Science, Myth and Mayhem

I am a woman of a certain age. I'm not gonna say how old I am, because a Lady never tells. Let's just say I remember watching the moon landing on a black and white TV as it was happening. I'm so old that I know what the Dewey Decimal System is and how to use it.
So I may not be quite as tech-savvy as some of you younger women or men out there, but I am flabbergasted by the lack of knowledge and the inability to look things up for yourselves! I'm speaking specifically about horse knowledge.

Oh, calm down- I know not everyone has the depth of knowledge that I have, I was born to the horse and have forgotten more than most of you remember-but with all of the world at your fingertips I am still seeing posts that ask," How do I keep my horse from biting?" and the answers coming back are,  " Bite him back."
Really!!? Hhmph!
If he kicks you are you going to kick him back?
If he bucks you off, are you going to lift him up and throw him down?
Get real!

I have been taught some old 'folk remedies' from a lot of old cowboys now riding greener pastures. Some of that advice was, and is, weird.  Creosote for topical injury. Mercury for internal ailments.
Tar and Tobacco for worms. Sulfur as a laxative.
YIKES!

Those ancient remedies were the best they could do at the time. There were no sulfur drugs, no worming drugs. There wasn't much to use for man or beast. Sometimes those things worked, sometimes they didn't. Such as Orange peels rubbed on tendons for splints.( The actual rubbing was the cure). 

We have all those things now, and so much more; X-Rays, miracle drugs, micro surgeries!
Now, all you have to do is BING it. Or Googer (sic) it! The world is at your fingertips! Press the mic icon and say something like, " Does my horse have thumps?" Go on. Do it. I'll wait.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Actually a lot of the time all anyone need do is think. Yep. With your own little gray matter. Common Horse sense.
Ask yourself; " Self, if I had open oozing sores on my legs and arms, to clean and soothe it,would I pour on-
A. Listerine    B.  Vinegar     C. Saline

(If you wouldn't do it to yourself, why would you do it to them?)

"Self, If  I had shin splints how would I want to treat them?"

" Self, If I can carry a load 300 pounds more than my actual weight, how many people and saddles would that equal out to?"

"Self, if my horse bites me, would it do any good, or make any impression in his walnut sized brain for me to actually take his soft nose and bite him back? Especially knowing that these 900 pound animals bite each other regularly as social behavior?  Could I take the resulting bite,kick or strike?

See- simple!!

If you can't fathom those kinds of answers, may I suggest an actual book. Yes.A Library book. They are free to borrow, ya don't even have to pay for them! This is where the Dewey Decimal System comes in handy ( for those of you who were born after 2001. For the rest of you I'll have another example in a moment)
There are many books on animal behavior and medicine. Read one or two. Takes notes. Subscribe to an Equine magazine.

Third example- wait for it..... A PHONE book! Look up local veterinarians! Look up Horse Trainers! Trickle down theory and all that. What? You don't remember Trickle down?

Maybe it's just a tactic of the social media generation- something along the lines of " I need attention and I'm not getting it, so I am going to ask a question about my nag, that I already know the answer to, and then everyone will know how cool I am because I have a horse."

If that is the case~ I got nuthin!

For all my little 'Serial Killers' out there- I love you

"To Make the Best Better"
                           4-H Motto




I don't know if you saw the video clip of that wack a doo, Peta supporting, no load, non-bred loser calling our children little serial killers- but I did.



I try so hard not to react to these kinds of shock-tactic posts~ but this time I can't let it go. You see, I am a 'Serial Killer'- a grown up alumni of the 4-H. I raised two wonderful women who are 4-H alumni and they are raising two boys, one which is a member of the 4-H and the other will be as soon as he learns to talk ( He's a year old).

The green and white uniform means integrity.

Now I understand that not everyone wants to raise an animal for food. That is your privilege. So lets just take the animal out of this equation for a moment.

Projects such as Photography help a child to see the world differently.

4-H is more than just animals. It is community. It is friendship. It is commitment.  Children are required to keep records, use documents and make a budget. They know the 4-H Pledge and live it. They know the Pledge of Allegiance and it's not just a bunch of meaningless words. The kids must give presentations, speak plainly and with conviction, be polite, respect authority, play nice, use their intelligence for the greater good, and have fun doing it!

There are Projects like Marine Biology, Rocket Science, Fashion, Cooking, Art, Woodworking and Aquatic Farming. I think that I have seen television shows about all of these topics lately, so it seems that these kinds of jobs are going to need the skills that the 4-H can teach.

4-H teaches Archery, firearm safety, canning and sewing too. If the Zombie Apocalypse happens, these skills might also be in high demand!

Learning to guide an animal much bigger than them gives a child confidence.

Okay- back to the animals. With the world population growing at an astounding rate, the main focus of civilization will be the raising and farming of food. The 4-H is an extension of that future need. Kids learn to judge what a good animal should be, then learn how to raise it to it's maximum weight in a loved and healthy environment. Respect for the animal is high on all 4-H lists. Abuse and thoughtlessness are not tolerated by any part of the organization- especially from their peers. You take care of the animals first- always. You would never see a 4-Her abandon an animal. You won't see them at chicken or dog fights. They won't be the kids throwing kittens into lakes or puppies into fire.
And the kids I know would take on a gang of bullies to keep that from happening.

Honors and Achievements are shown as pins, bars and stars on the 4-H hat.

You won't see a 4-H kid hording horses or pigs or dogs or cats. They know how much food and care it takes to maintain even one animal. They are realists. But if there was a way to help suffering animals, they will be the first in line to lend a hand or donate their time or money.

Children from different walks of life are competing fairly and happily.

My little 'Serial Killers' cry when their animals go to market, even when they are tired of getting up at the crack of dawn before school to feed and walk those animals. They have compassion tempered with realist expectations. Those little packages of meat in the Grocery must come from somewhere and they know this going in. And I'm proud to say that the kids do feel sadness, they are not monsters or heartless. It doesn't get easier but they do get wiser.

It's never easy to say goodbye to a project animal.

I've seen kids fail and pick themselves up and carry on. I've seen fierce competitors hug each other after competition. Countless acts of selflessness abound. The kids will stay up all night to help one another prepare for the show the next day.

Taking a quick siesta before they all have to dress and show. They were up early to bathe and groom the animals.

4-H creates a larger community than the one they reside in. Entering in the County Fair is a chance for the many Clubs to come together and it's like a family reunion. Friendships are long lasting and far reaching. The 4-H camps give the kids an opportunity to have fun and re connect with friends that may live further away than a car ride. 4-H also provides a National community, with competitions that draw entries from all over the United States. 4-H provides scholarships at all levels too.
You don't need to be rich to be in 4-H. You just have to want to succeed.

The judge gives his perspective on this girls market animal.

The leaders in 4-H are the salt of the earth. They have children, sometimes many children, but each kid gets the attention they need to succeed in their chosen projects. 4-H only works because of the families. Parents have to take part, and in many situations it is the grandparents,aunts and uncles that step up. Unlike many Urban sports where the child is dropped off and then picked up hours later, 4-H'ers rely  on family participation. And when Big Sister or Big Brother are winning, the littler ones are shown strong role models to follow.

Moms and Dads, Grandparents and youngsters are a integral part of the 4-H family.

I was a leader for more than 10 years, and a lot of parents are in it even longer. My 4-H alumni kids are now Doctors, Veterinarians, Horse Trainers, Policemen, Nurses and Teachers, Actors, Mothers and Fathers, some served in the Military. I can recount with pride how this one stood up with shaking knees and gave his first presentation or how that one learned to ride a horse for the first time or how the whole group gathered more trash than everyone else that one Clean-up Drive. The memories are forever.

My two serial killers and me.

So my little 'Serial Killers'- ignore those trash talking haters if you can.  I support you and always will.

Howdy- Again

HOWDY!

I have been a Blogger since 1999, but as all things must end, my old Blog- The California Cowgirl- has reached the end of her tether.

This is a new improved version of that blog.

I invite you to check in here once in awhile. I have humor and wisdom to share, and I would like to also check in with some of my old blogging friends, and maybe make some new blogging friends.

This isn't a "How do I make it" kind of blog. It isn't a "How to" kind of a blog. You won't learn how to paint a dresser, or plant a seed, or diaper a baby or frame a photograph.

 It's more of a HOLY S*^% kind of a blog!

Like " Holy S*&%, did she really go THERE!?

It's a Travel blog- I want to share the places I go and the history I find there.

It's an  Advice kind of a blog. You want to know the history of the Spanish bit, the spur, the saddle, the mustang, the Gold Rush? Me too!

I blog about things that are important to me. Things like horses, and dogs and children and antiques and friendships. If I wonder about some aspect of life- I try to find out about it and blog about that too.

Maybe we will have a few laughs together. Maybe we will become friends.

I any case, I'd sure like to hear from you~


Happy Trails!