Trail riding Saftey Tips

Penny for your thoughts? This information may be something to remember, as this season is here again...

      It might be wise to carry a penny in your pocket while working in the yard......... BEE STINGS ! A couple of weeks ago, I was stung by both a bee and hornet while working in the garden. My arm swelled up, so I went to the doctor. The clinic gave me cream and an antihistamine. The next day the swelling was getting progressively worse, so I went to my regular doctor. The arm was Infected and needed an antibiotic.The doctor told me - ' The next time you get stung, put a penny on the bite for 15 minutes'. That night, my niece was stung by two bees. I looked at the bite and it had already started to swell. So, I taped a penny to her arm for 15 minutes.

     The next morning, there was no sign of a bite. We decided that she just wasn't allergic to the sting. Soon, I was gardening outside. I got stung again, twice by a hornet on my left hand. I thought, here I go again to the doctor for another antibiotic. I promptly got my money out and taped two pennies to my bites, then sat and sulked for 15 minutes. The penny took the string out of the bite immediately. In the meantime the hornets were attacking, and my friend was stung on the thumb. Again the penny. The next morning I could only see the spot where the hornet had stung me. No redness, no swelling. My friend's sting was the same; couldn't even tell where she had been stung. 

      Wanted to share this marvelous information in case you experience the same problem. We need to keep a stock of pennies on hand. The doctor said that the copper in the penny counteracts the bite. It definitely works! Please remember and pass this information on to your friends, children, grandchildren, etc.

Defense while riding: I just got this from a friend and it has some good safety tips. The link below  has a 4 minute movie with tips and techniques for riders to use against a person trying to do them harm while out on a trail or at the trailer. Hopefully, no one will ever need this info, but I am glad to have it in my brain if I ever do need it. If you watch it and have any other tips, please share! Here are some examples not mentioned in the video (shared by riders); carrying a crop to use as a weapon. Most of us normally do not carry a crop while trail riding, but it may be simple enough to loosely tie one onto the saddle and just grab it if you see a stranger approaching. Or, some fly spray in the eyes of an attacker? Check out this video, it really is helpful. www.horsethink.com/media/selfdefensepromo.wmv

Useful information

• Did you know that *77 on your cell phone gets the State Police Dispatcher? It does. If you are being pulled over by an unmarked police car, acknowledge they are there and call *77 and the dispatcher will let you know if a policeman is in your area. Always wait to pull over into a service station or somewhere public if at all possible. Especially if you are alone.
• Next time you come home for the night and you put your keys away, think of this. Your keys with the remote are a Security Alarm System that requires no installation and you probably have at least 1. Keep it on the night stand-if someone tries to break in etc... press the Panic button, in a few seconds everyone will be awake. Make a habit of taking your keys out when leaving a store or where ever. Anything happens just press the panic.
• Did you know that Shopping can benefit the United States Equine Rescue League? Life is busy and more people are shopping online. If you go to www.iGive.com/USERL and register(its FREE) they have over 500 stores that will donate a percentage of your purchases to the USERL. Stores like Barnes & Noble, Eddie Bauer, Land's End and State Line Tack.  The only catch is to start your shopping  from the USERL  website download window. Amazon.com donates a percentage. The Horse D'oeuvere, and more.

How Good is your Roadside Emergency Service? Are you sure the Horse Trailer and Horses will be covered?  

You may want to contact your insurance company and find out, before something does happen. I've done some research and found that AAA and something called AAA RV Plus will notcover the trailer with or without the horses. It seems to be all in the wording of what constitutes a Recreational Vehicle. A trailer with living quarters does not classify because we haul livestock in the back. Almost all of the insurance companies have the same answer or have none at all. The only company I did find was USRider Motor Assistance. They specialize in Equestrian Benefits, Travel Services and Emergency Roadside Assistance. Please do yourself a favor and be prepared, know who to call in case of a breakdown. Don't wait for it to happen on a hot, busy highway. Check out www.USRider.com or check with your own insurance company.  

  A good thing to add to the horse trailer is the reflective decals for the rear doors. Some of the mail order magazines like Country Supply have them or you can order them from www.CautionHorses.com .

FOODLION will donate a percentage of your purchase every time you use your MVP card to the USERL. All you have to do is go to www.userl.org click on Donate, then click on USERL Affiliates and then fill in your MVP card information and pick the organization you want. USERL will automatically be there.

SOUTHERN STATES allows the United States Equine Rescue League to redeem proof of purchase seals for there brand of horse feed, 25 cents per seal. You can mail your proof of purchase seal to:

• USERL POPS
• 181 Crawford Rd

• Statesville,NC 28625

FARNUM PRODUCTS pays cash to the USERL for there proof of purchase seals. Just mail them to:

• USERL POPS
• P.O.Box 914
• Culpeper, Va. 22701

More Equine Rescue Operations 

• www.defhr.org  Days End Farm Lisbon,MD or 301.854.5037
• www.USERL.com United States Equine Rescue Leauge
• www.habitatforhorses.org Habitat for Horses