Relationship Advice from a Cowboy Perspective.....

Someone once told me that one could learn a lot about marriage by studying how your dog relates to you. I don’t remember all of his points but it revolved around points like the dog always is focused on you, wants to please, expects the best, is quick to forget and forgive, etc.

I’m sure there’s a lot of good advice hidden in that analogy, but it doesn’t really resonate with me. I prefer to ponder how the principles of a relationship between a man and his horse could apply to the relationship between lovers. Here are my thoughts:

• First off, you never should take a horse for granted. That horse might be as gentle and good-minded as they come but something as little as a pheasant jumping out of the brush can leave you sitting on the ground if you aren’t paying attention. So it is in a relationship; if you don’t have a handle on what’s going on and aren’t being pretty observant, little things can lead to a big wreck.
  
• You can’t force a horse to do anything; they’re bigger and stronger. Plus, even if you succeed by forcing a behavior through intimidation, they’ll resent it and cheat you the first chance they get. Enough said on that one.
  
• When one has the foundation in place, it’s really pretty easy to take the horse to the next level, and relationships are similar. A good foundation, putting the other person first, being committed to the relationship, etc., allows one to move to the next level. If you don’t take care of the fundamentals, however, a wreck usually ensues.
  
• Getting mad is normal, but usually counterproductive. I’ll always remember a cowboy sitting down on the ground just holding his horse. I rode up and asked him what he was doing, and he answered: “I’m just sitting here until I get my temper under control, because if I get back on this horse I could ruin six months of training in 60 seconds.”
  
  Frustration and anger are going to occur in relationships. At least, I think my wife has been a little frustrated with me from time to time. Such emotions are understandable but how you respond is critical.
  
• A good horseman puts his faith in the horse. He understands that a horse usually wants to do what is right; they just don’t always understand what that is. While words of advice like "making the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard," or "taking when they take and giving when they give," may work wonderfully with horses, I wouldn’t recommend those sayings for relationships.
  
  Still, I think it would help if we kept in mind that the other person is probably not trying to do the wrong thing, they’re just not sure what they’re supposed to do. Relationships require faith in each other and for one side to look for the best in another.
  
• Little things add up. You can tell a lot about the pride a man has in horse by the way he feeds and grooms his steed, how he takes care of his equipment, and by the time he’s willing to invest to make the horse better. So it is in a relationship; how you treat your spouse, provide for their needs and mind the details is pretty darn indicative of what you think of them. My wife would probably argue that there’s a point to be made between keeping a stall clean and an office clean, but I will leave it at that.

When two beings get in true unity and you act as one, it’s pretty darn fun.

My last piece of advice is that if throw a pretty big loop, you better be sure you are well mounted.

World Population Hits Seven Billion

The world’s population has hit a milestone – 7 billion people. The United Nations (UN) projects that the world population will reach 8 billion by 2025, and 10 billion by 2083. What’s more, life expectancy in the world has risen from 48 years in 1950 to 69 years today, the UN says.

While China remains the world’s most populous country at 1.34 billion people, India has closed the gap (1.2 billion) and is expected to gain the top ranking by 2030, thanks to its higher birth rate and three decades of strict family-planning rules in China. In fact, China’s population is projected to begin shrinking in 2027, and could be smaller than it is today by 2050, some demographers predict.

The U.S. is the world’s third-most populous country, but a very distant third. The U.S. has one of the highest growth rates among the industrialized nations, but it is growing due to immigration.

The real engine of world population growth is in Africa, which features both the world’s highest birthrates and the deepest poverty; that continent will be a huge contributor to a world population that experts say will hit 12 billion by 2050.

All this means that in less than 40 years, the world will have to increase food production by 40%. That means producing more food on the same amount of land, and with less water. It also means using the grazing lands of the world to convert sunlight into protein, which will fall solely on ruminant livestock production.
This kind of production growth not only demands the increased use of  technology in agriculture, but also has caused a new realization within the environmental movement. That movement is starting to grasp that the use of these technologies is no longer considered a threat but a vital component in ensuring that open spaces and the environment are maintained.

Modern agriculture has been vilified by many on the left, which has helped fuel the growth of the natural, organic and local food movements. But those technologies aren’t as efficient and people are increasingly accepting the notion that the best tool to feed the world in a sustainable way that protects the environment and feeds the world economically and efficiently is high-yield conventional agriculture.

Those who once saw us as the problem are now increasingly seeing modern agriculture as the solution.

Meat Mythbusters!!

The American Meat Institute (AMI), in conjunction with the American Meat Science Association (AMSA), has expanded its “Meat MythCrushers” campaign with the first of seven new myth-crushing videos that sets the record straight about myths associated with  beef products.

The Meat Myth Crushers campaign is centered around the website, http://www.meatmythcrushers.com/, and a companion Facebook page, which feature science-based information and resources in response to some of the most popular meat and poultry myths held by consumers, covering topics such as food safety, production methods, nutrition and animal welfare.

“One of the more popular recent myths we’ve heard from consumers that has been spread by some movies and TV personalities is that ordinary household ammonia is used to make some hamburgers,” Riley added. “This myth was the first of the seven that we aim to crush.”

Dr. Acuff’s video is the first of seven to be released over the next six weeks, which will feature various academic experts from all over the country addressing meat myths on topics ranging from livestock environmental impact to processed meat safety and nutrition.

“The American Meat Science Association is proud to be connecting directly with consumers through these videos,” said AMSA Executive Director Thomas Powell. “Meat scientists are excellent resources for consumers with questions and we are pleased to be part of this education effort.”

Who serves the best steak in Mississippi???

Speak up for you favorite steak!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/N6DS9TG

The Mississippi Beef Council has been recognizing the best burger in Mississippi for quite a few years.. Now they are searching for the best steak in the state! Vote now!

Use caution when buying cattle from out of state

Mississippi Board of Animal Health With the ongoing drought in Texas, there are many cattle being sold for dispersal, resulting in the movement of large numbers of cattle from Texas to other states (including Mississippi) where grazing is readily available. While this may provide an opportunity for you to make money, be careful that it doesn't wind up actually costing you money. These animals are usually of unknown disease status and if added to your herd, may introduce new diseases for which your cattle have no resistance or are not vaccinated against, costing far more in treatment and losses than any savings on the purchased cattle. Newly purchased cattle should be kept separated for at least 2 weeks (longer if possible) before being added to your herd. Check with your veterinarian for information about vaccinations or other health issues you may need to consider. Another issue is that we have had reports of animals moving into our state that do not meet our entry requirements. All livestock coming into Mississippi must have a Health Certificate with additional requirements for certain classes of animals. For example, all adult cattle need to have official identification and be listed on the Health Certificate, and bulls must have a negative Trichomonas Test or a Virgin Bull Statement. Bulls that are brought into our state without Trichomonas Testing, increases the risk of introducing this disease into your herd as well as increasing the prevalence of the disease within our state. When animals are brought into our state without proper documentation, we lose the ability to trace them should the need arise due to a disease outbreak. In addition, the owner is subject to possible quarantine and fines. If you have any questions regarding the entry requirements of livestock in Mississippi you may go to www.mbah.state.ms.us or call Jim Watson, D.V.M., State Veterinarian: 888-646-8731. (P.O. Box 3889, Jackson, MS 39207)