Help Mountains Animal Sanctuary - Scotland's largest Horse rescue and adoption centre

Any horse owner will know the importance of looking after and caring for animals in need, which is why charities like Mountains Animal Sanctuary, Scotland's biggest re-homing and adoption centre for horses and ponies. 

For over 30 years, Mountains Animal Sanctuary in Forfar, Angus, has been dedicated to caring for vulnerable horses in need of some TLC and a safe and suitable home. In order to keep themselves out on the frontline, bringing in and re-homing horses, ponies and donkeys in order give them a shot at a better life, Mountains relies on charitable donations and volunteers. However, sadly, they now need your help more than ever after suffering a break-in last week, less than two weeks before Christmas. 

A statement from the Mountains Sactuary website reads:

On Sunday night/Monday morning (9th/10th Dec) at about 3.30am Mountains Animal Sanctuary, was broken into. All our donations from the previous day at our Nativity Concert were taken as was stock from our Visitors Centre and our unique much loved carved horse, Milton, we used for our Armistice Service. Plugs were put in sinks and taps left running so the visitors centre was also flooded, the office was completely wrecked. We are all devastated that anyone would target us especially at this time of year.

Any help would be much appreciated, if you live close by and can help with the big clean up please contact the office on 01356 650308.

You can donate by following the links on this page, any amount however small would be appreciated.

If you have any information that might help the police contact the office on the above number.

  

Make You Own Horse Hair Jewellery

At Tic Tac Equestrian, we love jewellery, especially beautifully hand-crafted pieces you can make yourself. Horse hair jewellery in particular is a great gift for equestrians, especially at Christmas time, and not to mention, a fun and beautiful way to honour your horse.

Bracelets and necklaces can be tricky to make but with a bit of practice you can make gifts for your friends and yourself. Which is why we've scoured to net for the best ideas on how to make y

So, how do you start? Well, decide what type of bracelet you would like to make and it's worthwhile making a visit to your local craft shop to pick up the right findings/beads/charms you want to add. After that, the basic steps are fairly simple. 

You'll need: 

• Horse Hair
• Rubber Bands
• Metal beads
• Silk cord, same colour as hair
• Silver cap end
• Toggle clasp

Instructions:

• Collect horse hairs that are about a foot in length. Continue collecting them until you have small bundle--as wide as your thumb.

• Wrap an elastic band at the far end of the horse hair. Insert the thin metal wire into the centre of the bundle. Make sure the elastic band is wrapped tightly, as to hold the hairs and wire in place.

• Comb the hair gently to remove any tangles.

• Separate the small bundle of hair into three equal sections. Keep the wire in the centre of the middle section of hair. Braid the hair, concealing the metal wire, until you reach the bottom of the bundle.

• Bind the end of the braid with silk cord in the same colour of the horse hair. Repeat this process for the beginning of the braid, binding the silk cord in front of the elastic band (where the braid begins). Remove elastic band. Trim off excess hair.

• Pull the silk cord through the cap end and secure it to the end of your bracelet. The hair slips into the cap end, providing a neat appearance. Repeat this process for the other end of your bracelet.

• Slip the metal beads over the hair and position where desired. You may choose to have an attractive bead or charm in the centre of your bracelet, as a focal point.

We'd love to hear what wonderful creations you've pulled together, so feel free to get in touch here, or at the Tic Tac site! Good Luck!

Spoil your horse this Christmas with gift ideas from Tic Tac Equestrian!

Horses know how to live it up
 at Christmas too!

It's getting even closer to Christmas, and at Tic Tac Equestrian, the excitement is beginning to mount! It's a magical time of year, and a perfect opportunity to show your loved ones just how much you care - especially your beloved horses and ponies!

Believe us when we say our four-legged buddies appreciate the excitement of getting a special new gift on Christmas Day as much as their owners, so at Tic Tac, there are plenty of fantastic x-mas gift ideas for horses, from comfy riding gear and winter rugs, to delicious treats and lots of horsey toiletries to keep them looking happily, healthy and smart. 

For the full range of Christmas gift ideas from Tic Tac Equestrian, go to the official store today, or for some more ideas, check out our earlier post on stocking and stable fillers this Christmas!

From all of us here, we hope you have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!

New Year's Resolutions (for Horses!!)

So, 2012 is about to draw to a close, so it's time to start thinking about all those New Year's Resolutions for 2013! 

(c) Lucie Provencher

But it's not just about what diets you're going to take up or what wonderful places you want to visit over the next 12 months - what about your horses?!

That's right, horses are in need of a bit of change and positive motivation, so what kinds of things will YOUR horses and ponies be looking to change in the next big year ahead?

Well, we've scoured the web for a few ideas of fun little things horses can do to make their lives - and yours - a little sweeter over the next 365 days!

HORSE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR 2012

• I will practice patience and good manners at feeding time. 

• I will try to keep you laughing even when I know I am being naughty.

• I promise not to try and kick the dog.

• I will not stomp on the salt block, breaking it into unlickable pieces.

• I will not trot away when I see you come towards me with a halter. I want to play, really I do.

• I will let someone else be the leader, for a day – one day only - that day will be of my choosing with no advanced notice.

• I will swallow wormer without objection and without getting any of it on myself or you.

• I will get under you when you lose your seat, instead of seizing the opportunity to dump you in the dirt. 

What are some of your Horse's New Year's Resolutions? Get in touch via the Tic Tac Equestrian Facebook or Twitter, and we'll stick them up here!

Christmas Day Treats for Horses!

Here's hoping for horsey white christmas!

We're getting ready for the holidays here at Tic Tac Equestrian! Now,  Christmas day is what you make it, but for us it’s a time to get fat and enjoy yourself - but don’t forget about your horses! They deserve a treat too and we’ve searched far and wide among horse lovers to get some great ideas for special ways to treat your four-legged friends at this wonderful time of the year.

Christmas Cake for Horses

Who doesn’t love Christmas cake? Exactly – no one! And that goes for our equine neighbours too. There are lots of different ways to spruce up their Christmas feed, so let’s start off with a simple but irresistible festive and wonderfully horsey Christmas cake.

Ingredients

Dark brown sugar - 500 g

1 Mug of bran

2 Mugs of chaff

1 apple

1 big carrot grated

1 small tin of black treacle

(You can add a mug of mix if you feed it)

Instructions

Heat up the sugar and treacle until melted, then stir in the rest of the ingredients -you may need to add little more chaff or bran so it is very thick.

Put into a medium-sized container and leave to set.

This recipe is very rich and sugary so be sure to feed with care to horses with sugar intolerance or if you like, you can reduce the amount of sugar you put in and replace with fruit - but it’s safe to say most healthy horses love this!

Other treats

You can also use many of the same ingredients to make different variations of fun, delicious horses treats, including these similar, candy-style treats.

To make, simply mix 1 can of black treacle, 500g of dark brown sugar, melt in a pan and pour into little lickit containers to make fun tongue twisters – lots of brown sticky noses but they adore them.

Big Horse Treats

For bigger horses looking for a heartier wee feed, slices of apple and long strips of carrot dipped into slices of toffee are also a great Christmas day treat. You can also mix in chaff and leave to set in balls - very messy to make but worth it.

Ingredients for the Toffee

200g sugar

55ml of water

15 g of butter

1 tablespoon of Golden Syrup

TO MAKE

Heat the sugar and water together until fully melted, add butter and syrup and boil until 290 on jam thermometer or till it reaches the soft crack stage.

Dip your carrot and apple or other fruit/veg of choice into this and put on baking parchment until hard – and yes, the apple treats can be nice for humans too, so don’t be afraid to give them a taste test!

Christmas Pudding

For an alternative Christmas Pudding recipe, here’s a quick and easy way to keep your horses happy this winter:

Ingredients

Round bread roll

Golden syrup or molasses (optional)

Carrots

Apples

Pears (optional)

Polos

To Make

1. First cut a hole in your roll as if you are cutting the stem out of the strawberry.

2. Keep the top part of the bread safe! You will need it later!

3. Cut your carrots, apples and pears into thin sticks.

4. Arrange your sticks in the roll with at least three pointing up, out of the bowl.

5. Place a polo on each stick pointing up.

6. Pour golden syrup in to help it stay together. (optional)

7. Place the "lid" of bread on top.

8. Put a splodge of golden syrup on top. (optional)

9. In the splodge put some pear and polos in the shape of mistletoe on top. (optional)

10. Either put in feed or feed by hand!

REMEMBER: Only feed these treats a little at a time as they are very rich and full of sugar. But even a tiny taste will be a nice touch to help your horses and ponies enjoy this holiday season! Also, if you’re feeling extra merry, a nice big splash of Guinness in their Christmas dinner always goes down a treat too!

You can make fun variations of these recipes, or if you like, please feel free to send us any of your own ideas and recipes, we’d love to hear from you!

Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Horsey New Year!!

Clipping your horse for the Winter

It's that time of the year again where it's wise to think about clipping your horse. In their natural state, horses have all the protection they need against the harsh winter weather. However, in order to be able to handle different types of exercise and activity over the winter months, they need some, or in some cases, all of their winter coat removed to enable them to work efficiently and of course, to help us keep them clean! 

Reasons for clipping: 

• For quick drying after exercise
• To allow a horse to carry out fast work without too much stress
• To avoiding adverse effects caused by heavy sweating
• It makes grooming easier
• And it keeps you horse looking sharp!

What sort of clip should I consider for my horse? 
Your choice of clip depends on the type of work your horse will be doing over the winter period, taking into account how much he usually sweats. 

• Trace clip: A Trace Clip allows horses and ponies to be exercised without getting too hot. This also allows them to continue being turned-out in the winter. The coat is removed from the belly and up the underside of the neck. Hair is meanwhile left on the head, the topside of the neck, body and legs for warmth and protection. For a low trace, only a small section of hair is removed from the belly and neck whereas a high trace takes more hair from these areas going further up the horse's flank.

• Blanket clip: With a Blanket Clip, the coat is removed completely from the head, neck and flanks, leaving only an area of hair that looks like an exercise sheet over the back and hind-quarters and on the legs. This type of clip would suit a horse that has regular exercise, is turned-out in the field and does various events at the weekends. 
  
  
• Hunter clip: This is used mainly for horses in heavy work, such as hunters. The Hunter Clip is similar to the blanket clip, except that the hair over the hind-quarters is removed leaving only a patch in the saddle area. The leg hair remains for warmth and protection.
  
  
• Full clip: This is usually given to competition horses that compete in the winter months. The whole of the coat is removed, including body, legs and head. The full clip looks very smart but does require careful stable management. Horses with a full clip need to be rugged up at all times and may need to wear stable bandages in very cold weather.

Where do I start? 

• First of all you need to purchase a good quality pair of clippers. However, there are many different types available depending on the job you need them for so you wont be stuck for choice. Your choice of clippers depends on the type of clip as well as personal preference. 
  
  
• It's often wise to give your horse a bath first if they are particularly dirty. However, usually, you just need to make sure they are well-kept and thoroughly groomed, making sure you remove any and all dirt and sweat that could potentially clog up the clippers. 
  
  
• Have a rug ready to put on your horse after you finish clipping - we guarantee they'll notice the difference in temperature after their nice new haircut!
  
  
• If possible, try to have someone on hand to hold your horse and comfort them if they become agitated. 
  
  
• Use chalk to outline the area you are going to clip, particularly if you have not clipped a horse before. 
  
  
• While clipping the body, the clippers must run flat over the coat - don’t use too much pressure otherwise you will create lines known as ‘tram-lines’.  On the other hand, when clipping the legs and face you will need to clip against the hair as it is shorter than the rest of the hair on the horse’s body. 
  
  
• Start from the top of the neck and head and then work your way along the rest of the body. With experience you can develop your own clipping methods to suit both you and your horse, creating the least amount of stress possible. 
  
  
• Be firm, but gentle when working around the head. It is probably best to use a pair of finishing trimmers as they make less noise and are less likely to startle or cause stress. 
  
  
• After you have finished clipping, make sure that your horse is nice and rugged up and apply stable bandages if necessary - oh, and be sure to give them a well deserved treat! 
  
  
• If all else fails, get an expert to do it for you. It won’t cost you very much and it could cut out a lot of stress for both you and your horse.
  
  

For more info on our great range of clippers and other horse grooming items, be sure to check out the Tic Tac Equestrian store.

Likit Boredom Buster

At Tic Tac Equestrian, we know that winter boredom is bad enough for humans but we've got plenty of gadgets and TV boxsets to see in the long winter nights with a smile! For horses it's a tougher challenge staying sharp and satisfied having to spend long hours in the stable, but have no fear, before you start hooking up a flatscreen and an HD copy of Black Beauty there are plenty of fun ways to stave off the winter blues without breaking the bank and help keep your equine buddies full of beans and not just fed up!

One of our favourites is the Likit Boredom Buster (£20.99). As most horse lovers will know, lickable treats are universally loved by our four-legged friends, they can't get enough of them, and the fantastic range of diverse and delicious treats from Likit are among the best.

Their unique Boredom Buster Treats consist of a small plastic ball, suspended from a bouncy cord which you can hang inside the stable - just not too close to any walls! You pop your Horse's favourite Likit inside and watch them go! The more they try to control the ball, the more it spins, bounces and jumps, making it a fun way to make the most of a good treat! 

The more they spin, knock and push the Boredom Buster, the more irresistible the treat becomes and the more satisfying the reward! Don't worry, it's not to hard to get the hang of, but it's certainly a satisfying way to spend time and keep busy during long hours in the stable! 

At the Tic Tac Store, we have a huge range of Likit products you can use with the Boredom Buster, so have fun and try different combinations to keep your horses nice and busy this winter! Perfect Christmas Stocking Fillers!

In the meantime, here's a great video of the Boredom Buster in action!

Cold Weather Colic

Cold Weather Colic can be a real stress for horse owners over the Christmas period and winter in general. 

There are several reasons why horses tend to colic more when the weather changes, but in winter, three main culprits are:

Lack of routine exercise: With darker skies at night and the sun rising later in the morning, combined with colder temperatures, and often wetter cold days, horses get less turn out and less riding time, spending more time in the stall. Regular exercise and movements helps to keep both horse and human digestive systems functioning properly. If you have ever been laid up sick and cannot move around, you know that your digestive system has a tendency to not work as well as when you move. The same thing happens to horses.  Even if you can only turn your horse out for a few hours or hand walk around the barn, it is better than no exercise at all.

Cold water and iced over water: horses will drink up to ten gallons a day on a regular basis, but in winter, they may drink fewer than three due to cold. Adding a salt block in the stall will encourage drinking or if possible, you can purchase a water de-icer that will keep the water at a comfortable temperature or perhaps even bring hot water from home to mix in with the cold to help encourage your horse to drink more often. Water helps to aid proper digestion which will help prevent conditions like colic. 

Lack of pasture: This problem is two-fold, first, in that there is little green grass which helps to absorb moisture into the gut and adds wet fiber to help move food along the digestive tract, secondly, horses that are kept on wooded pasture land will tend to eat tree bark, leaves and tree nuts when no other food source is around. Keeping hay in the pasture with plenty of water which is not too cold, will help keep a horse healthy and happy, though beware of getting a large round roll from a dealer you have not gotten hay from before, as many horses have colicked on new hay, especially finer hays like Alicia which tend to cause more impact collics than courser hays like coastal bermuda.

Bottom line - to prevent colic in horses during cold winter months, provide them with a convenient source of clean, ice free water, plenty of turn out, regular routine, soft music in the stall to prevent stress from being cooped up during foul weather days and be careful about feeding too much hay from different sources without giving the horse a chance to switch over gradually.

As always, if in doubt, don't hesitate to contact your vet.