October 6, 2008
Volume 4, Number 19

Hello, Friends!

Wow!  There is a lot going on in the next few weeks with the American Royal in Kansas City. Don’t forget to join us this Saturday night, Oct.11, at Kemper Arena for World Champion Charro Jerry Diaz’s Concert of Dancing Horses. There are plenty of tickets still available and it will start at 7:00 pm. Information is inside this newsletter.

Also, don’t forget to attend the American Royal’s PRCA Weekend where they will be hosting the Prairie Circuit Finals on Oct. 23, 24, & 25. Believe me this weekend will prove out to be the hottest ticket in town in the years to come. You get to see the Top 10 PRCA Cowboys and Cowgirls in the Nebraska, Kansas, & Oklahoma area riding and roping the top stock that has been selected for this event. While you are enjoying the PRCA Rodeo, you will have the opportunity to see a great youth rodeo, attend an improved trade show, and either see or participate in the Unbelievable Horse Happening.

In the trade show besides visiting great booths, you will have the opportunity to learn at the Purina Round Pen with clinics being help all day on both Oct.24^th & 25^th, Friday and Saturday in Hale Arena. This all kicks off in Hale Arena on Thursday evening with the Opening Ceremonies including a Ranch Horse Clinic by Craig Cameron. Besides the Thursday evening clinic, Craig will be hosting the Extreme Youth Trail Class on Friday afternoon. This show is going to be huge with over 1340 entries after the first day entries opened up. Thanks to Purina Mills, Adequan, B&W Hitch, Forage First, Priefert, and Intervet for helping making this show possible. And I would like to thank Darby Zaremba, Abbie Grossnicklaus and their team for making it happen.

Don’t forget to attend the Purina Horse Health Fairs that are going on along with all the other events. You can check out the events by either going to www.purinamills.com or go to www.betterhorsesnetwork.com.

I hope that you enjoy my picture of my sons and my daughter-in law after Luke got home from Iraq. Also I had to throw in my picture of my grandson, Aiden with whom I was able to spend some time with while in California. Thanks for all you do and I hope to see you soon.
 

Happy Trails!

Ernie

Just A Horse

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a horse," or, "that's a lot of money for "just a horse".  They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a horse."

    Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a horse."
    Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a horse," but I did not once feel slighted.
    Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a horse,' and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a horse" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.
    If you, too, think it's "just a horse," then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."
    "Just a horse" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy.
    "Just a horse" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.
    Because of "just a horse" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.
    So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a horse" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.
    "Just a horse" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away.
    I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a horse" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman/man."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a horse" just smile, because they "just" don't understand.

                                                                                                                                                        ~Anonymous

Calendar of Events:

The Better Horses Radio Show

            Tune in to one of the stations airing our show:
              
                Saturday    9:00am - 10:00am         KMDO 1600 am - Fort Scott, KS
                Saturday    4:00pm - 5:00pm          KFRM   550 am - Clay Center/Salina/Wichita, KS
                Sunday      5:05am - 6:00pm           KMA    960 am / 99.3 fm
                Sunday      5:00am - 6:00am           KOMG  92.9 fm - Bass Country, Ozark, MO
                Sunday      6:00am - 7:00am           KTPK   106.9 am - (Country Legends) Topeka, KS
                Sunday      6:30am - 7:30am           KFEQ   680 am - St. Joe, MO
                Sunday      9:00am - 10:00am         KDKD  95.3 fm - Clinton, MO
                Sunday      4:00pm - 5:00pm           KOFO  1220 am - Ottawa, KS
                Sunday      4:00pm - 5:00pm           KTJJ     98.5 fm - Farmington, MO

PLUS . . . we've gone cross-country with the Better Horses Network!
  WOCA - Ocala, FL       WLEG - Lexington, KY  
 

For rates and placement information, please click here.

LISTING EVENTS IN OUR NEWSLETTER -- If you are an organization or business who would like to list your event in our Calendar Section, click on the Event Listings box above for rates.  Then contact Jo Ann Riggs at e-mail address listed with your request.

CLASSIFIED AD LISTING --  If you are interested in a Classified Ad listing, click on the Classified Ad box above.  Rates and placement information is located directly below the box.  Simply click on "please click here."  Be sure to check our Classifieds each newsletter as ads are changing all the time.

NEW CATEGORY FOR WEBSITES -- Due to many requests for website listings, we have a new section in our Classified Ads called WEB LINKS.  Check this section from time to time as we add website links that may be of interest to you.  Enter our Classified Ads and click on Web Links, then click on the name listed and you will be taken directly to that party's website. 

 Our subscriber list has grown to over 8,600+ recipients -- almost entirely horse-owning households! 
 Our ad and event services are a great way to reach those people!

Horse Management Tip

Measure Feed by Weight!

 
Measure feed by weight, not volume. Although many people use the ubiquitous “3-lb” coffee can to measure their horse feed, a coffee can of oats is not the same amount of feed as a coffee can of corn! The can of oats may hold 2-4 lbs of grain, while the can of corn is actually 4-5 lbs of corn. Further, since corn is more calorie rich than oats, the can of corn may contain 2-3 times the energy as the can of oats. Also, coffee cans come in different sizes. For instance, a can that holds 2 lb 7 oz of coffee holds 4 lbs of Strategy or Ultium, but a can that hold 2 lb 2.5 oz of coffee only holds 3 ¾ lbs of Strategy or Ultium. For only $5 to $10, the purchase of a fish scale may be one of the most important tools in the barn.

With the help of a plastic bag (I prefer a tall kitchen handle tie garbage bag), the horse owner can measure not only the amount of feed in the coffee can or the feed scoop, but also a flake of hay.
Many horse owners have never weighed their hay, and a flake of hay can weigh anywhere from 2 to 6 lbs. It seems that the majority of horse owners feed a can of feed and two flakes of hay twice a day to their horses -- but when you start to weigh the feed and hay, and take into account the calorie densities of the various feeds, there is a large range of nutritional variations in this feeding schedule. To get a good understanding of how well you are meeting your horse’s nutritional needs, you must weigh the feed and hay.

Horsey Treat Recipe 

Fall is here and the apples are ripe for pickin'!!!  Try this special Fall treat for your favorite horse . . .

Autumn Apple Surprise

    One medium to large apple
     Cooking oats
     Molasses
     Chopped up carrots
     Crushed bran flakes

Hollow out the apple with a peeler as much as you can, scooping out the insides.  Pour some oats into it, then add some molasses -- repeating this until you have a centimeter to go.  Make sure you stir the oats and molasses with a strong tool like a chopstick.  Put some carrots on top and punch them down, squeezing a bit of molasses out the top and add the crushed bran flakes.  Put in a freezable bag and put in the freezer.  Take it out when you're ready to use and warm it up a bit.

Now feed to your horse . . . it will be a treat your horse will remember!

Thoughts To Ponder
      By Charley Green

Bailing Wire

I recall the days on the farm when many temporary repairs were made because of bailing wire.  Bailing wire was used to hold hay bales together so they could be handled, moved around and stacked in the barns.  When the bales were fed to the livestock, the wire from those bales was usually wadded up and thrown into a corner of the barn out of the way of the animals and, most of the time, from underfoot of the farmer.

Many times when a breakdown of equipment occurred, the broken part could be wired back in place by bailing wire and would hold long enough until a permanent repair could be made.  Equipment and items such as tie rods on cars and trucks, cultivator parts, combines, broken wagon parts, gates, fencing, etc., would be the beneficiary of a piece of bailing wire and a pair of pliers.  Bailing wire earned its place in history by being able to serve more than one purpose and meet other needs because of its flexibility and versatility.

I think folks are a lot like bailing wire as they're able to bend without breaking, can hold people and situations together, oftentimes remaining in the background until a need arises, then step up and solve a problem or meet a challenge head on, can be used over and over again and, with a little effort, can be straightened out.

                                                                                                                                                                                           - Charley Green


To read a little more about Charley, Click Here.       To go to Charley's website, www.willrogersandcharley.com          

Timely Reminder
                                           

As always, let me know if we can be of any help to you and your horse operation.  When it comes to Equine Research, Purina Mills is the company that can say . . .

“WE FEED OUR FEED TO OUR HORSES, BEFORE WE ASK YOU TO FEED IT TO YOURS!”

Useful Websites For Horse Owners:

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