OLD REMEDIES

If you have read here before, you will know that I have more than a passion for horses and their problems.
And like every other being on this earth, there is no one size fits all remedy when it comes to problems or quirks.

A couple of months ago, I ran into an old work friend at an other friends house. She told me that her husband had invested in a share in a race horse and that it was racing the next day and that their trainer was very confident of its chances.
Of course, I like racing and I like a bet, so I turned up at the racecourse for the big event.
Even with the assurance of the trainer, I only had a modest bet on the horse and walked down about 200 yards down the track to watch the race.
Their horse was 4 lengths in front as it passed my vantage point and coasting and should have won easily but stopped very badly to finish 4th.

I walked down to the stalls to see my friend and her husband. Everyone was very disappointed and the trainer was at a loss to explain the horse stopping so quickly. He was talking to the syndicate of owners when the strapper brought the horse back from hosing it down and stood him in front of them to show how good he looked----and he did look good except for one thing.
I asked my friend if I could talk to the trainer and she brought him over and introduced us.

I said that it was none of my business but that he should lift the horses tail and look.---he laughed but lifted his tail to find the horses arse open wide----he looked at me and said "What the hell is that?"
I said "Sorry, but that is the sign of a wind sucker and wind sucking will stop a train between stations, let alone a horse under full racing stress"
Wind suckers with gulp down air for relief of stress or stomach complaints and under stress will expel it like an exhaust, weakening their performance.

My friend phoned me a week later to tell me that a vet had recommended that they sew the horses arse up on race days and unstitch it after the race-------of course he did----he can make money every race day----but what happens when the horse wants to poop---and you cant sew it just before a race.
I told her that there were such things as wind sucking pads which are like a big cork with a sponge pad around it and pulled in tight by straps and elastic webbing attached to the saddle----and it can be moved aside for the horse to poop-----but some horses resent it and others will open up even wider and you still get the weakening.
They tried the pad and not only did he resent it, but he opened wider----so they decided to stitch him up for the next run.-----looked good til he split his stitches and stopped even quicker.

My friend phoned me and said they were going to retire the horse---there was nothing left to try.
I couldn't help myself---I phoned the trainer and asked if he would let me try something---it was unconventional but legal and I thought I could stop him opening up for a couple of runs.
He said he had heard of some of my strange methods and that the horse was fit, so he was prepared to give him one more run---but that was it. He asked me what I wanted to do.
Now its hard to convince people to trust in strange things but I talked him into doing his normal thing with his training and letting me into the horses stall on race day.

So we all turned up last Saturday---I told the horses strapper to walk him for as long as he could in the exercise parade ring and hope that he would empty out---and then take him to the urine stall "horse toilet" for one last try.
When he brought him back to the stall, the trainer started to saddle him up ready for his race. I pushed past the trainer, lifted the horses tail and did my trick----the horse shuffled forward and the trainer just looked at me like I was some sort of pervert.
I just prayed that he didn't need to poop again before his race.

He didn't and as he passed me 200 yards from the winning post, he was going strong, and he went strong all the way to the post.
There was much yelling and back slapping and I stood back and watched their celebrations.
There was a lot of talk about the next start and stronger races and next season and all of the dreams of racehorse owners
I didn't want to shatter their dreams, so I walked away

I was in the bar having a drink when the trainer came in. He walked over and bought me a drink.
Finally he asked---"so what were you doing behind my horse?"
I reached in my pocket and gave him a piece of plastic food wrap and said "Smell it"

I had peeled an onion, lightly grated the surface and wrapped it up---and just before he went out to race, I jammed it in the horses arse----with that onion leaching juice, that horse puckered all the way to the winning post.

I said to the trainer "Don't worry, he'll spit it out----and it might work again but it wont keep on working---so it's up to you"

See, who needs a Vet when you can buy an onion at any supermarket---and you can re-use the food wrap
Oh, and it's not the first time I've used that little trick

POLITICAL RELIGION

It seems as though both Australia and the United States are locked in the same debate in relation to allowing same sex marriages.

Personally, I cant see why there is any debate. Is this not just a right allowed under human liberties.

But every political opponent seems reliant on Christianity and the bible to defend their stances----even sinking as low as to quote text which declares homosexuality an abomination on the world..Leviticus 18:22.

If we are to rely on edicts set down over 2000 years ago to govern the humanity of the world today, why should we just stop at the one.
There is little doubt that the framework our laws can be related the ten commandments----but if we are going to quote chapter and verse to defend narrow minded bigotry, then maybe we have to go all of the way and accept every edict in the bible.

Lets try a few of these----I'm sure they will be acceptable to everyone.
But help me out with a few ideas.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are from neighbouring nations .
Wow, I can have my very own New Zealander.

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7.
In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of Menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24.
The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9.
The problem is my neighbors.....They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death.
Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality .
I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight.
I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27.
How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean,
But may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments
made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend).

He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16.

Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

Or maybe we could just come into the 21st century

COMMUNICATION

Every time I log on to the Net, or turn on my TV, I find a new way to communicate with the outside world.

I must admit that I haven't really kept up with all of the new technological advances out there.----and really, I don't want to.
I'm not sure that I have a use for it all
Yes, my home-line telephones are cordless, interchangeable and have speaker base stations
Yes, I have a mobile / cell phone but it is basic with a camera
Yes, I do have a PVR (hard drive video recorder) and know how to use it.
Yes, I have video senders and receivers so that I can receive pay TV in any room in my house.
And yes I have two laptop computers with external hard drives, sound systems and printers.
But that's about as far as I go

I am on Facebook under my Clyde ID and my real name but I have not updated to the new version of it---but I love to read peoples updates and keeping up with their lives---(oh, if you want to add me, my email address there is seaside.clyde13@gmail.com).
And of course, I am, on blogger and do read your blogs fairly regularly.

But I thought I might try a chat room.
Why not---all these people from all over the world chatting away and making friends.

So I found this site called Omegle-----it all seemed very simple and quite civilized
There was a choice. You could text chat or video chat----just click on your choice.
Ok, easy---click Text
And there it was---a stranger from anywhere said Hi
Wonderful I thought as I typed in my Hi response.
But from there it was all down hill
The strangers next text was "ASL"
I Had no idea what that was, so I asked politely--"Sorry, what is ASL"
Back came their reply---"Are you new here"
Of course my answer was "Yes"
Back came "It's Age, Sex, Location"
I thought that was quite logical so I typed in "63 Male Australia" and sent it to my new found friend.
The next reply from the stranger was "Are you fuckin joking"
And when I said "no"---the next reply was "Fucking old pervert" and I was disconnected.
Not to be deterred by one stranger, I clicked in again and away we went
Stranger " m or f ?"
I thought--ha, I've got this now so I replied with "M"
Stranger "age"
Ok, that's easy so "63"
And I was disconnected again
Alright---lets try this again and I clicked in.
Stranger "Horny?"
Me "Why would you ask ?"
Stranger "kik"
Me "Sorry, I don't understand kik"
Stranger "Its a phone Ap"
Me "But I'm not on the phone"----and I was disconnected again
I thought that I would try one last time and give it a rest----maybe try another time of the day.
So I clicked in again
Stranger "Hello"
Me "Hello, how are you"
Stranger"I'm good but it's HRU"
Me "Hey, thanks for that, I'm 63 and new here"
Stranger "RU really 63"
Me "Of course, is there something wrong with that"
Stranger "RU an old pervert"
Me "No, I'm just trying a chat room to talk to people"

And that's when a lovely 15yo girl from Canada explained the facts of life to me.
Omegle and most other chat rooms are used by under 25s to sex chat to each other and get Skype and KIK contacts. Kik is a phone Ap where you can chat and video chat. "But why wouldn't you just chat here"---well, you find someone you might like then you Skype or Kik them-----"Ok, I guess that's ok, but why not just talk here"----well in chat rooms you are always a stranger and cant find each other again, but with Skype and Kik, you can keep in touch over and over------
And most of the Skpe and Kik chats involve exposing your body to each other and performing sexual acts.

So I asked this lovely 15yo if she thought that she might be a bit young to be doing that----she surprised me by telling me that most of the strangers she found were between 13 and 18-----with the occasional up to 25yo and a few old perverts.
Oh, and she told me that the video chat section of that room was mostly guys masturbating on camera.

I guess chat rooms aren't for me

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Really, I never thought that I would still be here any more than 12 months. I only started writing here to meet girls----ha ha ha, and that hasn't worked Actually I realised that I had an opinion on a lot of subjects, so I thought that I would just let it out. But I never thought that I would go back and copy and paste and post until now. And the only reason that I am, is that I now have additional information. It seems as though publishing this information without re-posting the first bit, would only leave the reader with half the story----and I have never been one to leave you with half the information It might be important to your life. So ok, here is the cut and paste Now a bit of information for the ladies. Google Lecithin You will find claims that it assists in the --- Relief of Arthritis Fat Metabolism Fat Transportation in the body Improvement of memory And maintaining the health of hair and skin. What you need to know now is that semen is more than 80% Lecethin Ok, now you have that bit of potentially life changing info---here is the new bit.

If they keep testing this stuff, I'm sure it will be the worlds first cure-all. Warning : Before taking this product, please check with your doctor, or at least wear a condon

YOUNG LOVE

Autumn has been very mild so far ---indeed we have had a week of quite warm temperatures.
I walked my dog on the beach early this morning but the evening was so nice that I decided on another outing.
I am careful when I walk my dog that she does not interfere with others enjoying the facilities.
I didnt want her to get wet tonight and she will always swim if I go onto the beach----so my aim was for a walking track at the top of the beach.
We walked down to the beach area and walking along the roadway footpath, I noticed a couple of people walking hand in hand along the lower down walking track.
I thought that if I waited a while up on the top path, they would walk on and I would be clear to let the pooch run.
We were basically behind a tree when the young couple approached on the lower track. Obviously they didnt see me because they stopped at a bench seat at the lower track and started to kiss and fondle each other.
I was about to walk on when they stood and one bent over the seat and lowered shorts and the other showed the silhouette of his manhood as he mounted up from behind.
There was a little moaning, grunting, huffing and puffing and the romantic deed was done----a little oral cleanup was performed and clothes were re-adjusted and they turned to walk off.---but they headed back to where they had come from.
I walked on and headed to the ramp leading down to the lower track, thinking of my younger days and chuckling to myself and oblivious to my surroundings when I realised that they were heading up the ramp that I was walking down.
Determined not to smile, I kept my head down but heard one say "Hi, nice night"----I looked up saying "Yes it is" to be greeted by the faces of two young boys, no more than 14 or 15.
I just smiled and walked on to let the pooch loose for a run.

Who am I to judge young love.
Hmm, I guess at that age you dont have a car backseat

IGNORANCE AND ARROGANCE

I have long been aware of the influence wielded by all forms of media in so many arenas of debate.
There is little doubt about the power of the press when it comes to the political arena but most of their power is attained by the ignorance of their audience.
Now I'm not throwing stones here but far too many people are prepared to accept the written or broadcast word as accurate, educated and truthful.----maybe that is because it is easier to accept these stories than do your own research.
Of course it is not hard to recognise the internet as the greatest source of information but must it also be said to be the greatest source of misinformation---crap---lies.

But a lot of power is wieled by large organisations who chose to desiminate their own versions of the truth through their own opinionated channels---no more powerful, organised and opinionated than the large religious orders.

Currently the debate on same sex marriages is a very live issue in the federal parliament of Australia.
Luckily the party holding power at the moment has said that they will not have a unified party policy and that all of their members will have a conscience vote---they can make up their own mind.
Unfortunately the political opposition party has said that their members will follow the party line and they will vote against any legislation to allow the lawful union of any loving same sex couples.
But I am sure that when this debate gets to the floor of the parliament that some opposition members will see the humanity in this argument and cross the floor to vote with the government but convesely there will be government members who in all good conscience, cannot vote fo the legislation.
Logically this will lead to a very close vote and that is how it should be---oh, except for the constraints placed on the entire opposition party.

But enter the arrogance of the external powers.

The Catholic Church has started a national campaign to convince its millions of parishioners to speak out against gay marriage. There are more than five million Catholics in Australia and the hierachy is not just preaching their spitefully arrogant rhetoric from the pulpit but are sending out hundreds of thousands of letters asking parishioners to take a stand against this abomination.
Their stance revolves around the sexual difference between men and women and the "potential for new life". and the letter says "Without this there would be no human beings and no future."

How ill informed and ignorant is this stance.
The legislation before parliament is to allow same sex marriage, not to make it compulsary.
Even if ten marriages in one hundred are same sex, there is no guarantee that the other ninety will be producing any offspring or even want to.
And the percentage of same sex partneships who are producing children or adopting children into a loving environment seem to dispell any fears of the human race disappearing.
And on percentages, how many of these same sex couples are Catholic.
Is the Catholic Church only against gay Catholics having a legally recognised union.
Or does the Catholic Church think that there are no gays in their congregations---even denying the existance of the bum fucking priests who are spreading their word.
How does a religion that does not allow their officials to marry and have a fulfilling hetrosexual relationship have any credence with their opinions on relationships.

I have written before of my disgust with the spreading scaremongering leveled at the Muslim faith by so many uninformed venues or venues with an opposing or scurrilous agenda.-----maybe we should be looking at the Catholic Church.
No wonder the congregations of some of the newly formed religions are littered with many who were raised under the oppression of catholicism.

So much has been written about the spread of other faiths and the dangers of them gaining a foothold in our communities. Maybe the community needs to look at the edicts of the established faiths---how dangerous are they.
Maybe they should stick to preaching religion and peace and goodwill.

Maybe this is something we should all have a conscience vote on---but vote with your heart.

DEJA VU x2

Ok, it's been a long time since I've been here---I've tried to write but there was nothing of any significance in me.

38 years ago I was introduced to a trotting trainer.
I had an interest in trotting and a great love for horses but knew very little about the complexities of balancing a horse to find its speed and comfort.---they have to be comfotable in their gear to perform at their best.
The greatest thing about old Jim was he was a horseman---a man with love, understanding and respect for his charges.
Over many years he taught me a great deal about horses but often said that I taught him as much. He was traditional in his ways but said that I thought differently without the constraints of kinowledge---he said I had a good eye and could see little problems that no one else saw.
We used to talk for hours while we cleaned harness every Sunday---talked about horses and he loved to talk about "the" war.
He had fought in WW11 and had a badly injured shoulder and arm---but he improvised and there wasn't much he couldn't do.
The first thing Jim taught me was that if you didn't have a horses feet right, you would never get it striding out to it's full capacity.
We spent nearly six months working on my first horse but no matter what we did, we could not get her stride out at full speed without her galloping.
We knew she had the talent but just couldn't get her to show it----but watching her work one day I noticed what she did just before she galloped---and I noticed that she paced like a horse with no knees---everything with her front legs at speed was stiff legged and it was only the stride before she galloped that she bent her knees and almost stumbled.
I got old Jim to send her around again at her best speed and I could see how it all worked.
I got a friend of mine to weld a shaped plate to the front of a pair of front shoes that virtually extended the toe of her hoof by about an inch and then weld the same length to the back of her hind shoes---I knew if I changed her stride in front, I needed to equal it behind.
Neither old Jim or his blacksmith could believe what I wanted to try but as nothing else had worked they went along with "this mad man" and tacked the shoes on for a tryout.

Now I cant say that it was perfect but she paced better and she did not gallop.
After giving her 2 months off to grow natural longer toes and a few trial and error adjustments, she went to the races.
There is no fairytale ending to her story---she never won a race but she did start 52 times and earned place money 36 times.

I only ever had one fight with old Jim. I took a girlfriend to the stables one day ----I could see that Jim was uncomfortable around her.
The next time I saw him he told me to never bring her back to the stables again---when I ask why, he told me that she had told him that she was half Japanese and that he had fought the Japanes during the war and lost two of his brothers to Japanese conflicts.
It would have been easy to walk away or make a choice---I understood his point of view but I couldn't lose either of them.
I said to him that no one had the right to blame children for the sins of their fathers and before he could answer---I said, "Yes, she is half Japanese---do you know what the other half was"---her father was an Australian Army officer based in Japan with the occupational peace keeping forces and met and married her mother there.
He apologised and welcomed her on many visits.

OK---Deja vu

A horse trainer friend of mine has been sick for the past three months---in and out of hospital.
His wife asked me if I could help out with his horses--he only had two left and owned both of them.
I went to see him in hospital to tell him that I would keep his horses going for him til he was back on his feet----he is the greatest knowall and of course was very reluctant to accept my help but told me how everything should be done---he did warn me that him mare was mad and was likely to kick me out of the cart or throw herself down on the track----oh, I love a challenge.
I'll admit that she was a diva but responded very quickly to kindness---and after only two weeks, we were getting on quite well.
Yes, she had some unusal brain fades at the track and gave me a few concerns but with no yelling, no screaming and no whip, she started to move along quite nicely.
She was 3/4 fit when I started with her and I was finding a ton of speed but she kept rolling out of her gear and galloping at her top speed.
I got a friend of mine to drive her so that I could see what she was doing wrong and there it was, 37 years later and the same problem.
Now, I wasn't supposed to change her feet or her gear and if I had told him, it would have been rejected without thought, so I just did it.
It took 6 weeks of foot growth and a lot of arguments with his blacksmith, but she was flying and was very solid in her gear.
My mate was still in hospital but I wanted to give her a run in a full race trial----he was being allowed out for a few days so I organised for him to see her trial. He had only met my girlfriend twice before but was very happy that she picked him up and brought him to the track--she had even arranged that she could park the car on the mound overlooking the track so that he didn't have to get out or walk.
He wasn't impressed with the trial driver I had selected but was over the moon when she charged down the outside to win the trial running away in very smart time.

By the time I had cooled the mare off and drove her back to his stables, my girlfriend was outside and obviously upset----she didn't want to talk about it but I convinced her that whatever it was, I would support her---that I knew this guy well and that he could be a strange, argumentative bigoted man.
Before she could tell me he yelled from the backdoor of the house to get the Muslim bitch off his property.
Yes, my girlfriend is Muslim
It was all very easy for me----I took the shoes off the horse, trimmed her feet back to what they were before I started work on her, tacked his origonal shoes back on, fed the horses, went up to the house, told him what an arrogant bigoted arsehole he was and left.
My girlfriend was understandedly upset but happy with my stance---she was even happier when we went to the race trails last week and saw the mare gallop during the trial and finish tailed off last.

He phoned me yesterday and wanted to know the measurements for her feet.
I took great delight in telling that those measurements were all my work and he would never benefit from my work again.

I could understand Jim, but he was wrong, but this guy is just an ill-informed bigot.
Ignorance is never an excuse.