Horse Blog

Industry and technology has changed the work expected of the horse but that does not mean they are no longer useful. The required work of horses may not be as it once was but they are still very much needed. Though many horse related professions are not considered a need for the existence of mankind these professions are still an important part of our economy. There are also a few important jobs we have given the horse that can only effectively be accomplished by this animal.

Posted by sierra on 13 Feb 2007 at 09:06 pm | Tagged as: Horse Health, Horse Breeds

Next stop was “Honky Tonkin” in downtown. This made me quite nervous, as I hate country music and I had a vision in my head of what “Honky Tonkin” in Nashville might mean. I imagined a big bar filled with rednecks in cowboy hats “country line dancing” to bands covering Achy Breaky Heart. Tondar even tried to convince me to wear a pair of his cowboy boots. I don’t wear cowboy boots. “Honky Tonkin” turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The first bar we visited was more of a Western bar than a Country bar. There were few cowboy hats, despite the cowboy boot display rack.

Booster Feed Mill is everything a feed store is supposed to be: cramped, dusty, but neatly organized and well-kept, with a battle-scarred but neatly swept wooden floor; bins of bulk birdseed and alfalfa pellets arranged along one wall; crates of fresh eggs in a large refrigerator behind a bulk dog biscuit display in front of the counter; and a heavy front door covered in rabbit breeders’ business cards, homemade fliers touting sturdy-looking quarter horse stallions currently standing stud, photographs of fat, fuzzy Border collie and Australian shepherd pups, and handwritten index cards advertising everything from hay to honeybee removal services.

There isn’t anything that makes me crazier than people trash talking Arabian horses. Ever since I can remember I’ve wanted Arabian horses. Growing up in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, any kind of horse was out of the question and I was teased if I even mentioned an equine. But even when I did get to a farm or around horse people where you’d think they would understand about my dream, the mere mention of an Arabian horse met with all kinds of disparaging remarks not to mention laughing and jeering. I quickly learned not to talk about wanting horses and in particular my breed of choice.

How much does the mind have to do with becoming a good rider? What is the connection between what we think and what we do? Is it possible to change our mental programming, allowing us to enhance our awareness, learn new skills, become confident riders, all without leaving the comforts of home?