Caskey Studios

BREAKING NEWS from the Long Riders Guild

2009-07-12T13:36:00.001-05:00

Dear Long Riders, Explorers and Friends of the Guild,

The last fortnight has seen an extraordinary outpouring of concern from horse lovers, explorers and Long Riders around the planet, all of whom have added their voices to a collective cry aimed at stopping the so-called Mongol Derby. Here is a link which will provide you with the latest news about this ill-conceived and perilous plan, including details of how one high profile contestant has withdrawn from the race, a possible connection between race organizers and the US government, as well as forums, news stories and blogs, all of whom are monitoring these events around the world.

Yet the most astonishing news was revealed earlier today.

For the last two weeks Tom Morgan, and his tour company the Adventurists, have been busy telling the world that all equine health concerns were being overseen by the reputable NGO, VET Net. This claim was also published and promoted by Mercy Corps in Portland, Oregon and by the Horse & Hound magazine in London.

In an exclusive interview with the Long Riders Guild, an official VET Net spokesman confirms that their organization is not involved, that they were not aware that their name was being used to promote the race, that they consider the race a threat to the small native horses and disrespectful of Mongolia's equestrian heritage. The official concludes by joining the Long Riders' Guild in urging the Mongolian government to halt the race immediately.

VET Net and the Mongol Derby

The following interview was held between Dr. Thomas Juergens DVM and officials of the Long Riders' Guild on July 11, 2009. Dr. Juergens is an American equine practitioner and advisor to VET Net, the Mongolian NGO which has been linked to the Mongol Derby. According to documents released on July 1, 2009 by Tom Morgan, and his English tour company, the Adventurists, stated that the renowned Mongolian veterinarian training program, VET Net, was associated with providing equine medical assistance during the race.

"We are working with an American veterinary NGO based in Mongolia called Vet Net," Morgan's press release declared.

In an effort to placate irate donors, PR representatives of the Portland based charity, Mercy Corps, also circulated VET Net's name so as to offset public anger. According to Dr. Juergens, officers of the highly respected medical organization were not even aware that their organization was being linked to the race, nor do they support it in any way. In fact, VET Net's spokesman has denounced the event .

How long has VET Net been working in Mongolia and what are some of the many achievements your organization has achieved there?
VET Net is the leading source of veterinary continuing education in Mongolia. The NGO was formed by Dr. Gerald Mitchum, who has spent the last seventeen years overseeing the training of hundreds of Mongolian veterinarians in modern veterinary medicine.

What are your personal connections with Mongolia?
I've spent the last ten summers there, educating remote veterinarians on how to become better veterinarians, practicing modern equine veterinary medicine..

What effect will this race have on your personal efforts, as well as VET Net's, to further veterinarian education among the Mongols?
This race negates everything we've been teaching the Mongolian people and veterinarians for the last ten years because here we have the concern of foreigners racing horses to death. Have you ever seen a horse raced to death? It's horrific.

According to a document Morgan released last week, he claims, "Horse welfare has been at the top of the agenda since ... early 2008." When did VET Net officials first learn about Morgan's Mongol Derby and did your organization offer to lend your medical expertise to this event?
I think VET Net was contacted in either January or February of 2009. It is my understanding that they wanted us to supply all the veterinarians and oversee the medical needs throughout the entire race. But it is also my understanding that VETNET is not involved with providing veterinary care to the horses in this race.

Were you aware that Morgan and Mercy Corps had specifically named VET Net as being in charge of the equine medical care of the 800 Mongolian horses to be used in the non-sanctioned race?
I was surprised to be told that our organization had been named as being part of this race.

Upon learning that Morgan had misinformed the public about VET Net's role in the race, did your organization contact the Adventurists and order them to cease using your organization's name?
One of the other advisors immediately fired off emails asking that VET Net not be linked to this event.

Do the officials in charge of VET Net have concerns regarding the potential damage Morgan's race may inflict upon the horses, the herders and the equestrian heritage of Mongolia?
Absolutely ! This event is being done in total disregard to the welfare of the horses and it shows no respect for the nation's equestrian traditions either. It's as if they think these horses are rental cars. Because the contestants don't own the horses, they'll think they can ride them hard, then just walk away. There's no sense of personal accountability. What I see instead is disrespect for the horses and Mongolian traditions.

The race organizers in England have attempted to sooth public concerns by saying that they will be providing vehicles to drive local vets along the route of the race, so as to ensure proper equine safety standards are maintained. What are your feelings about that?
Just because the remote Mongolian veterinarians have studied modern veterinary medicine for six weeks with VET Net doesn't mean they are qualified to act as attending veterinarians for the critical health needs of the horses competing in this race. Normally the horse's pulse, respiration, soundness and hydration are all checked at required stops by qualified veterinarians during a normal endurance race. This race is absolutely different. And saying that the individual horses are "only" going to be raced for forty kilometres is just showing disrespect. You have to worry about the horses - and the riders. I can't see any good coming from this race.

Do you, as an advisor to VET Net, believe it is in the best interest of Mongolia for Mongolian officials to order this event to be halted?
Yes, because there are ethical, moral and humanitarian concerns which do not seem to have been met at this time. If the race organizers wanted to put on such an event, they should have spent more than six months organizing the logistics of quality veterinary care for the horses. But they haven't even proved that they can provide adequate veterinarian care for the horses.

Mongol Derby Update

2009-07-06T17:39:00.001-05:00

Received today via email:
Hi Everyone,

Apologies for the group mail, you're receiving this email because your
contact details were published on a website or blog that has recently
featured the Mongol Derby.

We wanted to take the opportunity to send you the most recent news
release and accompanying document explaining in brief some of the
logistical arrangements for the Mongol Derby.

If you would like any more information or you have any questions please
do drop us a line - our websites may be written in a humourous tone but
we do take what we do incredibly seriously, particularly when it comes
to animal welfare for the Mongol Derby - we think that perhaps this tone
is sometimes misunderstood. It's also important to point out that horse
welfare has been at the very top of the agenda since the very beginning
of the Mongol Derby way back in early 2008 and these systems have been
in development for quite some time.

News Release as a PDF online:
http://media.theadventurists.com/files/newsreleases/MD09_Horse_Welfare_Press_Release.pdf

Horse Welfare and Race Logistics Document available online here:
http://mongolderby.theadventurists.com/files/newsreleases/MD09_Horse_Welfare_Logistics_Announcement.pdf

Regards,

The Adventurists

--
The Adventurists
media@theadventurists.com
Hamilton House | 80 Stokes Croft | Bristol | BS1 3QY

Fighting to make the world less boring
http://www.theadventurists.com

.....................................................................

This email and its attachments might be confidential. If it's not
meant for you, stop being sneaky and don't do any more sneaky stuff
with it. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily
those of the League of Adventurists, especially if it will get us into
trouble.

.....................................................................

Mongol Derby Alert

2009-06-29T14:11:00.000-05:00

Equestrian Exploration and Endurance Leaders condemn world's largest unethical horse race

What is being labelled as the world's longest horse race, has been denounced by an unprecedented alliance of equestrian, endurance and exploration leaders.

At a thousand kilometers, the Mongol Derby would be the largest non-sanctioned endurance race ever attempted. Set to be run this summer in Mongolia, nearly a thousand semi-wild under-sized native horses have been drafted into an effort which deliberately flaunts international endurance racing rules.

"There's no carefully marked course, no catering tent and no support; this is horse racing on a whole new scale. You will change steeds every 40 km so the horses will be fresh. Bleeding kidneys, broken limbs, open sores, moon stroke and a list of dangers longer than your arm stand between you and victory," warns the official race website.

The horse race is being promoted by Tom Morgan, a native of Great Britain whose company, The Adventurists, previously specialized in enticing adventure-hungry tourists into signing up to race junk cars to distant national capitals.

"We don't make any safety arrangements. Our adventures are designed to be just that, so organising a support crew would rather take the edge off things. People are made painfully aware that what they're entering into can be extremely dangerous," Morgan's website cautioned.

Connie Caudill, President of the American Endurance Ride Conference, is one of the many equestrian leaders who have warned that Morgan's Mongol Derby will severely damage the sport and may well lead to horses being ridden to death.

"This will set endurance racing back 50 years," Caudill said, then added, "This isn't an endurance race, it's entertainment that will undermine endurance racing all over the world."

Morgan's company sought advice from The Long Riders' Guild, the world's first international association of equestrian explorers. The Guild warned the tour company against encouraging the twenty-five foreign competitors, all of whom had paid nearly $5,000 for a chance to ride, to attempt the journey, as the Guild's mounted explorers had recently encountered wolf attacks, bubonic plague, rabies, flash floods, foul water, poisoned food, horse theft and personal assault.

"The Adventurists is preparing to embark on an ill-advised equestrian misadventure, one in which your company does not appreciate the many equestrian hardships and dangers being presented to the horses and riders," The Guild informed the tour company.

Regardless of the danger, Morgan is busy promoting what he calls "biggest, baddest equine affair on the planet." He is being assisted by Richard Dunwoody, a former British champion jockey turned equestrian tour guide. Originally hired to present a lecture on racing to the amateur riders, Dunwoody has announced that he will be riding as a contestant in the event.

Because he plans on drafting nearly one thousand native horses into his non-sanctioned race, Morgan sought tactical and equestrian assistance from an unlikely source, the international charity, Mercy Corps.

Operating in more than a hundred countries, with offices in Scotland and Mongolia, the wealthy charity agreed to accept a guaranteed £25,000 in donations from Morgan's riders in exchange for providing the tour operator with access to twenty-five Mongolian herder families and their horses.

"Mercy Corps are delighted to be a part of the first ever Mongol Derby," said Jennifer Adams, the Event Development Coordinator at Mercy Corps, European Headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland. When asked if this partnership of participation meant that Mercy Corps was in the horse racing business, Adams answered, "I guess you could say that."

During an eight month investigation into the race, Long Riders in New Zealand, Canada, Switzerland, Great Britain, Mongolia and the United States confirmed that neither the Mongolian government, nor the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the international body assigned to protect endurance racing from exploitation, was involved in organizing the race.

"This is going to be all about the endurance of the rider, as opposed to the horse," said a spokesperson for Morgan's company.

Contestants are riding straight into danger.

"They're providing us with these yellow brick trackers, so we can activate the emergency beacon if our horse is injured and we can't walk it in," one rider said. "The only other time you're supposed to activate the beacon is if you feel your life is in immediate danger. There's only one emergency medical helicopter in all of Mongolia."

Food and water will also be an obstacle during the so-called Mongol Derby.

"We're still looking into the food options," the naïve young contestant told the press. "They're going to give us GPS locations to the wells, where we'll be able to get water, and they don't guarantee that the wells will have water. They want us to be careful because there are packs of wild dogs that surround those wells."

When it was learned that Morgan's race appears to violate the three primary principles of endurance racing, namely no commercial exploitation of the horse, a marked route and confirmed sources of water, the world's largest coalition of riders, explorers and editors launched an international petition asking the Mongolian president to halt the race and urging Princess Haya, President of the FEI, to ban the competitors for life.

Additionally, Britain's Minister for the Horse, Jim Fitzpatrick, has been urged to scrutinize Morgan's non-sanctioned race, and the Charity Commissions in England and Scotland received a complaint asking them to investigate the possibility that Mercy Corps participated in unacceptable behaviour.

Regardless of what happens out on the steppe in August, it is already plain to see that thousands of horse riders, equestrian explorers and endurance riders have banded together in an unprecedented act of solidarity designed to halt Morgan's spectacle.

For more information about the race, and to sign the petition, please visit the Long Riders' Guild Mongol Investigation & Petition
www.thelongridersguild.com/mongolia.htm

World Ride and Search for Equine DNA

2009-05-13T14:21:00.000-05:00

A Mounted Search for Scientific Truth:

In addition to being the first global equestrian journey, the World Ride will inspire the largest equine DNA search in history.

Working with leading equine hereditary specialists, Basha O’Reilly will be collecting hair samples from the breeds encountered on the World Ride. An international appeal is also being broadcast to horse-owners world wide, so as to include their animals from continents not on the journey’s route. The goal is to construct the first uninterrupted equine DNA chain, thanks to an unprecedented international alliance of equestrian, cultural and scientific co-operation.

The creation of the world’s first equine DNA chain brings staggering possibilities, including unravelling the origins of the horse.

Though the horse has lived alongside mankind for millennia, many of his mysteries are still unresolved, and because of a lack of modern academic evidence, equestrian concepts often end up being argued with more passion than proof. The global equine DNA project will offer a host of new answers in fields ranging from archaeology to zoology.

Breeds for which we have DNA hair samples – 29
Appaloosa, BLM Mustang, Brumby, Buz-kasi, Camargue, Cossack Working Horse, Criollo, Exmoor, Fell Pony, Fjord, French Trotter, Jackmabadi, Kazakh, Lusitano, Marwari, Mongolian, Mule, Noriker, Paso Fino, Pinto, Poitou Donkey, Quarter Horse, Sable Cream Dun, Shetland, Spanish Barb, Tennessee Walking Horse, Thoroughbred, Waziri, Welsh Pony (Section A)
Breeds for which samples are definitely in transit – 5
American Paint Horse, Missouri Foxtrotter, Rocky Mountain Horse, Mountain Pleasure Horse, Kentucky Mountain Horse
Breeds for which samples have been promised - 26
Azteca, Curly Mustang, Saddlebred, Silver Paint, Welsh Cob, Dartmoor, Peruvian Paso, Caspian, Kurd, Turkoman, Arab (from Arabia), Spanish Mustang, Manga Larga, Marsh Tacky.

To learn more about the world wide equine DNA collection project go to:http://www.theworldride.org/science.htm A submission form is available at the site for download.

Shift Happens

2009-04-22T10:19:00.001-05:00

Share Parelli

2009-04-19T10:19:00.001-05:00

Adobe House, the saga continues

2009-04-09T10:12:00.002-05:00

Up bright and surly this morning to work on the painting and get other tasks done before the need to run and find electric fencing supplies to finish the pasture fence at my mother's old pasture.
I glazed and defined more of the shadow areas with my favorite shadow mixture of burnt umber and ultramarine blue and lots of Liquin. Then back into the foliage of the trees to add better midtones and some highlights on the leaves. More color washes on the grass and a bit of color change happening on the two horses in the foreground. I know the front horse is a brighter chestnut than the one beside her, although the reference photos showed Missy darker and Ginger lighter, so I am adjusting their coat as I go along. Rather like shedding out for spring!
Now let this dry and try not to monkey with it until it does. There are times to paint into the "soup" ( I forget which artist used to call it that) and times to leave it to dry and glaze and scumble.

First color

2009-04-05T12:54:00.001-05:00

When I start a painting, after the underpainting is dry, I like to try and put color all over the painting. Not the exact colors, but more a loose, sketchy, color reference that strengthens the total work. The day I started the first color layer, for whatever reason, I was interrupted and had to cover the paints and leave the painting about half done. Today I was able to devote the morning to putting on the color layer. There is no attention to details. The shadow areas in oil are usually painted first. In the background, this is done and lighter leaf colors will be painted on top of this later. In the foreground, since the lane is in the dappled light of the trees, the shadows will be added later as a glaze on top of the road color. You can still see the underpainting peeking through the color layer. After this dries in a day or so, I will start concentrating on more details, but trying to work over the entire painting at the same time and not over do one area.

HR 305: Horse Transportation Saftey Act of 2009

2009-03-30T10:38:00.000-05:00

A bill before the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee would prohibit the use double-decker trailers for transporting horses across state lines.

Specifically, HR 305, or the "Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2009," prohibits the interstate transport of horses in a motor vehicle containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another.

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) introduced the legislation into the House on Jan. 8. It was later referred to the committee. Kirk represents Lake County, Ill., the site of an October 2007 double-decker trailer rollover accident that killed 17 draft horses in transit through Illinois from Indiana.

Reps. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) co-sponsored the bill.

The legislation carries civil penalties of at least $100 but not more than $500 for each violation. A separate violation occurs for each illegally transported horse.

Click here to contact your Senator. Click here to contact your Representative.

Adobe House Project - Again

2009-03-20T13:22:00.000-05:00

The adobe house meets the canvas!

The final sketch is done. The canvas stretched on 14 x 20 " stretcher bars and the underpainting is done. The canvas was toned this morning to a reddish orange to give a warm glow to the entire painting as the paint layers commence.

Finally on the way to the "fun" part. Doing the actual painting. More soon I hope. The forecast for the weather has rain for everyday in the first half of the week. I am hoping to use the inside time and get to painting on this!

The Dog Whisperer Meets the Horse Whisperer

2009-03-12T12:51:00.000-05:00

WHOOHOO! We've got an AIR DATE - April 3rd on National Geographic Channel!

Read more on the Daily Parelli Blog

Adobe House Update

2009-03-03T17:09:00.000-06:00

If it is of any interest, at a later date, I will tell about what an interesting winter it has been. More than one house project... and a much different kind of painting. I have an entire new catalog of knowledge and skills I did not have before! I was hoping this project would be finished by now, but it seems every moment is spoken for lately.
I was finally able to put the horses into the pasture and make some of the structural updates to the buildings. Some changes will be strickly color so have to reside in what is left of my memory to complete.
The customer changed two of the horses around, so there are holes in them right now. Computers are wonderful for moving things around without the need to redraw everything.

Daily Parelli: Welcome

2009-01-20T07:27:00.003-06:00

The Parelli's have started a blog. If you are interested, here is the link:

http://heartanddesire.typepad.com/heart_desire/

It is brand new, and not many posts, but I am certain that will soon change.

Update to Stop NAIS

2009-01-16T09:49:00.001-06:00

This idea qualified for the 2nd round of voting and received 6,568 votes during that period. There will be another voting period upcoming. Stay tuned!

Help Stop NAIS

2009-01-16T09:31:00.001-06:00

Last Call - Please Help STOP NAIS! Win the Change.org competition!

"Protect Our Food Supply - Stop NAIS!" is still in the running at change.org, but we need over two thousand more votes to make it into the Top 10 Ideas. And only the top 10 entries in this online contest "win" and have their ideas presented at the National Press Club on January 16th and advocacy campaigns organized to promote them.

The competition ends this Thursday, January 15, at 5 pm eastern time. In addition to voting for stopping NAIS, please forward this email to all of your friends and the people you know!

Step 1: If you are not already signed up for the site, register at: https://www.change.org/admin/sign_up

Step 2: Go to http://www.change.org/ideas/view/stop_nais Be sure to click the box labeled "Vote!" to the left of "Protect Our Food Supply -- Stop NAIS!" Leaving a comment does not count as a vote.

After you click the Vote box, it will change color and show "Voted." If it does not do that, shift your mouse a bit and click again, because it sometimes take several tries.

Step 3: Email all your friends, and ask them to vote also.

The most important thing is the number of votes that the idea receives. If you want to leave a comment after you have voted, keep your comment short and clear.

Remember that all of the ideas are competing against each other for one of the Top 10 slots.

This is a very quick, easy way to help us raise awareness about NAIS and potentially get significant new resources for this fight. Please go to http://www.change.org/ideas/view/stop_nais and vote now!

WHAT IS NAIS?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently in the process of implementing the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) through the States. NAIS is designed to identify all livestock animals and poultry and track their movements. When the program is fully implemented, the USDA claims that the NAIS will be able to identify all premises on which animals and poultry are located, and all animals that have had contact with a disease of concern, within 48 hours of discovery.
Read more

Design Your Own Trail Obstacle Course - Associated Content

2009-01-10T16:12:00.000-06:00

Design Your Own Trail Obstacle Course
Easy project for building safe obstacles for the purpose of training the green trail horse prior to actually hitting the trail.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/85914/design_your_own_trail_obstacle_course.html

Making Chicken Diapers 1

2009-01-09T10:28:00.001-06:00

It is a wonderful world we live in. Things like this give me a reason to get up each day and marvel. What next? My sister is a seamstress and has been requested to sew all types of things, but I have a feeling, this would be a new one even for her.

The link was forwarded to me by the author of a chicken guide that I will be illustrating again. I just mention this in case you had wild thoughts that I was sitting in the studio entertaining myself by Googling "chicken diapers." Not yet, but I might be tempted!

The Adobe House Project

2009-01-04T10:19:00.000-06:00

One of my new year's traditions is to start, and maybe complete, a new artwork on the first day of each year. This year I have had a painting commission in my work que for, sad to say, almost a year now. The first day of 2009, I sat down at the drawing table with all my notes and reference materials and completed the second sketch of the proposed oil painting. I have not painted anything architectural for a long, long time. The saving grace is there will be horses in the painting. This time I think I worked out most of the kinks from the first preliminary sketch and have a more satisfying "cartoon" to base the final painting upon. The customer has some changes she will be sending and I will post the changes as I complete them. I have to admit, now that I have this started, I am anxious to continue and put some color to this work. Lots of warm colors offset by the cool shadows of the trees on the lane. Can a northern gal pull off a Santa Fe painter look?

Since I removed some trees from the side of the house, I understand there is another window that will be showing. I also need to straighten up the doorway lines it seems. They looked off, but held up well when tested.

It is something with the shadow on the door that needs the correction.

The horses will be redrawn to match actual individuals. The painting will be large enough, I hope, at 14" x 18" to include all the detail the customer is hoping to see. I got the impression this work was more about a memory and a feeling than the individual details, although the details seem important.

I can never remember for sure. Is it God or the devil that is in the details?

ArtCardsWanted.com

2009-01-04T09:58:00.001-06:00

ArtCardsWanted.com.

ACEO cards for the collector on a budget.

About Art Cards

Open Edition - Prints/reproductions of artwork that is printed in the standard card size. Open editions can be printed and reprinted depending on the demand for the card. There is no limit to how many will be printed. This can also be a mini-print of a larger original artwork.

Limited Edition - This type is also a print/reproduction, but there is a limit to how many cards will be ever printed/sold. These cards are more valuable then open edition cards, because there is only a limited amount of each card that is available in the world. Many times, limited edition cards will be numbered on the back of the card.

Original Artwork - This card is a unique piece of artwork done by the artist. It can be painted or drawn, but it will be 100% original and only one card exists in the world. This type of card is the most valuable.

Dog and Horse Cookies

2009-01-01T16:40:00.001-06:00

Christmas is the time for secrets and surprises. I decided this year to make many of my Christmas gifts for loved ones myself. As much as I wanted to write and share my ideas, the need to keep the gifts as a surprise was tantamount. First, that is what most gifts are: A surprise. Sometimes good, sometimes not so good. Second: I had decided to bake the bulk of my gifts. The need for secrecy here should be obvious. If my friends and family found out I was cooking, they would never visit during the holidays and there could be the possibility of restraining orders.

That is the reason I am sharing gift ideas with you now, after the main event.

Jet Ranger inadvertently gave me the idea. While he wants me to cook, many times the dogs are the final recipients of my efforts. My idea for gifts churned from this outcome. Why not cut out the middle man entirely? I would cook for the dogs! All the biscuits and cookies I prepared for the canine members of my extended family were tasted and tested by my own two dogs, Bella and Radar. Some even earned the "Radar Seal of Approval" if they were extra yummy. My friends and family with horses received home baked horse cookies.

I did a Google search and found a fantastic inventory of mini cookie cutters from Off The Beaten Path at (where else) http://cookiecutter.com

Here are my adaptions of the recipes:
Basic Dog Cookies

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup milled flax seed
6 tablespoons shortening
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon molasses
1/2 cup water

Mix dry ingredients well
Cut in the shortening
Add egg, molasses, and water, mix well
Knead dough lightly on floured surface.
Roll dough out to 1/4+ inch and cut into shapes
Bake at 325 F for 30 minutes or until dough is firm to the touch.

Garlic Bites
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup ice water
1/2 cup dry milk
6 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon honey
Combine flour, milk, garlic
Cut in shortening and honey until mixture resembles cornmeal.
Mix in egg.
Add enough water so that mixture forms a ball.
Roll dough out to 1/4+ inch and cut into shapes
Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on rack.

Basic Biscuits
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup flavored liquid (broth, bouillon, etc)
6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Roll and cut into shapes
3. Bake at 350 F for 35 to 40 minutes.

Microwave Biscuits
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup dry milk
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup quick oats
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 tablespoon bouillon granules
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup hot water

1. Mix flour, milk, cornmeal, oats and sugar
2. Cut in shortening
3. Add egg, bullion, and hot water.
4. Knead 5 minutes
5. Roll out until 1/4+" thick, cut into shapes
6. Microwave at 50% power for 5 to 10 minutes, rotating plate.

Garlic Bites and variations on that recipe were the favorites. I exchanged water for chicken broth, eliminated the garlic on one batch and stirred in a small jar of strained turkey baby food on another. i have left out recipes that I tested that bombed. The recipes that included cornmeal were not as favored as the ones without that ingredient. Your dogs may feel differently.

Each concoction had its own cutter and it's own bag label. Making up the names and labels are half the fun. For example:

I found one horse cookie recipe that worked well. One other one started out okay, but then did not keep well in the zip locks. The nature of the horse cookies made it difficult to use cookie cutters, so I rolled each treat into a 1/2" ball.

Horse Cookies

* 4 cups grain (like oats, steam-rolled- I used grocery store Quick Oats as I was out of steam-rolled oats)
* 1/4 cup milled flax seed
* 8 tablespoons unbleached flour
* 1/2 cup molasses
* 3/4 cup water

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl.
2. Stir with large spoon until mixture is the consistency of thick cookie dough.
3. Grease hands and make 1/2" balls and drop onto a greased cookie sheet, spacing cookies 1/2" inch apart.
4. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour or until crisp.
5. Remove from oven, and cool for 30 minutes.

Many of the cookie recipes I have tried in the past were not on any of my horse's preferred menu. These definitely are, plus easy to make and keep a supply. This became my recipe for "Yee-Haws." I am still perfecting the recipe for the "Whoa-Ho's" and I will share that when it has been baked and tested.

So start off the new year baking and warming up those kitchens! Remember, your pets can not file complaints or divorce papers for what you feed them!

New Coloring Book Available

2008-12-05T12:38:00.003-06:00

Here, finally, is the project I needed to work so feverishly on before Christmas. It is an update to an older coloring book. Twenty drawings, all draft horses and mules, ready to color. And, here's the best part: Only $5 each from Mischka Press! Drawings are detailed and probably best for school age children and above.
Click Here To order

There are more samples on the Mischka web site. I hope you find it fun!

The Exodus

2008-12-03T21:59:00.001-06:00

The hay was moved quickly and efficiently during a warm and balmy Sunday. It was a day I would have rather been riding, but it was a great day to move the hay as well. We were also able to get the tractor moved to the new location the same day.

A few days later, I headed out to the pen to see if the little rescue fillies would load. I caught both of them right off, they just walked up and asked to be caught. I haltered them and put them outside the pasture gate and then caught Lil Bit and brought him out as well. His role was to be the older, steady role model for the youngsters.

Dulci went first. As she walked up to the trailer, on the first ask, she put a leg in and started to step up and then hesitated, doubted herself and backed up. Not bad. The girls had not been loaded since they arrived in April. I let her look the trailer over and sniff the floor. When she wanted to turn away and do something else, I redirected her to concentrate on the trailer. I started gently tapping the top of her croup with the carrot stick and stopped when she made any move forward. In less than five minutes total time, she stepped into the trailer. The bay filly was next. I had not worked with her as much and she was not as far along in her understanding. She did not have a "go forward" cue, so I started with that. Once she understood to go forward when I asked, she willingly walked into the trailer as well. I put Bit in the back and shut the doors and we headed for the new digs.

They all walked out as quietly as they had loaded. They looked around, and started grazing. No running, fussing or fear. Just like I like it!

The next few days we continued to work on the fix-ups around the place and checked every post and every wire and ran electric tape to reinforce the safety of the fences.

Last Saturday was supposed to be a fairly decent day. We started early and worked all day. About one, it started a wet snow/rain. We continued to work, myself on the fence and Jet Ranger on the protective winter shed for the hydrant. By four, I was soaked. I decided my level of happiness is very dependent on the warmth of my feet and my hands. The snow was beginning to stick to the road. Jet Ranger decided he wanted to bring his three horses before he quit. I sent him on with the truck and trailer and came home to get warm and find some dry clothes. I looked at the weather radar after I was redressed, and gave him a call to swing by and pick me up on his way by. From the look of the radar it was going to get worse before it got better and even though it would be dark, it would be better to move all the horses that night.

A long time ago I thought I should write a book called 101 "Fun" Things to Do in a Blizzard. As life has progressed, it would be more appropriate to call it 1001 Things. It seems there is always something with the horses that has to be done while sane people are indoors. I can't imagine what people without horses do with all that free time and money. Think of all the fresh air, exercise and adventure they miss!

The big move is done and we are all moved to the new pasture. Everyone is settling in and they are entertaining themselves with the hay. The weather has been horrible except for a break yesterday and I tried to get everything possible done outside that I could but there are still a dozen projects I want to finish.

More soon on other things that have kept me on the fly the last few weeks! One big project is finished and sent to the printer today.

Training Clicker Give Away

2008-11-19T17:28:00.002-06:00

As promised, leave a comment between now and Saturday, November 22, to win a blue and white clicker for clicker training. Train your dog, your cat, your horse, your husband or wife, nearly anything that can hear... not that will listen, that can hear. There IS a difference!

AWOL

2008-11-18T10:29:00.001-06:00

I will be in and out for the next few days. To add to an already bloated schedule, the heaven on earth place that I have called "home" for the horses for almost seven years now has been sold. The fellow purchasing it is expressly using it for deer hunting. After considering the options, I decided to relocate for the winter with hopes of being able to return during the non-lethal seasons. I will be going from 389 acres of riding to ten. Ouch. I will have a barn to use, running water, electricity, a paved road, a real fence, all the modern conveniences. For the winter it will be so much easier, if less hidden and spiritual.

On the day the sale was to be finalized, the old mule, John, laid down and decided he was staying. I spent Sunday morning burying him. I was extremely thankful he was a small mule, since my back hoe was elsewhere and all I had was a shovel and a spade (and determination). There is enough about John for a full article, so I will just mention his passing for now and give him a better eulogy later. His owners had wanted him to be able to stay with the place and die there, and for probably the only time in his life, he obeyed their wish.

For the last two days I have been pulling up my electric fences. My hands are full of fiberglass and so are my gloves, so it seems I just have to endure.

Today I will be moving the corral gates and the things that need two people. Best bud, Norene, bless her heart, offered her afternoon to help. I offered to help her scope out a trail at her place tomorrow for the saddle club ride Sunday at her place. Not the fairest trade, but I will live with it until I can do better.

I will have the horses moved by the time shotgun season opens the first weekend in December. In the meantime, the weather is co-operating and I should be able to make an easy transition to the new location. The biggest chore is getting 34 large bales of hay moved and the back hoe home. Another good friend, Ron Collier, of the Moravia Mule Company is helping with the large items. Be sure to check out his website at MoraviaMule.com.

New GIVEAWAY tomorrow! Come back soon!

The Myth of Natural Horsemanship-Tom Moates

2008-11-15T09:05:00.000-06:00

via The Myth of Natural Horsemanship