tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39405757979081897142024-03-18T21:11:00.174-07:00California CowgirlVaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.comBlogger460125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-43355556684061214052018-07-29T17:41:00.000-07:002018-07-29T17:41:22.339-07:00If it's California- it must be burning<br />
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July in California has always been hot, but this year it has been <b>exceptionally</b> hot. I mean, 'everyday it's going to be 100 degrees and hotter', type hot.<br />
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Like, ' When did I move to Iraq', type of hot.<br />
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There are fires every where; Redding, Inglewood, San Diego, Clear Lake, Walnut Creek, and Yosemite. So many families have lost everything.<br />
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<i><span style="color: red;"><b>So I'm beating my drum again. Be prepared.</b></span></i><br />
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Things to do to prepare and prevent ~<br />
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Clear brush and trees, living or dead away from your homes, barns or other important structures. I know it is a lot of work, and it can be expensive if you can't do it yourself, but what is your home and peace of mind worth to you? Last year just this simple thing alone saved many homes in Santa Rosa and Northern California.<br />
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Make a defensible space around your home and barn and important buildings. That means short grass or a watered lawn. Make graveled open areas instead of weeds. No woodpiles near the house or barn. Clean away the junk that builds up behind the house or shed. Keep good heavy hoses near open spaces. Make sure your roof is fireproof.<br />
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Prepare your animals to travel quickly. Keep cans of dog and cat food inside a crate that you can put your animals into as well. Keep accessible a flat of water that you can throw into the back of your car. <br />
Keep leashes and harnesses handy there as well.<br />
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If you have animals in a barn, have crates for chickens and goats and halters for horses. Make the time now to teach your horses to load in a trailer with little fuss. Take the time to have other people handle your animal occasionally. If a firefighter or first responder has to halter your animal, will your animal behave?<br />
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Keep a grease pencil in the tack room so you can write your name on your horse. Yes- ON- your horse. His neck or his side- add your phone number too.<br />
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Inside your barn, keep cobwebs to a minimum. Know your evacuation route and post it in a location where friends or boarders have access to see it. Have a plan of where you can take your animals in an emergency and add that to your evacuation plan post. Is there a friend or relative a few miles away, or another boarding stable at the opposite end of town that you can 'trade' shelter with? Have knowledge of where an evacuation center might be; usually Fairgrounds, large stables or Race tracks. <br />
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Keep your trailers accessible, clean and have the tires filled. Keep your truck full of fuel. Have extra halters inside the tack compartment, extra buckets and ropes too.<br />
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And most importantly- Know how long it is going to take you to load your animals up and leave your home. That includes hitching the trailer, and loading all the animals. Don't worry about your saddles and tack- that can all be replaced if the worst happens. The biggest mistake people make is not understanding that when the Fire Dept says to evacuate- they mean YOU. Not your animals. You. They will give you as much as 5 minutes sometimes. Yes. 5 minutes.<br />
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The best thing you can do is to remove you and your animals from danger as <i>soon as possible.</i><br />
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Two years ago I might have scoffed at having all this preparation, thinking it all a bit extreme and un necessary. But I have witnessed too many devastating fires in those last two years. I no longer believe that being this prepared is extreme, but is necessary for survival.<br />
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My heart goes out for those affected by these fires and I am praying that everyone can all return to their homes whole and in good time.<br />
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<br />Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-45307390102449989302017-12-30T12:55:00.001-08:002017-12-30T12:55:48.101-08:00Old Horses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2018 is finally here!<br />
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I always seem to do better on even numbered years. I'm hopeful this year will be great for all of my horse loving friends out there as well. The Economy seems to be doing well, the stock market is going up, people are going to be able to purchase homes or maybe even some acreage. The hit to the horse purchasing market may relax a little bit too, hopefully making the number of first time owners rise.<br />
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This post is for those first time owners that perhaps have gotten an older horse to begin with. It could also be for owners whose first time- soul, heart, forever horses are now going into their teens ( or older). As usual I am choosing this subject because it is one close to my own heart. This time it is because I have an owner in my barn that is pretty clueless.<br />
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A pretty little mare came into the barn about three months ago,the owner says she is about 30. She ( the owner who I will call Emma- cuz Emma was also Clueless) thought the horse was 'a little on the thin side.' She was thinking she would have to put her down soon.<br />
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The horse was a walking skeleton. She had been turned out with 50 other horses in very steep pastures. Of course she was the bottom of the pecking order when the hay was thrown in at the gate once a day ( if that). Emma finally decided to bring the horses in for the winter. We asked that she bring in a vet to check the horse. She kept putting it off. We noticed that the horse was quidding. Then the poor mare had a choke episode. The owner didn't think it was all that bad- but after much insisting, Emma had the Vet out. Guess what? Horse had very few teeth left. Now that mare is fed a good 8 lbs of soaked pellets, beet pulp and Senior twice a day. She has regained her weight and her strength. She may live another 3-5 years if she stays with us.<br />
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To my way of thinking, putting an older horse out in steep, eaten down pastures and only feeding them once a day is akin to putting your mother in a very bad nursing home. Of course if you have a nice rolling, pasture, with a few other horses- that would be the perfect scenario. Unfortunately here in my little corner of the world, flat acres are almost impossible to find or afford.<br />
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There are a few basics to caring for the older, senior horse. I myself am now a 'senior' and I can relate to some of these issues myself! As long as your horse is healthy there is no reason not to ride them.<br />
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According to <b>The Horse</b> 20% of horses in the USA as over 20 years old. I can remember when a horse that had reached the ripe old age of 17 was considered old. Equines these days have the luxury of better health care, dental care and nutrition that come pre formulated. Of course most aren't being ridden hard either- another reason for longevity.<br />
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Here are my tips on keeping your Senior horse in good shape. And yes, I know age is not a disease!<br />
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1. First and foremost feed good quality, leafy forage if your horse can still chew hay. Quidding is when your horse eats the forage, but spits out large masses of un-chewed feed. Most often that is caused by a dental problem such as missing or loose teeth. Look for senior feeds to give your horse instead. It may take a bit more time to soak his mash, but the results are miraculous. Even older horses with perfect teeth will benefit from the Senior feeds that can provide vitamins and minerals that an older body just does not produce any longer. Just be sure you are feeding the correct amounts( check the bag- it's usually spelled out there pretty well). As a<i> general rule</i> horses should eat about 2% of their weight twice a day. (Or about 12-15 lbs of forage split into two or three feedings). Again, it depends on how hard your horse is worked, if he is a pasture pet, or just walked... use your heads people!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXSLnc_ui_DdP1uIxXIesCM6gs4kkPDfpyxuR38MNCF8xb7pHIJpB8XwEPFxAtPeBVuRxeTLKVGgMGdhyphenhyphenXAqcwjT9C9pdwOgEyaLKPXEnD0F-zPND7qwS0ZX-rj_F5_E5XTHx3AJ77qua/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="129" data-original-width="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXSLnc_ui_DdP1uIxXIesCM6gs4kkPDfpyxuR38MNCF8xb7pHIJpB8XwEPFxAtPeBVuRxeTLKVGgMGdhyphenhyphenXAqcwjT9C9pdwOgEyaLKPXEnD0F-zPND7qwS0ZX-rj_F5_E5XTHx3AJ77qua/s1600/download.jpg" /></a></div>
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2. Have your horses teeth checked yearly for such problems. Even if you aren't riding your horse, their teeth still will grow and be ground down by the chewing actions. Hooks, points, waves, missing and loose teeth can all be addressed by a -<i> and I can't stress this enough</i>- a REPUTABLE EQUINE DENTIST OR VET. I have seen what some un- qualified dental ' tooth fairies" have done to older horses. (((SHUDDER)))! This is one area where you do NOT want to cheap out. Work an extra job- deliver newspapers, sell your firearms or shoes- but get those teeth done if you want your horse to have a long happy life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRYfSmAXfuKnytXAm6Y5xHpvz3F5Ox-tTOxwvJiNGyPUfJL_LOOcb8gI_DahJx1qfm_Q5B291wfe861ieMrx5IoL5Km6_MFa6S-2tTfyy0yO_EKUCrCyyd0r2Hh2ZFP1iVbqzcPM6BfQi/s1600/download+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="124" data-original-width="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRYfSmAXfuKnytXAm6Y5xHpvz3F5Ox-tTOxwvJiNGyPUfJL_LOOcb8gI_DahJx1qfm_Q5B291wfe861ieMrx5IoL5Km6_MFa6S-2tTfyy0yO_EKUCrCyyd0r2Hh2ZFP1iVbqzcPM6BfQi/s1600/download+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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3. Don't over feed your horse ( WHAT? Is there such a thing?) An obese horse has a hard time with joint pain, arthritis, cushings and other diseases. Figure what your horses optimum weight should be for his breed and height and work toward that goal.<br />
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4. Here is where a lot of people might disagree with me- and that is your right, cuz this is 'Merica- Keep your older horse sheltered or blanketed. A horse keeps warm is a few ways- shivering ( not a dirty word) is one way. A young healthy horse will use a lot of energy shivering to keep warm- think how the reserves of an older horse will be compromised by the same action. Why make them go through that? If your horse has good weight, has a bit of shelter to keep the wind from getting under his coat, if he isn't in a freezing pasture, and you can bring him in or monitor his temps- then by all means - don't blanket. If he has any issues- blanket. I love a good cozy blanket when the weather gets nasty, don't you? Technology has made some incredible fabrics- waterproof, windproof and colorful. Give your horse that technology in his waning days. He's earned it.<br />
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5. On the other hand- do not put your old guy out in pasture with a thin cotton sheet, or a non waterproof windproof blanket. Having the damp or wet fabric against his skin stops his own natural ability to keep warm.<br />
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6. Maintain regular Vet checks. Your Vet will know what signs of old age might be becoming an issue for your oldster. And having your Vet do regular checks on your horse will ensure you will be able to do the right thing when it comes to the Final Goodbye. In other words, hopefully your horse will have lived out his life to its maximum capacity and you can rest easy knowing that you did everything you were capable of doing before your equine friend crossed that Rainbow Bridge. And really- isn't that what it is all about?<br />
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<br />Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-71191382893459801592017-07-08T10:33:00.001-07:002017-07-08T10:33:24.544-07:00Why People Should Be Raised In Barns I'm not the only one that relates my every day experiences to working with animals- horses specifically- but in my neck of the woods here in sunny California I'll bet I'm one of only a handful. And that is really too bad because horses can teach you a lot about people.<br />
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For instance:<br />
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I think that everyone should have to rate cattle on horseback for a month before being allowed to raise children or drive a car. <br />
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I think that every child from the age of 7 to adult should clean stalls and care for a horse on a daily basis; winter,summer,spring and fall.<br />
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I think that most people should have to ride with a trainer for a year, but not for the reason you may think.<br />
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I think everyone should have to repair a piece of leather. A piece of leather that your life may depend on.<br />
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I think that everyone should have to buy and sell a horse face to face with a customer.<br />
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I think that everyone should brush and groom a horse- barefooted on a cement floor.<br />
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If you see a theme developing here you are correct. The dreaded ' C ' word. <br />
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Consequence.<br />
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It is a word many people don't know. Perhaps they think it doesn't apply to them or their 'situation'.<br />
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I beg to differ and anyone who has worked with horses can tell you the same.<br />
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Even if you have never ridden a horse in your life, these lessons are Universal.<br />
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If you are driving a cow down the fence, and you get too close to her she is likely to do one of two things-stop and turn back into you going full tilt boogie and cause a wreck <i>or</i> switch direction and dive back, in which case you've lost her. If you get too far away from her, you will lose her and she will fling poop off the end of her tail as runs away. But if you rate her just right, you can circle her up, change her direction, change her attitude and bring her to a place you want her to be.<br />
Lesson: Don't be pushy and mind your own spaces.<br />
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Caring for an animal will bring the biggest gifts and the worse heartaches. Muddy days, hot days and beautiful flowery spring days.<br />
Lesson: To get to the spring,you have to wade through the mud.<br />
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"If at first you don't succeed, try doing it the way your trainer told you to in the first place." Words to live by my friends. A trainer has hours and hours on horseback, learning all about those consequences and hoping to save you from those same mistakes. That's what you pay them for. But a great trainer can read you just like they read the horse. Are you tense, happy, relaxed nervous? They won't accept those flimsy excuses and they don't want you to give any.<br />
Lesson: Saddle Up and Ride.<br />
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You. May. Die. <br />
Lesson: Friendships, jobs, politics or religion- it pays to repair the things that are broken and to repair them very well.<br />
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The World is a relatively small place. We all know someone that knows someone else. If you lie to one, you lie to all and we will know it. You may get away with it for awhile, but not forever.<br />
Lesson: Look someone square in the eye, tell the truth and let the buck stop with you.<br />
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Have you ever been between a rock and a hard place? Could you have avoided the situation?<br />
Lesson: Make better choices.<br />
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Life is a Circus, a Carousel, A Race Track, a Rodeo. People used to learn these lessons first hand because horses were their life blood, their tool, their survival. We are getting so far removed from those days, but the lessons remain the same. I don't think iPads and Androids, bytes and gigs, self driving cars or mega superstores are going to teach us these lessons.<br />
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I think it remains for the horse people to remind the rest. As long as there are a few of us left in the World we might just survive.<br />
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<br />Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-67019146767319109682017-05-30T15:43:00.000-07:002017-05-30T15:43:28.616-07:00 * * Well~ Ya Don't Say!***<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When I was growing up there were a whole lot of myths about horses that were passed down. Most were imparted by my Dad, but a few others were growled at me by the old cowboys that worked the ranch. Of course as a young impressionable cowgirl, I <i>never </i>thought about disproving these myths- until recently I saw a video and caught myself snorting in derision.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I got to wondering, if any of the things I was told by those old cowboys was in <i>any </i>way right!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Were they true or were they told as cautionary tales?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I decided to do a little research.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_R6_1PJx5_K7LJrhdUIr4qIVOv4mFbwl1WMM7CeGsTlw64ej3CCl_BnqyCrrEw2SNjkUaShVT-_68H1mExXGjQhWO6qKyPE52-JfeJX4CFGqs4jGJ6zuwoX36WoRqBHuVfXp9FxUn_af/s1600/download+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_R6_1PJx5_K7LJrhdUIr4qIVOv4mFbwl1WMM7CeGsTlw64ej3CCl_BnqyCrrEw2SNjkUaShVT-_68H1mExXGjQhWO6qKyPE52-JfeJX4CFGqs4jGJ6zuwoX36WoRqBHuVfXp9FxUn_af/s1600/download+%25285%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. "If you go barefooted around the barn, you are gonna get<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/hookworm/" target="_blank"> hookworms.</a>"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Answer~ Yes! Humans can in fact get <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/hookworm/" target="_blank">hookworm</a>! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Besides the obvious hazard of stepping on a sharp bit of brick a brack, or having your toes mashed by a stray hoof, humans can get hookworms from going barefoot in a stable yard. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXrXCbt3Qk8aTsSkL7iBA6_mwkuGFnR0wbo2668EazfLQVvfSFjG4f5o8BeAsVicsHWH4PaDQHwL3eTL1pfLP5D61RT47E38vy4HIV62wLRGtZjddpUIXbYJ-YzW0JEUD0dUylihjTw_B/s1600/download+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXrXCbt3Qk8aTsSkL7iBA6_mwkuGFnR0wbo2668EazfLQVvfSFjG4f5o8BeAsVicsHWH4PaDQHwL3eTL1pfLP5D61RT47E38vy4HIV62wLRGtZjddpUIXbYJ-YzW0JEUD0dUylihjTw_B/s1600/download+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. "Never teach your <a href="http://www.horseforum.com/horse-training/rearing-command-21896/" target="_blank">horse to rear,</a> he'll do it when you least want him to and you will get hurt."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Answer~ <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rearing_(horse)" target="_blank">Rearing</a> is a dangerous habit and a hard one to break. Unless you are training a War Horse ( like the Lipizzaner ) it is a really BAD idea. I HATE a rearing horse, mostly because I have had more than one rank horse rear and fall on me. An unbalanced horse on two legs- well that is just a bad thing. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cliEzv3YrhWkl37Ws-Mua0LEv1Wo7mLVER9LryNHYo1wUgctsmAaRZGdaVhd4syz208UOl6OPS9NXE5UR7MXk0p5ClWsPe1B4l1O68Ih7eZ4vyq66Ii_Sm0V-02eErbawZC44TxYtLoC/s1600/download+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="136" data-original-width="372" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cliEzv3YrhWkl37Ws-Mua0LEv1Wo7mLVER9LryNHYo1wUgctsmAaRZGdaVhd4syz208UOl6OPS9NXE5UR7MXk0p5ClWsPe1B4l1O68Ih7eZ4vyq66Ii_Sm0V-02eErbawZC44TxYtLoC/s320/download+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. " Always look at the <a href="http://horsemanship-journal.com/theory/whorlology/" target="_blank">whorls on a horses face</a> before you buy him. They can tell you what personality he will have."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Answer~ <a href="https://www.elsevier.com/connect/how-a-horse-trainer-got-to-publish-research-with-temple-grandin" target="_blank">Whorlology</a>- it's a thing! Check out the article I found and the research that some people, including Temple Grandin, have done on that very subject. And here I was thinking it was just a fairy story! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlqq8UBJi_rvOgk2dLe8JM0t9I0VSzX_h0wY2xXp-cUg_IcRPJfdURXrbODw2dg35C8NbAyRGDgGuh074YqoUn3YDctjFYPo61neDZObDaFgmQRK7HTPjQbZ55Wd_6DaC1Q7kmjoOYm0y/s1600/download+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlqq8UBJi_rvOgk2dLe8JM0t9I0VSzX_h0wY2xXp-cUg_IcRPJfdURXrbODw2dg35C8NbAyRGDgGuh074YqoUn3YDctjFYPo61neDZObDaFgmQRK7HTPjQbZ55Wd_6DaC1Q7kmjoOYm0y/s1600/download+%25283%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. "Never ride with<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="https://russellswesternwear.com/" target="_blank">tennis shoes</a></span>, you might get your foot caught in the stirrup and be dragged to death."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Answer~There are a lot of good reasons to ride in boots. <a href="https://russellswesternwear.com/" target="_blank">Boots</a> have a heel, heels keep your foot from sliding clear through the stirrups. On a few of the horse forums that I monitor the discussion turns to "Oh, just keep your foot in the proper position and you wont have any trouble with riding in sneakers," To that I say- " You have never ridden a spooky horse." I have seen professional riders lose control of their mounts, be unseated and flip out of the saddle before you can say " Tennis Shoe". The heels of their boots, along with their foot slipping free of the boot has saved a few riders from disaster. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Other reasons to wear boots around the stable:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A. Spurs fit better and don't slip. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">B.Toes are not as easily crushed in a sturdy boot. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">C. Urine isn't as easily soaked up when wading through the stalls. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">D. Toes fit into the stirrup more readily.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">E. Saddles leathers aren't as likely to pinch exposed ankles and calves. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif38OsDprnGiY_K-QtgHTx9L0OvImM_iPZ9U_-iIopNZA7WfD7wtEceuynj6djMGvX4ffAbxqhrzlhjAatCBZ4m1KJUzMB9oDqV_UfHrJrGbaPqQu7UYkAswssF_YcVij1Uk9zdAzplvBu/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif38OsDprnGiY_K-QtgHTx9L0OvImM_iPZ9U_-iIopNZA7WfD7wtEceuynj6djMGvX4ffAbxqhrzlhjAatCBZ4m1KJUzMB9oDqV_UfHrJrGbaPqQu7UYkAswssF_YcVij1Uk9zdAzplvBu/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">5. " <a href="http://horses.about.com/od/understandinghorses/tp/horsequotations.htm" target="_blank">One white foot, </a>buy him, two white feet, try him. Three white feet eye him , Four white feet, deny him."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Answer~Absolute poppycock. It was believed that white hooves were not as strong as black hooves. We know now that the make up of a hoof has nothing to do with color. I have had white horses with hard black hooves, and white footed horses with soft hooves. That's what farriers are for! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7ngVgC_gf14z2G6wKPHTXZurvwJGu69OGC-lmNDBj2uGbAVBJ9rG0EwO0XqvN83lltv3DiXyY3re5pV48nsPyifN7G6yf_2GmyxYDtVzKE91iDQkg-_6JjRWsQo1PfrC7hyphenhyphenznIxj2UeU/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7ngVgC_gf14z2G6wKPHTXZurvwJGu69OGC-lmNDBj2uGbAVBJ9rG0EwO0XqvN83lltv3DiXyY3re5pV48nsPyifN7G6yf_2GmyxYDtVzKE91iDQkg-_6JjRWsQo1PfrC7hyphenhyphenznIxj2UeU/s1600/download.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">6. Beware the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equine_coat_color" target="_blank">Chestnut</a> mare!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Answer~ Horses have two base coat colors, red and black. Having said that, the most common color is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equine_coat_color" target="_blank">Chestnut</a> which is in the red family. If you assume that of the red horses in the world, at least half are mares and prone to be 'marish' or cranky. It would be no surprise then that having a cranky red mare might be the norm. From any research I have done, there is no correlation between coat color and temperament. I do know though from experience that if you breed a cranky red mare, you may also get a red filly, who may have it's dams fiery temperament. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEs6uvdofZVjEA6zSbDAOq3jkTLMBppx498l8aTLduxUwC390Uj4nY8PgJmylGlfidKZ-rTHdBV-KQRkJXgHkyakUMO_r9zgjYBWi8wd-gI5SSgEb2WtjUpD6ezRN6x6sq4NnT1HB15NgQ/s1600/download+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEs6uvdofZVjEA6zSbDAOq3jkTLMBppx498l8aTLduxUwC390Uj4nY8PgJmylGlfidKZ-rTHdBV-KQRkJXgHkyakUMO_r9zgjYBWi8wd-gI5SSgEb2WtjUpD6ezRN6x6sq4NnT1HB15NgQ/s1600/download+%25284%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">7. A horse that can <a href="http://www.equusite.com/articles/health/healthRolling.shtml" target="_blank">roll</a> completely over is one worth keeping.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Answer~ Horses can roll for various reasons, and letting them do so is beneficial to their health. I've always thought that a horse that rolls completely over is flexible. Check out this <a href="http://www.equusite.com/articles/health/healthRolling.shtml" target="_blank">article</a> I found and decide for yourself. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm sure there are a lot of other horse related myths that I haven't heard, if you know any good ones please let me know! </span><br />
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Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-91668534815549179422017-05-14T22:52:00.002-07:002017-05-14T22:52:18.208-07:00So You Want to be a Horse Trainer.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So you want to be a horse trainer? It sounds like the best job in the world doesn't it! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A Horse T</span><span style="font-size: large;">rainer gets to ride all day for a living. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A Horse Trainer doesn't have to go to School to be a Horse Trainer. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A Horse Trainer hangs out in the Barn all day. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A Horse Trainer is loved and respected by every one. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A Horse Trainer has a wall full of Ribbons and Trophies. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A Horse Trainer gets to drive a Truck and pull a cool trailer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Well, I guess a lot to those things are true, but there is a lot more to consider. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I used to want to be a horse trainer, when I was young and felt that I could ride anything. I 'trained' a few horses too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And I thought, " I could do this for a living. I don't have to get up and go to a job...inside an office...and answer to a boss! "</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So I started hanging around a few 'real' horse trainers. I'd follow them around, just to absorb their secrets. That was in the old days when you didn't have to join a club or go to a clinic or visit a horse expo. You could make friends with a trainer and work for him, or her, for free of course, and maybe..<i>.just maybe,</i> learn a thing or two. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And soon enough this is what I learned. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can start small. Real small. Like "You are living in the front of a six horse slant load" small. "You have no heat, or bathroom or kitchen", small. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You don't need to get up early to go to a job, just roll out of your cot, shake the spiders out of your hair and pull on muck boots- at 5 AM or earlier- to feed the horses and clean the stalls so you can get to work before the sun comes up. This is rain or shine, heat or snow- even on weekends. Even if you are sick. <i>Even when you feel like death warmed over. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> After feeding, the horses need to be groomed. A full groom too- <i>all</i> the tools from hoof pick to vacuum. Tails washed, braided and sacked. Then saddle a few, put them on a hot walker, choose one to bridle and work and ride. Try not to get thrown. Try harder not to get frustrated. Try your hardest to communicate with that horse despite all odds against you. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ride, rinse, repeat until all the horses have been worked.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> Feed lunch. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Then the Trainer needs to think about the stable- big or small, the stalls needed bedding. The hay has to be delivered. The farrier, the vet and the massage therapist have to be scheduled. PG&E- make sure it is paid! Blankets need to go to the cleaner. Saddles need to be repaired. Start the evening feeding, make sure all the blankets are on, tuck all the horses into their stalls and go find a cold sandwich for dinner, because you were too busy to go to the grocery store today. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Someone calls about buying a horse, or selling a horse, or wants advice on buying a horse that the Trainer isn't selling. Little Jill wants lessons, Grandma wants to pay, they can only come on Saturdays after 7 PM. There are Futurities and Horse Shows to schedule for the talented horses, and sales to schedule for the older un-talented horses. The Arena needs watering, and why is that gate off the hinge? Abner threw a shoe, but the farrier was here just last week and won't return calls. Sally wants to know, "Can I wear a lavender hat in the Breed show next week?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If times are slow the Trainer gives 'outside' riding lessons in between riding client horses. Sometimes the kids cry. Sometimes the kid won't get off the horse after the lesson is done, more frequently the kid won't pay attention. Mom rushes in, wants to take her other kids to soccer practice, wants to drop Jr off, "just for a minute, I'll be right back!" Only to be gone hours. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Trainers also have to deal with the regular paying Clients. The people who own the horses and pay the bills. And this is where it gets tricky. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Horses are just horses. They walk and think and act like horses. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But Clients, well they have 'personalities'. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Some have un-realistic views on the horses they own.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Some want more lessons, some want less. Some are aggressive. Some are timid. Some can't afford the horse they own. Some don't care about anything except winning. Some are happy just to stay in the saddle. Some just want to say,' I own a horse '. Some are 'pot-stirrers' or gossips or Drama Queens. A Trainer has to deal with ALL of them, equally,frequently and kindly. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">No one trains a Trainer to do all of this- it is something you have to learn the hard way, by gathering, and sometimes losing,clients. It takes talent, and a love of horses. It takes the fortitude of a warrior along with the subtly of a psychologist. It takes humor with equal doses of humility. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Just because you call yourself a " Trainer " doesn't mean you are one. I can call myself Buster Posey all day long, it doesn't make me a Professional Ball Player. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A Professional Trainer has learned the ropes, has met the challenges and risen to the top. They have paid their dues and then some. If there is any respect to be had, they have certainly earned it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you want to be a Trainer, be forewarned that it is sometimes thankless and always difficult. You probably won't make it into the Big Leagues, very few do. Your reward will come from the smiles of your happy clients, and the bright shine of a healthy horses coat.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As a Client, </span><span style="font-size: large;">when you shell out your hard earned cash to a Professional Trainer, think about the scope and responsibility of their jobs and write that check gladly. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If it weren't</span><span style="font-size: large;"> for them, the Horse World would be a far lesser place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> In Memory of Dick Hardy</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> an Epic Trainer </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> Mentor</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> and Friend</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-60671983207418566392017-05-08T22:02:00.000-07:002017-05-08T22:02:09.444-07:00DocBeing a writer, albeit a poor one, I am quite often left disappointed in the books I read, but when I read one by a master story teller I will shout it to the rafters.<br />
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One such Author is Mary Doria Russell.<br />
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<br />
The Novel is <i><b>Doc</b>. </i><br />
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Like Cher, or Liza or any number of one named stars, the name Doc brings to mind the one and only Doc Holliday. But he is not the whore-monger, the drunk or the steely eyed rake that Hollywood has made him out to be.<br />
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He was a Southern Gentleman, raised with genteel manners and a debilitating disease that he learned to combat early in life.<br />
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He was generous and loyal to a fault, but he also could cut a man with nothing but clever words.<br />
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Mary Doria Russell uses language like a photographer uses light. Each sentence so full of life and vigor, expressing the nature of Doc Holliday like no other novel before. From the opening sentences,<br />
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<i> " He began to die when he was twenty-one, but tuberculosis is slow and sly and subtle. The disease took fifteen years to hollow out his lungs so completely they could no longer keep him alive. In all that time, he was allowed a single season of something like happiness."</i><br />
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...To the final poem, written by his companion Kate Haroney, the story is full of impossibly poignant insights, gut wrenching descriptions of Doc's disease and sly humor. Once I turned the last page, I turned again to the front and began the story all over again.<br />
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Mary Doria Russell wisely leaves out the Tombstone chapter of Doc's life, focusing instead on the life he had before that fateful day at the OK Corral. And yet every sentence is infused with the knowledge of that day, the reader knowing what Doc didn't yet know. She sprinkles heroic context into the body of the novel, using The Odyssey, Homer and Classic literature with such a light hand that one might not ever notice.<br />
The novel flows so effortlessly, it is almost as if you were there, in the room, knowing these characters like you would know your neighbors.<br />
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This novel is worthy of any Western lovers library. It is certainly going on my bedside table, where I will read it again and again and again.Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-28112253199788460512017-04-15T00:12:00.001-07:002017-04-15T00:12:47.310-07:00Spring is Here~ It must be Horse Selling Time!<br />
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Do you remember the days of real horse trading? Looking back on them, it seemed so simple. Buy a horse. Sell a horse. Trade a horse. You had to be sharp, knowledgeable and sometimes skeptical. You learned as you progressed. " Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." I made some good deals and some bad deals, but I didn't make the same mistakes twice.<br />
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I began selling horses about age 11. People didn't seem to care that I was making these deals with out benefit of adult supervision. My money was green and that was all that mattered. Once I wanted a pony and cart, so I bought the cart and talked my older sister into buying the pony. She paid a lot for her too- I think $50! Horses were cheap then. $100 for a older broke gelding, $300 for a younger one. <br />
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But buying and selling horses today is almost a completely different thing. Now we have Cell phones, personal computers, web pages, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so many equine sites that I can't even begin to name them instead of the local paper or a post card tacked up at the feed store.<br />
You have trainers of every sort with YouTube Videos and you can even post your own video faster than you could recite the Pledge of Allegiance.You have the power and knowledge of the planet in the palm of your hands! <br />
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So why, oh why,do we still see ads that are SO bad? Just some local examples~<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: lime; font-family: "bitstream vera serif" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Bay Overo Gelding. Rides Western, Pleasure and Some Trail. Loads, Ties, Baths and stands for Ferrier. Sound with no issues. Very Athletic, Excellent Barrel Prospect, Just needs a Job!"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "bitstream vera serif" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "bitstream vera serif" , "times new roman" , serif;"> "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #134f5c; font-family: "bitstream vera serif" , "times new roman" , serif;">3 little Horses for my daughter but they need more care and attention than we can give. Beautiful animals need loving home. Pictures did not come out good because of rain. Must see.... if you have any technical question about them I don't have answer because I m not a right person to ask but you are more than welcome to stop and see them and check your self"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Times New Roman", serif;">"</span><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Times New Roman", serif;">I have my 10 year old gilding for sale or trade. I broke him about 4-5 months ago. He's pretty gentle and easy to handle. But he is an Arab and a little green so he needs a rider who isn't afraid to show him who's boss. He's a great trail horse. Lifts all his feet. Had his teeth floated when I got him. He's also gun broke. You can shoot what ever you want off his back and he won't throw you off. I don't have any paper work on him hints why I'm only asking 500 or trade. I'm willing to trade for other horses,cows,guns, ranch quad, or really any man stuff.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Times New Roman", serif;"> "</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Times New Roman", serif;">"</span><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Times New Roman", serif;">Horse for sale he's bout 20 years old gelding quarter horse please call or text if interested"</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Times New Roman", serif;">I haven't included the pictures that headed up these ads, but I'll get to that too. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Times New Roman", serif;">These are the information tags that get me shaking my head:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Times New Roman", serif;"> " Barrel Prospect" </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Times New Roman", serif;">" Just needs a job"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Times New Roman", serif;">"I don't have time for him" </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Times New Roman", serif;">"Has no kick,buck,bite or rear in him"</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-5qK_mIoCpLwSGOKlo_qe4lfP6GI5_bdsddgY-MCHkzYww_BOIsmZqBfqvkL50zADTrHgEF4FpE02x20igljA_9FEr4uaxGZyw2EeP4maM5g9DfHOQPdEFkXyuWACfqIPC2_8VPNzjhc/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-5qK_mIoCpLwSGOKlo_qe4lfP6GI5_bdsddgY-MCHkzYww_BOIsmZqBfqvkL50zADTrHgEF4FpE02x20igljA_9FEr4uaxGZyw2EeP4maM5g9DfHOQPdEFkXyuWACfqIPC2_8VPNzjhc/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Bitstream Vera Serif, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> Selling a horse is hard enough! Horse ownership is dying luxury. To sell a horse,( or almost anything else,) you have to create desire. Make the reader of your ad just <i>drool</i> over your horse. Make your sale animal the best thing he's ever read about- and do it all without over exaggerating your horses skill level! </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgqUzSCwS6wzrjPyJQYZoDGsn-sNtXeBiZyCOgFRCXD-vbo5bwuPGzeyJxHGexXpc-rXf28mKfvrpS8cXFrllIOjlasLq2TarPEwK3tblXaDmam1esoVqYXq_7cc9587jFt1hvYeVMNCi/s1600/00k0k_iUQ9SJBHZkn_300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgqUzSCwS6wzrjPyJQYZoDGsn-sNtXeBiZyCOgFRCXD-vbo5bwuPGzeyJxHGexXpc-rXf28mKfvrpS8cXFrllIOjlasLq2TarPEwK3tblXaDmam1esoVqYXq_7cc9587jFt1hvYeVMNCi/s1600/00k0k_iUQ9SJBHZkn_300x300.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What information could you get from a picture like this?<br />Not much! </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Bitstream Vera Serif, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Begin by writing your ad as if you were buying a horse yourself. What are you looking for and why does your horse qualify? You must have had a reason for buying him in the first place.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Bitstream Vera Serif, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Take a moment to read SOLD ads on big websites like<a href="https://www.dreamhorse.com/" target="_blank"> DreamHorse</a>. What made those horses appealing? </span></span><br />
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<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; width: 728px;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="titlebar" colspan="2" style="background-color: #6a7aa9; color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; height: 25px; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 1.5; padding: 5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">Amatuer friendly,willing, talented, APSL! (Gala)</td></tr>
<tr><td class="darkgray" colspan="2" style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;"><b>Bay Lusitano Gelding</b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Bitstream Vera Serif, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> Look at this SOLD ad. It announces up front that this is a horse that an Amatuer could ride, It's friendly, willing and talented. Then it says Bay Lusitano Gelding. The rest of the ad shows several well taken pictures , the age of the horse and a price. Contact information that is clear and concise. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Bitstream Vera Serif, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Use your best description, use positive words. Say what your horse is NOW- not what you think he may turn out to be,...as a last resort... if someone who knows horses can get him and train him. Not every horse is a "barrel prospect" and in fact just saying that means that you have never taught that horse the word Whoa.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Bitstream Vera Serif, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">EXAMPLE:<i><u> Wonderfully Marked Bay Overo Gelding. Fun to ride. Friendly in your pocket kind of horse. Can turn on some speed. Needs an intermediate rider. Price $XXXX Come take him for spin around the Ring, load him up and take him home! </u></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Bitstream Vera Serif, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Overusing phrases like " He needs a job", or " I don't have time for him" tells me that he is probably as wild as the East Wind and will need a lot of work. And FYI ...every horse will bite, kick rear and buck if frightened,threatened or hurt, so STOP putting those things in your ads. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rHT5-wI5hwnFcz-SyheilPus21mYBsyw6EKmZUPV0lhQzC1TMq-1Di7NRMyL-fUSjm794hB_v1RGZ74xMaYNknLIvdeyLafzpo0MjsbCHEMTUw4yg8O-ObhcY7WlDG0rF5Uk_0mCjCR9/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rHT5-wI5hwnFcz-SyheilPus21mYBsyw6EKmZUPV0lhQzC1TMq-1Di7NRMyL-fUSjm794hB_v1RGZ74xMaYNknLIvdeyLafzpo0MjsbCHEMTUw4yg8O-ObhcY7WlDG0rF5Uk_0mCjCR9/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Bitstream Vera Serif, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Please take the time to actually put a halter on your horse when you take his picture. Call your spouse, kid,neighbors or friends to come hold him while you take his picture. And here is a novel idea; how about a curry comb? They are cheap enough to own- use one with some vigor before the picture is snapped. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNUVvJg6LiX-CKeOKCbtN-KCkdU2hUbSgX11PI4Or5098hwNg_OoZpX1bvNqtJOSsYzsq9JqoAPhpn59oeu6ez_P_W1eMwmWt2MTS4obzNHRr7MyWJiZZUEXh1tA4ise4-KYto6r-P_XG/s1600/images+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNUVvJg6LiX-CKeOKCbtN-KCkdU2hUbSgX11PI4Or5098hwNg_OoZpX1bvNqtJOSsYzsq9JqoAPhpn59oeu6ez_P_W1eMwmWt2MTS4obzNHRr7MyWJiZZUEXh1tA4ise4-KYto6r-P_XG/s1600/images+%25283%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Bitstream Vera Serif, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Butt pictures of your pony? STOP! No one cares! In the early 50's it was fashionable to take those butt snaps of heavily muscled quarter horse stallions. What interested buyers want to see <b>now</b> is conformation. Take those pictures in a flat pasture, driveway or even the street, but take them! </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Bitstream Vera Serif, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I do not want to see your helmet-less two year old riding, leading, kissing or brushing the horse. I don't want to see<i> any </i>person in the picture unless they are riding the horse in the way you are intending him to be sold. If you are jumping the horse, have proper footgear and headgear.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRCz_dn-GSeglrZa3moJw3-YSel-S-sQHJVtLxSRMNSK3LLcsgA-HGVyKNrSKlfb_0IytJdTHY0AKDS8WL8ASp7-Z2JBcp8QjCPoMKlgCc_R8_qKC-WUyIN_GdGPMbnSUlUP1znLARxjA/s1600/IMG_1973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRCz_dn-GSeglrZa3moJw3-YSel-S-sQHJVtLxSRMNSK3LLcsgA-HGVyKNrSKlfb_0IytJdTHY0AKDS8WL8ASp7-Z2JBcp8QjCPoMKlgCc_R8_qKC-WUyIN_GdGPMbnSUlUP1znLARxjA/s320/IMG_1973.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same horse as below, although the picture dose not show his conformation, you can see that he is quiet enough to take to a local show. Rider is focused on the ride and the horse, so is not distracting in the picture. Add this picture to the next one and you've got your self a great ad started. </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Bitstream Vera Serif, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> If you are reining, show me a picture of him loping. Pleasure horses; how about a nice framed jog picture? </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Bitstream Vera Serif, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And even a simple picture will do the trick. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHQRl-MbklTD191ccQjz3NC8f1QRLGM75UOpoGn6PZ5U_NhG0cMb-cjdW0vAstDknKYHJ7pOguDlCSCSUvUi6wQbn_wDKiU12n19973qoMXyEzHaz2y_myZzITjAU4zh3HraQbuOhD3nj/s1600/SkipinOut+West1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHQRl-MbklTD191ccQjz3NC8f1QRLGM75UOpoGn6PZ5U_NhG0cMb-cjdW0vAstDknKYHJ7pOguDlCSCSUvUi6wQbn_wDKiU12n19973qoMXyEzHaz2y_myZzITjAU4zh3HraQbuOhD3nj/s320/SkipinOut+West1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Set your horse up as squarely as possible. Have him clean as a whistle! Mane and tail brushed, feet trimmed. A simple background helps focus on the horse.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGkpPd8li4zt80eAffuypz3IRN-HRnaWy1EAHxc708FmOLNIdowtU7g56crSHRpZKfn4UvPfxvhl-CsLCp7F_4zbt_4Y-LZG6Yloz3tSf1RMfcQ_fAqI0z5qRF-LC2ZZxizo2QVNByiRV/s1600/2014+trailride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGkpPd8li4zt80eAffuypz3IRN-HRnaWy1EAHxc708FmOLNIdowtU7g56crSHRpZKfn4UvPfxvhl-CsLCp7F_4zbt_4Y-LZG6Yloz3tSf1RMfcQ_fAqI0z5qRF-LC2ZZxizo2QVNByiRV/s320/2014+trailride.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same horse, on a trail ride. Can't see his pretty head because he has too much tack on. Legs are not visible because of leg protection. Bad angle doesn't show his conformation, and he looks light in the hind end. Plus no one wants to see an old lady riding him- they want to envision themselves riding him. </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Bitstream Vera Serif, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Use the Video function of your cell phone to take<b> controlled </b>video of your horse.CONTROL being the word I stress here. I sure don't want to see him tearing around your corral, a debris strewn pasture or muddy paddock. Not everyone has a beautiful indoor arena, but almost everyone has a flat, safe space to lunge their horse. </span></span><br />
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And my most hated type of picture in a horse ad... people standing on their horses. Really. Just Don't!<br />
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If you are going to try to sell your horses yourself this year, I hope these guidelines will resonate with you. It takes a lot more effort to sell your animal, but the rewards will be greater. Not just monetarily, but for the new Owner as well. You know that your new buyer will see this horse as valuable, loved and that someone will hold him responsible for treating the horse as you did- with respect.<br />
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Happy Horse Trading!Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-78747101843500112882017-04-06T16:47:00.000-07:002017-04-06T16:47:46.094-07:00Bloody HellNot that long ago, not so very far away, I was a bright eyed teenager going out on my own into the world. I went to an Interview for a local retailer and was ushered into the cubicle of a low level manager and his dumpling of a secretary. I wore a short skirt, because that is what I owned in 1974. I sat down, adjusted my skirt, and came to attention. The manager greeted me as Miss and asked me a series of questions, most of which I do not remember. But there was one question I DO remember- quite clearly in fact. He asked me if I would have any trouble directing servants.<br />
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Yep. Servants.<br />
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I was taken aback, because in my family I WAS the servant.<br />
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Now before I tell you the rest of the story and my reason for blogging today, let me just take you in the Way-Back Machine ( And if you know what that is, you can skip this section if you like!)<br />
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In the days of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_television" target="_blank">Black and White Television</a>, there was a little show called " <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_(TV_series)" target="_blank">Hazel</a>", She was the maid of a middle-class white family. She was sassy, and bossy and got into some hi-jinks or other every week. She kept her family safe and happy while doing her job with a smile. I take the time to add, Hazel was a middle aged white woman.<br />
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Then there was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brady_Bunch" target="_blank">The Brady Bunch </a>and their lovable maid named Alice. She ran the kitchen, deferring to Mr. Brady's wise and sage advice all while keep the brood of six children well fed and rounded -up. Mrs Brady did nothing but sit on the couch and look pretty. <br />
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Since there were seven of us children in our house, I used to ask my mother," Why don't we have a maid?" Her standard answer; "You all are the Maids."<br />
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So When Mr Manager asked me if I could direct servants, I didn't hesitate, I said "of course."<br />
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Then he asked me if I was planning to get married and have children.<br />
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After escaping the above-mentioned family with 6 children and all my families chores, of course I said, "No.".<br />
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I learned much later that those kinds of questions were really inappropriate. The reason they asked was to determine how much training they were going to give me in my job. If I was only there to look for a husband, they were only going to give me basic work. If I wanted a career, ( AKA No Children) then the Company would invest in more training and a higher salary for me.<br />
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A few years later, I applied for another job. I again went to the interview in a short skirt. The Interviewer asked me why I wanted a job at UPS. I told him I liked trucks, and showed him my work hardened hands. He hired me on the spot. I don't know if it was my hands or the fact that I had a great pair of pins- it didn't matter. I got the job, and for the next 12 years I fought like a wildcat to keep it.<br />
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Why? Because men did not want to give a young girl a job in a man's industry- driving trucks.<br />
I was asked daily why I wanted to take away a MAN's job? I guess it didn't occur to them that I was supporting a young daughter by myself.<br />
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If I had ever called in sick because of a bad cramp, or said I couldn't lift the boxes, or couldn't haul the truck around, I would have lost my job. I did that job- rain or shine. I did it while sick. I did it while pregnant and I even lost two babies while doing it.<br />
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Feminism~ bah! When the men on the line are watching you, waiting for you to fail, waiting for you to cry Uncle, waiting for you to break down, you learn to just bear down and work. Because of me and a few hardy women like me, we made it possible for other women to have those higher paying but difficult jobs. Our mantra: Anything you can do,I can do too. And we did. And we looked good doing it. <br />
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Like Tom Hanks said in a League Of Their Own, " There is no crying in baseball.."<br />
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So when I heard on the news the other day that Italy has implemented a <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/03/29/italy-could-soon-offer-menstrual-leave.html" target="_blank">Menstrual Day Off Policy</a> I just about croaked. I feel like the rug was pulled out from under our feet and that all the sacrifices that my women friends and I made are for nothing.<br />
For so many years we worked like men. Demanded the same pay, the same days off, the same benefits as our men counter parts, only to now have some bull shit legislator undermine it by giving us Menstrual Days off.<br />
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As if having a Period was a sickness, or worse, a weakness.<br />
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I am ashamed of our young women, to use our femininity like this.<br />
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What next? <br />
Ordering servants around?<br />
<br />Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-43541995298605917632016-11-18T15:48:00.002-08:002016-11-18T15:48:58.313-08:00BOOTS!<b> </b><br />
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I am a boot kind of gal! I've had a pair of boots on my pins since I was old enough to wear boots, and like the Cowboys of old, " I'll die with my boots on!"<br />
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I received a new pair today and I had to tell you all about them!<br />
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Aren't they pretty! </div>
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These are from <a href="https://www.nocona.com/" target="_blank">Nocona</a>, and are the new line called LET'S RODEO. These have a very fancy name of Testa Pria. </div>
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Of course I had to put them on right away. </div>
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YUMMY!</div>
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Soft and comfortable!</div>
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They will be my Show Boots for 2017. I can hardly wait! The sole is rubber, but has a great deal of flex. I like that because it will keep my foot in the stirrup, but not so much that I'd get hung up if I had a blow-out. They feel like I could wear them all day and on into the night ( dancing, of course!) </div>
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Really nicely made boots, for sure. </div>
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I received these from <a href="https://russellswesternwear.com/" target="_blank">Russel's Western Wear,</a> so if you want to find yourself a pair, I'd hit that link and head on over. I am sure you will love yours just as much as I love these! </div>
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Thank you Jason and Russell's Western Wear. </div>
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<br />Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-55194469083763081942016-04-08T19:45:00.000-07:002016-04-08T19:45:47.802-07:00 *** Curry Some Favor ***<div style="text-align: center;">
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<i>" The sunshine's golden gleam is thrown</i></div>
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<i>On sorrel,chestnut, bay and roan;</i></div>
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<i>The horses prance and paw and neigh,</i></div>
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<i>Fillies and colts like kittens play,</i></div>
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<i>And dance and toss their rippled manes</i></div>
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<i>Shining and soft as silken skeins. "</i></div>
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<i>- Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., " How The Old Horse Won The Bet"</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> One of life's greatest joys is the act of grooming a horse. I don't care who you are, or who you<i> think </i>you are, the simple and honest act of currying a horse will soothe your very soul. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4u-2vv2b6c25NjWFJpvrXd8bpzemy5vnHPeBEa99s2_UB_RLimBLNu1SOh7aQB56UBCNvkxud1v5fMtSYyA0SXTg5xgdMc_dkSHjaCJ1obxyQdwn-Xf9cDP8iy4wjQM1DiBjHaAAZyqw1/s1600/download+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4u-2vv2b6c25NjWFJpvrXd8bpzemy5vnHPeBEa99s2_UB_RLimBLNu1SOh7aQB56UBCNvkxud1v5fMtSYyA0SXTg5xgdMc_dkSHjaCJ1obxyQdwn-Xf9cDP8iy4wjQM1DiBjHaAAZyqw1/s1600/download+%25288%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Every little girl alive wants to curry a pony. Hasbro cashed in on that in a big way with My Pretty Ponies. Why didn't I think of THAT! My two girls had all of the My Pretty Pony dolls, even though they had REAL ponies to brush! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The expression " Curry Favor " sounds like it would directly link to the act of grooming your horse. And though this post is actually about grooming your horse, I thought you might be interested in the origins of the phrase. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS23QksawUKgPbSwKy30g6_QGzEMU9zr6R_o-xmU2XglT0O9wVMu_ox__cZYKeK8hkG0aFzuJg3Yepbk44Ib3QhC52KsZGbUPs1lklk6i9ncD99dSIJyNPR7q7ITzjkNU71FxYGtIDOyUc/s1600/fleur_de_lis_black_silhouette.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS23QksawUKgPbSwKy30g6_QGzEMU9zr6R_o-xmU2XglT0O9wVMu_ox__cZYKeK8hkG0aFzuJg3Yepbk44Ib3QhC52KsZGbUPs1lklk6i9ncD99dSIJyNPR7q7ITzjkNU71FxYGtIDOyUc/s320/fleur_de_lis_black_silhouette.png" width="270" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>~If not~ skip ahead~ </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The word ~CURRY ~ is a derivative of the French word "Conraier" which means " put into order ". To curry a horse, means to put his coat in order.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Seems to be keeping with the theme...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The last part~ FAVOR~ comes from a different French word and a 1310 poem by a French Royal Clerk named Gervais du Bus.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>'Roman de Fauvel' or 'Romance of Fauvel' was a morality play about a vain and greedy Stallion named Fauvel who corrupts Government and Church Officials. The word FAUVEL in English means 'veiled lie' or it could mean a Chestnut horse. So it was a play on words as well! </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>In the poem the rich and powerful people humble themselves by bowing down and stroking Fauvel~</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>thus</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Currying Fauvel. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Over the years the word has been changed to Favor.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Voila! </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>END OF HISTORY LESSON</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>You may begin to read about grooming once more. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i>Currying your horse is a very important part of horse management. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Obviously brushing the dirt and grime from your horses coat before you slap on a saddle is important. A horse with a 'burr under the saddle' isn't going to be a happy camper. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sweat and dirt combined can cause galling at the cinch. Dirt and rain along with nasty bacteria can cause rainrot.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYqJHTTqVJyOALGyyFjxuMIYSO4V9dleYfcLiMWJhz2EJhnedo9VQeujtviT6T7osYWrnBjCAgrxn-IxZZIRbyvozpL2AQNGw2tTjCSeAN6FLXIsY37mJCMXVjWy3uLa4AAOaiDjZw06B/s1600/images+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYqJHTTqVJyOALGyyFjxuMIYSO4V9dleYfcLiMWJhz2EJhnedo9VQeujtviT6T7osYWrnBjCAgrxn-IxZZIRbyvozpL2AQNGw2tTjCSeAN6FLXIsY37mJCMXVjWy3uLa4AAOaiDjZw06B/s1600/images+%25288%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> A rock in a tender frog will spoil a ride in a hurry, and don't get me started on scratches,mud fever or mud balls on fetlocks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The act of going over every inch of your equine partner may seems tedious, but it helps you to memorize your horse. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Is that swelling new? </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Was that cut there yesterday? </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Is that pigeon fever or a tick bite?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i> Is his coat normally this greasy? </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Why does THIS smell so bad?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As I groom, I constantly add to my data base of knowledge; not only about this horse, but horses in general. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgafNmo1XIthBIz6BcmS6FwldVW4UCDvnWmkZUqa09eCrv6canNjQt96zgGycIqXUpVcLj-IbfIe-ST3tAZLWJa3Wc3-4CUV7Ki4AfTuKzEX0iP-9hlQrPeIg0Rnl-k6PAryBhxMeEMONn/s1600/download.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgafNmo1XIthBIz6BcmS6FwldVW4UCDvnWmkZUqa09eCrv6canNjQt96zgGycIqXUpVcLj-IbfIe-ST3tAZLWJa3Wc3-4CUV7Ki4AfTuKzEX0iP-9hlQrPeIg0Rnl-k6PAryBhxMeEMONn/s1600/download.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Currying and grooming also have a long lasting effect on the partnership everyone wants to develop with their horse. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Think about how good it feels when you let someone else brush your hair or rub your neck and back. Don't you just feel like telling <i>ALL</i> your secrets to your hairdresser? The act of grooming is universally an act of trust and, ultimately, understanding. We are connecting in a way that is caring. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I like a few certain tools when I groom, even though there is a plethora ( <i>Do I get extra points for using the word plethora in a sentence?</i>) of tools to choose from. </span></div>
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BTW~ I am getting no outside contributions for recommending these few items~ I just like em!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9ONijP0emICZtpZXcBBEfXM9huFmMQWds9DoQU4YBOck4xwxNVKsbUoX4Iqaati6_5jiKN_zd88oVcfshxhZ96KfigMR04hO_HyJZ7_3DkakE1l9naYGNemxou6h7bPUxsKkT5Mpj59l/s1600/download+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9ONijP0emICZtpZXcBBEfXM9huFmMQWds9DoQU4YBOck4xwxNVKsbUoX4Iqaati6_5jiKN_zd88oVcfshxhZ96KfigMR04hO_HyJZ7_3DkakE1l9naYGNemxou6h7bPUxsKkT5Mpj59l/s1600/download+%25283%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My go-to groomer is the <a href="http://www.sstack.com/Horse-Care_Grooming-Supplies_Grooming-Mitts/Schneiders-Jelly-Scrubber" target="_blank">'Jelly Scrubber</a>'. It is a soft pliable piece of rubber with soft knobs on one side and bigger knobs on the other. It whisks the dead hair and grit from the horses coat, and with a simple flex of my fingers, the mat of hair falls to the ground to be swept up at a later time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">They wrap around your hand and can reach those delicate places such as under the elbows, under the belly near the ticklish sheath area, between the back cheeks, and around the back of the pasterns. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqTvcxTOxbqCTE5KZ5SN1d_a2oqSL5hOJeCHA5aqrgU7Rywdr33Sr3-WCBCHhrBsthQYYsTEBP_-CyVduTmw9GxkQFCh-ezV-fonLiY4Bb1Vh8rmWB2zETp06UBp3m5IfVOgzDpxnvBCU/s1600/download+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqTvcxTOxbqCTE5KZ5SN1d_a2oqSL5hOJeCHA5aqrgU7Rywdr33Sr3-WCBCHhrBsthQYYsTEBP_-CyVduTmw9GxkQFCh-ezV-fonLiY4Bb1Vh8rmWB2zETp06UBp3m5IfVOgzDpxnvBCU/s1600/download+%25284%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I also like the <a href="https://www.horseloverz.com/horse-health-care/horse-grooming-supplies/curry-combs-brushes/tough-1-stiff-rubber-curry?gdftrk=gdfV27555_a_7c1161_a_7c2883_a_7c5_d_674778&ev_pid=200-155951&ev_ppid=121309156570&ev_adtype=pla&ev_cmpg=Shopping&gclid=Cj0KEQjwrZ24BRC098fr-OqnuMkBEiQAKQ9lgFBZZWH-sDYURNREuCp2HRozqmU32CzBJ8ZwgrSPl7waAjIl8P8HAQ" target="_blank">hard black rubber curry</a>. They are usually as ugly as hell and everyone seems to have several in their tack boxes. They come in two sizes. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJ9cRood8jr4K5q6ONSHnU66PkY5rGYAfoSOzNQWUpJUGYYTf61fj7JY8BYp6cbcSgU3yg_4Z_0iNj3RWeSyQOt7QG7dk2zxCnrNzwriJ8Ncp9nAa50DwhbIXDXoV7LVoKwQjrJe_PBC1/s1600/images+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJ9cRood8jr4K5q6ONSHnU66PkY5rGYAfoSOzNQWUpJUGYYTf61fj7JY8BYp6cbcSgU3yg_4Z_0iNj3RWeSyQOt7QG7dk2zxCnrNzwriJ8Ncp9nAa50DwhbIXDXoV7LVoKwQjrJe_PBC1/s1600/images+%25286%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have found these <a href="http://www.chicksaddlery.com/page/CDS/PROD/RP1839" target="_blank">colorful </a>ones and can't wait to buy a few! I like these to loosen dried-on sweat marks, or remove crusty stall-yuck that my precious darling likes to roll in. I find them great for pulling the old dead hair off in the spring too. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4SZBJzINzdGpYyvKj0ac9rQknL0PV6X4o8eFJmAQ5rYWLi9LMug1QdUy0P_RTbqLNx7OglAgREzEQOueOS458s9xmKYt530H3ZFn7CNnyJxacV56ZAEqVHuZIUBuUVlw5xKXq8tKGh4Z/s1600/11532_S_vvs_000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4SZBJzINzdGpYyvKj0ac9rQknL0PV6X4o8eFJmAQ5rYWLi9LMug1QdUy0P_RTbqLNx7OglAgREzEQOueOS458s9xmKYt530H3ZFn7CNnyJxacV56ZAEqVHuZIUBuUVlw5xKXq8tKGh4Z/s1600/11532_S_vvs_000.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of which- these <a href="https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=2e87c4b2-7b6a-11d5-a192-00b0d0204ae5" target="_blank">blocks </a>are the best at removing shedding hair! I will go through one a day! Good thing they are cheap. I seldom use them any other time though, just because they are a little rough on the show coat of my horse. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKbUvTnjMPm5pdSjjm50-G84RxS4RrQJP66RO5kgYCd3BOkYF7-K3_A3UJi8c0KnmFAmjljYV30bSnf0P-aOk3fyweTtWZEG61aFqDKnnWbYP_2bMk3me-Ase6NIEKVCk3AD3CRHYFwFf/s1600/20110114003239_12279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKbUvTnjMPm5pdSjjm50-G84RxS4RrQJP66RO5kgYCd3BOkYF7-K3_A3UJi8c0KnmFAmjljYV30bSnf0P-aOk3fyweTtWZEG61aFqDKnnWbYP_2bMk3me-Ase6NIEKVCk3AD3CRHYFwFf/s320/20110114003239_12279.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I do NOT use this kind of curry comb- EVER. Too rough!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEHn6uS0yCXh_lanNrho0fsA8D1QnuMZoRUdvIRwaNJANvijw0nzTZZ4Dd93GDocItHQZoEu96AnWL6Ehv5Q-5SGEA6jxIiZfDGMu03NyUIdBdkgALrR5wMXF9Q1mkpWRI6IrZ3SiAI05/s1600/images+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEHn6uS0yCXh_lanNrho0fsA8D1QnuMZoRUdvIRwaNJANvijw0nzTZZ4Dd93GDocItHQZoEu96AnWL6Ehv5Q-5SGEA6jxIiZfDGMu03NyUIdBdkgALrR5wMXF9Q1mkpWRI6IrZ3SiAI05/s320/images+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I stay away from the shed-blade for the same reason. A lot of people use them- but for ME and PRECIOUS it is a non starter. The sharp steel on the coat of a show pony is ((shudder)) harsh.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcV_A5YuOHbKy3D9K138RD3ivICgB1wc2qKNQymZiptin_z0kUaSaJIG_GMUm7WWFpdgJMZ_tIQIEyCc3x7PY2aOFIFfRZZu9IAgA4GqiDbkJWxathkiimYUihU0xZ6CHowyk38-SYZ2N/s1600/download+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcV_A5YuOHbKy3D9K138RD3ivICgB1wc2qKNQymZiptin_z0kUaSaJIG_GMUm7WWFpdgJMZ_tIQIEyCc3x7PY2aOFIFfRZZu9IAgA4GqiDbkJWxathkiimYUihU0xZ6CHowyk38-SYZ2N/s1600/download+%25287%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of course a sturdy well made hoof pick is a must have item. Keep your fold away, fancy horse headed picks or picks made of anything except IRON. My farrier made mine and I treasure it! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJA9v2OC0LAFqaD5RKcRd7WqnaFw1ykY-Tr2gbpblDl-F1BD_sV4IJaf1RLPGWXN2x3K8vZPSbDB43qCyD6zzlXse34dSIYkHSSwVzK1Tuu8NWbbr-PHMRG1fLaUcnYUq2z8vrfZC6AJaf/s1600/download+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJA9v2OC0LAFqaD5RKcRd7WqnaFw1ykY-Tr2gbpblDl-F1BD_sV4IJaf1RLPGWXN2x3K8vZPSbDB43qCyD6zzlXse34dSIYkHSSwVzK1Tuu8NWbbr-PHMRG1fLaUcnYUq2z8vrfZC6AJaf/s1600/download+%25286%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.doversaddlery.com/" target="_blank">Hard brushes</a>. Buy them. Use them. Love them.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgwzv2e93CEzxZas5mWiKXOmdmswGsZSJJrkCGH6Ae4bzGPbFgFwdaRUgc5vj2XIkLsDbdSYXM-425If1ulVNSnxbt3RFwb9RUH9TLLiUbZ0v25lu_30HozXXbO65U5iPsIK94PxkjWO0/s1600/images+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgwzv2e93CEzxZas5mWiKXOmdmswGsZSJJrkCGH6Ae4bzGPbFgFwdaRUgc5vj2XIkLsDbdSYXM-425If1ulVNSnxbt3RFwb9RUH9TLLiUbZ0v25lu_30HozXXbO65U5iPsIK94PxkjWO0/s1600/images+%25287%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.statelinetack.com/item/equi-essentials-body-brush/E007385/?srccode=GPSLT&gclid=Cj0KEQjwrZ24BRC098fr-OqnuMkBEiQAKQ9lgF9MoAKrOFbgZ7IFLb-4AhZnAcL-mtIMook_SAIAVnoaAgPF8P8HAQ&kwid=productads-adid^40184736948-device^c-plaid^96023600645-sku^314372-adType^PLA" target="_blank">Soft brushes</a>. Buy the best ones you can afford. The hair ones impart a very nice shine on the coat! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What are you waiting for?</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZQndfMVQq1osxycCbt8VWWx_KvwAoci1ee90vOW5zMaU5lqdyYj9sBUIBtDxJ7ougNnXqKPhuWJRMmnLLXAgPqwILpdRvfB9FiXGSInJ5v3vUaePlotZoVGDLdVtAk8ho36vh6v6TWjs/s1600/P1000858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZQndfMVQq1osxycCbt8VWWx_KvwAoci1ee90vOW5zMaU5lqdyYj9sBUIBtDxJ7ougNnXqKPhuWJRMmnLLXAgPqwILpdRvfB9FiXGSInJ5v3vUaePlotZoVGDLdVtAk8ho36vh6v6TWjs/s320/P1000858.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mommy in Spurs and Bar Hoppin Bob.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Go curry favor with your horse!</span></div>
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Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-3613566817733786082016-03-27T15:51:00.001-07:002016-03-27T15:51:54.602-07:00 Easter Parade<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59LXtssf91VPk6G_7rXhE85257h71HqRRpAaBjsf06C-ab5W1-R1dnootMERFcNpujW1-m_ZKlz-40rmaUsOird9irNkD2Z8CWdTYg63h_tUl2wIANtzZfmoprlCJystazgf2pisJv5B-/s1600/vintage-easter-hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59LXtssf91VPk6G_7rXhE85257h71HqRRpAaBjsf06C-ab5W1-R1dnootMERFcNpujW1-m_ZKlz-40rmaUsOird9irNkD2Z8CWdTYg63h_tUl2wIANtzZfmoprlCJystazgf2pisJv5B-/s320/vintage-easter-hat.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">" <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.12px;">In your Easter bonnet with all the frills upon it</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">You'll be the grandest fella in the Easter Parade</span></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.12px;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.12px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 16.12px;">I'll be all in clover and when they look us over</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 16.12px;">We'll be the proudest couple in the Easter Parade"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> Irving Berlin</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">When I was a little cowgirl my Grandparents lived in the very</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">small town of Port Chicago, California. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMcqv5uL1nD9oWyCj3yZLI5tb5UYG-xLGJ9O5k7nYkqF-jBnxtmIxHk4mb2jZ4GIFtQoncD-Qqmz3CdyBAgW08NMTn5EtUJNje5LXvdvZHzyuOud6v7M5oeWVHikNNlPsGurFgZgTdXFn/s1600/images+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMcqv5uL1nD9oWyCj3yZLI5tb5UYG-xLGJ9O5k7nYkqF-jBnxtmIxHk4mb2jZ4GIFtQoncD-Qqmz3CdyBAgW08NMTn5EtUJNje5LXvdvZHzyuOud6v7M5oeWVHikNNlPsGurFgZgTdXFn/s1600/images+%25283%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">Port Chicago was a typical small town, the kind they write </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">about in movies and stories.One wide main street, three</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> churches, a railroad and families. Lots of families. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">One of the biggest celebrations for our family was the annual</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> Easter Parade down the middle of Main Street. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">The town put on this parade way before I was born, but the </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">first one I remember was in 1961 when I was 5 years old. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">I rode on the float with the Congregational Church.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5jJxZmB5Q9i_qNnDl5_-TBAc-y2u7dYFUE4pc8gousBJ8st1sccv-9mgiwiI6N1HKgVFSRyayTtG70Utnohgt8Q9bvo3R12chwvzGo67InwgA2mfDbswLlS6HkDxk7muIO08qPj5-xrV/s1600/download+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5jJxZmB5Q9i_qNnDl5_-TBAc-y2u7dYFUE4pc8gousBJ8st1sccv-9mgiwiI6N1HKgVFSRyayTtG70Utnohgt8Q9bvo3R12chwvzGo67InwgA2mfDbswLlS6HkDxk7muIO08qPj5-xrV/s400/download+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">My Dad, though, he rode his big bay mare and carried the</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> American Flag with other members of the </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">Martinez Horsemen's Association.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> I can still remember how the four men looked, dressed in </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">crisp white shirts, with Kelly green ties carrying the </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">colors. The horses pranced all the way down the street. I </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">wanted to be with them, not on the boring float!</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BNVyifFu6LgYpQB_9NHyj5iheareKunuJUm_jcB6jlUeFb7OKlhgzvQIX8TUP0erwb1-aHt6v2jyiXSzu3-e2HPdKbMrh5aPDLfYWpEagZZqTC9VL2C-NpDpheyzh5iKXX06WT2MOSNh/s1600/14393159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BNVyifFu6LgYpQB_9NHyj5iheareKunuJUm_jcB6jlUeFb7OKlhgzvQIX8TUP0erwb1-aHt6v2jyiXSzu3-e2HPdKbMrh5aPDLfYWpEagZZqTC9VL2C-NpDpheyzh5iKXX06WT2MOSNh/s320/14393159.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">The next year I was allowed to ride my little </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">black Shetland pony. Mom made me a red and white </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">flowered western shirt with pearl snap buttons. I polished up </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">my <a href="https://russellswesternwear.com/" target="_blank">black cowboy boots </a>and cleaned my little old saddle to a </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">high shine. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">As the parade started, I sat on my pony at the top of the </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">street, looking toward the crowds waiting near the center of</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> town. I don't think I had ever been so excited in my whole </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">short life. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">The sirens on the police cars whined to life, the band picked</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> up a walking beat on the drum and the whole shebang </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">began to move slowly toward the judging stand that had </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">been </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">put up especially for this day, right in front of Leo </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">Reese's </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">store. Most of the crowd was there, waiting for the</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> Bands to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">play, the twirlers to twirl their batons and the </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">Church Chorus</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> to sing.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I concentrated hard on making my pony, Candy, </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="font-size: large;">walk sedately down the street. I knew my Dad and his friends</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> were behind me on their big horses.I could hear their flags </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="font-size: large;">snapping in the morning breeze. I caught a glimpse of </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="font-size: large;">myself in the large plate windows of the Market, a small </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="font-size: large;">blonde girl on a prancing black pony. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">I reached the edges of the crowd, and waved to my friends</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> standing along the curb in front of the Post Office. It felt </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">so good! I was so proud of my shiny pony and the red pom</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> pom balls my Mom had made bouncing from her bridle.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">I remember smiling. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">Candy tossed her head up and down and I thought it made</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> her look like Tony the Wonder Horse.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhXqo5LUFinZMBX-OJ7u7V3vnorllFSWV-dup4kbx3hLi4k0c_8bKCt0OG8P9gH8i1eb3COwh0OYUVfkScpbgDWJ2Bx2oze7fcjWNQ0D9qmU2Fn6AAwpjNKwiWXZWPX2fdPpCKt0Y90LH/s1600/tommix31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhXqo5LUFinZMBX-OJ7u7V3vnorllFSWV-dup4kbx3hLi4k0c_8bKCt0OG8P9gH8i1eb3COwh0OYUVfkScpbgDWJ2Bx2oze7fcjWNQ0D9qmU2Fn6AAwpjNKwiWXZWPX2fdPpCKt0Y90LH/s320/tommix31.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">When we reached the judges stand, the speaker crackled to </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">life. They were announcing my name, but I didn't hear it.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">Candy had never, ever heard a loudspeaker before. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFUF95-tlZ5pkpDIiA4PS8HRcG4pSaNwUOjjtiNxJgvxcp2sgcZ5A6jqyWm6L-sjZvTCU0CTd2GOptkEVLwfgEjf71R06tHBUYlZ6zcuLxwbjLn_eSTooQDtv7jiBht2c8bq5WgnQtIAE/s1600/pony_shetland_mare_rearing_by_nexu4-d8r6hck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFUF95-tlZ5pkpDIiA4PS8HRcG4pSaNwUOjjtiNxJgvxcp2sgcZ5A6jqyWm6L-sjZvTCU0CTd2GOptkEVLwfgEjf71R06tHBUYlZ6zcuLxwbjLn_eSTooQDtv7jiBht2c8bq5WgnQtIAE/s1600/pony_shetland_mare_rearing_by_nexu4-d8r6hck.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">She reared straight up and walked on her back legs. I heard </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">my Mom scream from the back of the crowd. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">I leaned forward and kept smiling. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">I waved harder- just like Roy Rogers. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfVY3mzdaYn2Q3t_GErNOJBgzh3DRiNSaTC1CGBR6xtwLna00MYpgWI18n4mWnw3sYDPDimp2aq82AsTm_naij7KnLZyVMs6Q3W8zsU8LlvTY26eE2bmVfFr_xzxaoEOz9xWGnn_9VHev/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfVY3mzdaYn2Q3t_GErNOJBgzh3DRiNSaTC1CGBR6xtwLna00MYpgWI18n4mWnw3sYDPDimp2aq82AsTm_naij7KnLZyVMs6Q3W8zsU8LlvTY26eE2bmVfFr_xzxaoEOz9xWGnn_9VHev/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">Candy finally touched down, still prancing down the </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">street.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">I kept waving. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">At the end of the Main street, the rest of the parade was </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">swirling around, finished with their part, looking </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">for friends and family. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">I didn't see my Mom rushing breathlessly toward me. I was </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">on Cloud 9! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">I pulled my pony around and set off across town for my </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">Grandmothers house. It was only a few blocks away. </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">The tiny clip clop of Candy's feet on the cement street was </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">music to my ears. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">When my Mom finally caught up to me, she had a small </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">vase </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">shaped loving cup gripped tightly in her fist. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHxVhsHLtVX3HkJeNOrB_1_uGKelGfARPuRIvDZurDHCrnWFnQTDVN3dynv7CJ3QmZaXz_O31l1_E50I8YHcgP7dcu93w5T8YR-bWCFHw144_69Ji-fCAgretEMv0HIYQuZak8cXLCcCZ/s1600/Z14+w+BASE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHxVhsHLtVX3HkJeNOrB_1_uGKelGfARPuRIvDZurDHCrnWFnQTDVN3dynv7CJ3QmZaXz_O31l1_E50I8YHcgP7dcu93w5T8YR-bWCFHw144_69Ji-fCAgretEMv0HIYQuZak8cXLCcCZ/s320/Z14+w+BASE.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">It was my prize for participating. I couldn't have been prouder</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> than I was at that moment.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">I still have that little cup, tucked away in the box of treasures</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"> from my childhood. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 16.12px;">The little red pom poms are probably there too. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16.12px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-56097744956064659622016-03-20T19:02:00.000-07:002016-03-20T19:02:16.781-07:00Fear of Flying~ off the horse and into a fence. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3zMqI5_tJL3YkWjgn7m62dg3xj1CrOBQh1-rXHpXj66HRf-lIcZfIVgBL1IHyG0kNEZ_M5Kngsx2Y8Z0QaVcSQFCW0MKYwevKAtGJ-m5QaZQATNRUM7RXJYK741obiyTQseduPaJCqIC/s1600/emerson_courage_quote_afraid_to_do_watercolor-r2b31e3f4ee074b33b37819e18ab0160a_zvinj_324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3zMqI5_tJL3YkWjgn7m62dg3xj1CrOBQh1-rXHpXj66HRf-lIcZfIVgBL1IHyG0kNEZ_M5Kngsx2Y8Z0QaVcSQFCW0MKYwevKAtGJ-m5QaZQATNRUM7RXJYK741obiyTQseduPaJCqIC/s320/emerson_courage_quote_afraid_to_do_watercolor-r2b31e3f4ee074b33b37819e18ab0160a_zvinj_324.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ralph Waldo Emerson<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">FEAR</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Even the word scares me.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When you are hungry, you can eat.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When you are cold, you can cover up.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When you are afraid, you can't just be unafraid.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It's a word that I hate to admit I have in my vocabulary. As a bad ass Cowgirl, I'd like to think I thumb my nose at fear. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">That I eat Fear for breakfast. That I ain't afraid of <i>nuthin'. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But that would be a lie.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I know a little.....</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">OK ...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">...I know a lot..... about fear.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyaRvIviCW1fi8Jw5hCKCVKL52fjbq66yLCP9mX2QD-0kgRFj0r5WNb81QyXZ2TQDH72IawBqYcaEHJ8pL4ICvAbnz8o90-GSfwFbn-5d_hyphenhyphenZtZJ0dz1gLwQi2Qd3NPK88xrxARUfef-t/s1600/Russellrodeocowgirlonabuckinghorse.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyaRvIviCW1fi8Jw5hCKCVKL52fjbq66yLCP9mX2QD-0kgRFj0r5WNb81QyXZ2TQDH72IawBqYcaEHJ8pL4ICvAbnz8o90-GSfwFbn-5d_hyphenhyphenZtZJ0dz1gLwQi2Qd3NPK88xrxARUfef-t/s320/Russellrodeocowgirlonabuckinghorse.gif" width="243" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Especially fear of riding, or more specific: Fear of flying off my horse and into a fence, or a rock, or a ditch.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Because I have done all of those things and even more. I've had so many wrecks that I have forgotten about half of them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I was always taught that if you fell off, or were bucked off, you had to get back on. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yep. The old cliche is true. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Ya gotta get back on. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Why?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Because if you don't, you'll start to think about it, and you will be<i> afraid</i> to get back on.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Used to be that when I got bucked off~ </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> and make no mistake, being bucked off is way different than falling off! I never just fall off!~</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I would bounce, and I would get back on ANGRY.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12oSCrYLyRXaeutO720v8ZzgxKQUV2yWxQpiuiWMn62OrPM24TnXYHYb5NlaKmJYVom1YfifIwsMa85AenEbib464Tg5X7EbNf_7W11A39mQR90oZDFXZYsk9xmhUBOR2qIIxd5I38PLc/s1600/CowgirlPostcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12oSCrYLyRXaeutO720v8ZzgxKQUV2yWxQpiuiWMn62OrPM24TnXYHYb5NlaKmJYVom1YfifIwsMa85AenEbib464Tg5X7EbNf_7W11A39mQR90oZDFXZYsk9xmhUBOR2qIIxd5I38PLc/s320/CowgirlPostcard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">That old cayuse and I would have a Come to Jesus meeting and I would come out on top</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> ...or I'd go to the ER.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Until about ten years ago I owned a little horse that I really liked. But he was unpredictable and a little bit hot. I could ride for hours and then something would freak him out and<b><i> BAM-</i></b> I'd be in a Rodeo.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKSkVQggkjbOyJiWuyrQvK0MdKZVNf7WSSTKYGv5e-Tb9kNIYNNhL4PziesXH1-v2_ogfz7PlNiaozR16MlPzUPVS5edyCGHRiZg0svVo7SbnRr-zWlsCF0UKw6zrVwTmR4t8Nop6DVjy/s1600/Cowgirl_thrown_1915_wxfvgy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKSkVQggkjbOyJiWuyrQvK0MdKZVNf7WSSTKYGv5e-Tb9kNIYNNhL4PziesXH1-v2_ogfz7PlNiaozR16MlPzUPVS5edyCGHRiZg0svVo7SbnRr-zWlsCF0UKw6zrVwTmR4t8Nop6DVjy/s320/Cowgirl_thrown_1915_wxfvgy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">One afternoon, I was riding in a covered arena when the peacocks dropped out of the rafters and flew past.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">OOPS! RODEO!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I thought I had him rode, but at the last minute he turned back and I got dumped HARD.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I got up. I caught him. And I got back on. And then I went to the ER.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-jbxzDv-WObiRga8ohOQ_L2yGZ2aDVHm7VSCXjZNppHcjGK2rlU2Rf3YT0RacUv17dK7P43xMugRxw2YN8ElpoC4Lt3ITef1xi0MOag_jQFF1QK_3jcQp3osMUlVaDIvkQZLXP9BWrZU/s1600/emergency.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-jbxzDv-WObiRga8ohOQ_L2yGZ2aDVHm7VSCXjZNppHcjGK2rlU2Rf3YT0RacUv17dK7P43xMugRxw2YN8ElpoC4Lt3ITef1xi0MOag_jQFF1QK_3jcQp3osMUlVaDIvkQZLXP9BWrZU/s1600/emergency.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And Fear came to ride with me for a long time.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQVrfNuLs3WeDSaX_R7HAxZkppr4dTKsCSPUUNrwSXaeL_qR64W9HdIKTV9wb-La3XinmPtZCFUYxXWwkYwlztWsic9MgLpwEiWe57zY0a_nuaWAr_BFi_LPZpLjSTONqZks-cgvYK_J3/s1600/a-vector-cute-cartoon-white-scared-face-416309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQVrfNuLs3WeDSaX_R7HAxZkppr4dTKsCSPUUNrwSXaeL_qR64W9HdIKTV9wb-La3XinmPtZCFUYxXWwkYwlztWsic9MgLpwEiWe57zY0a_nuaWAr_BFi_LPZpLjSTONqZks-cgvYK_J3/s1600/a-vector-cute-cartoon-white-scared-face-416309.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I've wondered why.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Why that ride? I've had worse wrecks.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Maybe it was because I was 50 years old and I didn't bounce.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALVL1XnRDUxgYUfwAP_QUR-frliKPJe80Mv_sH4b3CBrPeTbfry9deqm9TDPU9SiIIwB_JUC-HxmyNhWxRDyhOzOFfKtL3vGgpLzA6y-RSV6-PBiQsKWDPD_ahAhVkd0SiznUhXdYZZ3I/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALVL1XnRDUxgYUfwAP_QUR-frliKPJe80Mv_sH4b3CBrPeTbfry9deqm9TDPU9SiIIwB_JUC-HxmyNhWxRDyhOzOFfKtL3vGgpLzA6y-RSV6-PBiQsKWDPD_ahAhVkd0SiznUhXdYZZ3I/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Maybe it was a hormonal change.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Maybe it was just my time to be scared.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In any case, I had a hard time riding without Fear after that.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">They say that knowing your failures will help you overcome them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I don't think that is true.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I kept riding. That part was easy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But putting the fear aside- not so easy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I tried to override the fear, I tried telling myself that I was being a BABY.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VM4kjmfLpUEFvpYsImnwe_n0vL98kITuQG0qr56lmO9Z6ujBSMVbyqx8nBLxVcDJGgAmfSQnF2r0Gken7bWyurEk_PW5BMklecJyiMrzh8KzVOU_AJv9umjPTLfqZUuwH95TKcrDTkK2/s1600/baby-on-board-sign.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VM4kjmfLpUEFvpYsImnwe_n0vL98kITuQG0qr56lmO9Z6ujBSMVbyqx8nBLxVcDJGgAmfSQnF2r0Gken7bWyurEk_PW5BMklecJyiMrzh8KzVOU_AJv9umjPTLfqZUuwH95TKcrDTkK2/s320/baby-on-board-sign.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That I was being an OLD WOMAN.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tdnXN4LxhXuZDYU5RgPLWP8buK5fGH1b4Hwv-3NxW4SIXf0vPsy1BfQHXwhe31zMecBUkRBGsWY59maQoSE-c1kzqTgASBIbvp5H_eJLAAEV2YAPsgf6LXfQFslTXFRRWBRmf2L0vuNy/s1600/nice-elderly-grandma-rocking-chair-sitting-46732554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tdnXN4LxhXuZDYU5RgPLWP8buK5fGH1b4Hwv-3NxW4SIXf0vPsy1BfQHXwhe31zMecBUkRBGsWY59maQoSE-c1kzqTgASBIbvp5H_eJLAAEV2YAPsgf6LXfQFslTXFRRWBRmf2L0vuNy/s320/nice-elderly-grandma-rocking-chair-sitting-46732554.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That Cowgirls don't feel fear.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It didn't work, because it wasn't true.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Then I had a talk with a good ol' boy named <a href="http://www.charleswilhelm.com/" target="_blank">Charles Wilhelm</a>. He's an older guy. Came to riding a bit later in life, but he is amazing with horses and more importantly, people.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I asked him, " How do you NOT be afraid?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">He didn't say, " Oh try this," " or " Retrain your horse.blah blah blah..."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">He told me,</span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">" You should be afraid. Fear is what keeps you safe."</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">He was right.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I needed to embrace that fear, but not let it rule me. When I started feeling fear, I should listen. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Is it a truly dangerous situation? Or was it a situation that I could handle?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I realized </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There is no SHAME in Fear.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I won't ride with Fear on my shoulder. I won't worry about things that might happen. I am aware of Fear, but I trust myself and my skills.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHDAw3FzCN6-9WLG-EZHkjypNBU1SNrdnufddmdGYneng71OWzYfTcRCgfTvWVP2fCv1P3-rXWdD__gLW2U7UFn-PfgdJqiQHNzMvm39DzxO9gvEqkPpe7b-5kmRIJucO1Cdapm4lOs1_/s1600/220px-CheyenneSheetMusicCover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHDAw3FzCN6-9WLG-EZHkjypNBU1SNrdnufddmdGYneng71OWzYfTcRCgfTvWVP2fCv1P3-rXWdD__gLW2U7UFn-PfgdJqiQHNzMvm39DzxO9gvEqkPpe7b-5kmRIJucO1Cdapm4lOs1_/s1600/220px-CheyenneSheetMusicCover.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As weird as it sounds, I am okay with pain or hurt or even death. Every time I put a foot into a stirrup, I have to understand and make a pact with Fear that I won't be ruled by it today.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Fear has gone back to it's hidey hole in my soul somewhere.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I address it. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2WM-z_UcOp9Y4EPXl-4sDs1peWKY842I2vhUT4i3mp9wlTiJmx78txESUMWlyzBXTDmqTKruXpgUHDBRWPbalxxmqNAeq1Vt69wWxbUKj8JYhldAVuHCd85UgSn32tcD_lPbQcD9N4on/s1600/not_afraid_gold_faux_glitter_metallic_sequins_backpack-r4e1dd657b9914226b90649d2f770f37c_zffcx_324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2WM-z_UcOp9Y4EPXl-4sDs1peWKY842I2vhUT4i3mp9wlTiJmx78txESUMWlyzBXTDmqTKruXpgUHDBRWPbalxxmqNAeq1Vt69wWxbUKj8JYhldAVuHCd85UgSn32tcD_lPbQcD9N4on/s320/not_afraid_gold_faux_glitter_metallic_sequins_backpack-r4e1dd657b9914226b90649d2f770f37c_zffcx_324.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Then I saddle up.</span><br />
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Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-65092328144931524062016-03-13T16:12:00.000-07:002016-03-13T16:12:32.463-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Stirrup</span><br />
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"<i>My foot's in the stirrup, my bridle's in my hand, </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Good morning, young lady, my hoss he won't stand. </i></div>
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<i>Old Paint's a good pony, he paces when he can,</i></div>
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<i>Goodbye ol' Paint, I'm leaving Cheyenne."</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>" Good bye Old Paint "</b></i></div>
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<br />
It's just a simple tool really. A piece of wood or iron formed into a shape, hung by a strap to a saddle. And yet, that simple thing changed the entire world.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeKFo4dvtIEkdmapScxxEMAZlIqQIaTlasrjsAnYhyPqCd6hX9J0wc7x27iqrujNCWwGM_sFnWs-UronZnvL3OaIJ-dllIUajUTPe8w_dP8uAeBe1B9xyVhV3Sbd0LG_E0fQFyvIR-ZBU/s1600/animals-horse-hedgehog-rabbit-walk-walking-kscn3193_low.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeKFo4dvtIEkdmapScxxEMAZlIqQIaTlasrjsAnYhyPqCd6hX9J0wc7x27iqrujNCWwGM_sFnWs-UronZnvL3OaIJ-dllIUajUTPe8w_dP8uAeBe1B9xyVhV3Sbd0LG_E0fQFyvIR-ZBU/s320/animals-horse-hedgehog-rabbit-walk-walking-kscn3193_low.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
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I imagine it like this:<br />
Early man climbed out of the caves, took one look at Horse and said to his friend,<br />
" Hold my beer. I want to try something."<br />
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Realizing what a boon riding would be, he invented a simple saddle; a rug or skin tied to the horses back. He also probably realized that if he were mounted and his foes were not, he would have an advantage while at WAR.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwTyaljLYamJxI4P9qxUrV0J30uiCfTkE6VXU0cBVfv4T_D83SNq3pmoAB4kNwg23fWV1vu_Z0RY66dSfWGfnzKdYyipK2SO0Iw_PuWL1SlbIM-vN6Mj03y-AtBDIPsD-CypUOxtWdTDX/s1600/warhorses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwTyaljLYamJxI4P9qxUrV0J30uiCfTkE6VXU0cBVfv4T_D83SNq3pmoAB4kNwg23fWV1vu_Z0RY66dSfWGfnzKdYyipK2SO0Iw_PuWL1SlbIM-vN6Mj03y-AtBDIPsD-CypUOxtWdTDX/s1600/warhorses.jpg" /></a></div>
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Loaded down with rocks and sticks, it must have been difficult to get up on the horses back; he needed a step. He needed a step that could go where he went while on the horse, so he would always be able to mount up.<br />
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Man developed a single loop, attached to the girth of the saddle. He could hook a big toe in and haul himself up.<br />
As most horsemen know, being barefooted around a horse is Numero Uno No-No. Like in the game Rock/Paper/Scissors,<a href="https://russellswesternwear.com/" target="_blank"> Horse Hoof crushes People Toes.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUtgt0071Q7NVhN4JhXTYmhAGc8PTBI32blc6rZYhDFEGWCVKNcjbZT0zaCjNT24B7TqRxyPaGVokAQ8GASOzzWsxnLhwVo2Ne0FPU1ro2fW2oZDYGbJJc5LvU-2GpnxY8ncwERl7RfUQ/s1600/crushed+foot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUtgt0071Q7NVhN4JhXTYmhAGc8PTBI32blc6rZYhDFEGWCVKNcjbZT0zaCjNT24B7TqRxyPaGVokAQ8GASOzzWsxnLhwVo2Ne0FPU1ro2fW2oZDYGbJJc5LvU-2GpnxY8ncwERl7RfUQ/s1600/crushed+foot.jpg" /></a></div>
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Men began wearing sandals, and developed a single 'step' attached by a strap to the saddle. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXzgi_D0eIQD3QXk2Ox90ScRDJZOjtruW7JJ8ohNybhF9_Dy4oy26KdjkwLyscDs0a3VGfnVM1WpkRB_gDFHBWMyZjRIazeDdIleNTkbLDeYDCLIVxzMtv_tQSobqS8enlhSwausqsM4K/s1600/220px-HaniwaHorse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXzgi_D0eIQD3QXk2Ox90ScRDJZOjtruW7JJ8ohNybhF9_Dy4oy26KdjkwLyscDs0a3VGfnVM1WpkRB_gDFHBWMyZjRIazeDdIleNTkbLDeYDCLIVxzMtv_tQSobqS8enlhSwausqsM4K/s1600/220px-HaniwaHorse.JPG" /></a></div>
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<br />
That worked for awhile, but it needed some improvement.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW84L26r2Ci2uLOczKwYHH5HF4Te51Gt2MjAxxW-suSVTnoYvT3cPF0gskVF5niQIl3DPVtyOZ5E4JuInOLwqe1T6P1afQZqGF5XlLseA0hNtLGtN-CD453jqtLZLQgD_TK3CT5Y4y-PcU/s1600/Ido+stirrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW84L26r2Ci2uLOczKwYHH5HF4Te51Gt2MjAxxW-suSVTnoYvT3cPF0gskVF5niQIl3DPVtyOZ5E4JuInOLwqe1T6P1afQZqGF5XlLseA0hNtLGtN-CD453jqtLZLQgD_TK3CT5Y4y-PcU/s1600/Ido+stirrup.jpg" /></a></div>
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The next stirrup was elongated and the sides were removed to keep the riders foot from being entangled.<br />
Soon men figured out that when they were riding the horses around looking for War, the foot with the step could rest, while the other foot grew tired. They had to get off the horse to rest. They couldn't go as far, ride as long or fight as well.<br />
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Qin Shi Huangdi's Army, Terra Cotta or otherwise, did not have stirrups.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllnKi2i8Am894Ir6FEsDdWDSRMH6l7uJraM819QGy_zMgZ-aa8zOWYn8d0a_aEQQBuZ-PoxkfhZlxq4ACcBjYl1EIiaWNjX1HEPv8zoeNw4HQ4kl4mF04jkLO2kjPYuiBr6WrXx_PblIZ/s1600/terracottahorses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllnKi2i8Am894Ir6FEsDdWDSRMH6l7uJraM819QGy_zMgZ-aa8zOWYn8d0a_aEQQBuZ-PoxkfhZlxq4ACcBjYl1EIiaWNjX1HEPv8zoeNw4HQ4kl4mF04jkLO2kjPYuiBr6WrXx_PblIZ/s320/terracottahorses.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
Either did the Early Romans.<br />
Of course they didn't have gun powder either, but I digress.<br />
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<br />
Enter the paired stirrup.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFllVWtV3e6Ka9MWKBvqk64EOoSBIrH5VlpOqdT0SNsQgNQw7dljqD8Px0QO5ZYR0yscRw7xRuKU_EvuX2wife98-IkkyWt93mQT6to9lH86MRS0yYDwxUzd9ly47lkDOZOS8oFVoM0WyH/s1600/Jin_Iron_Stirrups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFllVWtV3e6Ka9MWKBvqk64EOoSBIrH5VlpOqdT0SNsQgNQw7dljqD8Px0QO5ZYR0yscRw7xRuKU_EvuX2wife98-IkkyWt93mQT6to9lH86MRS0yYDwxUzd9ly47lkDOZOS8oFVoM0WyH/s1600/Jin_Iron_Stirrups.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jin Dynasty stirrups</td></tr>
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This invention is attributed to the Jin Dynasty in China, approximately 322 A.D.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcP1BgAipYRf62N_uOR75Xy72TI3qaz7fSRSPqqeCoeaauOOlaws2x5ge-S4HBOJcX8UqYjRiUyoqeqq9OrwFUz8zbibaNUFTpeR9Bl0xqpMlFVs9siX8Jpq8SxBknsz4yCezWJCzI9Al/s1600/chinese+saddle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcP1BgAipYRf62N_uOR75Xy72TI3qaz7fSRSPqqeCoeaauOOlaws2x5ge-S4HBOJcX8UqYjRiUyoqeqq9OrwFUz8zbibaNUFTpeR9Bl0xqpMlFVs9siX8Jpq8SxBknsz4yCezWJCzI9Al/s1600/chinese+saddle.jpg" /></a></div>
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The nomad Mongolians came to realize that it improved your center of balance to have two stirrups. Not only that, but it gave you a better purchase when swinging a sword.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrUQn2pdKjJBoH4JJ907yX_B_Hl-lXIHnn9H1wTjDznjy2CTE8hO1wD9n37cyWof5trNe04uPnIWLbzu739-sAmSlZDxumQ7Y4yIEkjFUr_bF0Wiux9PDH2NJdMD6O55bvLi3vwrTnWdC/s1600/Mongolian-horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrUQn2pdKjJBoH4JJ907yX_B_Hl-lXIHnn9H1wTjDznjy2CTE8hO1wD9n37cyWof5trNe04uPnIWLbzu739-sAmSlZDxumQ7Y4yIEkjFUr_bF0Wiux9PDH2NJdMD6O55bvLi3vwrTnWdC/s320/Mongolian-horse.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional Mongolian riding saddle.</td></tr>
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<br />
The whole idea caught fire and spread through South Central Europe. German raiders improved the stirrup by building in a rectangular loop set in the same plane as the bow. Viking raiders most likely brought the stirrup into Scandanavia.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYzHTysFoajGBdvmrRnm6hHSYtOAGjiEjsc-sDE7NKdlbCzygm-sbPWRO_-xiQfOgCOYrkdWhnlx_mScl0icTLB5Qt6zWCU7KRxNimB-IbVKXM9SgDT7tp7FkKfrGYzAnpykMB-vdbvGQ/s1600/SV-05-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYzHTysFoajGBdvmrRnm6hHSYtOAGjiEjsc-sDE7NKdlbCzygm-sbPWRO_-xiQfOgCOYrkdWhnlx_mScl0icTLB5Qt6zWCU7KRxNimB-IbVKXM9SgDT7tp7FkKfrGYzAnpykMB-vdbvGQ/s320/SV-05-01.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viking raiders more than likely spread the use of the stirrup into Scandinavia.</td></tr>
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The Early Hungarians improved the shape from a 'slipper' into a pear or apple shape.<br />
About this time they may have also decided that a<a href="https://russellswesternwear.com/" target="_blank"> boot </a>was way better than a sandal for riding.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBK4-ptNX5wvZ1CdZj1jBpVJMETW1JcN-4ZypK43_fPKnRx9v8GpRNwYAtMksrFRZbSyyo7PoUMtECnjYb_di5IpngaQ6pu6_LEHybr5Mznpr463BgXhOdpoexSwADnn8cs4c9ShaS3XLQ/s1600/Pear+shaped+stirrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBK4-ptNX5wvZ1CdZj1jBpVJMETW1JcN-4ZypK43_fPKnRx9v8GpRNwYAtMksrFRZbSyyo7PoUMtECnjYb_di5IpngaQ6pu6_LEHybr5Mznpr463BgXhOdpoexSwADnn8cs4c9ShaS3XLQ/s320/Pear+shaped+stirrup.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pear shaped iron stirrup.</td></tr>
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<br />
Crusaders garbed in heavy iron armor needed a larger stirrup to help hold their weight. Their style of riding soon swept the entire European continent.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-AGE1Q4jv39gcMj51YyDvGqz-y5v1_7wl1ebANGNdbCyb-saP11JTi8iKb1H53YTMcNkf2jfhSFGoHC__78YAWMwaGRr-zqauas9297Y-nrjXlN2g9ZNjifD3VAvh_dne6CoR-q9DVTp1/s1600/knight-horseman-with-spear-medieval-tournament-Download-Royalty-free-Vector-File-EPS-50644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-AGE1Q4jv39gcMj51YyDvGqz-y5v1_7wl1ebANGNdbCyb-saP11JTi8iKb1H53YTMcNkf2jfhSFGoHC__78YAWMwaGRr-zqauas9297Y-nrjXlN2g9ZNjifD3VAvh_dne6CoR-q9DVTp1/s320/knight-horseman-with-spear-medieval-tournament-Download-Royalty-free-Vector-File-EPS-50644.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crusaders popularized the metal wide bottom stirrup,especially for war. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Japan improved the stirrup during the Edo Period making the bottom flat, and covering the wood with iron.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzLCyXzfDFXhfvspRixNUpsCk2MJiMn68rwnkU-wTcG_FtIKkiZrUgNa0Bc7f5BPK6zRKIO5uE33i-aoAlkr21NI5oKrX4oixZxiCiXWNyq6U7f54_kMX6UBpFSZg6mb_4w7k9bvYnL3B/s1600/japanese+stirrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzLCyXzfDFXhfvspRixNUpsCk2MJiMn68rwnkU-wTcG_FtIKkiZrUgNa0Bc7f5BPK6zRKIO5uE33i-aoAlkr21NI5oKrX4oixZxiCiXWNyq6U7f54_kMX6UBpFSZg6mb_4w7k9bvYnL3B/s320/japanese+stirrup.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decorated Japanese stirrup.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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All the while the movement of Man across the continent was supported by the lowly stirrup.<br />
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<br />
When people began to cross the Ocean, they brought their horses and saddles with them.<br />
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<br />
Spanish Conquistadors fitted their saddles with stirrups that had covers over the toes. It had a two fold effect, it protected the feet and boots from getting wet or being hung up in thick brush while cutting new trails. Plus it looked cool.<br />
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<br />
The Spanish settlers into Western America devised a better stirrup, built on that model. The Western tapadero covered the stirrup, and was often lined in fur or leather to keep your feet warmer, as well as keeping your<a href="https://russellswesternwear.com/" target="_blank"> boots</a> from slipping through the stirrup if riding a wilder bronc.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWX4fmpIt60aWL6JREbKIIaZOHxX_97xY9UFo-fiIh8sMbcfx6o6RJoWAQuwlfMW9oUF8KoV6ktljTEYzTEQYldUUDTEcwucSCzZ41tbIMNQBDjqrwwVT1k7eVw8s7W2ZxRzqEZ5xfrqg/s1600/bohlin+saddle+with+taps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWX4fmpIt60aWL6JREbKIIaZOHxX_97xY9UFo-fiIh8sMbcfx6o6RJoWAQuwlfMW9oUF8KoV6ktljTEYzTEQYldUUDTEcwucSCzZ41tbIMNQBDjqrwwVT1k7eVw8s7W2ZxRzqEZ5xfrqg/s320/bohlin+saddle+with+taps.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bohlin Parade Saddle with fancy tapaderos at The Autry Museum, Los Angeles Ca.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiienkSoVPdO41W_2a3xjpxaGjMZwbkfTAnvxwjPnpUmZfuJQ90NLZpVrlfwXdUBF6Wkjx9Y4oP_WP5k3ckRIsFZCsDZBcYIONHlp5yxfBC0fUj4OBA4b3rIAkfIkArlHo6KbXHUU0bFTfF/s1600/tapaderos.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiienkSoVPdO41W_2a3xjpxaGjMZwbkfTAnvxwjPnpUmZfuJQ90NLZpVrlfwXdUBF6Wkjx9Y4oP_WP5k3ckRIsFZCsDZBcYIONHlp5yxfBC0fUj4OBA4b3rIAkfIkArlHo6KbXHUU0bFTfF/s320/tapaderos.JPG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern pair of tapadero covered stirrups with hand stamped basket weave toes and floral design.</td></tr>
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As with anything else, the stirrup is also dictated by fashion, and no more so than today.<br />
The typical English style stirrup, called<i> the irons</i>, are polished chrome, but even they have been decorated with rhinestones and etching.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4YAooFsM_UT5D2w5HLiEU1CKeOkswrBtzJSIc755merdWLIpfg6fV96PqTWMBqk-UeCifrfRDNVVAkP81R1UokteQGZnmju3738u9l8p1psIIApkgDKhN9Qwm5B4JL-6OTtQ77ex7CYl/s1600/rhinestone+stirrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4YAooFsM_UT5D2w5HLiEU1CKeOkswrBtzJSIc755merdWLIpfg6fV96PqTWMBqk-UeCifrfRDNVVAkP81R1UokteQGZnmju3738u9l8p1psIIApkgDKhN9Qwm5B4JL-6OTtQ77ex7CYl/s1600/rhinestone+stirrup.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhinestone embellished English type stirrups.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBa3w9iraLqHZqwFf_y6GejES29m9NTOTJKbdXj6u8x5H9Ianw0yDdod8OCatQOdTitB56jrZWf5VEFHESCncPIpPs25JefITI0hZTjtFMX17sGVVXPNCsabqkOCp3JvftDl3y8bh8P8H/s1600/7168345c918e4eeaae92707a9e28e832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBa3w9iraLqHZqwFf_y6GejES29m9NTOTJKbdXj6u8x5H9Ianw0yDdod8OCatQOdTitB56jrZWf5VEFHESCncPIpPs25JefITI0hZTjtFMX17sGVVXPNCsabqkOCp3JvftDl3y8bh8P8H/s1600/7168345c918e4eeaae92707a9e28e832.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Etched chrome English style stirrups. </td></tr>
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Western stirrups have the most variations now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3h2yQC9sUzLYefTzNPTHtJRr5UOjUpeSoBRB6nUojk61QS9eRE3z3B5vCTqdlLmWHsEomzR77bjd9Se-obR-q62QNKgwq9DNR_WScUSM8sRJplD80JLyE6hF0lq-EUpgFPqjYCpbHIBVw/s1600/Bell+stirrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3h2yQC9sUzLYefTzNPTHtJRr5UOjUpeSoBRB6nUojk61QS9eRE3z3B5vCTqdlLmWHsEomzR77bjd9Se-obR-q62QNKgwq9DNR_WScUSM8sRJplD80JLyE6hF0lq-EUpgFPqjYCpbHIBVw/s1600/Bell+stirrup.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bell shaped western stirrup with wide flat foot.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWzWQtcr17zZOcl9KRTb0UyRr2mUGHATsiXsEgXAcmSr4VgKBBdnkMwmOmTsuvn0XUlPI6_nPtMSVRh4DPx4ZRXvsYvND6juZcgSJvrDFJjgxE_v3LaPvngtqcs0AOxRqomKiyGn3Afpf/s1600/aluminium+stirrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWzWQtcr17zZOcl9KRTb0UyRr2mUGHATsiXsEgXAcmSr4VgKBBdnkMwmOmTsuvn0XUlPI6_nPtMSVRh4DPx4ZRXvsYvND6juZcgSJvrDFJjgxE_v3LaPvngtqcs0AOxRqomKiyGn3Afpf/s1600/aluminium+stirrup.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Etched aluminium western stirrup, with a slight bend in the arch to relieve foot pressure for the rider. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqX0zuWXUc8NX4kadiYpKQjBFuzFbq9jkomfKdMOqJcYWAangFx9Yv5yhP8hbr8eVD5HovniaqBtKMtHZp0crCFwietEFTum0syhJxFerBu3K7tMwxsy8TFfo-Cxz0rZa-ARTaBF7KGgOC/s1600/hooded_stirrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqX0zuWXUc8NX4kadiYpKQjBFuzFbq9jkomfKdMOqJcYWAangFx9Yv5yhP8hbr8eVD5HovniaqBtKMtHZp0crCFwietEFTum0syhJxFerBu3K7tMwxsy8TFfo-Cxz0rZa-ARTaBF7KGgOC/s1600/hooded_stirrup.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lightweight metal Trail stirrups with 'cage' tapaderos.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rs_OPBKxGEh0AQFvKHaqABs_uDESK4-KDLxT7ygeiEaHd_SPlfe84RNUV5d73kDpV3Wv8_oUODJZCN-NJIzQg-QFZKNp6oJjgjhgdGmQTeICy10X1CSnA8JHci0XyHdR5f8_EftfHM7w/s1600/155493882_vintage-pair-of-western-saddle-leather-covers-tapaderos-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rs_OPBKxGEh0AQFvKHaqABs_uDESK4-KDLxT7ygeiEaHd_SPlfe84RNUV5d73kDpV3Wv8_oUODJZCN-NJIzQg-QFZKNp6oJjgjhgdGmQTeICy10X1CSnA8JHci0XyHdR5f8_EftfHM7w/s320/155493882_vintage-pair-of-western-saddle-leather-covers-tapaderos-.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage leather western tapaderos with silver diamond embellishment.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcHUrnJeid7kV0xQm32k-oV5v09kyF2PD4ExqVhtK6iu65TU4QI5BwMkyCId_YnTQ8JVtfUb3MudJGnqnYqxrHJlc_ps359tSUwI1DooJkFpH0KyrYExquCv3Sc2OzYJFO5Ca9Fi2cTP3/s1600/iron+stirrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcHUrnJeid7kV0xQm32k-oV5v09kyF2PD4ExqVhtK6iu65TU4QI5BwMkyCId_YnTQ8JVtfUb3MudJGnqnYqxrHJlc_ps359tSUwI1DooJkFpH0KyrYExquCv3Sc2OzYJFO5Ca9Fi2cTP3/s320/iron+stirrup.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage iron stirrups.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxRwi90ETNifOmf2xgcu5kiRCsYfOEpuUsJ6SgJ5Kkmvo1qEGYpTRMo8yEJ8z6iPDjy8WFke1X3ylNRX08W6dPAVkQJkZw2eG0ZYXv3RYvs0Wdm0wase-4EGj7yBrB3eXhFwrgdKWtH-Z/s1600/mexican+square+stirrup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxRwi90ETNifOmf2xgcu5kiRCsYfOEpuUsJ6SgJ5Kkmvo1qEGYpTRMo8yEJ8z6iPDjy8WFke1X3ylNRX08W6dPAVkQJkZw2eG0ZYXv3RYvs0Wdm0wase-4EGj7yBrB3eXhFwrgdKWtH-Z/s320/mexican+square+stirrup.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage Mexican style Vaquero stirrups.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLt3vHDIFNLgcDcl28YotFqIz0ThQkvg6ilYyqO2SON-rdjih9KFbcwH0lm0NwW5F9WuYl1vQxBkOQLV_-yRusOdz07wGOLrkwFq6xqohlpltD_kvplQ3bRHElednnTJcC-9c-HxSkmlJ/s1600/monkey+face+stirrup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLt3vHDIFNLgcDcl28YotFqIz0ThQkvg6ilYyqO2SON-rdjih9KFbcwH0lm0NwW5F9WuYl1vQxBkOQLV_-yRusOdz07wGOLrkwFq6xqohlpltD_kvplQ3bRHElednnTJcC-9c-HxSkmlJ/s320/monkey+face+stirrup.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Monkey face' Mexican tapaderos over wooden stirrups.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSRINgqKn2M9JhgzrrdQ59zO-RtyjgTze2_5EOAQaDOWjBdegR0_EpP-oUka8TiQzUBGQQTVcclR82rf8UkqVEK0ApdYRGszNtj6gOnHBxpHVOJaiFUI-wv0pWCvub6m_T1Z_ToEYj0TD/s1600/Paso+stirrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSRINgqKn2M9JhgzrrdQ59zO-RtyjgTze2_5EOAQaDOWjBdegR0_EpP-oUka8TiQzUBGQQTVcclR82rf8UkqVEK0ApdYRGszNtj6gOnHBxpHVOJaiFUI-wv0pWCvub6m_T1Z_ToEYj0TD/s320/Paso+stirrup.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spanish inspired Paso stirrups of hammered metal. They can also be used as an anchor when you leave your horse unattended.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMqXINVwBxQJDDfvhufSIRpEuOfItNOYal5zZQOIi5ootVCjm2855KfoRa9q1iMibQ5anZfoQToX5IYznUxhNrezxKZfuY8XwSbNom37A1rNGt3wQ9fD28sJA2e6BU32SNe6-Fer20syL/s1600/side+saddle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMqXINVwBxQJDDfvhufSIRpEuOfItNOYal5zZQOIi5ootVCjm2855KfoRa9q1iMibQ5anZfoQToX5IYznUxhNrezxKZfuY8XwSbNom37A1rNGt3wQ9fD28sJA2e6BU32SNe6-Fer20syL/s1600/side+saddle.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage English ladies side saddle stirrup. There was ever only one, as the other foot was draped over the leaping horn.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
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Bell, Ox Bow, reining, roping, and trail riding, with tapaderos or without. Some have rhinestones, etched aluminium or engraved leather.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6wrmADjYgUCO7HD2yE7FSbj4s-84yiQ0g-dRoC2alKZGa_FL_huhn4JeHPh7AYb5IBRivckla2EqwGdBsQczPk3zZCSkMogA04soQ4jsNxdHjmN4u7-7xIfUebQU8J6PZ5ZbrxAXaT9M/s1600/Amieandteri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6wrmADjYgUCO7HD2yE7FSbj4s-84yiQ0g-dRoC2alKZGa_FL_huhn4JeHPh7AYb5IBRivckla2EqwGdBsQczPk3zZCSkMogA04soQ4jsNxdHjmN4u7-7xIfUebQU8J6PZ5ZbrxAXaT9M/s320/Amieandteri.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern Western Pleasure Saddle with leather covered stirrups. </td></tr>
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The lowly stirrup, the thing that changed the world, has left the function of war behind and is now firmly in the heart of fashion.<br />
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<br />Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-2262300907935055552016-03-05T17:20:00.001-08:002016-03-05T17:20:28.392-08:00Something to spur your interest this week.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "droid serif"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">SPURS </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "droid serif"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"> <i> “Spurs are no different than a bat or a crop, or a whip. It’s an aid to help get discipline. </i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "droid serif"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><i>He should not be afraid of your crop, or your spurs, or your bat or your whip or your romal. He should not be afraid of it. But the way most people use it is, ‘You better be afraid or I’ll hurt you.’ Then he is thinking wrong. A horse doesn’t want to get hurt, no more than you or I. You’re going to have to do something to make the wrong thing difficult and the right thing easy. But you should never do anything to hurt him on purpose."</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "droid serif"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><i> <a href="http://www.rayhunt.com/About-Ray-Hunt.html" target="_blank"> Ray Hunt</a></i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68D_nnqVzebg6wpU8jH3NpLR_SuC1UgOXIn3LkhqFc0_1BJRNdcn9J9nfuAwMaU29i5KfeuFH-EEvvEsrs-k0f3ogzUiyqzOgom10WO5zXuVWP3bhVm3GIJbMMOePiYHEmLRBAZ9bd6jj/s1600/custom+spurs+by+John+Jennings+sold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68D_nnqVzebg6wpU8jH3NpLR_SuC1UgOXIn3LkhqFc0_1BJRNdcn9J9nfuAwMaU29i5KfeuFH-EEvvEsrs-k0f3ogzUiyqzOgom10WO5zXuVWP3bhVm3GIJbMMOePiYHEmLRBAZ9bd6jj/s320/custom+spurs+by+John+Jennings+sold.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Custom spurs by<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Jenningsbitsandspurs/" target="_blank"> John Jennings</a> SOLD </td></tr>
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The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spur" target="_blank">spurs</a> in the image above are just about the prettiest pair of spurs I have ever seen. And I have seen many spurs; from Conquistador Prick spurs to plain English push -on's. I think that these typify the<b> art form</b> to which a pair of spurs should aspire. I would never let these spurs see the underbelly of a horse. But that is just me. Antique and vintage spurs are a western item that many, many people collect, myself included. New artisans, including <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Jenningsbitsandspurs" target="_blank">John Jennings</a>, should and will, be added to the roster of modern collectible spur makers. Cowboys in the Wild West didn't really think too much about Art, they just wanted a really good pair of spurs, and because they wore all of their wealth on their person, they would often splurge on some 'upgrades'. </div>
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I want this post to speak more to the using spur, the every day spur, the spurs that you may have hanging on your <a href="https://russellswesternwear.com/" target="_blank">cowboy boots</a> right now. Most of us don't want to wear our 'fancy' spurs out in the working pen, but we still want to buy quality. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJKCXeWWsTs1w8cruqTl63BIJgsakTmTOz6amkIICWfhCQpvkYxPT_6kyqGLLqjVVkanriAjSMtwNu-5OJnV64n3eQNbsT2GwKEgj8Rn1lBvzfdd22RUUw_zWONF3OfB1JKczlCZ3GfEc/s1600/P1030126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJKCXeWWsTs1w8cruqTl63BIJgsakTmTOz6amkIICWfhCQpvkYxPT_6kyqGLLqjVVkanriAjSMtwNu-5OJnV64n3eQNbsT2GwKEgj8Rn1lBvzfdd22RUUw_zWONF3OfB1JKczlCZ3GfEc/s320/P1030126.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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There used to be a horse trainer who lived in my town. I'd go to the supermarket, and I could hear his spurs ringing from two aisles away. One day some smartguy asked this trainer, " Are you a cowboy?" </div>
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The horse trainer replied, rather proudly, "Yep."</div>
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To which the smartguy asked,</div>
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"Did you ride your horse <i>here</i>?"</div>
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Cowboys are right proud to have a nice pair of spurs, even to the point of wearing them in inappropriate places. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhof9q-1xWWco6WCN2JxNquHGzp-G__q6YmxuDwhsFts9huXxaKU0p3G_KcYDWm_Hi16TloUV8JIDi-qhxELlSSJEoQlKSzd4cDjhRS78DS7JsteVvUhaHchNWLNTj3CLDKU3LOhA64CwS5/s1600/stock-photo-7398380-stylish-cowboy-boots+don%2527t+do+this.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhof9q-1xWWco6WCN2JxNquHGzp-G__q6YmxuDwhsFts9huXxaKU0p3G_KcYDWm_Hi16TloUV8JIDi-qhxELlSSJEoQlKSzd4cDjhRS78DS7JsteVvUhaHchNWLNTj3CLDKU3LOhA64CwS5/s320/stock-photo-7398380-stylish-cowboy-boots+don%2527t+do+this.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The appropriate place, of course, is while riding your horse.<br />
Surprisingly a lot of horse people don't wear spurs. There could be a lot of reasons for that, ranging from,<br />
" <i>Spurs are cruel</i>."<br />
to<br />
"<i> I don't know what kind of spur I need.</i>"<br />
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Spurs, used without thought, can be cruel, but on average the spur is a tool; no more, no less.<br />
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If you are wondering where to start when buying a pair, here are a few things to consider.<br />
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There are a four styles of Western spurs ( English style spurs are not in my wheel house, so I won't mention them much here. ) </div>
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The spur has three main parts, and to buy, talk about or use a spur, you should know what they are. </div>
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<b>The Yolk or Heel band.</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoP6LopgeSz6iVVKKi5Ia28g8lztwpfPc9ox-iPsEkDCfsMtsKikKXJ8SXyB5MrXvft0Xx24WPsYeYbKAdhIC9ZG32W-oLdzAVuq4AB7kpQQ-h0v-3LqfuJGxO4S1NCt3kNlGZ53tpWvC/s1600/boots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoP6LopgeSz6iVVKKi5Ia28g8lztwpfPc9ox-iPsEkDCfsMtsKikKXJ8SXyB5MrXvft0Xx24WPsYeYbKAdhIC9ZG32W-oLdzAVuq4AB7kpQQ-h0v-3LqfuJGxO4S1NCt3kNlGZ53tpWvC/s320/boots.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My very own spurs for work. More the Texas style than the California Style.</td></tr>
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That is the band that wraps around the heel of your boot.It can be thin or thick. My preference is for thicker. I like the 2 inch band, but most ladies spurs are a bit thinner at 1 inch, like the ones pictures above.</div>
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<b>The shank or neck.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47_ykcqSJMEb3W4uYFqD7gzscskiJ7w3wqPZxTFpQPIi-PNR16JbHv4CO4Fq2D3w3IAIAtHiSEnPMiMkM_ESROIuvatwMlAIDA3rPpv9066lydyLDJIFxmnw0Y3FdeIQBGaDWz4QuVxmZ/s1600/Spur%252420shanks%252420A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47_ykcqSJMEb3W4uYFqD7gzscskiJ7w3wqPZxTFpQPIi-PNR16JbHv4CO4Fq2D3w3IAIAtHiSEnPMiMkM_ESROIuvatwMlAIDA3rPpv9066lydyLDJIFxmnw0Y3FdeIQBGaDWz4QuVxmZ/s320/Spur%252420shanks%252420A.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The best spurs are made attached to the heel band as one piece. Newer custom spurs are frequently made in two pieces, the shank welded or forged to the heel band, then polished so the seam doesn't show. That is perfectly acceptable. The shank can bend inward at an angle, be swept up like a swan's neck or straight as a pin. The more bend you have in the shank, the shorter distance your leg has to travel. In<a href="http://articles.extension.org/pages/72313/judging-horse-events-western-horsemanship" target="_blank"> Western Horsemanship</a>, you don't want your legs to move at all, so a spur with a long shank,(2") curving inward ( either full, one half, or a quarter) might be what you want. One the other hand,while <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutting_(sport)" target="_blank">cutting</a> cattle, you wouldn't want to inadvertently spur your horse while turning back a wily steer, so a short straight, shank might suit better. Look to see what kind of spur the riders of your discipline are using, and ask about them. </div>
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<b>The Rowel</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifnoKEUny2KkNhg3X9Wbrpc3nqQy1OF9XADj-Xw8EcCLMjDAWiCL7vKCxhZpKa_4vUTleTiY8Bibm3HpxgJQrNLA_xX9E8WCY-vmdj-THR1kUyi7K5zptSAMT6jFcwpKchyphenhyphenNtjRESEqlH6/s1600/rowels+from+DM+Tack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifnoKEUny2KkNhg3X9Wbrpc3nqQy1OF9XADj-Xw8EcCLMjDAWiCL7vKCxhZpKa_4vUTleTiY8Bibm3HpxgJQrNLA_xX9E8WCY-vmdj-THR1kUyi7K5zptSAMT6jFcwpKchyphenhyphenNtjRESEqlH6/s320/rowels+from+DM+Tack.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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These can be super simple, or wildly ornate. They can be smooth and round as a coin, or spiked as a Texas cactus. The rest of the spur is just a method to wear this strapped to your<a href="https://russellswesternwear.com/" target="_blank"> cowboy boot.</a></div>
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I like to say that riding a horse without spurs is like trying to eat soup with a fork. It can be done, but you are gonna miss a lot of the good stuff. Anyone can strap on a pair of spurs, that's the easy part! A horse needs to be trained to respond to the pressure. The poke and jab method of those old cowboys are a thing of the past. I would advise getting proper instruction on the use of hands, legs and spur from a certified trainer. All spurs should be an AID to your legs, seat and hands. Riding with spurs won't instantly make you a cowboy, have a well trained horse or improve your skills.<br />
And always start with the mildest form of spur. Once a horse is dull sided and over spurred, it is very hard to undo the damage.<br />
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With that said, here are a few styles to think about. Some I like and use, others; not so much.<br />
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The Motivator. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicigXho8fQelSg_qIdVutq95NHg1OcewsIqZDDCGG_tx2DKZ2F-DSHbiiIlZweR2tBxTk3lhXddRH-gar-VDWBpLSqdAnSowZbKDlc3HbrwtSbL0tW0g54fvTI2FVxDjAGa93L0pnsWA28/s1600/MOTIVATOR+spurs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicigXho8fQelSg_qIdVutq95NHg1OcewsIqZDDCGG_tx2DKZ2F-DSHbiiIlZweR2tBxTk3lhXddRH-gar-VDWBpLSqdAnSowZbKDlc3HbrwtSbL0tW0g54fvTI2FVxDjAGa93L0pnsWA28/s320/MOTIVATOR+spurs.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
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These are great for a rider just beginning to use spurs, a youth, or for highly sensitive or well trained horses. The weight of the metal against the ribs adds a little extra 'oomph' to your leg commands.<br />
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The Ball Spur</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJm9ScuFZ5a3Zv6r38mOJDaVoO6qvLV7koPLDRzYuiDn4SkORHKuY0PYzoWlaGq35pkJCtBEbz8rkgeBsDKqSGzcUalpwxowQiF17vNlhq6z8segCxAjuph3zUqB9b14bzUdKInl8AiStg/s1600/Ball+spurs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJm9ScuFZ5a3Zv6r38mOJDaVoO6qvLV7koPLDRzYuiDn4SkORHKuY0PYzoWlaGq35pkJCtBEbz8rkgeBsDKqSGzcUalpwxowQiF17vNlhq6z8segCxAjuph3zUqB9b14bzUdKInl8AiStg/s1600/Ball+spurs.jpg" /></a></div>
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I really like to ride with these, especially on a young horse. They are heavy enough to be noticed, but not aggressive. If you get caught in a bronc situation, the weight of your swinging leg won't gouge your mount. It is easy to reinforce your leg aids with a firm nudge from these spurs.<br />
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Five Rowel or Cloverleaf</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEtSa9u_u94d-bEaG0z8Rd5CMIgjQYwFdEKWcRfnFyWHgPpwE1mE5rK_DVc-KKzZWkLtR7JkafvlhRNcSKazHsC6C5cQK8GB7cVyGH8MLM7TE1OIDCn3jsM6WbbiePAnKqr8pedrEzBh4/s1600/colverleaf+spurtype.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEtSa9u_u94d-bEaG0z8Rd5CMIgjQYwFdEKWcRfnFyWHgPpwE1mE5rK_DVc-KKzZWkLtR7JkafvlhRNcSKazHsC6C5cQK8GB7cVyGH8MLM7TE1OIDCn3jsM6WbbiePAnKqr8pedrEzBh4/s1600/colverleaf+spurtype.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 pointed rowel on a 1 1/2" band with plain straight leather straps.</td></tr>
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Probably the most used spur for recreational riders, these small rowels aren't sharpened. The added rotating rowel can 'feather' up the rib or belly for a subtler cue, or be used in a firmer manner for a pony that isn't paying attention. By pressing with your leg aid, these spurs provide a good tool for a skilled rider.<br />
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Rock Grinders</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipz1tWdgjYH0z9HOzs0ZX8R-CL4p-hy9RVOrD1Yxl08DipPS20lbS9B1c5NSzQz-FbDIeaK0JoPgCYk82AcKfNAHaCB6PAtnRoe8abNNlT4e0Tu5WocGicDAGzfzyf91dWu3ZFzyScOS-O/s1600/Argentine+coin+rowel+spur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipz1tWdgjYH0z9HOzs0ZX8R-CL4p-hy9RVOrD1Yxl08DipPS20lbS9B1c5NSzQz-FbDIeaK0JoPgCYk82AcKfNAHaCB6PAtnRoe8abNNlT4e0Tu5WocGicDAGzfzyf91dWu3ZFzyScOS-O/s320/Argentine+coin+rowel+spur.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Argentine spurs with rock grinder rowels and an added smooth coin rowel disc on top.Note the heel chains. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi89MPT86hUx5pB8Fx8lrL-bHx79LhkMqI8aNBTae3VfzVgF2o6acHcJZ0Xh2qnAvB9Xj5gvW45DY77MDHrvMG22c5S4pQbWzswBstS_7yLr5krl1OCAzyzLdVBdWtkVeQO6LVfZXiIzrx8/s1600/Rock+grinder+spur+vintage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi89MPT86hUx5pB8Fx8lrL-bHx79LhkMqI8aNBTae3VfzVgF2o6acHcJZ0Xh2qnAvB9Xj5gvW45DY77MDHrvMG22c5S4pQbWzswBstS_7yLr5krl1OCAzyzLdVBdWtkVeQO6LVfZXiIzrx8/s1600/Rock+grinder+spur+vintage.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A single rock grinder in the Mexican style.</td></tr>
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Some horses are over so over spurred, lazy or in attentive, that the rock grinders- spurs with sharpened rowel points- are drug out. In my opinion if you have to use such an extreme method to make your horse listen, maybe you need to go <i>wayyy</i> back and try to reinforce your basics. I do see these types of spurs used, but I would never advocate them. Instead , they should be elevated to the 'ART FORM' status so they could languish on your collectibles shelf. </div>
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Different parts of the country also wear their spurs differently. The use of chap guards,( the small hook at the top of the spur to keep your chaps from rolling up in your rowel) heel chains,(used to keep the heel band in place, going under the boot) and ornamental heel bands show a Mexican or Californio style. Not surprising! California was swarming with Vaquero's from Spain and Mexico during it's heyday, and the fancier styles have stuck with us. </div>
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Cowboys from Texas have a little plainer heel band, more applied decoration and straighter shanks.</div>
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Spur straps are an important fashion accessory. The straps have gone from a straight plain piece of harness leather to something highly decorated. You want bling? You can find them! How about the new fashion of painting the decoration on the leather? It's all good!</div>
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For me, a supple usable strap works fine, </div>
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If I've helped anyone learn even a little something about spurs here, I'd love to hear from you!</div>
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Be sure to check out :</div>
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<a href="https://russellswesternwear.com/" target="_blank">Russell Western Wear</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Jenningsbitsandspur" target="_blank">John Jennings Bits and Spurs</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.rayhunt.com/Quotes" target="_blank">Ray Hunt.com </a></div>
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Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-36149918187769460062016-02-27T11:26:00.001-08:002016-03-01T17:15:42.952-08:00Boots are made for Riding...and walking and dancing and....<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: -4.5pt; tab-stops: 4.5pt; text-indent: 0in;">
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">“If I can’t wear boots, I’m not going!</span>” </i><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> I saw this
quote recently on a social media board and I had to laugh. I’ve been saying
this for years! Since only some of my friends ride horses, I am considered a
little bit strange. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"> Flip flops, </span><span style="line-height: 37.3333px;">Birkenstock</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"> and Croc’s make up the majority of
my California friends footwear.</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;"> That’s okay, I like them anyway!</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> As a
matter of fact, I wore a pair of pearlized cowgirl boots under my wedding dress
in 1974.Boy, I wish I had those boots now! I kept them for years, but when I decided to
divorce my </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">first husband, everything except the child, went into the Goodwill
bin.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working cowgirls need good function in a boot.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">At a very
young age, my Daddy put a pair of black and red cowboy boots on my skinny
little feet and I’ve never wore anything else since. It’s kind of a joke that I
never wear ‘tie shoes” because I never learned how to tie my shoes. That’s not completely true,
I’ve worn my share of high heel pumps, and even a ‘tennyshoe’ occasionally;
it’s just I like boots so much better!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">The Cowboy
boot sure has gone through some changes in the years though. When Daddy was a
boy- somewhere in the 40’s, cowboy boots began to be not only necessary
footwear for riders, but also a fashion statement. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-y2gsgBzarAu-C1a_g0oD9PbCiD1xB2kRMJHr9T68FtG4d5_rf6PIUND9H1tKxRwhDhWjh4eMTXzV5-n1y_oxKO8b-hgo86GXKF7eEj-XhSrKYDUP7EcjU3usvrgbAbtldt6ZyDf3LyFo/s1600/csm_cowboy3inbootsonfence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-y2gsgBzarAu-C1a_g0oD9PbCiD1xB2kRMJHr9T68FtG4d5_rf6PIUND9H1tKxRwhDhWjh4eMTXzV5-n1y_oxKO8b-hgo86GXKF7eEj-XhSrKYDUP7EcjU3usvrgbAbtldt6ZyDf3LyFo/s320/csm_cowboy3inbootsonfence.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some cowboys wanted a little fashion in the workplace.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">The Pee Wee topped boots
were made to be fancy. The ‘tops’ were short so the pant could be stuffed down
inside, showing the outside stitching and leatherwork. Fancy inlay, colorful
stitching and sharply cut back heels were the vogue. The ACME Co. was a big
producer of these, considered by many to be a ‘poor man’s’ boot. They are not
so inexpensive today. Collectors of Vintage Western Wear snap these up almost
as soon as they hit the markets.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoCOxTYGJE7uCAd6Z8b4CCG84T0NH_p7uax2ETApdTWTrp6rHLhyphenhyphenYF_A1fmljKZW0TK81NfV-jnOjV8XKe0xah8GTj12zthfU6_80ZVHZffsjjs0iYVKhRu2xQqj-I4Xe_KOV-o5xurnM/s1600/1950s+peewee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoCOxTYGJE7uCAd6Z8b4CCG84T0NH_p7uax2ETApdTWTrp6rHLhyphenhyphenYF_A1fmljKZW0TK81NfV-jnOjV8XKe0xah8GTj12zthfU6_80ZVHZffsjjs0iYVKhRu2xQqj-I4Xe_KOV-o5xurnM/s320/1950s+peewee.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage Pee Wee boots with a scalloped top and with,buck-stitching below the piping.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">The 1950’s and
the invention and wide distribution of the television set made the next wave of
boots fashionable. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Western hero’s such as Tom Mix, and Roy Rogers kicked
wearing boots into high gear. The fancier the better; gaudy colors and
Southwestern designs are sure fire indicators of a 50’s vintage boot. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 37.3333px;">Thunderbird's</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">, diamonds, flames and bucking horses were popular iconic images
stitched into the footwear. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGib_XO9JEBOWO1a0SA8muYjOInYIWTpD-ebqba5-SkoT_azNyk3UL56B66GDBkPGVCudrS06lVB4VkwFTK095Vrh_U0RieBB3nZ5n9shmfEokQgIZwms_KHEKh1PmBsqYxCyoJRUJMnD/s1600/buckinghorseboot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGib_XO9JEBOWO1a0SA8muYjOInYIWTpD-ebqba5-SkoT_azNyk3UL56B66GDBkPGVCudrS06lVB4VkwFTK095Vrh_U0RieBB3nZ5n9shmfEokQgIZwms_KHEKh1PmBsqYxCyoJRUJMnD/s320/buckinghorseboot.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice pair of vintage 50's pee wee boots with a bucking horse design.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">The 1970’s and
Rodeo stars like Larry Mahan and Jim Shoulders toned down the gaudy preferring
instead a buck stitched or exotic skinned boot, one that could take you into the
rodeo in the afternoon </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">and to the dance
at night.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"> Though Tony Lama Boot Co began in 1912, they really became popular during
this time.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFA1FNbOy0cpjBksNXbNlLxBpdE0hvqN9Lee11Ptam6H-bCmJglAm1LDpAGrl08tY5leq1L2jliSM1xayAitAbMyXqkBYOtE1x0abN1zVjws_w-HtgvylK-gz5PJv4j5mavv3N1ehsi9aM/s1600/tonylamawingtip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFA1FNbOy0cpjBksNXbNlLxBpdE0hvqN9Lee11Ptam6H-bCmJglAm1LDpAGrl08tY5leq1L2jliSM1xayAitAbMyXqkBYOtE1x0abN1zVjws_w-HtgvylK-gz5PJv4j5mavv3N1ehsi9aM/s1600/tonylamawingtip.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage Tony Lama boots with exotic leather wingtips, and matching buck-stitching.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">My all-time favorite boots were a pair of <a href="https://russellswesternwear.com/brands/tony-lama-boots" target="_blank">Tony Lama</a> chocolate brown
with a lighter snakeskin toe, edged in white </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 37.3333px; text-indent: 0in;">buck stitch</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">. I had a purse to match
and I thought I was all that AND a bag of chips! In 1989 the Exotic leather boot made up 45% of
Tony Lama’s sales. This trend lasted deep
into the 80s, and then suddenly wearing boots like a cowboy was passé. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyElVvLLNtQn64VEy1ovPDnZk-32bIJ_bOm5Su5FohtfcVzlx4BwXiy2LCeFLenomlCF9cyMs2j0LPEnO_ND68W9OPVzj8hZQRUofbP6nxP-n-ZtSB0Zcjq2mVst18Pq3mRnO5ob-p4Kxv/s1600/Western-Boots-Toe-Shapes-AOM-400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyElVvLLNtQn64VEy1ovPDnZk-32bIJ_bOm5Su5FohtfcVzlx4BwXiy2LCeFLenomlCF9cyMs2j0LPEnO_ND68W9OPVzj8hZQRUofbP6nxP-n-ZtSB0Zcjq2mVst18Pq3mRnO5ob-p4Kxv/s320/Western-Boots-Toe-Shapes-AOM-400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Today <a href="https://russellswesternwear.com/" target="_blank">cowboy boot</a>s continue to evolve
with duck toed boots, square toed boots and the newest trend, painted leather
boots. For the last twenty years it seems like women are now setting the boot
trends, not the men. Cowboy boots are regularly being worn with shorts and
dresses and by women who probably have never swung a leg over a horse in their
lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> I say “ You Go, Girl!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3O3JcECIiA2vMvlRuBQXuwYUbddjuyhNo1dV3C6dZXPXOnDt3cpR-LOdgcfnKJfNT1LHxLIipzl5N-6fxSW2xHJsdfJm3NgNgFcfWKibW6cdHG_duww4vGbrH0I3wfn53R0IKNFk3DB9m/s1600/stock-photo-7398380-stylish-cowboy-boots+don%2527t+do+this.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3O3JcECIiA2vMvlRuBQXuwYUbddjuyhNo1dV3C6dZXPXOnDt3cpR-LOdgcfnKJfNT1LHxLIipzl5N-6fxSW2xHJsdfJm3NgNgFcfWKibW6cdHG_duww4vGbrH0I3wfn53R0IKNFk3DB9m/s320/stock-photo-7398380-stylish-cowboy-boots+don%2527t+do+this.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Never wear your spurs like this! You would not only be laughed out of the West, but you might also get hurt! Note that they spurs are put on upside down and way too high around the ankle!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I am not a
fashionista of boots, I just enjoy them. I wear them hard and have gone through
easily a hundred pair. Most cowboys and cowgirls still want good solid
functional boots, with a little ‘pretty’ thrown in for good measure. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjE2H8pfXILoGzWgqDyNPLMYwpfPA_A41gCQ9vPOulERv8HC6q7v936tmi-JYv81GQAaZHhL9XP4bc9yxA8QYfBPCrfOd9qYrPa_ETC8tzHsND2mO6ZO0XUr69rPgGTgtvR0HhEqnslJne/s1600/arizonacowboy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjE2H8pfXILoGzWgqDyNPLMYwpfPA_A41gCQ9vPOulERv8HC6q7v936tmi-JYv81GQAaZHhL9XP4bc9yxA8QYfBPCrfOd9qYrPa_ETC8tzHsND2mO6ZO0XUr69rPgGTgtvR0HhEqnslJne/s320/arizonacowboy.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Arizona Cowboy. I bet he never put his spurs on upside down!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">The function
of the cowboy boot has always remained true; to protect the riders foot from
injury. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">The pointy toe wasn’t invented to mash cockroaches into corners, it was
designed so the foot could easily slip into, and more importantly, out of a
stirrup. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">The lack of laces is by design. If you were to be thrown from a pitchy
pony, you sure as heck want your foot to be held loosely in your footwear, and
not bound fast by the ankles. And riding through heavy brush, laces can become
hung up in thick cover. The high, angled heel will leverage you against the
stirrup for security, as well as keeping your foot from sliding clear through. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">Leather
soles keep your feet from ‘catching’ in the stirrup. It just so happens that
leather soles are also good for dancing! What Cowgirl doesn’t like that!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8P2bFgWGIm5iZXEqhk3ycoVa7SxdySoZgikVeh0LExGzHx85nbPJNZ5m2M2QZE1xUruCbWu2_8ky0d_pN_uQrTQdKHC_W46zd66NtUWa7zeBjmFD2DgouhBzbyFh-Xh-jPUi4WUEPpAo/s1600/cowboy-boots-anatomy-diagram-parts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8P2bFgWGIm5iZXEqhk3ycoVa7SxdySoZgikVeh0LExGzHx85nbPJNZ5m2M2QZE1xUruCbWu2_8ky0d_pN_uQrTQdKHC_W46zd66NtUWa7zeBjmFD2DgouhBzbyFh-Xh-jPUi4WUEPpAo/s320/cowboy-boots-anatomy-diagram-parts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Here are just a few things that you may want
to know about boots. It is not definitive by any means, and everyone has their
own taste and style. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqry1iPFODWeiVysjODLn8mRZVarD679J5uvgxWjqVmLing4sayttbhji1FgSwvzp1kreG2mkSEQ4lrQbOo-etM-YkDraTaN-qPCqgV8iGJsMG0g2Z5rN0z5__KEttJmVhfSc30yJHHIcN/s1600/02f65cf321c861d9332ef74fd3792e60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqry1iPFODWeiVysjODLn8mRZVarD679J5uvgxWjqVmLing4sayttbhji1FgSwvzp1kreG2mkSEQ4lrQbOo-etM-YkDraTaN-qPCqgV8iGJsMG0g2Z5rN0z5__KEttJmVhfSc30yJHHIcN/s320/02f65cf321c861d9332ef74fd3792e60.jpg" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage Stove top boots.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 21.3333px; line-height: 42.6667px;"><b>Stove top</b></span><b style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">/Stovepipe boots</span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 200%;"> are
straight up and down, and </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">are usually tall; they have no v shape dips in the front or back. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuWHdCQbXrhNqSU29Synw5ZeHt9RrbsjHSt1G2catfQPHzXc0JZwmo54mEhKmrxG25TM7pdUyCkit4yPppQpX5zUzT33j2ldMuczFIf9qdJRntTOFiaKutlUbdOUWBVzVghOTgqDGK2Ue/s1600/mule+ear+boots+photo+from+Tall+Rancher+Boots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuWHdCQbXrhNqSU29Synw5ZeHt9RrbsjHSt1G2catfQPHzXc0JZwmo54mEhKmrxG25TM7pdUyCkit4yPppQpX5zUzT33j2ldMuczFIf9qdJRntTOFiaKutlUbdOUWBVzVghOTgqDGK2Ue/s320/mule+ear+boots+photo+from+Tall+Rancher+Boots.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice example of custom made boots, with a scalloped top and mule ear pulls. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Some
have what are called ‘mule ears’ on each side. Mule ears are attached pieces of
leather you can grab hold of to drag those boots up on your legs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"> Stove tops
can be 16 “tall (or a little more) in some cases. Of course these are meant to
be worn outside the pant leg. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Wild Bill Hitchcock wore </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 37.3333px;">stove top</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"> boots in a lot
of his photographs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiCAGSK_41jX1M601h9rjgWUmOicsFnqiI2QEQKGt4LpPx3Lz80b71lJxuaPT-yDF-QjQQrYcErBB4OYVJlk22xiaA8-BzIY5CL6vHjHK2r1ktGRwZQ9rIzangpckIg0qmKX5JRGP2M1m/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiCAGSK_41jX1M601h9rjgWUmOicsFnqiI2QEQKGt4LpPx3Lz80b71lJxuaPT-yDF-QjQQrYcErBB4OYVJlk22xiaA8-BzIY5CL6vHjHK2r1ktGRwZQ9rIzangpckIg0qmKX5JRGP2M1m/s1600/download.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Bill</td></tr>
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<b style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Scallop Top </span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 200%;">boots are
shorter with a shallow or deep V in the front or back. They are probably the
most popular style as they are easier to get on and off. Most come with pull
tabs but sometimes a </span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px; line-height: 42.6667px;">boot maker</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 200%;"> will put portholes in to make pulling your boots
on a little easier. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJlrtsj_BAKKHAS2ooGpegJNQlImnYvodZIAlNjjm9LXM64hh3DyuRH0mdGJ3KJJlLHFINhYsEaI8u4X_-6MKZEjXSXlc4xJlvcOMqwtXLiPwl8o5LFixkZFN1k0qIbfiOHyb3ICYLv65/s1600/portholeboots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJlrtsj_BAKKHAS2ooGpegJNQlImnYvodZIAlNjjm9LXM64hh3DyuRH0mdGJ3KJJlLHFINhYsEaI8u4X_-6MKZEjXSXlc4xJlvcOMqwtXLiPwl8o5LFixkZFN1k0qIbfiOHyb3ICYLv65/s1600/portholeboots.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Port hole pulls</td></tr>
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<b style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">PEE WEE </span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">boots are very short topped boots.
Sometimes you will see them as a stove pipe, sometimes as a scallop top.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgi9wsESqNhxFzNe7zsfHgNkEGZO3-f8nz6c3SuCYWw3-D6suEWyJ2WOnVA_OBwdli6-oURZh550VWUkD1Ielp7QABOl-vCv8llU63-oNfzVa20k4GK1mp1ciw3p0qgLm-bxqU84XBlYX/s1600/boots-06_jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgi9wsESqNhxFzNe7zsfHgNkEGZO3-f8nz6c3SuCYWw3-D6suEWyJ2WOnVA_OBwdli6-oURZh550VWUkD1Ielp7QABOl-vCv8llU63-oNfzVa20k4GK1mp1ciw3p0qgLm-bxqU84XBlYX/s1600/boots-06_jpg.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage Pee Wee boots with a deep scallop top.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> LACERS AND PACKERS</span></b><span style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 200%;"> are boots
with laces going up the front. They are great if you have to walk and ride. I
don’t think they are great in heavy </span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px; line-height: 42.6667px;">bushy</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 200%;"> country, as the laces can snag in
the branches. </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 200%;">I do have a pair or two for riding around the ranch.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWskSYQHp3bA6PxSALWcurn5sk3TBn7sk2CMWXlHbLYKlLqA68hKqvV8NFL1FV_vBsvCEmHzcExbv8JyIY7OU7T1ZSypRBylIrwJ1uA2c-xd_W999xLv6fiVaA39iWK0bTynlZj-qwVuOD/s1600/lacer+justin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWskSYQHp3bA6PxSALWcurn5sk3TBn7sk2CMWXlHbLYKlLqA68hKqvV8NFL1FV_vBsvCEmHzcExbv8JyIY7OU7T1ZSypRBylIrwJ1uA2c-xd_W999xLv6fiVaA39iWK0bTynlZj-qwVuOD/s320/lacer+justin.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">As I mentioned before, I am a little picky about my boots. I
usually like to try them on before I buy them, but there are a few brands I can
count on for unified fit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> For wear
ability and usability I always pick </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://russellswesternwear.com/" target="_blank">JUSTIN</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Right now I probably have four pair
of Justin boots. My favorite fancy boots are Justin with a J toe and a low heel
of BLUE Ostrich hide. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Whoo-wee! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">They are beautiful and comfortable and my go-to
boot for looking good and feeling powerful! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithMckxMD_4HjRzygkkcP4neq2MCso1m1YZB2AEkI1RsxG4rdx6Ftb8htJX-4_ZWgFpcAkotHj9TlSGbDOnMSOlGmCgxPiISK2ghfNFP4iJ5-ikQHEIVog_mf6H8HV0WlYtXlSo5s_GHfu/s1600/blueboots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithMckxMD_4HjRzygkkcP4neq2MCso1m1YZB2AEkI1RsxG4rdx6Ftb8htJX-4_ZWgFpcAkotHj9TlSGbDOnMSOlGmCgxPiISK2ghfNFP4iJ5-ikQHEIVog_mf6H8HV0WlYtXlSo5s_GHfu/s320/blueboots.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My very own Denim Blue Justin boots. They are so comfy I could sleep in them!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">For Horse shows I wear a very durable brown</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> JUSTIN Roper. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">They are soft and supple when I am in the saddle all day and hold a beautiful
shine so they are easy to care for. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeqZZS3T3c_e3W7_wrgT_6_YrcE4588-ks9MjocYAKFDGfweHDax2VZ42Vy10H5oG_ur3b5S_3CoJwxHO3Yqc56JZWp4Q8mEzOIdkMrsEMmsVe6UWGjhe1En2MiWeQLJbKB5Q4M1Gzv92/s1600/boots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeqZZS3T3c_e3W7_wrgT_6_YrcE4588-ks9MjocYAKFDGfweHDax2VZ42Vy10H5oG_ur3b5S_3CoJwxHO3Yqc56JZWp4Q8mEzOIdkMrsEMmsVe6UWGjhe1En2MiWeQLJbKB5Q4M1Gzv92/s320/boots.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My riding boots. I wear the 'fool' out of them.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">My everyday boots are H H Brand. Slick soled leather with a
rounded toe; they are the keeper of my spurs. I know that if I am ever hung up on
a spooky colt, that boot will slip clean from my foot if necessary. Yet they
fit close enough to provide comfort and support all day. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPw8YdfW0QM4buismgN1Ldby_DBulYeFew9XGmrs64zrW96XBtNBTXNpf5AgPvy1qUXxsEn792frVGEqWONmVe2bZTPPJ7TqMZLaIraE3FIfO2ZJJAFzXeQrfvIDDVNWGZ3h6BCeWV5IP/s1600/justingypsyboots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPw8YdfW0QM4buismgN1Ldby_DBulYeFew9XGmrs64zrW96XBtNBTXNpf5AgPvy1qUXxsEn792frVGEqWONmVe2bZTPPJ7TqMZLaIraE3FIfO2ZJJAFzXeQrfvIDDVNWGZ3h6BCeWV5IP/s320/justingypsyboots.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my pair of Justin Gypsy's. They come in a bunch of different colored tops, including pink camo!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">I go to work every day in </span><a href="https://russellswesternwear.com/" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;" target="_blank">JUSTIN Gypsys</a><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Boy, they are great.
They are wide in the foot, and with a heavy rubber sole. Not great for riding,
but fantastic when you are on your feet all day. I even have a pair in black
Patent leather for those days when I need to look a little more dressed up! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCRIZPmQN3-z2PQNrsBqoRo2fLJTurec3grm-KJPMip2qCUE0qHE8UboDRSbEmmkkK0nbu-72wFvRDGM415IVKgCzb3jYS4Pc3IkbA7zRdeIXzex1g0uJ5ZW3ckqaiw0NLW9CrHKXrHk_/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCRIZPmQN3-z2PQNrsBqoRo2fLJTurec3grm-KJPMip2qCUE0qHE8UboDRSbEmmkkK0nbu-72wFvRDGM415IVKgCzb3jYS4Pc3IkbA7zRdeIXzex1g0uJ5ZW3ckqaiw0NLW9CrHKXrHk_/s320/images.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The pay dirt in the bottom of the pan is this- find a pair of
boots that fit your foot and your lifestyle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Then wear them Hell for Leather! </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-22159581283362119282016-01-14T17:37:00.001-08:002016-01-14T17:37:01.183-08:00California Cowgirl: On The California Trail of Papinta<a href="http://vaquerogirl.blogspot.com/2016/01/on-california-trail-of-papinta.html?spref=bl">California Cowgirl: On The California Trail of Papinta</a>: Papinta, Queen of the Myriad Dance “ All of a sudden I chos...Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-73768903344808740652016-01-14T17:35:00.002-08:002016-01-14T17:35:33.797-08:00On The California Trail of Papinta<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> Papinta, </span><span style="font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;">Queen of the Myriad Dance</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> “<i>All of a sudden I chose to flash forth,
flame forth, blaze! Whither from that was a mystery.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBpW8qce4_B9smbVBv4zYgHj7l0kFHbdaiwcOyvNWMat6z43Xe-5WGIsRjENBXUnvMVjBWTSvLJzfRcqvy76AIZqmbKiObhoWOay5S628ftzkN03fnYXvbYGRP-XbGlr1r2BKUcda_aXc/s1600/pipintaloiefuller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBpW8qce4_B9smbVBv4zYgHj7l0kFHbdaiwcOyvNWMat6z43Xe-5WGIsRjENBXUnvMVjBWTSvLJzfRcqvy76AIZqmbKiObhoWOay5S628ftzkN03fnYXvbYGRP-XbGlr1r2BKUcda_aXc/s1600/pipintaloiefuller.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Forever known as Papinta, The Flame Dancer, Caroline
“Carrie” Hipple Holpin was a luminary of the stage in more ways than one. Like
the colors inside a candle flame, her dancing was mesmerizing. Almost 150 years from the date of her birth,
Miss Caroline Hipple Holpin is still confounding and inspiring her fans. She
would be thrilled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">She was born about 1867 into a world that didn’t know
electricity, moving pictures, automobiles, cross country trains, or women that
relished their own power. She claimed that she was born in San Francisco, but
when she was age 6 her father moved them to Chicago, where her parents soon
died, leaving her and three siblings orphaned. Then their trail goes quite
cold, as you may expect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Young George may have been adopted, along with their
sister Sadie, by Lizzie and Milon Cutler according to an 1880 Minnesota census,
but by 1890 neither child is shown on the census living with them. Carrie said
in one interview that George took care of her, but in fact little is known of
their early life. Carrie herself loved to embellish her background, relishing
the mystery that surrounded her. In one story she would be of Spanish decent,
in another she might be Russian. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">From a 1901 interview with the San Francisco Call, she
recalled hearing this conversation on a trolley car,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">“ “<i>Have you see
Papinta?”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">“Yes. Who is
she?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> That is
always the question. I like to keep people guessing</span></i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">For the star she was destined to become, her enigmatic
beginnings would be a plus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6Fcv3HITDDPWG3-e_TLTDWo4L_XkYvAFZiuNHxlPcBwfGWIj1iuasaXUza2k3_LmnZeic3Jp0t7atEEQUzVEog8QYzZwuy00XyvDUvaKmAHleC_iyAizFdbcp_DNI912TbZZAigLfZjM/s1600/Pipinta+picture1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6Fcv3HITDDPWG3-e_TLTDWo4L_XkYvAFZiuNHxlPcBwfGWIj1iuasaXUza2k3_LmnZeic3Jp0t7atEEQUzVEog8QYzZwuy00XyvDUvaKmAHleC_iyAizFdbcp_DNI912TbZZAigLfZjM/s1600/Pipinta+picture1.jpg" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> She and her beloved brother stayed
together through her life. Evidently he was silent on the subject of their
ancestry, for no interviews by him could be uncovered. Of her childhood, one
story sounds true; she loved horses. She admitted that as a child she would beg
the milk man to ride his steady horse along the rounds. Her sole aim in life
was to be wealthy enough to own as many horses as she liked. In the end, she owned 61 blooded thoroughbred
race horses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Photos of the beautiful Caroline Hipple show a lively,
slim woman with wavy black hair, a seductive smile and an angelic demeanor; a
born star. Carrie was quick to say that she didn’t enjoy dancing, and that she
even considered other forms of work. Until she met Mr. Ziegfeld, (father of Flo
Ziegfeld of Follies fame) she had never danced. But 1893, the year that the
Chicago World’s Fair opened, changed everything. She took lessons, was booked
as a dancer and invited to be a featured performer at the Trocadero. Carrie
took to it like a duck to water, becoming one of the first female vaudeville
performers, and the first to perform with electric lights. A year later she
went to Cincinnati, Ohio where the first of her patented electrical effects
were used. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">“<i>W.J. Holpin
worked them for me as he always has since</i>.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">William J.
Holpin was an electrical entrepreneur in 1890’s. He worked in the </span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">theater</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">, and that is where he met and married the young beautiful Carrie. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">With William’s electrical knowledge and her own flair
for theatrics, she turned yards of silk into a seething and sultry ‘Fire Dance’
that set the world on its ear. Using her nubile form, and holding a fabric
draped wand in each hand, she danced upon glass floors illuminated by carbon
arc lamps, suffused with color and reflected by mirrors , emulating butterflies,
flowers, flames and angels. Often her bare feet were burned and blistered. Her
intriguing dance became the talk of the town. Reporters waxed poetic about her
willowy form, rainbow colors and surprising athletic ability. Quickly Papinta became “Queen of the Myriad
Dance”, and Modern Dance was born.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">As she tells it, she and Loie Fuller, another early
danseuse, both wanted the rights to The Crystal Maze, a machine of mirrors that
reflected light and whirling colors. They were in a buggy race to get to the
owner of the patent, Count von Prittwitz Palm, she won, and the rest is history.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">But being a star was not always </span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">glamorous</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">. Along with
the constant travelling, strenuous routines and </span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">clamoring</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> fans, it was also
quiet dangerous. The arc lights emitted dangerous gasses and the glass floor
plates were extremely hot. In Atlanta the glass plate she danced upon broke,
sending her crashing into the machine and crippling her for days. She seriously
thought of giving up the dance at that point, but after her burns had healed
she continued to entertain, saying,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">“Lightning
never strikes twice in the same place, you know</span></i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">,”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">She had over twenty routines and each had a special
costume. Along with the full orchestra and lighting systems that she and her
husband had developed, she was reported to travel with almost 30 trunks of
clothing. In one interview she admitted, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> <i>“Sometimes one dress has to be packed in a
trunk all by itself, so that it does not get harmed and that is the reason for
the great number</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> She went
so far as to brag a bit as well, saying, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> “<i>No costume that I have contains less than
150 yards of material, and that used in the Fire Dance contains 520 yards of
silk</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">In fact one of her costumes in 1901 was made of 1000
yards of silk and was held up by ‘whips 18 feet long”. After her grueling
twenty minute show she would collapse backstage, covered in sweat and
completely exhausted. In San Francisco at the Orpheum Theater she often gave
two performances daily. She was often exhausted, and longing for the comfort of
Papinta Villa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> Soon she was
the highest paid and most proclaimed dancer of her day, visiting every major
Capitol in the world. In 1900 she was the featured performer of the Paris
World’s Fair. Her brother George was her
tour manager. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Why she chose Concord, California to start her horse
ranch is somewhat of a mystery. Perhaps it is because it was close to San
Francisco, or San Rafael, where her husband’s father lived. Perhaps it was the
beauty of the land at the base of Mt Diablo along Pine Canyon Creek. She said
that she ‘thought it up’ on her way back to San Francisco from Fresno. I
believe it was because one of the pre-eminent breeders and owners of racehorses,
B. C Holly, lived right across the Carquinez River in Vallejo. Carrie’s husband
William wished to be a race horse owner, and she had always loved horses; it
seems like a perfect plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> In 1897 she
purchased 165 acres of prime land for $8000. In a time where Box and Opera seats
cost $.50, reserved seats cost $.25 and balcony seats cost $.10, this was a
grand fortune. 1899 she purchased a band of broodmares and a prominent
Thoroughbred stallion named El Rayo from the Estate of B. C. ‘By’ Holly. She and William began to breed and race their
own horses. Giddy with delight she would tell anyone who asked that she wanted
to spend the rest of her life at ‘Papinta Villa’, and would regale them with
stories of all her horses and pets. In March 1900, The L. A. Herald printed
pictures of Carrie, kissing her horses, climbing fences and strolling through
her orchard. Carrie also took the
reporter for a wild ride through San Francisco in her own ‘trap’. In an eerie
turn of phrase, realizing the folly of her impetuous drive, she quipped, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> <i>“ …wouldn’t it be terrible to lose the ranch
after sweatin’ through all of those shows for it</i>?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Then in March 1905, while she was away on tour and
filming the first motion picture of her modern dance, her husband was stricken
with what was considered then to be a massive heart attack. He died and Carrie
hurried back to California, devastated. William was only 35 years old; even by
the standards of 1905 he was a very young to die of a heart attack. Papers of
the day tried to make it a story, some claiming it was certainly a mysterious
death. To make matters even worse, W.
James Holpin and his daughter, William’s father and sister, were claiming
rights to the Rancho and all the stock. They had presumably destroyed all of
William and Carries important papers, such as marriage certificates and Williams’s
last will and testament. Carries will was still intact in the trunk where all
the documents had been stored. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Carrie filed suit against W. James, April 6, 1906,
just 12 days before the Big Quake and Fire in San Francisco. Employing
Attorneys from San Francisco and Martinez, Carrie fought back and in September
of 1906 she won the suit to retain the ranch. Though she loved horses, Carrie
sold all the stock, turning the horse ranch into a chicken farm as she
continued to tour the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwa95sGaP1ffqn7ETd8bYzxGN9v1IvoRsuZOrexSRt4mXJAwz8aNg2iy0cezrGMFOQ0EBYPsfJw9QQX99cwUvYx89UUuD8DfK6NgP4dTPJwxTvmNcOd1I3SDBehc45mVfHiPKvdM0RHFsa/s1600/P1040043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwa95sGaP1ffqn7ETd8bYzxGN9v1IvoRsuZOrexSRt4mXJAwz8aNg2iy0cezrGMFOQ0EBYPsfJw9QQX99cwUvYx89UUuD8DfK6NgP4dTPJwxTvmNcOd1I3SDBehc45mVfHiPKvdM0RHFsa/s320/P1040043.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">She buried her husband in the family plot in Martinez,
California on the banks of the Carquinez River. Williams’s mother was buried
there as well. She ordered for him a $1600 monument, and it arrived in San
Francisco on April 18, 1906; the same day as the Infamous Quake and Fire. The
monument was never seen again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Heartbroken Carrie continued to illuminate the stages
of the world with her beautiful dances and thrilling performances. She also continued
to use the dangerous carbon arc lamps to light her stages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">In Cuba, cigars were named after her. Jewels and gifts
were lavished upon her. Papers of the day trumpeted her performances. Young
girls emulated her dances. Everything
she had ever wanted was laid at her feet. She was a Superstar in every sense of
the word. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Then on August 10 1907 while she was on tour in
Dusseldorf, Germany, she collapsed after her show and died. Many sources put her death in November of that
year, but they are mistaken. Because she was abroad when she died, it took
three months to ship her body home so she could lie beside her beloved William.
She was buried in Martinez on November 27, 1907. It is believed that she had
been overcome by the very dangerous fumes from the arc lamps she still used. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">She was 38 years old and at the height of her fame and
beauty. Though she had not wanted fame, she accepted it gracefully, saying
about herself, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">“<i>I’m just an
ordinary woman with the impudence to try what I don’t know anything about…”</i>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> END<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-26388085986668598352015-07-06T18:20:00.003-07:002015-07-06T18:20:54.297-07:00On The California Trail of Joaquin Miller- Poet of the Sierras<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> On the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">California Trail of...</span></div>
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<b> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">Joaquin Miller</span></b><br />
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<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Flying down Highway 13, just on the Northern edge of
Oakland, where the pickle marshes meet the redwoods, there is a green highway
sign- Joaquin Miller Dr. There is also a Joaquin Miller School and Joaquin
Miller dog park. I had heard of the famous outlaw Joaquin Murietta-famous for
allegedly losing his head- but who was Joaquin Miller?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Joaquin was born Sept 8,1839 and given the exceptional name of Cincinnatus Heine
Miller-“Nat” to his family. (Joaquin later changed his birthdate to November 19, 1841. The reason for the date change is unclear, but perhaps he felt if he were younger he would be more marketable.) About 1850-52 his father moved the family West along the Oregon
Trail and finally settled in Willamette Valley, Oregon. Nat had to work hard,
and I believe that is the one thing that he did not want to do. Through the history of his life, it seems he was always trying to find the easier way to make his living. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Madonna is known for her constantly changing persona, but
she has nothing on Joaquin Miller. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In his lifetime Joaquin Miller was married three times,
had five or six children, (depending on which story you want to believe,) was a
horse thief, a judge, a Pony Express rider, an Editor, a Newspaper man, a cook
, a naturalist, a poet and a play write. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">His notoriety, here in California at least, has
everything to do with his books and poetry as well as the company he was able
to keep. He was not as witty as Samuel Clements, had none of the style of Brete
Harte nor the dedication of Ina Coolbrith. He wasn’t as sexy as Jack London or as acerbic as Ambrose Bierce.
Yet these people welcomed him into their circles, invited him to join their
clubs and read his material with care. He must have had a powerful personality, as well as a literary mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At the age of 17, Nat ran away from Willamett, and
began immediately changing everything about himself. At 18 he aligned himself
with William Walker, the 1<sup>st</sup> President of the Republic of Lower
California (Nov 1853-January 21, 1854.)(Nicaragua) He said he went to Nicaragua with
Walker but they had a falling out and
Nat left before long. Good thing too-
William Walker was executed by the Government of Honduras in 1860.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijy0_DSEzaZrOkBninGkf_Q0N_wt4RRJklOkrlzrh8rRNwgwBNDcXq2U63l06iWT8f7qQes-wiJYjVkPiYTbJbh4eLiJDNI2fhiNI5fsubmpNbzxWkKzJn0ay2eag9oEegSN8LNkvXCEbM/s1600/trinity-divide-castle-crags-april2013-020_edited-1-custom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijy0_DSEzaZrOkBninGkf_Q0N_wt4RRJklOkrlzrh8rRNwgwBNDcXq2U63l06iWT8f7qQes-wiJYjVkPiYTbJbh4eLiJDNI2fhiNI5fsubmpNbzxWkKzJn0ay2eag9oEegSN8LNkvXCEbM/s320/trinity-divide-castle-crags-april2013-020_edited-1-custom.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle Crags, Shasta Co</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The year of 1854 found Nat now in the company of the Pitt
River Indian Tribe. He was young and full of juice, speaking up when he should
have been quiet. It was known that he was fond of the women, and took one for
himself. Though he denied having a romantic relationship, he sired a daughter
named Cali-Shasta. The Pitt River Indians fought the U.S Army at the <a href="http://www.siskyouhistory.org/" target="_blank">Battle ofCastle Crags </a>in 1855. He often said he was on the 'wrong' side of that altercation,for an Indian woman was credited with saving his life. He also was injured there,claiming his cramped handwriting was a product of an arrow through his wrist and his neck, though no one ever remembered seeing him there and most accounts are taken from Nat himself ( and we know by now that he exagerated a bit!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Somewhere along the way he
was arrested for the borrowing of a horse that he didn’t buy, nor return. His Native American 'wife' is credited with freeing him from prison. He also said he was a Pony Express rider. Of course most of those records are lost to
history, and there is no definitive list of riders. If Nat did ride for the
Pony Express, it probably was short runs between Sacramento and Oakland, not
overland. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nat returned to Oregon and supposedly finished college. He moved around towards Nevada and Idaho, saying he mined a fortune in gold. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">He worked for a time as a mining camp cook- but contracted</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"> </span><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/scurvy" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;" target="_blank">scurvy</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">from eating his own cooking. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By using the gold and money
he earned from the Pony Express, he bought into a newspaper, <i>The Democratic
Regester</i>,installed himself as Editor and began writing in 1862.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> In 1864 He was elected as a Judge in
Canyon City Oregon, Grant County. Evidently the charge of horse thief wasn’t a
deterrent to him practicing law. In this time he began writing poems, sending
them out to the Literati of the day. Bret Harte thought him a bit theatrical,
but was kind in his critique, which served to encourage Nat, rather than deter
him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He married, legally for the first time around 1867, and had
two (or three) children. In 1868 he published his own book of Poems- 500 copies
of “<i>Specimens</i>”. He gave most of them away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In 1870, his wife Teresea Dyer finally tired of his shenanigans. He had been linked
romantically with several woman, his lack of work ethic and his general malaise
in respect to their marriage led to their divorce. Never one to weep, Nat
continued to send his poems off, and in 1870 took encouraging words from Bret
Hart to heart and lit off for San Francisco. He met the other circle of Bay
Area writers there, most especially Ina Coolbrith who had a soft spot for him. It
was she that told him he would never be a world class writer with a name like
Cincinnatus- so he changed it, emulating someone he had just been writing about; Outlaw
of California- Joaquin Murietta. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Joaquin began to
get more and more eccentric, his stories became more flamboyant. Ambrose Bierce scoffed that Joaquin had,”
invented himself reading dime novels.” At
this time his daughter Cali-Shasta showed up. Unsure what to do with her, he
left her in the charge of Ina and went to England. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Europeans have always been fascinated by the Wild
West. In Joaquin Miller they found everything that they desired, eating his stories
up and begging for more. Joaquin dressed in red flannel shirts, wore a sombrero
hat like a cowboy, gauntleted his hands and stomped about in boots. He howled.
He drank. He fornicated. He published ,<i>The
Song of the Sierra</i>, and<i> Life among the Modoc’s</i>, claiming every word to be true to
his life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ambrose Bierce said of him,” He was the greatest liar
this country ever produced. He cannot or will not tell the truth.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ambrose, Jack and Mark Twain all claimed that their
stories were ‘true life’, and while that may mostly be true, there is still a
bit of poetic license in all of them. The fact that they all called Joaquin
Miller out on his ‘tall stories’ makes one wonder about their objectives. Of course,Joaquin’s claims about every aspect of his life also become suspect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While in England he began to call himself, “The Byron of the Rockies”, or "The American Byron", and made quite a show of visiting Lord Byron's gravesite. He even laid a laurel
wreath fashioned by Ina of California Laurels (Bay) on the grave of Lord Byron as a tribute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By 1871 Joaquin was back in New York. Despite his rousing
success, the adulation of the Europeans was wearing thin. Girl trouble? I think probably. While in New York he touted himself as a Play
write, orator and writer but that success was just not enough. He married Abigail Leland and had ( at least) one more child.But the West called him and soon he was back in San Francisco.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He began getting more notoriety, money was coming in. He
bought several tracts of land and built a ‘compound’ he called “ The Hights’. The little house he built was called "The Abby" now a California State Park. Many notable writers began coming around, he hosted long parties, entertaining
his friends and detractors alike. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHe6Uyn5J7yeYG98PoZbGXhkNioKg_MSxXpyskTlho1dot-Ddegc35la1zCiHYWsHExoaydB_o1wjEU8fP34bEeI0ewRarCRrxOzn5jlgZW-Q-Vp-w_yqMG1xjKhkqbJakpAoWFXcL12h/s1600/20150626_130340_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHe6Uyn5J7yeYG98PoZbGXhkNioKg_MSxXpyskTlho1dot-Ddegc35la1zCiHYWsHExoaydB_o1wjEU8fP34bEeI0ewRarCRrxOzn5jlgZW-Q-Vp-w_yqMG1xjKhkqbJakpAoWFXcL12h/s320/20150626_130340_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaque at The Abby</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMko6FNmHLmdPyQgic3ZYTWFgS45TSSuYrmJFa42bLWoFtBJQ5fXm37wIO5yzsBxGgB5MWL3WO4DPshiXfNey6ZfYgH_IdFLyoEfAfJB74x6SEkWwE94kFDy-Ioh_-WGOrx0VyQoruWa1/s1600/20150626_130521_resized_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMko6FNmHLmdPyQgic3ZYTWFgS45TSSuYrmJFa42bLWoFtBJQ5fXm37wIO5yzsBxGgB5MWL3WO4DPshiXfNey6ZfYgH_IdFLyoEfAfJB74x6SEkWwE94kFDy-Ioh_-WGOrx0VyQoruWa1/s320/20150626_130521_resized_1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Abby</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">His love for the open spaces and the tall trees of his
youth spurred him to plant hundreds of trees on his property as well as Angel
Island in San Francisco Bay. Arbor Day was a Joaquin Miller invention, and the people
who travel to Joaquin Miller Park can still see the trees he planted there. He
even hired guards to protect his trees from revelers’ who wanted to cut
Christmas Trees on his property during the holidays. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9O_EEJX53y15YIt8bpPHhJIwm-q5uewXCXm7nTq6HfFFAMfCcA3x_1_zgzSeqKw7VxVpPvVm_pKC9GQCMPR45gRB89tK6pbGcjqaygvO2y_KWf8igUX_P_mZIhTp8M6WOyw28ytvT11Xz/s1600/sequoia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9O_EEJX53y15YIt8bpPHhJIwm-q5uewXCXm7nTq6HfFFAMfCcA3x_1_zgzSeqKw7VxVpPvVm_pKC9GQCMPR45gRB89tK6pbGcjqaygvO2y_KWf8igUX_P_mZIhTp8M6WOyw28ytvT11Xz/s320/sequoia.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Redwood trees</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Perhaps he was encouraged and jealous by the adventures
of Ambrose Bierce and Jack London, because in 1897, not content to sit in The
Hights and write, he travelled to The Yukon. It wasn’t a successful trip. He
lost a few toes to frostbite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ever the lothario, he returned to The Hights, fended off
a lawsuit from a 16 year old girl, and was kept company by his daughter
Juanita. He died February 17 1913. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But of course the story doesn’t end there! During his life Joaquin was captured by the
stories of other mythic heroes- he considered himself one. On his property he
had erected several monuments to people he considered worthy- Robert and
Elizabeth Browning, Moses and John C Fremont. Why he didn't erect one to his hero Lord Byron is a mystery. He also erected a Funeral Pyre for
himself, with instructions that his body should not be embalmed, and there should be
no religious ceremony. This is what he wanted , but his wishes were mostly
ignored. His funeral was held on Feb 19 and was attended by huge crowds of
people, mostly wanting to be associated with his celebrated name. The Preacher
who spoke called him “The last of
America’s great Poets”, although he himself said, "<i>I</i> <i>couldn’t tell the difference
between a hexameter and a pentameter to save my scalp.” <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">He was finally cremated and Members of The Bohemian Club and The Press Club returned the ashes to the funeral pyre in May, where they burned the
urn that held his ashes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Joaquin Miller was one of the founders of the The Press
Club of Alameda in 1909- A faction split off and is now renamed The California’s
Writers Club.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Visitors to Oakland can visit <a href="http://fojmp.org/" target="_blank">Joaquin Miller Park</a> take an easy hike around the park and see the monuments Joaquin erected. During the summer there are plays and music on The Steps. Every where the ghost of Joaquin lurks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.woodminster.com/Webpages/JMPark/JoaquinMiller.html" target="_blank">The Writers Memorial Grove </a>at Joaquin Miller Park in California
celebrates Californias writers by the planting of trees. Of course the first
tree planted was for Joaquin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-54067008506100699242015-06-15T18:01:00.001-07:002015-06-15T18:01:51.449-07:00On The California Trail of Captain Joseph R Walker- Mountain Man<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGF4c-qXDu1cg7yvIEpan1WVi6Sa0WkfU8ZOTYUnwRCs_2Qnam-KB6_0blOZ2Ne1Gz6WuQ5NrCjGlfpYVljLDnvYQ-yA7MzumBYYwsVOaVKodAedO0584Ac1rO9Obdl6n-LBQLDeX1-sJ/s1600/martinez+potters+field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGF4c-qXDu1cg7yvIEpan1WVi6Sa0WkfU8ZOTYUnwRCs_2Qnam-KB6_0blOZ2Ne1Gz6WuQ5NrCjGlfpYVljLDnvYQ-yA7MzumBYYwsVOaVKodAedO0584Ac1rO9Obdl6n-LBQLDeX1-sJ/s320/martinez+potters+field.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The air is warm and sharp with
pine and the graveyard is anything but quiet. Sugar pines sway,throwing mottled shadows against grey granite tombstones, ship horns blare, as
the steady rattle of a freight train floats up from below the ridge. This place
is alive with sound, color, and history. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This is not my first visit to the cemetery. I am a frequent visitor here. But today I am looking for a particular man. I find him buried near the top of the hill, a leader among men;
Captain Joseph R. Walker. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Born in 1798, Joseph Rutherford Walker was born in Roane
County,Tennessee. How did he come to be buried at a Pioneer Cemetery in <a href="http://www.cityofmartinez.org/" rel="nofollow">Martinez,</a> California? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“Camped at Yosemite Nov 13, 1833”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tombstone of Joseph R Walker.<br />
Photo taken by Sam Colacura</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The power of that statement is readily apparent, perhaps
more so to those of us living in
California; California didn't become a <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23856" rel="nofollow">State until Sept 9,1850, </a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">At the age of fifteen, Joe and his older brother Joel,
joined General Andrew Jackson’s Army. It must have been a mighty adventure,
especially since Joe was related to Jackson, as well as another hero of the War
of 1812; Sam Houston. He learned about horses during this time, as his job was 'horse boy'. It was something that lasted him most of his life. Frequently history records that Joe was traveling with a herd of 100 or more horses, and on one instance he took a herd of 500 into Arizona. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It wasn’t until Joe was nearing his 30’s that he
decided to go west, when asked by Benjamin Bonneville to lead his trapping expedition. It is a matter of some speculation weather Joe was being paid by the U.S. Government to be a scout or a spy. Since Bonneville obtained a passport and visa for Joseph R Walker to enter into the Mexican held Territory of California, I might speculate to the latter.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">Joe stayed with Bonneville and his party, making it as
far as </span><a href="http://wiki.wyomingplaces.org/" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 150%;">Green River Wyoming.</a><span style="line-height: 150%;"> In January 1832 Bonneville sent Joseph and a band of 58 well
provisioned men, to scout passage to The Great Salt Lake and the Mormon held territory beyond. He was to return the following summer. But Joe Walker had his own ideas. It was rumored that Joe built his own party to continue into California. Perhaps he was working on behalf of the United States, recording new trails into and out of California. His extensive knowledge of topography and Native American peoples served him well as he ventured where only two other white men had ever traveled. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> He and his men traveled</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> down the Humboldt River, camped around the Humboldt Sinks, and then
went on to the shores of what is now Mono Lake. Seeking a passage across the
mountains, they came across one of the greatest
sights known to any man, <a href="http://www.yosemitepark.com/" rel="nofollow">Yosemite Valley</a>. Joseph and his men camped on the rim, unable to reach the valley floor. It must have made quite an impression, for
every man that was able described it later in diaries and personal papers as one of
the greatest sights of their lives. The date- you guessed it- November 13,
1833.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">They had to continue South and then over the mountains, an arduous journey that proved to be nearly deadly. Though he never lost a man, the party was reduced to eating quite a few of their horses. Finally they reached the </span><span style="line-height: 150%;">the</span><a href="http://www.monumentaltrees.com/" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 150%;"> Sequoia</a> Big Trees, then North<span style="line-height: 150%;"> to </span><a href="http://www.sanjuanbautistaca.com/" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 150%;">San Juan Bautista</a> where they obtained permission to camp from the Mission Fathers. They were were 40 miles from St.(<span style="line-height: 150%;">San) Francisco and 50 miles from Monterey. </span><br />
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Over the next 34 years Joseph R Walker continued to criss-cross the deserts and mountains of California. He traveled frequently to the Southwest, selling mules and horses to the Army. He was friendly to the Native Tribes when able, and though he was asked to scout for the Mexican Government, he declined, preferring to travel and trade horses, scout trails and be a free man. He often traveled with his nephew Frank McClellan. Again and again he traveled the trails from Missouri, across the United States and up and down California, leading Armies, wagon trains and explorers.<br />
Never one to be intimidated by any man, his contemporaries were Capt John Sutter and Capt John C Fremont, Jim Bridger and U.S. Presidents. as well as simple men, He was an individual that people were drawn to because of his strength of character<br />
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Finally with his eyesight failing and old age approaching, Joseph Walker retired to his nephews ranch called Manzinita,in Contra Costa, described as being near the Walnut Creek. It must have been closer to Martinez, because he was buried there after his death on October 27,1876.<br />
It was by his own request that the inscription was chiseled upon his stone.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_-sSt4zQhb6jn-3dxJ-7qsTce5O6yMHlCGF17RhAuT9e_IIRixOVJvh4emPW56ErrTIcsIbqFiOHirV1mtE3MTKonmC-fw8XoDrQPOiVGrThaiuEbQPb0Mj14dhhMAF7TYkD_m0TMf6L/s1600/the+straits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_-sSt4zQhb6jn-3dxJ-7qsTce5O6yMHlCGF17RhAuT9e_IIRixOVJvh4emPW56ErrTIcsIbqFiOHirV1mtE3MTKonmC-fw8XoDrQPOiVGrThaiuEbQPb0Mj14dhhMAF7TYkD_m0TMf6L/s320/the+straits.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Joseph R Walkers Gravesite, overlooking the Carquinez Straits<br />
Taken by Barbara Glenn</td></tr>
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All in all Joseph R Walker has a Pass, a lake, a town (in Arizona) a river, a Basin, and a mining district named after him. He carried the first white child over the Continental Divide on his own horse. He risked his life to see what lay over the next ridge, and to make travel into the bountiful land of California safer for settlers. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8meu4gGMrU_lasJOSB8pw2cuQlU5R0QXayFzQdsxjbumgVeKAge5hLIol92jR_9xBMkhyphenhyphenMt0m-kT3OpA4Ddt3ffZwjIe7Q4cDw2CiVbHf31ROelub71xSSkUH6KXTFMydFvQ1UjBy4C1/s1600/Joseph_Walker_circa_1860_by_Mathew_Brady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8meu4gGMrU_lasJOSB8pw2cuQlU5R0QXayFzQdsxjbumgVeKAge5hLIol92jR_9xBMkhyphenhyphenMt0m-kT3OpA4Ddt3ffZwjIe7Q4cDw2CiVbHf31ROelub71xSSkUH6KXTFMydFvQ1UjBy4C1/s1600/Joseph_Walker_circa_1860_by_Mathew_Brady.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">photo circa 1860.Taken by Mathew Brady</span></td></tr>
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Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-71427195102691602802015-06-06T13:57:00.000-07:002015-06-06T13:57:34.310-07:00On The California Trail of...Howdy Friends- if any of you are still out there!<br />
I've been away from the Blog World for awhile, but I am going to begin again. Before I do, just a quick update~<br />
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My Grandson is now 7. He's a little man, raising stock, joining 4-H, hunting and shooting and camping with his Dad. He's growing like a weed and I'm afraid someday soon he will out grow me!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXJcDFFboKP2ccAWbsL4W1SwwsoeFvlsu7zOBokuqe36wC9XqynzrGCzeAEVKNiMPxR5z-IdMfpo8pXIacoRChGzgODOjMcICQV0whoqG8LYJw79QZQrPLfvi6celw6fJ6gF292LiFZPG/s1600/20150117_131549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXJcDFFboKP2ccAWbsL4W1SwwsoeFvlsu7zOBokuqe36wC9XqynzrGCzeAEVKNiMPxR5z-IdMfpo8pXIacoRChGzgODOjMcICQV0whoqG8LYJw79QZQrPLfvi6celw6fJ6gF292LiFZPG/s320/20150117_131549.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Mommy in Spurs has a full time job. her horse, Bob is 18 now, and she isn't showing him any longer, but she still rides him around the area. He's great for Jr to ride around. Mimi is in love and thinking about getting married.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrWE1iL-PbKgEuE4KqBdwe5yeUgvx4RelfuKZIvJetwcc9qhflnwUAUanyTcsAvfI3FzDS3vNf5su5-Cp6hSNTjzRjY3v-p2DL0JYmIEwsu-YkAz58loFrHRnzyJo2HSCDXi8ifT0yQdp/s1600/IMG_684882458129671.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrWE1iL-PbKgEuE4KqBdwe5yeUgvx4RelfuKZIvJetwcc9qhflnwUAUanyTcsAvfI3FzDS3vNf5su5-Cp6hSNTjzRjY3v-p2DL0JYmIEwsu-YkAz58loFrHRnzyJo2HSCDXi8ifT0yQdp/s320/IMG_684882458129671.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am retired from the Auction House- s o that will give me more time to ride and write and do other stuff too.<br />
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My newest creation is a series of History articles entitled " On the California Trail of..."<br />
It will be about notorious California personalities, ( mostly Northern California) and retrace some of their stories. I hope to be able to add photographs of the areas as they are now as well as recount some history.<br />
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Some of the notables on my list are:<br />
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Explorers<br />
Capt Joseph R Walker<br />
De Anza<br />
Captain John C Fremont<br />
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Naturalist <br />
John Muir <br />
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Writers <br />
Mark Twain<br />
Bret Harte<br />
John Steinbeck<br />
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Artists Maynard Dixon<br />
Ansel Adams<br />
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Outlaws<br />
Black Bart<br />
Capt Jack<br />
Joaquin Murietta<br />
Tiburcio Vasquez<br />
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Activist<br />
Toypurina<br />
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Sports<br />
Joe Dimaggio<br />
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This list will keep me busy for quite awhile!<br />
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I hope you will join me as I work my way forward in this new adventure!<br />
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<br />Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-52367436591232411232014-08-03T13:02:00.000-07:002014-08-03T13:02:26.551-07:00Fight Fire with ActionsHere in the West it is Fire Season. Not nearly as much fun as Holiday Season, I'm sure you will agree. But since we have a few more months of serious drought and severe fire danger, I thought maybe you all would like to know how you can begin to prepare your barn and livestock for a disaster. Remember, the time to formulate a disaster plan isn't the first hour of the event.<br />
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1. Make a plan. Now I mean REALLY think about it. Think about how many animals you have to account for. How many can you move right away? How long will it take you to hook up your trailer? How much food can you throw on the truck? Do you have cages,crates,boxes for your dogs cats,chickens and rabbits? Who is available to help you? Important to remember- the Fire Crews care about <i>your</i> safe removal from an evacuated area, they can't worry about loss of animals as well. IF YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE EVACUATED START RIGHT AWAY. Better to be loaded and gone, able to return, than not loaded and gone and burned up in the process.<br />
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HINT: Put small bags of pet food and a bottle of water (and any meds your pet might need) in each crate or cage you will be using. Store them in an area where you can get to them right away.( NOT behind the shed, under the old fencing materials etc.) Add those noose type leashes to the crates as well in case you need to lead them somewhere in a hurry.<br />
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2. Talk to your friends and have a place to go OUTSIDE your general neighborhood. You may not have to stay long,but it is a good to have a safe haven for everyone. Hotels might take a dog, but not usually chickens, goats etc.<br />
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HINT: Talk to your County Animal Control or Sheriff - find out if they have Sheltering sites listed. If they have a disaster plan, they will be able to get you in touch with volunteers during an event. Contact them now to see how they are able to help, or you are able to help them.<br />
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3. Try to make your home or ranch a defensible position. ( It is not always possible) That means that should a fire or flood sweep the area and you couldn't get out, you could defend your home with limited resources. It is a good idea to have graveled driveways, cut the brush away from fences, mow or plow burn strips between roads and houses. Remove trash, old wood, dead trees etc. Have hoses at the spigots. Have good rakes and shovels close at hand.<br />
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HINT: Try to get your neighbors to work in tandem with you in this, a bigger swatch of defensible ground is always better.<br />
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4. Clean up your barn on a regular basis. No one likes sweeping the spider webs from the rafters, or walls of the stables, but spider webs trap grass, hay and flammable materials. Once lit, they can set a barn ablaze in no time. Make that unpleasant job a top priority. Have working fire extinguishers at the barn door and mark the area so anyone could find and use them. It seems silly to even mention this - but don't store flammables in your stable area. Motors with diesel fuel,gas cans, paint cans, paint thinner, and anything that is a fire hazard should be stored in a separate area.<br />
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5. Mark your dogs collars, your horses halters and your crates and cages with your name, and a phone number. If you are feeling froggy- take a picture of your animal and tape it to the side, the bars, inside your trailer doors or anywhere you think you could access it easily. It might be the way someone IDs your pet or livestock if you aren't home during the event. Disasters don't always happen on the weekends when we are home!<br />
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HINT: Dog tags can be engraved with a phone number and attached to a horses halter or crate wire too.<br />
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So there are FIVE do-able things to help you prepare for a disaster. It will only take you a little time out of your day to do any of these things, and it might save the life of your animals.<br />
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<br />Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-38998081296731999662014-01-18T22:22:00.002-08:002014-01-18T22:22:31.623-08:00Winter Day ~ California Cowgirl Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Remember back in September when I went to the Draft Horse Classic? There was 30% chance of rain. I said, " Oh, 30% means we will be fine!" I ended up buying a coat, freezing my hiney off and going home early because the 30% chance turned into a downpour of epic proportions. </div>
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A few years ago, in March, I went to the Gold N Grand Show at Rancho Murietta? My friends said," Oh, don't go! It's going to rain!" I said, " I'm not made of sugar. I'm going and it will be fun. A little bit of rain won't stop me." It ended up being one of the worst weekends of my life! The rain poured down like God had forgotten to turn off the tap. Along with driving wind and a spooky horse, my RV almost flooded. </div>
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It is January now. There is nary a drop of rain to be seen. The hills are barren and parched. So I've made a list of a few fun things to do on a California Winters Day.</div>
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1. Practice your Showmanship. One good thing about having no rain is there is also no mud to dirty up a perfectly white mare.</div>
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2. Spend the day in your jammies watching old movies. So what that it isn't raining! Take some time just for YOU!</div>
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3. Curl up on the couch with something you love. A new toy, a big dog...whatever makes you happy.</div>
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4.Go to the Coast (we don't call it the Beach this far North.) </div>
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5. Take this opportunity to have a water fight. since we've officially been declared a 'disaster', water is soon to be rationed. Anyone remember the 70's and the rationing we endured then? Seven long years of watering your plants with grey water, dirty trucks and, " If it's yellow, let it mellow". </div>
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6.Play Dress-Up! You are NEVER too old to play Dress-up!</div>
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7.Go out and chase a few cows. Somehow that makes me feel a little better.</div>
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8.Enjoy a refreshing drink with a friend. I like Vodka and water and then I leave out the water.</div>
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9. Practice your Play Day moves. You never know when you'll need to keep an egg on a spoon.</div>
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10. Take a long slow trip. Why not? It's not like it's going to rain and spoil your day.</div>
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There are no rain clouds on the horizon, just big empty skies.</div>
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But I have a sure fire solution of how to make it rain in my neck of the woods....</div>
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I just have to go to a horse show. That always seems to work!</div>
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<br />Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-71404879189372786052014-01-05T19:36:00.002-08:002014-01-05T19:36:33.788-08:00Me and Mick JaggerIt was a brilliant sun shiny day today, so I went out to ride Rem. As I slung the saddle up onto his back, I winced in pain. My left shoulder gets a cramp sometimes, but I pushed through it and cinched up. <br />
" Uh!" I thought, " Someday I won't be able to get this saddle up on his back! Then what on Earth am I gonna do?" I remembered a woman here in the Bay Area rode until she was nearly 100, and I wondered how she managed to saddle her own horse. I live by the adage, " Saddle your own horse," so it's something I decided I might need to find out.<br />
I put it out of my mind, hoping that it would be a long way off.<br />
As I stepped into the stirrup, I had to take an extra 'bounce' before getting the momentum to lift myself aboard. I took some small amount of satisfaction in the knowledge that quite a few of my compatriots use a step, knowing that too soon I may be among their number.<br />
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When I got home, I made a sandwich and turned on Palladium channel. They were playing 'Shine a Light', and there he was, singing and dancing like a 30 year old. Mick F'ing Jagger.<br />
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He's not a big guy, but boy he rules the stage. He wears tight pants. He shows his midriff. He sings and runs up and down. He exudes sex, and the women, most appearing to be in their 20's, were screaming and dancing and trying to get him to notice them.<br />
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I watch and think, " SIR Mick is 70.Sir Mick has a 16 year old daughter. Sir Mick is a Great Grandfather. "<br />
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In the immortal words of the insurance commercial, " Amazeballs!"<br />
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Sir Mick has twenty years on me!<br />
Does he get up in the morning and say," Oh, my legs hurt!"<br />
Does he say, " Oh, I just don't feel like dancing in front of thirty thousand people today."<br />
Has he remained the biggest Rock Star in the Universe by sitting still and growing old?<br />
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NO!<br />
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My admiration knows no bounds.<br />
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Sir Mick, if you can get up in the morning and go to work, so can I.<br />
Thank You Sir! Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-67932119072540733862014-01-04T19:48:00.002-08:002014-01-04T19:48:20.536-08:00Sunday Stills- White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3940575797908189714.post-78659100004603045032013-12-31T16:15:00.000-08:002013-12-31T16:15:15.999-08:00Little Boxes<blockquote class="tr_bq">
'Little boxes on the hillside</blockquote>
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Little boxes made of ticky tacky</blockquote>
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Little boxes on the hillside</blockquote>
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And they all look just the same'</blockquote>
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I read an interesting article today in the San Francisco Chronicle about a man who has 'pioneered' the Tiny House 'movement'. According to the article, this man lives in a house that is less than 400 square feet. He is touting these smaller homes for the new millennium home owners. He says they are 'greener' and much more cost efficient. He sites the Japanese as his inspiration. His company builds them and sells them. Some of you may have even seen them, they look like little log cabins on wheels.<br />
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He says in the article that he envisions a whole community of these tiny abodes built around a central meeting house. A commune, as it were.<br />
NEWS ALERT! The World is full of very small housesI watch HGTV. I know there are families living in tree houses, boats,cabooses, lighthouses,tents,yurts,horse boxes on wheels and ex-Greyhound buses. There are families living in cardboard boxes, under bridges and in the garages of their ex wives grandmothers house. I'd say that those things qualify as tiny houses. <br />
Some are even what you would consider 'green'.<br />
I grew up in a small house. At least with five sisters, one brother, a Mom, a Dad and several various and sundry animals it seemed small.<br />
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It's not that I find the idea of a small cozy retreat a bad one- I think it <i>sounds</i> charming. I can picture myself tucked into a tiny little cabin with a cup of tea and a wireless router,gazing out of the tiny window at the big wide world.<br />
Alone.<br />
And that would never be.<br />
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*** Sigh***<br />
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I find that small means much more work. More work paring down to essentials. More work not disturbing your 'mates'. More work keeping everything in its place. More work keeping your sanity.<br />
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And face it, as American's we want BIG. Big houses, big yards, big garages to put our big cars in. We'd probably skip the big mortgage to go with those things, but you can't have everything.<br />
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I hated living in a tiny house. The day to day struggle of where to put everything drives me around the bend. If I had a bad day, there was no where to go to chill out that wasn't already occupied.It's true that familiarity breeds contempt. Isn't part of the punishment of going to Jail to live in close confinement with someone else?<br />
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As I read further into the article, this architect drops the fact that , well yes, his living space with his family is only 400 sq feet- but his office- well that is another 400 sq feet! And it is connected to the main living space with a covered walkway ( like a habitrail!). And yes; he spends his entire waking hours there! More than likely sans wife and children who are busy putting everything back into their 'cubbies'.<br />
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Ah Ha!<br />
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I rest my case...<br />
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<br />Vaquerogirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14367676563270560606noreply@blogger.com4