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Date Posted: 18:52:16 02/17/03 Mon
Author: Cheri
Subject: A New Week. Daily Inspirations and Horse Facts..


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[> Monday's inspiration.. -- Cheri, 18:59:59 02/17/03 Mon




BACK ON TRACK

_________________________

Luke 22:31-34

[Jesus said,] "Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." And he said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!" Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me."

Proverbs 24:16
For though they fall seven times, they will rise again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

_________________________

I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. -- Psalm 40:1-2 (NRSV)

_________________________

MY grandson has a little track for his toy racing cars. The track is full of curves, banks, and loops. When he turns on the electricity, the cars go so fast that soon they either crash into one another or fly off the track. Then we have to put them back on the track and start over. Again and again we repeat the process of putting the fallen cars back on the track to try another time.

How often our lives are like that. The path that we travel in life has curves, banks, and loops. But clearly laid out before us is Jesus' example for living. Sometimes I go too fast to accomplish what God wants me to do, and I fall off the track. Other times I become careless and forget to ask God for direction, causing me to collide with some obstacle that sends me off the track again.

The psalmist reminds us, "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love" (Psalm 103:8, NRSV). Every time we are derailed in our journey and ask for help, God gently picks us up, puts us back on the track, and strengthens us to do better the next time. With this assurance I continually stand in awe of God's patience, love, and forgiveness.


Prayer: Thank you, O God, for loving us when we try your patience and
for enabling us to return again and again to you. Amen.


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
God is more patient with us than we are with ourselves.

-- Dick Ryley (Pennsylvania, U.S.A.)

PRAYER FOCUS: People making a new start
_________________________


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[> Monday's horse fact.. -- Cheri, 19:32:35 02/17/03 Mon



The Horse


Horses belong to the equus family. Equus comes from the ancient Greek word meaning quickness.
Horses are mammals in the same family as zebras, mules and donkeys.


Did You Know?

* a stallion is a male horse

* a mare is a female horse

* a foal is a baby horse

* a filly is a young female horse

* a colt is a young male horse

* a yearling is a foal after its first birthday

* a sire is the word used for the father of a horse

* a dam is the word used for the mother of a horse

* a pony is not a baby horse. It is a fully grown small horse

* a horse's height is measured in hands. One hand = 4"


Mare and Foal

The mother horse, or mare, is pregnant (or "in foal") for 11 months. Most mares give birth in the spring to a single baby (foal) although twins are not uncommon. Mares produce milk for their young and will feed them for several months.

Within 1-2 hours of birth a foal is able to stand up and walk. When foals are born their legs are almost the same length as they are when they are fully grown - their legs are so long they find it difficult to reach down to the grass to eat! Foals can focus their eyes almost as soon as they are born and cut their first teeth within a week. They are fully grown by 3 - 4 years of age.


Tomorrows fact .. What do horses ea


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[> Tuesday's inspiration.. -- Cheri, 16:14:21 02/18/03 Tue



A PARENT'S LOVE

_________________________

Isaiah 53:4-6 (NRSV)


Surely he has borne our infirmities
     and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
     struck down by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions,     crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,     and by his bruises we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
     we have all turned to our own way,
and the LORD has laid on him
     the iniquity of us all.

_________________________

The LORD says, "As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you."

-- Isaiah 66:13 (NIV)

_________________________

I remember being sick as a child. My mom took care of me; and when I was very sick, Mom said, "I wish I were sick instead of you." At the time, I didn't understand why she would say that. Then I grew up and had children of my own. My children have endured illnesses, as well as disappointments and discouragements. Often I have longed to take their hurt and bear it for them. I have come to understand the love of a parent's heart, a love that aches to take the child's place to spare the young one pain.

God's love is like a parent's love. In Jesus, God assumed the suffering that should have been ours. Jesus took our place.

I am thankful for a mother who loved me so much she longed to take my sickness on herself. I am eternally grateful for Jesus, who took my sin and its penalty on himself. He suffered the punishment I deserved in order to give me life.


Prayer: O God, I don't always understand the theology of the cross,
but I understand a parent's love. Thank you, God, for loving each one of us. Amen.


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
God loves me.

-- Cora Lee Pless (North Carolina, U.S.A.)

PRAYER FOCUS: Children who are ill
_________________________


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[> Tuesday's horse fact.. -- Cheri, 16:37:58 02/18/03 Tue



Interesting Horse Facts..


What do horses eat?

Horses love to eat short, juicy grass. They also eat hay (which is dried grass) especially in the winter or when they are stabled. Extra high energy food such as barley, oats, maize, chaff, bran or processed pony nuts are good for working horses. Horses have small stomachs for their size and need to eat little and often - if in a field, horses will graze for most of the day.


How long do horses live?

An average life span for a horse is around 20 -25 years, though they can live for up to 30 years. The oldest recorded horse was "Old Billy," an English barge horse, who lived to be 62 years old.


How many breeds of horses are there?

There are over 350 different breeds of horses and ponies. These fall into four main groups:

"light" horses with small bones, thin legs and weighing less than 1300 pounds; e.g. Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, Morgan horses and Arabians.

"heavy" or draft horses which can weigh up to 2000 pounds and are strong with large bones and sturdy legs; e.g. Percherons, Draft, Clydesdale and Shire horses.

Ponies which are usually not more than 58 inches tall (14.2 hands and under), making them smaller than a horse; e.g.Shetland, Haflinger, and Caspian ponies.

Feral horses which are wild or semi-wild horses. A mustang is a feral horse.


What are the different colours of horses and ponies?

Horses can be either the same colour all over (whole colours) or a mixture of colours (broken colours). There are thousands of different colour combinations for horses. The most commonly recognized whole colours are -

bay

black

brown

chestnut

dun

cream

palomino

grey

The broken colours include piebald (often called pinto), skewbald (also known as paint horses), roan and spotted (Appaloosa) horses.


Tomorrows fact .. Why does a horse have to wear shoes?


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[> Wednesday's inspiration.. -- Cheri, 04:28:46 02/20/03 Thu


THROUGH GOD'S EYES

_________________________

Psalm 103:8-14 (NRSV)

The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him. For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.

_________________________

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

-- 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

_________________________

I was having problems with Scott, one of the sixth graders I teach. He was devious, irresponsible, and uncooperative with other students. He made all of us miserable, including himself. I tried all the discipline techniques I knew, but nothing seemed to help.

One night, I realized that I had prayed for my students in a general way, but I had not prayed for Scott specifically. So I prayed, asking God to touch Scott and to alleviate the circumstances that caused his misbehavior. I also prayed for myself and for wisdom in dealing with this special child. The more I prayed for Scott, the more I saw him not as a problem child but as a child with significant problems.

Soon I noticed a difference at school. In the weeks that followed, the change in my attitude contributed to noticeable changes in Scott. For the first time, I was seeing Scott through God's eyes. I knew that because God loved him, I could too. And that made a difference in both of us.


Prayer: God, teach us to love one another as you love us. Amen.


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
How can I see others as God sees them?

-- David L. Fletcher (Oklahoma, U.S.A.)

PRAYER FOCUS: Teachers
_________________________


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[> Wednesday's horse fact.. -- Cheri, 04:36:29 02/20/03 Thu



Interesting Horse Facts..


Why does a horse have to wear shoes?

Horses that work or travel on hard roads need their feet (hooves) protected by metal shoes. Horses hooves, like our finger and toe nails, also grow continuously and need to be trimmed. To do this, the horses shoes need to be removed and their hooves trimmed every 4 -6 weeks. After trimming their hooves new shoes are fitted.
The person who cares for a horse's feet is called a farrier or blacksmith.



What do they mean when they say a horse is so many "hands" high?

Horses are measured by the width of a human hand - 4 inches or 10 centimetres. Measurement is taken from the ground up to the withers, the highest point on the horse's shoulder. A light horse such as a Lipizzana measures between 15.1 and 16.2hh while a heavy horse such as a Shire is between 16.2 and 17.2hh. Ponies are under 14hh.



How can you tell how old a horse is by looking at their teeth?

It is possible to age a horse fairly accurately up to 10 years of age by their teeth. Whether they are first teeth, permanent teeth, the presence of incisor teeth, the length and slope of teeth all help indicate a horse's age. It is more difficult to age adult horses by their teeth.



What are the different paces of a horse?

The four natural paces for the horse are the walk, trot, canter and gallop.


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[> Thursday's inspiration.. -- Cheri, 17:24:53 02/20/03 Thu



LISTENING

_________________________

Matthew 13:14-17 (NRSV)

[Jesus said,] "With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah
that says:

'You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull,
and their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn-- and I would heal them.'

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

_________________________

The LORD says, "When you search for me, you will find me." -- Jeremiah 29:13 (NRSV)

_________________________

M Y older sister had gradually lost her hearing, a condition probably brought on by repeated childhood ear infections and by helping Dad drive loud, oldtractors on our family farm. Last summer she gave in to the family's urging and purchased hearing aids.

One day I visited her after an ordinary Iowa rain, and she said, "All of my life, Sis, I have watched the rain come across the green pastures and cornfields. But today for the first time I heard it coming! I heard the sound intensify as the curtain of rain moved across the fields, coming closer and closer. Before today, I do not remember ever hearing the rain until it was hitting the roof."

Reflecting on my sister's reluctance to use hearing aids reminded me that we may refuse to use the special gifts we have to help us hear God. Do I seek to hear God? Do I read my Bible? Do I seek fellowship by attending church? Do I pray regularly? Do I share Jesus in my life through kind words and caring actions? All of these are meant to aid us. When we quiet ourselves and listen to God, like my sister, we may be amazed by what we hear!


Prayer: Dear God, we know you are always ready to hear our prayers.
Please forgive us for not attending to your guidance. Help us to listen closely and enjoy the wonders you provide. Through the gift of your son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
How do I prepare my heart to listen to God?

-- Maureen Reeves Horsley (Iowa, U.S.A.)

PRAYER FOCUS: Those losing their hearing
_________________________


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[> Thursday's horse fact.. -- Cheri, 17:40:14 02/20/03 Thu



Shaping Up Your Overweight Horse


Part 1 ..


When preparing a horse for athletic events and sporting activities, whatever the discipline or level of difficulty, an important consideration is finding the horse's "ideal" body weight. This concept is well recognized in human athletics. For weight-bearing competitive sports like racewalking, running, and cross-country skiing, the amount of energy required to walk, run, or ski at any given speed is directly related to body weight. The higher the body weight, the greater the amount of energy required to move the body.

On the other hand, for individuals who are somewhat overweight, a reduction in body mass will provide a competitive advantage. For those athletes, a reasonable approach to enhance performance is a moderate reduction in body mass, particularly fat mass. Of course, it always is possible to get too much of a good thing--excessive loss of body weight actually can decrease performance ability because of loss of lean body mass (particularly muscle) and a lack of energy reserves. Thus, there is an "ideal" body weight and body composition (the relative quantities of lean and fat mass).

Tomorrows fact .. What about horses?


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[> Friday's inspiration.. -- Cheri, 16:04:52 02/21/03 Fri



ENGRAVED ON GOD'S HANDS

_________________________

Isaiah 49:13-16 (NRSV)

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the LORD has comforted his people,
and will have compassion on his suffering ones.
But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me."
Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.

_________________________

The LORD says, "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands." -- Isaiah 49:16 (NIV)

_________________________

BUSY adults are not the only ones who feel the world's pressures. As I watched my fourth grader sitting hunched over her science notes at the breakfast table, I asked myself, What can I do to relieve her stress and show her my love? An answer popped into my head, and I reached for her pen and her hand. "This is to remind you that I'm thinking of you," I told Sarah, as I drew a smiling sun on the back of her palm. "When you see this sun smiling up at you, remember that I'll always love you, no matter how you do on a test." Sarah's wrinkled brow relaxed, and she gave me a hug.

I also struggle with life's pressures. I sit hunched over my to-do list and constantly compare myself to other people. Yet in today's passage Isaiah reminds me that God has engraved me - me! - on the palms of his hands. No matter how I measure by human standards, no matter how I do on any test the world gives me, God will always love me with an everlasting love far greater than I can understand. When I remember, as I go about my daily life, how much my God cares for me, my wrinkled brow can relax and I too can bask in my Parent's love.


Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your steadfast love. Help us to
remember that we are all your children, that you love and accept each one of us. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
God always loves us, no matter how we do on our tests.

-- Rebecca S. Ramsey (Puy de Dome, France)

PRAYER FOCUS: Children feeling pressured
_________________________


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[> Friday's horse fact.. -- Cheri, 16:14:47 02/21/03 Fri



Shaping Up Your Overweight Horse..


Part 2 ..


What about horses?


We first must recognize that it is the combined weight of the horse, rider, and tack that is important when considering the energy cost of the horse's movement.

The effect of weight carriage is plainly evident in Thoroughbred racing--in handicapped races, lead weights are added to the saddle of the better-performing horses in an attempt to "even" the playing field. There is an old racing adage that says: "Weight will stop a train." This extra weight increases the amount of energy required to run and can make the difference between winning and losing.

Setting aside the issue of rider and tack weight, it also is likely that the weight of the horse can influence performance. One of the current controversies surrounding the use of Lasix (furosemide)--a drug given to racehorses to lessen the severity of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH or "bleeding")--is the potential for this drug to improve a horse's race performance independent of any effect on the severity of lung bleeding. Lasix is a diuretic drug, and there is a marked increase in urine production following its administration. In fact, if horses are denied access to food and water after receiving a typical dose of Lasix, there will be about a 2% reduction in body weight within two hours because of this increase in urinary losses.

A weight loss of this magnitude (about 20 pounds for a 1,000-pound horse) will reduce the energy cost of running, perhaps explaining why Lasix could enhance race performance.

Tomorrows fact .. For many other sporting disciplines,


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[> Saturday's inspiration.. -- Cheri, 03:15:34 02/23/03 Sun




NEAR AT HAND

_________________________

1 Chronicles 16:7-13 (NRSV)

Then on that day David first appointed the singing of praises to the LORD by Asaph and his kindred.
O give thanks to the LORD, call
on his name,
make known his deeds among
the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him,
tell of all his wonderful works.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who
seek the LORD rejoice.
Seek the LORD and his strength,
seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works
he has done,
his miracles, and the
judgments he uttered,
O offspring of his servant
Israel,
children of Jacob, his chosen
ones.

_________________________

Jesus said, "Surely I am with you always." -- Matthew 28:20 (NIV)

_________________________

OVER-COMMITTED schedules, too much caffeine and sugar, loud music, and sensationalism dull my senses to things that are less obvious. It is easy to forget that the God of the universe loves me and is involved in my life. Too often I neglect attending to the presence of God in my life. Instead I work myself into illness and find myself feeling abandoned.

But when I give attention to my relationship with God,
I can see God in everyday circumstances, even in the midst of never-ending appointments. Humanity was made in the image of God. Am I looking for God in my relationships? God created nature. Am I looking for God in what God has made? God endowed people with minds. Am I acknowledging God as the source of human advancements? The habit of looking for God helps me develop a sensitivity to God's presence and keeps God at the center of my hectic life.


Prayer: Dear God, make us sensitive to your presence in all
circumstances and give us peace. Amen.


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
The God we search for is always close at hand.

-- Jon Kershner (Oregon, U.S.A.)

PRAYER FOCUS: Those who are over-committed
_______________________


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[> Saturday's horse fact.. -- Cheri, 03:27:15 02/23/03 Sun



Shaping Up You Overweight Horse..


Part 3 ..


For many other sporting disciplines, body weight also is an important issue. Horses which are grossly overweight (obese) will be at a disadvantage during exercise and might be at increased risk for some health problems. On the other hand, it is not desirable to have horses which are in poor body condition (underweight). What constitutes ideal body weight and condition will vary depending on the breed of horse, the discipline, and in some cases owner preference. For example, a properly conditioned endurance horse will be much leaner than a halter horse.


Most of you do not have access to a set of scales suitable for weighing horses. Instead, a system of body condition scoring provides a very useful means for ongoing assessment of body condition. Use of this system will provide you with the best guide to your horse's body weight and help you identify any needs for adjustments to feeding and exercise programs.


The body condition scoring system relies on visual inspection and palpation of several conformation points, including the neck, withers, backbone, ribs, and tailhead. (The American Association of Equine Practitioners produces a brochure on the overweight horse that details this system; ask your veterinarian for a copy of this brochure.) The main criterion is the amount of flesh or fat covering these areas of the body. Scores range from 1 to 9; a condition score of 1 is applied to horses which are emaciated (extremely thin), while a score of 9 is indicative of a very fat horse (obese).


For horses not engaged in serious athletic pursuits, a condition score of 5 to 6 is ideal. These horses have moderate to good flesh coverage and the appearance of a well-nourished and well-kept animal. For show and dressage horses, a body condition score of 6 (moderately fleshy) might be more ideal.


On the other hand, the ideal condition score for a racehorse or an endurance horse is around 4 (moderately thin). For those horses, carrying excess condition is a definite disadvantage for athletic performance. However, particularly for endurance competitors, you must be careful not to allow the horse to become too thin.


Recent studies have shown that body condition score is an important factor for endurance performance. In one study of horses competing in the Tevis Cup 100-mile race, the average condition score for horses which successfully completed the course was 4.6, whereas the average score of non-finishers was 3.8 (Garlinghouse and Burrill, 1999). Furthermore, horses which were eliminated for "metabolic failure" (conditions such as colic, heat exhaustion, and muscle disorders) had even lower condition scores (less than 3). Those animals likely lacked the reserves in energy required for such prolonged exercise.

Tomorrows fact .. Overweight Horses


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