Cover image of An Extra Flake - The First Bale book

We are really excited to tell you that “An Extra Flake – The First Bale” is now ready for sale. We’ve baled a number of daily inspirational email – the “flakes” – that so many enjoy reading into a beautiful gift book.

This 5.5 x 8 inch book is full color and contains an introductory message from Maureen as well as 32 “flakes,” each consisting of a devotional though, scripture, short prayer, and of course, a photo.

You are welcome to purchase a single copy at $12.99 or two books for $25.00. When you purchase 5 books at $12.99, you get the 6th one free.

Today, Friday July 23rd, we’re trying to work out the bugs of the paypal payment system, and expect to have it all working great in the next day or so. If you would like to place an order for a book, please send me an email. I’ll email you back in a day or so when the secure paypal arrangements are in place, or I’ll give you a total and you’re welcome to mail me a check, if you prefer.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Cindy Stewart stopped by to visit with Molly the Pony.

In case you’ve been wondering what’s happening with Inspired by Horses, I can tell you it’s been “lots.” I’ll write about all that soon, but I’ll give you a hint by telling you I’ve been spending a lot of time in Kentucky.

Last weekend was the famous Rolex Three-Day Event. We shared a beautiful booth at the trade fair with Equestrian Ministries International, and Molly the Pony also joined us. Molly had visited children’s hospitals in Louisville and Lexington the week before.

It was such fun to watch people meet Molly. Many had heard about this famous Katrina survivor, who now wears a prosthetic leg. But they were surprised to find out how pretty and personable she is.

Kids, of course, loved her because she’s a pony. Adults were initially intrigued by her leg and amazed at how well she can get around. But then they got to know Molly herself and went away truly inspired. It was great fun.

We are looking forward to spending time together again later this year at the World Equestrian Games.

If you’ve seen the movie, The Money Pit, you know our house when we bought it. We loved it, but we didn’t know what we didn’t know.

The first weekend, the well went dry. The house is in a beautiful setting, so we had paid what to us was a small fortune to plant fairly big trees, since we didn’t want to wait years for little ones to grow.

So there we were, 9 p.m. Saturday night, locating a plumber to check the well pump. Pump was fine. The well was too shallow for the drought we were in. Throughout the night, we watered trees, waited for the well to refill, then watered again. Then, of course, we had to have a new, deeper well drilled. I’ll spare you the details of the rest of the house, but suffice to say that though the bones were good, it was of an age that everything broke.

When we moved in, we thought Jed Clampett had nothing on us. We actually had a “cement pond.” After repairing what seemed like “everything” at the house, we had a first swim. My husband swam one length of the pool. Big smile. Then he went to climb out of the pool, only to have one of the rungs of the ladder give way. And on it went.

Swimming pool in winter

I thought how life seems to have the same trajectory our house did. People often hit a breaking point someplace in their late 40s or 50s. The original stuff isn’t working consistently and we don’t yet have the resolve, insight, or resources to move past that. Being at the breaking point isn’t fun. In fact, it’s scary. But then, bit by bit, we get on top of it, learn to work with aging equipment, and the spring returns to our step. The trick is in learning that the breaking point is a chance to rewire, to get new glasses and see the world in a fresh, albeit, different way.

It’s at this stage many people rekindle a dream of having horses, or their emphasis with horses changes. It may be less about sport and more about enjoying nature or relationships. Or less about going faster and jumping higher, and more about quality of performance. The shift is invigorating, breathing new spirit into old passions. Life becomes exciting – beyond the breaking point.

As I write this, I’m working through two totally separate emotions. The first is overwhelming sadness about the earthquakes in Haiti. In 1983, During the first months of 1983, I was in Haiti with the Christian Veterinary Mission. I worked as a vet tech on various animal husbandry endeavors about half my time in the countryside and the other half in Port-au-Prince. Haiti was desperately poor, and life there was difficult no matter how you looked at it.

“Overwhelmed” is the best word to use when you talk about Haiti – Overwhelming poverty, spiritual activity of the bad kind, hunger, desperate catch-22 problems. No where to start to fix things apart from the grace of God.

Yet I was so impressed with the Haitian people, their great sense of humor, their ability to not take themselves too seriously despite the dire seriousness of life.

I recall walking up a long mountain with several Haitians (Haiti is mountains and more mountains). The interpreter had gone ahead into the village. Someone asked me a question like, “What’s your last name?” or “Who’s your best friend?” Whatever the question, I answered mistakenly with the word for “donkey.” They laughed good-heartedly and brayed for hours.

When we got to the village, they asked the interpreter where I came from. They didn’t believe I was American, because Americans don’t smile as much as I did. What they didn’t know was that my non-stop smile was me gasping for breath.

I learned a lot from the Haitian people. I was offered a job in Haiti, and if I had been more heat-tolerant, I would have seriously considered it. Despite all Haiti’s problems, you “couldn’t not” love the Haitian people. And now these series of earthquakes leave those same people in overwhelming distress.

Switching gears, I’m excitedly packing for Lexington, Ky for a “visioning” meeting at Asbury College. A group of “big picture thinkers” are gathering and praying about how God is leading in the horse industry, and what our part may be. Many of you have written to me with horse ministry hopes and dreams, some of which you’ve had for many years but now feel a restlessness to pursue.

I would appreciate your prayers for this trip, and that we would hear from God on this matter. My goal is to help raise the tide that will float many boats.

And please keep Haiti in your prayers, and give to an appropriate agency that can get relief supplies where they are needed. (The Christian Veterinary Mission will use the funds right.)

Thanks for listening. Email me with any thoughts you’d like to share. Don’t forget to hug your family and your horses.

A weird thing happened during Christmas week. My jeans shrunk. Every pair. I know, because, like Johnny Cash looking for his “cleanest dirty shirt” I had to try on nearly every pair I owned to find one that fit right. I don’t guess it happened overnight. But while I was being social and munching Christmas goodies, my jeans were shrinking. That is going to change.

I think sneaky is the way to get it done. There are some people who can leap into a swimming pool, regardless of the temperature. Not me. First the toes, then stand on the top step, then I ease my way into the water.

I’m going to ease my way into the traditional “I’m going to eat healthy this year” diet. But if I leap into it, still in sugar overload, my resolve won’t last long. So I’m going to back off the carbs, drink more water, and by Friday I can skip dessert without feeling deprived.

Smart horse trainers know that “sneaky” can be a good way to teach a horse something new. Begin with the familiar, then add a few steps and a reward. Want a really cool hips-over movement? Begin with a relaxed but forward walk. Then, at just the right moment, pick up one rein and the horse will turn his neck softly and swing his hindquarters over. Release…You did it!

Sneaking a bite.

It’s important not to let frustration defeat you or the horse. Sneak up on the changes you want to make. Celebrate the successes, and don’t let the “not so much” moments throw you off track.

If you get stuck – as we all inevitably do – remember God is cheering for you. He knows the road ahead. So, for 2010, let’s try sneaking up on it.

After  visiting Walter Reed Medical Center and the Caisson Platoon unit to encourage our US wounded warriors, Molly the Pony is heading to Tryon as we work on the book, You Have To Meet Molly.

Molly the Pony

This is truly a special pony, and those who meet her are encouraged by her zest for life. Molly survived Hurricane Katrina, and later was attacked by a hurricane-traumatized pit bull. She had extensive wounds, most of which healed fine. Her right front foot and lower leg, however, did not, and amputation was required to save the pony’s life. Molly is one of only three known horses with a prosthesis.

Molly will be at Rosemary’s Barn at FENCE, in Tryon, NC on Thursday December 17th, from 4-6 pm. All are welcome.

There’s no fee to attend, but in the spirit of helping those less fortunate, we are collecting warm clothing, gloves, sweaters, or blankets for donation to Outreach Ministries.

a daily inspirational email for horse people

My husband’s aunt collected collector’s plates. She had many types, commemorative plates, special plates, some with the year written on them. Each plate had its own box and certificate of authenticity. When she moved, we packed them as if they were the crown jewels. We packed them again when she moved again. And when she died, we packed them one last time.

When we tried to sell them, we were astonished to find that the plates were now worth only about $5 each, and we’d have to sell them on eBay to get that!

Their commercial value had nothing to do with their real worth. Rex’s aunt enjoyed owning and displaying them. They had done their job. They didn’t owe her anything, though they couldn’t be classified as an investment.

As I get older, I realize that the trophies of youth aren’t worth what we thought they were worth. Like the collectors’ plates, they chronicle what was, and they had value for their time.

If you’ve ever tried to sell a horse, you’ve experienced the same thing. The qualities that make a horse more valuable to us as a companion or pleasure horse continue to develop as he ages. You can’t put a dollar value on the subtleties of dependability, a comfortable trot, being easy to catch, or stopping automatically when the rider loses balance. Unfortunately, though, the horse’s commercial value declines at about the same rate.

I’m glad that God looks at us the way we horse lovers look at our horses. He sees the subtleties, the humility that took us a long time to learn, the fact that we say a kind word instead of the snarky one that comes to mind first. He also sees us care for the animals He loves — even when they’re old and valueless.

I recently read a blog post that talked about slaying your dragons before breakfast so they don’t eat your lunch. The writer (Michael Hyatt) talked about the dragon of Lethargy, and how if he wasn’t up and at ‘em first thing in the morning, the dragon would get the better of his day.

One of people commenting said that he had a nice dragon who hit the snooze button and brought him a donut. The blogger wrote back, reminding him that he was supposed to slay the dragon, not pet him.

That got me to wondering if it isn’t natural to pet dragons, the way someone might pet a horse he was afraid of. Nice horsey. Don’t bite me.

We all know nice, friendly horses who get a bit threatening, especially when food is involved. Experienced horse people know to answer the threat, set the boundary, or the unwanted behavior is likely to escalate. Dragons are like that.

We also know of people who live with non-horsey dragons, like Jealousy or Gossip. Or maybe the habit of telling little white lies (Tell them I’m not here) or blaming someone else (The devil made me do it).

OK, so maybe I didn’t mention your dragons, but we all have one breed or another. We let them live, even petting and feeding them, because they don’t bother us right now, because they’ve always been there, or maybe they seem too big to tackle. But it’s probably not safe to get too cozy with them. They are still dragons, you know.

Fortunately, God is bigger than dragons. It’s up to us to decide to stop petting them and ask Him for help.

Note: This blog entry was also sent out as “An Extra Flake” email, along with a scripture for the day and a short prayer. If you’d like to receive an inspirational email Monday through Friday, you’re welcome to subscribe here.

There are a few projects I’ve been talking about doing for a long time. I’m not referring to the always-present discussion of getting fit and losing weight, but projects related to providing Christian inspiration for horse people.

I’m happy to report that I’m no longer “fixin” to launch a daily inspirational email, but it has really happened! “An Extra Flake”(http://www.inspiredbyhorses.com/subscribe) is officially two-weeks old, and I have been overwhelmed with the positive response I’ve received. People are writing back to say, “Thanks, and passing the “flakes on to their friends.


My plan was to use this flake to encourage and inspire people, to be a bright spot in their day. I have prayed that the right words would arrive in someone’s e-mailbox at just the right time.

While I write most of the flakes, I have extended the invitation to be a “guest flake” to Christian ministries and people with good thoughts to share, as well as photographers who want to bless other people with their photos.

The great feedback from “An Extra Flake” made me wonder why I didn’t act on this a long time ago, instead of letting the idea brew. That also got me to thinking about how many other good ideas never see the light of day.

It takes courage to launch something, to take a stand, to make a decision that you are committed to follow through on. Business owners face this problem every day. Moms and dads make tough decisions, and horse people are always facing “do I or don’t I” situations.

As much as I’d like to have you subscribe to “An Extra Flake” and tell me what you think of it, I’m not writing this post for that reason. I want to tell you what went into my decision, in hopes that will be an encouragement to you.

The idea sat in my head a long time. I chipped away at it, writing bits of this and that, and letting those pieces sit in my computer while I mused and prayed about it. I did the back end stuff, figuring out how to deliver the emails, manage a mailing list, not get stuck in the spam filters, and so forth.

Then there were the what ifs — what if I say something that isn’t Biblically correct — what if I offend someone — what if someone thinks I’m trying to be holier than thou? And the big one — what if I can’t keep my commitment to send an email five days a week?

That time “on the fence” wasn’t comfortable, though it served to help me make a good decision. I finally knew it was either fish-or-cut-bait time. I can’t tell you I had an Aha! moment or heard a voice, but somehow I sensed the door opening and it was time to walk through it. I launched “An Extra Flake.”

I will tell you, there was a release that accompanied that decision, and I’m trying to apply that to other areas of my life. Maybe this project has even given me the gumption to tackle cleaning the garage!

P.S. If you’d like to receive “An Extra Flake,” go to http://www.inspiredbyhorses.com/subscribe

Debi Metcalf, founder of Stolen Horse International, with Maureen

We’d like to think that horse thievery was a thing of the past. But it’s not. Founder of Stolen Horse International, Debi Metcalf, tells us that it’s actually on the rise, with some horses being stolen and slaughtered for their meat.

Last year, Debi visited the Equestrian Ministries International meeting. She told us her story of Idaho — her horse that was stolen and recovered a year later after a lot of hard work — and of her founding Netposse.com to help other horse owners.

Recently, there have been a rash of horses stolen in Florida — 21 reported cases as of today.  Debi provides advice about what horse owners can do to protect themselves and their horses.

• Put warning signs up to ward off  intruders. Make the intruders think your property has surveillance, even if it  does not.
• Make sure you have neighborhood  watches in your community. Go door to door or email your neighbors and ask for  their help watching your horses.
• Bolt your gates.
• Put up motion lighting as well as  a farm light on the property.
• Move horses closer to your house when sleeping and away from roads or easy entry to your property.
• ID your horses with visible ID as  well as a microchip number. One may deter the thieves from your property, and  the other can ID your horse if the worst happens.
• Report suspicious activity to law  enforcement. Make sure you get tag numbers from vehicles.
• Add animal alarms to your farm  like barking dogs, guineas, donkeys, peacocks etc.
• Add video camera or deer cam  surveillance to your property.
• Do not leave home without having  someone watch your property.
• Take pictures with your cell  phone of suspicious vehicles on and around your community. Don’t forget the  license tag if you take a picture safely.
• Do not put yourself in harms way.  Call law enforcement.

Anyone with information on horses stolen in Florida can call Miami-Dade CrimeStoppers at 305-471-TIPS or Stolen Horse International at 704-484-2165.