Archive for May, 2009
There are certain things that the majority of men dread doing, and one of those things is decorating the home. Many bachelors opt not to really decorate because they feel the decorating options are too tailored to the female market. And that’s certainly a valid point. Just take a stroll through the decorating sections of any major retailer, and you’ll find that almost everything is geared towards women. Pinks and frills abound in these aisles.
But what about men (and women) who want to decorate their house or home office with a different aesthetic? For those people, they should consider some rustic wall decor. These products tend to depict a greater range of natural scenes rather than just the frills and blooms of flowers, and the materials are usually dominated by woods, metals, stone, and glass. Every home should reflect the taste of the person or people living there, and people who are disenchanted with the state of interior decorating products should keep in mind that there are options other than pink sheets and white doilies.
This is Part 4 of Clinton Anderson’s DO-IT-YOURSELF train-along horse training series, published in Horse & Rider magazine, April 2009, pages 28-30. In Part 1, Clinton illustrated with photos the flexing of the horse’s neck to gain full control. In Part 2, he taught the rider how to yield the hindquarters of the horse for engine control. In Part 3, he demonstrated how to guide the horse into a sidepass move for better maneuverability.
In Part 4, he trains the rider to teach the horse how to do a counterbending move in a circle. You are using the horse’s shoulders by asking the horse to bend in one direction as you circle the horse in the opposite direction. Gaining these skills will become helpful in more advanced maneuvers, such as sliding stops and turnarounds.
Flexing the neck of your horse is Part 1 of Clinton Anderson’s DO-IT-YOURSELF TRAINING series . . . featured in the Horse & Rider magazine, March 2009, pages 37-39. Yielding the hindquarters of your horse for engine control is Part 2.
This third lesson, Part 3, Clinton teaches the rider to gain control of the horse’s behavior during reining exercises. Just cue the horse’s ribcage just behind the cinch, and the animal will step in a side action called “sidepassing.” The simple sidepass is a power steering move and helps the horse become more maneuverable on the trail, around cattle, in traffic or when negotiating tight turns.
Are you training your horse for a safe and comfortable ride? Well, let the truth come full circle! The rider needs the training before starting to work with the animal. “Don’t get the cart before the horse!”Read the article “Flex Time” in the Horse & Rider magazine, January 2009, pages 24-27. Written by Clinton Anderson with photos by John Brasseaux: “Here’s your blueprint for creating a horse that’s safe and fun to ride. Part 1: Flexing the neck.” Clinton also gives the rider tips on preparing the horse before training begins.
When you’re a successful horse trainer and rider, and your best friend (a horse) is injured, your life will surely change. Change, most of the time, is a blessing and not a curse. I will be writing “The Rest of the Story,” in 3 parts about Clinton Anderson’s four “Reining Training Sessions” for a safe and fun experience while riding a horse. However, Anderson’s own celebrated stallion “Jag” became injured, and a door closed for Clinton’s training series.
After Jag’s back surgery, the horse continued as a successful stud horse for Texas A & M’s horse riders’ program. The bloodline of Jag’s breeding contributes to A & M’s stock horse events and reining competitions with other universities. Jag, I believe, is the prince in this Cinderella story! For more information read Horse & Rider, April 2009, pages 46-51.
Western Horseman magazine, April 2009, pages 93-96, features an introduction to Cynthia Rigden. From this brief article, the editor, Jennifer Denison, gives us a picture of a pioneer woman with a great heart who loves the western lifestyle and all the livestock and critters that roam her Arizona ranch. Cynthia’s southwestern love is extended to the arts through her paintings and sculpters of horses, cattle, and pets.
Records indicate that the Rigden Ranch was once owned by Virgil Earp, Wyatt Earp’s brother. Filled with the romance of western historical images, I speculate that Cynthia Rigden occasionally features her western art. For information about these showings, visit: cattlemanswesternartshow.com and cowgirlupart.com.
Are you an RV’er and traveling the USA to see the great outdoors? Are you interested in expanding friends and family? Then join the Good Sam Club and participate in some of the Good Sam Club’s activities called a “SAMBOREE!” Call ahead for locations and times. Check the Highways magazine, March 2009, pages 40-42, for e-mails and more information. The following schedule lists some of the upcoming events:
Ohio - America the Beautiful; May 8-10. Call Dave Spragg, 270-954-0379. Michigan - Spring Welcome to Game Show; May 15-17. Call Joseph Halhober, 734-241-3740. Minnesota - Spring Pirates; May 21-24. Call Brenda O’Neil, 320-584-8076. Indiana - On the Road Again; May 22-25. Call Wayne Crise, 260-357-3216. Maine - State Samboree; May 29-31. Call Diane Qualey, 207-651-3133. Manitoba - Manitoba & Northwest Ontario Samboree; June 3-7. Call sharon Burke, 204-837-5358. Utah - It’s a Bug’s Life Samboree; June 10-13. Contact Glenn Carro, 801-571-1803. Idaho - Good Sam RV Rallly, June 10-14. Contact Jane Mehlhaff, 208-461-7709. Saskatchewan - Provincial Samboree; June 10-14. Call Marcia Shalley, 306-545-6606. Iowa - State Grand Old Opry Samboree; June 11-14. Call Lorene Hynes, 563-582-5573. Nebraska - Hawaiian Luau Samboree; June 11-14. Call Fred Hatch, 308-870-2441. Connecticut - State Samboree; June 12-14. Contact Sandra Bulson, 860-642-7258. Alberta - Provincial Samboree; June 17-21. Contact Eleanor McLeod, 780-464-6544
Dad told me, “When you get bucked off a horse, you dust off, pull yourself together, then get right back on and ride.” Well, I found out the hard way that the horse had more endurance than I had patience. The rest of the story is bruises, scrapes, sore muscles, torn ligaments, and broken bones! What I needed was this article titled, “The Buck Stops Here.” It’s published in the Horse & Rider magazine, January 2009, pages 40-44.
The theme that Dan Keen and Sue Copeland are helping us with is learning why our horse bucks and how to put an end to it without breaking our necks in the process. Sounds good to me! I should have read this 40 years ago! Now I’m at the age that I best enjoy good photos and paintings of horses, rather than riding them. Memories of my horseback riding days are good enough now. By choice, Horse decor is a focal point of our interior decorations in our home.
If you know somebody that’s a western film fanatic, it’s very likely that they’ve seen all the classics. They probably even own the greats, so their shelves are filled with DVDs such as “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly” or “High Noon” or perhaps even “Stagecoach.” Whether they are infatuated with the westerns of old Hollywood or the more recent interpretations, it’s equally likely that they’re interested in decorating their home to convey their love of this genre.
After all, western movies are more that just films. They are a celebration of a certain type of lifestyle and attitude. As such, westerns usually elicit some polarizing reactions in people. That is, you tend to either love or hate the genre. If you’re a fan yourself or you know a dedicated fan, consider purchasing that person some western wall decor products. This way, even when they can’t slip away to enjoy “Tombstone” or “3:10 to Yuma,” they can at least enjoy the decorations in their office or home and be reminded of the genre and overall attitude that they enjoy so much.
Wit and wisdom are an unforgettable combination. Both laughter and philosophy are a way of life for Bill Mooney’s poetry and art. Bill talks about his dad with respect and honor by giving him tribute in his writing. Bills’s western lifestyle is a good example for all who love horses and life on the ranch.
An introduction to this gifted artist is in the Western Horseman, April 2009, pages 104-109. The following are a few of his quotes: “When a man puts a limit on what he’s willing to do, it isn’t long before that becomes a limit to what he’s able to do.” “The time you spend trying to impress others could be better spent doing things that impress others.” “The worst thing that can happen to a man is to reach the autumn years of his life and then realize that he has blown July and August.”
Bill’s dad always said, “Never count a man out till he fails at something he loves to do.” Bill, you make your daddy proud!