Apprenticeship

I started thinking about apprenticeship after reading an article in the March 2012 issue of Practical Horseman. (Yes, I'm more than a year behind on that magazine. I only subscribed to it for two reasons: 1) there was a cool checkbook cover as a subscription premium and 2) I thought it might useful to know something about English riding in addition to Western. But since my writing and art are now focused on Western riding, I let the issues pile up for over a year.)

The recommendation in the article was to find a trainer you respect and admire and ask for him or her to take you on as a apprentice. I know Clinton Anderson (see June 17, 2013 blog entry) ended his apprentice program quite some time ago. It wasn't drawing the caliber of people that his Clinician Academy does. So who could I ask about becoming an apprentice if the time comes that I'm ready to make that choice?

Then it hit me who my choice should be if pursue becoming an apprentice. It looks like Ken McNabb has an apprenticeship program. He's a regular contributor to Performance Horse Digest. When I signed up for his mailing list, the confirmation email referred to the Ken McNabb apprenticeship mailing list. He's based in Wyoming. He's a Christian, so that's a plus in his favor. Not that I couldn't learn from someone who doesn't share my faith, but it is nice to know there's an opportunity to learn from a fellow believer.

If I want to look into an apprenticeship closer to home, Dennis Auslam is based in Morton, MN. I don't know if he takes apprentices or not, but it wouldn't hurt to check when and if I'm ready. Actually, it could be better to check with him first. That way I wouldn't have to haul everything I own to Wyoming. By time I'm ready for that step, I'd have my driver's license and so I could make the trip back and forth as needed. He also contributes to Performance Horse Digest every month.

I'd be happy to be an apprentice to either of these men. Not only do they know horses, but they're both family men and are grounded in high moral principles.

Maybe the time will never come for me to look into becoming an apprentice to a horse trainer, but if it does, I already have two possible leads.

What Did You Do With My Opportunities?

That was the title of my pastor's sermon yesterday (July 28, 2013). Pastor Matt's sermon has caused me to do a 180 related to my post from July 11, 2013.

Yes, becoming an artist would be the bigger challenge. It would be the more difficult road.

However, I have more talent in the field of writing. In many ways, pursuing the children's novelist choice would bring more glory to God. My novels would be based on my faith and the Gospel would be clearly presented in every story. Not in a "preachy" way but as a natural part of the story. The stories will be structured in such a way as that if faith was removed, the stories would collapse.

The children's novels would allow me to write about some of my favorite things: Jesus, children and horses. It won't be easy, though. The writing will be the easiest part. Then the stories will be passed on to my first reader. So far, so good. The hard part will be finding an agent or publisher. There's a lot of competition out there. My work has to stand out from every other wannabe children's novelist.

More new authors are going with the self-publishing route, but I'm not sure that's the right route for me to take. All the expenses would be mine, but so would most of the profit. I'd also have to create a business in the state of Minnesota if I plan to sell novels, whether from my website - once I have a website, that is - or selling them to stores. It would be harder to get my novels into the hands of my target readers if I only sell from my website. With an ISBN, I would be able to market my novels to places like Barnes & Noble, Amazon, LifeWay Books and other stores. Without an ISBN, my only choice is to sell them from my website or at horse shows.

I won't give up working on improving my drawing skills. Once my skills improve, I'll look for ways to reflect my faith in my art as well as my writing, perhaps even doing art of the horses from the novels. An artbook would make a good tie-in to the novels. . .

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31, NIV+

Protect Your Brain

There is one basic safety rule when it comes to horses that is frequently ignored, particularly at horse shows, especially when it comes to Western events. The rule? When working with horses - even on the ground - always, always, ALWAYS wear a helmet designed for horse back riding!

No matter well-trained a horse is or how experienced the rider is, accidents can happen. In 2010, Olympic dressage rider Courtney King-Dye suffered a traumatic brain injury when her horse tripped and fell. She wasn't wearing a helmet and she is still recovering from her injury. English riders seem more willing to trade in their traditional hats for helmets than Western riders are to trade in their cowboy hats for helmets. Effective April 1, 2013, the USEF (United States Equestrian Federation) requires helmets for all dressage riders, who normally have worn top hats.

At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, British Dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin became the the first gold medalist to wear a helmet in dressage competition. After having fractured her skull in a riding accident previously, she has become a strong proponent for helmet use.

14 year old barrel racer Megan Sparks was featured in an online interview in Western Horseman. She wears a helmet instead of a cowgirl hat. She doesn't care what other people think of her. She knows how important it is to protect her brain.

I do have my own riding helmet, which I bought before I went to Fort Worth in April 2012. Even though the stable I used for the two trail rides has loaner helmets, I felt more comfortable wearing my own. I knew it would fit me and I knew the history of its use. I also used it later that month when I took advantage of the free horse rides at the Minnesota Horse Expo. Even if I only use one or two more times - or even if I don't use it at all again - I will replace it before the first time I go riding after April 2017, as helmets need to be replaced every five years, even if the rider hasn't fallen. If the rider falls, the helmet needs to be replaced immediately. While I like my cute pink helmet, when I replace it, it will be with another Troxel helmet, this time one with a more Western design. If Schatzlein's Saddle Shop doesn't carry the particular one I want, I'll ask them to order it for me.

Minnesota 4-H requires helmets for all members and volunteers when riding. Unfortunately, that rule only applies to riding, not to groundwork.

Even when doing groundwork, it's a good idea to wear a helmet. No matter how cautious you are or how calm your horse normally is, accidents can happen even on the ground. Better to wear a helmet and not need it than to need it and not be wearing it.

If you spend time around horses, be sure always to wear a helmet. Protect your brain!

Four

To a team competing in Ranch Sorting, hearing that number from the judge tells them they first need to move the cow with number four on it into the next pen. A total of eleven cows will be in one pen, with numbers 0-9 on ten of them and one with no number. After cow number four has been moved, the remaining cows are moved one by one in numerical order into the next pen. If a cow goes into the next pen out of order - for example cow number seven moves into the next pen on its own before cow number six has been moved - the team is disqualified. If the cow with no number gets into the next pen, the team is also disqualified.

Ranch Sorting is almost like a carefully choreographed dance between the two riders and their horses and the cows. The riders need to read each other's cues. The horses need to understand what their riders are asking them to do. The horses and riders together need to control the movements of the cows. It's a timed event and the team that successfully sorts all ten numbered cows the fastest is the winning team.

Since I am still a horseless cowgirl, I've never competed in Ranch Sorting. I've only seen it once. At the 2011 Region 3 American Quarter Horse Championships, the Ranch Sorting championship was held on Sunday afternoon. I fell in love with it that day. If I had a more competitive nature, it's one of the events I'd love to try.

To be successful in Ranch Sorting, the key ingredient is a horse with cow sense. Just like not all cats are mousers, not all horses have cow sense. There are some horses who are spooked by cows. It also requires a partner with whom you can communicate easily and who also has a horse with cow sense.

There are nine competitive levels, all the way from beginner to pro. So if I competed, my partner and I would compete against others who are at the same skill level we are.

If I ever get over the "I really don't want to compete" attitude, Ranch Sorting would be one of the events in which I would want to compete.

Take Delight In The Lord

"Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 (NIV+)

There's a lot of information packed into that one verse. I think some people only read the last part of the verse "He will give you the desires of your heart" and ignore the condition for having that happen "Take delight in the LORD."

What does it mean to take delight in the Lord? To me, it means He's at the center of my life and everything I do revolves around Him and His will. Nice words, but I fail to reach that ideal more often than I do reach it. Why is it hard at times to take delight in the Lord? After all, everything I have comes from Him. How can I not take delight in the fact that the Creator of the Universe actually cares about every detail of my life?

When I take delight in Him, the desire of my heart becomes what He desires. If I really do take delight Him, I will already have the desires of my heart.

True, there are other things I want - I want to be a successful children's novelist and horse artist. I want to spend the rest of my life with my very own cowboy of faith. But with Jesus at the center of my life, all the other things I want are just dessert.

From now on. I want Jesus to be the last thing on my mind when I fall asleep and the first thing on my mind when I wake up. This cowgirl wants to ride for His brand first, last and always.

"Whom have I heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You." Psalm 73:25 (NIV+)

Independent We Stand

A vital part of our economy is made up of small, locally owned independent businesses. They help keep money in local neighborhoods. They provide jobs in local neighborhoods. The money you spend at a small local business doesn’t go to an overpaid and underworked corporate CEO. It goes to help a family pay their bills and pay the salaries of their employees – who will then have money to spend to help the local economy.

Out of every dollar spent at a locally owned business, sixty-eight cents remains in the local community.  Out of every dollar spent at a national chain store, only forty-three cents remains in the local community.

I try to buy as many things as I can at locally owned businesses. When I want refills for my favorite shampoo, conditioner or hand lotion, I buy it at Schatzlein’s Saddle Shop. It’s a family-owned business that’s been in Minneapolis since 1907. I’ve been there often enough that Jan Schatzlein’s Australian Shepherd will roll over and ask me for a belly rub when she sees me. The refills would cost less at Cub Foods, but I buy them at Schatzlein’s.

When I want to buy the newest issue of the new English translation of the Japanese Sailor Moon comic book, I’ll check Barnes & Noble online to see when it’s due to be released. Then I’ll go to the Source Comic and Games in Roseville to buy it. They would cost less at Barnes & Noble online, but I buy them at the Source. I count the owners among my friends and I know several of their employees.

When I need loose green tea leaves or coconut milk, I buy them at United Noodles in South Minneapolis.

When I’m ready to buy better art supplies, I’ll buy them at Wet Paint in St. Paul. They may cost less at JoAnn, but I’ll buy them at Wet Paint.

If I want to buy pa’u skirts (they’re skirts used for hula Hawai’i, but in Minnesota they’re just pretty skirts), I’ll order them from the Hula Supply Center in Honolulu. Granted, it doesn’t help the Minnesota economy, but because it’s an independently owned store, more of the revenue will stay in the local community there.

Granted, not everything I want or need can be found at small, locally owned independent businesses. But for everything that can – even if it’s more expensive – I will buy at small, locally owned independent businesses.

Shopping small and local is good business for local economies.

Farmers And Ranchers Feed Us All

Did you eat today? Unless you raise all your own food, thank farmers and ranchers!  (If you are a farmer or rancher, here’s a huge “Thank you!!” to you.) Those are the men and women who grow the food we eat, who raise the cattle and other animals that give us milk and meat, the poultry that give us eggs and meat. About the only thing they don’t raise is fish. (I’ll admit I’ve heard of fish farms, but I won’t be talking about those here.) Even if you’re a vegetarian, it’s still farmers who grow the crops you eat.

Where ever you buy your food – a grocery store, a co-op, a farmers’ market or someplace like Target or Wal-Mart, a farmer or rancher had a hand in it. They work all day, every day to keep the rest of us fed. It doesn’t matter what the weather is like. They are among the hardest working people you will ever know. Some farms and ranches stay in the family for generations.

The Petersons run a family farm in Kansas. The three sons have a created a number of farming videos, including parodies of popular songs. Here’s a link to the Peterson Farm Bros Youtube videos:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePetersonFarmBros They’re proud of being farmers and feeding us.

Up until just before my second birthday, I was a North Dakota farmer’s daughter. One of my cousins (technically, she’s my dad’s cousin, but she’s the same age as one of my older brothers) moved from being a farmer’s daughter to being a farmer’s wife. Having lived in the city most of my life, I’m not sure I could go back to farm life, but I am grateful for those who do live that life. Farming is everybody’s bread and butter.

Farmers and ranchers have to deal with difficult circumstances on a regular basis. A drought can cause ranchers to be unable to feed their herds, farmers to be unable to provide water for their crops. A cold snap in citrus fruit growing states can cause the loss of crops. Weather extremes cause major problems – even disasters - for the people who grow food or raise livestock. Every farm or ranch that fails affects more than just the rancher or farmer. It affects all of us. Fewer ranches and farms = less food being produced. Less food being produced = not enough food to go around.

Farmers and ranchers work no matter what the weather is like. Whether it’s a -50 wind chill, a blizzard, 100 degrees in the shade, farmers and ranchers know they have work to do. They go out and do it, no matter what. The post office says nothing will keep their couriers from their appointed rounds, but that’s even more true for farmers and ranchers. Weather that may keep postal workers from delivering the mail doesn’t keep farmers and ranchers from their work. There are no snow days for farmers and ranchers.

Next time you enjoy a meal – whether you made it yourself or you’re enjoying someone else’s cooking – remember - and be grateful for and to - the farmers and ranchers who raised the food you’re eating.

Fairy Godmother? I Don't Need No Stinkin' Fairy Godmother!

I used to want a Fairy Godmother. I thought it would be great to have someone who would wave her magic wand and make my dreams come true. But  Fairy Godmothers only exist in fairy tales, not in real life.

My parents raised us with a strong work ethic. We were expected to help with chores and we all took turns washing dishes. Our mom even had a schedule posted in the kitchen showing who was supposed to wash dishes which day. The only days we could be sure we didn't need to wash dishes were our birthdays. We were brought up that if you had a job, not liking it wasn't an acceptable reason to quit.

As I think about it, there's no sense of accomplishment in having someone else solve all my problems for me. (I'm talking here about human help, not receiving help from God.) Sure, it would be convenient if I suddenly woke up one morning and had a million dollars in my bank account. But having it come seemingly out of nowhere wouldn't be the same as if I'd worked to have that much money in my account. Not that I'll ever have a million dollars in the bank - I'm just using an extreme example.

In one of my favorite versions of a Cinderella story - Ever After - Danielle received help from Leonardo Da Vinci, but there was no Fairy Godmother. She met Prince Henry all on her own and they fell in love naturally. Da Vinci only stepped in to help when Danielle's stepmother prevented her from attending the ball. When she was sold to an odious older man near the end of the movie, she rescued herself from his clutches before Henry could get there. Danielle and Henry found their happy ending without any help from a Fairy Godmother.

I won't turn away from help other people want to give me. For all I know, God may have laid me on their hearts. I'm not too proud to accept help when I need it, just as I enjoy being able to help others when they need it.

I may have wanted a Fairy Godmother when I was younger, but I don't want or need one anymore. I can stand on my own two feet, thank you very much.

Note: Contrary to popular belief, the actual movie quote that inspired the title of today's entry is not "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges." Actually it's "Badges? We don't need to show you no stinkin' badges."

Willing To Take Chances

Life is not a spectator sport. In everything I do - whether it's giving a speech at my Toastmasters club, preparing to send a story or novel off to an editor, starting a new job - I need to be ready to take chances. I can't be content to play it safe anymore.

I've spent most of my life making the safe, sensible choices. But making the safe choice all the time doesn't leave much room for growth. There are times for making safe choices, but there are also times for making riskier choices.

Since I have no dependents, it's easier for me to make riskier choices. If the choices are wrong, no one will be affected but me.Until relatively recently, I avoided taking chances. I wanted my life to be safe and ordered. It might not have been an exciting life, but it was safe.

When I went on a trail ride in Fort Worth last April, I didn't want the horse to go faster than a walk. Although when the wrangler got too far ahead of me, I needed to ask the horse to go into a jog so I could catch up. Next trail ride, I'll ask for the jog. If I'm really brave, I'll ask for the lope. I'm not quite ready for the gallop yet. But I will be. I need to increase the riskiness of my choices step by step.

I took a chance with taking most of my collectible Barbie and Disney Princess dolls to be sold on eBay. The chance paid off and everything sold. When I go to pick up the check, I'll take another chance by taking the rest of my collectible dolls and my NRFB (Never Removed From Box) Breyer model horses, as well as a few other items. It will be less of a chance this time, since the chance paid off last time.

I'll be taking a few chances in education as well. I've started bookmarking websites about online equine courses. Most of them allow students to work at their own pace. On one of them the first class is free. I can only go so far with online studies, though - I'll eventually need to interact with horses up close and personal. I'm planning to get a driver's license and then I'll be able to rent a car to do the coursework that needs to be with real horses and not just online.

Maybe it's easier to take chances now, as the older I get, the less I have to lose. Since I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines, it's time to start making riskier choices!

On Art

I've been learning a few things over the last few days when it comes to art.

I've started photocopying horse photos I want to practice drawing onto graph paper, making squares bigger than the ones on the graph paper, creating a graph on paper and then drawing the contents of each square from the photo onto the graph on paper. Sometimes this worked, sometimes it didn't. On some drawings, it seemed like there was too much detail to put into one square on my sketch paper. It finally hit me what I had been doing wrong. I made the squares four by four squares on the graph paper. By making the squares two by two, it's become easier to sketch the contents of the square. When the contents are easier to sketch, my drawings start to look more like the reference photos.

I use a mechanical pencil for the graph, then use an old-fashioned wooden #2 pencil for the drawing itself. I use an old-fashioned pink pearl eraser to remove the graph. While it doesn't damage the paper, it's hard to remove only the graph lines using that eraser. What I need to be more precise in erasing lines is a kneaded eraser. It's a much more precise eraser and can also be used for creating highlights. I've done some checking, and they aren't expensive. It's just a matter of getting to a store that carries them. I'll check Target on the off chance they might carry them. If not, I'll check an office supply store in downtown Minneapolis. If that doesn't work, there is an art supply store just outside of downtown Minneapolis that I'm sure will carry them. I checked the website of my favorite art supply store and they aren't listed. Of course, just because they're not on the website doesn't mean they don't stock them in the store.

Since I use wooden pencils - and when I move to color, I plan to use color wooden pencils - I need a better pencil sharpener. Right now I'm using small hand-held pencil sharpeners, which don't do the job I need them to do. I don't like electric pencil sharpeners. What I want is one of those old-fashioned manual pencil sharpeners like what we had in elementary school. I've never seen them at Target, at least not at the Target where I usually shop. Office supply stores do carry them, so it's a matter of deciding which office supply store to use - the one that's closest or the one that has the best price. I'm leaning toward best price. I'll call the one with the best price to be sure they have them in stock before making a trip out there and have it turn out to be a waste of time and bus fare.

For now I'm using inexpensive paper. While I'm still learning, there's no need for using high quality paper. Once my art hits a higher level, I'll buy the more expensive, high quality paper that's meant for drawing. I can't sell art that's not on high quality paper, whether it's selling it via my website (once I have a website, which I do not have at this time) or submitting it to Leanin' Tree or some other greeting card company.

Yes, I have a long way to go before my art is ready for public consumption. But when it is ready, I'll have the right tools in place to create the best art I can possibly can.

Beyond Success In The Saddle

The Success in the Saddle workout DVDs are meant to strengthen the muscles used in horseback riding. The stretches in Horseback Riding for Dummies are meant to stretch the muscles before riding. Horseback riding itself is a great form of exercise.

Is there more needed? Isn't everything listed above enough? If I thought that, I'd hardly be writing an entry titled Beyond Success In The Saddle.

Types of exercise recommended for equestrians include aerobic, weights, pilates and yoga. Yoga is one I will never try. Since yoga has its roots in the Hindu religion, as a cowgirl of faith, I don't want to open myself to that influence, even if it is unintentional. One of the easiest aerobic exercises I do is climbing stairs. My apartment has direct access to the basement, so almost every morning I go and down the stairs for 15-20 minutes. I follow the stair climbing with strength training. I have some aerobic workout DVDs that combine fitness moves with hula moves. I need to be a little more motivated to use those, but I do have fun using them.  Live Strong has some information about exercises for equestrians. Here's a link to the results that came up when I entered "horseback riders" in the search field: http://www.livestrong.com/search/?mode=standard&search=horseback+riders

I've found I feel better when I work out. I actually enjoy working out and am disappointed when I miss my morning stair climbing. When I'm finally able to ride on a regular basis, I'll be fit and ready for it - even if it doesn't happen until I'm in my sixties or seventies.

Not Taking The Easy Road

Looking ahead at the two horse related options I have other than being more than a cowgirl at heart - writing and drawing - both are labor intensive. Neither one, even if I'm successful, will have a quick payout. Both require putting my work out to be judged as to whether or not it meets the necessary standards.

If I had to choose only one of the two, which one should I choose - and why?

Writing has the advantage of being something with which I have experience. I've had two editors who have paid me for writing. One was the editor of a children's Sunday School take home paper. That editor bought a short story. The other was the editor of a high school take home paper. That editor bought three of my personal experience articles.

My art hasn't been quite as successful. I used to customize fashion dolls. I've sold two of them. When it comes to drawing, I can count on one hand what I've sold - and have five fingers left over.

Writing would seem to be the best choice, since I've actually earned some money from writing in the past. It would be exciting to go on book tours to promote my children's novels. I could have tables at horse shows to sell my books and talk with the kids about their horses - maybe even pick up some more ideas for novels.

Yet, whenever I look at the work of Tim Cox (http://www.timcox.com/) or the art covers on Western Horseman magazine or the art information in every issue of Cowboys & Indians magazine, I find myself drawn into the world of drawing horses. I think how fun it would be to walk into Schatzlein's Saddle Shop and see greeting cards with my artwork on them. As with the novels, I could have tables at horse shows to sell my art. I could do sketches from photos right at the shows.

I do want to do both. The art will be harder than the writing, since my art needs more work. Lots more work. I will do both. Because it's the more challenging of the two, the art will be where I put in the most time. I'll continue to do both on a daily basis, but for now I'll spend more time drawing than writing.

Who knows? Maybe someday my children's novels and my art will make me a sought-after guest at horse shows. Anything can happen!

A Belligerent Bronc

Recently, it has felt like life gave me a belligerent bronc and that malevolent mare bucked me off as soon as we were out of the chute.

Where I am right now is not where I want to be. On the other hand, it has given me the opportunity to trust God like I've never needed to before. The Bible says, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Psalm 119:105, NIV+ I've heard that the kind of light the psalmist was familiar with would give only enough light for the next step.

That's what I need to learn to do. To trust God to lead me one step at a time. As I work on learning to do that, I find my needs are being met in one way or another. Not my wants, but my needs. Part of this has meant putting almost all my collectibles on eBay, using a company that takes care of the listing, selling and shipping, then gives me me a check later. It has worked out better than it would have if I had tried to do it on my own. It's also been an easy way to get rid of things that were cluttering up both my life and my apartment.

In this period of transition, I've been able to discover what's important and what's not. I've been re-assessing my priorities. Clinging to things isn't what I want my life to be about. I need to remember that being a cowgirl of faith means trusting God with every aspect of my life and know and believe He wants what's best for me. Then I need to obey what He tells me to do. Like an old hymn says, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus."

Someday I will get back on that malevolent mare and I will ride her for the full eight seconds.

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes

"There's one thing they can't order me to do. They can't order me to stop dreaming." With that conviction in her heart, Disney's Cinderella never gave up on her dreams. Walt Disney once said about her, "Yes, she believed in dreams, but she also believed in doing something about them. When Prince Charming didn't come along, she went to the castle and got him."

There's nothing wrong in being a dreamer. I've abandoned some dreams, mostly because God closed the doors. God closed doors for the Apostle Paul, so there's no reason to expect He won't close doors for me from time to time. "When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to." Acts 16:7, NIV+ "I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles." Romans 1:13, NIV+

The dreams I am working toward at this time include:
1) becoming more than a cowgirl at heart
2) becoming a children's novelist
3) becoming a horse artist

Due to current temporary circumstances, my progress towards making these dreams come true has slowed down. Until God closes the doors on these dreams, I'm going to continue to work on them.

I don't actually need to own a horse to be more than a cowgirl at heart. Once I join the American Quarter Horse Association, I plan to sign up for their horseback riding program. There are two divisions, one for  registered American Quarter Horses and the other for any breed. The only requirements are a one-time membership fee (joining both requires a separate membership for each) and maintaining an active AQHA membership. Then it's just a matter of logging hours spent in the saddle. Multiple horses can be ridden as long as a log sheet is kept for each horse ridden. The rider does not need to own the horses being ridden. Prizes are based on hours spent in the saddle during the year.

I write every day, whether I feel like it or not. Some days it might only be a paragraph or two, but I make it a priority to write something every day. I'm not sure how long it'll take to finish the first draft, but I have a tentative goal of having it done by the end of 2013.

I also work on my art every day. It's slow going, as I want to be sure my work is as good as it can be. Even though I don't have the art supplies I need, that's no reason not to keep drawing every day. To say I can;t draw because I don't have all the supplies I need is just making excuses.

Yes, God can close the doors on my dreams. I won't complain if He does, because that just means He has something better in mind for me. But until He closes the doors, I'm going to keep working on making my dreams come true, even if I'm only taking baby steps right now.

Success In The Saddle

No, this will not be about my own riding abilities, since I haven't been on a horse at all since the 2012 Minnesota Horse Expo.

Success in the Saddle is a series of equestrian workout DVDs by Debbie Rodriguez. The back of the set of volumes 1, 2 and 3 says: "While Debbie Rodriquez is a 'S' dressage judge, eventing judge, certified personal trainer and USDF Gold Medalist, she is first and foremost a rider herself. Work with her through these no equipment, no excuse workouts and discover for yourself the value of core fitness to your own riding. This is functional fitness for riders of all disciplines!"

Each DVD has the exercises for two days on it. I had used it some time ago, but today was the first time since January that I started using it again. It was easier to get back into it than I thought it would be. There was only one exercise for which I needed to do fewer reps than were called for. There is a fourth volume, but I haven't even opened that one yet. The workouts on volume four are supposed to be more intense than the earlier DVDs. The first six workouts are challenging enough right now, so it'll take a while before I'm ready for volume four.

In each workout, Debbie tells the participants to check with their doctors before starting the workouts. She says if you feel any pain, to stop and not use the DVDs again until after you've checked with your doctor. She explains how each exercise is beneficial to riders. For example, shoulder exercises are helpful for dealing with shoulder injuries caused by landing on your shoulders when you fall off your horse. She always has two other women working out with her, one demonstrating an advanced version of the exercises and the other demonstrating an easier version of the exercises.

The DVDs are helpful and I plan to get back into the habit of using them on a daily basis. There are two changes I believe would have made the DVDs more useful.
1) Put the easiest workout as day one, not day six. The workouts should move from the easiest one on day one to the the hardest one on day six.
2) Do one demo rep of each exercise first. Sometimes it's hard to watch the DVD and do the exercise at the same time if the exercise is one I'm not familiar with. Although it wouldn't be that difficult to watch each day's workout before I do it, so that's just a matter of making an extra twenty minutes to watch it before I do it.

Besides the DVDs, I also try to do stretches recommended in Horseback Riding For Dummies. They're stretches meant to be done before riding, but I like doing them even without riding.

If - when - the opportunity becomes available to ride on a regular basis, I'll have been doing the exercises and stretches that will help make me physically ready to ride.

There's A Pattern For That

Reining is one of the most spectacular equestrian events I've seen. The Breyer horse and rider pictured above are performing reining's signature move, the sliding stop. The model doesn't do the move justice, but I don't have the rights to show a photo of a real horse and rider performing this move. This photo is one of my own model horse and rider sets and I took the photo myself. Reining is the only Western event approved by the FEI. Internationally, the U.S. dominates the event. In the three times reining has been included in the World Equestrian Games (2002, 2006 and 2010), the U.S. won the team Gold Medal all three times.

Reining is a judged event and there are twelve patterns. Among the things included in the patterns are slow small circles, large fast circles, 360 degree spins, rollbacks, flying lead changes and the sliding stop. Sometimes just watching the series of 360 degree spins is enough to make me start to feel dizzy!

A horse of any breed can be a reiner. I've seen it at Arabian Horse and American Quarter Horse competitions. I've seen a YouTube video of a Gypsy Vanner Horse competing in reining. For horses that compete only in reining, a special shoe called a slide plate is used on the hind feet. There are also saddles made specifically for reining. It is essential that a reining horse wear protective leg gear.

One caution when training a horse in reining is not to overtrain, especially when it comes to patterns. If the same entire pattern is practiced over and over, the horse will either get bored or will start anticipating the next part of the pattern. A horse is only supposed to perform the parts of the pattern when the rider gives him the appropriate cues.

Since I'm not competitive, I don't imagine myself ever competing in reining. It would be fun to try at least once, though. But if I ever do want to compete in reining - there's a pattern for that.

IALAC

IALAC is a term I learned in a class in high school. It stands for I Am Lovable And Capable. Whenever  people are criticized for no good reason or put down in some way, a little of their IALAC is lost. For some people, by the end of the day little or no IALAC  is left.

As an experiment, everybody in class wore a paper badge with IALAC on it for the rest of the day. Every time someone said something that hurt, that implied we weren't lovable or capable, we needed to rip a piece off the paper badge. That day we all learned that the old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is false. Words don't leave bruises, but the wounds they leave on a person's spirit may never heal.

How often do my words hurt people? Do I stop to think before I speak? Do I say hurtful things on purpose? Do I ask myself how it would make me feel if someone said something like that to me? Words, once spoken, can never be taken back. No matter how times I apologize to someone, it can't undo the damage thoughtless words have caused.

The Golden Rule "Do unto to others as you would have them do unto you" is the best way to deal with other people. If I remind myself constantly of that, I'll be less likely to use careless words that will damage another person's IALAC.

I also need to remember that God sees me as lovable and capable. I can't let circumstances allow me to see myself as anything less than a loved and cherished daughter of the Most High.

I'm going to do my best - with God's help - not to damage another person's IALAC again.

Happiness Can't Be Found Looking Back

It's all too easy to look back and wonder, "Why did I do that?" or "Why didn't I do that?" There's no way to go back and change anything. A life of "if onlys" is no way to live.

While I can't go back and stop myself from making the mistakes I've made, every morning is a chance to start over, to move ahead toward the future I want. Or, more accurately, the future I believe God wants me to have. If the future I want isn't the future He wants me to have, He'll put up roadblocks. He's done that with other things I've wanted to do.

I can see now that some of the things I wanted would have been bad for me. "Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?" Matthew 7:9, NIV+ Although it's not in the Bible, I also believe that if I ask God for a stone, He's not going to give me a stone - he's going to give me bread. So many of the things I asked for in the past were stones, not bread.

I'm not going to live in the past anymore. It's time to press on. I'll stumble along the way, since I won't be perfect until I'm in heaven. Stumbling along as I move forward is better than a life of looking back in regret. Maybe I won't become a children's novelist. Maybe I won't become a horse artist. Maybe I'll never be anything more than a cowgirl at heart.

Whatever the future holds for me, like the apostle Paul, I want to be able to say, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing  I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14, NIV+ Paul didn't ignore his past, but he didn't drag it around with him.

I need to saddle up my horse (figuratively for now) and follow where Jesus leads. I'm hoping that will lead me to becoming a successful novelist and artist. If it doesn't, though, that's okay. It just means God has something even better in mind for me.

Why look back when that's not the direction I want to go?

Horses In The American Revolution

In 1776, horses were the main form of transportation. Could the American Revolution have happened without them?

Obviously, Paul Revere wouldn't have been able to make his famous ride on April 18, 1775 without a horse. He didn't ride his own horse. There is no record of whether or not he even owned a horse. He borrowed the horse from patriot sympathizer Samuel Larkin. The horse was never returned to Larkin. The British captured the horse and used it to replace the tired horse of  a sergeant.

General George Washington saw the need for cavalrymen to patrol the coast for British activity and to act as messengers. He saw battles being lost to British cavalry horsemen. He proposed the creation of the U.S. Cavalry on December 11, 1776. He wrote this message to congress on that day: "From the experience I have had in this campaign of the utility of Horse, I am convinced there is no carrying on the war without them (horses) and I would therefore recommend the establishment of one or more Cavalry Corps . . . In addition to those already raised in Virginia."

By June 1777, there were two hundred sixty cavalry men. Among the things they did was lead raids on the British hay storage, which destroyed their ability to maintain their horses. No horses meant no way to transport artillery and supplies, as well as the end of their cavalry. Sergeant Elijah Churchill was awarded the Badge of Military Merit (now known as the Medal of Honor) for destroying three hundred tons of British hay.

When the war ended, all of the cavalry regiments were disbanded.

Of George Washington's own horses, his two favorites were Nelson and Blueskin. Another favorite was Mongolia, a white Arabian. Some of his other horses were named Samson, Steady, Leonidas and Traveller.

The horse was an essential part of the American Revolution. What better day to remember those horses than on Independence Day?

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My Dream Job

This entry will be of the "if money was no object" type. In real life, I work in accounting and so I know the numbers aren't there for this to happen, but I'm going to write about it anyway.

My dream job would be to become a Clinton Anderson Certified Clinician. I was impressed by him and his work almost from the first time I read any articles by him. He's down to earth and describes himself as a "meat and potatoes" kind of guy. He gives instructions in plain and simple language that anyone can understand.

I was happy he was bringing one of his WalkAbout Tours to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, even though I couldn't afford a ticket. Then a complimentary ticket arrived in the mail. Even though I didn't - and still don't - own a horse, the things he talked about and demonstrated took my breath away. I ended up joining his No Worries Club.

Because there are more people who want to learn his Method than he could possibly reach, he created the Clinton Anderson Clinician Academy. There men and women are trained to be mini Clinton Andersons - minus the Aussie accent. It's a rigorous program and not every one who wants to attend the academy is accepted. Clinton wants to be careful about who he'll allow to bear his name. However, for those who stick with the program, he'll offer a money-back guarantee to anyone who takes lessons from or attends a clinic done by one of his certified clinicians. Being a Clinton Anderson Certified Clinician means he believes those who earn that title are able to teach the Method the same way he would himself. Those men and women have the backing of Downunder Horsemanship. It's up to each clinician to determine how much he or she can earn.

Of course, tuition isn't cheap and the academy students are expected to work their butts off. It's basically eat, sleep and drink horses while they're there. They work on training the horses that will become Clinton Anderson Signature Horses. Clinton has a strong work ethic and he expects no less from his clinicians.

I had gone so far as to contact Downunder Horsemanship to find out about being a Clinton Anderson Certified Clinician in Japan. I was told as long as I took care of all the requirements set by the Japanese government, there was no problem. Just for fun, I had done some research about bringing animals into Japan. From the quarantine side of things, it's easier to bring a horse into Japan than a cat or dog. The work visa for me would be the tricky part, since I would need to find a sponsor. Maybe one of those Western riding stables in Japan. . .

I will probably never have my dream job, but as one of my favorite posters says, "God gives us dreams a size too big so we can grown into them."

BarrelSim

BarrelSim is a PC game created by Rodeo Software. It has two different simulations - barrel racing and pole bending. I don't remember when I bought it, but I do know I had it before I went to Fort Worth last year. I brought it along with me so I could play it in the evenings. It requires having the CD in the computer to be able to play. (My hotel had free wi-fi, so I had brought my computer along. My laptop along with my riding helmet made my carry-on luggage heavier than my checked luggage, but I digress. . .)

The cover says it has "ultra realistic game play." Never having tried barrel racing or pole bending in real life, I'm not sure how realistic it is. The horse doesn't move the way real horses move when I'm watching barrel racing, but that could be due to the fact that it's a PC game, rather than one for Wii, Xbox or PlayStation.

I learned early on not to bother with the pole bending part of the sim. I'm worse at the pole bending than I am at the barrel racing - not that that's saying much. I stink at both games, but I stink less at barrel racing than I do at pole bending.

The game comes with three versions - practice, multi-player and online.I only play the practice version. I can't play the multi-player version, since I don't have anyone to play with/against, and I'm not sure if I'd want to even if I did. The online version is out of the question for me. Aside from not being competitive, other online players would probably get a good laugh out of how bad I am. My best score so far has been 23.642 seconds since the time I started keeping track. My worst time has been 29.973 seconds. If I ever am able to score 18.000 seconds and under on a regular basis, then I might consider trying competing online once. But only once.

The cover also says,"For the same reason pilots need flight simulators, barrel racers and pole benders need BarrelSim." Again, I don't know how accurate that statement is. I don't know if my friends who are barrel racers have ever played the game or what they think of it if they have.

For me, playing BarrelSim will probably be the closest I ever get to barrel racing. So I'll enjoy playing the game and  be satisfied with watching real cowgirls do the real thing whenever I have the chance.