A Happy Blog for Horse Folks

This blog, my Cowgirly Blog is likely to be full of random musings, thoughts, ideas, tips- whatever comes to mind.

But lately ol' Cowgirly has been thinking long and hard about blogs- there are some very opinionated, spiteful people out there in the horse world and I decided to add a breath of fresh air to blog-land by creating the Happy Horse Tails blog. I guess I just got tired of clicking around the Internet seeing nothing but complaints and unqualified opinions :P

So I made http://www.happyhorsetails.blogspot.com/ and it's pretty simple- positive, uplifting, amusing horse stories (poems, top 10 lists, etc also welcome) by the readers for the readers. Submitters can include name and location and their website, if they wish (heck, I am all for a shameless plug- how do you think I got here!) but the goal is to give horse people a place to read true stories, straight from the horse (owner)'s mouth. Not over-edited, and not judged.

Some ideas of what you'll see are:

• stories of first horses
• stories of horses and riders reunited
• tales of horses and their owners reaching a goal
• great stories written from the horse's perspective
• stories of horses who are heroes
• tales of first shows, parades, or wins
• poems about horses or horse people
• Tributes to a parent, trainer or other horsewoman (or man) who inspired you
• Top 10 lists (from favorite supplies and items to pieces of advice!)

and stuff like that.

I invite you to submit to me at cowgirly@cowgirly.net and I will get them posted. A photo or two is welcome with your submittal, but not required. More submittal info is available on the blog at http://www.happyhorsetails.blogspot.com/ but it's pretty simple- write me with your story, I will clean up any typos or major grammatical errors and post if it it is

• funny
• courageous
• pleasant
• inspirational
• interesting
• amusing
• positive

and does not badmouth or trash anyone or anything (no ripping on certain types of riders, disciplines, etc).

You can submit your favorite work by another author, just please ask permission and give me their name so I can credit them (I will still include 'submitted by' on there).

Thanks to those of you who have submitted already. I look forward to making Happy Horse Tails a welcome rest stop on your ride around the Internet. :)

Heard the birds...

This morning I heard birds. Every year I wait and hope to hear the first birds of 'spring'.

Oh I know, the dang groundhog saw his shadow and all that but I heard BIRDS today and those birds have been silent (gone) all winter long.

How do I know? Well I fancy myself a very novice bird watcher. Meaning, I wouldn't know an endangered bird if it landed on my saddle and rode double with me down the trail but I can identify a few local birds and I love and appreciate them all with the same enthusiasm I do a fancy bird.

I have bird feeders on my deck, and out in my yard- and of course a hummingbird feeder by the kitchen window so the one hummingbird that comes every year can fly right past it. So I have seen a lot of our sparrows and some other winter birds for the past several cold months.

And the robins have been around more, which is a good sign. But this morning it was clear and bright and I heard what I know is those first birds of spring and no groundhog is going to tell me any different. :)

The Pickle sings the praises of vinegar...

My sister in law calls me The Pickle all because I adore vinegar.

Wait- let me first say that NOOOOOO, I don't like how it smells any more than you do- but it works so darn well for some things, I have learned to ignore the smell. So I decided to write up some of my favorite uses and then do a little further research to find even more ways to use vinegar. First, a few of my tried and true tips...

• Trough Cleaning-I use a spray bottle of apple cider vinegar to spray out my water troughs, then scrub them and rinse. It rinses cleaner, discourages slimy yucky water troughs and discourages flies. Also, if you use this regularly and your horse is used to it then when they're on the road (shows, etc) they won't notice a difference in water. I have never talked any horse I've had into allowing me to supplement their water with it, like some folks do... but I do use it for cleaning.


• Fly repellent- keep a spray bottle of it to mist around the barn- flies and insects hate it and will stay away. I used to board with a gal who thought this was insane, until her part of the barn got all the flies.


• Smoke Smells- simply pour some vinegar in a bowl and set it out, it will absorb any burning smell (and many other foul odors). Nope, it won't make your house stink either.


• Burned pots/pans- Vinegar does great when you burn something in a pot or pan (or have a tough one to scrub). Just pour some in, let it sit and come back 1/2 hour later and voila! It scrubs clean.


• Windows: wash with a mixture of equal parts of white distilled vinegar and warm water. Dry with a soft cloth. This solution will make your windows gleam and will not leave film or streaks on the glass.


• Kill grass and weeds- spray on white distilled vinegar. Environmentally friendly, too.
  Get rid of the deposits and water lines that form in aquariums and fish bowls by wiping them down with white distilled vinegar and following with a good rinse. For stubborn deposits, soak for several hours or overnight.


• Water or alcohol marks on wood:Stubborn rings resulting from wet glasses being placed on wood furniture may be removed by rubbing with a mixture of equal parts of white distilled vinegar and olive oil. Rub with the grain and polish for the best results.


• Garbage disposal cleaner: Garbage disposals may be kept clean and odor free with vinegar cubes. Vinegar cubes are made by filling an ice tray with a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar and enough water to fill the ice tray and then freezing it. Run the mixture through the disposal, and then flush it with cold water for a minute or so.


• Clean the microwave: Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and deodorize.


• Deodorize the kitchen drain:Pour a cup of white distilled vinegar down the drain once a week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with cold water.

and then it went down hill... all this vinegar research made me tired and a little silly. I continue the tips from Vinegar Institute, but began to add my own comments in red...

• Remove skunk odors by wiping down the animal with a 50-50 solution of white distilled vinegar and water, followed by a plain-water rinse. Repeat if necessary. It is just so hard to get close enough to a skunk to wipe him down, but I'll try.


• Clean the refrigerator: Wash with a solution of equal parts water and white distilled vinegar.


• Ant deterrent: Ant invasions can sometimes be deterred by washing counter tops, cabinets and floors with white distilled vinegar. haven't tried this one myself...


• Remove Refrigerator Smells Place 1 cup apple cider vinegar in a glass and set in refrigerator. Within 2 days, any smell is gone! of course by then my kids have knocked it over and I've wiped it up, leaving my floor clean and shiny. LOL


• Bathtub film can be removed by wiping with white distilled vinegar and then with soda. Rinse clean with water.


• Shower doors:Rub down shower doors with a sponge soaked in white distilled vinegar to remove soap residue.


• Homemade vinegar fly trap: 3 cups (750 ml) Water ,1/4 cup (60 ml) Apple Cider Vinegar ,1/4 cup (60 grams) Sugar Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar solution then place in a large jar and punch holes in the lid. The flies will get in but won't be able to fly out. I'll be honest, as much as I like how vinegar does some stuff, I am not going to put ugly jars with vinegar in them in my barn. LOL


• Bumper stickers:Remove bumper stickers by repeatedly wiping the sticker with white distilled vinegar until it is soaked. In a few minutes, it should peel off easily. Test on a small invisible area of the car to ensure there will be no damage to the paint.


• Cleaner for Gold Jewelry (Winner of June 2007 Vinegar Online Use Contest)Use one cup apple cider vinegar. Submerge solid gold jewelry item in vinegar for 15 minutes. Remove and dry with cloth. Not quite sure I am ready to trust this no matter what award it got.


• Worn DVDs:If you have a worn DVD that has begun to stick or suffers from the occasional freeze-frame, wipe it down with white distilled vinegar applied to a soft cloth. Ensure the DVD is completely dry before re-inserting in the DVD player. (Note: This only works on DVDs that are scratched of dirty through normal wear.)


• Cleaning Vintage LaceSoak the lace in cold water, rinsing it several times. Next, hand-wash the lace gently with a wool detergent, such as Woolite. If rust spots are a problem, try removing them with a mixture of white vinegar and hot water. hand wash the what what?


• Fruit stains: Remove fruit or berry stains from your hands by cleaning them with vinegar. if you're lucky the cuts you made trying to slice wee berries for fruit salad will get filled with the stinging solution and you'll forget all about the stains.


• Soothe a bee or jellyfish sting: Douse with vinegar. It will soothe irritation and relieve itching. am I dousing the bee so he lets go, or am I pouring the acidic vinegar on my wound?


• Arthritis Relief Mix a teaspoon of half apple cider vinegar, half honey in a glass of water with a teaspoon of orange flavored Knox gelatin. don't the elderly get enough jello without asking them to wear it? seriously, do they drink this or rub it on what hurts?


• Lessen Morning Sickness - Drink some apple cider vinegar in water, with honey added. This concoction can help calm a queasy stomach. hey get pregnant and barf all day THEN drink some vinegar- you certainly couldn't feel worse!


• Wart Remover Mix lukewarm/warm water with a cup of white distilled vinegar. Immerse area with wart and soak 20 minutes everyday until wart disappears. Or go to the doctor. Or get Compound W.


• Bug Spray-Combine equal amounts of water, white distilled vinegar and liquid dish soap in a spray bottle. Use on skin, as needed. rolls to floor laughing at the idea of spraying myself with dish soap and vinegar.


• Okay what the HECK is this next one.. I swear I found it on the Vinegar Institutes site....Making naked eggs:Place eggs in a container so the eggs are not touching. Add enough vinegar to cover the eggs. Cover the container, put in the refrigerator and let the eggs sit in the vinegar for 24 hours. Use a large spoon to scoop the eggs out of the container. Be careful since the eggshell has been dissolving, the egg membrane may be the only thing holding the egg together. Carefully dump out the vinegar. Put the eggs back in the container and cover them with fresh vinegar. Leave the eggs in the refrigerator for another 24 hours. Scoop the eggs out again and rinse them carefully. If any of the membranes have broken, throw those eggs away. When you’re done, you’ll have an egg without a shell.

In closing, vinegar (like many things) is good, in moderation. The Vinegar Institute would not like to hear this, of course they dedicated an entire web page to Vinegar Lore, so that tells you a little about them. This is the pickle signing off...

State of Confusion

This is Western Washington- we just don' get snow... but this year when- for the first time in my life I am in training with my horse and have to drive 40 minutes to get there, it decides to act like Colorado. OK, not quite that snowy- but enough to cause me some frustration.

You see, in Western Washington, winter goes like this-

rain

rain

rain

rain

hard rain

rain

heylookadaywithblueskies

rain

rain

rainsomemore

snow! quick, shut down all the schools and nobody drive- if you do be sure to crash into each other... everyone hurry to the grocery store and buy every candle in sight.

3 days later...

rain

rain

more rain

..until spring.

But not this year- we had record snow in December and several days since it has snowed overnight- just enough to delay and/or cancel school. More importantly, just enough to stop me from getting all the way up to my trainer's barn before work.

Yep, I go to the barn at o-dark-7 am to do a lesson before work. I usually get to work at 6:30 or 7, so the days I do a lesson and get in at about 9 am I feel very late! LOL Everyone else I work with comes in about 9:30 or so, so really it isn't that late.

Anyhow, this morning I had my bag o'carrots out, my change of clothes for work, my workout clothes (I will have to blog about me and the hubby's new workout routine. It will take about 1 sentence- meet at gym to do treadmill. LOL) and everything I need. I got up at 5, very excited... I love my trainer and I love my horse. I am bringing Zippy home to where I usually board at the end of February, so every single lesson between now and then matters to me.... but this morning I couldn't get there- slushy roads and terrible traffic and 2 kids with late school. Wah!

I am sure Zippy didn't mind, he probably snuggled back down in his stall and napped a little longer. Last week when I went to do a lesson on my lunch break on Tuesday, he was laying flat on his side practically snoring- lazy boy! I went in and he stayed laying down as he munched on the snacks I brought him (I always bring peace offerings).

Anyhow, my next lesson is Wed am, day after tomorrow. Fingers crossed that there is no more snow.

Here is Zippy waiting for me to put his bridle on at one lesson...

Early Warning Signs of Pending Cowgirl

Dad, feeding my early horse addiction.

When I was just under 2, my mom got up in the morning to find my room empty. Certain that her priceless little girl had been abducted a la the Lindbergh child, she was pretty scared. After checking all over the house she did not see a sign of me. The kitchen door was open... (I can see her now mumbling to herself about how if someone is going to kidnap your baby, at least they could close the door- we're not trying to heat the great outdoors here).

She began looking all over the neighborhood. She enlisted Mary Jo, and Nancy and the whole "21st Ave" Gang of Moms. I was found, up the hill at a pasture petting a horse. Mom ran up, and found me smiling, a HUGE horse head lowered down where I could reach him. "Pretty Horsie" I think was along the lines of what I said when I saw her.

I am sure she was thrilled. I imagine she expected some relief on my part to see her but instead I greeted my mom with the obvious- pretty horsie. Not "hey, mom- how's the blood pressure and oh my the way you might want an adult diaper next time and yeah, thanks for finding me before a coyote carried me off".

It was just the beginning of many days I would start with a "pretty horsie" at sunrise and a smile on my face.