Frontpage • DK-finder • Comments

Complete Your Fall Chores in No Time

(ARA) - Before you know it, temperatures will drop, leaves will fall, and the first flakes of the season will land on your barren back yard landscape. The coming change of season serves as the perfect excuse for home and landowners across the country to get outside and accomplish those end of season projects.

Among the chores that are likely to be on your list: raking up leaves, fixing fence posts, planting bulbs, turning over the vegetable garden, trimming trees and bushes and disposing of yard waste or even cutting firewood. Some people will require more time than others to tackle this list. If you have a small yard, you can load up the wheelbarrow with all the supplies you need to get the job done -- cutting shears, shovel, rake, etc. -- and complete the work in an afternoon. If you have an acre or two of land, or more, it may take the use of a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) to cut your yard work down to size.

"UTV's are considered the 'work/play-horse' of the ATV industry because they can do so much," says Kale Wainer of Arctic Cat. "While ATVs are used primarily for recreation and light utility chores, UTV's can tackle large work chores without abandoning the fun found in a traditional ATV."

This time of year, their primary purpose is to transport people and equipment quickly and easily around yards, ranches or farms. Some models are more useful than others. One that's getting a lot of attention this fall is Arctic Cat's new Prowler XT 650. It has the appearance of an ATV but operates more like a light truck while transporting two passengers side by side.

The vehicle has front and rear suspensions that make travel over rough terrain a breeze and automatic transmission with low, high, neutral and reverse gears. Other standard features include giving users the ability to easily toggle between 2-and-4-wheel drive and an 8 gallon fuel tank that makes extended use possible. The vehicle has a towing capacity of 1,250 pounds, a rear dump box that can hold up to 600 pounds worth of tools and brush and a storage area up front that can handle 25 additional pounds or double as an ice chest.

"The best thing about this vehicle is that it offers versatility while at the same time giving users a comfortable, fun UTV experience," says Wainer. The cab features dual bucket seats, beverage holders and a glove box. The vehicle can either retain its open air canopy or be retrofitted with a hardtop cab enclosure with automotive-style doors for the winter elements. To learn more about Arctic Cat's Prowler XT 650, log on to www.arcticcat.com/atvs/ and click on "MULTIRIDER."

Once you pick out a utility vehicle, you can turn your attention to the work you need to complete before winter sets in. Here's a checklist of tasks you'll want to prioritize in the yard:

If you live in a cool climate

• Spread winter mulch over trees and shrubs.
• Fertilize young trees and shrubs that have been in the ground for at least a year. No need to fertilize established trees and shrubs if they are mulched.
• Plant new spring blooming bulbs and perennials.
• Dig up tender bulbs, wrap them in moist material and store in a cool, dark space.

If you live in a warm climate

• Clean up perennial beds and borders.
• Weed all areas that are not mulched.
• Cut down dead flowers, dig up and remove diseased plants.
• Prune injured branches from trees and shrubs.
• Water citrus and avocado trees to prevent fruit from splitting.

Fall is also a great time to fertilize the lawn one more time, aerate it, and pick up any twigs, leaves and other debris still left on the ground. You'll be glad you took the time to do it when spring arrives and you have the best looking yard on the block.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Top

Frontpage • DK-finder • Comments

What Active Pet Owners Should Know

Family/Pets

(ARA) - From the tiniest Chihuahua to an imposing Malamute, dogs, like people, come in all shapes and sizes. But big or small, the bond between people and their pets is the same. Dogs give their owners unconditional love, devotion and friendship. In return, pet owners have certain responsibilities to their companion animals, especially as they age.

Dogs, like our human loved ones, are affected by the process of aging. Joint mobility problems are quite common among older dogs, due to progressive cartilage breakdown. One study estimates that as many as one in five dogs older than 1 year of age currently have joint mobility issues.

Joint problems in dogs often lead to stiffness, lameness and reduced mobility. As in humans, the components that make up a joint help determine a dog's range of motion. In healthy joints, cartilage lines the ends of the bones, creating a smooth gliding surface. A normal joint is encased in fluids that lubricate the joint and helps minimize friction.

Watching a beloved pet lose the ability to fetch a ball or enjoy an evening walk can be heartbreaking. These changes in behavior may be the result of joint health issues if your dog:

* Has a hard time getting up in the morning or after lying down for a rest,

* Appears stiff after exercise,

* Tires easily or lags behind on walks,

* Is reluctant to climb steps or jump up,

* Pants excessively when she doesn't seem hot.

There are steps you can take to help your dog maintain healthy joints. As in humans, excess weight puts extra strain on your dog's joints, so keep your dog at a good weight for her size and breed.

Next, make sure your dog is getting plenty of exercise. While you don't want to put any unnecessary stress on aging joints, it's good for your dog to keep moving. "Staying active through appropriate activities is one of the keys to helping support joint health," says Dr. Brian Beale, an orthopedic specialist at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston. "The stronger the muscles and tissue around the joints, the better they protect the joints."

You'll also want to talk to your vet about specific recommendations for your dog. Your veterinarian may recommend a new diet that promotes joint health and mobility. Purina Veterinary Diets JM Joint Mobility brand Canine Formula uses a unique blend of nutrients, including high levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and glucosamine to promote healthy cartilage and joints.

In a recent two-month, in-clinic feeding trial of 146 dogs, more than nine out of 10 veterinarians said they would recommend JM based on the improvements they observed in the dogs eating JM. In addition, nine out of 10 owners said they are likely to continue feeding JM.

JM is available only by prescription and can be part of a veterinary-supervised mobility management strategy that may include exercise, weight management and other activities designed with your dog's joint health in mind. For more information, talk to your veterinarian.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Frontpage • DK-finder • Comments

Experience Ice Cream Enlightenment Without All the Fat

Home Improvement

(ARA) - When it comes to the simple pleasures in life, there are more than you may think. A day at the beach, a great meal or enjoying time with family and friends are probably some of the first to come to mind.

Another popular pleasure, enjoying a waffle cone filled with your favorite flavor of ice cream on a warm day. But if you're among the millions of Americans attempting a diet, just the thought of all those calories may make you cringe. Instead of doing without, why not snack smarter. Ice cream is a pleasure you don't have to give up just because you're trying to lose a little weight.

Among the ways you can "have your cone" and eat it too…

* Order a child-size portion.

* Share with a friend or two so you just get a taste, but not enough to blow your diet.

* Seek out a brand with less fat, sugar and calories than traditional ice cream.

"A lot of people think the only way to cut the fat, sugar and calories is to switch to yogurt or sorbet; but that is not the case," says Arnold Carbone of Ben & Jerry's. "We've developed a line of ice cream with 25 percent less fat, sugar and calories that tastes great so you can indulge without the guilt."

Body & Soul ice cream features low fat versions of some of Ben & Jerry's most popular flavors: Cherry Garcia, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Half Baked. A half-cup serving of the regular flavors contains between 250 and 280 calories. Body & Soul flavors have only 170 to 190 calories, the equivalent of a serving of yogurt with fruit on the bottom.

"We spent over a year mixing hundreds of experimental batches to achieve sweet success," says Carbone. "Now ice cream lovers get to reap the sweet rewards."

If you want to sample Ben & Jerry's Body & Soul flavors, head on down to your local ice cream scoop shop. For a store locator, log on to www.benandjerrys.com and click on the link that says "scoop shop." You can also find the flavors in pint containers at your local convenience or grocery store.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Top

Frontpage • DK-finder • Comments

Retired Race Horses Get A Second Chance

Making A Difference

Inmate Program Benefits Horses and Humans

(ARA) - The unlikely union of retired race horses and prison inmates is producing remarkable results at farms operated by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, this country's oldest and largest Thoroughbred horse rescue group. Unwanted horses who might otherwise be hauled off to a slaughterhouse once their racing days are done have received a new lease on life at four prisons in the United States, where they are cared for by inmates who benefit in immeasurable ways from these trusting and gentle creatures.

That's what has happened to Phil Long, an inmate at the Marion County Correctional Institute in Ocala, Fla., sentenced there after a 1999 DUI-manslaughter charge.

Many retired race horses arrive at the prison farm in tough shape. Marion, after all, is a place for racing's castoffs, those who are slow or injured and can't cut it on the track anymore. But nothing Long had seen or done during his time with the program at Marion had prepared him for the feelings he'd experience when Florida Kat hobbled off a van from Tampa Bay Downs.

He had never seen a horse hurting so badly. He knew this was one he had to save. There was something special about this one; he was a friend who needed his help. The bones above Florida Kat's foot were so badly broken that, in effect, he was standing on his ankle, rather than his hoof.

"He was standing on his fetlock," said Long. "His sesamoid (a bone near the ankle) was totally fractured. He could barely walk. Every time he walked, he walked onto his fetlock. The first thing I thought was that we were going to have to put this horse down because he was totally broke."

But Long was determined that would never happen. "There was something about his attitude," he said. "He was just like a little kid and he was so severely hurt. I wanted to do something for him. I saw a lot of myself in that horse. He was playful at times, but he could be real mean, too."

So Long and farm manager Betty Jo Bock went to work, prescribing rest and whirlpool treatments and designing a special split to hold the foot in place. It became a 24/7 obsession for Long, who simply wasn't going to let Florida Kat perish.

"When Kat first stepped off the trailer, I didn't think we were going to be able to help him," Bock said. "Inmate Long stepped up and took him on, even with all his other duties assisting me. Long worked with the horse twice a day doing therapy and sometimes Kat wasn't up to it. Long was caring and meticulous in his charge."

After seven months of work, Florida Kat, the same horse that veterinarians predicted would never walk again without a pronounced limp, walks, trots and gallops around his paddock without any visible signs of trouble.

The TRF was founded in 1982 by Monique Koehler, who was concerned about the fate of the thousands of horses retired off the racetrack each year. The sport's best horses spend their retirement years in comfort as stallions and broodmares at breeding farms. But those not blessed with a great deal of talent have little or no economic value once they can no longer race. Many are disposed of in a grisly manner, sent to slaughterhouses where they are killed and the meat exported. Since 1989, over 2 million horses have been slaughtered at USDA-approved horse slaughter plants.

Today, the TRF cares for more than 1,000 horses. Koehler's belief was that working with horses would help rehabilitate prisoners and provide them with career skills useful upon their release. She believes the hundreds of success stories involving inmates over the years have proven her right.

When Florida Kat's time comes to leave Marion for a new home, perhaps at a handicapped riding facility, Long will be emotional. He will be sad to see him go, but will never forget what Florida Kat has done for him.

"I see the change the horses have made in me," Long said. "It's brought out a softer side in me. It's taught me a lot, like responsibility. I wasn't a responsible person and that was one of my faults. Out there, there's so much I have to do for the horses and you're the only one doing it. You've got to make sure you take care of all the feed and the supplements. You learn responsibility."

Long's future is with horses. At Marion, he is working toward an equine science degree and plans to work at a horse farm upon his release.

"Everyone in this program relates to these horses," he said. "They feel the pain they are going through and that helps an inmate. It changes them. They get connected to the horses. You and the horse become one and that makes you a better person."

Courtesy of ARA Content

Top