Horses that Follow You-What does it mean and why?

While walking around the arena putting about away some equipment I was using for teaching Sass, my horse, how to jump I noticed she followed me around. When I tied her up she would pull against her reins until she was free and then follow me again. Curious I started to do a little research on why horses follow you around. It comes down to acceptance-One good and one no so great.

The horse accepts you because it views you as part of its pack. It believes you are no longer a threat or a foreigner to its pack and doesn't have a reason to run away from you. The acceptance is a great thing but the type of acceptance is another.

Lets say that she follows you and doesn't many any attempt to dominate you. She isn't pushing you around with her nose, nipping, and getting into your space. She just wants to be near you. This is a sign she has accepted you and has bonded with you. You are higher on the horse hierarchy than her.

If she is pushing you around and getting in your space you will need to correct her quickly. While she may have accepted you she assumes your just another horse she can dominate. This can be dangerous if she can do whatever she wants and will lead to all types of dominating behaviors.

My horse got the name "Sass" because of her attitude. She never accepted the previous owners and seem to display a sense of stubbornness despite winning a couple of awards. After she made her very first jump with me she bonded. I could see subtle changes in her a few months beforehand.

Supporting Eco Tourism and Health Through DCN Trails Clean Up-Get Involved!

Tonight I attended DCN Trails which stands for Delta County Non-Motorized Trails Organization. Its a group of people who get together to protect and improve local trails. Doing so not only increases access to these trails for people who want to get out in nature but also encourages ecotourism of the area that lends itself to economic development.

While government can set policy and do a lot it is up to local businesses, groups, and people to invest in their own eco-tourism future. Businesses and citizens can get out and make a difference through financial or personal effort.

There are two events you may want to join. Both are between 9 am and 12 cleaning up and clearing trails. Bring shovels, limb cutters and rakes.

Saturday October 20th Days River Trail Head
Saturday October 27th Rapid River Trial Head


https://www.facebook.com/DCNTrails/?tn-str=k*F

Marketing as a Promotion of the Perception of a World View

Marketing has been called a lot of things and there are so many ways of describing it. Yet the field is often associated with a perception of a world view. Within many campaigns is a deep seated need to influence a world view that attracts like minded adherents to purchase the brand. Each campaign provides a methodology to life.

Lets consider an image of a bottle of rum on the beach. You will also find happy young people enjoying themselves. They are promoting a world view that life should be fun and carefree. We should be youthful and enjoy the world.

Another strong example may be a team of people whitewater rafting down a treacherous river. The slogan may say something like, "Conquer the World" or "Explore Your World" indicating that people should seek to challenge and understand the world around them. It just so happens by buying a particular outdoor brand promotes that view.

How we relate to the world is a reflection of our values and how we see ourselves. We may not be aware of the constructed images we have but they say something about how "things should be". When we find certain brands attractive we are promoting our values and lifestyle through a world view of our inner world.

Simple Guitar Scales-Getting Nimble Again with Your Fingers

In recent years I have been re-exploring life in a new way realizing that many of the things we thought would be important are not that important. I have regained a love for creativity, music and art. I once while young earned a scholarship for music but have left that for more practical pursuits. Yet as I get older I realize that music should still be part of our lives and improve our lives.

Here is is some scales that improve your fingers and your ability to move up and down the frets quickly.

Video on Jumping Horses - Pacing and Position

Slowly I'm teaching my horse to jump. Following professional advice I learned that I should start with the bar on the ground and teach my horse to go over it. Eventually you raise that bar. Having the horse jump is one thing but making sure you are paced well and in proper body position is a complete other issue. This video helps highlight that.

The Joy that Comes from House Repairs- Tips on Getting it Done Right

When I say that the last think you like to see is something that needs to be fixed on the house. It costs money and it costs time. Most of us just hire someone and can become extremely frustrated when contractors don't show up, overcharge and even hide information to extract more information. There is a joy in conducting much of your own home repairs as long as you are willing to take your time and do things the right way. A couple of rules come to mind.

1.) Take Your Time: The number one problem with house repairs is people not taking their time. They rush and make big mistakes.

2.) Learn, Read and Ask Questions: Go online, read and ask people how to do something.

3.) Analyze what your going to do? Analyze what you are going to do before you get ready.

4.) Take measurements: Make sure you understand the sizes and lengths you will need.

5.) Reinforce everything: You may think you have enough but reinforce things when you can.

6.) Safety First: Make sure everything is done in a safe and sufficient manner.

7.) Be Proud: Be happy you were able to do the work yourself in a safe and effective manner. You learned a lot.

What is a True Academic?

The world of higher education is changing. The models are changing and they way we teach students is also changing. The role of the academic will be in question in the future. The use of adjunct instructors is increasing and the full time thinkers are going out the window because we can't justify their return dollars. We will need to rethink the role of the modern academic and encourage thinkers as a function of society even when we don't like what they have to say.

Let me rephrase that....its not that we can't determine their ROI its that we can't calculate all of it. Somethings don't lend themselves well to the dollar. A single thought or idea put in the mind of a hopeful youth may create the next Bill Gates or inspire gifted students to create something that caries on from generation to generation.

The true academic is not the person who seeks to gain promotions simply to show to themselves they are valuable people. They don't need prestige and constant praise but they do need recognition when earned. It is important to remember that schools who promote people into administration should not be promoting upward mobile business professionals but should be encouraging inspiring academics so they can encourage others to also be inspired.

A true academic is a philosopher and a teacher. He/she is loved and hated by society for saying things that may not be popular. They are motivated by learning, creating, engaging, and promoting. They don't hide their discoveries in a vault but share them with the world so that there is a chance it can change things.

Academics are also unsung leaders. Today's political landscape may have tainted the academic world and made them "party men" but this should never have been the case. The true scholar, academic and philosopher is free from the constraints and selfish motivations of people so they can drag society kicking and screaming to a higher state of existence.

Academics should be diverse, come from different thought backgrounds, should debate modern problems, and seek to make the world a better place. They should be independent from the whims of their bosses, managers, and administrators. They have a responsibility to think outside the fray of daily life and give back that knowledge to society.

The Art of Estas Tonne as a Guitar Musician and Simple Promoter

Estas Tonne offers some of the most beautiful guitar music I have heard. His skill is amazing and his videos seem to have a sort of simple aspect to them making it more of a backyard sort of impression. Great music can happen anywhere kind of feeling!

He seems to have be pushing the concept of beauty in the world. Music must only be played and heard. It is to be enjoyed by all people and there is a story within the notes.

Changing of the Color of Leaves in Garden Fayette Park Hiking Areas

Pictures of the life of early industrial workers and the cliffs of Fayette Historical Park. There are some good trails around there that will let you have birds eye view of the village. Nice parking and camp sites. You can start to see the colors change on the trees which is amazing.

If your interested in buying any print outs let me know. I give half to charity and keep the other half for expenses. 8.5 X11 $25 and 16X20" $50. I can either bill you or send you a Pay Pal Request. Just let me know which pic you want....best way is start with #1 at the top and go down. muradabel@gmail.com

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Building in Rest Periods While Working Out by Changing Things Up

Working out is great for your body and many of us enjoy it regularly. We run into the problem when our bodies get stiff and worn out. While sometimes it makes sense to sort of work through these problems other times it is wiser to take the day off by doing something else. Thus you are not taking the day off of a workout but only doing something that uses different muscles allowing your body's sore spots to rest.

These are a few things that pop up when I know I need to adjust my workout

1.Soreness over a couple of days. Your body should nearly recover between workouts.
2. Tiredness. Your body gets tired and you feel like you need more sleep.
3. Stiffness. When your body feels stiff and hard to stretch.

What I do on these days, every three days or so, is to engage in a different type of activity such as walking, hiking, kickboxing, biking, or swimming. Because you don't do this often your body changes and adjusts these sports and turns workout gains into functional muscle that improves your overall health while adding to your quality of life..