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Welcome to Skode's March Newsletter!
Thank Goodness It's Spring!
With reports of everything from 80 degree weather in New York to predicted snow storms in Tennessee, we're definitely having a typically start-of-Spring/end-of-Winter type of March!
I know that in the mornings I'm beating off the bees with cucumber slices (yes you read that correctly and I'll get to this new habit of mine in a minute) and then in the evenings I'm blanketing the horses and feeding them warm mashes!
Yet no matter what's going on weather wise, the signs of Spring are undeniable: The bright pink flowers on the Cherry Blossom trees, the bright green shoots of grass pushing their way through the earth, the friends who are calling to make riding dates. WOOOO HOOO!
This newsletter is dedicated to helping us do what we always do come Spring -- with as much ease and savings as possible:
Make our hay last! -- Skode's has some terrific ideas for making a ground-level, slow your horse down hay feeder -- heck if I can do it anyone can!
Make plans to get ourselves and our horses in shape -- and make those plans stick! Skode's has an interview with Life Coach and horse expert Cindy McGinley on how to do exactly this.
Keep up with all of Skode's new recipes and cookie updates! Skode is now offering a pocket-size cookie shape that makes filling your pockets with your horses' favorite treats easier than ever!
Using cucumbers -- yes cucumbers -- to protect your barn and grounds from the insects of Spring!
Clean up/pretty up your horse! Skode's has a sale on an all natural coat conditioner that truly works!
Prepare for show season/trail season/get out of the house and RIDE season -- by making sure we're stocked up on treats, Skode's is highlighting it's Autoship Program
AND..
Take advantage of our extreme cookie sale -- this time on Skode's newest and already very popular Apple Pie cookie that gives HALF PRICE on shipping!
We work hard for our hay. We cultivate leads on how to find the highest quality forage, developing and nurturing contacts with farmers, dealers and feed stores to make sure we can continue to feed a particular type, sometimes even from a specific field. We analyze it. Some of us soak it. All of us load it and feed it and ---- aaaaack, clean it up and throw too much of it away!
That's the part that's frustrating -- picking up the hay that isn't eaten, or has been peed and/or pooped on by the horses, dogs, goats, cats, rabbits, you name it!
And if we're not throwing it away there is always the worry that after we carefully ration out the hay, the horses will gorge on it and then stand around waiting for more. Those of us with our Insulin Resistant Easy Keepers know all about this Beg-And- -I'll-Feed-You-Just-a-Little-Bit-More-Syndrome.
Luckily, a colleague and friend of mine devised a way to eradicate these problems completely. I know, when I heard that, I had my doubts, too.
But seriously, this configuration works. Since she shared the instructions on how to build one I have:
Stopped wasting hay -- in fact I am saving so much money that I paid for the cost of the hay feeder within two weeks with the money I saved. Now I'm able to splurge on the highest quality hays, knowing my horses will actually eat all of it. Provided a way for my horses to be able to eat all day long without gorging themselves. Gave me the peace of mind to leave my ranch for many hours at a time, knowing that Vashka and Raya, who don't have access to grazing, won't get stressed about not havnig something to eat. Offered an even more natural way to eat hay than the usual piles as with the feeder, the horse has to pick, grab and hunt around at almost ground level to access his feed.The hay feeder is very simple, being comprised of a professionally made bag (we recommend one made that is stitched with the same strong stitching as a parachute), a sturdy, wooden platform that resembles a hay pallet (but will hold up to your horse's antics) and some double end bolt snaps. Oh, and a drill.
Click on the play button to see my horses eating from their feeder :
To build this hay feeder you will need a hand drill and:
* A very high-quality hay bag with small holes -- the one we strongly recommend costs $60.00 (including shipping anywhere in the U.S.)
* Bolt snaps -- about $14.00
* Wood to make the pallet -- if you don't have some around your place it will cost approximately $12.00
If you are interested in receiving some very-easy-to-follow instructions on how to make this hay feeder yourself, please email SKODE and she will mail you your instructions on April 12.
The cost for the instructions is only $7.50 including postage and online help (we will provide direct email access to us on the East as well as the West Coast in case you in need any questions answered along the way).
To place your order for the instructions, click the E-Mail Me button above.
If you're like me, every year you make grand plans to ride your horse on a regular basis. Sometimes we're able to make those plans stick and sometimes, it seems, we fall victim to circumstance. At least I have.
Life Coach Cindy McGinley helps us get in the driver's seat of our lives -- and stay there.
I have worked with her personally and when I did my goals -- which included everything from training an almost feral pony to allow me to stand still and trim his feet, to taking my horse to regular dressage lessons -- were attained VERY quickly.
I am grateful to Cindy for what I learned in working with her and I want to share some of the information that I learned with you in this newsletter. After all, we are here to live your heart's desires!
The Goal: “I want to ride/spend more time with my horse.”
SKODE: What are some of the most commonly heard obstacles you hear that block horsewomen from reaching this goal?
CINDY: Well, as a horsewoman myself, I can tell you without a doubt that the biggest obstacle to spending more time with your horse, either to ride or train or just hang out with your horses enough, is lack of time itself. The hectic pace that we live our lives by today just isn’t conducive to having much quality time to spend with our horses. There are not enough hours in a day to juggle career, family, and our passion for horses. Especially if our loved ones are not into horses. There are those lucky families who spend time together with the horses and that is their life, but most of us have a spouse that isn’t really into it, or others of us don’t have a significant other and so we have no help doing the routine things that need to be done to keep our horses happy and healthy. When you spend a Saturday afternoon going to get a load of hay from your supplier, for example, loading and unloading, stacking hay, or cleaning stalls, fixing fences… after doing all that work, not only does it take up the afternoon, but it tires you out. Who feels like riding or grooming after all that work?
If you board your horses out, it’s another story, of course. Maybe it’s a long drive to get to your barn; maybe you get home from work and just can’t take another step and collapse into a chair. Maybe you have another special-needs horse that takes up a great deal of your time and leaves little time for riding. But it still boils down to having enough time and energy. We end up feeling like there’s nothing we can do about that. Who hasn’t wished they could add more hours to their day? We end up frustrated and not knowing how we can possibly attain our goal, or stretch ourselves any thinner.
SKODE: What is the single most important step a woman can take in achieving this particular goal?
Life Coach Cindy McGinley
How To Define, Follow Through
&
Achieve
Your Riding Goals with Your Horse this Spring!
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Especially for Your Pocket
Apple Pie & Carrot Snip Cookies!Size as shown, about 1 and 1/2 inces of crunchy,
Apple Pie Goodness to fill your pockets :) OH MY!
NSC = 7.4 %The debut of the Apple Pie cookies has been very successful! In fact they are so very, very good, you wrote to tell Skode, that you were wondering: Could they be made small enough to fit in a pocket?
That way, they can be carried EVERYWHERE.
So many of our best changes come from your suggestions!
Happily, this change didn't take much time to implement and the pocket-sized cookies are now available for the Apple Pie cookies and the Carrot Snip cookies.
To order them, simply drop me an email when you order your cookies. Write "Pocket-Size" Please :)
You can do that here, in this newsletter, or you can do it on the Skode's website.
But if I were you I would do it here, because just a little bit further down the page you will see a very nice sale!
Using Cucumbers to Protect Your Barn & Grounds from What Creeps and Crawls and Even Buzzes in the Sky!This information was in The New York Times several
weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home"
Series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to
Solve common problems:
Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds?
Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden
Will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area. The bee populatin here is steering clear, that's for sure :)
Cucumber also works with any ant problems you have. Just take the skin and place it where ever you have ants and they will disappear!
Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the
Mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a
Soothing, spa-like fragrance. Okay, so that didnt' have to do with your barn or your garden! I just thought I would sneak that in here because I tried it and it works!
Let's face it -- we're busy folk who don't always have the time to wash, rinse and groom our horses. Now, fortunately, we don't have to go through all that -- Ferrell Hollow Farm's Natural Coat Spray will do it lickety split!
This is a wonderful product that easily wipes off sweat and grime. It also:
* Softens dry manes and tails* Soothes itchy skin* And smells fantastic!Ingredients include pure, essential oil of Lavender, Rosemary, Tea Tree and Peppermint. Blended into a base of Witch Hazel and Sweet Almond Oil.
But rather than try to explain the effectiveness of how this wonderful product works, simply click on the "Before" and "After" videos to see for yourself :)
Pretty Up Your Horse With an All Natural Coat Spray
that Truly WorksBefore Ferrell Hollow Farm Coat Spray:
After Ferrell Hollow Farm Coat Spray:
Available to Skode's Newsletter Subcribers only for this Spring Special of $20 for a 16 ounce Spray bottle. Please email Skode to place an order:
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What Skode's Monthly Autoship Program Can Do For Your Horse -- and Your Pocketbook :)
If you buy treats at least once a month you can save money -- anywhere from 5 to 15 percent -- on Skode's autoship program
Here's how:
Save an Automatic 5 PercentAll you need do is buy treats on a monthly basis. It's that simple. There is no minimum purchase. Just a once-a-month committment that requires noting other than an email saying: "Sign me up!"
Save an Overall 10 percent
Illustration of Vashka taking matters into his own hands by Skode's illustrationist, Katy Wicks
Pre-pay for a 6-month treat bundle and save 10 percent for monthly orders of $67 - $84 .
For example, an order of 4 pounds cookies per month this would save you $70.20 in just six months!
Save an Overall 10-15 percent
Pre-pay for a 6-month treat bundle and save 15 percent for monthly orders of $90 and up.
For example, an order of 6 pounds cookies per month this would save you $132.90 in just six months!
* Autoship discounts can be applied to Skode's Speciality Trail mixes, too!
"The autoship is a good money saver, and more importantly, it means that I don't run out of treats!
The service is timely and fully meets my needs" -- K. Ramey -- Leesburg, VA.
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"SKODE"
