DIY Christmas horse crafts: a horse lovers dream

Almost every horse lover I know is pretty crafty.

With the Holiday season coming up fast, I thought you might like this YouTube video on how to make this Christmas horse reef yourself.

Christmas horse reef:  How fun and it is way too adorable.

Be the envy of your horse loving friends.

I have also been saving DIY Horse craft ideas on Pinterest that is fun and always being updated.

Come for a visit and let your imagination go.

I also have a board for Horse shoe nails and Barbed wire ideas.  Some are so amazing.  Lots and lots of ideas to take your passion to new heights.

I hope you join me as you get ready for the Holidays.

Have a Happy Holiday season.

Just WHINNNNNY and enjoy the ride!

Daily Oats: Livin for the whinny

Whinny’s

If you are looking for a way to keep your connection forever, why not try one of Knot-a-Tail’s horse hair bracelets.

Knot-a-Tail  has a very large selection.

Knot-a-Tail’s horse hair bracelets make a great Christmas gift for any horse lover.
Knot-a-Tail’s horsehair bracelets

For even more wonderful whinny’,

Visit us at Knot-A-Tail Where your Passion continues!

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Happiness has a Smell

It is 6:30 am and I am off to my sisters for our weekly visit.

I jump on my mustang, or in it I should say: my mustang convertible, RED.

I take the 60  east for about 10 miles and head south.  Yes, of course I had to stop  Starbucks coffee.   Just a simple dark roast, tall with some cream added: way cheaper and a lot less calories.  I just like plain coffee.  Did I say like: I meant LOVE.

Anyway, enjoying my top-down, convertible ride as I head  down the highway when all of a sudden the sweet, sweet aroma fills all my senses.  Next, I find myself, hanging my head over the side the window, with my nose pointed up trying to find out where that wonderful smell is coming from, when I realized what I must look like to the rest of the cars around me.  I only could imagine what a dog must sense when they get a whiff of a familiar smell and up goes there noses, hanging out the window, sniffing the air.  Well, at that moment, that was me, like a old hound dog, sniffing the air.

See most of Arizona does not have grass, so they never have to cut it, no grass, no fresh cut grass smell.  Although I think that hay smells different then fresh cut grass, but it is that fresh hay smell that makes my heart go into the full delight mood.

The smell just filled me with that great fondness of complete contentment.  The smell of freshly cut hay, how it lingers and oh, how I love that smell.    Let the other drivers next to me  think that I look like a dog with my head hanging out the side of my car. I don’t care, I just want to find where that smell is coming from.

I just kept sniffing away, however,  I never did see where that smell came from, but I sure enjoyed the experience. It was a total delight to my senses.

Who else would ever hang their head out the window to see who was putting up hay beside a horse nut,  well maybe a cattleman, but most of those have horses as well.

Here is a hint for a happy life:  treasure even the littlest  things you love.: put you nose up to the sky, take a good sniff and ENJOY!

Always remember to Greet the world like your horse greets you, as if there is no tomorrow..

Just WHINNNNNNING out loud as much as possible!

Daily Oats: Livin for the whinny

Whinny’s
For even more wonderful whinny’s,

visit us at Knot-A-Tail Where the Passion continues.

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Barn sweetness

I do not want to find myself only happy when I am out in the barn.  Everything in the barn makes me happy, every the crap.  But just a few steps back outside and I can quickly be a goner.

In my life, I want more.  I want  more of  what truly  matters.  Along the way, someone gave to me a gratitude rock .  You might have heard of them.  Just a rock that you stick in your pocket.  Then every time you put your hand in your pocket, you count some of the blessings in your life.  It allows the word gratitude to sink into our minds and souls.

At my worst moments, shortly after  my husband died, I had to make a list and kept it on the frig. I would read it every time I opened the refrigerator door.  Here is a sad fact, but so true of many of us:  I learned more about gratitude for my life, after my husbands death  than every before.

I no longer want to wait till after some tragic event  occurs in my life to show those around me the blessing they are to me.  I want to offer than whenever they are around me the Symphony of the “Dancing with Horses:  a symphony for life.  I want to make sure that they know how much they  HAVE captured my soul: that deep contentment as if I was in the barn just brushing my horse and my soul is completely  satisfied.

For today, I will share the music “Dancing with horses”  and the peace that lives within their unconditional love, not only with the horses but with all those that cross my path.

I will “be the Gratitude “to  all the Whinnies that capture my heart.

Remember always, be the Whinny and greet the world like your horse greets you, with unconditional love to all the two legged creatures in your life as much as the 4 legged ones.

Sending extra whinnies your way.

Always remember to Greet the world like your horse greets you, as if there is no tomorrow.

Just WHINNNNNNING out loud as much as possible!

Daily Oats: Livin for the whinny

Whinny’s
For even more wonderful whinny’s, visit us at

Knot-A-Tail Where the Passion continues!

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Winter’s Dream

What is your winter’s dream?  Is it something left over from this summer?

It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow. So when you ride,  make sure you take your “dream your own impossible” with you on the ride.
Faith will allow our inner  spirit to lift us and only then is no obstacle is too great to overcome.
I am a Cowgirl, and I can fly without wings I just climb on my favorite steed and I close my eyes, for I know that it is within my horse’s heart,  I have found the greatest love there has ever been.

Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do.  You do not need courage to overcome your fear, you just need something more important, that for all horseman is where your deep love for your own passions comes alive, to overcome and believe in  all that you dream. But first you must dream, then the fear will just disappear   Be inspired with the beauty of the love of a horse and the greatness of your own heart.

To accomplish great things you must first believe and next  dream and dream big.    Just wondering what you are believing in today???

Remember always be the whinny, at greet everyone like your horse greets you!
Whinny’s

Roberta  CEO   Knot-a-tail .com

It is time for Knot-a-Tail 4th annual Boo Horse Halloween Photo contest.

Make sure you check out all the new entries.  Ends 10/31/212 at midnight.

Top 10 Cowgirl Rules of life

1.  The passion always comes first.

2.  If you get  mad, grab some leather  and go for a ride.

3.  Need a vacation, take the horse, leave the family

4.  Need a little romance, wear just the boots to bed.

5.  Skip the chores, go for a ride at every opportunity

6.  Never get involved with those that do not share the passion

7.  If you need a cry, head for the barn.  Your horse will never tell you that you are being silly.

8.  Realize that most people will never “Get You”.

9.  Understanding your life purpose is to be completely captured by your hearts passion.

10.  Barn first, house 2nd

Greet the world like your horse greets you, as if there is no tomorrow.

Just be the WHINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNY!!

Daily Oats: Livin for the whinny

Whinny’s
For even more wonderful whinny’, Visit us at Knot-A-Tail ……………………… Where the connection begins!

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Thinking spring, so we already those hard to find items are ready on sale.

Someone STOLE all my Oats?

Suddenly you horse is feeling a little off.   What now?

He is just not quite kicking up his heels like he used to?

So, what do we do? Perhaps change his feed.

I know you.    I bet you have already started asking all the our horsie friends what to do.   You would certainly ask the farrier.   Your trainer perhaps?   The feed store lady?

Have you decided yet to add a supplement to his feed.  Which one?  Did that help?

Still not acting up to his highest potential?   Are you considering calling the Vet?

We will make sure that we keep our horse happy no matter what.

But here is my Question?

Are you Happy?

What about you?   Are you living up to your highest potential?

---

• Did you know that we have over 1 thought ever second of the day.

• Did you know that 95% of those thoughts are the same thoughts as yesterday?

• Did you know that out of those same thoughts as yesterday, 80% of them are negative?

Think about it.

95% of all your thought are repeats and 80%  are negative reminders on how we feel about your life.

It is no wonder over 95% of the population do not feel as if they ever have a change of reaching the life of their dreams.

It is no wonder why you did not  kick up our heels  yesterday or the day before.  When was the last time?

Just for the fun of it, when did you   run around the paddock like a young filly.

Enjoying one flying, because I can, kick after another.

Once you too were just wanting to show the day that you  are glad to be here. Glad that you  can still kick up your heels. Glad that you can still raise a little hell.

That filly  or colt, of yours  was certainly glad that you decided to feed her some more OATS and some new supplements.

Every day, women write to me, Not so much the Cowboys, but the horse women, write and tell me that they spend so much time and money just  caring for their horses and pets that they have no time to even take care of themselves.

Here is a few of the comments  I have collected:

You know you are a horsewoman when:

• Your Horse has less frizzy hair then you do.
• You would rather wear Tall Boots then High Heels.
• You daydream about Horse Shows and not about cute guys or romantic dates.
• Your idea of a Romantic date has the word “Horse” attached to it.
• You groom your horse daily for hours and you haven’t seen a beautician since…?
• You idea of getting ready to go Up-Town is finding a ball cap without any manure stains.
• You are easy to buy clothes for, just go to the local tack store.
• You are proud to admit that your best friend has 4 legs, a mane, and a tail.
• You get out of bed and put on the same underwear as yesterday.
• You exercise program consists of long Jogs  carrying a halter and a bucket of oats.
• You buy your horse more shoes than for yourself.
• You spend more on your horse in one year than all of your other expenses combined.

Do you know why we consider these as funny, because they are so true.

My question is this. Do you know you can have both?

Most of us  feel as if we can have one and not the other making it very obvious that the horses have more value then ourselves.

How easy it is to put everyone and everything else first when we put so little value on ourselves.

When do you start caring enough, dreaming enough, living enough that you get some of those extra Oats for yourself?

Today, tomorrow, next year when things are better?

Did you know that the only moment that you have the power to change anything is  Right Now

Not next week, but right now.

What if you decided, right now to just go do your nails instead of the dishes.

What if you decided, right now to read that book that has been waiting for you on your night stand.

What if you decided, right now, that  your dreams are the one reason that you are hear on this plant.

What if you decided, right now, that you get the extra heap of Oats, just so you too can  kick-up your heels more often.

Make today, your “what if”.

Decide to  grab those extra Oats, filled to overflowing of the capacity  of both your hands, heck just get the biggest bucket you can find and scoop some out for yourself  and start living like you do in your dreams.

For today, Just expect the best and get excited about your life.  Steal some of those Oats for yourself and

START RIDIN’ LIKE YOU STOLE THEM FROM A CRACK DEALER DOWN THE ROAD

Than ……  Ride ..Girl  .. Ride

Ready to change your life and really start  “Livin “ the Whinny!

Greet the world like your horse greets you, as if there is no tomorrow.

Just be the WHINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNY!!

Daily Oats: Livin for the whinny

Whinny’s
For even more wonderful whinny’, Visit us at Knot-A-Tail

From the Facebook group: Sexy farrier butt fan club: The video.
Guaranteed: You will not stop giggling Sexy farrier butt fan club video.

Visit us on Facebook

Did you know that we give away prizes on Facebook almost every day?  Join the fun and celebrate the  a horse lovers life enjoying the whinny.

Born to win

Daily Oats: food for the horse lovers soul

One of my friends brought her beautiful, black and white Paint yearling filly down for me to work with.   After so man years with horse, I do not go weak-in-the-knees over very many horses anymore, but this  filly quickly  captured my hear and inspired my days.  She was special and she was more than willing to share it with the world.

Her passion to learn  stood out from the moment she stepped into the round pen.  She loved to follow me around with out a  halter or lead and watched intensely for the slightest  cues.  Within days, she was performing better than most horses that had  been in there for a week.

I was even amazed at her abilities, and I found myself heading out to the barn earlier so I had more time to spend with her.  I stayed later in the evening, just so I could play with her one more time before I retired for the night.   The two of us could dance around the round pen with just the slightest of cues.   She brought out more of the passion for training in me than I had seen in a very long time.

Gentle turns to the right  and left with an almost invisible cue, backing by just watching my feet move forward,  instant spins, without a crop, changing gaites with just a click.   I loved watching her. I loved playing with her. I loved the dance.

Her passion to learn  was inspiring.   Her willingness to learn was outstanding.  Her eagerness to learn  brought out the best in me.

When you have a gift and you share it with others, it brings out the passion in them to let their own gifts shine.   So many times,  I forget this and denied  my gifts to the world.   What a great loss this is when we do not share our gifts with others, or deny that we even have them.

This, Daily Oats blog, has brought out in me a gift for story telling and encouraging others.  A gift I have denied most of my life.  I have more books started and I have never finished one.   I never thought my writing would  ever be good  enough to get published, so if I never finished one book.  I would never have to worry about being turned down if I never finished them.   What a loss, both to me and to the world around me.   Right now, I am going to saddle-up on my own passions and take the ride of my life and just let go of all the fears that hold me back.

Today, I want to encourage you into letting the passion in you go until it rips you wide open.  Tell me your passion, and tell the world.  Let in out.  Everyone has a gift, a passion they can not deny. Most of the time it gets clouded by life, so you may  no longer see it, but  I know that you  still feel it deep within your spirit.

For today, pretend you can not deny it any longer.  Let it all out, spilling to the brim of your heart and out to the world.     Let it loose!!

What is yours??

Where will you let your passion take you today?  Passion is what makes your life everything you ever dreamed it could be, sharing it with others will bring out the best in them as well.

Share the whinny and be passion like never before.  I AM PASSIONATE
Now go for it with all of your heart: WHINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNY!!

I know that  you were born to WIN!

Daily Oats: Food for the Horse lover’s soul

I love you, Roberta

Roberta Edstrom
CEO
Knot-A-Tail

Sharing the connection to you with our authentic Cowboy horse hair gear and Cowgirl jewelry.

Please join me on Facebook. We certainly are not the largest horse group on Facebook, but I guarantee we have the most horse giggles around.

Visit Roberta on Facebook

Totally just for fun…. a Facebook quiz:
“How horse crazy are you?

Cowgirl’s standing together for those in need. Leave your comments, offer support, advice, help and prayer creating companionship and love for other cowgirls that just need a little help. Join us on the Facebook group A Cowgirl’s Prayer

Facing fear in the roundpen

Daily Oats: Food for the horse lovers soul

About 20 years ago on my birthday in fact, on my calendar was a famous quote.  I tore it off the calendar and I still have it posted in my office.

“It is not length of life, but depth of life.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

I believe he was talking about a life with horses.  I know that the relationships that I have had with my horse as added an endless about of depth and with to my own life.

I know that over the years I have heard horror stories on how so many cowgirls have viewed their horses as saving their lives from  the horrors of their childhood.  When everyone around them was failing, their horse, their best friend, never left their side and never let them down.   Perhaps their stories have stayed with me so deeply all there own, because I have a similar story.

Many  times in my youngster days, have  I experience  intense loneliness in the belief that my  horse as the only one  in the world that not only loved me, but the only one that would ever  know me or understand me.

Is that how you fee as well?  How  would our own hearts have ever healed without them allowing us to share our lives together.   They  actually teach us how to love.  They begin to crack us open with unconditional love.

I know that I need to split my heart wide open to its fullest degree however, that takes courage.   Anytime that I find myself shutting  down and closed off  to my heart, I know it is because I am just too afraid.   I am afraid of some form of loss that creates the fear within me.  Fear is  the one common element behind every  human emotion.

It is a far simpler life and far less scary  to love a horse than to love another human being with the same openness and understanding.  As sad as that might be, it is astoundingly true.

I know that I close down fearing death.  Yesterday,  a family member told me they have cancer.  I have felt deep anger since and I know it is just fear raising its ugly head and  my ego telling me to flee.

I love training horses to overcome their fear.  The very first instinct of the horse is to flee,  and I know that same applies to me at this moment.  I have spent hours,  even days allowing them to have a  safer, happier and better  life by finding a way to let them face their fears head on.  I am thinking at this moment, how much time have I spent doing the same for me.

For today,  I will apply some more round pen training for myself.  I want the greatest width to my life as I possible can achieve.  I will stand in the round pen and face with an open heart all that comes.

Fear is part of life, but the greatest loss is not getting in the round pen to allow our hearts to face their greatest fear and learn to love completely.

I am going to head for the round pen,  so when  you hear an extremely  loud whinny today and it is not one of your horses, it is just me letting the world know that I totally ready to greet them with all my heart.

Won’t you  take a trip to the round pen with me ?

Here we go WHINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNY!

Boy I feel better, no wonder why a horse loves to whinny.  It simply feels good.

Daily Oats: Food for the Horse lover’s soul

To help with your finances, we created a Tack Swap on Knot-A-Tail.
Knot-A-Tail Tack Swap
Sell your personal horse related items for FREE!

Love Roberta

Roberta Edstrom
CEO
Knot-A-Tail
Authentic Cowboy Horse hair gear and Cowgirl Jewelry

Please join me on Facebook. We certainly are not the largest group, but I guarantee we have the most horse giggles around.

Visit Roberta on Facebook

Mating the older mare

Daily Oats: Food for the horse lovers soul

Over the weekend,  my horse buddy and I were talking about  me dating.  My husband died a while ago, and I have just have not done any dating since.  I have to admit, I think about having someone in my life to be more of a as  witness to my life, a close companion, but just skip the entire dating ritual.

Anyway, for the fun of it, I posted the question on Facebook.  I never had so many replies on my Facebook profile.  Several hundred fellow horse lovers offered a vast  range of dating advice for this older mare.   Some offered hope, and told me to just  go for it.  I even had many men tell me the exact same thing.   However, I found on the other end of the scale was the  majority of woman telling me  not to even bother.   That my life would be simpler and more rewarding staying single and if I found someone, that I might never be happy again.

Here is the thing.  I have to disagree.   There was a overwhelming amount of not only sadness in the answers but  even within their written words I could here the  anger  and pain.  It was within this sadness I see as the greatest potential  for the loss to one’s very  soul.  I refuse to live within that sadness.

When if comes to love, I have always believed  that it was me that needed a little re-training.  We can only love, as we were taught  to love,  only understand as we were understood and only ever show compassion as compassion was demonstrated to us, and even more so, we can only accept the love that we are given in this life, as those before us believed it should be given.

It is a matter of generational training.  Just like us, we can only train a horse the way that we are taught.  We can learn different methods, but the original training, the foundational training that we were first introduced to is the one that we unconditionally accept as fact.   Just like no two horses, even blood related, can never be trained the exact same way,  nor can  two people  even be trained to love and be loved the same way either.   Two people can never demonstrate love the exact same way.

When my husband died, I knew there was many times, that I expected things to be done my way, or I hate to admit it, ” or else”.   For me I know I will find someone when I get re-trained enough in my own thinking to allow everyone around me  just to be who they are and never force  my views  or my way of thinking on them to create the illusion of my own happiness.

When I walk in those shoes, I will then be ready for a new person in my life.   I want to experience that kind of love before I die: that deep,  that giving to completely accept the fact, that it does not matter that I am ever right, just that I am always accepting.   Besides, that frees me up to be exactly what I want to be.  It is at  that point I will get to experience total freedom for myself.

I, as a rider and trainer, work well with the stock horses.  I just like them.  I love allowing them to develop into becoming  who they were meant to be.  Do  you not enjoy your horse just as they are?  In fact the more you learn to become one and just enjoy the ride, they happier you both become within the relationship.  That is what I want, the trouble is, I am just not quite  ready.

I need to finish my own  training first.  I know that I am getting close, because, I have learned I do not need to offer my opinion as often as I think.  But the most important lesson I have learned is that their behavior is never about me.

It is about their former, foundational  training.  The question is who has already taught them, who impressed their life to imprint their personality.  If I can apply that rule to me first, then I am long on my way to accepting those around me just as they are and become more of the person that  I was meant to be.

I need the re-training, not you: that is my hardest lesson in my life so far.

For today, I am going to completely shut up and see what happens, offering not my opinion or my  judgment in any way.    I beleive I just might have a whirlwind of extra time on my hands by the end of the day.

I will be the whinny, and no  matter who is bring me my morning Oats, I will  greet them like as if it is my last meal. Whinny, until I am out of breath.

No matter where you are right at this minute, just WHINNY as loud as you can and greet this world like never before!!

Just  WHINNY!

Daily Oats: Food for the Horse lover’s soul

To help with your finances, we created a Tack Swap on Knot-A-Tail.
Knot-A-Tail Tack Swap
Sell your personal horse related items for FREE!

Love Roberta

Roberta Edstrom
CEO
Knot-A-Tail
Authentic Cowboy Horse hair gear and Cowgirl Jewelry

My new year….What’s Yours??

Daily Oats: food for the horse lover’s soul

Well we all have them, new year resolutions. HoI can not believe I am about to say them out loud and commit myself to the horse world, but here I go.

I have thought about every one of these, and I know if I commit to them, I can achieve them.  I am in the belief that you are going to send me back yours so that we can hold both of us accountable.

I know that you will not let me slide.

My new year commitments

Community:  I am committed to setting up a  sponsorships for  the assistance in helping to feed rescued horses to assist  smaller  non-profit rescue services.  I plan to set up a working  partnership  program with our amazing Knot-A-Tail customers.

Financial:  Increase my income by 30%.   I am going  to accomplish this by decreasing my expenses by 10% and increasing my income by 20%.  This means no more Starbucks until I pay off the last of my credit cards.

Education:  I plan on taking a computer programing course and continuing my education on  internet marketing.  Also, this is my year to learn  the Inkscape   image program.

Relationships:  I am committed to attend a social function twice per month  and to Extraordinary help a friend this year, well beyond anything that I have ever done before.

Spiritual: to spend 1/2 hour more per day in meditation and prayer.

Health: lose at least one pound per week for the next 52 weeks.    You might have to remind me that I said that out loud.   My downfall, snacking and eating late at night.

Other: 1st  to help someone I do not know for no personal reason or gain at least once per month and second, try something new each month.  I have a tendency to bury myself in my work and forget that there is an entire world out there.

Well, there is mine.  How about you?

As you horse turns another year older tonight,  you can also have a new birthday for you life. Life is so amazing. This is the night we get to so forget about the past and change our lives to the dreams we want them to become.

Always remember, I beleive in you.

Life is simple if you remember to just  be the whinny: Greet the world like your horse greets you.

Daily Oats: Food for the Horse lover’s soul

To help with your finances, we created a Tack Swap on Knot-A-Tail.
Knot-A-Tail Tack Swap
Sell your personal horse related items for FREE!

Love Roberta

Roberta Edstrom
CEO
Knot-A-Tail
Authentic Cowboy Horse hair gear and Cowgirl Jewelry