By Janine Carter

One usually thinks of the western saddle as an American style of horse riding, but in fact it’s origins can be traced back to the Moorish horsemen and warriors of the Dark Ages. When the Moors invaded Spain in the 700’s, they brought with them their unique style of horseback riding and tack. Their saddles were designed for battle with longer stirrups to accommodate their armor and high cantles which provided them security in the saddle and protection from their enemies. So it was mostly Knights and crusaders that used these saddles.

The Spanish adapted the Moors saddle for their use in to what became known as the Spanish War Saddle. This was the same saddle they brought with them to the New World. As they changed from needing military gear to fight an uprising to the needs of colonial expansion, the military saddle was again transformed in to a stock saddle to better suit their needs. This was known as the Spanish Stock Saddle. It was designed as a tool for the working cowboy and evolved along with the expansion into the American West, from everything to fighting Indians to helping settlers round up their cattle.

Over time the stock saddle was influenced by geography and the culture using it. Very distinct styles developed reflecting differences in climate, terrain, culture and stock working styles. The harsh climate and punishing brush of the mesquite of the southwest resulted in saddles built to protect the rider, thus making it big, bulky, heavy and plain. California, on the other hand, had a mild climate with lush land where the vaqueros had much more leisure time. Their saddles were not only smaller than the Texans, but evolved into highly decorative pieces that are still used in show rings today with their conchos and elaborate designes of tooling.

From the 1700’s through the 1950’s, the western saddle continued to grow and evolve, with many new features to support cattle work and improved construction methods extending the strength, durability and comfort of the piece.

Today, the working cowboy isn’t the only focus on saddle making. They are now designed for a wide variety of uses and riders such as trail or pleasure, endurance, rodeo contestant, team roper, barrel racer, reiner, cutter, and of course, working cowboy. Western saddles are now all over the world, but regardless of the style or origins, all of these saddles have an ancestry they share from the western stock saddle.

About the Author: This article was written by Janine Carter, owner of Posh Pampered Pets. If you have any questions regarding

Horse Supplies

or

Posh Pampered Pets

, please feel free to call 979-221-7251 or email

info@poshpamperedpets.com

.

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Submitted by: Ryan Pauline

If you want to use natural fiber to carpet your floors, seagrass carpet is definitely a great choice. There are so many choices of natural fiber for carpets out there such as sisal and coir. But Seagrass is the choice for many people because aside from their durability, they are also very much inexpensive. Some of you might have not heard of such before because truth be told, it is not as popular as synthetic fiber carpets. So, what is a carpet made out of Seagrass fiber?

Seargrass is a natural product that grows mostly in China and India in their paddy fields. These fields are usually flooded by seawater during the crop season which helps the Seagrass grow. After some time the Seagrasses are collected and sundried then spun into different cords which many carpet manufacturers then use to come up with the Seagrass carpet. The natural finish of the carpet is smooth and shiny which is why it can be used for many different places. But, that characteristic makes this carpet dangerous to place on stairways. Nevertheless, it is a durable, versatile, and inexpensive carpet that is a great addition to any home.

There are so many reasons why adding such carpet to your home is a great idea:

Durable as aforementioned, this type of carpet is durable and can last you for so many years. The natural fiber is less prone to damages even with constant heavy footfall on it. Aside from that, the process to how Seagrass are made into strings of fiber makes it repellant to most substances so you can expect minimal stains and dirt. Some carpet manufacturers even add stain guard during its production to make it even more repellant to dirt and stain.

Environment friendly because they are naturally made and cultivated, there are hardly any chemicals used in the process of making it. Also, Seagrass naturally comes in many different shades so there is really no dye used in the creation of it. One carpet made out of Seagrass with many different colors has no traces of dye in it.

Striking with such carpet, you don t have to worry about it not looking good in your home because it will look good in your home. Actually, you know that it will look good because of the shiny and smooth finish that it has. It also comes in a variety of designs, patterns and styles that you can choose from. There are traditional weaves that you can find if you want a more classic and versatile look. There is also more intricate weaves such as the herringbone if you want more character.

Reduces noise this is one of the many great things you can get out of using Seagrass as the material of choice for your carpet. It is said to absorb most noise so you can very well sleep soundly and not be disturbed by a single noise.

See, there are so many reasons why choosing a Seagrass carpet for your home is a great idea. Next time you need a carpet, consider getting one that is made out of Seagrass to avail of those mentioned benefits.

About the Author: If you are looking for the best deals on

Seagrass carpet

, click on the link. Or visit

ezcarpets.co.uk/

.

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Submitted by: Wally Kassebaum

Help Reduce or Eliminate Debt: Do Nothing

Doing nothing is clearly a choice. Procrastination is not an excuse; it’s a choice. So if you are in debt, you can get yourself out. However, you MUST do something!

Let’s be clear on “doing something.” That “something” must be pro-active toward reducing or eliminating your debt. It’s very similar to a diet. If you want to lose weight, but don’t change your eating habits, you will not lose weight. What’s interesting is that for losing weight you don’t have to stop eating, you just have to choose the correct foods to eat. Eating less certainly works too!

Whereas when it comes to being in debt, you HAVE to stop spending as much as you make in order to get out of debt. Changing where you spend your money doesn’t have any bottom line affect.

Help Reduce or Eliminate Debt: Decrease Your Expenses.

You have two choices here: take out all of your receipts, look at your checkbook/debit card or credit card statements for ALL of the entries for the past 60 days. Choice number two is to write your expenditures down over the next 60 days, but then you are 60 days from starting this process.

List these items on a separate page. And beside each item indicate whether or not these purchases were a Need, a Want, or Desire. A need is something in the category of (tap)water not (bottled) water or (good) food not (junk) food, rent or electricity.

Want’s are those “next level” purchases. You needed to send flowers. Carnations would satisfy the need, but you really want to send a nice bouquet. Again it’s a choice based on your ability to pay (without your credit card).

Desires are the next level up. Carnations represent needs, a bouquet represents a want, a dozen long-stem red roses represents the desire of the purchase.

Make a new list of just those items you identified as needs. Add up the total spending of your needs. Remember this is over 60 days, so divide the total by 2 for your average monthly expenditures. Is the total greater than or less than your monthly income? If your total is less than your income GREAT! Just cut out all the other non-essential purchases and you are on your way. With the money you have left over, pay down on debts you owed.

One more much over-looked action: Cut Up Your Credit Cards. Stop turning to your credit cards for purchases.

But if you still pay out more than your income you have two options: cut down your NEEDS even further or Increase your income.

Help Reduce or Eliminate Debt: Increase Your Income.

Much could be written here about increasing income, but that is for another article. Suffice it to say that increasing your income so that your income is greater than you expenses stops you from making more debt. Don’t spend all of your excess; pay off some of your debt each month.

Future articles will discuss budgeting techniques.

About the Author: Wally Kassebaum is co-founder and CEO of 7 Mountains Consulting Group, LLC., Certified Rainforest Strategist, has been a business and accounting consultant since 1993, and is driven to assist individuals and companies to identify and solve complex issues and barrier which inhibit corporate and/or personal growth. To find more ways to reduce or eliminate debt, you can go…

nodebt.howyadoing.com

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