Our January Bucket Fund recipients are the brave men and women from M&J Peterson Horse Transport who brought over 300 horses to safety as they were being threatened by the horrific fires in Australia.  They did this all on their own time and money.  You can read our original story here.

DONATION RECEIPTS FROM ALL OF YOU… TO M&J HORSE TRANSPORTATION!

Immediately, we sent the initial lot of funds received and posted that donation receipt ($2228 AUD) last week.  You can see the receipt and read that story here.

On Saturday, we sent the next batch of accrued donations with a total of $1395 AUD!  Below is the new donation receipt for this most recent payment.

THANK YOU, HORSE AND MAN GROUP!!  YOUR  PRAYERS, THOUGHTS AND DONATIONS LEAVE ME IN AWE.   Thank you.

This is so incredible!  Matt and Jackie are humbled and thrilled with this help from so far away.  They have been so gracious and so moved by all of your help.  THANK YOU!!

The post Our 2ND DONATION RECEIPT to M&J Peterson Horse Transport to transport, house and feed the horses of the Australian fires! appeared first on Horse and Man.

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Two organisations have come together to create an educational film to highlight best practice to riders and mountain bikers when sharing the countryside.

The film, commissioned and funded by the British Horse Society (BHS) and Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS), with funding also from Scottish Cycling and the European Community Scottish Borders LAG Leader 2012-2020 programme, stars equestrians Persia Bhatia and Lesley Walker alongside professional mountain bikers Reece Wilson and Jessie-May Morgan and demonstrates how the different riders should interact with each other responsibly.

A spokesman for DMBinS said with the number of riders and mountain bikers increasing, there is a need for both groups to understand how they can “best co-habit” in shared space.

“With narrow trails exiting on to shared forest roads and increasing interactions on shared paths and the wider countryside, it was recognised that there was a need to educate both sets of riders, to how we should behave so we can all enjoy our shared spaces together,” he said.

BHS Scotland national manager Helene Mauchlen said the society is “very pleased” to be involved with the making of the film.

“We applaud DMBinS for taking a proactive approach to something that could have become a major issue for our members,” she said.

“We hope our members and the mountain bike community are able to share this video and help educate everyone on how we can all responsibly enjoy the outdoors together.”

DMBinS head Graeme McLean said it had been “fantastic” to see the growing number of mountain bikers using forests in Scotland but that there have been incidents where mountain bikers have been unsure how to react to or safely pass horses.

Article continued below…

‘The worst day of my life’: BHS releases emotive new road safety film

‘The aim of this video is to clearly demonstrate the devastating impact these incidents can have on riders and horses’

Changing lives: rescued horses’ new start helping troubled young people

‘Now, we are also helping horses to have a new start in life too. It doesn’t get any better’

*January sale* Enjoy 6 issues of Horse & Hound for just £6

Take advantage of our sale on Horse & Hound magazine subscriptions today

“We hope by showing the perspective from both the mountain biker and the horse rider we can all learn something and go on enjoying what we love to do – safer and for the benefit of all concerned,” he said.

The video advises horse riders should:

• Communicate with mountain bikers clearly
• Let them pass
• Say thank you

Mountain bikers should:

• Slow down and look before exiting trails
• Stop and ask riders for instruction on how to pass
• Say thank you
• Avoid passing silently as this can spook a horse

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I know these posts are probably boring to you all… time to post our dispersal payments.  Last month, our chosen horse was Big Eddy, the handsome mustang who was captured after a very successful, wild 20+ years  – only to be deemed unadoptable and worthless due to his age.

Luckily, kind folks pulled him from the BLM corrals and Eddy ended up at Mustangs to the Rescue.  We banded together to build funds for his initial gentling.  THANK YOU THANK YOU.

If you missed his original story, click here.

OUR DONATION DISPERSAL RECEIPTS.

A note from Kate of Mustangs to the Rescue:

Dawn, thank you so very much! You gave Eddy a much larger audience. That helps in the short and long term by increasing the public’s awareness if the issues and their depth.
Our PayPal address is info@mustangstotherescue.org .
You and your efforts are much appreciated.
Take care,
Kate

THANK YOU ALL, GREAT JOB!

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Santa sent a box to Norma Jean (my donkey) using USPS (for some reason…).

Oh my goodness!!  Norma Jean was so very pleased today when we opened it together!

Her comment was that she was willing to share this 3 lb bag of Beet-E-Bites (mint flavor) with her paddockmate, Dodger.  But, no one else.  Her reasoning?  Well, it was based on a story I shared with her about my 3 lb box of See’s Candy that I received from Santa.  You see… after I gave everyone a taste, there was hardly any left for me.

So, Norma put her hoof down.  All Beet-E-Bites go to her and Dodger, since they are the ones who cannot have sugary snacks anyway.  I had to read the packaging to Norma, as she is loathe to go off her diet:  all natural, no sugar, no molasses, no grains, non gmo beet pulp, no preservatives, no artificial color.   Yay!   She can eat them ALL.

PHOTO JOURNAL OF NORMA’S PRESENT FROM SANTA!

*It has been raining almost non-stop here for days and days.  Everyone is a little muddy.

The package label!!

The envelope inside!

Santa’s note to NJ!

The present!! Mint flavored Beet-E-Bites, Norma’s favorite! All natural, low sugar, low carb snacks! Healthy snacks for a curvy girl.

Of course, Norma asked if I had checked the wear date and if these were very fresh. She had to smell her favorite cookie herself, to make sure… and she said, VERY FRESH!

YUM-ME!

DODGER wanted his…

You can see that his eyes rolled back a bit. LOVE!

Norma wanted more… which she can have since these are low sugar, low carb.

Shhhhh. Don’t tell NJ, but I did give one of her Beet-e-Bites to Dalton. He LOVED it.

The post WHATTA WAY FOR NORMA JEAN TO START THE NEW YEAR! She is so happy!! SANTA BROUGHT HER BEET-E-BITES! appeared first on Horse and Man.

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Today, we take little Natty Bumppo for shots!

HERE WE GO!

I parked next to a sled dog team.

They heard my phone taking a pic… there were 12 dogs in that truck!

Little Natty Bumppo has no idea we are going for shots today. He is sleeping with Scoutypant’s favorite gorilla. Bittersweet.

I’ve posted this previously, but it ALWAYS makes me smile…

Perfect.

I never knew this.

From Kat Livengood.

Credit is to Rita Whalley.  It is a turtle in the sea. Awesome shot!

This is me, for sure!

I posted this last year, too. I just love it!

From The Gentle Barn

Wow.

Why not fetch with a rhino?

Wild baby frenemies.

From Montgomery Creek Ranch. Thank you.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

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Many of you have seen this dramatic photo on Facebook.

OH MY HORSEGODS.  The good news is that horse and driver are OK.

I did a lot of hunting and found more pics and the original post (in Spanish) with a bad American translation.  But the gist of it is that the horse and driver were OK.  The car, not so much.

ORIGINAL POST AND TRANSLATION (I don’t speak Spanish):

12/26/19 Guaynabo Puerto Rico Horse/car accident Horse survived Horse was spooked by fireworks in the area.  We are informed that the owner of the car is stable and the horse too.

Original Post:

Amigos caballista gracias a dios luego del impacto del jueves hoy cumple 4 dias de la recuperaciòn de mi hijo ranchero a papa dios primera mente y al caballero del veiculo no a pasado nada quiero agradecer a kamello a jum a Luis Eggie Pagan Perez y a Richie hijo de rafy por estar alli conmigo y por enviarme las evidencias tambien quiero darle las gracias al municipio de guaynabo de mi pueblo manejo de emergencia y la policia municipal por hacer un mejor trabajo por cuidarme y por ser mi compañeros de trabajo en verdad nunca me an dejado solos gracias por sacar el tiempo de llegar las donaciones tanto para mi caballo y para poder pagar al vehiculo de verdad todos mis amigos caballistas y al todo ep pueblo de puerto rico que an sacado su tiempo a damr un granito de arena toy muy agradecido me siento sumamente agradecido tamos en victorias gracias gracias a todos de verdad y por mi damr mi ejemplo de enseñar a la gente que nunca deja solo a un hijo gracias a ranchero me enseño a ser padre ranchero te amo hijo nunca te voy a dejar solo Machito Swing ahh y a Angel Rivera por darme una mano para sanar a mi caballo hacienda apalusa mejor hospital de mundo equino rafi graciss de todo corazon y a Maria Garcia por no dejarme solo

Translation (I think this is a poor translation…):

PHOTOS

The post Horrific and Amazing horse accident and recovery. appeared first on Horse and Man.

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“New year, new you,” you think optimistically as you skip down to the yard. It’s time for a fresh start. You’re going to put all those bad habits behind you, and with the help of a few New Year’s resolutions, you and your horse will be like a well-oiled winning machine in 2018. Oh yeah! Except… It’s not quite as easy as that, is it? Here are a few resolutions that you might find trickier to keep than you think…

1. Stop treating your car like a mobile tack room

You’ve skipped the straw out of your boot (how did it even get in there?), removed the long-lost jodhpur boot from under the passenger seat, and tracked down the source of the strange smell — although you don’t want to go into that here. Your car is immaculate and you intend to keep that way. And so you will — until you suddenly run out of hay and have to make an emergency trip to the country supplies store to wedge as many bales as you can into the boot, or you’re running late after a muddy ride, and lob your filthy boots and chaps into the back of the car. And so it begins….

2. Clean your tack daily

Weekly. OK, monthly. Let’s be realistic here.

3. Try some new hacking routes

What a lovely idea! Until you find yourself having to get off 15 times to open gates, or being chased through a field by some irate llamas, and remember why, exactly, you always stick to your tried-and-trusted routes.

4. Stop blowing all your wages in online horsey emporiums

Guilty of whiling away time at work — ahem, your precious downtime — browsing horsey websites? Us too. And you know how it is, without really registering what you’re doing, you’ve added a new jacket, or yet another set of brushing boots in a really funky shade of blue, to your basket. And checked out, and paid for them. Just think how much more healthy your bank balance will be when you beat this addiction! You can do it… Until you see the new range of matching saddlecloths and bandages, or those gorgeous competition breeches, at your favourite online store. Nobody can resist this amount of temptation. Blame the Devil when you succumb.

5. Join a gym to improve your rider fitness

You put so much effort into keeping your horse fit, sometimes your own fitness goes by the wayside. You know you could improve your riding by getting stronger and more flexible… Only problem with that is, if you’ve only got one precious hour to exercise, what are you going to do, head to the gym — or ride? Go figure!

Continued below…

Roll up your sleeves: the jobs you need to do before the end of January

We don’t mean to nag, but there are a few chores that, in an ideal world, you’ll have done before

8 things your trainer will never tell you, but you really need to know

If you want to establish the best possible relationship with your trainer, here are some useful tips to help

*January sale* Enjoy 6 issues of Horse & Hound for just £6

Take advantage of our sale on Horse & Hound magazine subscriptions today

6. Give up wine/smoking/chocolate so you can afford a new saddle

Ha ha ha! Good luck with that!

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Has your dog given him/her self a job?  Waking you up in the morning?  Guarding the house?  Waiting for the mailman?  Lording over the toys…?

They all pick a job, however unjoblike it may appear.

To me, dogs, as they mature, are compelled to claim their talent.  The duties come with honest earnest.  It is THEM.  It is what they do.

They never questions whether they are good at it.  They never doubt or suffer fits of insecurity.  They are what they are and they do their chosen profession to the best of their ability.

But most of all, they are satisfied with themselves.

VIVEY.

Vivey helps me feed.  Or, at least that what she thinks she does.  And, in her mind, she does an excellent job.  In fact, it is a travesty and an unnecessary risk for me to go out and feed without her.

Now, she doesn’t help me feed at all.  What she does is zoom around while I’m feeding.  But to her, she is doing something very valid.  She checks in every few zooms and continues this for the entire feeding schedule.

She’s good at it.  It suits her.  She picked well.  And, she accomplishes her goal every day.

Oh, and she babysits.  She’s awesome at it.

ME.

I’m not like Vivey.  I don’t pick one thing – whatever it is… eating, sleeping, watching Project Runway, arranging shoes, straightening hangers, dusting …  – and feel satisfied all day that I’ve done a great job.  Ever.

Why isn’t that one great job –  enough.

Because when the job is enough, and you are enough, the smile and the joy radiates.

Like dogs.  They radiate joy.

And so should we.  Be happy with the you that is you.  Find the joy in every moment- like your dog finds joy in every moment.  Dogs don’t even think about what they aren’t.  They just are.

FOR 2020, I ASPIRE TO BE MORE LIKE MY DOG.

My Vivey (Hubby calls her “Putin”) doing her babysitting job.  She does it very well.    (Introducing Natty Bumppo – our little boy pup!  McNab/Lab and German Short Haired Pointers.  He’s 10 weeks old.)

The post My dog thinks she has jobs – and she’s so happy with her performance. My New Year’s Resolution… to be more like my dog. appeared first on Horse and Man.

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Today, it will rain again (ugh), so I will do stuff indoors … probably clean.  Boring.  But it has been a fun and eventful week, so cleaning is fine today.

HERE WE GO!

I like it!

A beautiful raven photo by Kat Livengood

Gorgeous colors, Montana. Thank you.

I love this old tyme painting.

Silly but it made me laugh.

I’ve never seen this in real life… interesting.

Cute!

So interesting.

I love this!

So cute!

I wish this photo was larger because I think it is adorable.

Awwww… reminds me of Nomar and Nadia – so afraid of cats. (And a very smug cat, indeed.)

I wrote about this a while back … and this post is a very good reminder. Mother Nature has innate cures.

So adorable…such love and play!

LET’S SPONSOR EDDY!  He was ripped from his freedom as an elder, very successful wild mustang.  Now he is stuck in our world.  WE CAN GIFT HIM GENTLING WITH HONOR so he can find a loving, forever home.

All donations are 100% tax deductible!  THANK YOU in advance.  This means so much to me.

  If you receive these posts via email, click here to donate!

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MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM HORSE AND MAN (and Norma Jean) to all of our wonderful Readers.  We appreciate every one of you!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

AND TO CELEBRATE, HERE IS A STORY BY MAX LUCADO

Original story here.

Click here to go to original story

Christmas bespeaks of Nativity. And Nativity gives occasion to Nativity plays. No one knows who first came up with the idea of dramatizing the birth of Jesus, but the first script has inspired innumerable others.

Though each Nativity play has its own unique wrinkle, they all have some common features: angels with chiffon wings and wise men and their gifts from afar. A weary innkeeper will turn Mary away. A wide-eyed Joseph will bunch the manger’s hay. And Mary, weary and sweet, will say “I think today.”

Beneath a suspended star a baby will be born, the angels will sing, the wise men will kneel and children of all ages will go home telling their parents that next year they want a part in the Nativity play. Little boys want to be Joseph. Little girls want to be Mary. Some want to wear the angel wings or bear gifts from a distant land. A few might even offer to be the hard-hearted Herod or the hassled innkeeper.

But no one, ever, as far as I know, volunteers to be the donkey. Which is odd, actually, for what greater honor could exist than to do what the donkey did? He carried Jesus. I know, Joseph is better looking and Mary is quite stunning. Wise men get the cool hats and angels have the hallelujahs. And the donkey? He just stands to the side and chews on hay.

But look at him. Do you not see contentment in those big, brown eyes? A look of satisfaction on his face? He just delivered history’s greatest gift! Before Santa had a sleigh or UPS had trucks, God had a donkey. Thanks in no small part to him, the choir can sing “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.”

I know, I know. We’d rather be Joseph, rugged and bearded. We’d rather be Mary, faithful, beautiful and immaculate.

But somebody needs to be the donkey. I’m thinking a donkey at Christmas is a good thing to be.

The Christmas donkey did his work. He delivered Jesus so Jesus could be delivered.

He plodded. He didn’t gallop or giddy-up. He did what donkeys do. He steadily stepped in the direction the master directed.

And, upon arrival, he stepped to the side. He demanded no recognition, expected no compensation. He isn’t even mentioned in the Bible.

He was happy to do his job and let Jesus have all the attention.

Perhaps we could learn a lesson from the Christmas donkey. There is always a place in the Nativity, God’s Nativity story, for the person who will plod along expecting no applause, bear up under the weight of the long haul, and carry the one who will carry us all.

So here’s to the donkeys of the story. May your ride be faithful and your rest be fruitful. And we will do our best to follow your example.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

The post MERRY CHRISTMAS 2017! The incredible lesson we should learn from the Christmas donkey! appeared first on Horse and Man.

HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!

Your purchase with R.W. through this link helps the Bucket Fund!

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Supporting The Bucket Fund through Amazon Smile is HUGE for the horses. Please choose HORSE AND MAN when you make your Amazon purchase through this link. THANK YOU!