Tipsy Tuesday #5 - Horse tip of another kind

When I decided to have Tuesday be tip day, my intention was to provide horse tips. Here is a story of horse tip of another kind.

A 71-year-old Texas waitress received the "best" tip of her career — a horse.

"All this started about a week and a half ago when I was waiting tables," A.D. Carrol told the Houston Chronicle. ""There were two men drinking coffee and I had to ask them to move to make way for a larger group. One of the men just asked me if I wanted a horse. I said, 'sure.' Two days later he came back with the trainer's phone number and Mailman was mine."

Mailman Express, a 5-year-old ex-race horse, has a weak leg, but can still be ridden and trained to jump. Carrol told the newspaper she used to ride her daughter-in-law's horses about every week, and would be riding Mailman for pleasure. "Over the years I've gotten some pretty big tips," she told the Houston Chronicle. "Once in San Francisco I got $600. And another time I got $500. But this one is the best of all." In addition to Mailman, Carrol has two dogs and 16 cats.

Maybe I should suggest that to my husband Scott to reduce our horse heard, just leave Mollie for a tip.

We could give out about 30 such tips.

Remember you must give to receive,

Danna

Tipsy Tuesday #4

Here is another couple great tips from the Helpful Hints for Horseman book, part of the Western Horseman series.

The Ice Trick
By Pat Close
Elizabeth, Co.

If you have a horse that’s a finicky drinker away from home, try adding ice cubes to his water. Also, ice cubes may be used to help teach an orphan foal to drink milk. Simply put the milk replacer in a bowl, add some ice cubes and the foal invariably starts slurping it up.

Pill Crusher
By Charlie Carrel

Whether you’re doctoring a barnful or just have a horse or two, this trick will come in handy. There are quite a few forms of medicine that come in tablets that require crushing before you administer them. If you count the number of tablets your horses needs and throw them in an electric grinder, you can have them properly ground in a split second.

We even take it further for a couple of ranch horses that are on isoxsuprine instead of grinding their tablets every day; we figure their dosage equals 2 tablespoons in powder form. Therefore, we simply grind an entire bottle and then return the powder to its original container. That way when those horses get their oats in the morning, we just add 2 tablespoons of isoxuprine.

To share your tips email me dshaw@infowest.com or leave a comment.

If you would like to read more tips from the Western Horseman Books they are available with a 10% discount for mentioning this blog at Burns Saddlery’s store or at our website http://www.burnssaddlery.com/. Just mention or enter coupon code "blogbooks" during checkout.

Cheers,

Danna

Inspire Me #4

INSPIRE ME

Napoleon Hill (October 26, 1883–November 8, 1970) was an American author who was one of the earliest producers of the modern genre of personal-success literature. His most famous work, Think and Grow Rich, is one of the best-selling books of all time. In America, Hill stated in his writings, people are free to believe what they want to believe, and this is what sets the United States apart from all other countries in the world.

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

Whenever I need that extra motivation, I pick up any of my many Napoleon Hill books. His 17 laws for success are truly a masterpiece in giving the reader direction and a recipe for success. Every time I have went back and studied his works my clarity of decision making and my enthusiasm towards my business increases. His principles work great for your financial successes but the greatest rewards will be in the transformation of your inner self that allows the financial rewards to manifest.

The Napoleon Hill foundation has information about this amazing man, I found the following on the web site http://www.naphill.org/.

The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement

The 17 principles have been responsible for the success of the world's outstanding leaders. Success is a science and you can learn its secrets... regardless of your present occupation, environment and residence. You may be a highly regarded successful businessperson now, or you may be a poorly paid factory worker. You may live in a big city or you may live on a farm miles from the nearest town. It makes no difference. You can learn the secrets of success, and your honest answers to these questions are the first step for you to take.

1. Definiteness of Purpose
a. Have you decided upon a definite goal in life?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Have you set a date for reaching that goal?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Do you have a specific plan for achieving your goal in life?
A. Yes
B. No

d. Have you determined what definite benefits your goal in life will bring you?
A. Yes
B. No

2. Mastermind Alliance

a. Are other people helping you to attain your goal in life?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Do you believe that a person can succeed in life without the aid of others?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Do you believe you can readily succeed in your occupation if you are opposed by your spouse or other members of your family?
A. Yes
B. No

d. Are there certain advantages when an employer and an employee work together in harmony?
A. Yes
B. No

e. Do you know how the Mastermind Alliance principle makes the United States the richest country in the world?
A. Yes
B. No

3. Applied Faith

a. Do you have faith in Infinite Intelligence?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Do you have confidence in your ability to do anything you desire?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Do you have confidence in the American form of government?
A. Yes
B. No

d. Are you entirely free from all of these seven basic fears: Fear of POVERTY; Fear of CRITICISM; Fear of ILL HEALTH; Fear of LOSS OF LOVE; Fear of LOSS OF LIBERTY; Fear of OLD AGE; Fear of DEATH?
A. No
B. Yes

4. Going the Extra Mile

a. Do you make a habit of rendering more service than you are paid to do?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Do you believe there are times when an employee is entitled to ask for more pay?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Do you know of anyone who has achieved success in any calling without doing more than they were paid to do?
A. Yes
B. No

d. Do you believe anyone has a right to ask for an increase in salary if they are not doing more than they are paid for?
A. No
B. Yes

e. If you were an employer, would you be satisfied with the sort of service you are now rendering as an employee?
A. Yes
B. No

5. Pleasing Personality

a. Do you have habits which offend others?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Are you liked by those with whom you work?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Can you interest people when speaking in public?
A. No
B. Yes

d. Are there times when you seem to bore others?
A. Yes
B. No

6. Personal Initiative

a. Do you plan your own work each day?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Do you have to have your work planned for you?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Do you have certain outstanding qualities which are not possessed by others in your line of work?
A. Yes
B. No

d. When your plans fail, do you "give up"?
A. Yes
B. No

e. Do you ever create better plans for doing your work more efficiently?
A. Yes
B. No

7. Positive Mental Attitude

a. Do you know what is meant by a positive mental attitude?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Can you control your mental attitude at will?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Do you know the only thing over which you have the complete power of control over?
A. Yes
B. No

d. Do you know how to detect a negative mental attitude in others?
A. Yes
B. No

e. Do you have a method of developing the habit of a positive mental attitude?
A. Yes
B. No

8. Enthusiasm

a. Are you known as a person of enthusiasm?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Can you control your enthusiasm by applying it in carrying out your plans?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Does your enthusiasm sometimes become the master of your judgment?
A. Yes
B. No

9. Self-Discipline

a. Do you hold your tongue when angry?
A. Yes
B. No

b. In a heated discussion, do you speak before you think?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Do you lose your patience easily?
A. No
B. Yes

d. Are you even-tempered at all times?
A. Yes
B. No

e. Do you allow your affections to sway your judgment?
A. Yes
B. No

10. Accurate Thinking

a. Do you make it your duty to learn what others know in connection with your occupation which may be of value to you?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Do you express "opinions" on subjects with which you are not familiar?
A. No
B. Yes

c. Do you know how to acquire facts in connection with any subject in which you are interested?
A. Yes
B. No

11. Controlled Attention

a. Do you concentrate all your thoughts on whatever you are doing?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Are you easily influenced to change your plans or your decision?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Are you inclined to abandon your aims and plans when you meet opposition?
A. No
B. Yes

d. Do you become interested in other people and their plans as quickly as you do in connection with yourself and your own ideas?
A. Yes
B. No

12. Teamwork

a. Do you get along harmoniously with others under all circumstances?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Do you grant favors as freely as you ask for them?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Do you have continual disagreements with others on certain subjects?
A. Yes
B. No

d. Do you believe there are advantages in friendly cooperation with those with whom you work?
A. Yes
B. No

e. Are you aware of the damage you can cause yourself and your fellow employees by not cooperating with co-workers?
A. Yes
B. No

13. Learning from Adversity and Defeat
a. Does defeat cause you to stop trying?
A. Yes
B. No

b. If you fail in a given effort, do you begin again with a new plan?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Do you believe that temporary defeat can become failure?
A. Yes
B. No

d. Have you learned any lessons from defeat?
A. Yes
B. No

e. Do you know how defeat can be converted into an asset that may lead to success?
A. Yes
B. No

14. Creative Vision

a. Is your imagination keen and alert?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Do you make your own decisions?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Do you prefer to call on others for their opinions before you act?
A. Yes
B. No

d. Have you ever invented anything?
A. Yes
B. No

e. Do you create practical ideas readily in connection with your work?
A. Yes
B. No

f. Do you believe that a person who creates ideas quickly is worth more than a person who follows only the ideas and plans created by others?
A. No
B. Yes

15. Maintenance of Sound Health

a. Do you know the essential factors of sound health?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Do you know what sound health begins with?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Do you know what relation relaxation has to sound health?
A. Yes
B. No

d. Do you know the four important factors necessary for the proper balancing of sound health?
A. No
B. Yes

e. Can you explain hypochondria?
A. Yes
B. No

16. Budgeting Time and Money

a. Do you save a definite amount of your income?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Do you spend money without considering what would happen if your income were cut off?
A. Yes
B. No

c. Do you get sufficient sleep each night?
A. Yes
B. No

d. Do you spend all your spare time having fun?
A. Yes
B. No

17. Cosmic Habitforce

a. Do you have habits which you feel you cannot control?
A. Yes
B. No

b. Have you had undesirable habits which you have eliminated?
A. Yes
B. No

c. In the past few months, have you developed any new, desirable habits?
A. Yes
B. No

Here’s to more yes’ than no’s.
Thanks to the great minds like that of Napoleon Hill who inspire us.

With Love and Light,

Danna

Tipsy Tuesday #3

For hooves that get packed with dirt, snow, ice or mud, clean out hooves thoroughly, then apply nonstick cooking spray or petroleum jelly to the soles. I look for the less expensive brands and they work as well as Pam or Vaseline. This works well when competing in all speed events, or any show eventing. Also great for trail rides in sticky clay type soil, or when snow or ice is present.

Another great use for Vaseline is on foals diaper rash, the foal heat usually occurs 7 to 10 days after birth. Cleaning the buttocks with warm water, and drying it before applying the Vaseline is best.

A great coat enhancer add ½ to 1 cup of corn oil to his daily grain, will also add a some weight to your horse, so if your gelding looks like he is going to foal you may not want to use this tip.

IF YOU HAVE HINTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE PLEASE E-MAIL ME at
dshaw@infowest.com or post your comment.

Danna

On the Road Again #3 - Some Texas Wisdom

Texas, still in Texas, the longest show of my yearly schedule is the Paint World in Ft. Worth, three weeks long. So after spending three weeks in Ft. Worth I have picked up some of the southern drawl. I find it so intriguing. Everyone is fixin to do something. And Y’all and yes maam and yes sir and shut yer mouth. And that really blows my skirt up. Here is some more Texan slang I found on line.

• The engine's runnin' but ain't nobody driving - Not overly-intelligent
  
• As welcome as a skunk at a lawn party - (self-explanatory)
  
• Tighter than bark on a tree - Not very generous
  
• Big hat, no cattle - All talk and no action
  
• We've howdied but we ain't shook yet - We've made a brief acquaintance, but not been formally introduced
• He thinks the sun come up just to hear him crow - He has a pretty high opinion of himself
  
• She's got tongue enough for 10 rows of teeth - That woman can talk
  
• It's so dry the trees are bribin' the dogs -We really could use a little rain around here
  
• Just because a chicken has wings doesn't mean it can fly - Appearances can be deceptive.
• This ain't my first rodeo - I've been around awhile
  
• He looks like the dog's been keepin' him under the porch - Not the most handsome of men
• They ate supper before they said grace - Living in sin
  
• Time to paint your butt white and run with the antelope - stop arguing and do as you're told
  
• As full of wind as a corn-eating horse - Rather prone to boasting
  
• You can put your boots in the oven, but that don't make em biscuits -You can say whatever you want about something, but that doesn't change what it is
  
• That's a fur piece. - It'll take you awhile to get there
  
• Don't worry 'bout the mule son, just load the wagon - just do your part and I'll do mine
  
• Don't call him a cowboy, till you've seen him ride - Don't judge a book by its cover
  
• She's been rode hard and put away wet - refers to an unnattractive, hard-looking woman
  
• toad choker - a heavy rain
  
• frog strangler - also a heavy rain
  
• finer than frog hair - use anywhere you might use the word "fine"
  
• rarer than hen's teeth - pretty darn rare
  
• tump - to spill, as in "I jes' tumped over mah beer"
  
• coke -Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Sprite, Mountain Dew, Big Red, etc.

Some Texas Wisdom

1. Never slap a man who's chewin' tobacco.
   
2. Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back in.
   
3. If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.
   
4. If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.
   
5. Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.
   
6. There's two theories to arguin' with a woman. Neither one works.
   
7. If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
   
8. Don't squat with your spurs on.
   
9. It don't take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep
   
10. Always drink upstream from the herd.
    
11. Never miss a good chance to shut up.
    
12. There are 3 kinds of people: The ones that learn by reading, the few who learn by observation, and the rest of them who have to touch the fire to see for themselves if it's really hot.
    

Well I’m fixin to leave Texas and meander back to Utah.

See Y’all,

Danna

Inspire Me #3

This planet is filled with so many inspiring people, past and present. Individuals that delve in mind expansion, asking, searching, and contributing to a positive planet. I love to read and study their work, and words. Here is one of my most inspiring mentors.

ALBERT EINSTEIN

"A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving"

Collected Quotes from Albert Einstein

• "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction."
  
• "Imagination is more important than knowledge."
  
• "Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love."
  
• "I want to know God's thoughts; the rest are details."
  
• "The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax."
  
• "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
  
• "The only real valuable thing is intuition."
  
• "A person starts to live when he can live outside himself."
  
• "I am convinced that He (God) does not play dice."
  
• "God is subtle but he is not malicious."
  
• "Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character."
  
• "I never think of the future. It comes soon enough."
  
• "The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility."
  
• "Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing."
  
• "Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind."
  
• "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
  
• "Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds."
  
• "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
  
• "Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen."
  
• "Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it."
  
• "The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
  
• "The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."
  
• "God does not care about our mathematical difficulties. He integrates empirically."
  
• "The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking."
  
• "Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal."
  
• "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."
  
• "The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible."
  
• "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
  
• "Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school."
  
• "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."
  
• "Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater."
  
• "Equations are more important to me, because politics is for the present, but an equation is something for eternity."
  
• "If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut."
  
• "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
  
• "As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality."
  
• "Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods."
  
• "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
  
• "In order to form an immaculate member of a flock of sheep one must, above all, be a sheep."
  
• "The fear of death is the most unjustified of all fears, for there's no risk of accident for someone who's dead."
  
• "Too many of us look upon Americans as dollar chasers. This is a cruel libel, even if it is reiterated thoughtlessly by the Americans themselves."
  
• "Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism -- how passionately I hate them!"
  
• "No, this trick won't work...How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?"
  
• "My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."
  
• "Yes, we have to divide up our time like that, between our politics and our equations. But to me our equations are far more important, for politics are only a matter of present concern. A mathematical equation stands forever."
  
• "The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking...the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker."
  
• "Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence."
  
• "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."
  
• "A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death."
  
• "The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge."
  
• "Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion."
  
• "You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat."
  
• "One had to cram all this stuff into one's mind for the examinations, whether one liked it or not. This coercion had such a deterring effect on me that, after I had passed the final examination, I found the consideration of any scientific problems distasteful to me for an entire year."
  
• "...one of the strongest motives that lead men to art and science is escape from everyday life with its painful crudity and hopeless dreariness, from the fetters of one's own ever-shifting desires. A finely tempered nature longs to escape from the personal life into the world of objective perception and thought."
  
• "He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder."
  
• "A human being is a part of a whole, called by us _universe_, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
  
• "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." (Sign hanging in Einstein's office at Princeton)
  

Copyright: Kevin Harris 1995 (may be freely distributed with this acknowledgement)

I love Sunday, a chance to re-charge your batteries. And read inspiring quotes. Thanks Albert for all your wisdom.

With Love and Eternal Light,

Danna

Reviews n' Recipes #2 - The Ultimate Gift

My review this week is one of my favorite audio books, as well as movie.

The Ultimate Gift was given to me on my birthday last year from my wonderful friend and masseuse Sondra. It truly was an ultimate gift. Tom Bossley reads the book, and gives such life to the book. I love to listen to positive material any time, but especially while traveling. It seems to keep the flow of the highway safe and smooth. I have listened to this book more than once and have shared it and the movie with several family and friends. If I give it for a gift, you know I loved it.

Check out their website it is awesome, you can order direct from the website I highly recommend the audio book. The movie is great for families; it will inspire and give you a grateful heart.

http://www.theultimategift.com/home.php?cid=4294967295&cat=home

"When his wealthy grandfather dies, trust fund baby Jason Stevens anticipates a big inheritance. Instead, his grandfather has devised a crash course on life with twelve tasks – or “gifts” – designed to challenge Jason in improbable ways, sending him on a journey of self-discovery and forcing him to determine what is most important in life: money or happiness. "

Snuggle up to a great book or movie this weekend,

Danna

Funny Friday #2

Last Friday I shared Baxter Black’s poem Boomer and Bernie, this week I need to share a story about my husband Scott and his bomber truck.

If any of you know my husband you know he drives an old beat up farm truck around town and out to the farm, it is usually at least one and a half to two decades old, main color rust and a dump bed on the back with hydraulics to easily remove, hay, manure, garbage, old furniture, lawn mowers and any type of junk. The bed is his pride and joy; he can sit in the front, window rolled down, winter or summer because it doesn’t roll up, just push a button and remove any crap out of the back.

None of his children or me will ride with him in the bomber. Rylan our grandson will ride with papa in the bomber, he is still ego free and likes to be able to eat sunflower seeds and spit the shells right on the floor board, or as he calls them flowerin seeds. The two head out to the truck, (bomber) pump on the gas pedal 10 times try the starter several times then if they’re lucky a huge plum of gray and black smoke will encircle the neighborhood, Rylan unplugs the truck from the extension cord that is plugged into the front of our house, jumps back in with his best incredible hulk maneuver slams the door shut and gets a fist bump from Papa and away they go.

Before Rylan, the only other bomber companion was the kid’s dogs. The kid’s wouldn’t ride with him but the dogs loved trips in the bomber. That is except one day.

It was trash day when Scott and Sailor our black lab loaded the trash trailer up, a handmade trailer made out of the bed that was removed to put the dump bed on the bomber. Got the visual yet.

Sailor riding in front of the truck on the way to the dump decides to ride in the back of the trash trailer on the way home. Scott is riding with his arm out the window, chewing and spitting seeds as he hits a few bumps here and there. He happens to see something out of the corner of his eye as he looks over and looking directly at him is Sailor, with that oh shit—look on his face.

The trailer has unhooked from the truck, it is passing him along the driver’s side. All Scott can do is watch the trailer as it rolls down the road wandering towards a big ditch. Dog still looking straight ahead the trailer hits the ditch, launching Sailor air born about 30 feet.

A year ago my mother gave Scott a book for father’s day titled Wisdom of our Fathers by Tim Russert, she had each of the children write what wisdom they had learned from their father, Tegan wrote, Dad always told her never drive the bomber any further than she wanted to walk. The dog may have said, never ride with Scott any further than you want to fly.

If you've got a story that will make even dogs roll over with laughter share it with us by comment'n to this blog or email me at dshaw@infowest.com.

Have a memory filled weekend,

Danna

Horse Zen #2 - Making Money with Horses

Don Blazer is an author, a teacher, a trainer and a trader. For more than 40 years he's helped thousands of horses and horse owners enjoy the best of relationships based on knowledge, understanding and actions which are mutually beneficial.

The author of eight How-To books on training performance horses and horse health care, he also writes the syndicated column A Horse, Of Course, which is must reading for thousands of fans across the nation.

As a teacher, he's traveled from Alaska to Australia demonstrating training techniques and he's taught a variety of horsemanship courses for seven colleges and universities.

Show horses or race horses, he's trained world class winners at both ends of the spectrum. His show horses have competed at world championship events and his race horses have won both Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred Stake races.

Making Money With Horses is not only the title of one of his books, it is a way of life for him. He began his career as an author, trainer, teacher and trader at 19, and he's still at it-a syndicated column, clinics and lectures, young horses ridden daily, and occasionally he sells a horse.

Making Money With Horses By Don Blazer

In all businesses, nothing seems to succeed quite like “consistent persistence.” Of course your consistent persistence must be in the right direction.

The only constant is change, and change is happening to you at every moment of every day. Questions to ask yourself are, “Am I going to be a master of change, or be mastered by change? Am I going to ride the wave of change, or be buried by change? Am I going to anticipate change, or be left behind?

Who Moved My Cheese? is a little book by Spencer Johnson, M.D. which lets us observe Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw as they deal with change. Sniff and Scurry are mice, Hem and Haw are men and all make a daily trip through the MAZE to their cubical which contains their cheese.

One day they get to their cubical only to find someone has moved their cheese. Sniff and Scurry—not having big egos—immediately start back into the maze to find new cheese. Hem and Haw, knowing they certainly deserve cheese, sit and wait for whoever moved the cheese to return their cheese. The cheese, of course, is never returned. After days of waiting, in a desperate move, Haw returns to the dangers and frustrations of the MAZE. Along the way, he writes notes on the MAZE wall which he hopes will help Hem in his search.

These are the messages—the handwriting on the wall—left to help Hem.

1. Change Happens: they keep moving the cheese.
2. Anticipate Change: get ready for the cheese to move.
3. Monitor Change: smell the cheese so you will know when it’s old.
4. Adapt to Change Quickly: the quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy new cheese.
5. Change: move with the cheese.
6. Enjoy Change: savor the adventure and the taste of new cheese.
7. Be Ready to Quickly Change Again: they keep moving the cheese.

Nothing succeeds quite like consistent persistence, and nothing assures failure more certainly than consistent persistence of an old idea, system or approach which has been left behind by change.

For information about horses and business, visit http://www.donblazer.com/

Good Ol' Stuff #2

Every household is not complete without duct tape. Recently I was treating myself to a pedicure when the nail tech said to use duct tape to remove this nasty little callous under my big toe. Really! Really! It softens and whatever is in the glue draws out those deep seed wart type callous’ peel off after a few days. I had forgotten my Mom was told to put duct tape on a wart on her hand and it worked. I thought duct tape, what damn good stuff.

Any comments or articles you find that you feel is damn good stuff please feel free to e-mail me @ dshaw@infowest.com

Have a wonderful day,

Danna


The following is an article I found in Forbes magazine.

The Other Greatest Tool Ever
David M. Ewalt,

Models use it to create cleavage. Sled-dog drivers use it to prevent frostbite. Athletes use it to support weak joints. Veterinarians use it to repair horses' hooves.

What's this wonder tool?

Duct tape.

When Forbes.com compiled its list of the 20 most important tools of all time, we asked a panel of scientists, historians and engineers to look at the devices that have most impacted human civilization and shaped the course of history. The final list highlighted tools that have been around for ages: the knife, the abacus, the compass. But critics soon started raising objections. What about duct tape, the sticky silver stuff that can do just about anything?

Stuck on duct tape?

"It's the ultimate power tool," says Tim Nyberg, a graphic designer from Minnesota, who, along with his brother-in-law Jim Berg, has sold nearly 3 million books and calendars as The Duct Tape Guys. "It's so strong people have used it to pull cars out of ditches, yet you can rip it with your bare hands."

Origins of The "Duck"

And while arguments like this didn't cause us to revise the list, they did push us to take a closer look at this 20th century marvel. Invented in the early 1940s by scientists at Permacell, a division of the Johnson and Johnson (nyse: JNJ - news - people ) Company, duct tape was built to fill the need for a strong, flexible, durable tape that could help the war effort, according to Avon, Ohio-based Henkel Consumer Adhesives, one of the world's largest makers of the stuff. Early versions consisted of medical tape laminated to a cloth backing, covered with polycoat adhesives and a polyethylene coating. It was colored Army green and nicknamed "Duck Tape" because it repelled water.

After the war was over, civilians started using the tape in construction, typically to hold metal air ducts together. So it was changed to a matching gray color and renamed "duct tape."

But consumers soon discovered the tool had applications far beyond heating and air conditioning. Duct tape's many positive attributes quickly made it one of the most-used items in any toolbox. Why?

It's easy, says Nyberg. "It's the quick fix. Whack on some duct tape and you're done." It's versatile. "It comes with no directions and no expectations as to how to use it." And, he says, it's simple. "Name any other tool that is totally self contained. With hammers you need nails, screw drivers you need screws."

Today, duct tape is a must-have tool. In 2005, Henkel sold enough of its "Duck Brand" duct tape to wrap around the Earth nearly 20 times. The company sells the tape in 19 colors and patterns, including clear, purple, pink, lime and two patterns of camouflage. Other companies selling similar tape include 3M (nyse: MMM - news - people ), Avery Dennison and Intertape Polymer Group (nyse: ITP - news - people ).

This Tape Can Save Your Life

The versatility of the product means it has taken a few star turns. Most memorable: Astronauts on Apollo 13 used duct tape to help put together air scrubbers to keep themselves alive. And in February 2003, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security advised Americans to stock up on duct tape and plastic sheeting so that they could seal their homes in the event of a chemical or biological attack. Hardware stores around the country reported a run on the product. Critics said the advice was silly, and after days of being mocked on talk shows and around water coolers, then-Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge withdrew the advice.

Still, other uses persist. Online, you'll find directions created by devotees that allow you to make bags, wallets and clothing. For six years, Henkel has sponsored a contest that encourages students to wear duct tape formal wear to their proms. Nearly 2,000 couples have entered for a chance at $6,000 in scholarships.

It even cures warts. In 2002, doctors at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington treated a group of patients by having them apply small duct tape patches every day; the warts disappeared in 85% of those treated, making the therapy far more effective than freezing with liquid nitrogen, the standard treatment. The medical applications don't stop there. Duct tape is widely used for first aid as a sort of temporary suture. The tape effectively closes up wounds until proper treatment can be found --although it's not fun when you have to pull the stuff off your skin. Some emergency medical technician handbooks even describe how to use duct tape to close up sucking chest wounds like gunshots.

Duct tape can save your life in other ways, too. In April of 2000, a man named Gemini Wink was hiking through the swamps near Tampa, Florida, looking to take pictures of alligators. As night fell, he realized he was lost, and decided to climb a tree to avoid being eaten. But he was afraid of falling asleep and dropping into the gator-filled water, so he duct taped himself to a branch. The night passed safely and he was found by sheriff's deputies the following morning.
Of course, for all its versatility, perhaps the most interesting thing about duct tape is also the most ironic: It's lousy for use on ducts.

In 1998, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory physicists Max Sherman and Lain Walker tested a variety of sealing materials on sheet metal ducting, then heated and cooled the ducts to simulate the aging process. They soon found that duct tape leaked air so badly much of the cooling and heating was wasted--and that the tape frequently shrunk, dried up or separated.

"It failed reliably and often quite catastrophically," said Sherman. "And nothing else except duct tape failed."

Tipsy Tuesday #2

With many colts reaching that age of teething here is a helpful tip by Cheyanne West of Igancio, Colorado that is published in the great Western Horseman Book, Helpful Hints for Horseman.

Foal Teething

Several years ago I found two solutions to the problems of mares losing manes and tail to teething foals. The first solution I’ve used for about 8 years, but by combining it with the second, newer idea, I’ve virtually eliminate the problem.

The first solution is to combine 1/2 –cup oil (corn or vegetable) with 2 tablespoons chili powder. Coat the mane and tail of the mare and other nearby horses liberally. When a foal starts chewing usually at 2 to 3 weeks of age, he finds this distasteful; I call this taste imprinting an addition to foal imprinting. Tabasco sauce works equally well, but I’ve found other types of hot sauces don’t last as long as Tabasco, hence his stable name of Mikie.

The next solution requires an old cotton lead rope, perhaps a broken one, about 12 inches long, and I wrap the rope with synthetic sheepskin material and attach a snap on either end. I attach the rope in the stall next to the creep feeder or the water bucket, or in the pasture or corral where the mares gather. I snap the rope to the fence horizontally, or use eye hooks on the wood inside the stall, about 3 feet from the ground. The foals chew and tug on the rope to satisfy their need to stimulate the gums. The sheepskin covering seems to work better than the plain cotton rope.

I’ve found this to be safe, provided the rope is placed high and is taut; that way, a foal can’t get a leg through the loop or a jaw caught in it. Initially, I let the rope hang, but the foals seem more interested when it’ attached horizontally. Usually the rope stays up for 6 to 8 months, and this technique seems to have no bad long-term effects.

Although a second application of sauce is sometimes needed on the mare’s manes and tails, the sauce combined with the rope chew-toy has been successful for me.

If you would like to read more tips from the Western Horseman Books they are available with a 10% discount for mentioning this blog, at Burns Saddlery’s store or at our website http://www.burnssaddlery.com/Itemdesc.asp?ic=HELPFULHINTS&eq=&Tp= . Just enter coupon code "blogbooks" during checkout.


Happy Horse Teething,

Danna