At the Vet!

Since I'm postponing my return to school, I've resumed working and am getting more experience and exposure to the different sorts of conditions and situations and people that I'd meet in a veterinary setting. +ADW says that I always have the most interesting stories when I call him from the car on my way home. I pointed out that I wanted to "take opportunities to learn at work" so I thought I'd start a series, "At the Vet" about the experience I come across on a regular basis that seem like common sense to my colleagues and I as well as the new and interesting things I learn online while exploring something from work.

In the past, I've worked at a local clinic that I currently take Bucky and Stanley to. I have been going there for nearly two decades and the clientele demographics is less diversified than what I see now. At the time, I was in high school and working as an evening animal care attendant but now I'm no longer in the back doing the grunt work and am on the front-lines assisting the doctors and patients. From what I've experienced, most people have limited experience and exposure to this field but so many of us have pets or companion animals in some capacity.

Bucky says, get engaged in your pet's health care! Understand what's happening.

When I decided I wanted to be a vet, I was only a kid and didn't know what that all meant. It was glamourized in my mind that the doctor gets to interact with cute cuddly animals and do awesome fun work like basic vaccines and pet them and help them get better if they're sick. My perspectives have changed considerably as I have gotten older and these opportunities have further clarified what it means to be a medical professional (not just for animals!) and help those who need help. I honestly have never been more convinced that I just want to help educate the human guardians so that they may give the best care for their companions. Because the reality is vets have to be educators, surgeons, nutritionists, business people, translators, scientists, grief counsellors, advocates for those unable to speak and doctors to multiple species--all through a human guardian who may or may not understand what's happening!

I don't claim to be any expert in the area of animal care or veterinary medicine but I do know that I am always looking to do what's best for my animal friends and will explore the trends, science and other details out there. It is my hope that this series will give me the chance to learn more about the various aspects of the veterinary profession as well as providing pet guardians out there who want to do right, information to help them critically choose the best thing for their companions.


Disclaimer: all stories and details of this series will be composed based on personal experience and does NOT replace the advice or knowledge of a licensed veterinarian or registered vet tech. These posts are meant to open minds (mine especially) and get pet owners to get engaged and thinking about their pet's care, in order to better understand what is being prescribed and why. I highly recommend all pet owners to get involved in their pet's care and ask their veterinarians questions when they don't understand something being discussed with them about their pets.

A Great Horsey Contest!

Living in the city makes it difficult to give me plenty of practical experience for my riding. I have to "practice" outside of my lessons so that they are worth the time. As physical as riding is, there is great benefit to take in and reading other people's experiences to add your your own repertoire. It might not work out exactly as you'd think but you might not have thought about something until reading another's opinion! Take for example her post about turning on a horse... she helped put the action into words and actions that I was able to attempt, on my own time. I have since incorporated it when riding Ariel and I've found her more responsive!

I'd like to introduce a great contest where Kathy Farrokhzad at Horse Listening will be giving away FIVE signed copies of her new book, Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding. The winners will be selected randomly from the comments in the post and will end on March 14, 2014. All you have to do is leave a comment of 50 words or less in her comments section about why you want a copy of the signed book by Kathy.

Check it out and good luck!

“It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.” --Oscar Wilde

Our world is filled with all sorts of diverse subjects, themes and stories; there are so many that I want to immerse myself and just take it all in; I thirst for knowledge and new experiences. I'm sure you can tell through my blog posts, that I have a wide range of interests with a few key focuses that I could easily devote my entire life, if I was allowed to. The main one is certainly my equestrian activities but reading helps me get into the heads of other people to know what their lives are/were like.

My mom always said that the best thing to do for yourself is to read. When you read, you're taken on an adventure that is far away; be it a fictional or non-fictional read. I am inspired by Amb to read more and to allow others to have an idea of where I've gone, with my reading. In an effort to accomplish this, I am going to undertake a new project called the "Book Club 2013" and I'll be posting a list of books I will be reading and subsequently reviewing.

A new page has been created to keep track of this new project and I hope that you will join me in suggesting good books to read! :)

From Reykjavik, With Love

Saturday is the last chance to squeeze in a "regular" day for us seeing as people seemed to start taking their Easter vacations on Thursday. In the Frommer's guidebook for Iceland, there is a section for "Suggested Itineraries" where various stays are outlined for travelers. Having seen a very fulfilling  1-day schedule which takes one to some of the "must-see" spots in Reykjavik, I decided that today was the day to execute it. Though we started the day later than we should have, we managed to head into town and check out this cozy little book-lined bohemian cafe across from the Culture House/Museum.

Grái Kötturinn

The menu is simple and satisfying: I order pancake with ham, cheese and cream-cheese and ADW has a more traditional eggs and bacon type of breakfast. The coffee here is some of the best I've had in the city and we even tried a carbonated fizzy malt drink.

We head out to the Culture House/Museum next. This museum/house is built in 1909 (I think?) and features transcribed and bound books of the 14th and 15th centuries; stored under low light  and behind glass. The exhibit even goes into the process of the vellum book binding of the Icelandic medieval times.

As ADW probably has worms with a penchant for processed fatty meats, we head to the best known hot-dog stand in the country: Baejarinns Bestu Pylsur to grab a snack. I don't think he's ever going to get sick of hot-dogs...

We browse some of the main tourist streets to pick up some more souvenirs for friends and family and make the effort to drop by the Hand-Knitting Association of Iceland where tourists visit to purchase hand-made traditional Icelandic sweaters and other woolen goods made from Icelandic sheep wool. If you're going to get yourself traditional Icelandic woolen gear, this is the place to go because their products are genuinely hand-knitted in Iceland and use authentic Icelandic wool--which is special in its own right.

The main Christian denomination of the Icelanders is the Lutheran sect and the most prominent church in Reykjavik is the Hallgrímskirkja. This towering architectural monument is one of the most visible and impressive sights in the city. While you either hate or love the architectural aesthetics, their elevator takes you to an unbeatable view of the entire city and surrounding area. The fee to go up is really reasonable and it seems that you can go whenever the church is open--even when the church store/ticket office, is not. I'll be stitching together a panoramic view sometime when I return.

Tomorrow we round up our trip by saying good-bye to the city of Reykjavik to head to our final tourist destination of Iceland: the Blue Lagoon. This geothermal spa is one of the top visited attractions in Iceland and boasts incredible therapeutic spa treatments for those with psoriasis or other skin conditions. Two of the Ottawa girls we met said that they came out and their entire bodies felt soft like baby bum. I feel that this is a necessary event as Icelanders are known for their outdoor geothermal pools, and are known to frequent these types of establishments even when it's raining or snowing out!

(**NOTE: I know, I promised lots of photos but the wi-fi is a bit spotty tonight. So, I'll definitely be getting something together once I return home :) )

Nearing the End of Our Trip

Since I've been busy blogging, I thought it would be good to give ADW a chance to post his thoughts on here too...

Iceland may not be the first destination to come to mind when planning for a trip during a long Canadian winter, but while many Canadians headed to warmer climates in anticipation for our own spring and summer, we headed to the North Atlantic island known for its Vikings and volcano eruptions.

I would describe Iceland as powerful and majestic, yet peaceful and understated. The beautiful landscapes - including mighty waterfalls, dormant volcanoes, and lumbering glaciers – remind us of the amazing geological forces that shape the face of our Earth. At the same time, this sparsely populated island does not have the same frenetic pace that we are used to in North America and allows one the time and peace to properly take it all in.

There are three highlights from the trip in particular:

1)     The horse riding trip through old lava fields was better than I had anticipated. For the last three months, I have been taking lessons at Greyden working hard on improving my riding skills, all the while restricted to the confines of a small arena due to the chilly winter weather. Finally, on our Icelandic horse riding tour, I was able to utilize these hard earned (albeit limited) skills out in the open and be a true horse rider! I was able to control my lively Icelandic horse, ride the Tolt, and experience the canter for the first time while riding through some truly amazing scenery. I’m really glad that the riding lessons have paid off and allowed me to truly appreciate our riding tour.

2)     Hiking on the glacier was a great experience. When I was younger, I had actually visited the Columbia Ice Fields and walked on that glacier, but I never truly understood what it was that I was walking on. Little did I know that glaciers are actually slowly moving, immense structures of ice that carve a path through the land. This time I was able to understand that I was walking on a true force of nature.

3)     Ok, so this is not a specific “highlight” per se, but there is no tipping in Iceland! I have never been to a country where no tips are expected and I like it. A lot. I have no problem paying for good service because I believe good service should be rewarded, but I do have a problem with the entitled North American attitude that a good tip is expected regardless of the service. I am particularly irked when I pay using a card machine and it prompts me to enter a 25% (!!!) tip. The service here in Iceland has been impeccable and I have no major complaints. I really appreciate that our servers and tour guides take pride in doing a good job without expecting a tip afterwards. Kudos for helping us have a great time and I wish we could import this attitude to North America.

I have really enjoyed my time in Iceland and although it is not an in-your-face exciting place to visit, it has won me over with its majestic scenery, amazing experiences, and great culture. This is a place I would like to come back to visit again in the future.

And because ADW is a keeper of factoids, here's a list of facts that he compiled because he thought they were interesting...

A few interesting facts about Iceland:

-     99% of the electricity here is generated by clean sources. 20% from geothermal heat and the rest from hydro-electric

-     The water here is extremely clean and tap water tastes as good, if not better, than the bottled “spring water” that we can buy back home

-     Reykjavik is considered to have the best hot-dogs in the world, and yes they sure are tasty!

-     Icelandic is the name of the country’s language, but it is actually the same ancient Norwegian language used by the first settlers over 1,200 years ago. Icelanders can read ancient Norwegian texts, but Norwegians can not since modern Norwegian has evolved while Icelandic has remained the same

-     Iceland reads and publishes more books per capita than any other country in the world

-     The world’s first openly gay prime minister was elected in Iceland in 2010

-     Many people in Iceland believe in hudulfolk, or hidden people, which include elves, gnomes, dwarves and trolls. Sometimes when driving in the country side, you can see small little colourful homes in the hillsides which are made by people (I’m assuming) for elves

-     Iceland has no standing army, but it is a NATO member. It is currently Canada’s turn to defend Iceland and we have six CF-18’s currently based at Keflavik for a 5-week rotation

We're almost done our trip and I'm sad to be leaving tomorrow but rest assured that there will be at least 1 more post before we leave here--with plenty of photos!

Horsey Talk #2

I think we've accumulated a bunch more information since the last Horsey Talk installment back in November; and now we needs some 'splainin'. I'm by no means extensively experienced so I only share from my experience.

Posting Diagonals: the posting (or rising) trot is a 2-beat gait that horses do where diagonal legs move together: front right and back left move forward and then switch. The posting diagonal is essentially when the rider is rising when the outside front leg reaches forward. Outside leg? The leg closest to the wall or outside of a circle. This rising gives the horse the chance to bring his back leg forward without the riding on his back to aid his balance. In the instance where he's going straight ahead, rider gets to pick. Check out this video:

Canter: this is a natural 3-beat gait that is faster than the trot but slower than the gallop. The three beats just mean that there are 3 footfalls per stride. In Western riding, a similar gait is called lope. The rider sits during the canter.

Canter leg aids: I checked, and there are several ways to initiate canter but what I've been doing is just the standard leg aids where I pull my outside leg back a bit and then squeeze both together.

Half halts: an application of the restraining aids, asking the horse to "almost halt" and bring its hindquarters under itself in the process, then immediately applying the driving aids to maintain the gait. We've been using it mostly to slow the horse down.

Cavaletti jump: this is a basic training jump that where the ends are formed in an X and at one of the joints is where the bar is attached. The jump is then variable for 3 different heights by turning it.

2-point position: the rider supports his or her body using leg and stirrup, keeping the heels down, and lifting the buttocks out of the saddle while keeping the head and shoulders up. It is called 2-point because there are two point of contact with the saddle. It is typically used when jumping.

Forage: this is the term used for the horse's primary portion of the diet: the vegetation that they graze upon. This can be grass, hay, haylage, silage, alfalfa etc. It is a low quality foodstuff with high fibre.

Looks like I picked some tricky ones this time! I had some trouble explaining some of those terms. Hopefully I did them justice. If I didn't, let me know!

Goal: Classical Seat

I watch this video again and again, to remind myself about the classical seat I should be aiming for, when I ride. It's like studying before the actual test!

Improving Your Classical Seat

Horsey Talk #1

I promised in a previous post that I'd go over some equine jargon since it's practically a foreign language and since I blog about my experiences, it would be beneficial for my wonderful readers! I'm just learning so I'll probably be doing a few of these posts. And, many of these definitions will be based on what I learn... I"m sure there are formal definitions but if that were the case, then I could just send you all a bunch of links.

Tacking up: this means to prepare the horse for receiving their saddle (which includes the stirrups etc) and bridle--basically to be ready to be ridden. Usually includes the grooming, and cleaning of hooves.

Tack: term for all equipment which the horse will wear for riding

Bridle: the bridle is your main steering mechanism. This piece is fitted on the horse's head with a metal bit in their mouth. Some of these are "bit-less" and differ from the English to Western disciplines.

Footing: the stuff that covers the riding ring's floors (outdoor or indoor). It has been sand in the past but recently, there's been a move towards this synthetic recycled rubber stuff.

Gait: this is the way which the horse naturally moves their legs. I've recently learned that there are naturally gaited horses which move differently than what we're used to seeing.

Trot: is a diagonal 2 beat gait. In other words, when the front foot reaches forward, the opposite back foot moves simultaneously.

Posting or posting to the trot: the rising and lowering action which a rider performs while the horse is in his/her trot. This action is generally more comfortable for both horse and rider.

Saddle: this one should be pretty straight forward... the device that is placed on the horses back which becomes the seat for the rider. It's main purpose is to stabilize the rider.

Whithers: this is the top of their shoulders--a bump you'll see at the back of their neck, at the base

Sound: term used to describe a healthy horse.

Girth: the strap which secures the saddle to the horse. This term is used in english riding.

Hope that this helps those who lack a background in horsey talk!

Creating Purpose

I was reviewing my posts with Amber and I realized that I've been either slacking off because I have nothing relevant to write about, or I write something that is a less than stellar performance. Usually it's one of those entries that make you cringe a little when you read them sometime in the (sometimes, distant) future. That can't be good. It's worse than junk food... it's filler! And nobody likes filler. If McDonald's can use real chicken and cut the filler in the chicken mcnuggets, then so can I! I mean the filler crap on this blog...

I thought of unifying the whole blog to something that inspires me and something that can create some form of direction or purpose. I started thinking about something that could fit this role... I like to learn about different aspects of our world. I want to "know it all". Of course, certain topics whet my appetite more but this is certainly a good start in the right direction.

I'm committing myself to the next post topic: big data. What is it? What does it do? Exploiting it.

Stewards of the Earth

Several weeks ago, I had more time and I attended the Green Living show. I heard about it through my monthly ROM newsletter and it included a free admission for 2, to go. My first draw was, unabashedly, the fact that it was free. I wasn't certain what I was in for and was concerned that it might be a hippie-dippie event with some lame stuff all collected together with no real common element to link them together.

Boy was I wrong.

The event was extremely well attended and there were many people in attendance. The first stuff I saw was some home improvement vendors that didn't interest me much because.. well, I don't have a home to do things to. Although, I think the idea of completely living off the grid to be really enticing it isn't something viable right now. Maybe one day.

I saw many intriguing things that day: reclaimed wood used for furniture or accent pieces, a soapless laundry ball, artisan food vendors, rain barrels, organic clothing, the ROM exhibit about oceans, Loblaw's sustainable cooking show, the Yike Bike, buckwheat pillows, glass straws... so many interesting alternatives!

There was an argument that one of my more "activist" type friends had with me last year, about "being responsible". The idea is something I've been trying to incorporate into my life for a long time since I do understand that while we live on Earth, we are only temporarily borrowing it from our future generations. If we ruin things now, there won't be anything left for anyone else. At the same time, our society progresses and continues to thrive because of the very fact that we are able to exploit something to our benefit so that we can (for example) go to a store to buy our food and expect it to be in exactly the order we always know it as... not have to go foraging or hunting for god knows what.

For example, about our food: science has come a long way and we know how to tinker with animals, plants and their genes so that we can get what we want. While some natural breeding selection is necessary for our food (this is only one aspect of this whole thing) to be accommodated for our changing lifestyle as a society, I think there is always a minimum standard that should be maintained in terms of a natural method to raise animals where humane practices are executed.

The show was a great opportunity for me to find more alternatives to activities and items that I do enjoy and want to continue to enjoy, but making a more responsible choice that won't impact the Earth and others negatively; afterall, what's good for mankind is good for each one of us.

Weekend Break

Everyone always asks where I'm off to, during the long weekend. I went... nowhere. Well, that's not true. I didn't leave the comfort of my home for a fancy vacation that was potentially expensive. I had a STAY-CATION! Yep, I just made up a word. But, it doesn't matter because I had a great long weekend.

On Friday, I started the day by visited the All About Pets Show at the International Center in Mississauga. There were cats, dogs, parrots, monkeys, ponies and several other types of exotic pets there. I took AD to do some research: what does getting a dog involve? Was the mission a success? I'd sure say so!!! No more doggie coming this way. Phew. I thought I had to get up earlier to walk that little critter. I do love dogs and all animals but I really don't love them more than I love my sleep and freedom. And let's face it, dogs are bred for a purpose and without it, they get b-o-r-e-d. Have you ever seen a dog that has way too much energy? It's not exactly a walk in the park (ha ha! get it? walk in the park???)

We saw this war plane memorial in a park that was easily missed. It's interesting when you find little "treasures" like that. And since I didn't take any photos at the show...

No, there isn't someone still up there...

 Dandelions already out in bloom.

 and our beloved little "Sharkie"

Our next stop? Catch up on the Game of Thrones. Waiting a week was already too much! Unfortunately, I felt a little let down from the one episode. It's probably because I have NO clue about what's going on :( Looks like I'm going to have to wizz through the other books on my "list" so I can get to the second book sooner!

I'm going to devote another post about my new found "cultural food" since it does deserve the highlight. Till the next post!

KONY 2012: Knowledge is Power

And I like the taste of power. In fact, I enjoy bathing in power when I'm feeling down. It helps revive the spirit and get me feeling like I can take on the world with anything it throws my way. It's refreshing like a cool mojito on a hot summer day.

As I mentioned yesterday, I would speak more about Joseph Kony. I received an email from my coworker regarding this horrible man. I do plead ignorance to what is happening around the world in many respects. I comprehend that there are people of all walks of life and all types of experiences and cultures. I even recognize that there are atrocities happening in this world, that may be far removed from our western society.

Most of us are very privilaged and we even live our lives through rose coloured glasses. We pretend (or maybe choose) to live ignorant to the bad things that are happening around us. We continually surround ourselves with things that don't "bring us down". That's human nature.

But, as human beings, we have a sort of responsiblity--I think--to be aware of what is going on as well as taking action where we can. I'm not suggesting that we get out there and do some of the crazy things that protestors do. To me, that's not effective anyways. Even donating money to the cause may not help. Getting into the trenches is really, or spreading the word on a cause or situation. Educating oneself fully about what is happening is key.

Joseph Kony is a horrible human being ("human" is used loosely) who has been doing unspeakable things to other human beings. Watch the video to better understand what's going on: http://vimeo.com/37119711. Kony makes the top of the Worst War Criminals.

I don't necessary suggest that everyone get their wallet out and donate a bunch of money to the non-for-profilt group, but merely to make yourself aware of what else is happening in this world. It's foolish to continue living in the bubble we currently live in and believe that it's ok not to be educated in what's happening. You might never get yourself out to Africa to do something about this, but maybe someone you tell will. Or maybe that letter you write to the Canadian government will get something initiated for stopping this.