The Smarter Customer

Have you ever noticed how life throws surprises at people? One person may see the surprise as a gift and embrace the chance to move through it. Another person may have the same experience and see it as a royal pain in the rear - something almost that life is punishing them with.

We have a choice. We can decide to live with a prosperity consciousness knowing that our life is joyful, rich, wonderful, prosperous and loving. Or, we can decide to play the victim with a poverty consciousness that is full of lack, limitation, and a life that is never enough.

When I went to my son’s graduation in Oregon, I had a chance to experience the extremes. Whenever I need to go to the airport, I use the same driver. Well, this particular time, my driver wasn’t available and I had to use a different one. I spent 40 minutes on the way to LAX with a man who did nothing but complain and find fault with everything and everyone. He complained about the business their company had lost as a result of SARS and the war. Then he complained about having to work so hard since business has picked up. It was clear that nothing made this man happy - he almost reeked a miserable perfume. The weather was clear, bright, and sunny, but he was missing the entire scenery and the beauty of the moment because he was consumed with his own limited vision, a poverty consciousness frame of mind.

When I arrived in Portland, I was blessed with a shuttle driver who had an amazing perspective. He had been born in Nigeria and was sent to a refugee camp in Kenya. He described the conditions but didn’t dwell on them. What he really spoke about with such passion was the gift he received in being sponsored to come to the United States, the chance to live with his wife and three children, and the transitions in his eleven years since he’d been here. He worked for five years in a copy shop, drove a cab for six years, and then switched to driving a shuttle because his quality of life improved. “It’s like a rebirth” he said to me. “Everyone is so nice, so calm, so peaceful, so courteous, so considerate, so giving, and so loving.” This man was a joy to be around and I could see that his life was prospering. A 25 minute ride became a 2 and 1/2 hour trip as we rode through an incredible storm of ice and hail, accidents and closed roads, but this man never once became upset or complained. He is clearly living with an abundance and prosperity consciousness.

Each man is living the life he is creating with his thoughts. And, like these men, we can choose to live a life that is a dream or a nightmare. It’s all in our perspective and what we choose to focus on.

We have opportunities to grow in life. That’s a given. Our attitude about what happens in life and the way we respond is what really counts!

If you find yourself stuck with a limiting belief or negative self-talk, choose to reframe your view and see things from a different perspective. Develop a prosperity consciousness. Take off the blinders that you’ve been wearing and make a decision to see life from a wider vista. Let go of the “I can’ts” and grab on to the “I cans” in life. Let go of the fear and grab on to the faith that each moment leads you to a wondrous experience. Make a conscious decision to see the gifts, the joy, the opportunities to become even more in your life - more of what you came here to be.

Make a decision to live each day with a prosperity consciousness so you can receive all that is rich, wonderful, prosperous and joyful.

Stand up and declare that you choose a life that is full of peace, love, courtesy, consideration, generosity, and love. And when you go to Portland, choose the shuttle.

Debbie Friedman, M.S., C.Ht., is the Manifesting Maven who helps people
consciously create the life they love to live. She is the creator of the popular
Cleaning Out the Closet of Your Mind for Wealth series.
http://www.CleaningOutTheCloset.com

One of my favorite dog supplies I have is my dog raised feeders, one for each dog. I don’t necessarily SEE all the benefits - not tangibly anyway - but I KNOW how wonderful they are for my dog’s health. Not to mention avoiding spilled food and water! I also picked up a floor mat for dog dishes, and that helps too.

I bought a raised feeder with an enclosed bottom to also store their food, which I find saves me SO much time when it comes to feeding them. It also reminds me to feed them, as I’m very absent minded.

The biggest reason I bought the elevated dog feeders is because I had read over and over again (and heard from many breeders) that it helps dogs digest their food so much better. If you think about it, don’t you digest better sitting up rather than lying down, or standing on your head? That’s pretty much the equivalent for a dog.

And come to think of it, there IS a tangible difference from when they ate out of standard floor level bowls - their *ahem* intestinal gas has dramatically decreased. I didn’t change foods or treats, simply the height at which they fed themselves from. Of course, if you feed low quality food, or lots of table scraps, a raised dog dish won’t make a whit of difference.

Visit our website, http://www.a1-dog-info.com/dog-raised-feeders.htm to pick up a dog raised feeder for yourself - you won’t regret it!

About the Author

Tara Pearce is the author and webmaster of A1-Dog-Info.com. Please visit us for all kinds of information about dog food, toys, health, books, supplies and clothes.

http://www.a1-dog-info.com

For most people in the UK, home loans necessarily connote cheap finance. How can they not get cheaper finance when they have offered lien on home to loan provider? Loan providers however devise ways to overcharge borrowers who are not much conversant with the ways of the financial market. Interest is generally charged on the higher side, and borrowers also have to shell a larger sum as fees for the services of the lender.

So, does the concept of cheap home loans not exist? Cheap Home Loans do exist, but not as a rule. Cheap home loans have to be supplemented with sufficient efforts on the part of the borrower to make them possible. Though borrowers may not rest at any stage of the life of the loan and keep an eye on every cost that is added to the loan, efforts will have to be primarily made during the planning and decision making stage. The fate of cheap home loan is largely dependant on the work done during these two stages.

Every borrower need not be well informed about the rules and regulations of the financial market. The advice gained from external sources will be as much helpful as ones personal knowledge or experience. Among external sources, independent financial advisors are the most revered. Independent financial advisors are bound by Financial Services Authority rules to offer genuine expert advice. Because of the professional and independent advice that they offer, it will be difficult to discount their importance.

Home loans are offered against the equity in ones home. Equity is the approximate value that a house will fetch if sold. For a more appropriate valuation of equity, all mortgages and loans secured against home are to be deducted. Equity plays a decisive role in lowering cost of home loans. Lenders vie to lend to homeowners with larger home equity because of the potential safety that they allow. The safety will be in terms of the risk that a loan venture poses for the lending agency. As potential risk on home loans can be easily covered through repossession of the home itself, home loans are termed as low risk ventures. Accordingly, home loan borrowers are preferred over borrowers of unsecured loans.

Borrowers need to take maximum benefit of the preference shown by loan providers. Since, the number of loan providers dealing in home loans is very large, borrowers can easily compare and choose lender offering the best package. It is at this stage that the decision making skills of the borrowers are best utilised. Though inexpensiveness of home loans will be preferred, it must not be at the cost of the other virtues. Personal requirements of the borrower need to be held supreme during the search process. Thus, a lender who lends at the lowest APR may not suit the borrower if the amount lent is inadequate.

Borrowers can draw any amount between £1,000 - £500,000 as the home loan. The actual amount lent will depend on several factors like the equity in home, borrowers credit history, etc. The loan proceeds of a cheap home loan can supplement both mortgage and secured loans. For readers who are conversant with the uses of mortgages and secured loans, it will be common knowledge that mortgage proceeds are used for buying or constructing house or property and secured loan proceeds are used for other personal financial needs, like debt consolidation, home improvement, etc. Home loan proceeds can be used for either of the two. The tax benefits available to borrowers on mortgages will continue in cheap home loans too.

Now, we come to interest rates that form the most talked about subject in cheap home loans. Typical APR on cheap home loan is in the range of 5.75% to 10.3% variable. The actual APR pledged to borrower may differ from the APR printed on the lender’s websites. Bank base rate changes and borrower’s individual credit circumstances may lead to differences in interest rate. Negotiations on interest rates are possible. Borrowers, who are desirous of entering into negotiations on interest rate, will have to increase the amount of fees that they are ready to offer. The objective of these negotiations will be to bring the APR to the desired level.

Cheap home loan is a product of several decisions and negotiations. Thanks to the large variety and options available to borrowers, the decisions that borrowers need to make on home loans have risen tremendously. However, the key to cheap home loans will not be in meandering through these decisions, but in making them correct. Consequently, the larger the number of correct decisions, cheaper will the home loan be, and vice-versa. It is now for you to decide where you want to stand- with those who are finding home loans burdensome because of incorrect decisions, or with those who are enjoying home loans at the cheapest of rates.

Daniel Louis works as a financial expert with Cheapest Home Loans . Having completed his Masters in Financial Economics from Said Business School, he has the necessary credentials to provide expert advice to residents in the UK. To find Cheap Home Loans - Home Equity Loans - Home Improvement Loans that best suits your need visit
http://www.cheapesthomeloans.co.uk

We face financial crunches time and time again and therefore take loans to help us get through the situation. However, many a time we make a mountain out of a mole hill - making a small economic snag seems like an impossible accomplishment and so … we take loans again! In UK especially, taking a personal or consolidation loan has become a part of life. Often, misjudging our circumstances, we fall further and further into debt. And since we’ve always been told that there’s a solution to every problem, here is another concept that we have created, that has survived over time, it’s called Debt Management UK.

Sometimes, while in the process of paying up umpteen loans, the varying high interest rates, innumerable monthly payments to be sent out to different lenders and demands of everyday life begin to take their toll on us. This is why most of us fail to keep up with our regular payments. Result: constant harassing calls from our lenders, incessant collection visits and reminders and finally, legal notices. This is where Debt Management UK is commonly suggested. Debt Management UK is a process which involves informal negotiations with your creditors so as to achieve either a reduction in the interest, a reduction in the complete contractual payment or waiver of any additional charges like creditor fees, processing charges, etc.

A Debt Management process is initiated only once borrowers provide proof that they have insufficient funds to meet all the contractual niceties. This is followed by a negotiation with their creditors regarding their inability to repay the entire loan. Most lenders prefer a settlement with Debt Management UK because if they don’t, the next option for the borrower is filing for bankruptcy. No lender can get anything out of that! Most creditors understand the problem and offer solutions to make repayment easier. They may also waive off some part of the loan. Expert advice from credit counselling agencies makes the process a lot simpler. These agencies even negotiate with lenders on your behalf and help you repay your loans.

Points to remember for Debt Management:

1. Make a budget and keep to it:

While making a budget, be specific and detailed with it. Try your level best to stick to it. The more you write down and record your financial transactions, the more likely you are to stay on track. You’ll be amazed at how much money you spend on things you don’t really need. Your budget should define how much money you’ll send to each of your creditors monthly, how much you need for bills, and how much is left for flexible spending. Make sure you limit the amount kept aside for flexible spending.

2. Evaluate your debt situation:

Assess your financial standing - your spending and your savings. When taking your loans into consideration, remember to include the principal amount, the interest, creditor charges, etc. Include all other debt and owed amounts.

3. Clear your debts one by one:

While sorting out your situation, even though you cannot make the regular payments, try to send small amounts toward all your loans. Eliminate as much debt as possible. Start by sending slightly larger amounts to clear off the larger loans. Smaller loans will get sorted out with small regular payments.

4. Take expert advice if necessary:

When it comes to Debt Management UK, credit counselling agencies are the best places to turn to. Most credit counseling agencies are non-profit companies. Of course, there are fees involved. The idea is that you write one monthly payment to the agency, and they in turn distribute that money to your creditors. Credit counseling agencies are used to dealing with people with bad credit or poor credit, and can help you create a custom debt management plan (DMP) too. They can suggest money lenders that might be more willing to make a loan to someone with a lower credit rating.

When in a grave financial situation, never hesitate to consider Debt Management UK. If you don’t or if debt management UK too, fails to help you, then you will have to file for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy frees the borrower from all his debt so that he could start afresh. However, it leaves a bad impression on the credit score and the borrower will find it very difficult to obtain a fresh loan for many years.

Debt Management UK may be able to lower your monthly payments by 30-50%, stop the late fees and over limit charges, improve you overall credit and put an end to life full of debt. Get the help you need through Debt Management UK today. You will walk through the process and will be on your way to being debt free.

Marsha Claire is offering loan advice for quite some time.To find UK debt consolidation loan,debt management,debt advice visit http://www.ukdebtconsolidations.co.uk

by Karon Thackston © 2003
http://www.copywritingcourse.com

Copywriting is a primary factor when it comes to achieving good search engine placement. However, many times all that is done is to include keywords in the tags of a page and to include a few keyword mentions. While not extremely difficult, writing for the engines is a little more complicated than that.

Know Your Keyphrases Before You Write

It is much easier to create search engine copywriting if you know which keyphrases you’ll use before you begin to write. Going back and editing existing copy to achieve higher levels of keyword saturation is a challenging task that often ends in broken sentences, confusing statements, and copy that sounds stiff or forced.

If you know which keyphrases you’re optimizing the page for, you can create a more complete plan of action.

Let the Phrases - and Your Audience - Dictate Your Direction

You simply *must* know your target audience before you begin writing. There’s no way around it. It is virtually impossible to write copy that will persuade a site visitor to buy if you have no clue about his/her needs, wants, or problems.

Once you’ve taken time to investigate your preferred customer, stop and do a little brainstorming. What are your customers looking for? Can you offer solutions to their problems? As you ponder, keep your keywords fresh in your mind.

As you come up with solutions for your customers, phrase them around your keywords. It basically works as a puzzle. You know your target audience; you know your keywords; now put the two together to create compelling, search-engine-friendly copy.

Use Keyphrases in Your Headlines

Most search engines deem a headline as an important section of the copy. That means the text included in headlines (and sub-heads) carries extra weight.

When you create headlines for your copy, be sure to make them keyword rich. Also pay attention to the HTML code for your headlines. Making headlines bold and including them within or tags will help gain the attention of the engines.

The same holds true for sub-headlines. As you include additional sub-heads throughout your copy, pay attention to the bolding and coding for headline tags.

Include Keyphrases in Your Body Copy

As you begin to write, include keyphrases all the way through your body copy, not just in the first paragraph. For best results, focus your copy on only two or three primary keywords.

Let the keywords flow naturally as you write… don’t try to force it. Describe your products or services using keywords, include keywords in photo or graphic captions, and use keywords in any tables or lists you create.

How often should you use keyphrases? There is a “3% guideline” that states 3% of your words should be keywords. However, this is JUST a guideline. Don’t kill yourself to achieve a 3% ratio. Remember, your copy has to sell as well as attract the engines’ attention. Don’t ruin perfectly good copy by forcing keywords where they just don’t fit.

By keeping these “rules, regs, and recommendations” of the search engine copywriting game in mind, you’re sure to create copy that impresses both your visitors AND the engines.

About the Author

Which specific words make *your* customers buy? Let Karon show you. Boost your sales and your search engine positioning by learning to write strategically created copy that hits a nerve and makes the sale. Get the details now at http://www.copywritingcourse.com.

Is your bathroom small? Are you trying to figure out how to accomplish magic with small space bathroom remodeling?
You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish by using a few tips form the pros.

First off, you’re not alone. Many homes have small bathrooms and small space bathroom remodeling seems like a chore that won’t yield the desired results. In order to get the greatest appeal and function from your small space bathroom remodeling, you first have to combine the total area of your space with a little creativity.

Take Inventory

Before you begin the remodeling project, you’ll save time and money by taking inventory of primary aspects of the project. What is the main thing you want to accomplish with the bathroom remodel? Provide more usable space? Or, perhaps your small bathroom needs a makeover and you want to optimize the space while you’re at it. Maybe you’re simply updating the bathroom for a more stylish, trendy appeal. Focus on the primary reason for the remodel and try to envision the completed project delivering all your goals. By getting a clear vision of what you want, and working backwards from that point, you’ll ensure that every aspect is considered.

Small Space Bathroom Remodeling

If you want more space consider the type: counter, storage, or floor. Next, evaluate the adjoining rooms or closets to see if by moving a wall a bit or eliminating a closet you can gain some space to help maximize your small space bathroom remodeling.

If that is not possible, consider reconfiguring the existing layout to accommodate more usable space. Moving the bathroom shower, sink, or commode, can improve floor space. While this will involve additional cost, the rewards can be a more functional and accommodating space. A contractor experienced in small space bathroom remodeling can offer valuable advice and services in this area.

Accessorize

Another source to check is the availability of items designed for the compact bathroom. The addition of wall shelving, baskets, racks and other storage items can greatly improve storage space without taking up floor space. A freestanding lavatory can also free up floor space.

This article was written by Gregg Hicks of http://www.reliableremodeler.com which provides Internet-based home improvement information and services. Offering homeowners a simple, quick, and free way to access, qualified home improvement remodeling contractors.

Bird watching is one of the fastest growing interests in the world. If you’re buying for a bird watcher, here’s a primer on ideas for bird watching gifts.

Bird Watching Gifts

Bird watching may seem the simplest of tasks. In truth, there are lots of gadgets, which gives you an opportunity to find great bird watching gifts

1. Binocular Pack Straps - Where you find bird watchers, you’ll find binoculars. Binoculars are the staple equipment item of all birders. The problem, however, is binoculars have a habit of flopping around your body when walking and putting a strain on your neck. Any bird watcher would love to find a solution and binocular pack straps are the answer. They look like backpack straps and snuggly hold binoculars to your body while you walk. Brunton is a great brand and you can expect to pay $30 or so.

2. The Birder’s Handbook - The Birder’s Handbook is a great companion piece for any birder. Over 600 species are covered and all can be found in North America. This book is an excellent list for bird watching enthusiasts to compare their life lists against. The list price of the book is $20.00 and you can find it at any only bookstore.

3. Bird Cams - If backyard bird watching is the primary bird watching activity of the person your giving gifts to, bird cams are great gifts. The bird cam sits inside of the bird house and lets birders see the birds in action. A fascinating view of a bird’s life. Night-Owl and NovaBird make solid cams. You can expect to pay $80 to $300 for a solid cam.

4. Nomad Bird Watching Journals - A little self-promotion. Nomad Bird Watching Journals are great gifts for bird watching enthusiast. Whether they enjoy bird watching tours, backyard birding or bird watching vacations, these journals let bird watchers keep track of sightings, conditions, locations, people met and impressions of the birding experience. A great Christmas gift, you can see the journal by clicking the link in the byline of this article and expect to pay $25 for the journal with case.

Bird watching is sweeping the world. Now you know what to buy bird watching enthusiasts for the holidays.

Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com makers of diary and writing journals for bird watching. Visit NomadJournalTrips.com to read more articles on bird watching and the great outdoors.

Illinois is home to riverboat casinos, and there are 9 major casinos in Illinois. Illinois casinos have been limited by the government’s restrictions and are taxed at the highest rate in the nation. The laws also limit the amount of gaming licenses that can be issued to 9, and the state is now at the maximum for gaming licenses. Illinois casinos do, however, offer a wide range of gaming options.

Illinois was the 5th state admitted to the union on December 3, 1818. It covers an area of 57,918 square miles. It is a Great Lakes state, and is nicknamed the “Prairie State”. The population, as reported in December 2000, is 12,419,293 and it is the 5th most populated state in the U.S. With the introduction of the Alton Belle, Illinois became only the second state to allow riverboat casinos. All of the casinos offer great gaming from Slots to Blackjack to Roulette, and welcome all guests over the age of 21.

Argosy’s Alton Belle Casino was the first riverboat casino in Illinois, opening its doors in 1991. It is located at 1 Front Street in Alton. There are three restaurants available for guests. The casino occupies 23,000 square feet and operates from 9am to 5pm every day. It features a 1,200-passenger yacht and a barge.

Argosy’s Empress Casino is located at 2300 Empress Drive in Joliet. There are 85 rooms and 17 suites available at the casino hotel. The casino operates from 10am to 4am on Friday and from 10am to 4am on Saturday. There are three restaurants on site. The casino occupies 50,000 square feet, and has special features like an 80-space RV park and 2,500-passenger barge.

Casino Queen is located in East Saint Louis at 200 South Front Street. There are 150 rooms and 7 suites available at the casino as well. The casino operates from 9am to 7am daily. It occupies 27,500 square feet and offers many features. Besides gaming, Casino Queen offers a 2,500-passenger paddle wheeler, a 140-space RV park and easy access to MetroLink light-rail station.

These are only three of the nine Illinois casinos. They all offer special features that are worth taking a look at, like paddleboats and barges. Most casinos also offer great dining on site. Illinois casinos offer much more than gambling - they offer a great vacation experience.

This article is the property of Illinois Casinos Before you use my article(s), you must agree to Terms of Service

A great Wedding Shower Game you can play with all your guests is
the popular recipe game. This fun game is a great way to include
everyone and provide a new bride with a bevy of fail safe
recipes to stock her kitchen. It should be known that this game
requires advanced notice of all the guests, since they will need
plenty of time to find a suitable recipe for submission.
Consider sending guests a special recipe card with their wedding
shower invitation so that they can complete their part of the
game at home.

When the guests arrive, have them deposit their recipe cards
into a special basket or a cute recipe box, this begins the fun
Wedding Shower Game. Be sure that each guest includes his or her
name on the recipe card so that the bride knows exactly who sent
the recipe. Also, suggest that guests include potential side
dishes or courses that will go well with their dish. This will
help the bride a great deal when it comes to meal planning and
grocery shopping.

Once all guests have arrived and all recipe cards are in their
respective holder, the wedding shower game can begin in earnest.
Provide each guest with pen and paper so that they can rate each
recipe on a given scale. Develop a rating scale, allowing
certain points for a clever name, ease of cooking, end results,
and how easy the item is on the budget. Consider providing a
gift for the winner of each of these categories and choose
kitchen or cooking relating items for fun gifts.

Have the bride read each recipe to the guests, and then allow
everyone to rate the recipes on your given scale and categories.
This will determine who is declared winner of this specific
wedding shower game. In reality, the bride is the true winner,
since she will gain a wealth of knowledge from the experienced
cooks in the crowd. Be sure the bride calls the name and
identifies each individual who wrote the recipes.

This fun wedding shower game is a great way to introduce
everyone to each other as well. Before the bride arrives, allow
a time for individuals to swap recipes and provide additional
recipe cards for the guests to take home. This is a great way
for everyone to converse in addition to gaining a new recipe to
add to their trusty kitchen arsenal at home. Another way for
everyone to share their recipes is to create a website that each
guest can access in order to further look into each recipe
submitted.

Another fun way to play this great wedding shower game is to
have each guest submit a great household tip. These tips can
include everything from how to identify and remove stains to how
to care for a garden. This game is easily adaptable to any theme
of a party, and may be the best gift the bride receives! Guests
can also bring a gift that is associated with their recipe of
tip, perhaps a hard to find ingredient or unique tool to make
life around the house a great deal easier.

Put a romantic spin on this classic wedding shower game by
asking each guest to include a great date tip or romantic
gesture. Have two categories, one for the bride and one for the
groom, so that both individuals are included. Encourage guests
to include tips like budget friendly dates, sweet romantic
gestures, and great ways to get any couple out of the
relationship rut! Everyone will certainly enjoy this great
wedding shower game.

After years of practicing both conventional and holistic medicine for horses, I decided to compare the cost, effectiveness, and net results of managing and treating horses holistically versus conventionally.

In this article I compare results for the average trail horse that is ridden about 2-3 times a week. I have used average feed and veterinary costs for my area (Austin, Texas), and drug and supplement costs from a major horse supply catalog.

I then discuss the issues related to each area of care, including feed, supplements, vaccines, dewormers, and first aid. Stay tuned for different profiles in coming months, when I will compare horses in difference disciplines, young horses, older horses, and broodmares.

>>> Holistic Horse <<<
Oats (2 lbs/day): $131
Hay (3 bales/week): $780
Super Blue Green Algae (1-2 tsp/day): $156
VEWT, West Nile Vaccinations: $48
Spectrabiotic Natural Wormer: $115
2 Fecal Exams: $32
Acidophilus (for occasional immune support): $7
TOTAL ANNUAL COST: $1269

>>> Conventional Horse <<<
Oats (4 lbs/day): $262
Hay (2 bales/week): $520
Hoof Supplements and Dressings ($30/month): $360
VEWT, West Nile, Flue, Rhino, Rabies Vaccinations: $80
Dewormer (6 times/year): $92
2 Bottles Penicillin: $20
A Course of Sulfa Antibiotics: $32
Fecal Exams: $32
12 Grams Bute: $10
TOTAL ANNUAL COST: $1408

COST DIFFERENCE: Holistic care costs $139 less per year
DAYS OFF FOR ILLNESS: 3 days for holistic care versus 21 days for conventional care

<><> Feed Costs <><>
Grain is slightly cheaper to feed and easier to store than hay, which makes the conventional horse slightly cheaper to feed on the one hand. On the other hand, the holistic horse, which has access to more hay, stays happy and entertained and is less likely to develop expensive habits and vices such as chewing on wood, cribbing, or weaving.

<><> Supplements <><>
In the past, hay and oats provided all the nutrition a horse needed, but these days common farming practices do not produce feeds that are high in vitamins and minerals. Hoof quality is the first area to be affected by such poor nutrition, and few horses can maintain healthy feet on a diet of hay and oats alone. If you doubt this, just check any horse supply catalog. The one I checked offered 22 topical hoof conditioners and 28 separate supplements. Cell Tech’s Super Blue Green Algae offers a wide range of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants in a whole food form. It is inexpensive to feed, promotes healthy feet, and supports the horse in all aspects of health.

<><> Vaccines <><>
Some people will choose not to vaccinate at all while others will choose to use more vaccines than the ones I’ve listed in the trail horse comparison. I believe that over-vaccination is one of the most common triggers for chronic diseases such as laminitis and uveitis, and contributes to allergic conditions. Stressing the horse’s system with over-vaccination can also affect the digestive system, leading to mineral deficiencies. Stress also decreases the amount of healthy bacterial flora in the gut, increasing the likelihood of colic.

<><> Dewormers <><>
We are fortunate to have some fairly safe chemical dewormers such as Pyrantel and Fenbendazole, yet some people still prefer using natural products to support the horse’s digestive and immune systems rather than using chemical dewormers. Regardless of which method you use, it is wise to double check your program with fecal exams at least twice a year.

<><> First Aid <><>
When I practiced strictly conventional medicine I found that most horses suffered from minor injuries or infections at least several times a year. These minor emergencies kept me busy, and because they were so common most of my clients started keeping drugs on hand and learned to treat these conditions themselves.

When I began to treat my patients more holistically, with fewer vaccines and better nutrition (including the use of probiotics such as Acidophilus), I noticed that the horses had less and less need for drugs. My patients no longer needed bute or antibiotics for minor cuts and punctures. These wounds healed quickly and easily with no loss of riding time. Gone also was the aggravating chronic nasal discharge that often kept horses out of work for weeks at a time.

A holistically managed horse with a healthy immune system will often run a fever for a short period of time when exposed to a virus or bacteria. This response slows the pathogen’s growth and deprives it of nutrients. A short course of probiotics will help support the horse during this time. Once the fever breaks, the horse bounces back quickly with little nasal discharge or cough. These horses then go right back to work without concern about relapse. Conventionally managed horses taking anti-inflammatories and antibiotics will often get better in the short term, but then relapse or develop a chronic nasal discharge.

<><> The Results Are In! <><>
The trail horse example I have used above precisely demonstrates what I have experienced in my practice. While it costs about the same to manage a horse either conventionally or holistically, I’ve found that holistically managed horses are much healthier overall, which means fewer chronic problems and more days of riding time. In fact, conventionally managed horses have about 7 times the number of sick days as holistically managed horses.

About the Author

Madalyn Ward, DVM, co-author of “Holistic Treatment of Chronic Lamintis”, is certified in Veterinary Homeopathy, Chiropractic and Acupuncture. Through her website, Holistic Horsekeeping, (http://www.holistichorsekeeping.com), she publishes a free monthly newsletter, offers the Healthy, Happy Horse resource group, e-books, holistic horsecare products and information for horse and mule owners.