess dead skin. A horse that
is worked regularly should be thoroughly and properly groomed at all times.
Grooming not only allows us to give our horses a shiny, short,
healthy coat, it also gives us the opportunity to go over our
beautiful animals from head to toe, to notice any
abnormalities such as cuts, wounds, irritations, fevers that
your horse may have developed. The H-10 product range for
first aid, H-10 Ointment and Spray is perfect to treat these
problems.
Stages Of Grooming part 3
RUGGING & RUGS
Rugging - Horses should be rugged according to their
environment, season, level of work, feeding patterns and
whether they are stabled or kept in a paddock. Rugging
practices must be taken into account when you are caring for
the health and happiness of your horse.
Poor rugging practices create a source of discomfort for your
horse and can often be cruel. An owner may not see it as
intentional act, however keeping your horse rugged all the
time, irrespective of temperature changes can be highly
irresponsible, i.e. leaving heavy weight rugs on in winter
temperatures that are still in the mid twenties!
Horses are mammals, and all mammals to remain healthy must be able to maintain their body temperature within a narrow range to avoid metabolic problems. Certainly they can feel the cold like us; however they compensate for this by growing a coat in winter and then fluffing it if necessary, so trapping air to create extra warmth. But horses can also get very hot!
Horses, like us humans sweat to keep themselves cool. However, the evaporative cooling effects of sweating won't work effectively if a horse has a rug on. Overheating can lead to issues such as Heat Stress if your horse or horses cannot
lose enough body heat due to impeding rugs. This in turn can
lead to health problems such as dehydration, loss of
electrolytes, lack of Vitamin D and possibly even to an
inability to sweat!
Therefore, if you feel hot so too will your horse!
Do not try and substitute grooming for rugging and always
take a practical and sensible approach to rugging! Good feed
and hard work along with this sensible approach to rugging
will assist you and your horse maintain a healthy coat
throughout the year. Remember, rugging is no substitute for
adequate food in keeping your paddocked horse in top condition in winter, or in giving horses in work greater performance.
Rugs & Rug Types – A good horse rug should fit properly and be suitably lined on the shoulders to avoid rubbing. There is an
array of rugs ranging from heavy canvas to ultra lightweight
cotton or satin fly sheets. A standard canvas paddock rug is
waterproof and lined. Lighter fabrics can be used for paddocks
and can be bought as a rip stop product. Quilted and fibre
filled rugs are also available and price will always reflect
quality! Tail and neck pieces on some rugs are added for
protection and warmth. Wool or wool/synthetic mixtures are
used for stable rugs or blankets.
Hoods also come in a variety of materials for both paddock use
and stable use. They should also be used sensibly and fitted
accordingly to the horse's size, and should be secured
properly to the rug.
This is part 3 of the course and we hope that you've enjoyed
it.
This course is co-written by Geoff Roberts & Michael Glenn who
run H-10 Australia, a company specialising in the supply of
quality horse grooming & associated products.
http://www.h-10.com.au
If you want to sample a chapter from the life of a world
famous horse trainer and learn some of his secrets for free go
here: http://www.h-10.com.au/beery/index.htm


The Chihuahua!
The Chihuahua is one of the few breeds native to the Americans. Ancestors of the Chihuahua trace back to the early Olmec, Toletec and Aztec civilizations of Central American and Mexico.
It remains a secret, however, how the Chihuahua originated, how it interacted with its people and what became of its ancestors. Chihuahua history is put together from artifacts and occasional writings. Some breed experts think the Chihuahua is actually of European or Asian origin. The Chihuahua matured and prospered with the Americans. The Chihuahua will forever be identified with the land we know as Mexico.
From the carvings of the Olmecs' successors and the Toltecs we can conclude the Olmecs of Central America probably developed the earliest Chihuahua. The carvings are of small plump dogs with rounded heads and erect ears that clearly look like a Chihuahua.
The Techichi is believed to be the ancestor of most Central American breeds. The Aztecs further developed the Techichi along with several distinct types of dogs. Their dogs served as sources of food and hair. As sacrificial offerings, the Aztecs sought to ensure prosperity by appeasing their gods with ceremonial blood offerings of captive humans. When humans were not available, they sacrificed dogs usually the red or gray Techichis that lived in the temples of the priests.
Many early cultures held beliefs that there were associations between dogs, illness, and death, which are probably why dogs were used as sacrifices. They also believed a little dog placed on an aching joint could make the pain go away. The Aztecs took the belief further and sometimes burned dogs along with the deceased in the belief that sins of the human would be then be transferred to the dog. It is possible the people believed they were merely sending their pet along with its master or to live with the gods.
With the arrival of Hernando Cortes in the 1500's the Spaniards took over the Aztec treasures but ignored the little dogs. It is felt they probably brought back a few dogs to Spain. Many of the little dogs just perished, others escaped to the Mexican mountainside where they lived off the birds, reptiles, rodents and insects and whatever else they could find. These early Chihuahuas were larger and had longer hair. They were better suited for life in the wild. It is unknown exactly how these early Chihuahua dogs developed into the modern Chihuahua. It is felt the Techichi Chihuahuas were crossed with very small Asiatic hairless dogs brought in by migrating Indian tribes. Others think European influence from the Manchester Terrier occurred. It was more than 300 years until the dog now known as the Chihuahua emerged from these early dogs.
In 1850 small dogs with long hair and short hair, some even without hair were found near the Mexican border state of Chihuahua. The long and short-haired dogs were named Chihuahuas. The hairless varieties were called Mexican Hairless. Throughout the early 1900s the Chihuahua remained a rarity. The first Chihuahua was registered by the American Kennel Club in 1904.
Connie Limon, author of this article, owns Little Guys Dog Clothes Shop. Purchase designer clothes and accessories for your Chihuahua, Mexican Hairless and other toy breeds at: http://www.littleguysdogclothesshop.com
This article is FREE to publish with resource box.


What Are Dog Grooming Tools
Why you prefer to go to professional dog groomers and pay high fees for your dog grooming. You can even groom your dog at home , yes really You can do much of the grooming yourself at home and save money at the same time.
This article will let you know all necessary tools that you need for your dog grooming at home.
Dog grooming Hair scissors
Thinning scissors
Dog clippers
Dog/cat toe nail clippers
Dog Nose scissors
Dental scaler
Dog hair pulling forceps
Dog Tweezers
Brush and Comb
Dog grooming scissors:
Most important tools for dog grooming. Dog grooming scissors are usually long blade scissors having 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5" sizes. Scissors are both straight as well as curved. Common size is 8.5". Available in mirror polished, satin and titanium coated finish. These days titanium coated shears are very common because these are not only beautiful, but these shears have long lasting sharpness. Curved shears let you cut corners - literally. They are real time-savers. And, considering that most scissoring is supposed to achieve round or curved surfaces, it seems only natural to use curved shears on dogs ranging from Bichons to Bouviers. Gain experience with these shears by rounding off feet, topknots and tails. Experiment with them in reverse to create angulation above the hock joint. You might even use them to create the arch on some Terriers' eyebrows. Many groomers who have had difficulty shaping round and curved edges seem to have more success when they are using curved shears. Now come to Filipino shears ,these scissors have wider blade than other grooming scissors. These are excellent for cutting bulk hairs. These scissors feature superb smoothness and sharpness.
Thinning scissors:
If your dog has very thick coat of hairs we recommend you to use thinning scissors. Thinning scissors are choice of groomers in hot weather because thinning scissors thin out the heavy coats of hairs giving dogs a cool feel. Thinning shears, in various lengths and styles, constitute "the shears of the '90s" - and they are a necessary part of any groomer's collection. Thinning shears with a 28-teeth blade (or finer) are excellent for finish work and blending. They give coats a soft-edged appearance and produce Schnauzer and Terrier furnishings that look natural. Used to thin over scissored Lhasas and similar breeds with silky, flowing coats, these shears blend in and remove blunt ends. Thinning shears give breeds such as Scotties and Westies a hand-stripped look. They also give trimmed ears and bangs a natural, smooth appearance. They even thin out heavy coats and help to prevent matting in breeds such as Cockers, Afghans, etc,
Nose scissors:
Yes nose is also very important to be cleaned while grooming your dog. Use good pair of nose scissors to remove longer hairs from nose of dogs. These scissors has blunt end , so they won't disturb your dogs. Don't use pointed scissors for removing nose hairs.
Brush and Comb
You need to brush and comb away the dead hairs before bathing your pet as water creates tight matts in the loose hairs. Pets with long coat require brushing almost daily, depending on the condition of its coat. If you exercise your dog in the garden, it is likely to get tangles in its hair. You need to comb out its tangles immediately after exercise to avoid the tangles becoming mats. Brush your pet from top to bottom. Use the right brush for your pet's coat. Get advice from the pet shop if you,re unsure.
Dog clippers
purchase a set of professional dog clippers. Hair clippers for humans will not stand up to the rigors of dog grooming and should not be used. A good set of clippers can cost up to $200.00. Although the initial expense is large, the clippers will pay for themselves quickly. Make sure the animal is completely dry before using the clippers. If you wish to give your dogs specialty cuts like a poodle or a cocker cut, you should follow the directions that come with the clippers. You can also get books that have diagrams on giving special cuts. The clippers come with attachments that cut hair to the desired length for whatever effect you are trying to achieve.
Dog toe nail clippers
Dog nail clippers have 3 shapes. Guillontoin style used for removing and trimming toe nails of medium size and larger breeds. Scissors style clipper is usually used for cat nails. Plier style dog nail clippers are used to trim nails of smaller dogs. Plier style is more common among professional groomers. Care should be exercised with the toe nail clippers as if you cut the nails too short you will nick the vein that runs part way down the nail.
Dog hair pulling forceps and tweezers:
Hair pullers are fundamental tools for good grooming. Allow groomers to remove excess hair from the ear canal and reduce the risk of infections. Also used for removing ticks from pet hairs. Forceps come in curved and straight blades, having locked and unlocked handles. Forceps with polyethylene dipping handles are more commonly used these days because of firm grip and easy working.
Dental scaler
Yes dogs have also plaque problems. You can use Dental scaler, for removing plaque and cleaning teeth of pets.If you are unable to see plaque, then can use dental mirror as well.

You can touch up the grooming every two or three weeks. That way, the general grooming will not be as time consuming as it could be. Depending on how quickly your dog's hair grows, you will need to groom him every month and a half to two months, or more frequently.
Groom your pet well and enjoy its good looks and companionship !
For more information on dog grooming products, visit http://www.venusworldwide.com