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Lee's Kricket Keepers
by wee-bobby23
Sorry about the title couldn't resist now then i hav one of these for my dubian cockroaches and it isn't big enough if you have a number of crickets,locusts or any other type of feeder insect this simply won't do you will need to upgrade to a decent sized fish tank because all live feeder insects breed like rabbits just with some warmth ... and food. That is not to mention the fact that if you put adult locusts in this tank you will be in for a massive shock because locusts fly and as soon as you open the hatch on top of this tank they will fly out guaranteed and your house will never be the same. All them warnings and negatives out the way this tank is totally ideal for mealworms and pet insects like spiders,stick insects etc because it is well ventilated and easy to heat with a heatmat my advice? get a small fish tank instead more space so more breeding.
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Roma Tendon Boots
by PerfectPeaches
Now my discipline when it comes to my horses is dressage. Years ago as a child/teenager I regularly competed in one day events (cross country, show jumping and dressage) and when a bad fall knocked my confidence I decided to purely stick to dressage. However, I do think a little variety is needed in a horse's life so I do jump them at ... least once a week.
For jumping I do like to use the correct equipment such as a jumping saddle which is more forward cut enabling your position to be secure and to protect the horse I use tendon boots which protect the horse's tendons on their front legs. Because I don't jump as often as others I didn't want to spend a fortune on a pair of tendon boots which would spend a lot of their time in a storage box. This is where the Roma Tendon Boots come in!
Roma a company owned by Weatherbeeta which is a global success. Roma aim to produce a variety of equestrian equipment at a decent price, basically they won't break your bank balance! The Roma Tendon Boots are ideal for those that are just starting off in jumping and need to protect their horse's legs as they provide adequate protection and support but without the high price tag of other tendon boots. Basically the job of tendon boots are to protect the horse's tendons by preventing them from striking the back of their front leg with their hind hoof.
My Roma Tendon Boots are exactly the same as in the picture. Like most tendon boots they are open fronted and are fastened by two Velcro straps which cross over the front of the leg and then secured with a large Velcro strap which covers both straps to ensure their stability. It is important that they are not fastened too tight which can put pressure on the cannon bone but failure to putting them on tight enough could cause an accident.
The boots have a contoured design which moulds well to the shape of the horse's leg. This offers a secure and supportive fit as well as ensuring maximum protection against knocks and brushing in the main areas of the leg; tendon, splint bone and fetlock. The boots are made from a durable synthetic leather outer shell and on the inside there is a combination of a gel and neoprene lining which offers great shock absorption which is needed for jumping.
Tendon boots go on the horse's front legs and sit just about the fetlock and should be below the knee. It is vital with tendon boots that you get the correct size for your horse as they could cause an accident. The aim of the boots is to protect your horse not cause them any further damage. If unsure about them it is best to seek advice from a saddler store or even by ringing up the brand's customer careline.
I've had my Roma Tendon Boots for a couple of years now and although I have upgraded them I do still use them on my youngster who is learning to jump as they are incredibly durable and resilient. Best of all they do protect their legs which is vital as you don't want to damage a horse's legs. As my youngster is just learning he does knock his legs often and despite these showing scuff marks and wear and tear they still stand up to the job that they are designed for.
When I first bought them they were a bit tough to begin with but this is down to the synthetic material of the outer shell but the lining on the inside was soft and almost quite spongy and a few years later although the lining has decreased in thickness due to wear it still manages to protect the horse's legs and doesn't rub or cause any irritation to the skin and fur.
Overall, these are a great pair of budget tendon boots which are suitable for anyone starting off in jumping or even cross country. They do what they are supposed to whilst giving support and protection to the horse's legs. A great buy and I'd recommend them to all.
~ Useful Info ~
Brand: Roma
Sizes: Pony, Cob and Full
Colour: Black
Price: Around the £15.99 mark
Availability: Online equestrian stores. Could also ask in your local tack shop.
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Weatherbeeta Jasper Extra Lite Stable Rug
by PerfectPeaches
As we seem to be having really unsettled weather at the moment I'm finding it harder to keep my one horse comfortable. He has various medical conditions and he is allowed to be a wimp when outside in the field so when he starts to dither when it drops below a certain temperature I bring him in to his nice warm stable and as if by magic ... the dithering stops!
On the cooler nights I have been putting a thin cotton rug on him which was unfortunately not doing much of a job in keeping him warm so I turned to my massive rug collection and managed to unearth a very light stable rug which was perfect for those cooler nights as it has hardly any filling to it.
The rug in question is made by a world leading rug manufacturer called Weatherbeeta - they supply rugs throughout the world and have been dominating the market for quite a number of years. The rug is known as the Jasper Extra Lite and is the little sister to the thicker Jasper Stable Rug. Weatherbeeta made it solely for those cool and may be chilly nights where anything thicker would cause the horse to over heat.
The rug itself has a 210 denier outer shell which is channel quilted. As you can see from the photo it looks like a sleepbag which is what channel quilting is. The denier amount is basically measured as to how tough the outside of the rug is. Being a stable rug they tend to have a low denier as they don't have to withstand the outside elements as well as bushes and trees.
The inside of the rug is made up of 110g of polyfill and again with polyfill the more you have the thicker and warmer the rug is. Because there is only 110g in this rug it is incredibly light and thin which compared to a very thick stable rug means it is easy to put on the horse as well as fold up and store when it is not in use. It has a polycotton lining which manages to keep the horse's coat soft and at the top of the rug there is a wither pad which helps to prevent the rubbing of the mane.
At the front of the rug there is one buckle strap which has quite a few different holes to ensure the right fit for your horse although should you have a wide chested horse you can purchase a chest expander which allows the front of the rug to fit a wider horse. At the side of the rug there are two straps known as surcingles which cross under the horse's belly and fasten on the other side. These are fully adjustable but not removable. Finally, at the back of the rug there is a fillet string which goes underneath the horse's tail. It is vital that both the surcingles and fillet string are not too tight or too loose.
I've got quite a few Weatherbeeta stable rugs of all different weights and vareties and they are all incredibly well made and the Jasper Extra Lite is no different. The contrasting binding is tough and durable as is the rug even if it is only for indoor use. All the fastenings are very secure to the rug so unless the horse uses all its force the buckles won't budge at all. Despite being so tough they are easily adjusted to suit the fit of your horse.
My horse has worn this rug several nights over the last week or so (and has worn the same rug earlier in the year) and has managed to keep him warm by simply taking the edge off the coolness so he doesn't end up over heating which is great as horses don't like to overheat and sweat. Fortunately my horse has been quite happy wearing his rug and he hasn't felt too hot when checked late at night. By morning he is still warm but I can tell when I take his rug off that he hasn't sweated at all.
This really is a useful stable rug to have as apart from keeping a horse warm on those chilly nights and also as an under-rug beneath the heavy weight stable rugs just to keep a horse nice and toasty. It has certainly come in handy for my horses as during the really cold months it is great to add a bit of warmth underneath a heavier rug and it does the job just fine. Overall, this is a great rug to have in any collection as it is great for all round use.
~ Useful Info ~
Colours: Navy/Silver, New Orchid/Royal
Sizes: Navy/Silver in 4'0 to 7'3, New Orchid/Royal in 5'0 to 6'9
Price: Between £30.00 to £40.00 depending on the retailer
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