The Music Of Achievement

It is difficult to think of a modern industrialized city that has been through quite as much upheaval and stress in recent times as Berlin. The German capital has been undergoing a massive reunification effort and cultural explosion since 1989 that has held an awe-inspired and utterly captivated audience of visitors since then. No other city offers such an intimate understanding of the complexities and atrocities of world war than once-divided Berlin.

Despite the destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989, East and West Berlin are still two very distinct regions. A stroll through Berlin’s charming streets is the best way to experience the time warp from which many parts of the city are slowly emerging. Berlin Mitte is the central region, offering the most restaurants, shopping and attractions. Everywhere in Berlin, visitors are surprised by the expanse of green, beautiful spaces and parkland.

Society of Expression and Celebration
Berlin’s Cold War generation has flowered from suppressed beginnings into a flourishing world of creative expression. A cutting-edge culture has boomed onto the international stage in the form of festivals and celebrations after 50 years of silence. As the summer season wanes, Berlin hosts the annual Art Forum Berlin in September and October, which showcases trendsetting and fresh contemporary art from all over the world, including Australia, Latin America and the USA. Attendees may also participate in seminars and workshops focused on the art of tomorrow. The Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), held in February, rivals its Italian and French competitors with acclaimed submissions and coveted awards. The most massively unifying and culturally eclectic celebration is Berlin’s renowned Love Parade. Initiated with a mere 150 people in 1989 as a display of love, tolerance and an homage to electronic music, this gargantuan festival of DJs and dancers aboard competitive floats makes its journey down Berlin’s Groen Stern to finally gather at the Victory Column where the party ensues into the night.

A History Not Forgotten
Despite the exemplary movement forward by the citizens, including an affinity for nightlife, Berliners make a special point to capture and embrace their harsh (and ancient) history. The Jdisches Museum is the largest Jewish history museum in Europe.; The museum not only covers the victimization of Jews in German history, but largely celebrates their contributions to German society, art, science and technology. The museum itself, designed by Daniel Libeskind, is a stunning example of modern minimalism. Also, be sure to visit the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, which documents the historical significance of the Checkpoint Tower that was used to patrol the “no man’s land” of the Berlin Wall between the east and west. The museum also offers an interesting collection of stories from escapees and those who helped them across the border. For a more extensive history, visit the Berlin Historical Museum, which covers Berlin’s modest beginnings as two farm towns straddling a river up to modern day with a special exhibit on 20th century portraits.

Traveling the Berlin of today is a journey through time unparalleled by any other European city. Witness the remarkable hardiness and overflowing spirit of a city that is growing, changing and unifying right before your very eyes!

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For many Americans, our health seems to be going haywire.

Illness, depression, anxiety, muscle aches, pains and little ouches are wearing us down. Many of us simply do not feel well … and we just do not have the energy to enjoy life fully.

The most shocking thing about these ailments is: They are often caused by what we eat and the high cholesterol that ensues from unhealthy foods.

The good news is we can turn it around and experience vibrant health.

How Do You Create Vibrant Health? Let it flow …

This kind of health does not come in a vitamin, mineral, herb or pill. Exercise alone will not create it. I think we can also safely eliminate modern medicine as a source of “Incredible Health.” They are obviously preoccupied with the creation of new miracle drugs that can be sold to us on an ongoing basis. These methods cannot support the high level of health I am describing here. Drugs, no matter how seemingly miraculous, only produce the illusion of health by altering individual chemical reactions in the body.

I studied hundreds of research abstracts while writing a book about cholesterol. My search results for “high cholesterol” in the National Library of Medicine turned up numerous studies on many of our most serious diseases. These included Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, arthritis, fibromyalgia, back pain, depression, cancer, osteoporosis, heart attack and stroke to name a few. Elevated cholesterol was a common trait in all of these diseases. There was definitely a pattern here!

Through further study I found that high cholesterol is one of the underlying causes of increased blood viscosity (resistance to flow). The primary job of blood is to deliver oxygen to all the cells of the body. It stands to reason that even slightly decreased blood flow resulting from high cholesterol or other blood components, would reduce oxygen delivery to those cells. Over an extended period of time affected cells would suffer from a decreased ability to function at full capacity.

According to prominent medical literature most of the diseases noted above have “unknown origins.” Yet, in many studies I reviewed, researchers have postulated that long term tissue hypoxia in the brain might be responsible for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Other studies have also noted the origins of cancer and arthritis to be “oxygen deprived” and “acidic and inhospitable tissue environments.”

The most exciting thing about this revelation is that it puts the answer to so many serious diseases squarely within our control! In my opinion the vast majority of chronic diseases plaguing developed nations today, are directly related to the long-term results of increased blood viscosity. The powerful answer is on our dinner plate.

The Solution to So Many Problems is in What We Eat:

We have all read news stories describing the “protective benefits” of one kind of food or another. Tomatoes have lycopene, a key to fighting heart disease. Carrots have beta carotene, which prevents cancer. Oatmeal reduces cholesterol. Most of these stories simply represent advertising disguised as news. Individually, no fruit, vegetable or other healthy food will solve your health problems. However, these stories hint at the real answer to all our health concerns.

Numerous studies demonstrate the extraordinary health benefits provided by a diet of primarily fruits and vegetables. For instance, it has been proved that a plant based diet can lower cholesterol just as quickly as many prescription drugs. The real benefit is that it does so without the damaging side effects that often accompany drug treatments. Lowering cholesterol is a key step in eliminating the risk of many of the debilitating diseases listed above.

A plant-based diet is rich in many important health-building nutrients like Vitamin C, Folate, Fiber, and Beta Carotene, to name a few. Individually these nutrients do nothing to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. (This explains why vitamin supplements do not lower cholesterol.) But, eaten together in their natural state, these foods become a powerful, almost magical health-building complex with no equal in medicine.

Why is a plant-based diet so very beneficial to our overall health? The simple answer is that these foods represent our natural diet. These are the foods we are designed to thrive upon!

Eating a plant based diet, while significantly decreasing the amount of processed and animal based foods can improve our circulation within days (read more about this at www.concretehealth.com). It does so naturally by thinning and lubricating the blood, facilitating dramatically more efficient delivery of oxygen to all the cells of the body. It’s not possible to overemphasize the value of a diet composed of 90% fruits, nuts, vegetables, and limited grains and fish. If you are looking for truly astonishing improvement in your health, this is it.

Looking Forward to Vibrant Health:

If you are one of those people who is suffering from the modern malady or is coming close to it … ask yourself. Would you like to enjoy incredible health? Not just the absence of disease, but:

Vibrant energy, the kind that makes you want to leap out of bed in the morning, full of enthusiasm for the new day. Really!

Unbounded optimism, with the ability to automatically look past routine doom and gloom to the positive in any situation.

Mental sharpness, setting you apart from the overwhelming numbers of people who “sleep-walk” through life.

Physical stamina, not necessarily that of an athlete, but that which allows you to be as productive at midnight as you are in the morning and all points between.

Unwavering self-confidence emanating from deep within, shining brightly as a beacon for others to follow.

The knowledge that health is fully within our control and that our daily decisions determine the level of health we experience.

You might be feeling so imbalanced that you have forgotten what it is like to just feel good. It may be challenging to change your diet … radical for some. But just imagine what it will feel like in the morning to awake refreshed, pain free, and excited about the day ahead! And to know you have many days of more joyful living ahead of you because of improved health.

Dr. David Vitko is a leading expert on alternative approaches to correcting high cholesterol, as well as many of today’s most troubling maladies. A chiropractic physician based in Ohio, he is devoted to teaching others how simple it is to be incredibly healthy. He is author of Perfect Cholesterol in Just Three Weeks - Without Drugs (Rock Solid Health Solutions, 2005). Visit him at http://www.concretehealth.com/

According to an article in USA TODAY, quoting a survey done by Fortune Magazine; the wall dividing love and the workplace may be falling. Chief executives indicate that they are being forced to be more tolerant of office romances due to the fact that long work hours make it hard for employees to meet members of the opposite sex outside the office, says the survey.

Of the 200 CEOs polled for the October 1996 issue:

• 79% say office affairs aren’t a company’s concern as long as an unmarried couple is discreet.
• 21% say office romances inevitably result in problems for the company vs. 75% who disagree.
• 78% say that when an office romance develops, neither employee should feel obliged to leave the firm.
• “More and more companies are trying to promote the idea of the workplace as something that is not opposed to your private life,” says Joseph Bacarro of the Society for Human Resources Management.

But bosses still are cautious:

• 39% say couples working together can hurt productivity while 29% say they can improve it.
• 77% say office romances can increase a company’s exposure to sexual-harassment lawsuits.
• 53% say marriage to a colleague can damage a manager’s career while 46% disagree.

Bosses such as Orin Smith, president and CEO of Engelhard, a Fortune 500 chemical manufacturer in Iselin, NJ, say workplace relationships are risky.

A relationship gone astray may hurt a manager’s effectiveness, he says.

Some CEOs say a romance between a manager and a subordinate can result in the appearance of favoritism. Others say a corporate courtship between any two employees can link their careers in the bosses mind, affecting decisions about promotions and firings.

“It’s really great when they work out, but usually they don’t,” Smith says.

My personal opinion on this matter is that you should pursue relationships with single women in your workplace. Just be discreet about it and don’t try to seduce every single woman in your workplace. Be selective because word gets around among the women that you’re just using women for sex.

This article written by Don Diebel (Americas #1 Singles
Expert). If you would like more free dating tips on how to
successfully meet, date, attract, and become intimate with
women, please visit his website at: http://www.getgirls.com.

In the beginning of the 1900s, Formula 1 Racing started with rickety cars and older gentleman racing drivers, however the genuine Formula 1 Motor Racing title didn?t get underway until the nineteen-fifty’s. As the numerous years drove by & the sporting contest fan base grew it almost immediately became evident that F1 was the top of motor sport. The motor vehicles were the best, the equipment was the most advanced and the racing drivers were at the zenith of their physical condition coming from neighbouring countries all over the globe.

With the new introduction of sponsorship participation, Formula One took on its more business appearance & can without doubt now be observed as being very, very big business ? with finance reaching millions and even billions with immense ease. With big success comes politic interest & every now & then it is who you are acquainted to & how much cash you encompass that obtains you what you yearn for. Formula 1 Motor Racing is scrambled with conspiracy stories ? I will confess to being one of them ? but depending on how engrossed you yearn to get in the Formula 1 world, that area of things is painlessly discounted. What in actual fact matters is what occurs on the track.

Journeying from pillar to pillar all over the world for just about eight months of the year, F1 Racing sets-up in different countries large and small, wealthy & underprivileged, with multi-coloured surroundings, amazing sightseers and stacks of indigenous traditions to be soaked up. Spanning Friday, Saturday and Sunday, a Formula One Motor Racing weekend is an intense journey, from early testing, to the final laps of the F1 race.

The normal formation includes a motor race every few weeks. At times the calendar is altered with a little bit & there are Formula One motor races on one after another weekends, or on occasions you have to go one or two weeks before even seeing the famous Formula One racing drivers again. When it is time for the next Formula One motor race, you can scrutinize the news for your desired Formula One constructor as they get to their destination. Friday is made up of practice periods, Saturday is for qualifying & Sunday is for the motor racing event. At F1Tribute.com you will find amazing deals on F1 Merchandise. Check them Out Now!

This rather old, well-known stitch has never lost its favour. Used again and again, the nutty appearance is a reminder of autumn. It is a pattern that looks splendid in a bizarre assortment of colours, being perfect for using up those odd, short lengths from your stash. Change colours after every two rows and you will be delighted with the striking effects. Try it on teacosies and full skirts. The peppery hues of Africa display magnificently on a cushion. Imagine the subtleties of sunset/earth, sunrise/water combinations, or even stark black and white for a frisky zebra background.

STRIPED BRAMBLE STITCH

Abbreviations:

Tog (together)

3 from 1 (into the next stitch, knit 1, purl 1, knit 1)

Row 1: (wrong side) With A P1, *P3 Tog, 3 from 1* to last st, P1.

Row 2: With A purl.

Row 3: With B P1 *3 from 1, P3 Tog* to last st, P1.

Row 4: With B purl.

COLOURS TO EXPERIMENT WITH:

Harem pink and turquoise.

Lime green and blackcurrant.

Biscuit, black, lavender and cranberry.

Palest pink and bay leaf.

Antique pink and olive.

Freshwater aqua, turquoise and seashell pink.

Reed green and Egyptian turquoise.

Black, cream and black/cream mixture (one strand of each).

Curry and rhubarb.

Moroccan Markets: introduce a different colour every two rows.

PINCUSHION

Work Bramble pattern in this sequence having a multiple of 4+2 selvedge stitches: Celery Butter Raspberry Celery Plum Weave in all ends, wash and block to shape. Cut backing from wool fabric or wool felt, adding seam allowances. Turn under allowance and tack (baste). Prepare a cotton cushion insert to fit, cutting to same size as backing and rounding corners. Right sides together, sew around, leaving an opening. Turn to right side. Plump out with wool stuffing. Close seam. Insert cushion between knitted piece and wool backing. Hand sew around with matching thread. Celery coloured glass seed beads can be sewn down each celery blackberry row. A summer toned colourway for the pincushion is rosepink, bluebell and milk. Knit it in a light weight wool or cotton or silk. Use rose silk or cotton floral print as a backing fabric. For more of a pea effect use Blackberry Stitch:

BLACKBERRY STITCH (Multiple of 6 + 2 selvedge stitches)

Abbreviations:
5 into 1 (into next stitch k1, p1, k1, p1, k1).

Row 1: (Wrong side) K1, *p5tog, (5 into 1)* repeat, ending with k1.

Row 2: Purl.

Row 3: K1, *(5 into 1), p5tog* repeat, ending with k1.

Row 4: Purl.

A softer version of Blackberry Stitch often seen is worked over a multiple of 4 + 2 selvedge stitches. It is similar to Bramble but the 3 into 1 is made by (k1, yarn over needle k1). Also (k1, k1 through back loop, k1).

Esmerelda Jones… The Knitting Wench

Writer of desires
Writer of Old Curiosities

http://www.esmereldajones.com.au

Want sexy abs?But don’t know how to get rid of those love
handles?Then read on…

There are many factors responsible for abdominal fat like
processed food, refined sugar, lack of exercise etc.

But the following two invisible factors are mainly responsible
for abdominal fat deposits.

1)STRESS 2)ALCOHOL

1)STRESS :

Stress has become part of daily life. Job pressure, financial
insecurity, problems in personal relations, traffic & pollution
all take a heavy toll of our mental well being.

All the above factors combined with continuous negative thinking
and not living in the present moment lead to a pressure-cooker
environment of the mind

All of us lead a life either in the past or in the future.Your
mind either thinks about the past or fantasizes and worries
about the past. Nobody lives in the present moment living every
moment and enjoying it as it is!

This constant oscillation of the mind from past to present and
present to past like a pendulum takes a heavy toll of your mind
and body.Stress builds up and ageing becomes accelerated.The
efficiency of the body’s various fat burning organs becomes very
low.

Stress is the main cause of stored toxins in the body. These
toxins impair the normal functioning of the various fat burning
and excretory organs like thyroid gland, lever, kidney etc.

This results in the body not being able to cope up with even
normal pressures exerted at various levels due to heavy work or
faulty diet and the net result is obesity and weight gain.

Accumulated stress and anxiety from daily stress full modern
living releases a hormone known as cortisole.

Research indicates that Cortisole is the hormone responsible for
preferential deposition of fat in the abdominal area.

So if you want a sexy six pack, getting rid of stress is very
important.

There are thousands of books on relieving stress and positive
thinking. But no book has the exact answer for the varied
stressful states of mind.

Your breath has a vital connection with your mind. By
concentrating on your breath you can control your wandering mind
and bring it to the present moment.

Various breathing techniques, Yogasanas and Pranayamas have the
power to expel toxins and stress out of your mind and body and
make you more and more centered.

My e-book “Proven weightloss secrets revealed” shows various
ways to easily overcome stress and to burn abdominal fat without
working for hours in a gym.

2)ALCOHOL :

Alcohol consumption leads to abdominal fat.

Stanford university school of medicine has reported a link
between drinking alcohol and abdominal fat.

Recent findings report that alcohol drinkers have atleast twice
the hip-waist ratios as compared to non-alcoholics.

Alcohol also seems to make the body burn less fat and favours
fat storage and subsequent weight gain.

The main problem with alcohol drinking is that the stomach walls
directly absorb alcohol. Since it never reaches intestine, the
intestine doesn’t give “full” signal to the brain. This causes
the person to eat more. It has been observed that you tend to
eat atleast 400 calories more when you are drunk.

So, to reduce abdominal fat you need to reduce alcohol
consumption or atleast reduce fat consumption whenever you drink.

Spot reduction of abdominal fat is very difficult because fat
melts evenly throughout the body. As such to reduce abdominal
fat you must strive to reduce fat all over the body.

Expelling the toxins out of your system and correcting the
body’s fat burning mechanism can achieve this. Detailed
explanation of how to do this has been explained in my free
email ecourse at:www.eweightlosstips.com

Alcohol also seems to make the body burn less fat and favours
fat storage and subsequent weight gain.

Additionally, doing crunches regularly will help you a great
deal in overcoming excess abdominal fat.

French chemist René Maurice Gattefossé coined the word “Aromatherapy” in the year 1920.Aromatherapy is a kind of therapy which uses essential oils and other aromatic compounds for psychological, antiseptic and anesthetic effects. Home aromatherapy, clinical aromatherapy and Aromachology are the main branches of aromatherapy. Aromatherapy candles are used to improve concentration, reduce stress and provide stimulation and gives extra energy.

Aromatherapy candles are burnt and the fragrance of the candles will soothe your mind and body. It will change, enhance and improve your state of mind. Aromatherapy candles are purchased based on requirements. For relaxing, lavender aroma is recommended and for sensual atmosphere we can use jasmine aroma candles. Aromatherapy candles are not too costly and they are economical to buy. But the benefit incurred is really very high. The point is we have to choose right candles to match the emotion or sense.

Cedar, rosemary, cinnamon, vanilla and geranium are simulating essential oils. Whereas lavender, chamomile, patchouli, geranium and rose are stress releasing essential oils. For concentration citrus essential oils like lemon, orange, grapefruit, lemongrass and bergamot are used. To provide you a sensual atmosphere neroli, rose, jasmine, clary sage, sandalwood and Ylang ylang are used.

Light your home with aromatherapy candles to give an elegant touch and to improve the ambience. Aromatherapy candles not only include essential oils, but also absolutes, hydrosols, infusion, phytocides and carries oils. Aromatherapy candles are available in different styles, shapes and sizes. These candles fill the place with the natural fragrance. Aromatherapy will be treatment for stress, cough, for some skin disorders, joint pains, and it also can heal depression, insomnia. Aromatherapy candles has both medicinal and decorative value.

Janani is a SEO copywriter for smdblue.com,
She has written many articles in various topics. For more information visit www.smdblue.com. She can be reached at janani.roy@gmail.com

Hanging a wall clock is like hanging a picture in a room. It is
part of the overall décor. You can try different strategies to
use wall clocks as decorative pieces in your home.

One way to decorate with wall clocks is to hang several
different ones in a row, as if they were an art gallery. Wall
clocks are generally fairly inexpensive and it wouldn’t be too
difficult to start a clock museum in your own home.

Another interesting clock decoration idea is to buy matching
clocks. You can place one or two of these clocks in every room.
This will tie together whatever décor you are going for in your
home. This is especially good if your home has a theme, such as
rustic, or natural or any other you can think of. This will only
work for novelty clocks if you have several different clocks all
along the same theme.

If you’re decorating with lighter colors, placing a darker
themed color wall clock in the setting will be an eye catching
décor move. However be careful to match up the colors. Light
blue can be punctuated with black, or gray. White against black
is also a beautiful choice.

The most important thing to remember when decorating with wall
clocks is to choose something that you feel represents you.
There are so many choices of clocks out there, that if you take
the time to shop around, you should really be able to find
something that fit you. Good luck, and have fun!

How would you like to be able to take advantage of insider information and trade with the most successful traders in energies commodities, stocks and commodities?

Well you can - with the commitment of traders report, published by the CFTC. This report shows insider commercial trading positions by professional hedgers!

The commitment of traders report is available FREE, but hardly any traders use it - yet it can predict tops and bottoms, with amazing accuracy, when used correctly.

What is the Commitment of Traders Report?

Insider trading is legal in futures markets as long as trading positions are reported to the CFTC and the report covers stocks, bonds, currencies and commodities.

The Commitments of Traders Report breaks down the open interest in major futures markets into three categories:

1. Commercials: They own the commodity and trade it for a living.

2. Large speculators: Are a group that hold large positions, and are legally obliged to report them - these traders are normally funds or asset managers.

3. Small speculators: Everyone else - but mostly small individual traders.

Every year many markets make extreme price runs - both up and down, where prices move far above, or below rational pricing.

This is crowd psychology at work - with the emotions of greed and fear to the fore.

Trader psychology is a critical element in trading, and traders very often push prices too far away from fair value - and a counter trend can occur at any time.

These emotional crowds form along lines provided to traders that are broken down by the CFTC report for easy reference:

1. Commercials: They are using their futures positions, to hedge their cash position - and are trading without emotion, as they are hedging risk, and not speculating.

These traders have an edge in fundamental supply and demand information - and have deep pockets, and a long-term outlook.

When price spikes occur they will “fade” the move - selling into price spikes, and buying into declines.

As they are hedging, they will only change their positions when prices move significantly away from value.

If you see large scale selling in a bull market, or aggressive buying in a bear market, chances are a trend change is at hand. This is especially true, if speculators, large and small, oppose these moves by holding the opposite view.

Large Speculators: This category is dominated by funds that make their money to a large degree based on their ability to sell a story, and greed to investors. These large speculators tend to have a poor performance overall as a group, and normally are caught at major trend changes - and lose heavily.

Small speculators: The poorest traders of all in terms of track record. Small speculators lack inside information, and this crowd tends to trade on the emotions of hope, greed, and fear - tending to be WRONG at every major turning point.

So, How do we Use the Data?

Small moves in commercial positions are not relevant - they own the commodity, and these moves should be ignored.

It is only when commercial positions buy and sell aggressively, that we know prices are away from fair value.

One point to keep in mind: We are ONLY looking at extremes here - and rapid changes from the commercials position, away from small, and large speculators. Once you see this, you can time your entry into the market, with normal technical tools.

Try using this data and you will see when major trend changes are right - the commercials are normally right - small, and large specs wrong!

Trade with the smart, professional, and savvy traders - the commercials.

New! A valuable FREE Currency Trader CD containing 9 critical trading reports, tips, strategies and market turning points. Visit our web site now and grab your CD http://www.tradercurrencies.com

The Tale of Two Laddies

by: Robert J. McLardie

Bob McLardie has worked for over thirty years with countless
horses and their owners to repair relationships, calm fears,
nurture and protect and above all else bring owners to a new
understanding of their horses. He brings to you “The Cornerstone
Approach - A Revolution in Horsemanship”.

The Tale of Two Laddies is a story about the challenges and
obstacles that every human being and creature face throughout
life and living. The two laddies in my life brought me to a
greater understanding and depth of the words “never give up”.

As a horse trainer, coach and farrier, I have had the
opportunity to meet many great people and horses.

I first met Laddie while I was working on a little Arab at a
450 acre ranch in Northern B.C. There was another horse on the
ranch named Laddie. He was a 10 year old appaloosa gelding and
he had been running wild for 8 years on the ranch. Apparently as
a 2 year old Laddie had been tied to what someone had thought
was a secure object but Laddie had managed to pull and drag that
object. The result was a broken halter and Laddie running off.
For the next 8 years Laddie had no human contact, therefore no
halter on, hooves not trimmed, unlimited feeding with the cattle
and unlimited pasture which led to him being severely foundered.

I learned later that Laddie had been put into a log corral and
in trying to catch him that Laddie had reared up and dropped his
body on the top log and it broke. Laddie was then able to
scramble over the logs and was free again.

I asked the owner if I could take on the challenge of repairing
Laddie’s foundered feet as well as training him to be ridden
with the objective of saving his life and finding him a new
home. Laddie was so sore that at times he would lie down and eat
by pulling himself in a circle to eat the grass where he was
laying. I was surprised that he had not been attacked and killed
by the large pack of wolves that were known to travel and take
calves from this ranch. An agreement was made between the owner
and I for me to pick up Laddie on a Sunday afternoon. I thought
the owner would have him in a corral or fenced area waiting for
us. When my son and I arrived he was welding some farm equipment
and I asked him where Laddie was, he pointed to the large whit
butt that could be seen over the rise on the distant hillside.
Although disappointed, I thought that catching Laddie would not
pose a great challenge I told my son it wouldn’t take long!
After all Laddie had sore feet.

We set off with a lead rope and halter in hand. Unknown to me
was Laddie’s in-depth knowledge of this 450 acres and his great
desire not to be caught! Laddie knew every nook and cranny,
every cow trail into the bush and pasture, and all the ways to
evade capture. He would hide behind groups of cows and calves
and as we got close he would scatter the cows. He would hide in
small groves of trees, deadfall, brush and brambles. Laddie
seemed just like a moose, he was that comfortable in the
wilderness. It was hard to imagine that with his feet in such
bad condition that he could continue to walk.

After 2 hours we were close to the house and close to giving
up so I went in to talk to the owner. We needed to get Laddie
into a smaller area. The cows were used to coming for grain so
we got the grain and the cows, the 2000 lb. Bull named Harcourt,
2 huge sows, and 2 goats heading for the corral. Cam and I were
part of the herd as well, the corral was full. The owner
controlled the gate as the last of the animals went in. We
poured the grain on the ground to get the animals settled and we
started the process of cutting out cows and calves. It was
easier to walk up and pat the 2000 lb. Bull, Harcourt on the
head than it was to get close to Laddie. Laddie was extremely
anxious and agitated and had fear written all over his face. Our
idea was to cut out the cows, calves, pigs and goats, keep
things calm and capture Laddie. We got the majority of the cows
and calves out, then Harcourt, the pigs and the goats. There
were a few Herefords left and Laddie. In trying to approach
Laddie he again reared up trying to clear the log corral, but
with fatigue and soreness it prevented his attempt to flee. This
was our opportunity! With a bucket of grain my son approached
Laddie’s head. This gave me a chance to move towards Laddie’s
shoulder so I could stroke his withers and neck and put a halter
on. Cam and I breathed a sigh of relief, this was the first time
in 8 years he had had a halter on!

With the lead shank and the halter on I moved him around in the
corral for a few minutes. What were amazing were that after all
those hours of following behind him, Laddie now just accepted
the halter and the lead shank and followed me willingly.

It was now a mile and a half walk to get Laddie to my training
facility. On my way home I have to go by the farm of an old
local cowboy, John. He used to break horses in the style of his
father.

He was sitting on his front porch and could see me walking down
the road towards him. He was an old friend of Laddie’s owner and
had been in the corral on the first occasion when Laddie had
broken free. John couldn’t help himself, he came down the
driveway to meet me. He asked me in amazement if that was old
Laddie and how on earth die I catch him. Without going into
great detail I said it took hours of walking. John looked at
Laddie’s feet and recognizing how badly foundered he was told me
that I would never be able to repair them and what was I going
to do with the horse anyway? I told him that I was pretty
confident that I could fix his feet and that I was going to
train him and ride him. John looked at me and said, “You’ll
never do it. Laddie’s too old, you can’t teach an old dog new
tricks! You’re crazy!” I said, “Just hive me a couple of months
and you can come over with the owner and have coffee while I
ride Laddie.”

When I got Laddie home I bathed him with the garden hose and
cleaned the dirt and sweat from his body. He seemed to really
enjoy the bath and drank water directly from the end of the
hose. We measured and photographed his feet at this time. His
feet were over 6 ” (they should be about 3 “) and the size of
dinner plates. They were flared and very misshapen. It was quite
remarkable that his legs and tendons had been able to take all
the abuse with all the years of not being trimmed. He is a
remarkable example of the will to survive!

I bedded him in deep shavings in the barn. This was another
first for the old gelding. After 3 days of rest I led him to the
60 foot round pen to trim his feet. All four feet were foundered
and extensive abscesses and large amounts of torn tissue. The
toes on all four feet were squared off and large amounts of the
flaring were removed. As much heel as possible was left on all
four feet. These trimming techniques are used to aid in making a
horse more comfortable and to remove the stresses from the
tendons. It also allows the horse to break over the toe of the
foot with the least amount of stress. (It took a year of
trimming and dieting to get his feet to normal shape and
condition.) Although I am familiar with heart bar shoes, it was
decided that I would continue to trim his feet and work him in
the soft ground in the round pen. After a couple more days of
rest in the barn it was back to the round pen to teach him the
basics. Without being restrained he was saddled and bridled on
this day and taught to go right and left, walk on, trot and
canter. Laddie had a big soft kind eye. He was so full of try
and his kindness showed as he always gave 100% in whatever I
asked him to try.

Laddie was about 200 lbs. overweight so I decided to put him on
a diet of last year’s hay and continue with a program of gradual
conditioning in the round pen. At the end of 8 weeks he
continued to lose weight and had been trimmed a second time. His
conditioning and training was now allowing me to ride him in the
70 x 120 ft outdoor riding ring. I was pleased with the
progress. He felt solid under saddle.

Corresponding with the arrival of Laddie, the second little
laddie entered my life. His name was Joshua and he was a 4 year
old autistic boy. (Autism is a disorder that causes delays in
social and emotional development, language skills and behavior
difficulties.) He visited the farm quite frequently as the care
and training of Laddie continued. Joshua loved to be outside and
the farm offered a safe, secure and new environment for Josh to
explore. I was able to establish a relationship with Josh very
quickly and he was very willing to take instructions from me.
Although many other people had great difficulty in communicating
with him, I was able to create a special bond with him right
away. Joshua functioned at the higher end of the autism spectrum
and he did have some verbal skills and was able to understand
instructions that were short if he had time to process the
information. Joshua always took everything that was said in the
literal sense. Josh loved all the horses at the farm but he
seemed to show special fondness of Laddie. Whenever I was
working with Laddie Josh wanted to help. Many times he would
bring his favourite toy, a Star Wars light saber and run around
the riding ring waving it at Laddie who got his work out bye
running away from Josh.

One exercise with Laddie using the lunge line was to teach
Laddie to stand still and face me and then to come to me by
giving him a hand signal. Josh would watch this process. Josh
loved to make the lunge line whip up and down like a large green
snake towards Laddie but wouldn’t keep eye contact with the big
gelding. (People with autism have difficulty making eye
contact.) Being concerned that Josh should know where the horse
was I would shout “Josh keep your eye on the horse!” Josh would
still shout “Whoa Waddie!”" whip the lunge line and look down at
the ground. On closer observation I noticed he would peek at the
horse by slightly raising his head and indeed had one eye open
and one eye closed. He had one eye on the horse!!

Josh could not say Laddie, he used to call him Waddie. He got
very confident working him in the round pen and the arena. He
could lead him and give him instructions to whoa, and walk on.
Their relationship progressed to the level where Josh would walk
alongside him going to the left, Josh would say “Who Waddie” and
lift up his right arm and the big horse would stop. Then Josh
would lean his upper body forward and point his right arm and
say “Waddie walk on.” Laddie walked on. This is a unique example
of the bonding that is possible between a human being and a
horse.

School was especially trying for Joshua. He required constant
supervision and they had not yet mastered the skills required to
communicate with him. One day the school called his mother to
tell her that she would have to pick Josh up from school because
the did not want to take him on a field trip. Josh’s mom could
not believe that with all of their education and knowledge that
they would refuse to try and take Josh on the outing with his
class. Joshua was also upset so his mom brought him out to the
farm as a special trip. Joshua then asked if he could RIDE
Laddie. “Bob, Bob, I Want to wide Waddie, prease, prease!!” I
saddled up the big gelding and Joshua got up on the horse
without any fear. I led them around the farm as Joshua gave
Laddie and I directions to go right, go left, cross the bridge,
walk here, walk there, whoa, walk on. Nearing the end of the
ride we crashed through brush and walked through an old creek
bed. As we got closer to the barn Joshua could see his mom. He
shouted at the top of his lungs, “I Win!! I Win!!” His mother
and I looked at each other in amazement. Where did that come
from? When I helped Joshua down from the horse he said to me
“Thanks for the most beautiful horse wide!” We were both brought
to tears. A day that had begun with frustration and hopelessness
had ended in exhilaration and success!

In retrospect, both this horse and this boy had many challenges
and obstacles to overcome and yet each in their own unique way
were doing their best and giving their all. We couldn’t have
asked for more.

I know my role was that of teacher and trainer but I know I
learned so much from Joshua and Laddie about facing life’s
challenges and obstacles that may be in our paths, on how to
start a new life and to leave the past where it belongs, in the
past. Live in the moment and live in hope of an ever unfolding
future. For this I thank them both.

p.s. I wintered Laddie on a strict diet. He continued to do
well and in the spring a little girl and her mom came and took
Laddie to his new home.

© 2000 Robert J. McLardie

You may contact Robert through the following:

Telephone: 1-250-413-3152

E-mail: rjm@cornerstoneapproach.ca

URL: http://www.cornerstoneapproach.ca

http://www.cornerstoneapproach.com