Before you strap a saddle on your horse, it's important to ensure that your horse's mane/tail and hooves are clean, and that it does not have any sores on his skin. Pay special attention to the areas the tack touches, such as along the pressure points of the saddle or the area where the girth will go around the belly. If you leave dirt under the tack, it may cause skin irritation, hair loss or sores.  Use a curry comb to detangle dirt, mud, and any other debris that might be matted in your horse's hair. Do not use the curry comb over any bony parts of the horse's body, as these may be more sensitive and could be injured by aggressive combing. Do not curry comb the neck and face.   Use a stiff-bristled body brush, also called the dandy brush, to continue dislodging hard-to-remove debris and remove the debris you've already dislodged. You can use this brush on the neck, chest, and legs.   Use a soft brush to gently flick away the debris removed by the curry comb and the body brush. Use this brush to do the face and legs.  Use a hoof pick to clean your horse's feet. In order to do this, lean against the side of your horse, be sure you aren't facing the legs and back of the horse so it wont be able to be kicked, and squeeze the horse's leg along the tendons which run right above the fetlock that you want lifted. Then, hold the hoof wall as you pick out the dirt, manure and rocks from the horse's hoof. Additionally, check the hooves for foreign bodies. Do this for all four hooves. Finish things off by gently wiping down your horse's face and body with a clean grooming cloth. Look for worn areas in the leather or damaged buckles. Make sure there aren't any areas on the gear that may give out during your ride. Additionally, inspect the saddle and pad for any foreign objects that could cause irritation to your horse. It's important to position the saddle pad properly, as this will be the barrier between your saddle and the horse's skin. Put the saddle pad on the withers (shoulders), slightly forward of where you want it to end up. The saddling process will inevitably drag the saddle pad back, so starting slightly forward should allow the saddle and pad to end up where you want them. Never slide the saddle pad forward on your horse's back for you will cause the hair to go against the grain and make it uncomfortable for the horse.

Summary: Groom your horse. Check your gear. Set the saddle pad on your horse.


To make a natural, effective deep conditioning treatment that works for any type of hair, you only need a few items from the produce section. Buy (or check your refrigerator for) the following items:  1 avocado 1/2 banana 1/2 can coconut milk 1/4 cup honey 1 egg or 1/4 cup mayonnaise Place the items in a blender or food processor and puree them until smooth. Make sure no chunks remain, or the treatment won't be as effective for your hair. Use a gentle shampoo that won't strip your hair too much. Avoid shampoos made with sulfates, which are abrasive cleaning agents that cleanse hair of its natural oils and lead to dryness and breakage. Use an old pastry brush or your fingers to spread the conditioner onto damp hair. Massage it in from the roots to the tips, focusing on the areas that tend to get the driest.  If you have very thick hair, separate it into sections and apply the treatment a section at a time, to make sure all of your hair gets covered. If you have leftover deep conditioning treatment, you can store it in the refrigerator (or freezer) for later use. You may want to cover the conditioner with a plastic shower cap. To speed the soaking in process, you can use a hair dryer on a low setting to heat the conditioner. Remove the plastic cap and run your hair under cool water. Rinse a few times until the water runs clear and the conditioner is completely rinsed out. Gently towel dry your hair, then style it as usual.  Don't use hot water when you rinse your hair, as it may cause an undesirable reaction with the egg or mayonnaise. Wait a few days before shampooing your hair, so that you don't negate the effects of the conditioning treatment by washing it out.

Summary: Gather your supplies. Blend the ingredients. Wash your hair. Apply the conditioner. Allow the conditioner to soak in. Rinse out your hair.


The judge should flip over the card at the top of the green deck and call it out to the group. Green cards bear descriptive terms that must be matched by the people, objects, places or events on the players’ red cards. The green card in play might read “Cute,” “Harmful” or “Patriotic.” These terms are designed to describe the red cards laid down by players each round. There are over 749 red cards and nearly 249 green cards in the basic version of the game. That’s enough different matches for hours and hours of fun. Players will now select one of their seven red cards to associate with the word on the green card. For example, a player might play a red card reading “Babies” to match a green card reading “Cute.” There are nearly endless possible combinations of red and green cards, so get creative!  Each player should choose a red card to play quickly to keep the game moving at a brisk pace. Cards should be played face down beside the green card. The judge is the only player who will not lay down a red card. The judge changes every round, giving everyone an equal chance to play. After every player has laid down a red card, the judge should shuffle or mix up the stack of red cards in play. This will ensure that the judge doesn’t know who played each card. The cards should be left face down as they are rearranged. There’s no need to shuffle extensively. Just reorganize the red cards until they’re out of the order in which they were laid down. Now the judge will turn over and look at each card. Whichever card the judge decides is the best match for the green card wins. The winning player will identify themselves and collect the green card from the round. The player to the left of the first round judge will become the new judge, players will take one card from the red deck to replenish their hand and the game will continue.   The number of green cards accumulated by the end of the game determines the winner. The official Apples To Apples rule guide suggests 8, 7, 6, 5 and 4 green cards be the winning number for games with 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 players, respectively.  After the round-winning card is chosen, all red cards that have been played should be returned to the bottom of the red deck. The game’s official rules recommend that players compete for a certain number of green cards in order to win. However, you can modify this number as you see fit. For instance, you might play for 10 green cards to keep the game going longer, or take a “sudden death” approach and see who can win 3 cards the fastest. The options are totally customizable, depending only on the number of players in your group and how you’d like the game to proceed. You might also elect for players to replace their red cards with green cards for a winning outcome. For this to work, a player will add the green cards they’ve won to their deck after each round, meaning they’ll have fewer red cards to choose from. Once a player reaches seven green cards in their deck, they are declared the winner.
Summary: Turn over the top green card. Lay down a red card to match the green card. Mix up the stack of cards. Decide who has the best match. Choose a winning number of green cards.