by Kristi Rensby

With spring now in the air, riding in the evening has once again become possible! Planning ahead just a little can go a long way to saving you time in the evenings, and letting you get outside!

Tacos and nachos
- precut lettuce and tomato, store in Ziploc containers
- pre-grate the cheese and store in Ziploc containers
- use pre-sliced olives (green or black)
- use packaged taco seasoning mix in your hamburger
- take your hamburger out the night before to thaw in the fridge
- use Ziploc containers as your salsa and sour cream bowls, left overs can be sealed and go back in the fridge (saves washing bowls and repacking the leftovers)
- make a double batch of seasoned hamburger and freeze some for taco salad a few nights later
- leave nacho dishes to soak prior to washing to get that sticky cheese off (you can always finish washing after your ride!)

Chili and spaghetti
- use your slow cooker to allow it to cook while you are busy doing something else
- can be made in double or triple size batches and frozen
- use Ziploc containers or freezer bags (thaw slightly in warm water for easier removal from the bag)
- consider making single servings complete with noodles or mashed potato for quick on-the-fly snacks
- if you don’t have time for spaghetti noodles, serve reheated spaghetti sauce with cooked Mr. Noodle (3 minutes) - keep the flavour packet out for mixing with rice
- serve spaghetti one night, then add kidney beans and chili powder to the remainder. Freeze and serve later in the week as chili.
- can also be served as sloppy joes

Sloppy joes
- buy fresh buns or keep some on hand in the freezer, taking them out in the morning
- thaw your hamburger in the microwave and add some chopped onion
(you can keep chopped onion in a sealed container in the fridge for easy addition to any meal but the smell will come through the container to some extent)
- use a sloppy joe package mix from the grocery store, or use one of your spaghetti sauces from the freezer, heat and serve with buns!

Would you like to Share a Trailer Ride? View the rides offered here... or submit your offer for a ride here
Foal Announcements are now open - or add your foal here

by Kristi Rensby

This week, more terms you may come across as you prepare to breed your mare this spring.

estrous = cycle - period of time between and including estrus and diestrus - most mares average a 21 day cycle but it can be irregular, down to 2 weeks and up to 4.

estrus and diestrus - in heat and not in heat - when a mare is in heat, she will usually allow the stallion to breed her, and she has the capability to conceive. When the mare is in diestrus she is in between the estrus phases and is not receptive to the stallion.

anestrus - the complete absence of heat cycles, such as during the winter when the mares usually stop cycling altogether

false heat - showing outward signs of heat when actually not ovulating or already bred - can cause great concern if she is supposed to be pregnant! Some mares will show signs of heat every time they meet a new horse, or a new male horse (stallion or gelding). This does not mean that they would actually be ovulating at the time, nor that they would allow the male horse to breed.

horsing - a term some people use to describe a mare who is in heat, derived from the cattlemen's term "bulling" to describe a cow or heifer who is in heat, as in "That mare is horsing. We should take her to the stallion today." I’ve found this term far more common in cattlemen than in horsepeople.

gestation = the length of time from fertilization to birth - the normal gestation period is 320 to 365 days, with the average being 341 days (approximately 11 months, 5 days). Less than 320 days gestation will usually produce a premature foal which will need medical intervention to survive. You should not induce labour in a mare who goes past her “due date” as the foal is simply not ready to be born yet and doing so may produce either a premature foal, or worse, a complicated delivery that can harm both the mare and foal.

abortion - loss of a fetus before it is capable of surviving outside the mare - 5 to 15% of mares will abort for some reason - many possible causes, infectious and non-infectious, including rhinopneumonitis (a respiratory illness caused by a herpes virus that can cause abortion in pregnant mares) and problems with the foal while still inside the mare (for example, an infected placenta or twins getting too big for the uterus)

early embryonic death - when the embryo dies 10-50 days post-ovulation - this occurs in 10-50% of mares and will usually produce no outward signs, the mare will just not be in foal when she is checked

Northern BC Horse is sponsored by local businesses who support equine sports in our area including:

• Hoskins Ford
• Reimer Ranch

Do you have a horse or equipment to sell? Want to buy a horse or equipment? Check the Free Classified Ads.