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I was offered the chance to read and review a book called “What the Bible Says About Animals”, by Jacquelyn Wilkins, and was thrilled. The book is written in a very reader-friendly, conversational style, in which the author shares her own story and viewpoint, based on numerous verses of Scripture.  The book resonated with me […]

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From Sunrise to Suppertime–Makeup That Stays

by Cowgirl on August 24, 2017

A cowgirl friend of mine (Allie, who blogs over at Rocking E Cowgirl) asked me if I would be interested in trying out some ShadowSense eye shadow.  I’m not one to go buy the latest greatest thing, but I like wearing makeup so I said, “Sure!”
From what I had heard about LipSense, I knew the basic edge this line of makeup has over other competing products is that it stays on all day.

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Riding Lessons For Beginners

by Cowgirl on September 20, 2016

I was recently asked by a friend of mine if I would give horseback riding lessons to her two daughters. I have never taken riding lessons, and never given a formal riding lesson. But it sounded like fun to me, so I said “yes”. The girls are beginner riders, and I am a beginner teacher, but fortunately we have two older mares to learn with, and that makes it all possible. We will have our fourth lesson this week, and I have discovered that it is as fun for me as it is for the girls!

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A Western Wedding

by Cowgirl on September 4, 2016

This is when you know you’re a true cowgirl, right? You go wedding dress shopping, and your only requirement is that the skirt be full enough for you to swing up into the saddle! My sister asked me to photograph their beautiful wedding in the mountains of Idaho. I had so much fun, and the western backdrop made the pictures effortlessly beautiful.

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Catching Up

by Cowgirl on June 30, 2016

This is me, at age one, riding my trusty horse. Wow…it’s been a long time since I’ve written here at CowgirlDiary! I love blogging, but sometimes it’s hard to keep with the theme here because I have not been doing much riding lately, and when there is little to no horse activity, it’s hard to find the inspiration to write. I do have several updates though, so here goes: We sent Cletus, our five year old buckskin gelding, out to South Dakota the first of May.

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Pictures of Rudy

by Cowgirl on March 8, 2016

I wanted to post a collection of photos of my horse Rudy through the years, just to remember him by. He was the best horse in the world. I remember in high school I entered a writing contest and the title of my essay was “The Best Horse in the World”…I don’t remember everything I […]

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What Giving Brings

by Cowgirl on December 20, 2015

This time of year, it’s an expected thing to receive gifts.  Around Christmas time you get a new calendar from the feed store, a pair of gloves from the company you buy your calf vaccine from, a candy cane from some random Santa you meet while shopping, a bonus from the work place…and so it […]

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Leather Honey

by Cowgirl on November 15, 2014

I got a really cool gift in the mail last week! It was a free sample of Leather Honey that the manufacturer wanted me to try out and see if I liked. I was happy to oblige because I have so much leather that needs cleaned! I planned to clean my saddle, favorite belt, boots, and then start on my husband’s saddle. There are so many uses for this kind of product, and it was great to receive a complete set of Leather Honey cleaner, conditioner, and polishing cloths.

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The Best Horse Trails In Iowa

by Cowgirl on June 24, 2014

I was recently asked to write a guest post for Equitrekking.com about the best horseback riding trails in Iowa. They are conducting a 50 State Trail Riding Project, and needed a post for good horseback riding trails in Iowa; so they contacted me to see if they could have permission to reprint my post on the Pierce Creek Trails near Essex, Iowa. I told them “sure”, but that I could do a little better, and I set out on a mission to complete a descriptive guide to my favorite horse riding trails around the state.

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Cowgirl Art

by Cowgirl on May 14, 2014

I have become a horse collector, evidently. There are five of them in my corral, and I simply cannot turn down the chance to add another to my collection. My most recent addition came all the way from Idaho, a gift from my little sister. She’s a pretty blue roan mare named Bluebird, and I just love her. I’m heading out to visit the Idaho ranch soon, and decided to surprise my sister with a gift in return, so I found a beautifully framed horse print that I know she’ll love.

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Summer Riding Job

by Cowgirl on June 12, 2013 · 1 comment

I got a phone call from my dad in Idaho the other day…that doesn’t happen very often, but he had an important request.  Being internet-deprived, he asked me to post an advertisement for him to hire a couple of cowboys or “riders”, as they call them, for the summer months.  So I put a Help […]

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Dorothy the Hereford Cow

by Cowgirl on September 18, 2012 · 2 comments

This is Dorothy, our favorite pet cow. Disregarding the fact that I grew up on a ranch where we really didn’t name cattle, as all of the calves were destined for the sale pen and most of the cows were a uniform black color with no distinguishing characteristics…we now have a small enough herd with enough color variations and personalities to be able to tell them apart and call them by name. So we have Dorothy, a glossy red and white Hereford cow. She has a very sweet temperament, is the most laid-back and gentle cow I’ve ever seen, and our affection for her over-rules all common sense, because a smart cattleman would have sold her long ago.

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Foals in Idaho

by Cowgirl on May 29, 2012

I finally got word from my folks about their first crop of foals from their new stallion, and best of all, they sent pictures! Now I can’t wait to travel out to their ranch in Idaho to see them for myself. They have had a good foaling year (last spring they not only lost a foal before birth, but also had to put one of their best mares down due to birthing complications) so it’s a blessing to see these happy little horses on the ground, safe and sound.

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How To Draw Horses

by Cowgirl on May 16, 2012

I started drawing horses when I was four. I remember I had been given a large book of colored construction paper, and if I had been more frugal I might have understood that such a variety of colors could have been used more creatively. But I made a horse drawing on each page of that book, using a black marker, creating rather pudgy replicas of the species, usually only supplying them with the two legs nearest the viewer, but never forgetting the feed pan for them to eat out of. All of my first drawn horses were happily eating grain from their feed pans.

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Share The Love!

by Cowgirl on February 15, 2012 · 7 comments

I’m baking treats today, in honor of Valentine’s Day, and I’m baking them for my horses! I’ve actually never done that before, but a reader commented over on my Cowgirl Recipes page and requested some recipes for making your own horse treats. Having read several horse treat recipes online, I went to the kitchen to see what I had on hand, and made up my very own kind of horse treat. They turned out great, and my horses loved them! Here’s the recipe so you can share some love with your equine friends this Valentine’s day!

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The Fun Is In Not Knowing

by Cowgirl on December 24, 2011

I absolutely love Christmas. It’s my favorite holiday, and all of the excitement and anticipation that comes with the shopping, giving, and receiving is what makes it fun. Growing up kind of makes that excitement fade, until you have kids of your own, and then you get it all back watching them exclaim over their gifts. If you’re like me, you just can’t quit thinking about what might be in that package under the tree with your name on it. I’m everlastingly curious but too principled to peek. So this time of year always gets me giddy with excitement!

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Thankful

by Cowgirl on November 25, 2011 · 1 comment

It’s that time of year when people like to ponder the good things that have come their way. I see the trend of daily status updates on Facebook, where everyone is counting a blessing along with each day of November, and while it is inspiring to read their grateful comments, I haven’t joined in the fad yet. I have looked at the blank where I’m supposed to type my comment, and ten minutes later I’m still sitting there, overwhelmed with my thoughts….the blank just isn’t big enough. I have so much to be thankful for.

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I am happy to announce a new giveaway here on CowgirlDiary.com! This is a brand new horse book, just released yesterday, November 1, 2011. I got the chance to read it beforehand, and was pleasantly surprised by it. An avid reader of horse-related literature, I expected a rather indulgent account of far-fetched fluff. What I found instead, is that the author lets you into her world and honestly portrays the true realities of horse ownership. I found my own horse experiences mirrored in the thoughts and feelings of the writer, and by the time the last page was turned, I felt that I knew her so well I had found a kindred spirit.

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Back to My Roots

by Cowgirl on July 11, 2011

It’s been a great July so far! I’ve been spending a lot of time in my garden lately. It’s the time of year when the young plants are trying to bear, and the weeds are often getting the better of things. This is when I usually lose control of it and give up, just wading through the weeds to pick vegetables here and there. But I’m trying to keep up with it this time around….hence, I haven’t had much time for my blogging.

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Cowgirl Makeup

by Cowgirl on June 29, 2011

I happened to find another really cool cowgirl website that I wanted to share with my readers. It was when I typed in “cowgirl” in the facebook search bar that Cowgirl Finesse popped up as one of the options. So out of curiosity, I clicked on the link and became a fan of their page. Cowgirl Finesse sells all kinds of western accessories—belts, purses, boots, tack, jewelry, and more!

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