How Not To Behave When You See A Horse and Rider On The Road

     

      I love riding my horses; with friends, alone, it doesn't matter.  I would usually prefer to ride in pastures or on trails in the woods...but, right now, most of my riding options are limited to roads.  The roads are little two lanes with large areas of grass on both sides so staying out of the way of traffic usually isn't an issue.  However, over the last few months, I have learned that not everyone knows how to behave when they pass someone riding a horse.  You have to remember, not all horses are "bomb proof" and not all riders are experienced.  No one wants a horse running down the road with its rider on the ground behind it........so, with that being said, here is a list of things NOT to do when you see a horse and rider on the road. 

1) DONT HONK!  This should be common sense......a car honk can make a person jump when they aren't expecting it....imagine what a horse thinks. If you want to say hi, wave or slow down and talk.  Honking will only piss off the rider and potentially spook the horse. 

2) Slow down.  No, Im not in the middle of the road. At the same time, nobody wants a car flying by them a few feet away. So slow down for second, it won't kill you.

3) Move over if you can.  On the rare occasion that we have to walk on the white line or right by the road, move over when you pass if its possible.   Most of the roads horses ride down aren't overly populated so traffic usually isn't an issue. On the off chance the horse decides to move or jump to the side....it would be better if there wasn't a car a foot away. 

4) Do not dust us out on gravel roads.  Obviously, if you fly past someone on dirt.....they re gonna get covered in dirt and potentially have gravel flung on them.  Getting dirty doesn't bother me, but the chance that something cld hit my horse does.  So please, just slow down.

5)  Give us a wave and enjoy your day :) 

Future Decisions

   
      Well, its almost finals week.  Another semester down, one more to go before I have my bachelors degree in animal science. I know, I know, its taken forever to get here.  So, to answer your constant questions and put to rest your remarks of "you've been in school forever" "Are you ever going to graduate".  Yes, I have been out of high school since 2008. No, I have not been in college the entire time.  I will complete this degree in 8 semesters. I took semesters off which delayed my graduation.....something I wish I wouldn't have done but hey,  at least I made it.
    So, now the big question.....what am I going to do after graduation????? I have a couple of options: 1) Get my degree, continue working where I am now and wait for an opportunity to fall in my lap.
2) Use my degree to get a higher paying job with Tyson or potentially the USDA
3) Take the Biochemistry class I am lacking and apply to vet school
4) Pursue a masters degree in Animal Science
    I have been dead set on becoming a veterinarian my entire life......so it really pains me to admit that I'm having some major doubts about it now.  I've been in this field for a really long time so maybe its just that I'm getting burnt out on it a little bit....but I'm not sure that I want to go through 4 more years of college (out of state) and come out sitting on a couple hundred grand in student loans with a starting salary of about 10 grand more than I'm making now....... I absolutely haven't ruled out this option and I will most likely go ahead and apply just to see what happens....but Im not entirely confident that this is something I want to do anymore.
   Option 1 is irrelevant, Im not going to pay for and complete 4 years of college not to use my degree...no thanks.
   Option 2 could happen....I haven't done much research into the types of jobs that would be available with just a bachelors yet.
   Right now, Im leaning towards option 3. I've spoken in depth with my advisor and we both agree that grad school could be the right decision for me. I will be taking the GRE this summer and , if accepted, I would start grad school next fall.  This would allow me to do research and explore different options while working towards a masters degree.  Plus, I could still apply to vet school at any time during this program.
   So, for all those constantly questioning me about my future.....here is the answer. I don't know.  As of right now, I have a job that I am happy with, a house by myself, a truck and motorcycle that are dependable and that I love, my horses are here, and I have enough friends to make this place feel like home.  I will most likely be pursuing a masters degree in animal science here at the U of A.  I may end up going to vet school, that option is still wide open.....but for now, I just don't know.
  I have to say thank you to everyone who has supported me and my decisions this entire time though.  My parents and sister and brother in law are amazing and I have friends and coworkers that have stood by me through it all. I know that I have made some seriously bad decisions; but, I'm only human. I learned from them and they have made me that much stronger.  So thanks to all those who have been by my side and I can't wait to see what the future holds for me :)

Why I Cant Take My Dog In Public

Why I Can't Take My Dog In Public

     Today while running with my dog, I was reminded, once again, why taking my dog out of the house is a pain.  It has nothing to do with him though (surprisingly).  Yes, he can sometimes be a pain and drag me after unsuspecting squirrels; but, in general, I enjoy taking him places with me.  I just hate taking him anywhere that other people might be with their own dogs.  I have come to the conclusion that the majority of dog owners just have zero common sense.  I cannot count the times I have tried to enjoy the dog park only to have people walk up to me and basically throw their pets at deuce so that they can "be friends".  Come on folks, you don't know my dog......he could literally eat your chihuahua.  People don't ask permission or even give warning that they are going to run up to you with their pet or even let them off their leash so that they can "meet".  This is such a good way to cause a dog fight. I can't even count the number of dogs that we have had to sew up at work because of injuries at the dog parks or other places in public where owners have allowed their pets to approach other animals without permission.  

    This rant is inspired by a near accident that Deuce and I experienced today.  We were running up Wedington (a four-lane highway with large sidewalks) when we saw another girl and dog coming the opposite direction. I did what I always do and slowed down and got Deuce on a short leash and stepped to the grass to allow plenty of room for the pair to pass without interaction. Of course, that would be to easy though.  She was leading a pit bull (who I'm sure was very friendly) and he started pulling against the leash in Deuces direction. Instead of shortening her leash and making her dog behave, she states "O you want to say hi?" and gives the dog the entire leash and it comes straight for us.  Needless to say, the dog didn't want to "be friends" it obviously wanted Dane for dinner.  We had to step into the highway to avoid it because it started growling hackling at us.  The owner just kinda laughed and kept going.  I had to control the urge to throw a rock at her head.  

     So, long story short, if you are out with your pooch and you see another dog.......leave it alone and enjoy time with your own dog.  Not every dog is friendly and even dogs that get along with "anyone" can act differently when approached by a strange animal.  So lets just use some common sense people.  O, and if you see a girl in a blue top with a brown pit bull....feel free to kick her. 

My Dog The Clepto

"My Dog The Clepto"

     My Great Dane, Deuce (aka "Baby" Deuce) has always been an absolutely wonderful house dog. He doesn't get in the trash, doesn't chew up furniture, I don't get complaints from the neighbors about dog barking while I'm out, Ive never had to come home and pick up pieces of a shredded shoe, and he's generally very well potty trained.  With the exception of his need to plop his big butt on all my furniture, he's the perfect house dog.  However; here lately, Deuce has developed an extremely odd behavior.....he has turned into a thief! 

     My house has two bedrooms: one is mine and the other is an office and what he considers "his".  His bed is in there and thats usually where you can find him when he's ready for a nap or when he gets his feelings hurt.  

     This all started innocently enough. He would merely collect his toys and stack them in his room. This was just fine with me, it meant I never had to clean up after we were finished playing. Sort of like a little kid taking their toys to the toy box when they are finished playing.  But then things started getting a little strange.... He started to collect my socks.  I would come home and find two or three socks in his little pile.  I just figured, like any dog, he liked dirty socks...no biggie. Things progressed pretty rapidly after that.  He would pluck paper from my desk and put it in the pile, steal shirts and jeans from my hamper, pens and highlighters off the table, he even took my goggles for biology lab! The situation really hit the fan when I came home one day to find he had "collected" a red boot and added it to his pile of treasures! Talk about wanting to skin a dog! 

     Luckily though, he doesn't chew on or harm his little pile of goodies in any way, he just piles them up and watches them. I've tried to keep things away from him but, since he can open all my doors and reach every surface in my house, its been a lost cause. 

     So now we've established a routine.  Everyday when I leave for school or work, he steals my things and puts them in his pile. When I come home, I steal them back and he patiently waits for me to leave again.  

Does anyone else have a dog with a really strange habit???? Leave a comment below and let me know! 

     

Top Pet Peeves Associated with Veterinary Clinics

Biggest Pet Peeves In Veterinary Medicine 

     Recently I did a survey where I asked my Facebook friends and co-workers to describe their biggest pet peeve associated with either practicing/working at a veterinary clinic or taking your pet to a clinic for treatment.  This is a list of the top annoyances 

1) Money- This is was the number one complaint from both the employee and client view points.  As a client, yes, it is a bit annoying to have to pay for vet care for your dog......and yes, it is expensive, but that just goes with owning a pet and keeping it healthy.  As employees, we get told all the time that we are "just in it for the money".  Ma'am........you do realize I'm on a Ramen diet right??? Point is, money is and will always be a big pet peeve in the veterinary field.  

2) Rude Clients- This was on the list of nearly every person I asked.  We understand that a hurt/sick pet can be stressful......but that doesn't mean that, as a client, you can take your frustration out on us.  I've seen clients range from rude comments to getting downright irate.  It's not our fault that your pet is sick and I promise you, things will go a lot faster and clinics will be more inclined to work with you if you remain calm and polite.  One of my favorite "rude client" stories was a man who was mad that his kitten (who he smashed in a door) died and he took a pumpkin that was a halloween decoration and through it across the clinic effectively killing a plug in air freshener.  Its just not necessary to have this kind of behavior.  

3) Disrespect/disregard for what we do.  This pet peeve came from a veterinarian.  He said that he was tired of people not realizing the amount of work/knowledge it takes to practice as a vet and cutting down the profession as a whole.  As an assistant, this doesn't affect me as much but I can most definetly see how it could get under your skin in a hurry.

4)  Clients playing doctor or googling medical advice at home.  While it is always a positive thing to research and keep yourself informed on conditions that could/are affecting your pet.....Dr. Google isn't going to be much help if your animal is truly sick.  Countless clients have come to practices with animals that are "knocking on deaths door" because they googled their pets symptoms and either didn't think it was serious or thought they could treat it at home. 

5) Self Medicating animals without consulting with a vet.  This ties in with the last pet peeve.  Many people end up causing their pet more problems and spending more money because they administered medication themselves and it made their pet much sicker.  Example: A cat with a hurt leg gets a dose of tylenol.......now instead of just dealing with the leg, you have to treat for the tylenol ingestion as well.  Its always better to let the vet prescribe the medications.

6) Veterinarians not explaining things clearly.  Some people have stated that they leave their vet office with a handful of meds but they still aren't really sure of whats going on with their pet.  This may come from a vet who is overbooked and in a hurry or maybe someone who just didn't realize that they weren't making themselves clear.  Either way, its a big pet peeve among owners.

7) Old Wise Tales - This is a personal pet peeve that drives me crazy.  I have heard some of the craziest things and have seen people give animals the weirdest "treatment" because of the old wise tales passed down from a times where veterinary medicine was all but nonexistent.  And believe me, convincing an old man that dipping his dog in used motor oil to cure its mange isn't the best course of treatment, is no easy task. 

8) Inconsiderate clients- Its extremely annoying when you are about to close the doors after a long, hectic day and a client brings in their pet who has been sick for a week and expects you to stay an extra hour to treat it.  We all have families and home lives as well and after working a full day, the last thing we want to do is work some more because you couldn't be bothered to come in earlier. 

9) Know it all clients-  Everyone just loves those clients who are nurses or have researched something and think that they know better than the doctor.......not.  Most of the time, these clients don't have a clue what they are talking about and end up slowing things down by trying to formulate their own treatment plan.  My favorite example of this was a lady who worked in an ER who had absolutely no clue about anything but would yell "I AM A TRAUMA NURSE" every few sentences.

  

10) Clients who just don't care. I would much rather have a high maintenance client than someone with a "its just a dog" attitude.  I cannot count the number of times I have wanted to chase someone out the door and take their animal because they plan to "see if it lives" or refuse to take pain medications for a poor animal truly in need.  Its heartbreaking to have a sweet pet condemned to an uncomfortable end because his/her owner refused to spend the money to fix them.  

I know that this list could go on for days, but these were some of the top responses I received. Comment below if you have one that I didn't cover :) 

10 Things I Have Learned About Owning A People Sized Dog

10 Things I Have Learned About Owning A People Sized Dog

1. Nothing is ever "yours". If you leave it laying around, its automatically theirs.  These dogs are like big kids roaming around the house. I've had everything from water bottles to the red boots stolen and taken to "his room". You have to learn to lock all the valuables up from these nosey guys.
2. If its soft, they're going to sit on it.  Couches, beds, piles of clean laundry, your lap.....it doesn't matter. These big guys love comfort.  I've resorted to stacking laundry baskets on the couch when I leave to keep him off only to come home and find him trying to squish himself into the chair.  His favorite trick is opening my bedroom door while I'm gone and sleeping on my bed. Nothing like coming home to a snoring Great Dane and a bed full of dog hair. 
3. The bigger the dog, the more feelings they have.  I don't know if this holds true for all Great Danes but my big guy is extremely sensitive.  If you scold him, prepare to have a moping dog for the rest of the night....and there is nothing more pathetic than a sad Great Dane. 
4. Never let your guard down when leash walking.  When you have a dog thats more than half your size, you have to be prepared when you take them out on the end of a leash. Just because they're calmly walking beside you one second, doesn't mean you both won't be chasing the neighbors cat the next.
5. You will always share your food......always.  Those eyes will get you every time and, even if you really wanted that last bit of pizza, the Dane stare will win out in the end.  
6. Dont underestimate how high a Dane can reach when properly motivated.  Just because you put your yummy dinner on the back burner where you thought it was out of reach while you take a quick shower, doesn't mean that he can't stretch up there and nab it in 3 seconds flat. 
7. There is no "sharing a bed" with a Dane at night, its more like "try not to fall off the edge while he stretches out to his full length".  
8. Be cautious when "rough housing" with a small pony.  That tail and those paws can really hurt! 
9. There is no such thing as "personal space". These dogs love and demand your attention constantly, it doesn't matter if you're trying to do homework, watch tv, or clean house, prepare to do with with a small cow following you and nudging your arm .  
10. You will never find a better friend than a Great Dane.  Deuce is the one I wake up to and go to sleep with, he listens to me chat away about my day, is always good for a laugh, and makes a great shoulder to cry on.  I honestly don't know how I would get through life without this guy :) 

Just Me

     I'm just a small town girl stuck in a college town trying to get by.  I grew up in a town with a population less than the number of students at my university,  so moving to Fayetteville was a bit of culture shock at first.  I know, I know, Fayetteville is small compared to some cities.....but to me, this place was huge! Don't even get me started on the traffic!  I've learned to adjust and even love it here though, making friends definetly helped and I found out that I didn't have to drive very far to escape the city.
    I go to school full time at the University of Arkansas. I'll be graduating after next semester with a bachelors in animal science and then hopefully be starting a graduate program.  I absolutely love my school and love being an animal science student....its not every day that your classroom is in a barn vaccinating lambs.  Im sure I will have plenty of posts about the struggles of keeping up in class, interesting things I see on campus, and rants about the little things that just get under my skin.
     I also work a full time job as a vet assistant and the Animal Emergency Clinic.  Keeping up with school and work full time is a hard task to say the least, but in the end its worth it.  I love my job, most of the time, and I will no doubt post plenty of work-related things with either cute patient pictures or disgusting traumas that make most people cringe.  Being an emergency clinic, we have people "come out of the woodwork" at night so I have quiet a few interesting stories/adventures to share :)
   A large part of my life also revolves around my animals.  I have two horses and a great dane who I love dearly.  My Facebook and instagram are full of pictures and stories of my "fur babies" so, no doubt, my blog will be as well.
    I'm definitely looking forward to sharing little parts of my life with you, be it school, work, animals, fitness, or just life in general. Just be prepared for my bad jokes; according to my friends, I would be a real hit with third graders ;)