Horse buying Tips

Keep These Factors in Mind When Buying Horses

Buying horses does not need to be a complicated venture. Although some people recommend taking an experienced horse person with you when you are looking for a horse to buy, with some common sense and a little advance research, you will likely be able to find a suitable horse to purchase on your own.

Before embarking on your mission to find a horse, you will need to decide a few important details as these can make finding an acceptable horse much easier. If the horse is for your children, you might want to reconsider getting a horse in the first place. Many children, particularly small ones, are intimidated by a horse’s sheer size when meeting one for the first time. Even children who have been around horses, or ponies, before can sometimes be a little frightened by the big feet and tall stance of many horses.

Is a Pony a Better Option for You?

For smaller children, , you might consider purchasing a pony instead of a horse. There are many similarities between horses and ponies besides the obvious visual ones. Ponies are classified as small, medium, and large depending on the measurement from the pony’s withers to the ground. The withers is a small hump that is located at the base of the neck. A pony is officially called a horse if it measures more than 57 inches high.

Another detail to keep in mind when buying horses is the breed of horse. Breeds range from purebreds with finely sculpted features such as Arabians to heavy draft breeds such as Clydesdales. Miniature horses are very small, much smaller than even the smallest of ponies. While they may share a diminutive height with ponies, miniature horses retain the fine boned features found in many breeds of horses. Ponies, on the other hand, tend to be heavy boned.

Although purebred horses tend to be popular, there are many fine mounts that are a combination of two, or even three, breeds. These part bred animals tend to retain the best dominant features of each breed. Arabians are a popular breed that tends to be intelligent but high strung. Quarter horses, with their stocky features and responsive handling, are also a popular breed of horse. When bred together, a horse that is half Arab and half Quarter horse tends to have the steady intelligence and responsive stamina that many people appreciate.

Assessing a Horse Before Purchase

When assessing a horse, or pony, before purchase, look for a shiny coat (if the weather is warm). A horse’s long winter coat can look dull and coarse so that is a factor to take into account. The eyes should be clear and bright. Neither the eyes nor the nose should be runny. Look for strong and straight legs that are blemish free. Stay away from horses that have a sway back as they are unlikely to be suitable riding prospects. When buying horses, it is best to avoid unaltered male horses, or stallions, unless you plan to breed horses in the future. Unless they are gelded, or castrated, stallions tend to become aggressive and hard to manage as they mature.

Don’t hesitate to become as educated as possible. Learning about qualities in horses can help you appreciate the animal for its strong qualities and help you appreciate the diversity of many breeds. The more you learn about buying horses, the better your purchase will go and the better a horse-owner you’ll be.

How to make French Fries

Nothing beats homemade French fries! They're much better than the fast food version, and healthier too! Listed below are the steps involved in making French fries. You can get cooking tips and learn how to make tasty, healthier versions of other fast food favorites at home with the wonderful Copycat Cookbook: Fast Food Recipes. These cooking instructions will show you how to make a homemade French fries recipe.

Step 1

Ingredients

• 2 large baking potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (for baked fries)
• Several cups of oil (if frying the French fries)
• 1 teaspoon each: paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder
• Kosher salt

Supplies

• For baked fries: Baking sheet
• For frying method: large pot, slotted spoon
• Platter with paper towels for cooling the fries

Step 2

Prepare the potatoes. When making homemade fries, you can leave the skins on or peel the potatoes first. Cut the potatoes into wedges. You can make the fries as thick or as thin as you want, but keep in mind that larger fries will take longer to cook, and will be difficult to cook evenly. They will cook best if they are about 1/3 to 1/2 inch wide and thick. Then mix the other ingredients together, and coat the potatoes with the mixture.

Step 3

Bake or deep frying the fries. There are two ways to make French fries: baking and frying. If you are baking them, place in a single layer on a baking sheet. If they still have the skin, place the skin sides down. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes in a 450 degree oven, until golden brown. While baking is healthier than the frying method, when you deep fry French fries, most of the oil is left in the pot. If you are deep frying your French fries, do it in small batches. Heat the oil in the pot as hot as you can, and then drop in your French fries in one layer. Be careful, because this may cause the oil to pop, so stand back. Frying each batch should take about 4 to 5 minutes. Once they have turned a golden color, remove them with a slotted spoon and drop them onto the paper towel-covered platter.

Step 4

Salt the fries. Before the French fries have cooled, salt each batch of fries with kosher salt. Then lay the next batch on top of it on the drying tray. Repeat this process until all of the fries have been cooked and salted.

Step 5

Enjoy! Serve the fries warm. Don't try to reheat them in the oven, or they will become soggy.

French fries make a great side dish at any barbecue. When you're making hamburgers, make your own French fries to go with them! You can make as much or as little as you want. Just slice more potatoes, and make more of the oil/spice mix to coat them with. You can also experiment with different spices on your fries. Try basil or Parmesan cheese, for example. When you make homemade French fries, you have much more control over the flavor than when you use frozen fries, and they're much healthier than the restaurant ver

Hair Growing Tips

Maximize Your Hair Growing Potential

Gorgeous Long Hair

HB.com- All Rights Reserved.

The number one question that I receive through the AskKaren column is how to make hair grow faster.

Many people write to tell me they are in a hair growing hurry because they are getting married, going to a Prom, meeting the future in-laws or fill in the blanks.

They want me to advise them how to grow their hair from short to long in a matter of just weeks.

Note: Although you might see similar articles as this, unfortunately many Web hair copycat sites have illegally "lifted" content from this original article and slightly "rewritten it" to avoid copyright issues. Please note that this original article first appeared in 2001 and has been constantly updated. It is the original article.

As many of you know, I'm going to tell you the truth, as I know it, about hair. So the answer to "instant hair growth" is that there isn't any.

There is no magic bullet. If you want to go from a short Bob to long flowing locks instantly than you do have some options, but depending on a variety of factors, they may be limited. Your best bet for overnight long hair is to consider hair extensions, clip on ponytails or long wigs.

Other Related Articles

Growing Long Hair Fast Truths
Four Major Hair Killers
HairTopia Hair Vitamins: Feedback & Testimonials
Hair Vitamins: An Evaluation Of HairTopia

Yes, there are lots of things that can maximize the potential of your hair growing cycle but it is absolute folly to imagine that you can go to bed one night with shoulder length hair and the next day wake up with a new inch of growth.

There are some very rare exceptions, but most hair on most people is genetically programmed to grow a maximum of 6 inches a year.

There are some people like Crystal Gayle who obviously grow hair at a much faster rate than the average human soul. However, she's definitely the exception and not the rule.

Maximizing Your Growth Cycle

Gorgeous Long Hair

HB.com- All Rights Reserved.

The right vitamins and minerals play a major role in keeping your hair healthy. Any nutritional deficiencies can lead to thinning hair or even total baldness.

It is a well known fact that an under active thyroid can result in frizzy or brittle hair while an overactive thyroid turn hair greasy and limp.

The bottom line to this thread is that your hair ultimately reflects the overall condition of your body. If your body is healthy and well nourished, your hair will be your shining glory.

If you are having any health problems or suffering from any nutritional deficiencies, your hair may stop growing or show damage.

If your body is in good health, you can maximize your genetic growth cycle through taking the proper blend of amino acids and B-vitamins.

It is also important to include B-6, biotin, Inositol and folic acid in the supplemental program. It has been found that certain minerals including magnesium, sulfur, silica and zinc are also very important toward maintaining healthy hair.

Beta-carotene is also essential to hair growth. This is because it is converted to vitamin A as the body needs it, helps maintain normal growth and bone development, protective sheathing around nerve fibers, as well as promoting healthy skin, hair and nails.

Beta-carotene is found in green and yellow vegetables and fruits.

Protein Is Important

Gorgeous Long Hair

HB.com- All Rights Reserved.

Since hair is protein, a diet that is too low in protein may cause some thinning in hair or a retardation in the growth cycle. The converse is true, If you eat a protein-rich diet it will often result in improved hair growth.

Some nutritional experts suggest the dietary utilization of calves liver, brewer's yeast, wheat germ and a daily dose of two tablespoons of granulated lecithin to maximize hair growth, strength and beauty.

Other good food sources for protein include fish, eggs, beans and yogurt. Soy protein has also been found to be helpful in stimulating hair growth.

One study of the results of soy on the hair found that it not only strengthened the hair but caused it to grow. A great source of soy is tofu.

Growth Blockers

Other Related Articles

Growing Long Hair Fast Truths
Four Major Hair Killers
HairTopia Hair Vitamins: Feedback & Testimonials
Hair Vitamins: An Evaluation Of HairTopia

Excessive stress and some medications are conclusively known to retard hair growth. If you have a medical condition and your physician has prescribed medications it is imperative that you follow your doctor's orders regardless of the impact to your hair,

Warning: Always consult your doctor BEFORE you undertake any new type of vitamin, mineral program or herbal program of any type to make sure it does not interfere with any medical treatment you may currently be on.

However, if you are under severe stress it is helpful to reduce the stress as much as possible. Consider meditation or relaxation as a way to cut back on any major stress in your life. Your hair will love your for it.

Another secret hair helper is rest and sleep. It has been discovered that to grow faster, hair needs an adequate amount of sleep (7-9 hours are suggested).

Hair Growing Supplements

Eat right, exercise, reduce stress, rest, gets lots of sleep and your are well on your way to maximizing your hair growth potential.

You can either take a good supplement that contains the necessary vitamins and minerals or you can make up your own formula.

I have personally had some long term success (at least for me) with the HairTopia vitamins that are specifically designed to assist the body with the maximum hair growth building blocks.

For more details check out Jane Bullock's review of the Hairtopia Vitamins and also get the facts on what the vitamins consist of.

While eating the proper foods that contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals will help, it is a lot more difficult to guarantee that you will get all the vitamins and minerals you need from the foods you eat.

List of Supplements

In addition to making lifestyle changes, taking the following supplements every day can boost hair growth for many people:

• Vitamin B-complex - 50 mg. of the major B-vitamins (including folate, biotin and inositol)
• Vitamin B-6 - 50 mg. of vitamin B-6
• Vitamin C with bioflavonoids - one to two grams daily
• Vitamin E - 400 to 800 IU daily
• Beta-Carotene - 10,000 to 15,000 IU of beta-carotene daily
• One recommended daily dose of magnesium, sulfur, zinc
• Silica (horsetail) - 300 mg. daily
• Nettle - 250 mg. three times daily
• Flaxseed oil - one tbsp daily or one tablet
• Beta-Carotene - 10,000 to 15,000 IU of beta-carotene daily

Hair Growing Tips

Some hair loss experts have discovered that people have excellent hair growing results by following the Zone Diet, which is low in fat. Many other hair care experts recommend the Zone Diet as very helpful for hair care concerns.

Here are some other hair growing tips:

1. Eliminate or cut back on smoking, caffeine and carbonated sodas which weaken the body and block maximum hair growing potential.
2. Eat a healthy diet. Avoid foods that are high in sugar or fat.
3. Treat your hair like a piece of fine old lace. Treat it carefully avoiding any unnecessary brushing, combing or handling.
4. Avoid use of hot water, hot blow dryers or other hair care tools that may stress the hair.
5. Have a weekly scalp massage to provide stimulation to the hair follicles.
6. Do a series of ongoing hot oil treatments to protect the hair's shaft.
7. Have regular trims to eliminate split ends and allow the hair to look and feel healthier.
8. Get plenty of rest and sleep to allow your body to grow hair.

Hair Growing Tips

The answer to "instant hair growth" is that there isn't any. There is no magic bullet. If you want to go from a short Bob to long flowing locks instantly than you do have some options, but depending on a variety of factors, they may be limited. Your best bet for overnight long hair is to consider hair extensions, clip on ponytails or long wigs.