Jenny M, Hidden Fox Farm Horse Trainer

2011 Pacific Classic Contenders – Some of the Best Horses Ready to Compete

The field for the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar just added two more contenders, Don Cavallo, the winner of the Dominion Day Stakes at Woodbine, and Achak, who is coming off an allowance win.

The Dominion Day Stakes was run over a Polytrack surface at Woodbine, so Don Cavallo may have an additional advantage of having raced over the same type of surface over which the Pacific Classic will be run. In addition, the Dominion Day Stakes was run at 1 ¼ miles, so he has the experience with the distance. Don Cavallo is a four year old horse owned by Frank Stronach and trained by Roger Attfield. His record over synthetic tracks is three out of four.

Achak was running in the claiming ranks as recently as July 23, 2011, his most recent claiming effort being only a third place finish in a $35,000 claiming event at 1 mile over the Del Mar turf. He came back in his next race to take an Allowance optional claming event at 10-1 odds over the Del Mar Polytrack by half a length. He seems to be improving but he will still be a big long shot for the Grade 1 Pacific Classic, and his owner Mark Verge will be thrilled just to hit the board, and no wonder, a small cut of a $1 million purse is still very substantial.

Achak is a five year old trained by Doug O’Neill and has won nine of thirty one starts. He does have some stakes experience, having finished fifth in the Grade 3 Native Diver on December 4, 2010 at Hollywood Park.

The field of probably contenders includes the second and third place finishers in the Hollywood Gold Cup, Game on Dude and Twirling Candy. The champion three year old filly Blind Luck is going to take a shot against the boys but is not definite. She is also under consideration for the Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga as well as the Molly Pitcher at Monmouth, according to her trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Other contenders include Acclamation, Jeronimo, and Caracortado, the top three finishers from the Eddie Read Stakes, a Grade 1 1-1/8 mile turf race.

Tres Borrachos is also being considered for the race. He is coming off an impressive victory as a mild 8-1 long shot in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap.

Other contenders may include Setsuko, Stately Victor, Spurrier, Tres Borrachos, and Victory Pete.

The winner gains an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge as part of the “Win and You’re In” program.

The Pacific Classic will be run on August 28th.

Watching top thoroughbreds compete against each other is one of the most exciting thrills a sports fan can experience. Now imagine being able to build virtual races with the greatest race horses from all over the world. You choose the race conditions, track surface, distance and then find out which horse is truly the best. If you like to play free racing games online and you’re a fan of horse racing, get ready for some truly exciting gaming fun.

Sports fans who enjoy online fantasy games, particularly those interested in virtual racing, will love the new HorseRaceGame.com – <a href = ” http://www.horseracegame.com/betting.php“> free racing games online</a>hundreds of new features including its web player for those who are not interested in downloading racing applications Experience the real world of virtual racing in full-screen 3D by breeding, caring for, training and racing against an international player base for top game recognition and big prizes. There is no free online race game with all the diversity found at HorseRaceGame.com.

About the Author

An ardent fan of horse racing for years, I am extremely passionate about writing articles on adventurous topics on the lines of new developments in sports, online games as well as other fields. You can find articles regarding Horse racing industries and interesting facts about the understanding of horse race.

How to Become a Horse Trainer Apprentice?

I was wondering if anybody would know of any horse trainers in San Diego CA or outside of CA who would be willing to take an apprentice trainer. My long term goal is to raise and train my own animals Domestic/ Exotic for film, photo and commercial work. This also includes horses the only problem is that I have zip riding experiance riding horses. But I figured the best way to learn is from the ground up. This probably wont look good with most trainers but my initial interest is in stunt training and general behaviors that would be required of horses on a set. As well as skills in general training, gentling etc. So if you know of any horse trainers in my area who would be interested in helping me get a start I would highly appreciate it.

If you don’t have any experience riding horses, the best thing you can do right now is take riding lessons. Most trainers won’t take you on as an apprentice unless you have a high enough level of riding experience. I would also start emailing companies that do stunt work with animals and see what their recommendations would be. If you can, read through biographies and resumes of animal stunt workers and see what their backgrounds are, and that will also give you an idea of where to get started.

Set of (2) Dressage Training Videos: ON THE LEVELS Vol. 1 Training- First Level (Featuring the 1995 Dressage Tests) AND 1996 USDF National Dressage Symposium Vol. 1 – Seat and Position of the Rider 1995 On the Levels is your opportunity to view the dressage tests from the perspective of the rider, the trainer and the judge. Ring geometry, accuracy, 20 meter circles, 10 meter half circles, serpentines, change through trot, counter canter, lengthenings, leg-yielding and allowing the horse to stretch. 50 minutes. 1996 Symposium features Olympians Robert Dover, Hilda Gurney, Micael Poulin and J…

Training a Paso Fino Stallion by Riding Bareback

Horse Heaven Jane Smiley

Horse Heaven

Jane Smiley

In ‘Horse Heaven’ the universe of horse racing is woven into a marvellous tapestry of joy and love, chicanery, folly, greed and reckless courage. Spanning two years on the circuit, from Kentucky and California to New York and Paris, Jane Smiley’s wonderful novel puts us among trainers and track brats, horse-obsessed girls, nervy jockeys, billionaire breeders and restless track wives.
“The world of horse-racing has never been portrayed to such spellbinding effect.”
That quote from the ‘Tatler’ review illustrates the depth and breadth of this fascinating novel and explains why it is regarded as one of the great horse books of all time.
A rich tapestry of human and animal characters, ‘Booklist’ described it as “a symphonic celebration of the byzantine world of thoroughbred horse racing, an electrifying and at times melodramatic tale of two years on the thoroughbred racing circuit with a wealth of intimate knowledge about horse breeding, training and racing, not to mention sensuous description and supple human and equine psychology.”
In following the racing careers of five thoroughbreds, the novel encompasses all the thrills, heartaches and excitement of horse racing at the highest level. The horses are the stars but are supported by a myriad of fascinating human characters: owners, trainers, stud farm managers, jockeys, vets, grooms and gamblers. There are as many intriguing stories in this work as there are in a rich human life and are woven together brilliantly in a breathtakingly sustained piece of writing. Readers are kept exhilarated right up to the finishing line.
‘The Financial Times’ concluding its review says: “You will never regret having read this book and you will, even if you care nothing for horses, begin to understand why those who live by and for them, do so.”
A fitting tribute to a literary masterpiece.

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The Author

Jane Smiley was born in Los Angeles, California, moved to the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, as an infant, and lived there through grammar school and high school (The John Burroughs School). After getting her BA at Vessar College in 1971, she travelled in Europe for a year, working on an archeological dig and sightseeing, and then returned to Iowa for graduate school at the University of Iowa.
Having received her MFA and PhD, she went to work in 1981 at Iowa State University, where she taught until 1996.
Jane has written eleven works of fiction, including ‘The Age of Grief’, ‘The Greenlanders’, ‘Ordinary Love and Good Will’, ‘A Thousand Acres’, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992, ‘Moo’, ‘Good Earth’, ‘Ten Days in the Hills’, and ‘Horse Heaven.’
She also wrote essays for ‘Vogue’, ‘The New Yorker’, ‘Practical Horseman’, ‘Harpers’, ‘The New York Times Magazine’, Victoria’, ‘Mirabella’, ‘Allure’, ‘The Nation’ and many others.
She has written on politics, farming, horse training, child-rearing, literature, impulse buying, getting dressed, Barbie, marriage and other topics. She is also the author of four books of nonfiction, including ‘A Year at the Races’, ‘Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Novel’, and from Penguin Lives Series, a biography of Charles Dickens.
Jane was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2001. In December, 2006 she received the Pen USA Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature. Her latest novel, ‘Private Life’ was published by Random House in May 2010.

She has two daughters and one son, and lives in Northern California.

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About the Author

Paddy Cummins. Irish author. Books. Novels. ‘Spare Ride’ ‘Green Lodge’ ‘The Crying Sea’ Website: www.equineglory.com Racing and Equestrian News. Free Daily Tipping. Online Sports Betting. Live Links. Trainers. Jockeys. Racecourses. Stud Farms. Horse Sales. Tack Shops. Book Reviews. Articles. Blogs.

Dogville

4 Motorhome tour of Europe

Friday 10/10/08

Left Perth 1.30pm arrived at services in Maidstone Kent 12 hours and 510 miles later, lot’s of roadwork’s, wind and torrential rain made it a slow journey. We both enjoyed a large drambuie before bed at 3am.

Saturday 11/10/08

Wakened at 10am to glorious sunshine and a very small notice. “Maximum stay 2 hours. Please purchase ticket for longer stay [£14] Wheel clamps will be used and fine issued” After setting the alarm off 3 times my doubts about Gordon’s ability to sneak a 23ft motor home past the parking attendant were unfounded!!!  Nice 30 min drive to Dover and got the 3.30 ferry to Calais, smooth 1 hour crossing. Drove 20 miles towards Dunkerque and stopped at free camper van parking at small harbour in Gravelines.

Weather lovely 20°C

Total mileage today- 50

NOTE – in France they provide free motor home parking in all the villages they are called Aires, they usually have fresh water and waste water dumping facilities for around 2€. They vary in size from 10 – 30 vans.

Sunday 12/10/08

Bonjour, 8am. Wandered down over moat past fort to local boulangerie for fresh croissants for breakfast. Had a drive around Dunkerque, but not a lot to see, a very large town with a lot in industry. Drove into Belgium and had lunch at village called Le Panne. Decided to drive west back along the coast to Arromanches.[Normandy D Day Landings] Arrived 7pm camped up at Aire in village which had parking for 14 and we got the last space.

Weather 24°C

Mileage today – 320

Monday 13/10/08

Visited the D Day Museum at Arromanches. Then onto Omaha beach and the American Cemetery. This was unbelievable; you would think it had been built yesterday and not in1956. A huge modern display and information reception before going through to the gardens, memorials and 9400 graves with immaculate white marble headstone in perfect lines, only the Americans could have built a show piece like this in the middle of the Normandy countryside, well worth visiting, a very moving experience. Drove down to Aire at Utah beach to spend the night.

Weather – Fair 16°C

Mileage today – 51

Tuesday 14/10/08

Utah beach Museum – brilliant. Then onto Pointe Du Hoc. This is where 225 American rangers scaled the cliffs to take out the German guns. 90 survived. We are both a lot more knowledgeable about the D Day Landings. A very enjoyable and interesting 2 days on the Normandy coast. Drove to the east of Paris and stayed at motorway services. Sat Nav through the centre of Paris great, although it does take you onto the toll roads, did it in 30 mins. The roads aren’t nearly as busy as back home.

Weather – Cloudy but fair 17°C

Mileage today –  250

Wednesday 15/10/08

Drove through Champagne Country today. Stopped at another American war memorial at Chateau Thierry, sitting on a quiet country hill side it was 200ft high and 1000ft long. The Americans really like to make their mark and let everyone know their part in WWII.  Lovely run on non toll quiet roads all the way to Germany. Arrived German border 8.30pm, staying at motorway services just outside Saarbrucken, when we arrived a young guy from Hungary came over, he had just bought a car in Germany and had broken down and “he did not know nothing why the diesel was pouring out the engine” Gordon spent the next 2 hours doing a temporary repair for him, he was extremely grateful as he had 1500km to travel back to Hungary! We hope he makes it.

Weather – Cloudy 18°C just started raining this evening 10pm

Mileage today – 250

Thursday 16/10/08

Left services in heavy rain which continued all the way to Nurnberg, a long drive with a few road works. Lovely countryside, arrived 6pm and booked into only campsite in Nurnberg {28€. For 1 night!!!} Drove into city to stock up on groceries (a lot cheaper than in France but diesel is more expensive 1.30€ a litre}.couldn’t get any satellite signal tonight so missed Emmerdale ! Watching DVD.

Weather – 13°C Rain

Mileage today – 260

Friday 17/10/08

Parked 2 miles from city centre and had a nice walk in. did the tourist sight seeing bit. Nurnberg  is a lovely city, very clean.  The only thing we have trouble with is the language ! ordered Riesenbratwurst, Bratkartoffeln & Sauerkraut for lunch. It tasted ok !

Roads are good and we haven’t had any difficulty navigating them. Travelled to Swickau and parked in motorway services tonight.

Weather  – 10°C Sunny but very cold

Mileage today – 126

Saturday 18/10/08

Drove to Dresden and then onto Colditz, it wasn’t the easiest place to find, no signposts until you were within a mile of the town, located the castle, it sits in the centre of town surrounded by houses which surprised us, we then  parked in lay-by just outside Colditz town.

Weather – 10°C Sunny

Mileage today 148

Sunday 19/10/08

Spend most of the day at Colditz Castle, brilliant, saw the escape tunnels dug by the POW’s. well worth visiting. All the information and photo’s are about failed escape attempts!!!

Headed towards Poland and crossed border at 6pm. The difference compared to Germany, roads, cleanliness etc is instantly noticeable. First priority tomorrow is to get Polish money before we need fuel !! Stayed at service station at Boleslawecka, didn’t feel very safe.

Weather 10°C Sunny

Mileage today. 153

Monday 20/10/08

Early start today, on road by 8am. Travelled to Wraclow and onto Krakow arrived 3.30pm. We drive at 58mph, this makes driving easy as flow with lorries {which there is a lot of in Poland} Ave 23 MPG..Air suspension working well on the Polish Roads glad we got it fitted. Gordon was dreading driving in city centre with trams etc but found signs for campsite 2 miles from centre (great nice change from service stations and lorries) . Got bus, then tram with help of friendly Polish chap to city centre. Nice walk right round the old city, palace, river, churches & museums and then had traditional polish dumplings for tea (very good) outside in the market square, {largest market square in Europe} . Enjoyed watching the horse drawn taxis with a glass of wine as the sun went down over city. They have floodlights on all the building in the square at night. So far we have found Krakow lovely and the people very friendly and helpful. Thought we would have found the language more difficult, we found the local off licence ok. They call them ” ALKOHOLE”

Weather 7am – 4C     3pm – 20°C

Mileage today 235

Tuesday 21/10/08

Went to salt mines at Wieliczka just east of Krakow. An amazing place, 130m underground and there is a huge church with the alter etc carved out of salt. Stables for the horses and offices in the 300km of tunnels. The miners carved statues out of the rock salt to make it a visually pleasant place to work; it was a privilege to be a salt miner, very healthy environment.

Travelled to Oswiecim (Auschwitz) and parked at the 24hr car park at the museum (12 Zlotys)

We met an Australian couple in Krakow campside and bumped into them in Auschwitz we parked up together and had an interesting and funny night swapping tales about our adventures so far. (They flew to Germany end of august and bought camper van their to tour Europe for 10 Months)

Weather 7am – 1°C       3pm – 24°C

Mileage today 50

Wednesday 22/10/08

Auschwitz – visited the museum and concentration camp {formally the Polish Army base camp} then out to Brzezinka (Birkenau} Extermination camp. We couldn’t even try to explain the horror and unbelievable size of Birkenau it’s not till you actually walk round that the scale of the Germans extermination of a complete race hits home. We said earlier that Germany was a beautiful clean country we now recon this is where they learned about recycling, everything from the prisoners exterminated was recycled, artificial limbs, glasses, even hair. Total shocking experience. We left Poland 3pm and reached Chez Republic border at 4.30pm. Headed for Slovakia and crossed border at 5.25pm. Got some Slovak money 4000 Slovenskych korun for £100 and also Road pass {Wingett} for 7 days.  (3 countries in an hour, what a rally crew !!)

Parked in lorry lay-by with 24hr café just north of Trencin {tea for 2 with drinks £4).     Weather 7°C – am      24°C – pm

Mileage today 251

Thursday 23/10/08

Drove to Bratislava, had a drive round but no where to park near centre, drove into Hungary and had lunch, Slovakia & Hungary both lovely but not a lot to see decided to head for Austria and parked at services just outside Vienna.

Weather 12°C cloudy & windy

Mileage today 224

Friday 24/10/08

Found and booked into campsite for 2 nights – 20mins from Vienna Centre. Had washing machine & tumble dryer, spent the morning doing the last 2 weeks laundry. Gordon sat in laundry while I did the house work and set up our ‘my space’ on the computer (also watched a lot of rally footage on u tube I think!!} booked city tour at 1.30pm – 72€. Which turned out to be very expensive for what we got to see? it did give us our bearings round the city though which is very beautiful, had a lovely meal before catching tube (which is full of drunken vagrants) then bus back to camp site, didn’t pay for tube!! Bus 3€… Great day out.  

Weather   -3°C am     +7°C pm

Mileage today 25

Saturday 25/10/08

Tube back into centre Vienna, had nice lunch, went to visit the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, [Mega] couldn’t get tickets for tour or show – fully booked. Walked around city sight seeing for 5 hours and a walk down beside the Danube. Got back to site at 6pm exhausted. As beautiful as Vienna is we’ve had enough of the cold. (the camper is really cosy, it’s walking round through the day that’s freezing] early night tonight as hope to be close to Venice tomorrow night.

Weather – 6°C

Mileage 0  Walked 10 miles

Sunday 26/10/08

Left Vienna 10.30am Sunday is the best day for a long journey as no lorries on the road. Passed through PIBER, this is the Stud for the Lipizzaner for the Spanish Riding School of Vienna.  Route VIENNA – GRAZ – KLAGENFURT – VILLACH – ITALIAN BORDER – UDINE – Crossed Italian Border 3.15pm. Came of the toll road and headed for coast, parked at camper stop in Caorle approx 25 miles east of Venice. The scenery through the north of Italy is some of the best we’ve seen so far. Austria is also lovely but we travelled through quite a lot of fog.

Weather 0°C – am Vienna         22°C -  pm Italy.

Mileage today 362

Monday 27/10/08

Walked down to village centre, had morning coffee and walk along sea front, lovely holiday resort/fishing village. Drove to Lido di Jesolo then out to Punta Sabbioni, just across water from Venice. Parked at camper stop (17€) no free parking near Venice. Took the scooter on its maiden run, brilliant fun, had a run around all the local villages, went for groceries. Forgot the scooter didn’t have a very big boot!!

Weather 18°C

Mileage 60

Tuesday 28/10/08

Bought public transport ticket {this includes ferry & water busses) for 14€ each, and caught ferry over to Venice, 1/2hr crossing. Spent the day sight seeing in Venice, hopping on and of water buses. Brilliant place to see but we were both a bit taken aback how neglected all the buildings were. Back to camper and headed further down coast, started raining, lots of traffic and dark, pulled of main road and found place to park at Rosolina Mare, thought it was a derelict shopping centre, but there was a lot of rushing water noise, didn’t feel very safe, don’t like parking in the dark when you cant see what’s around you.

Weather 20°C Overcast & heavy rain at night

Mileage  95

Wednesday29/10/08

We needn’t have worried about being unsafe; when daylight came in we were parked at a lovely out of season beachfront with loud waves. Drove down to Rimini then into Republic of San Marino. This is a lovely country, 64K². Took the cable car up to castle at top 750m above sea level. Fantastic place, well worth visiting. Free camper parking just below cable car station. This is the best spot we have parked in so far. Views right over Rimini and the Adriatic, Enjoyed a bottle of very good San Marino wine, while enjoying the view.

Weather 26°C windy

Mileage  148

Thurs 30/10/08

Left San Mario (We both really enjoyed our stay) Headed South through Cattolice to Pesaro and onto Ancona, We were on the non toll coast road but slow going, decided to go on toll road to make better progress, €9.90 Parked in car park at Marina de Montenero right on beachfront. Lovely countryside all the way down the coast, vineyards, olive groves, canals and the sea. Stopped at roadside stall and bought fresh fruit and veg. Enjoying a bottle of their produce tonight !

Weather 22°C sun & windy

Mileage 224

Friday 31/10/08

Headed further south today. Route: Vasto – Bari – Taranto – Wild camping on the beach at Montegiordano Marina, a small fishing village, enjoyed the run down, very quiet roads, countryside full of oranges, mandarins, grapes & olives all the way down coast road. Taranto is a huge industrial town with massive port and oil refineries, other than that it was all small villages we passed through, weather is great. Another bottle of grape juice with tea tonight all part of our 5 a day!!  We have one night out a week at a good restaurant, usually Friday – no restaurants at this little village! It was like something out of the Bertoli Advert, you could see the locals looking and thinking “There are strangers in town”

Weather 27°C

Mileage 245

Saturday 1/11/08

Route Montegiordano – Sybaris then crossed to west coast Cosenza – Lamezia Terme – Villa S Giovanni – Ferry to Messina Sicily. This was a brilliant run through the mountains, awesome scenery and some scary mountainous roads. Headed south and parked at Camper Park at Giardini Naxos just below Mount Etna {which is smoking in the background!}Took scooter for a look round and had tea at one of the beach restaurants. Got lost in the dark on the scooter on the way back – all one way streets!

Weather 29°C

Mileage 284

Sunday 2/11/08

After turning the van upside down looking for the safe place Gordon put his wallet! Spent the rest of the day at beach and scooting round town. Great. Got lost again in the one way system!

Weather 27°C

Mileage 0     Scooter 6

Monday 3/11/08

Left lovely site at Naxos and drove up Mount Etna, road was never designed for camper van, thank goodness Gordon is a good driver. Mount Etna is lunar like in landscape, ash blowing on the road and smell of smoke all the time. Drove as far as we could 2000m above sea level, the cable car up to the crater was closed due to the wind, very cold up here, ski jacket back on. Found a better road back down and headed further south to free camper spot at fishing village called Brucoli just north of Augusta. Brucoli looked lovely from a distance but Sicily has a major rubbish & litter problem. It looked better in the dark, had a bbq for tea and watched local fishermen out on small boats.

Weather 25°C – Naxos     14°C- Mount Etna – Rain & Wind

Mileage 70

Tuesday 4/11/08

Left, not to be visited again Brucoli. And headed North towards Palermo. Lovely countryside through the mountains and again on the coast road heading east. Wild camping at beachfront Capo d’Orlando. Gordon trying his hand at fishing at the moment. BBQ for tea again tonight, weather glorious, not as humid as down south. Sicily is very poor looking, not what we thought it would be. Buildings are very tatty and every village we go through the bins are overflowing and rubbish is everywhere. Early night tonight as Gordon was up most of last night trying to kill mosquito that was biting him!

Weather 33°C

Mileage 169

Wednesday 5/11/08

Back to Messina and eventually found correct ferry to get back to Italy. Not sorry to be leaving Sicily, other than weather, Naxos & Mount Etna it was a pretty filthy place with crazy drivers. Travelled north and wild camped on the beach just outside Pizzo. BBQ for tea and then spent the next 4 hours in van with our very own firework display. Thunder and frightening lightening storm, the street lights all went out and a fire started on the hill behind us, pretty scary night.

Weather 25°C

Mileage 163

Thursday 6/11/08

Would have spent another day on the beach, but the storm didn’t clear and raining, headed further north. Route Pizzo – Cosenza –Salerno and then made a BIG mistake, came of main road and decided to head for Amalfi coast and somewhere to camp for night. After an hour of driving on the worst roads and drivers ever, headed back inland and eventually parked at deli car park on busy road at Vico Equense. It was only good luck that we got of the coast road without damage to the van.

Weather 18°C Rain

Mileage 257

Friday 7/11/08

Early wake up this morning, traffic started at 5am !Travelled into Pompei and travelled back out fast, roads not suitable for camper,  had one look at Naples from a distance and decided not for us. Got on to Motorway and arrived in Rome 12 noon. Parked at secure camper stop 3 miles from centre. Washed camper, (he had pressure washer & it was badly needing done) then headed on tram to centre, amazing place, walked around the Colosseum and town hall. Had tea in restaurant, tram back to site. The main terminal in town for trains, busses, trams & underground is a scary place. The man at the camper stop warned us to be very careful for pick pockets etc.

Weather 18°C Sunny

Mileage165

Saturday 8/11/08

Tram back to Rome centre and spent the day sightseeing, Inside Colloseum, Vatican etc. walked for miles.

Weather 18°C Torrential rain showers & sunshine

Mileage 0

Sunday 9/11/08

Travelled from Rome to Pisa. quiet road on Sunday, nice scenery. Parked for night at Marina Di Pisa, o lovely spot next to the water, had carry out Pizza for tea.

Weather 20°C showers

Mileage 257

Monday 10/11/08

Drove into Pisa centre and eventually got parked 100m from leaning tower ! really spectacular to see. Headed north and had change of route plan, heading for the Swiss Alps. Parked North of Novara in lay by at the side of Lago Maggiore small village called  Solcio, this is a lovely area of Italy all along the loch side.

Weather 22°C

Mileage 236

Tuesday 11/11/08

Early start. Solcio – Swiss Border – Tasch – Zermatt. Arrived 11am. Parked at Tasch and got train into Zermatt as no cars allowed. The Matterhorn was awesome to see, took the cable cars up to 2939m, fantastic views and freezing cold. Enjoyed a hot coffee at bottom, and wander round Zermatt which is very quaint. This has been my favourite place so far.

Weather -6°C

Mileage 106

Wednesday 12/11/08

Wakened to snow showers and low cloud, couldn’t even see bottom of matterhorn, we were lucky yesterday to have had great weather. Weather didn’t improve all day, so didn’t see Monte Blanc or other mountains as we drove to Argentier then onto Chamonix, parked in car park in Chamonix tonight. Had delicious French onion soup & cheese fondue for lunch today.

Weather 5°C snow, rain, fog

Mileage 98

Thursday 13/11/08

Weather still not cleared, and cable car up the Midi closed for annual maintenance. Headed south, drove through the Mont Blanc Tunnel 12km, pretty cool, (cool price to 44€) and came out other side to glorious sunshine in Italy. Drove through San Remo, Monte Carlo, Monaco, ended up in dark at Nice airport VIP Terminal !!!! (nothing wrong with my navigating) Parked in services outside Cannes. We were both sorry to leave the Alps as the scenery is stunning.

Mileage 300

Weather 0°C

Friday 14/11/08

Drove along lovely coast from Cannes to Ciotat, Had lunch at St Tropez and a walk round the town. Parked in Camp Site with grumpy woman owner!

Mileage 116

Weather 20°C Sunny

Saturday 15/11/08

Continued along coast road, stopped at Chateau outside Marseille, bought some wine and pinched some apples! Gordon must have had too many samples as while watching a low barrier through tunnel in Marseille, he didn’t realise it was not quite wide enough. (Only slight damage to Roller Team) Wild camping right on beach at Sete – Montpellier. BBQ for tea. The South Coast of France is really nice.

Mileage 151

Weather 17°C Sunny

Update Three

Sunday 16/11/08

Travelled further South and parked at Port Barcares overlooking sea, had fresh mussels for lunch at port. En route we went to another small fishing harbour where the boats drove right to the back of a dozen restaurants where everyone was tucking into buckets of fresh oysters. Very very windy night, thought the van was going to blow over, didn’t sleep very well. Would have stayed South Coast France longer if the weather had been a bit better.

Mileage 75

Weather 17°C sunny/ very windy

Monday 17/11/08

Left France and drove to Peniscola Spain. Wild camped by the sea.

Mileage 277

Weather 20°C windy

Tuesday 18/11/08

Drove down coast to Benidorm, parked at side of road in centre. Enjoyed tapenyaki for tea, then  a great night on the town visiting a few cabaret shows. Back to van at 3am!!!!

Mileage 188

Weather 20°C sunny

Wednesday 19/11/08

Long lie!!! Then brilliant full breakfast at Scottish Bar (first time we have had real bacon since our own ran out) weather awful. Walked round the old town. Indian for tea and early night.

Mileage 0

Weather 14°C Torrential rain

Thursday 20/11/08

Weather still not improved. Found laundry and spent morning doing last 4 weeks washing. Heaven clean towels tomorrow! Had another hearty breakfast, then headed further down coast, staying at Los Alcazares, Mar Menor camp site right on beach (we needed water, computer charged etc) chased up Sarah’s money for her car again. Having BBQ for tea. We would have stayed longer in Benidorm had the weather been better, it was nice to hear some Scottish voices, the last time we had a conversation with anyone that spoke English was the Australians we met in Poland. Also Benidorm was in full swing most of the places in S France and Italy were closed for the winter.

Mileage 100     

Weather 14°C Sunshine & Showers

Friday 21/11/08

Walked into Los Alcazares  along wooden walkway through nature reserve about 4.5  miles.Went back to see Raymond about Sarah’s car. Still no money from him, located solicitor to deal with it. Left campsite and found free place to park in Los Alcazares  20yds from beach and Mar Manor, went to local restaurant for  tea.

Mileage 0

Weather 20 °C sunny

Saturday 22/11/08

Spent the day on beach, glorious sunshine all day, went to Indian restaurant where Sarah used to work and had excellent meal, they were all asking after her and missed her working there.

Mileage 0

Weather 25°C sunny

Sunday 23/11/08

Overcast this morning and didn’t look like clearing, intended heading down coast and staying near Almeria, the coast is not very nice at this part. 100 miles of poly tunnels growing tomatos. Kept driving and arrived at house Benejarafe at 6pm. Intend spending the next couple of weeks here, hopefully a few rounds of golf before flying home for xmas.

Mileage 240

Weather 20°C overcast

Spent 3 weeks in south Spain, 1 week at house and 2 weeks travelling and golfing, on coast went as far as Tariffa coast & across to Gibralter before flying home on 14th Dec.

Gordon Flew back to Spain on 4th march and I joined him on 7th. Job interview delayed me going out.

Sat 7th March 2009

Gordon picked me up from airport and we stayed at Duquessa on the coast, nice spot where we parked for a few days before.

Sun 8th March

Travelled up the west coast of  Spain and into Portugal wild camped at harbour Villamoura, Algarve. BBQ for tea, weather lovely.

Mon 9th – Friday 13th March

Travelled a few miles back along coast to wild camping spot right on the beach at Quartiera, stayed here with about 40 other vans. Sunbathed, walked along promenade every day, visited fruit, fish & clothes markets, village had a great butchers so had BBQ’s every night on beach, mainly rib roasts.

Weather 27 °C every day, quite windy at times.

Fri  13th March

Travelled along Algarve coast to Portimao, wild camped near beach at Alvor, watched dozens of sky divers jumping out of planes and landing on beach.

Weather sunny & hot

Sat 14th March

Travelled to beach Boca d Rio and parked for day & night. Tide came in very fast and soaked our towels and beach things, we did wonder why everyone else left the beach at 12.30 !!!

This beach was right in the countryside with only a dozen camper vans at it.

Sun 15th March

Onto Sagres the furthest point west in the Algarve, parked on cliffs overlooking the sea.

Mon 16th March

Travelled inland to Monchique, lovely run up to this quaint mountain village went up to Foia which is the highest point on this coast and you can see all of the Algarve from here. Travelled and stayed at the Santa Clara dam. Met an Englishman who has fought every German and Portuguese policeman he’s met. I made an excuse to go and left Gordon to suffer his fairy stories. that’s being polite !!

Weather sunny but windy

Tue 17th March

Headed back to west coast, and stayed at Sines on the beach, quite windy here, didn,t lie sunbathing for to long and I was glad because when I was having my coffee next morning a snake came out of the grass where I had been lying. Didn’t hang about here after that and no  more sunbathing near long grass!!

Wed 18th March

Travelled a few miles further up the coast and stayed at Santa Cruz

Thurs 19th March

Fri 20th March

Sat 21st March

Stayed Porto

Sun 22nd March

Wild camped near beach in remote spot just past San Sebastian.

Mon 23rd March

A long days drive but lovely countryside to France and up to brilliant Aire at Beulac. One of the nicest we have stayed at, BBQ area, fishing pond, picnic tables, toilets and all free.

 www.scottishtourer.co.uk

Tue 24th March

Travelled to Limoges and parked at Aire in new village Oradour. Got lovely cakes and quiche for lunch out of bakers, sossissons at the butchers for tea, food in France is pretty good but a lot more expensive than Portugal 

Wed 25th March

Spend the morning visiting the massacred village of  Oradour sur-Glane. 200 SS rounded up and murdered all 643 inhabitants of the village on 10th June 1944. Then looted and burned all the buildings. They have built a wall round the village it is now kept as it was left as a memorial. An interesting and sad place to visit, the burned out houses, shops, garages and church and rusting cars lying about.

Thurs 26th March

About the Author

www.scottishtourer.co.uk

Couple at the races in a costume brochure Photo Mugs An elegant couple at the races. He is wearing a frock coat, top hat, grey trousers, cravat and buttonhole. She is wearing a jacket body with gigot sleeves, a high necked blouse and lace jabot, waistcoat, skirt with dentate tunic and train…..

Horse Racing 1820 Photo Mugs A horse race in progress, watched by a large crowd. ….

Race Going Couple Photo Mugs A bright orange tunic dress with a narrow hobble skirt, sleeves with volans, a V neck bodice a pannier or polonaise over-skirt a a soft brimless hat with a plume…..

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Rosehill Mad About the Hat Day

Three Sites To Watch Horse Races Online

Can’t get to the track or the telly for a big race? If you can get to a computer or have a mobile phone with Internet capability, you can still see the race.

Here are three sites to check out.

1.    BigPond Sport: Horse Racing – http://horseracing.bigpondsport.com/
This free site loads quickly and has an easy-to-read menu. It also offers a print version of that day’s race card, including the number cloths of the horse

and what position the horse will actually break out of the gate. The racing odds and a lot of the tabled information is provided by Betfair, who also offer a

betting service. There’s also horse racing news to sneak a peek at while waiting to watch the next race.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to find races that happened pervious to the current card. You have to practically scan the site with a microscope to find a

miniature calendar icon with the tiny words ‘Change Date’ next to it. It can take several minutes for your particular race to download before it will play

but the picture quality is admirable, even if you are watching from this writer’s old PC.

All in all, a good site with everything on offer that committed racing fans will need.

2.    Australian Racing: Live video feeds – http://www.australianracing.com/pages/members/31.php
This is another free service, but this time you have to register with the site in order to get access to the videos which are in the “member’s area”.

Race-goers will be used to these kinds of restricted zones; part of me thinks it is kind of cute of Australian racing; another part of me got a bit annoyed

at having to fill out the form. The registration form is about a standard page long and asks questions about your gambling habits within Australia. Expect to

spend a good five to 10 minutes providing all of this information. At least you are not required to make a bet in order to watch horse races online!

At the top of the screen is a ‘replay’ tab, which you may need because you’ve possibly just missed your race in the time it took to fill out the registration

form. (Have I mentioned that I don’t like the compulsory registration?). When you enter the video part of the site you are taken to a calendar and a

drop-down menu which asks you what track you want to look at. Another browser screen opens which turns on your video software such as Windows Media Player or

whatever your computer has.

It’s a comprehensive site and you certainly feel like you are part of an exclusive club once you get in.

3.    Harness Link – http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Home.cgi
If you are into harness racing rather than flat racing or steeplechases, then your best bet is to go to Harness Link and download their free toolbar. This

helps you find free online harness racing video, whether recorded or live streaming. Unfortunately, they do not offer this service without a toolbar on their

own website. Because of the nature of the Internet, live streaming races come and go at the drop of a hat. The toolbar helps keep up with these changes so

it’s really handy. Want to try and find these sites yourself? Good luck!

About the Author

For all live information on horse racing online for race goers including news, results and horse racing videos visit BigPond Horse Racing today!

Please let me know what to wear for horse race watching. I saw people dress up with posh hat!?

Pls give me a typical costume they wear in UK. Thank you very much in advnace

posh hats at the races are for special days like the derby or royal ascot. just go smart casual, everyone else will be. or if you are going to the owners enclosure, try smart.

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Training Test 1 at NJ 4H State Horse Show w/ Rusty

It is very important that you understand a few vital points about horse jumps before you purchase yours. There are many different sorts of from which to choose. Several of the distinct kind include the spread or simply oxer jumps, the vertical and the hog’s back in addition to wall jumps. Knowing what the main difference is between the various kinds of is extremely important. It is vital that you choose to purchase all of the different types of jumps, making sure that your horse will be able to rehearse the basic and the most difficult jumps. Other types of horse include the jumps put to use in cross country contests plus the jumps over water. Never forget to purchase education materials which enable your mount to get practice jumping over jumps that fluctuate in their complexity level.

When choosing show jumps, you’ll have to make sure that you’re interacting with a reputable producer or supplier. The very last thing you’ll need would be to purchase a lightweight jump coming from a company that’s unfamiliar within the horse community. When you ensure that you check out the reputation of the maker of the equine equipment, you can be assured that you’re purchasing that are safe as well as durable. The reputable manufacturers tend to make jumps which are reliable because they conduct scientific studies as well as do basic research prior to making. It’s also wise to consider the cost of the before you choose which to obtain. The cost of the should purely be considered following the quality of the particular jumps. Do not compromise the grade of a jump to get a low-cost selling price. There are companies that make jumps at a less expensive cost, however don’t forget to confirm that the standard of the jumps are just as good as the higher priced ones.

An additional thing to consider is the resources put to use when producing the actual equine jumps. You can pick from PVC or timber jumps. With cross country competitive events and Western trails, almost all of the jumps are made from wood. The natural colour of the timber jumps makes it a dangerous range in the thoughts and opinions of some vets as well as horse riders. The particular jumps that are crafted from timber tend to tie in with the background colour effectively. This can result in serious harm to the mount and also the rider because a few of the horses struggle to observe the actual To make these sort of safer, it will always be viable for you to paint them using a brilliantly colored paint such as white or even orange. Wood is also seen as a substandard quality component since it is likely to decay over time, especially if the jumps are left out in the open. Horse riders and trainers regard PVC as the most suited product to use for equine in comparison to their timber alternatives.

If you purchase show, you can do this independently or even as part of some sort of arrangement. Package deals usually include things like and various accessories that a horse might need. If you do not have all the add-ons for your horse, it is a great idea to buy the discount package. On the other hand, when you have every one of the accessories you need for your mount, then purchasing the independently will save you cash. Each of these are some of the important issues you have to take into account to help you to choose the ideal jumps for your horse.

Nick Morgan is a professional as regards show jumps. To find out anything and everything relating to show jumps, drop by the internet site located at… http://www.horsejumpsforsale.co.uk

im looking for a farm that needs sombody to spend time with the horses?

but i dont no where im in nj and you would have to be pretty close you dont have to pay alot and i can bring grooming supplys and stuff and could come over the weekends to help out the horses i could also ride if you needed them to be ridden and if they need alittle training i could lunge and ride them.im very intrested in horses and would like to no if anyones intrested so please write me or comment or leave a answer my email is animalchick1@yahoo.com thanks i hope i can help

Are there any boarding stables or riding stables near you? You might be able to get a weekend job with one of them. Also check around the thoroughbred and harness racing tracks.

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What is it used for please help

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Weight Loss Superfecta

If you are a fan of horse racing, you are familiar with the exotic bet called the Superfecta. It requires that you pick the first four horses to cross the finish line. Depending upon the size of the field and the odds of the winning horses, the pay-off is frequently tremendous.

Approaching our weight loss efforts with a bettor’s attitude, we’re going to pick four sure winners in the dieting game. To improve our chances, we going to “box” our choices, meaning that they can finish in any order as long as our picks run first, second, third, and fourth.

1. Restrict your eating to mealtimes.

We often control ourselves relatively well when we sit down at the table. Whether at home or eating out, we have put some thought into the food on our plate and have made a conscious decision about what we will allow ourselves.

It is what happens between actual meals that is often our downfall. We act without awareness or forethought, absent-mindedly picking on leftovers or items just “hanging around” – candy, potato chips, last night’s unfinished bowl of popcorn, a last lonely cupcake. With little genuine memory of doing it, we have doubled or tripled our daily caloric intake and completely subverted our best intentions. Whether you eat twice a day or “three squares” stick to that, and keep your teeth firmly clenched for the rest of the time.

2. Increase your activity.

Most of us who are overweight hate exercise. We always manage not to find time to perform a daily routine or join a gym. It is true that you can increase your energy expenditure during the day by such changes as using the stairs instead of the elevator, parking as far away from the store or market as possible, or walking over to a coworker’s desk rather than calling him on the telephone. The problem is that these suggestions, so often voiced by the weight loss specialists, have little effect, especially in the short term. If you honestly believe that a few extra steps a day is going to make you buff, you are in big-time denial my friend.

Increasing your activity levels to the range where they will really help your weight goals is going to take genuine and regular effort. If you can’t stand the thought of calisthenics in the morning, try these.

a. Don’t just take the stairs, use them. If you work on the third floor of a six story building, walk up to the roof and then back down to your floor. If you have a two story home or an upstairs apartment, make sure you keep leaving things behind so you are forced to go up and down the stairs at least three or four times before you get in your car and drive off.

b. Park your car in the back 40 at the supermarket and then leave your wallet under the seat. When you reach the store, you’ll have to walk all the way back to get it. When you’ve loaded your groceries into your trunk, push the basket all the way back to the store’s front door – now you’ve walked the distance four times instead of just once.

c. Use your break or lunch time to walk around the block. Then convince yourself that you might have dropped something and retrace your entire trip.

d. Turn on music when you clean house or wash the dishes. Dance constantly while you try to finish your chores without breaking anything.

e. When you watch television, only put an ounce or two of water, or coffee, or tea, in your cup or glass. Get up for a refill at every commercial. During the evening, you may get up and down fifty times which will keep you limber as well as burning calories.

Some of these ideas may take so much time that you’ll throw in the towel and choose an early morning exercise routine instead, knowing that then you don’t have to worry about this silliness all day!

3. Think small.

We gain weight because of the types of food we eat and the amount we eat. For now, we are going to concentrate on the quantity of our intake – calories DO count.

Start thinking small at the market. Yes, the food producers give us a price break if we buy the “economy” size (they have a vested interest in keep our appetites unfettered). We can save even more by buying in bulk. At this stage in our weight loss program, we are less interested in saving money than in saving our diet. Buy the smallest available size of everything.

When you start to prepare your meal, estimate how much of each item you need, and then reduce by 25%. Use dessert instead of dinner plates. A portion of food looks much bigger when it’s threatening to spill over the edges.

As you start to eat, cut your food into small pieces. Not bite-sized pieces, mind you, but more like pet food morsels or large peas. Then eat one at a time, making sure your mouth is totally empty before taking another piece.

You will find yourself feeing full (and rather bored with the whole procedure) long before your little plate is empty. The thought of a second helping may even make you nauseous.

If you are eating out, try to order a child’s plate, a senior menu size, or just an appetizer. Never order a complete meal when a la carte dishes are available – the rest is just “filler” anyway.

4. Always have a pleasant diversion on hand.

The less time you spend interacting with food, the less you will eat. Set up your schedule to allow yourself as little time to eat as possible. If you have an important meeting at 1 PM, don’t take time for lunch until 12:45. At 1 PM, stop and clear everything away. If you want to watch a special television show at 7 PM, don’t start eating dinner until 6:45. At 7 PM, dump any uneaten food into the garbage pail and turn on your show.

If you didn’t have time to finish your meal, more power to you – you’re that many calories ahead. And remember that this tip must be combined with your earlier agreement not to eat between meals.

If you’re home with nothing special to do, identify some fun non-eating activity and schedule that right after you start to eat so again you are forced to stop earlier than your stomach demands. Schedule yourself to start a new book, surf the Internet, read a favorite catalog, visit a neighbor, or sit down with the kids to discuss their day.

Never find yourself at “loose ends” with nothing better to do than eat. Make a list of things you enjoy so there is always something to tempt you away from the table.

Mix and match these four suggestions as you move along in your journey to slim. In any order, in any degree, in any rotation, they will help carry you across the finish line to reap your well-earned rewards.

About the Author

Dr. Bola is a psychologist and an admitted diet fanatic, specializing in therapeutic reframing and the effects of attitudes and motivation on individual goals. She is the author of a psychology-based workbook for permanent weight control. Reach her at: http://www.DietWithAnAttitude.com/index2.html

What to bring to pony club rating..?

ok so here are my lists,
for me:
helmet
boots
XC vest
gloves
white polo
riding pants
belt
half chaps
jacket
sweats
lunch
water
face sunscreen
NO jewlery
extra clips and pony tails
hand wipes
plastic bags

you never said what rating you were going for…
you need:
boot socks. boot trees and shoe trees, a rag to keep your boots clean, cleaning supplies for you tack and boots. shoe polish.
make sure your horse and tack are immaculate and all metal is polished.
sponges: for your tack, a face and dock sponge for your horse and a body sponge as well.
water buckets for your horse and a small one for your tack.
grooming box: curry comb, mane comb, stiff brush, soft brush and hoof pick.
a hairnet.
a whip or crop.
and label EVERYTHING.

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Oxygen/horse Photo Mugs Three men use oxygen to treat a horse at an the Great Northern Railway Infirmary for horses…..

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Equine Dentistry Part 8 – THE FINISH – Equine Dentistry Without Drama™

Online Horse Classifieds Great for Horse Buying Research

Buying a horse can be a very time consuming endeavor, with all the different horse breeds and skills to choose from. The more you become familiar with the process of buying and selling horses, the better your chances will be to end up with the horse to fit your needs. There are many avenues to look for the horse you want, like a local barn, tack shops, newspaper classifieds, and now you can go online and look through thousands of horse for sale classifieds. Take your time and don’t get to overwhelmed. If you make the selection process in a hurry, you might make an unwise purchase. Plan to take from one month to one year to find your ideal horse. Understandably, if you are without a horse, one year mite sound like a very long time, but you can use this time to become more knowledgeable about what you want by taking lessons.

The first thing you must determine is what you really want from a horse, and to what extent you will be using him/her. Will the horse be a trustworthy companion or wonderful Dressage prospect? Buy taking the time and comparing the different classified ads presented to you, will help determine your priorities. Be sure to use the advanced search features each online classified horse website has to offer, this will help you to narrow down your search results.

Once you have found the horse you want, its always a good idea to get a professional opinion when you are buying a horse. Whether or not you use an agent to help you select your horse, you should always have a basic veterinary pre-purchase exam performed. When you seek out professional advice, pay for it and then listen to it! When your instructor or veterinarian cautions you about a horse, it is for a reason. When seeking advice, it is best to a well-respected professional that has no vested interest in the horse sale.

Here is a breakdown of what to look for when a horse is for sale:

* does the horse fit your needs
* what skills does the horse possess
* does the horse have a good temperament
* do comparisons of other similar horses
* does the horse fit the selling price
* get professional advice
* are there any lessons with the sale
* make sure to have pre-purchase vet exam
* can you afford the upkeep on a horse (such as boarding, feed, and veterinary care.)

Stay focused. Keep in mind that you are selecting a horse for a particular reason or desired skill. There are many decisions and compromises lying ahead, so it helps if you set your priorities clearly at the outset.

If the overall purpose of the horse is to teach you how to ride rather than to carry you to the winner’s circle, then the selection process will emphasize different traits to fit your needs. If the horse is intended to be a long-term project rather than a stepping stone, you may need to invest more time, effort, and money in your purchase. Remember to take your time and use the tools at your disposal, such as online horse classifieds, you will thank yourself in the end.

About the Author

Sean Russell – Owner and Operator of MyEquineSource Horses for Sale Classifieds

OK is Veterinary school going to kill me?

I’m finishing up my freshmen year of college. I love animals and want to have a career with them. I’d want to specialize in Horses probably.

Well, maybe.

A love of animals, though a requisite, unfortunately isn’t enough to keep you going through vet school. You really have to be genuinely interested in the field otherwise all the in depth stuff will just bore you to tears. And yes it’s hard. You should get some time working or volunteering in the field to really see what it’s about. If you aren’t in love with it and you don’t like the idea of dissections, you will likely struggle.

On the flip side if you are genuinely interested in the field, pre-vet is not a good indicator of what vet school is like. There’s just so much stuff that you have to do that is unrelated to the field and it gets tedious. Once you’re in vet school everything is vet specific and it’s easier to be focused.

Your freshman year is an especially poor indicator since you are getting used to college as well. There’s a lot in the way of study skills to develop and there’s most likely a department in your school that is there to help you with that. Get an appointment to talk to a counselor about developing good study habits and it’ll make things much easier for you. Another option is the vet school outside the US that are AVMA accredited and offer excellent programs but are 5 years combined pre-vet and vet instead of 8. A degree from one of them is considered the same as one from any of the US schools when it comes to licensing as a vet. Be careful of non AVMA accredited international vet school though as the licensing process is very different.

Being the smartest is not necessary nor is a near 4.0 GPA. The mean GPAs for students admitted to each US vet school ranges from 3.19-3.78. If your not the smartest then it just means you’ll have to work a little bit harder.

It’s not an easy road but my recommendation is that you find out if you really genuinely want to do it. If you do, don’t let anything stop you.

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Oprah’s Crazy Talk – Bioidentical Hormones – Helpful or Harmful? (Part 1)

Read full article: <a href=”http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/oprahs_crazy_talk_bioidentical_hormones_helpful_or_harmful_part_1/”>Oprah’s Crazy Talk – Bioidentical Hormones – Helpful or Harmful? (Part 1)</a>

Newsweek recently indulged in tabloid journalism, featuring Oprah on the cover with the headline:  CRAZY TALK, Oprah, Wacky Cures, & You.  The specific emphasis of the article was an attack on Suzanne Somers, Oprah, and bioidentical hormones.  The Genie is out of the hormone bottle, consumers are confused, the medical profession is in its typical funk, and somewhere out there is the health-improving truth.

One of the authors of the Newsweek article has her own “traditional” book on menopause and the other is a male in his early 40s – neither has any clinical experience in the subject and can do little more than toss insults and reference conventional points of view on hormones.  Newsweek is desperate for sales and is hoping the millions of Oprah followers will purchase the magazine.

Traditional medical people find it extremely annoying, even alarming, that Suzanne Somers and Oprah have generated such massive interest in the subject of bioidentical hormones.  After all, there is a legion of baby-boomer women who have no interest in getting older any faster than they have to.  Are bioidentical hormones really the “juice of youth,” as Suzanne Somers calls them?

The mafia-like FDA has gotten into the fray, attacking compounding pharmacies at the bequest of pharmaceutical competitors.  Indeed, the compounding industry hasn’t ponied up its bribery fees to the FDA.  The FDA can’t tell anyone how to practice, but they can regulate health claims and availability of bioidentical hormones.

As a clinical nutritionist I have helped women with bioidentical hormones for over twenty years.  I am a believer in the appropriate use of bioidentical hormones, and have witnessed their power to help first hand on many occasions.  However, there are clear pros and cons that any woman should fully understand prior to using any type of bioidentical hormone.

Traditional Western Medicine – Lacking Credibility on Female Hormones

Before pointing out what is potentially problematic about bioidentical hormones I must point out what is wrong with the typical group of Western medicine critics.  Those supporting this belief system have a recent history of killing and injuring tens of thousands of women with their “official” and FDA-sanctioned use of hormone replacement therapy.  In my view, these people have little credibility and should instead be standing trial in a court of law.

And I don’t just mean Wyeth, a primary producer of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) derived from horse urine, who is still fighting 5000 cancer lawsuits.  I’m talking about the prescribing physicians, who often browbeat women to tears if they didn’t want to go on estrogen and progesterone drugs – while selectively ignoring or downplaying the substantial body of risk data that existed prior to 2002.

The FDA can also be thrown into this group of incompetents, as they approved horse urine extract and sat by haplessly watching as women were killed and injured – a problem that continues to this day despite stepped-up FDA warnings.

A major setback for ERT marketing occurred back in July of 2002.  Data coming from the Women’s Health Initiative showed that a combination of estrogen from horse urine and non-bioidentical progesterone increased the risk of invasive breast cancer by 26%, strokes by 41%, heart attacks by 29%, blot clots by 100%, and total cardiovascular disease by 22%.  Based on the 6 million women taking these drugs in 2002 (2 billion in sales), the data suggests that during only one year there were an extra 4,800 cases of invasive breast cancer, 4,200 heart attacks, 4,800 strokes, and 10,800 blood clots – including 4,800 life-threatening blood clots in the lungs.

Remarkably, Wyeth still sells 1 billion dollars worth of horse urine extract a year, and they continue to try to spin their estrogen/progesterone drugs as safe.  Making matters worse, the marketing of these drugs was based on fraud in the first place.

There were only a few thousand women taking estrogen back in 1966.  That number changed dramatically with the release of the book Feminine Forever, by Dr. Robert A Wilson, a New York gynecologist.  In the book Dr. Wilson attributed all undesirable aspects of aging to a lack of estrogen – while downplaying and trying to explain away the troubling link to cancer.

Dr. Wilson quit his practice and set up a foundation to promote his ideas.  He and his wife went around the country giving seminars and his book received wide media coverage in major magazines.  The book became one of the first off label marketing pieces, freely given out to doctors as a promotional tool.

What was not known at the time was that the drug company that is now Wyeth (Ayerst Laboratories) was funding the foundation.

Throughout the 1990s I was an outspoken critic of ERT – a minority view that was based on basic science the medical profession couldn’t seem to grasp.

It was well established that increasing a woman’s exposure to her own estrogen, such as starting menstruation before age 12, increased the risk of breast cancer.  Anything that produces higher serum levels of estrogen places a woman into this risk.  It was basic common sense that extending a woman’s exposure to estrogen through ERT was going to place her into a similar risk pattern due to extended estrogen exposure.

Female cancer risk, especially breast cancer risk associated with estrogen replacement therapy had been reported for many years, and was extensively reviewed back in 1999.  This data did not deter a majority of doctors from prescribing and pushing ERT on women with menopausal symptoms.

Even worse, the typical dose of estradiol at that time was .625 mgs taken every day (today it is .3 mgs).  In normal menstruation a woman is exposed to .4 mgs of estradiol for a few days every month around her ovulation.  Thus, this Wyeth-promoted prescribing practice exposed women to much higher levels of estrogen than she ever made naturally.  Furthermore, the Wyeth product also contains all sorts of horse estrones that are totally unnatural for a woman.  The FDA twiddled its thumbs.

Adverse data on Wyeth’s hormone drugs continues to pile up, with a recent study showing that their ERT nearly doubles the risk for lung cancer.

Another common problem with ERT (and birth control pills for that matter) is weight gain, which doesn’t always happen to everyone but happens so often that it is a major concern.  Doctors used to tell women that ERT was good for their heart even while they were gaining 15 pounds – it just didn’t add up – credibility was woefully lacking.  Weight gain, especially after menopause, is also linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.

I should also point out that the actual risks of birth control pills are still unknown, even though they have been used by millions of women for decades.  One recent study presented at an American Heart Association meeting showed that for every 10 years of birth control pills there is a 20 – 30 percent increase in peripheral artery small plaques.

It is also known that women have ten times the rate of autoimmune disease as men – due to imbalanced and excess levels of estrogen.  This is because estrogen (estradiol) suppresses T suppressor cells, leaving them out in the circulation longer and more likely to adversely react to inflamed tissue.  It wasn’t long before lupus was reportedly caused by women taking horse urine extract.  This information is likely to apply to any autoimmune disease – if researchers bothered to study the issue.

The medical use of ERT, as pushed by various drug companies, condoned by the FDA, and adamantly pushed on many women by doctors, was a clear violation of the most basic creed of a physician to first do no harm.  It is an example of a lack of intelligence and inability to predict the obvious consequence of known principles of biochemistry relating to the drugs they prescribe, a problem that continues to plague their Big Pharma-sponsored profession.

Any woman seeking to understand how to use bioidentical hormones to support her health should also understand this history, and know that the FDA, drug companies, and the medical profession itself have very little credibility or useful information to offer on this subject.  Thus, the trite phrase to “consult your doctor” on the subject of female hormones is a pointless waste of time and may even be dangerous to your health.

Female Hormone 101

I view the safety issue surrounding bioidentical hormones as one of consumer education.  There are a number of essential points any woman should clearly understand about what her body is doing and what that means.  Let’s begin at the beginning, with a basic understanding of hormones and general health.

In the first two weeks of your menstrual cycle your brain releases a hormone signal called FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), which travels to your ovaries and ripens an egg.  As your egg ripens it releases estradiol, a form of estrogen required for normal reproductive function.  As estradiol levels rise in your blood it signals to your brain that an egg is ripe.  Once your brain knows this it switches to an androgen signal called LH (luteinizing hormone), which stimulates the release of your egg.  For the second half of your menstrual cycle the follicle that was housing your egg now produces progesterone (from what is called the corpus luteum).  Progesterone helps attach protein to the wall of your uterus should you become pregnant.  Estradiol is coordinating the proliferation of tissue that makes this process possible.

If you are not pregnant then progesterone production stops, in turn starting the sheathing of the protein build-up off the wall of your uterus – which is your menstrual cycle.

Your menstrual cycle is energy intense.  You have to put a steak dinner’s worth of protein onto the wall of your uterus every day.  If you don’t eat enough protein, especially the week before your menstrual cycle, then your body will take apart muscle proteins and even the neurotransmitter proteins that keep your mood elevated.  A lack of dietary protein is the most basic nutritional reason for a poor mood associated with PMS.

In addition to protein other foods most commonly lacking from the diet of any woman with any type of PMS are fruit, vegetables, and essential fatty acids.  The greater the junk food and sugar content of her diet, the more likely there are to be problems.  As stress and/or physical demands increase, problems multiply and dietary weaknesses become more important.

Anorexia and excessive exercise are two issues in young women that reflect inadequate protein nutrition for the menstrual cycle, typically resulting in no cycles, erratic cycles, or skipped cycles.

On the other hand, as a woman gains weight then the efficiency of hormone signals, including signals to her ovaries, are less efficient and more at risk for problems developing.

Other basic nutrition includes B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and iron.  B vitamins are needed to assist protein to work correctly, as well as to help offset stress.  Calcium and magnesium are vital for a pain-free menstrual cycle, and along with essential fatty acids their lack is the most common reason for menstrual cramps.  Iron is often lacking in women who eat little or no red meat, who exercise a lot, or who have heavier menstrual cycles.  A lack of iron will cause fatigue that is aggravated as the menstrual cycle progresses and can produce almost every symptom of hypothyroid, including weight gain.

A goal that reflects health is that your menstrual cycle comes and goes every month with a minimal amount of trouble or distraction.  Your menstrual cycle receives a higher demand for nutrition than any other system in your body, as this is all about survival of the human race.  It is a monthly test of how well you did ALL MONTH LONG managing your overall health.

If you are approaching menopause and you have a long-term history of problematic menstrual cycles, you have more risk associated with the use of estrogen to suppress or modulate uncomfortable symptoms.  You are also more likely to have more hot flashes.

What is Estrogen Dominance?

Any woman of menstrual age, including women who are pre-menopausal, should do everything in their power to reduce the symptoms of estrogen dominance.  This is vital for reducing the risk of any type of female cancer and autoimmune disease.

The symptoms of excessive estrogen are any of the following:  heavy menstrual cycles, excess clotting with menstrual cycle, abnormal bleeding/spotting between cycles, breast swelling and tenderness, fibrocystic breasts, endometriosis, fluid retention, or headaches with cycle.

Oftentimes women with a history of estrogen dominance end up with a partial or complete hysterectomy.  Gall bladder problems are also typical, as surplus estrogen super-concentrates cholesterol in their gall bladder causing sludge and stones.  Cellulite is always made worse by excess estrogen and in some cases estrogen dominance problems may be the cause of cellulite.

The following is a list of the primary topics that contribute to or cause estrogen dominance, besides the basic nutritional deficiencies listed in the previous section.  Many women have problems in all of these areas.

1)  Extra pounds of fat.

Fat cells produce another form of estrogen called estrone.  Think of estrone as a buffer to help regulate blood levels of estradiol.  In other words, estradiol can be converted into estrone to “store it” and estrone can be converted to estradiol to “make it active.”  Having a back up system to maintain levels of needed estradiol for reproductive purposes is vital.

Remember, women have a naturally higher percentage of body fat than men so as to have the available energy to feed a child – a survival necessity.  Fat serves multiple roles in this grand plan.  Gaining extra weight messes this up, not only producing excessive amounts of estrogen, but hormones in general become resistant to normal communication with each other.  This sets up a highly inflammatory and pro-carcinogenic health-risk situation.

Problems with excessive amounts of the fat-hormone leptin drastically aggravate ovarian function and can make female hormone function miserable (such as causing polycystic ovarian syndrome).  Losing weight in a healthy way, if overweight, is vital for normal female hormone function.

2)  Estrogen-like chemicals.

Estrogen-like chemicals pose a grave threat to female and male health.  Bisphenol A from plastics is one example, many of the pesticides used on food is another, and Monsanto’s PCBs are yet another.  These tend to absorb into fat and interact with estrogen receptors.  They likely play a large role in the earlier onset of menstruation in young women, and they certainly pose a serious female cancer risk – especially in women with genetic susceptibility.

Compounds that protect your liver and help you clear these toxins are now general dietary recommendations simply for protection – since our government has no guts to make any big company clean up their environmental trash.  Nutrients like Milk thistle extract, chlorella, and R-alpha lipoic acid are top choices, as is the dietary intake of a wide variety of vegetables.  The greater an individual’s chemical sensitivity, the more likely there are to be problems with toxins and adverse female hormonal interactions.

3)  The failure to clear estrogen – digestive problems.

Estrogen levels peak mid cycle and are then cleared out of your blood by your liver.  Your liver binds estradiol to another compound, a process known as conjugation.  This package is then sent through your bile, through your gall bladder, into your digestive tract, and hopefully out.  A major problem occurs when there is an overgrowth of unfriendly bacteria in your gut – typically reflected by symptoms of gas, bloating, constipation, irritable bowel, etc.  In this situation the bacteria can “eat” the conjugation bond, causing estradiol to be released in your digestive tract and to re-enter your general circulation.

This problem is a common source of excess estrogen.  It is almost always happening in cases of inappropriate estradiol-drive tissue proliferation like endometriosis, as well as cyst formation – and of course cancer risk.  Extra dietary or supplemental fiber and acidophilus are basic steps to help.  Digestive problems may need a more significant strategy for improvement – and solving them is vital to female hormonal health

4)  Pregnancy.

Even a healthy pregnancy can act as a jolt to hormone balance.  While some women find their menstrual cycles actually run better after pregnancy, far more are likely to find symptoms of estrogen excess have now begun even though they did not exist prior to pregnancy.

In essence, the routine demands of pregnancy are a form of stress to metabolism, thyroid function, and female hormones.  The typical result is a lack of progesterone, described next.  However, full energetic and metabolic repair following pregnancy is always a good idea, so that pregnancy is not noted as the time when your health started to decline (a common finding for many women).  This is oftentimes quite a challenge as women try to juggle the demands of children, working, sleeping adequate hours, and maintaining good self-care habits like exercise.

5)  The lack of progesterone – too much stress.

One function of progesterone is as a natural balancing compound to estradiol.  The precursor compounds for progesterone production are also used to make adrenal hormones that combat stress.  If stress is too high, or a person is too malnourished, progesterone may be converted into stress-fighting hormones.  Unfortunately, this leaves estradiol levels high due to the relative lack of progesterone.

By supporting adrenal health and managing stress better, progesterone is spared this fate.  Almost every woman knows that if she has had a more stressful or physically demanding month, then symptoms of PMS or menopausal hot flashes are likely to be worse.  Basic nutrition for adrenals includes higher dietary protein, B vitamins – especially pantethine, vitamin C, Q10, and essential fatty acids like DHA.

Bioidentical Progesterone Can Help

Over the past three decades the use of bioidentical progesterone cream has been a popular health option to help women overcome issues of estrogen dominance as well as symptoms of menopause, an approach made popular by John Lee, M.D. In order to maximize the likelihood that such an approach could be of use to you it is important to understand your overall health (are you estrogen dominant and why), as well as the dose and type of progesterone to use.

Bioidentical progesterone is available in OTC creams, through compounding pharmacies, and by traditional prescription.

There are also non-bioidentical forms of progesterone drugs which are very dangerous and should never be used.  It has been demonstrated that non-bioidentical progesterone increases the risk of cancer, whereas bioidentical progesterone has the opposite effect and is protective.

Progesterone drugs like Wyeth’s Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate), which was implicated in the Women’s Health Initiative study along with horse urine extract, exist so that drug companies can patent something to sell, not because it is good for your health.  Provera is not bioidentical, and is associated with highly toxic side effects including almost every symptom of estrogen excess!

The OTC creams have been on the market for three decades – and I personally have used them with thousands of women.  Bioidentical progesterone is synthesized from wild yam.  It is from a natural source.  It is now synthetic and bioidentical, meaning it was changed from the precursor molecules in wild yam into the identical progesterone hormone that your body produces.  Most OTC products contain 20 mgs of progesterone per ¼ tsp.

These products fall into a gray regulatory area as far as the FDA is concerned.  The FDA allows them on the market as cosmetic moisture creams.  Companies selling them cannot explain that the progesterone (or estrogen in the case of an estrogen-containing cream) is absorbed or has any effect on a woman’s health.  Otherwise, the FDA will view that company as selling an unapproved drug.  In other words, the FDA allows the cream products on the market but doesn’t want you to understand how to use them.  This is of course better than not being on the market at all – and there is legitimate concern the FDA could reverse its decades-long policy – which would be detrimental to the health of many women who rely on these creams for noticeable health benefits.   

While studies on progesterone creams show them to be safer than drugs, their effectiveness at quenching menopausal symptoms is up in the air.  A number of studies support benefits, and others do not.  This is because studies do not separate women according to their overall health and degree of estrogen dominance, health history, etc.  In other words, the source of many estrogen dominance issues is not a lack of progesterone and a woman would be better off addressing such an issue or at least working on it while simultaneously trying some progesterone.  Progesterone will never be a “one stop solution.”

As can be seen from the previous section on estrogen dominance, any woman could be having multiple reasons for estrogen excess.  These symptoms will have a monthly severity – how bad are they?  They will also have a trend – how long have they been going on?  Simply giving progesterone may or may not work.  The best approach is improving any obvious issues that could be causing estrogen excess.  The use of progesterone would be part of an adrenal, thyroid, and stress support protocol, not the only thing being done.  Many times, women would find they don’t need any progesterone when their adrenal function, thyroid function, and stress demands are in better shape.

Another key to the safe use of bioidentical hormones is to use an amount that is at or below what your body would normally produce.  For example, during the second half of your menstrual cycle your ovaries produce around 25 mgs of progesterone a day.

It is not known exactly how much progesterone is absorbed through the skin creams; however, it is likely to be less than half.  One study using 40 mgs of progesterone cream each day found that blood levels never rose higher than normal production, while being very effective at reducing the symptoms of menopause.  Another study showed that 80 mgs of cream per day raised blood levels similar to a 200 mg oral capsule of the prescription drug.

There are three basic menstrual situations for any woman using progesterone; a) she is having regular cycles, b) she is no longer having cycles, c) she is in limbo land and never knows if or when the next cycle will come.

Progesterone cream for regularly menstruating women of any age can be a miracle.  It is extremely beneficial for almost any symptom of PMS or estrogen dominance – especially nasty menstrual headaches.  40 mg of progesterone cream has been shown to be protective against surplus estrogen exposure.  As such, it is always worth a try for any woman who is having difficulties. In my experience it is likely to be of help more than 75% of the time, especially when used as part of a program for overall health improvement.

Most women use ¼ tsp per day from day 14 of the month (day 1 is the first day of your period), until day 28 (or the day your period starts).  Some women find it helpful to go to ½ tsp per day from days 21 – 28, to help with stubborn symptoms.

It is relatively easy to judge if such an approach is helpful or not.  The most common side effect is getting a headache (rather than getting rid of one).  Other women find that it just doesn’t help or may even seem to aggravate symptoms.  In such cases, the progesterone obviously isn’t working, so don’t use it.

Common sense tells you that if it helps, and you are using a dose that is at or below what your body naturally produces, then you have found a safe support system for hormonal balance.  If that isn’t happening, even if you have a lab score with low progesterone or all the symptoms of estrogen dominance, you need to find a different solution.  Don’t go on month after month doing something that isn’t helping.

During menopause, especially to help lower hot flashes and support mood, it is typical to try ¼ to ½ tsp of progesterone every day.  Once again, this either helps or not.  If you can’t tell a significant benefit, free of any undesirable side effect symptoms, then I wouldn’t use it.  It is far more typical that progesterone is more helpful than not – but if for some reason it isn’t doing the job then move on to something else.

Women with erratic menstrual cycles during menopause will often use progesterone to stabilize mood and help hot flashes, and they typically use it every day.  In some cases your body may be trying to run a menstrual cycle, and you could be feeling bloated or like a cycle is trying to come but it just isn’t happening.  This is a sign to try stopping the progesterone for a few days, which will often allow a menstrual cycle to occur.

Many women also use progesterone as part of a natural bone support program, since progesterone helps activate the osteoblasts that build bone.  A study of postmenopausal women has shown that in women with osteoporosis the use of progesterone prevented further bone loss.  However, women also taking soy negated the beneficial effects of progesterone (soy is also anti-thyroid).

You do not need a lab test to measure your progesterone if you are following the guidelines I have laid out above and you are keeping your use of the hormone within a natural level of your body’s production and you are paying attention to whether it is helping.  Ideally, you should be simultaneously working on improving your health in general and not just relying on progesterone to fix your problems.

Summary

Progesterone is the most commonly used bioidentical hormone, with over three decades of use in the United States.  In order to get the most benefit from using this hormone you should understand the subject of estrogen dominance and what factors may be contributing to any problem you are having.  It is well advised to work on these issues, along with any use of progesterone.  It is safest to use any bioidentical hormone at or below the level your body naturally produces.  Higher levels are unpredictable and as unnatural as hormone drugs.

The second part of this article explains hormones and aging in greater detail, including the risks associated with growth hormone, DHEA, and testosterone.  The safe use of estriol is explained, the only form of estrogen replacement women should consider.

Newsweek recently indulged in tabloid journalism, featuring Oprah on the cover with the headline:  CRAZY TALK, Oprah, Wacky Cures, & You.  The specific emphasis of the article was an attack on Suzanne Somers, Oprah, and bioidentical hormones.  The Genie is out of the hormone bottle, consumers are confused, the medical profession is in its typical funk, and somewhere out there is the health-improving truth.

One of the authors of the Newsweek article has her own “traditional” book on menopause and the other is a male in his early 40s – neither has any clinical experience in the subject and can do little more than toss insults and reference conventional points of view on hormones.  Newsweek is desperate for sales and is hoping the millions of Oprah followers will purchase the magazine.

Traditional medical people find it extremely annoying, even alarming, that Suzanne Somers and Oprah have generated such massive interest in the subject of bioidentical hormones.  After all, there is a legion of baby-boomer women who have no interest in getting older any faster than they have to.  Are bioidentical hormones really the “juice of youth,” as Suzanne Somers calls them?

The mafia-like FDA has gotten into the fray, attacking compounding pharmacies at the bequest of pharmaceutical competitors.  Indeed, the compounding industry hasn’t ponied up its bribery fees to the FDA.  The FDA can’t tell anyone how to practice, but they can regulate health claims and availability of bioidentical hormones.

As a clinical nutritionist I have helped women with bioidentical hormones for over twenty years.  I am a believer in the appropriate use of bioidentical hormones, and have witnessed their power to help first hand on many occasions.  However, there are clear pros and cons that any woman should fully understand prior to using any type of bioidentical hormone.

Traditional Western Medicine – Lacking Credibility on Female Hormones

Before pointing out what is potentially problematic about bioidentical hormones I must point out what is wrong with the typical group of Western medicine critics.  Those supporting this belief system have a recent history of killing and injuring tens of thousands of women with their “official” and FDA-sanctioned use of hormone replacement therapy.  In my view, these people have little credibility and should instead be standing trial in a court of law.

And I don’t just mean Wyeth, a primary producer of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) derived from horse urine, who is still fighting 5000 cancer lawsuits.  I’m talking about the prescribing physicians, who often browbeat women to tears if they didn’t want to go on estrogen and progesterone drugs – while selectively ignoring or downplaying the substantial body of risk data that existed prior to 2002.

The FDA can also be thrown into this group of incompetents, as they approved horse urine extract and sat by haplessly watching as women were killed and injured – a problem that continues to this day despite stepped-up FDA warnings.

A major setback for ERT marketing occurred back in July of 2002.  Data coming from the Women’s Health Initiative showed that a combination of estrogen from horse urine and non-bioidentical progesterone increased the risk of invasive breast cancer by 26%, strokes by 41%, heart attacks by 29%, blot clots by 100%, and total cardiovascular disease by 22%.  Based on the 6 million women taking these drugs in 2002 (2 billion in sales), the data suggests that during only one year there were an extra 4,800 cases of invasive breast cancer, 4,200 heart attacks, 4,800 strokes, and 10,800 blood clots – including 4,800 life-threatening blood clots in the lungs.

Remarkably, Wyeth still sells 1 billion dollars worth of horse urine extract a year, and they continue to try to spin their estrogen/progesterone drugs as safe.  Making matters worse, the marketing of these drugs was based on fraud in the first place.

There were only a few thousand women taking estrogen back in 1966.  That number changed dramatically with the release of the book Feminine Forever, by Dr. Robert A Wilson, a New York gynecologist.  In the book Dr. Wilson attributed all undesirable aspects of aging to a lack of estrogen – while downplaying and trying to explain away the troubling link to cancer.

Dr. Wilson quit his practice and set up a foundation to promote his ideas.  He and his wife went around the country giving seminars and his book received wide media coverage in major magazines.  The book became one of the first off label marketing pieces, freely given out to doctors as a promotional tool.

What was not known at the time was that the drug company that is now Wyeth (Ayerst Laboratories) was funding the foundation.

Throughout the 1990s I was an outspoken critic of ERT – a minority view that was based on basic science the medical profession couldn’t seem to grasp.

It was well established that increasing a woman’s exposure to her own estrogen, such as starting menstruation before age 12, increased the risk of breast cancer.  Anything that produces higher serum levels of estrogen places a woman into this risk.  It was basic common sense that extending a woman’s exposure to estrogen through ERT was going to place her into a similar risk pattern due to extended estrogen exposure.

Female cancer risk, especially breast cancer risk associated with estrogen replacement therapy had been reported for many years, and was extensively reviewed back in 1999.  This data did not deter a majority of doctors from prescribing and pushing ERT on women with menopausal symptoms.

Even worse, the typical dose of estradiol at that time was .625 mgs taken every day (today it is .3 mgs).  In normal menstruation a woman is exposed to .4 mgs of estradiol for a few days every month around her ovulation.  Thus, this Wyeth-promoted prescribing practice exposed women to much higher levels of estrogen than she ever made naturally.  Furthermore, the Wyeth product also contains all sorts of horse estrones that are totally unnatural for a woman.  The FDA twiddled its thumbs.

Adverse data on Wyeth’s hormone drugs continues to pile up, with a recent study showing that their ERT nearly doubles the risk for lung cancer.

Another common problem with ERT (and birth control pills for that matter) is weight gain, which doesn’t always happen to everyone but happens so often that it is a major concern.  Doctors used to tell women that ERT was good for their heart even while they were gaining 15 pounds – it just didn’t add up – credibility was woefully lacking.  Weight gain, especially after menopause, is also linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.

I should also point out that the actual risks of birth control pills are still unknown, even though they have been used by millions of women for decades.  One recent study presented at an American Heart Association meeting showed that for every 10 years of birth control pills there is a 20 – 30 percent increase in peripheral artery small plaques.

It is also known that women have ten times the rate of autoimmune disease as men – due to imbalanced and excess levels of estrogen.  This is because estrogen (estradiol) suppresses T suppressor cells, leaving them out in the circulation longer and more likely to adversely react to inflamed tissue.  It wasn’t long before lupus was reportedly caused by women taking horse urine extract.  This information is likely to apply to any autoimmune disease – if researchers bothered to study the issue.

The medical use of ERT, as pushed by various drug companies, condoned by the FDA, and adamantly pushed on many women by doctors, was a clear violation of the most basic creed of a physician to first do no harm.  It is an example of a lack of intelligence and inability to predict the obvious consequence of known principles of biochemistry relating to the drugs they prescribe, a problem that continues to plague their Big Pharma-sponsored profession.

Any woman seeking to understand how to use bioidentical hormones to support her health should also understand this history, and know that the FDA, drug companies, and the medical profession itself have very little credibility or useful information to offer on this subject.  Thus, the trite phrase to “consult your doctor” on the subject of female hormones is a pointless waste of time and may even be dangerous to your health.

Female Hormone 101

I view the safety issue surrounding bioidentical hormones as one of consumer education.  There are a number of essential points any woman should clearly understand about what her body is doing and what that means.  Let’s begin at the beginning, with a basic understanding of hormones and general health.

In the first two weeks of your menstrual cycle your brain releases a hormone signal called FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), which travels to your ovaries and ripens an egg.  As your egg ripens it releases estradiol, a form of estrogen required for normal reproductive function.  As estradiol levels rise in your blood it signals to your brain that an egg is ripe.  Once your brain knows this it switches to an androgen signal called LH (luteinizing hormone), which stimulates the release of your egg.  For the second half of your menstrual cycle the follicle that was housing your egg now produces progesterone (from what is called the corpus luteum).  Progesterone helps attach protein to the wall of your uterus should you become pregnant.  Estradiol is coordinating the proliferation of tissue that makes this process possible.

If you are not pregnant then progesterone production stops, in turn starting the sheathing of the protein build-up off the wall of your uterus – which is your menstrual cycle.

Your menstrual cycle is energy intense.  You have to put a steak dinner’s worth of protein onto the wall of your uterus every day.  If you don’t eat enough protein, especially the week before your menstrual cycle, then your body will take apart muscle proteins and even the neurotransmitter proteins that keep your mood elevated.  A lack of dietary protein is the most basic nutritional reason for a poor mood associated with PMS.

In addition to protein other foods most commonly lacking from the diet of any woman with any type of PMS are fruit, vegetables, and essential fatty acids.  The greater the junk food and sugar content of her diet, the more likely there are to be problems.  As stress and/or physical demands increase, problems multiply and dietary weaknesses become more important.

Anorexia and excessive exercise are two issues in young women that reflect inadequate protein nutrition for the menstrual cycle, typically resulting in no cycles, erratic cycles, or skipped cycles.

On the other hand, as a woman gains weight then the efficiency of hormone signals, including signals to her ovaries, are less efficient and more at risk for problems developing.

Other basic nutrition includes B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and iron.  B vitamins are needed to assist protein to work correctly, as well as to help offset stress.  Calcium and magnesium are vital for a pain-free menstrual cycle, and along with essential fatty acids their lack is the most common reason for menstrual cramps.  Iron is often lacking in women who eat little or no red meat, who exercise a lot, or who have heavier menstrual cycles.  A lack of iron will cause fatigue that is aggravated as the menstrual cycle progresses and can produce almost every symptom of hypothyroid, including weight gain.

A goal that reflects health is that your menstrual cycle comes and goes every month with a minimal amount of trouble or distraction.  Your menstrual cycle receives a higher demand for nutrition than any other system in your body, as this is all about survival of the human race.  It is a monthly test of how well you did ALL MONTH LONG managing your overall health.

If you are approaching menopause and you have a long-term history of problematic menstrual cycles, you have more risk associated with the use of estrogen to suppress or modulate uncomfortable symptoms.  You are also more likely to have more hot flashes.

What is Estrogen Dominance?

Any woman of menstrual age, including women who are pre-menopausal, should do everything in their power to reduce the symptoms of estrogen dominance.  This is vital for reducing the risk of any type of female cancer and autoimmune disease.

The symptoms of excessive estrogen are any of the following:  heavy menstrual cycles, excess clotting with menstrual cycle, abnormal bleeding/spotting between cycles, breast swelling and tenderness, fibrocystic breasts, endometriosis, fluid retention, or headaches with cycle.

Oftentimes women with a history of estrogen dominance end up with a partial or complete hysterectomy.  Gall bladder problems are also typical, as surplus estrogen super-concentrates cholesterol in their gall bladder causing sludge and stones.  Cellulite is always made worse by excess estrogen and in some cases estrogen dominance problems may be the cause of cellulite.

The following is a list of the primary topics that contribute to or cause estrogen dominance, besides the basic nutritional deficiencies listed in the previous section.  Many women have problems in all of these areas.

1)  Extra pounds of fat.

Fat cells produce another form of estrogen called estrone.  Think of estrone as a buffer to help regulate blood levels of estradiol.  In other words, estradiol can be converted into estrone to “store it” and estrone can be converted to estradiol to “make it active.”  Having a back up system to maintain levels of needed estradiol for reproductive purposes is vital.

Remember, women have a naturally higher percentage of body fat than men so as to have the available energy to feed a child – a survival necessity.  Fat serves multiple roles in this grand plan.  Gaining extra weight messes this up, not only producing excessive amounts of estrogen, but hormones in general become resistant to normal communication with each other.  This sets up a highly inflammatory and pro-carcinogenic health-risk situation.

Problems with excessive amounts of the fat-hormone leptin drastically aggravate ovarian function and can make female hormone function miserable (such as causing polycystic ovarian syndrome).  Losing weight in a healthy way, if overweight, is vital for normal female hormone function.

2)  Estrogen-like chemicals.

Estrogen-like chemicals pose a grave threat to female and male health.  Bisphenol A from plastics is one example, many of the pesticides used on food is another, and Monsanto’s PCBs are yet another.  These tend to absorb into fat and interact with estrogen receptors.  They likely play a large role in the earlier onset of menstruation in young women, and they certainly pose a serious female cancer risk – especially in women with genetic susceptibility.

Compounds that protect your liver and help you clear these toxins are now general dietary recommendations simply for protection – since our government has no guts to make any big company clean up their environmental trash.  Nutrients like Milk thistle extract, chlorella, and R-alpha lipoic acid are top choices, as is the dietary intake of a wide variety of vegetables.  The greater an individual’s chemical sensitivity, the more likely there are to be problems with toxins and adverse female hormonal interactions.

3)  The failure to clear estrogen – digestive problems.

Estrogen levels peak mid cycle and are then cleared out of your blood by your liver.  Your liver binds estradiol to another compound, a process known as conjugation.  This package is then sent through your bile, through your gall bladder, into your digestive tract, and hopefully out.  A major problem occurs when there is an overgrowth of unfriendly bacteria in your gut – typically reflected by symptoms of gas, bloating, constipation, irritable bowel, etc.  In this situation the bacteria can “eat” the conjugation bond, causing estradiol to be released in your digestive tract and to re-enter your general circulation.

This problem is a common source of excess estrogen.  It is almost always happening in cases of inappropriate estradiol-drive tissue proliferation like endometriosis, as well as cyst formation – and of course cancer risk.  Extra dietary or supplemental fiber and acidophilus are basic steps to help.  Digestive problems may need a more significant strategy for improvement – and solving them is vital to female hormonal health

4)  Pregnancy.

Even a healthy pregnancy can act as a jolt to hormone balance.  While some women find their menstrual cycles actually run better after pregnancy, far more are likely to find symptoms of estrogen excess have now begun even though they did not exist prior to pregnancy.

In essence, the routine demands of pregnancy are a form of stress to metabolism, thyroid function, and female hormones.  The typical result is a lack of progesterone, described next.  However, full energetic and metabolic repair following pregnancy is always a good idea, so that pregnancy is not noted as the time when your health started to decline (a common finding for many women).  This is oftentimes quite a challenge as women try to juggle the demands of children, working, sleeping adequate hours, and maintaining good self-care habits like exercise.

5)  The lack of progesterone – too much stress.

One function of progesterone is as a natural balancing compound to estradiol.  The precursor compounds for progesterone production are also used to make adrenal hormones that combat stress.  If stress is too high, or a person is too malnourished, progesterone may be converted into stress-fighting hormones.  Unfortunately, this leaves estradiol levels high due to the relative lack of progesterone.

By supporting adrenal health and managing stress better, progesterone is spared this fate.  Almost every woman knows that if she has had a more stressful or physically demanding month, then symptoms of PMS or menopausal hot flashes are likely to be worse.  Basic nutrition for adrenals includes higher dietary protein, B vitamins – especially pantethine, vitamin C, Q10, and essential fatty acids like DHA.

Bioidentical Progesterone Can Help

Over the past three decades the use of bioidentical progesterone cream has been a popular health option to help women overcome issues of estrogen dominance as well as symptoms of menopause, an approach made popular by John Lee, M.D. In order to maximize the likelihood that such an approach could be of use to you it is important to understand your overall health (are you estrogen dominant and why), as well as the dose and type of progesterone to use.

Bioidentical progesterone is available in OTC creams, through compounding pharmacies, and by traditional prescription.

There are also non-bioidentical forms of progesterone drugs which are very dangerous and should never be used.  It has been demonstrated that non-bioidentical progesterone increases the risk of cancer, whereas bioidentical progesterone has the opposite effect and is protective.

Progesterone drugs like Wyeth’s Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate), which was implicated in the Women’s Health Initiative study along with horse urine extract, exist so that drug companies can patent something to sell, not because it is good for your health.  Provera is not bioidentical, and is associated with highly toxic side effects including almost every symptom of estrogen excess!

The OTC creams have been on the market for three decades – and I personally have used them with thousands of women.  Bioidentical progesterone is synthesized from wild yam.  It is from a natural source.  It is now synthetic and bioidentical, meaning it was changed from the precursor molecules in wild yam into the identical progesterone hormone that your body produces.  Most OTC products contain 20 mgs of progesterone per ¼ tsp.

These products fall into a gray regulatory area as far as the FDA is concerned.  The FDA allows them on the market as cosmetic moisture creams.  Companies selling them cannot explain that the progesterone (or estrogen in the case of an estrogen-containing cream) is absorbed or has any effect on a woman’s health.  Otherwise, the FDA will view that company as selling an unapproved drug.  In other words, the FDA allows the cream products on the market but doesn’t want you to understand how to use them.  This is of course better than not being on the market at all – and there is legitimate concern the FDA could reverse its decades-long policy – which would be detrimental to the health of many women who rely on these creams for noticeable health benefits.

While studies on progesterone creams show them to be safer than drugs, their effectiveness at quenching menopausal symptoms is up in the air.  A number of studies support benefits, and others do not.  This is because studies do not separate women according to their overall health and degree of estrogen dominance, health history, etc.  In other words, the source of many estrogen dominance issues is not a lack of progesterone and a woman would be better off addressing such an issue or at least working on it while simultaneously trying some progesterone.  Progesterone will never be a “one stop solution.”

As can be seen from the previous section on estrogen dominance, any woman could be having multiple reasons for estrogen excess.  These symptoms will have a monthly severity – how bad are they?  They will also have a trend – how long have they been going on?  Simply giving progesterone may or may not work.  The best approach is improving any obvious issues that could be causing estrogen excess.  The use of progesterone would be part of an adrenal, thyroid, and stress support protocol, not the only thing being done.  Many times, women would find they don’t need any progesterone when their adrenal function, thyroid function, and stress demands are in better shape.

Another key to the safe use of bioidentical hormones is to use an amount that is at or below what your body would normally produce.  For example, during the second half of your menstrual cycle your ovaries produce around 25 mgs of progesterone a day.

It is not known exactly how much progesterone is absorbed through the skin creams; however, it is likely to be less than half.  One study using 40 mgs of progesterone cream each day found that blood levels never rose higher than normal production, while being very effective at reducing the symptoms of menopause.  Another study showed that 80 mgs of cream per day raised blood levels similar to a 200 mg oral capsule of the prescription drug.

There are three basic menstrual situations for any woman using progesterone; a) she is having regular cycles, b) she is no longer having cycles, c) she is in limbo land and never knows if or when the next cycle will come.

Progesterone cream for regularly menstruating women of any age can be a miracle.  It is extremely beneficial for almost any symptom of PMS or estrogen dominance – especially nasty menstrual headaches.  40 mg of progesterone cream has been shown to be protective against surplus estrogen exposure.  As such, it is always worth a try for any woman who is having difficulties. In my experience it is likely to be of help more than 75% of the time, especially when used as part of a program for overall health improvement.

Most women use ¼ tsp per day from day 14 of the month (day 1 is the first day of your period), until day 28 (or the day your period starts).  Some women find it helpful to go to ½ tsp per day from days 21 – 28, to help with stubborn symptoms.

It is relatively easy to judge if such an approach is helpful or not.  The most common side effect is getting a headache (rather than getting rid of one).  Other women find that it just doesn’t help or may even seem to aggravate symptoms.  In such cases, the progesterone obviously isn’t working, so don’t use it.

Common sense tells you that if it helps, and you are using a dose that is at or below what your body naturally produces, then you have found a safe support system for hormonal balance.  If that isn’t happening, even if you have a lab score with low progesterone or all the symptoms of estrogen dominance, you need to find a different solution.  Don’t go on month after month doing something that isn’t helping.

During menopause, especially to help lower hot flashes and support mood, it is typical to try ¼ to ½ tsp of progesterone every day.  Once again, this either helps or not.  If you can’t tell a significant benefit, free of any undesirable side effect symptoms, then I wouldn’t use it.  It is far more typical that progesterone is more helpful than not – but if for some reason it isn’t doing the job then move on to something else.

Women with erratic menstrual cycles during menopause will often use progesterone to stabilize mood and help hot flashes, and they typically use it every day.  In some cases your body may be trying to run a menstrual cycle, and you could be feeling bloated or like a cycle is trying to come but it just isn’t happening.  This is a sign to try stopping the progesterone for a few days, which will often allow a menstrual cycle to occur.

Many women also use progesterone as part of a natural bone support program, since progesterone helps activate the osteoblasts that build bone.  A study of postmenopausal women has shown that in women with osteoporosis the use of progesterone prevented further bone loss.  However, women also taking soy negated the beneficial effects of progesterone (soy is also anti-thyroid).

You do not need a lab test to measure your progesterone if you are following the guidelines I have laid out above and you are keeping your use of the hormone within a natural level of your body’s production and you are paying attention to whether it is helping.  Ideally, you should be simultaneously working on improving your health in general and not just relying on progesterone to fix your problems.

Summary

Progesterone is the most commonly used bioidentical hormone, with over three decades of use in the United States.  In order to get the most benefit from using this hormone you should understand the subject of estrogen dominance and what factors may be contributing to any problem you are having.  It is well advised to work on these issues, along with any use of progesterone.  It is safest to use any bioidentical hormone at or below the level your body naturally produces.  Higher levels are unpredictable and as unnatural as hormone drugs.

The second part of this article explains hormones and aging in greater detail, including the risks associated with growth hormone, DHEA, and testosterone.  The safe use of estriol is explained, the only form of estrogen replacement women should consider.

About the Author

Byron J. Richards, Founder/Director of Wellness Resources, Inc., is a Board-Certified Clinical Nutritionist and a world renowned natural health expert. Richards is the first to explain the relevance of leptin and its link to solving obesity.

your favorite experienced horse-person author?

trainer, medical expert, ground work expert, care expert, or otherwise.

Mark Todd “Charisma.” It’s not a “how to” book, however. I also really like Sally Swift and her teaching has helped me a lot in riding and teaching, Jane Savoie, too. Also Museler “Riding Logic” ; Also Steinkraus, Kursinski, Kyrkland, Podjaski and John Lyons, gosh – lots of really good trainers and riders out there whose written word is really helpful once you have some practical experience you can apply it with. I love reading books by trainers and riders whose methods are tried and proven!

PS Nothing you can do now to take lessons with Sally Swift – passed away, in April of last year, unfortunately.