Friday, May 31, 2013

The City Of Cowboys And Culture

Last April, I had the opportunity to visit Fort Worth, TX, AKA the City of Cowboys and Culture. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was certain I was going to have a good time while I was there.

Fort Worth may be the only city where the Cultural District includes not only art galleries, but the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame and the Will Rogers Equestrian Center as well.

I saw proof that just about everything is bigger in Texas at the Barnes & Noble in downtown Fort Worth. That Barnes & Noble has a two-story replica of a sculpture by Fredric Remington.

One of my favorite places downtown was the Sid Richardson Museum. It has an incredible collection of work by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, as well as other western artists.

My hotel was right on a bus line, so getting around posed no problems for me. The bus service wasn't as frequent as in Minneapolis, but the fare was much cheaper. Eating on the bus was allowed, unlike in Minneapolis. Also, they had one rule I wish could be incorporated here, best summed up signs that were on nearly every bus: "Grandma says, 'Pull 'em up or find another ride.'" In Fort Worth, wearing jeans with your butt hanging out (even if you're wearing underwear) is not allowed.

They also have a free bus in downtown Fort Worth called "Molly the Trolley." It's a bus designed to look like a trolley and will stop at bus stops throughout downtown. It's named after Molly the Longhorn, who is Fort Worth's mascot. Fort Worth's website has a graphic of Molly walking back and forth. Occasionally, she'll stop walking and a "Molly says" will appear. Frequently the message is "Molly says you need a pair of Justin Boots." (Justin is headquartered in Fort Worth. After wearing Justin Boots, I won't buy any other brand.)

My favorite place in Fort Worth is the Stockyards. The Stockyards has the world's only twice-daily longhorn cattle drive. I saw it a couple of times and one time when I was fairly close, it looked to me like the longhorns were thinking, "Do we have to do this again?" Of course, they do have a pretty cushy job - walk through the Stockyards twice a day and that's it.

While I was in Fort Worth, the Budweiser Clydesdales were visiting the Stockyards Stables and I got to see them up close and personal. I even had my photo taken with one of them. (A link to my Texas photo album will be posted at the end.)

I was able to go on two trail rides while I was there. They were fun, but next time I'm in Fort Worth, I want to visit a different stable. The second trail ride was the better of the two. On the second one, I had a better feel for what I needed to do to have better control of the horse.

The Stockyards includes two Cowboy Halls of Fame. One is the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. George Strait, of course, is one of the members. Admission is good for all day, so visitors can visit the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, go do something else and come back later the same day for another visit. The Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame is located inside the Cowtown Coliseum and admission is free. Among the honorees in the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame isn't a cowboy or cowgirl. It's Scamper, who was the horse Charmayne James rode to become the World Champion Barrel Racer ten times and National Finals Rodeo champion six times.

The Cowtown Coliseum is home to the Stockyards Rodeo, which is held every Friday and Saturday night. I wasn't able to attend one while I was there, though. Something to save for my next visit to Fort Worth!

The editorial offices of my favorite magazine, Western Horseman, are located in Fort Worth. I was able to visit there once. From there I walked to the Cultural District, where I visited the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. Even Jessie the Cowgirl from Disney's Toy Story II has been honored by the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. I would have loved to have been able to visit there more than once. There was a cutting horse show at the Will Rogers Equestrian Center, so I stopped to watch some of that.

I spent one day at the Botanical Gardens. Fort Worth has an amazing Japanese Garden there. (I was told it's considered one of the top five Japanese Gardens.)  Nothing against the Japanese Garden in St. Paul, MN, but the one in Fort Worth makes the one in St.Paul look like somebody's back yard.

I do plan on visiting Fort Worth again. I'm just not sure of when that will be.

Here's the link to my Texas vacation photo album: http://s225.photobucket.com/user/Princess_Ailina/library/Texas%20April%202012?sort=2&page=1

Thursday, May 30, 2013

The Cowboy And The Senorita, Part Two

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans didn't just talk the talk. They walked the walk as well.

Even before he became a Christian, Roy valued people. He refused to do what other stars did - throw fan mail in the trash. If someone took the time to write to him, he felt obligated to send a response. Arline helped him and they paid for the postage themselves.

Roy met orphans when he performed for group homes and hospitals. When it seemed he and Arline were unable to have biological children, they adopted an orphan from Dallas, Texas. They did have two biological children later, although Arline passed away shortly after the birth of their son.

Together, Roy and Dale adopted three more children. They also became the guardians of a thirteen-year-old Scottish girl they met while in the United Kingdom on a European tour. "We're either going to have to stop visiting orphanages or buy us a hotel to live in," Dale once told Roy.

They were frequent guests at Billy Graham Crusades. They sang and shared what Jesus had done for them, how He'd seen them through the difficult times in their lives. Even when mourning the loss of their children, they still wanted to reach out and offer hope to those who needed it.

They took a strong stand in New York City when they were scheduled to perform during the course of a rodeo. Management was up in arms when they learned Roy was going to do a religious song as part of the performance. Roy refused to leave it out. He said if he couldn't do the song, he and Dale wouldn't be performing at all. Management gave in reluctantly. Roy and Trigger entered the arena, where spotlights formed a cross. The sold-out arena crowd gave Roy a standing ovation after his performance of "Peace in the Valley," followed by three full minutes of cheers.

Children were always important to Roy and Dale. Roy was never too busy to take time to visit sick children and sing for them. When a little boy wrote to him and told him he was being called a sissy for going to Sunday School, Roy addressed the issue head-on. At a Houston rodeo, he told all the young cowboys and cowgirls that going to church and Sunday School didn't make them sissies. He told them it was the best way to get started right in life.

To be continued. . .

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The Cowboy And The Senorita, Part One

In 1944, Republic Pictures released the movie The Cowboy and the Senorita. It was the first film to feature Roy "The King of the Cowboys" Rogers and Dale "The Queen of the West" Evans. It would be the start of a  more than fifty year partnership between them. They made twenty-four movies together, as well as the Roy Rogers Show in 1951 and the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show in 1962.

At the time they met, Roy was married to his second wife, Arline. (His first marriage ended in divorce.) They were married on July 3, 1936. Roy and Arline were devoted to each other until the time she passed away on November 3, 1946 - just two days before his 35th birthday. He devoted himself to charity work, making more than eight hundred visits to sick boys and girls in the first year after Arline's death.

Dale had been married and divorced two times and was married to her third husband when she met Roy. She offered her sympathy to Roy after Arline's death and told him how much his late wife had meant to her. Her third marriage ended in divorce. She and Roy spent time together after Arline's death and fell in love. They married on New Year's Eve, 1947.

They did have a major difference at that time. Dale was a Christian; Roy wasn't sure he even believed in God. He wondered how God could allow children to suffer. If Dale could explain that to him, he'd go to church. Dale had no answer for him. It was after they'd had an argument after a party that he decided to go to church with the rest of the family the next morning. It was then that he decided to follow Jesus and raise his children to be good Christians.

Their life together was not without tragedy. They had one biological child together, Robin, born in 1950. She had Down Syndrome. She died in 1952, before her second birthday. Dale wrote a book  about Robin called Angel Unaware. In 1955, Roy and Dale adopted a half Korean, half Puerto Rican girl whom they named Debbie. In 1964, when she was twelve, she went on a trip with friends from church to visit an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. Debbie died in a bus accident. Dale wrote the book Dearest Debbie, with the royalties being donated to World Vision International. In 1952, they adopted a five-year-old boy named Harry. They changed his name to John David and gave him the nickname Sandy. In 1965, he died in Germany while in the army. He'd been drinking and choked to death during the night on his own vomit. Dale wrote another book about a lost child, this one titled Salute to Sandy. Royalties from that book were donated to Campus Crusade for Christ, now known as Cru.

Roy and Dale were committed to their faith and made several appearances at Billy Graham Crusades. Roy encouraged members of his fan club to go to Sunday School every Sunday.

To be continued. . .


Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Children And Horses

Children seem to have a natural affinity for horses. Maybe it's because children are curious and have little fear. Maybe they sense a kindred spirit in the heart of a horse. I've noticed that it seems to be girls more than boys who connect with horses most often.

Among my favorite classes to watch at horse shows are the Small Fry Walk/Trot and the Lead Line. Watching children who have - or are beginning to - form bonds with horses is encouraging to see. After all, the future of the horse industry does depend upon the involvement of children. If children don't have - and maintain - an interest in horses, there won't be any future equestrians.

The breed associations that have youth associations include American Quarter Horse, American Saddlebred, Arabian, Morgan, Appaloosa and American Paint Horse. Cutting, Reining and Barrel Racing are among the events that have youth divisions. For young rodeo competitors, there is the National High School Rodeo and Little Britches Rodeo. Little Britches covers a larger age range, including ages five to eighteen. 4-H also offers youth horse opportunities.

I've only been to one 4-H horse show so far, but I enjoyed seeing the different ways young people could be involved with horses through 4-H. Even those who don't own horses can do horse-related projects. It was fun to look at the different horse projects the 4-H members created. One project I remember clearly was by a member who used Clinton Anderson's Method to help a neighbor with a problem horse. I appreciate that 4-H requires competitors to wear helmets.

There are organizations that use horses to help at-risk youth. It has been said that "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." That quote has been attributed to both Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan, but I doubt anyone knows for sure where it originated. In any case, it is definitely true that horses have a positive effect on those who deal with them. The healing power of the horse is used to help at-risk youth have a new look at life.

Children and horses are a popular movie theme. Among the movies that have the relationship between young people and horses as a theme include: The Greening Of Whitney Brown, Flicka, Set Apart and Second Chances. All of them show the positive influence horses can have on young people.

Opportunities for children to be involved with horses abound. It's up to horse-loving adults to make sure children are given those opportunities.

Monday, May 27, 2013

That Palomino Pal O'Mine

Since I'm writing this on Memorial Day, I want first of all to express my gratitude to the men and women of the armed forces who gave their lives to protect our freedom.

Palomino horses have always been my favorites. When I was a little girl, most of the Breyer model horses I collected were palominos. It wasn't until I was an adult that I learned palomino is a color breed, not a breed in and of itself. There is no guarantee that two palominos will produce palomino colored offspring. Since the color doesn't breed true, it isn't considered a separate breed.

Palomino horses have golden bodies with a white or light cream mane and tail. Their bodies can range in color from cream to dark gold. When I think of a palomino, I usually picture either Mister Ed or Trigger. Those two are probably the most famous palomino horses. They were both registered with the Palomino Horse Association.

Since palomino is a color breed, several breeds are recognized as palominos. Among those recognized by the Palomino Horse Breeders of America are: Holsteiner, Morgan, Quarter Horse, Paint, Saddlebred, Appaloosa, Arabian, Morab, Thoroughbred, Pinto, Missouri Fox Trotter and Tennessee Walking Horse. The Palomino Horse Association will recognize any horse based on color and conformation, regardless of breed.

I'm not sure where my love for these golden horses came from. For all I  know, it could have been that my first Breyer model horse was a palomino. I do remember that one time when I was sick, my dad gave me a Breyer grazing palomino foal as a get-well present.

A few years ago, I bought a Cowgirl Cadillac. This lovely horse continues my tradition of palomino horses.
Maybe my love for these horses is because of their beauty. When I'm at a horse show, I tend to favor taking photos of palomino horses. I do take photos of a variety of horses; I just generally tend to take more of palominos. Those golden horses draw me in and probably always will.

That's not to say that if the day ever comes when I'm a horse owner that the horse has to be a palomino. That would just be an added bonus.



Sunday, May 26, 2013

Learning To Draw Horses

A few years ago, I thought it would be fun to try to draw horses. I bought a book on how to draw horses and was completely frustrated by the directions. Whatever I tried to draw didn't look much like a horse.

I mentioned this to one of my co-workers at the time. We both loved horses and shared an office. She had been drawing horses since she was a little girl and told me how she learned to draw horses. Her advice made much sense than the book and my horses looked more like horses - at the least the heads did. Bodies were a different matter. No matter what I tried, I couldn't get the bodies to look right.

By this time I was no longer employed at the same company so I couldn't ask my now former co-worker for advice. I tried going back to the book I had bought. It wasn't any more help on bodies than it had been on heads. Maybe I would just draw horse heads. That much I figured I could do! On the other hand, there's probably not a lot of call for art of just horse heads.

I couldn't ask my former co-worker for advice. The book I had wasn't helping me. I didn't have funds to buy  another book on drawing horses. Then I had my "a-ha" moment. The library! I did a search for "drawing horses" on the Hennepin County Library website, and there were a lot of books listed there. I picked one and requested to pick it up at the downtown library location.

The book starts with the very basics of drawing. It recommends breaking the parts of the horse down into their component shapes: circles, cones, cubes, cylinders, etc. This makes much more sense then the book I had bought. It also shows the basics of shading and blending tones. Wow! I wish I'd known about this book before I ever started learning to draw horses! One thing this book notes is that horses' rumps are shaped more like cubes than circles. Not that I spend time looking at horse rumps, but I've been noticing lately that horse rumps really are more like cubes than circles.

Another book that has been helpful is a horse anatomy coloring book published by Dover. I haven't used it as a coloring book, but as a guide to horse bones and muscles. Understanding the underlying bone and muscle structure makes horses look filled out and not just outlines. (I had bought that coloring book after I tried using a "sculpt your own horse" kit and my first attempt was shaped like a horse, but had no muscle tone.)

With the help of those two books (and others later on), I hope to become a skilled horse artist. I'm not rushing through it, though. I'm taking my time and not moving on to the next step until I have a good grasp of the step I'm working on. Who knows? Maybe someday my artwork will be accepted by Leanin' Tree for their greeting cards.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Cats And Horses

I usually think of dogs and horses, not cats and horses. At every horse show I've attended, I've seen plenty of people bring dogs along. I've never seen a cat at a horse show. Granted, that could be because cats are less labor-intensive than dogs. A cat can be left on its own longer than a dog. It could also be that cats owned by horse owners are working animals and have a job to do at the barn or stable.

The April/May 2011 issue of Western Shooting Horse magazine, in its list of ten barn essentials, had a barn cat at number six. A barn cat came ahead of lighting, wall-mounted feeders, wash rack and grooming caddy. Barn cats help keep the rodent population under control. Rodents not only get into feed, but they can also carry disease. A good mouser can help solve both those problems.

At the MAQHA (Minnesota Amateur Quarter Horse Association) Corporate Challenge this year, the MYQHA (Minnesota Youth Quarter Horse Association) is having a silent art show auction. Two pieces by the same artist feature paintings of cats and horses. One is titled "Comfy" and shows a cat curled up and sleeping on a horse's back. The other is titled "Scratches" and shows a horse using its nose to rub against a cat's back as the cat arches its back up toward the horse's nose. I can almost hear the cats in those two paintings purring.

I've seen photos of cats with horses on several of the horse-related pages I like on Facebook. Both animals have a sense of curiosity and it does seem fitting they'd be curious about each other. That's not to say that every horse will like cats or that every cat will like horses. But the same is true about dogs and horses. Not every horse will like dogs and not every dog will like horses.

Dogs may be the animal most people think of as being friends with horses, but cats can be friends with horses just as easily.

Here's a toast to the friendship between my two favorite animals!

Friday, May 24, 2013

The World's Most Beautiful Horse

Let me start by saying that I'm a huge fan of the American Quarter Horse. However, I think the Gypsy Vanner Horse is the most beautiful horse in the world.

Gypsy Vanner Horses were bred by the Romany (Gypsy) people of the United Kingdom. The following breeds are included in the bloodlines of Gypsy Vanner Horses: Shire, Clydesdale, Dales Pony and Friesian.  In spite of the presence of large draft horses in their bloodline, they're small horses, generally standing 13.2 to 15.2 hands.

They can be any color, although piebald (black and white) seems to be the most frequent color. They were bred to be gentle and strong. The Romany used them to pull their wagons, but they also needed to be gentle enough to act as an equine babysitter for their children. They generally have an eager-to-please attitude. I've heard them referred to as "Golden Retrievers with Hooves".

Like all other draft horses, they're considered cold-blooded. Cold-blooded horses are strong, muscular and have an easy-going temperament. (Horses like Arabians and Thoroughbreds are considered hot-blooded.) Any horse - including the Gypsy Vanner - can spook for any reason or no reason. It probably takes more to spook a Gypsy Vanner, but they do spook.

A Gypsy Vanner Horse has been a movie star. Odd Job Bob starred in the movie The Greening of Whitney Brown. It's a story about a spoiled little rich girl whose family loses everything when her father loses his high-powered job. They leave the city - and Whitney's private school and all her friends - and move to a run-down house in the country owned by Whitney's grandfather. There she makes a new friend - the Gypsy Vanner Horse named Bob, played by Odd Job Bob. It's a fun movie and it's too bad it didn't have a wider and longer release. It was only out for one week in my area, so I've only seen it on DVD.

Gypsy Vanners have only been in the U.S. since the 1990's and so are still relatively rare here. They usually have a price tag to match their rarity.

My first choice for a horse - if I'm ever able to own one - is still an American Quarter Horse. If I'm ever able to own more than one horse, the second one will be a Gypsy Vanner Horse - the world's most beautiful horse.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

A Horse Is A Horse, Of Course, Of Course

One of the most famous horses on TV was Mister Ed. He seemed to think more like a human than a horse, except when it came to his food. He never craved human food and was content with oats and hay, although he was constantly trying to find where Wilbur had hidden the carrots. And he craved Addison's (their next door neighbor) prize-winning apples, stealing them more than once. He wanted to go wherever Wilbur went. If Wilbur and Carol were planning a trip, Mister Ed moped until Wilbur gave in and took him along. He frequently accused Wilbur of loving Carol more than he loved him. He must have fancied himself a ladies' man (horse?) since he never seemed to be interested in the same filly for more than one episode.

One of his hobbies seemed to be getting Wilbur into trouble as often as he could. He either didn't realize how much trouble his antics caused for Wilbur or else he didn't care. He generally did end up rescuing Wilbur in the end, though. That was only fair, since most of the time Wilbur's problem was Mister Ed's fault.

He wrote and recorded some songs. Wilbur lip-synced to the songs while Mister Ed sang, since only Wilbur was allowed to know that his horse could talk. Wilbur would say he could only sing at his barn. He'd have a fake microphone in front of the barn and the real microphone was with Mister Ed inside the barn. I personally think his first song - Pretty Little Filly - was better than his second song - Empty Feedbag Blues.

Mister Ed was played by a gelding named Bamboo Harvester. According to Alan (Wilbur) Young, Bamboo Harvester didn't like to take care of his personal needs on the set. This caused some major concern when they were shooting on location. The location was near a freeway and at one point Bamboo Harvester disappeared. Panic ensued when they thought the horse might have wandered onto to the freeway and had become roadkill. Fortunately, Bamboo Harvester had merely walked away to take care of personal business.

Bamboo Harvester also had a little bit of a ham in him. When Mister Ed first started, wires were used to move his lips to make it appear he was talking. (Alan Young had started a story that peanut butter was used to make the horse's lips move, even though he knew that wasn't true.) Eventually, Bamboo Harvester started moving his lips on his own whenever Alan wasn't talking - whether Mister Ed was supposed to be speaking or not.

For horse owners who are reading this, what do you think your horse would say to you if he or she could talk? For pet owners, what would your pet say to you if he or she could talk?

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

I Am Not A Competitor

I love going to horse shows and watching the competitive events. I'm impressed by the athleticism of both the horses and their riders. There are even events I'd like to try.

I'd love to try barrel racing, pole bending, reining, mounted shooting and ranch sorting. They look like they'd be fun and a great way to experience the challenge of trying to control the power of a horse. Other than ranch sorting, they're all solo events. Maybe it would be possible to do the solo events just for fun without competing. Try them? Definitely! But compete? I don't think so.

The only person I like to compete against is myself. I like to see if I can do better every time. For example, in the Barrel Sim game by Rodeo Software, I only use the practice option. It also has a multi-player option and an online play option, but I haven't ever used them and don't ever intend to use them. When I'm done playing, I keep track of my high score for the session. I compare it to other high scores to see if I'm improving. Sometimes the score improves, sometimes it doesn't. My scores aren't very good right now, but that's not the reason I don't choose the multi-player or online play options. I play Barrel Sim to have fun, not to compete.

If I could participate without competing, I'd like to see how much time I can shave off my my barrel racing, pole bending and mounted shooting events. With reining, I'd like to see if I can improve my execution of the reining patterns. As with the Barrel Sim game, I'd want to compete only against myself and see how much I can improve.

I'm glad there are people who want to participate in competitive horse events and who enjoy competing. I just don't happen to be one of them.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Being A Cowgirl Of Faith

The term "Cowgirl Of Faith" may not be understood by all my readers, so today I'll explain what I believe it means to be a cowgirl of faith.

Not every cowgirl is a cowgirl of faith. Being a cowgirl of faith has nothing to do with working on a ranch, competing in rodeos, working someplace like the Fort Worth Stockyards or any other job she might have. Just believing in a Higher Power - or even believing in God - doesn't make her a cowgirl of faith.

Being a cowgirl of faith has one more vital part to it. A cowgirl of faith has a relationship with Jesus Christ. She doesn't need to refer to herself as part of any particular Christian tradition. She can identify herself as a disciple of Jesus Christ, a Christ-follower, a Christian or whatever term she chooses to use to identify herself with Jesus Christ. This doesn't mean she's perfect or that she always reflects Christ in everything she does. But is she is drawing closer to Him and working toward walking more and more the way He wants her to walk.

As Dale Evans Rogers said, "Cowgirls take stands."  The most important stand a cowgirl of faith takes is to acknowledge Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.

This cowgirl of faith is not afraid to take a stand for Jesus. I won't obey Him perfectly this side of heaven. But I'm going to keep holding His hand and following where He leads, whether it makes sense to anybody else (friends and family included) or not.

A cowgirl of faith is the best kind of cowgirl to be!

Monday, May 20, 2013

Horseback Riding Isn't As Easy As It Looks

At the 2011 Minnesota Horse Expo, I took advantage of the free horse rides. I hadn't been on a horse since junior high, but I figured it couldn't be that hard, could it? I had few problems getting on the horse. It was fun being on a horse again, even if it was just being led around in a circle by a volunteer. The problem came when it was time to dismount. To say I was less than graceful would be the biggest understatement of the year!

I didn't let that deter me from trying again. When I got home that evening, I watched some episodes of Bonanza just to see how they mounted and dismounted from the horses. As I watched, I had an "A-ha!" moment. I realized what I had done incorrectly that morning. I was excited to go back the next morning and see if I could put my new-found knowledge to practical use.

The next day I was much more successful than I had been the day before. One of the same women who'd been a volunteer the day before at the free horse rides was a volunteer again. She told me I'd done a much better job than the day before. I shared my source of knowledge with her. "So I guess TV is educational after all," I told her. Her daughter was nearby and said, "See? I told you TV was educational!"

April, 2012. My vacation in Fort Worth, TX. I had already reserved a trail ride at the Fort Worth Stockyards Stable for the first Friday I was there. I had indicated that I was an inexperienced rider when I reserved my trail ride. Unfortunately, the horse I was given quickly picked up on that as well. I was trying to remember how to do the one-reign stop I'd learned by watching Clinton Anderson DVDs to bring the horse under control. (Clinton refers to this as the horse's "emergency brake.") I couldn't remember what to do. By time we reached the turn-around point to head back to the stable, I was successfully able to get the horse to turn around and head back toward the stable. At this point I was just grateful for small victories. I was able, though, for the most part to keep my eyes straight ahead and not look down - well, except when my horse decided to stop to snack on some vegetation that must have looked tasty to him.

As at the Minnesota Horse Expo the year before, I didn't let the less-than-successful trail ride keep me from trying again. I reserved another trail ride. Before going a second time, I watched the Clinton Anderson TV show on the No Worries Club website that demonstrated the one-reign stop. While sitting in the chair in front of my computer, I practiced the one-reign stop. I'd be ready when it was time for my second trail ride!

Trail ride number two. The horse I had this time was much better behaved than the first horse. Maybe he had a better personality or maybe he could sense I now had the confidence I was lacking the first time. Whatever the case was, this horse didn't give me as much trouble as the first one had. I didn't need to use the one-reign stop with the second horse.

What I learned is that I'm a long way from being more than a cowgirl at heart at this point in time. The closest  I will get to barrel racing for a long time will be playing the Rodeo Software game Barrel Sim. However, no matter how long it takes, I am going to learn to ride a horse with confidence!

Sunday, May 19, 2013

There's Never Been A Horse Like America's Horse

The American Quarter Horse is the most popular breed in the United States. With over 5 million registered horses, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) is the largest breed registry in the world. The breed name comes because of the speed at which they are able to run a quarter mile.

The largest registries are found in the U.S., Canada, Brazil and Australia. Germany and Italy have imported large numbers of American Quarter Horses. Countries without a stock horse tradition, such as Japan, Switzerland and Israel, have also begun competing using American Quarter Horses. Once in a while I will read articles in horse magazines where the author is mentioned as having judged American Quarter Horse competitions in Japan.

What makes America's Horse - the American Quarter Horse - so special?

The American Quarter Horse is intelligent, versatile and hard-working. He can do anything asked of him - whether it's working cattle on a ranch, jumping fences in an arena, running barrels or riding on a trail. That's not to say you can saddle up an American Quarter Horse and expect him to do any of those things without first taking the time to train him. Just as you can't expect a child on his or her first day in school to write a doctoral thesis, so you can't expect an American Quarter Horse (or any horse) to perform advanced moves without being sure he's mastered the basics first. Whatever you want to teach him needs to be broken down into small steps. Each step must be mastered before moving on to the next step.

Also, just because American Quarter Horses can do all these events, it doesn't mean every American Quarter Horse will do all these events. It's important for the rider to know what his or her horse likes to do. If the horse hates jumping fences, for example, both horse and rider will be frustrated if jumping fences is the rider's chosen event. Better either to switch events or find a horse that enjoys doing what you enjoy doing.

Western Horseman Books has published eight books in a series called "Legends: Outstanding Quarter Horse Stallions & Mares". The books look at a number of noted American Quarter Horse stallions and mares, listing their own achievements as well as the achievements of their notable offspring. For horses of note that lived before the formation of the AQHA in 1940, there are no official records of their achievements or those of their offspring.

A number of American Quarter Horses have Thoroughbred blood in them. Those horses seem to excel in racing. Once as an April's Fool Day joke, the AQHA posted on their Facebook page that American Quarter Horses had been approved to run in the Kentucky Derby.

Until I attended the Region 3 AQHA Championships for the first time in 2011 (it's held every July at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds), I had thought of the American Quarter Horse as a cowboy's horse. There I saw the horses compete in several non-Western events: Hunter Under Saddle, Hunter Hack, Hunter Over Fences and Driving.The American Quarter Horse is not just for cowboys and cowgirls!

If I'm ever able to own a horse, the American Quarter Horse would be the breed I would most like to own.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

If It Wasn't For Texas

Today is the 61st birthday of the King of Country Music, George Strait.

In his career, he's had 60 number one hits - making his goal of "60 for 60", to have his 60th number one hit while he was still 60. That gives him more number one songs than any artist in any genre. He's had 86 songs in the top ten country songs. Only Eddie Arnold with 92 had more. I wouldn't be surprised if that record falls.

The man himself is incredible. During the Viet Nam War, he didn't wait to be drafted. He enlisted because he believed it was the right thing to do. He wasn't sent to Viet Nam; he was stationed in Honolulu. Even though he's recorded a lot of love gone wrong songs, he's been married to his high school sweetheart, Norma, for more than 40 years. He supports the Wrangler National Patriot program, which helps support wounded veterans and the families of the veterans who gave all. Every year at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo he hosts a celebrity golf tournament to raise money for breast cancer research. His faith is important to him and he credits his father for his faith, saying he took him and his brother to church every Sunday. He's proud of being from Texas and living there.

When he first arrived on the national country music scene, everyone told him, "Get rid of the hat." At that time, country music had more in common with pop music than country music. Nobody wore cowboy hats anymore. He refused. He was a real Texas cowboy. The hat was part of who he was, not some stage persona. With George Strait, the rebirth of country music began. Country artists who were inspired by him include Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Toby Keith and Montgomery Gentry.

He's won more awards that I can list here. I remember watching one of the country award shows the year he won Best Album for Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind. I can't remember if it was the Country Music Association or the Academy of Country Music - he won Best Album from both. I do remember being excited when he was announced as the winner.

I don't know if I could pick just one favorite George Strait song. Sometimes which one I like best depends upon my mood. My feeling is you can't go wrong with a George Strait song!

I've been blessed to have attended two of his concerts. The first was his concert with Reba McEntyre in 2010. I was in the very last seat in the top row, but at least I was there! I was also able to attend my local venue for The Cowboy Rides Away tour. A dear friend knew I wanted to go but couldn't afford a ticket. So he bought a ticket for me to go! George Strait live is a great experience. He doesn't do much small talk - he gets on stage, sings his songs and makes only a few comments. He has the audience on their feet and singing along with him. The one thing I wish he had done during The Cowboy Rides Away was to introduce Norma, since she goes along with him on tour.

If it wasn't for Texas, we would have missed the greatest country singer ever - Mr. George Strait.


Friday, May 17, 2013

The Horseless Cowgirl


Horseless cowgirl? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Don’t cowgirls need horses for herding cattle and competing in rodeos? That’s what cowgirls do, isn’t it? How can a girl or woman be a cowgirl without a horse?

This is what the Queen of the West, the late Dale Evans Rogers had to say about cowgirls: “Cowgirl is an attitude, really. A pioneer spirit, a special American brand of courage. The cowgirl faces life head on, lives by her own rights, and makes no excuses. Cowgirls take stands.  They speak up. They defend the things they hold dear. A cowgirl might be a rancher, or a barrel racer, or a bull rider, or an actress. But she’s just as likely to be a checker at the local supermarket, a full-time mother, a banker, an attorney, or an astronaut.”

My journey to becoming a cowgirl (even though I am a horseless cowgirl) began when I was a little girl. My family collected Breyer model horses. (http://www.breyerhorses.com/) I still have all the model horses I had as a little girl. Thanks to eBay, I’ve been able to find ones similar to the ones other family members had. Between ones I’ve found on eBay and ones I’ve purchased in stores, I don’t have enough room to display all of them.

In junior high, my church youth group went horseback riding a couple of times. The stable we went to no longer exists, but I do remember going. Being somewhat timid at that point in my life, I was perfectly content to have the horse I rode go no faster than a walk.

At the Minnesota State Fair in 2011, I spent most of my time hanging out at the livestock barns and visiting machinery hill, just like my family had done when I was a little girl. Okay, so that was being more of a farm girl than a cowgirl, but it’s close enough, in my opinion.

I remember seeing horse magazines and western wear catalogs around the house when I was a little girl. Research in the last couple of years has allowed me to discover that the magazines were issues of Western Horseman (http://www.westernhorseman.com/) and the western wear catalogs were from Shepler’s (http://www.sheplers.com). Following in my Dad’s footsteps, I have a subscription to Western Horseman and am a frequent shopper on Shepler’s website.

I started shopping at RCC Western Store at the Mall of America (it’s now a division of Boot Barn) and on one of my visits I bought a DVD called Cowboys of Faith. After that, I found and liked their page on Facebook. This led me to do an online search for Cowgirls of Faith. In the course of that search, I learned about a conference in Texas called Cowgirl Get Together (http://www.cowgirlgettogether.com/). I sent an email asking if registration was still open, which airport I should fly into and if someone could pick me up at the airport and take me to my hotel. The answers all came back as yes.  So off went my check for the registration fee. I made a hotel reservation and booked my flight, which would be Minneapolis to Dallas/Fort Worth then connecting to a flight to Tyler, Texas.  January 2011, I was on my way to Texas for the first time!

The conference was more than I could have dreamed of. Friday night, my new friend Michelle introduced me in front of all the other women (1,000!). She said I was her hero for coming all the way from Minnesota. I lost count of how many women came up to me on Friday night and told me, “I gotta hug your neck!” Many of the women I met that weekend are now my friends on Facebook. Sunday morning I went to church with Michelle. My first time at a Cowboy Church! I loved it! She and her husband took me out to lunch after church, along with some other people from their church. She told me it didn’t matter if I had a horse or not. The important thing was that I was a cowgirl at heart. I have not been able to attend the conference again since then, but I’m looking forward to the day when I am able to attend every year.

2011 also saw my attendance at nearly every horse show held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. I even took vacation during the Region 3 American Quarter Horse Championships in July 2011 so I could be there every day. Two older gentlemen told me either Friday or Saturday (I can no longer remember which day it was) that I was the first spectator there every morning! I joined Clinton Anderson’s (http://downunderhorsemanship.com/) No Worries Club after I had received free tickets to his Walkabout Tour in St. Paul. I haven't been able to renew my membership, but do plan to join again once I am able to do so.

I have been able to do a little bit of horseback riding in the last couple of years. At the Minnesota Horse Expo (http://www.mnhorseexpo.org/) every year, they offer free horse rides. It’s just a volunteer leading a horse around a circle, but, hey at least I was on a horse again! Then when on vacation in Fort Worth in April 2012, I went on two trail rides. I want to take riding lessons as soon as I'm able to do so. One stable I’m considering for lessons says this on their website: “The majority of the first lesson will be on the ground, learning safety around horses, basic grooming, saddling, bridling, leading, mounting, dismounting, and very basic communication. Every lesson after that, the student needs to be at the barn 15 minutes prior to the lesson to get their horse ready.” I’m glad I’ll be able to take an active part in getting the horse ready myself.

Is it possible to be a horseless cowgirl? My answer is a resounding yes!